Bookish Jyo

Book Review:  The Hate U Give My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ "Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice." ~ From Goodread

  Book Review: A Scandal in Bohemia My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ "Holmes is hired by the King of Bohemia to recover blackmail evidence, held by the woman whom the king once promised to marry, but abandoned for a woman of noble birth. One Voice Recordings produces faithful, unabridged and scintillating productions of the largest selection of Sherlock Holmes stories currently available anywhere, all characters rendered by renowned stage and voice actor David Ian Davies, One Voice Recordings’ producer and publisher." ~ From Goodreads ~ This one too was a part of the mini-series "Sherlock Holmes". Just like the first book of Sherlock Holmes . This is about how Sherlock meets his match in "the" woman. His romantic "angle" of sorts. I loved the fact that the "pompous" Sherlock was outwitted by one Ms. Irene Adler(aka the woman).  I am sure even in this day and age there are people who underestimate the power of a woman's mind. Just because we don&

  Book Review: A Study in Scarlet My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ "A Study in Scarlet" is the first published story of one of the most famous literary detectives of all time, Sherlock Holmes. Here Dr. Watson, who has just returned from a war in Afghanistan, meets Sherlock Holmes for the first time when they become flat-mates at the famous 221 B Baker Street. In "A Study in Scarlet" Sherlock Holmes investigates a murder at Lauriston Gardens as Dr. Watson tags along with Holmes while narratively detailing his amazing deductive abilities." ~ From Goodreads ~ While I was reading this, the "Sherlock Holmes" mini-series scenes flashed before my eyes. This is the content of the first episode of that series. It is a classic for sure. Before the advent of ebooks, getting books that I wanted to read was a hassle for me. Either the books stores didn't have a copy at all or the library copy was never available at the required time.  What I am saying is that, while growin

Book Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into a new year and a new school where undersize weaklings share the corridors with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. Desperate to prove his newfound maturity, which only going up a grade can bring, Greg is happy to have his not-quite-so-cool sidekick, Rowley, along for the ride. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's popularity to his own advantage. Recorded in his diary with comic pictures and his very own words, this test of Greg and Rowley's friendship unfolds with hilarious results." ~ From Goodreads ~ I couldn’t stop laughing out loud while I was reading this book. It didn’t help that me reading a paperback Children’s book was already rather funny sight. I got quite a few curious and judgemental looks. I guess I made their day today too by making them smile. Right? Anyways, this wimpy kid is too amazing. Did I tell you t

Book Review: Girl, Missing My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ ⭐ " Lauren has always known she was adopted but when a little research turns up the possibility that she was snatched from an American family as a baby, suddenly Lauren's life seems like a sham. How can she find her biological parents? And are her adoptive parents really responsible for kidnapping her?" ~ From Goodreads ~ I enjoyed reading the simple language in this one. It really is a simple, yet twisted tale. It is written from the point of view of a teenager.  In search of her real identity, the adopted child unlocks a serious kidnapping and adoption agency fraud case.  It is mostly an emotional tale. But the emotions aren't overwhelming like I thought they would be. I guess it's because a teenager cannot fathom the pain of losing a 3-year-old child and living without knowing what happened to her.  The progression of the story is done well and the characters are likable. I have given it a 5-star rating because it

 Book Review: Binti My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs. Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach. If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself — but first she has to make it there, alive." ~ From Goodreads ~ Very interesting indeed. Fantasy, Scientific and African. All new ge

 Book Review : Unfinished: A Memoir My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "Unfinished is a collection of personal essays, stories, and observations by actor, producer, activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Priyanka Chopra. ‘The flavor of the book will be honest, funny, spirited, bold, and rebellious, just like me. I have always been a private person; I’ve never spoken about my feelings during my journey but I am ready to do so now. I was raised to be fearless when it came to opinions, and I would like to tell my story in the hopes of inspiring people--especially women--to change the conversation, to shatter glass ceilings. Women are always told we can’t have everything. I want everything, and I believe anyone else can have it too. I’m proof of it.’ – Priyanka Chopra" ~  From Goodreads   ~ It is very honest(there are a few embarrassing stuff in there) and a simple memoir if ever there was one. The journey from a non-filmy background to the International Iconic Star that she is. A long and ins

Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers  My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ ⭐️ "Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be. Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tra

 Book Review: The Goldfinch My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ "A young boy in New York City, Theo Decker, miraculously survives an accident that takes the life of his mother. Alone and abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by a friend's family and struggles to make sense of his new life. In the years that follow, he becomes entranced by one of the few things that reminds him of his mother: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the art underworld. Composed with the skills of a master, The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America, and a drama of almost unbearable acuity and power. It is a story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the enormous power of art." ~  From Goodreads   ~ This one was so painstakingly long! The writing is good, the story is good, the morals and lessons and the descriptions are too good. Initially, I read every word, thinking that it will matter at some point. At almost 70%, I realized tha

