deepat's Reviews (252)

This was such a cozy read, and so much about how a garden heals the people who love and care for it. Love how the story made me emotionally invested in the characters right from the beginning. This was indeed an emotional read. The Indian representation made the tale even more personal somehow.  It does drag a little bit, but I did enjoy the feel-good vibe of the story. 

Reading the original versions of these familiar tales was interesting. So many of these stories have a very similar Indian counterpart, too - I’m surprised. Or maybe these tales were modified to better suit today’s world. Also the  popular Fairy Tales from this series are very much different from the original version. Now the disappointing part - I hadn’t expected this book to be so long and boring. Actually, it has nothing of the charm I expected of Fairy Tales. Several of these stories feel so unfinished, they have no sensible ending at all. Most of the stories are quite ‘Grimm’ too, too cruel for no apparent reason. Several of the stories are almost copies of others. Trying to read the entire book at a stretch was the biggest mistake, I feel. I wanted to DNF this book so badly. 

A good book. Easy to read. The story is a very heart warming one too. Even though there are so many dangers involved, Em’s adventures with Wendell were somehow delightful. The simple love of the villagers and the imagined life rules of the faeries were quite enchanting. I would definitely love to continue this series. 

Awesome book. Really couldn’t put it down. Now I see what the hype is all about. The world building is done really well, the characters are well etched out too. It was an easy read and I feel quite invested in the lives of the characters. I shall definitely be purchasing the remaining books in the series. A relatively clean read too and I appreciate that. 

One of the most gripping books in my library. The lengths to which the Boleyns go for power, the utter callousness of their ambition, their mercurial rise and fall from the King’s grace, the sheer selfishness and vindictiveness of the King and Mary Boleyn’s lucky escape from the tower - it is a cautionary tale for all times. “She has made her bed and she must lie in it.”

It was a fun book. Having seen the movie already, I could easily visualise most of the scenes. It is a completely non-sensical story but in a nice way. Love how the Oompa Laampas weave in worldly wisdom into their songs. Love how simple manners and trust help Charlie and Grandpa Joe win the day. 

An excellent book. I read it in one go, almost. It was easy to read, fast-paced and kept me interested throughout. The story runs along the lines of King Arthur’s and the Sword of Excalibur tale - but a very different story still. Also the explicit passages were minimal, that was a tolerable amount for me. I would like to continue this series, very much. Glad I snagged this nice book for free from Kindle. 

An all-time favourite. It humanises the God Shiva and rationalises his actions. Love the quick pace and the crisp writing, too. The book ends on such a cliffhanger, I cannot wait to get to the next book in the series. I read some reviews online that talked about how the author was disrespecting Lord Shiva. Personally, I consider this story a completely new tale, one that “borrows” heavily from Hindu mythology. Several snippets of Lord Shiva’s story from the Puranas are taken as the “base” for this entirely different re-telling, one that can resonate and identify with the current generation and lifestyle. And that is fine, by me. I shall be re-reading the remaining books in the series, too. 

A fun, easy, quick read made even better, by the antics of the Siamese. This story in particular, had a slightly grisly twist at the end. But Qwilleran and Koko and Yum Yum are familiar territory… I’ve read several books from this series and enjoy them a lot. Particularly these days, I appreciate the clean writing without steamy passages ever more. I also love that the cat plays detective and that his hooman respects him for it.

Another book I would not have even thought of, if it weren’t for the reading challenges. The best parts - the story was definitely good and the lead pair were super cute people. The worst parts - the book was too long and too trashy. Frankly, if only ask those explicit scenes were cut out of the story, it would have been just perfect. I definitely don’t appreciate the use of explicit language in books. I’m more of a “clean” reader. The romance is sweet, very sweet, but I could do without all the TMI. It is as if authors feel compelled to add in a few steamy scenes every few chapters and stretch the story awfully far.