When Dhumketu's first collection of short stories, Tankha, came out in 1926, it revolutionized the genre in India. Characterized by a fine sensitivity, deep humanism, perceptive observation, and an intimate knowledge of both rural and urban life, his fiction has provided entertainment and edification to generations of Gujarati readers and speakers.The Shehnai Virtuoso brings together... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Forbidden City by Vanessa Hua
A teenage girl living in 1960s China becomes Mao Zedong's protégée and lover--and a poster child for the Cultural Revolution--in this provocative, poignant novel from the bestselling author of A River of Stars.On the eve of China's Cultural Revolution and her sixteenth birthday, Mei dreams of becoming a model revolutionary. When the Communist Party recruits girls... Continue Reading →
[Blog Tour]ARC Review: What Souls Are Made Of by Tasha Suri
Title: What Souls Are Made Of Author: Tasha Suri Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Publication Date: July 5th, 2022 Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction Goodreads Link Purchase Links: Amazon || Barnes and Noble || Blackwells || Book Depository As the abandoned son of a Lascar—a sailor from India—Heathcliff has spent most of his young life maligned... Continue Reading →
Audiobook Review: Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi
A ragtag band of misfits gets swept up in Holy Land politics in Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi, a thrilling YA remix of the classic legend of Robin Hood.Jerusalem, 1192. The Third Crusade rages on. Rahma al-Hud loyally followed her elder sister Zeena into the war over the Holy Land, but now that the Faranji... Continue Reading →
Audiobook Review: A Bond Undone by Jin Yong and Translated by Gigi Chang
In the Jin capital of Zhongdu, Guo Jing learns the truth of his father’s death and finds he is now betrothed, against his will, to two women. Neither of them is his sweetheart Lotus Huang.Torn between following his heart and fulfilling his filial duty, Guo Jing journeys through the country of his parents with Lotus,... Continue Reading →
ARC Review: The Red Palace by June Hur
To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood...Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Sword of Sorrow, Blade of Joy by J. F. Lee
There is only one kind of justice in the jianghu: the kind you bring with a sword.After maiming a nobleman’s son, Shu Yan thought the best place to hide was in the company of a legendary swordsman. But she certainly didn’t expect to join him in his quest to find the man who murdered his... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Huang Jin Tai / Golden Stage by Cang Wu Bin Bai
The notorious imperial court lackey and the meritorious military general were well-known for their mutual dislike, a pair of arch-enemies set in stone. Who could have foreseen the unexpected change in the winds of heaven: the general injured on the battlefield, both legs disabled, and even forced by the emperor to marry his nemesis.With one... Continue Reading →
Audiobook Review: A Hero Born by Jin Yong
The Song Empire has been invaded by its warlike Jurchen neighbours from the north. Half its territory and its historic capital lie in enemy hands; the peasants toil under the burden of the annual tribute demanded by the victors. Meanwhile, on the Mongolian steppe, a disparate nation of great warriors is about to be united... Continue Reading →
ALC Review: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Thirteen-year-old Anna, an orphan, lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople in a house of women who make their living embroidering the robes of priests. Restless, insatiably curious, Anna learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds a book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into... Continue Reading →