 Book Review: The Midnight Library  My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?” A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time. Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other l

 Book Review: The Other Wife  My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "Childhood sweethearts William and Mary have been married for sixty years. William is a celebrated surgeon, Mary a devoted wife. Both have a strong sense of right and wrong. This is what their son, Joe O'Loughlin, has always believed. But when Joe is summoned to the hospital with news that his father has been brutally attacked, his world is turned upside down. Who is the strange woman crying at William's bedside, covered in his blood - a friend, a mistress, a fantasist or a killer? Against the advice of the police, Joe launches his own investigation. As he learns more, he discovers sides to his father he never knew - and is forcibly reminded that the truth comes at a price. A mesmerising psychological thriller from one of the greatest crime writers of today, Michael Robotham, the international bestselling author of THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS." ~  From Goodreads  ~ This is was a good story. I liked the writing style too. Si

 Book Review: The Night Circus My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. The black sign, painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, reads: Opens at Nightfall Closes at Dawn As the sun disappears beyond the horizon, all over the tents small lights begin to flicker, as though the entirety of the circus is covered in particularly bright fireflies. When the tents are all aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign appears. Le Cirque des Rêves The Circus of Dreams. Now the circus is open. Now you may enter. " ~  From Goodreads ~ I am not quite sure why I didn't give this one 5 stars. It ticked all the boxes in my head for my current rating system. It is well written, it is something different, it has good character sketches, it has a bit of mystery and intrigue, and it is obviously a feel-good book.  The romance is undeniable of my favorite kind. Mushy and magical. The rela

 BOOK REVIEW : The Wife Upstairs My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ " Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name. But her luck changes when she meets Eddie­ Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for. Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly success

 BOOK REVIEW: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle                   My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ " Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense. For fans of Claire North, and Kate Atkinson, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a breathlessly addictive mystery that follows one man's race against time to find a killer, with an astonishing time-turning twist that means nothing and no one are quite what they seem. This inventive debut twists together a thriller of such unexpected creativity it will leave readers guessing until the very last page." ~ From Goodreads ~ Oh my God! What did I just read!!! This is the feeling I was le

 BOOK REVIEW: The Break My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ " 'Myself and Hugh . . . We're taking a break.' 'A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?' If only. Amy's husband Hugh says he isn't leaving her. He still loves her, he's just taking a break - from their marriage, their children, and, most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in south-east Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it. Yes, it's a mid-life crisis, but let's be clear: a break isn't a break up - yet . . . However, for Amy, it's enough to send her - along with her extended family of gossips, misfits, and troublemakers - teetering over the edge. For a lot can happen in six-months. When Hugh returns if he returns, will he be the same man she married? And will Amy be the same woman? Because if Hugh is on a break from their marriage, then isn't she? " ~ From Goodreads ~ This was a tough one to read. So many emotions, so many truths, and so man

 BOOK REVIEW: Cards on the Table My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ "A flamboyant party host is murdered in full view of a roomful of bridge players… Mr Shaitana was famous as a flamboyant party host. Nevertheless, he was a man of whom everybody was a little afraid. So, when he boasted to Poirot that he considered murder an art form, the detective had some reservations about accepting a party invitation to view Shaitana’s private collection. Indeed, what began as an absorbing evening of bridge was to turn into a more dangerous game altogether.." ~ From Goodreads ~ So many twists, so many turns, so many murders, and so many clues. This one confused the hell out of me. I think I had attempted to read this one a long time ago but left it because I couldn't understand the game of Bridge! I still do not understand the game of bridge, but I read through it anyway. I do think the cleverness of the crime would have been more evident if I had known how that game is played. Nonetheless, I enjoye

 Book review: Dot Journaling - A Practical Guide              My Rating:  ⭐ ️ ⭐ ️ ⭐ ️ ⭐ ️ ⭐ "Organize your life, record what matters, and get stuff done! What the heck is a dot journal? It’s a planner, to-do list, and diary for every aspect of your life: work, home, relationships, hobbies, everything. Early adopter Rachel Wilkerson Miller explains how to make a dot journal work for you—whether you find the picture-perfect examples on Pinterest inspiring or, well, intimidating. You decide how simple or elaborate your journal will be, and what goes in there: - Lists of your to-dos, to-don’ts, and more - Symbols that will make those lists efficient and effective - Spreads to plan your day, week, month, or year - Trackers for your habits and goals (think health, money, travel) - Accoutrements such as washi tape, book darts, and more!" ~ From Goodreads ~ Have you spent a lot of time watching youtube videos of beautiful "dot journals in the making" or spent countless hour