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thebooksatchel's reviews
521 reviews
Black River by Nilanjana Roy
"Rather than following a formulaic whodunnit plot, Black River moves forward slowly, noir-like, raising questions on bigger problems—the power dynamics in the village, the police departments staggering under external pressure, the communal harmony, the gradual boycotting of the services /businesses offered by the Muslim community". More thoughts on https://reshsusan.substack.com/p/48-summer-reading-2023 (Satchel Notes)
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
Can't get enough of Jesse Q Sutanto's aunties. Read this with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thesatchelbookclub/">The Satchel Book club</a>. Review <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs082Phg2Rp/">here</a>
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
WHOA Awesome Addictive. MADE ME EXERCISE lol This book got me out of a walk-slump. I restarted my evening walks simply to listen to it on audio. I had to force myself to sleep that night. And I kept waking up and being sad that it isn't morning yet to resume the read. And I kept trying to predict what is gonna HAPPEN NEXT the whole night. I have THOUGHTS
A high stakes enemies to friends romance fantasy set in a military training school. with DRAGONS. Brutal, conflict ridden.
Audiobook performed by Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton
In short :
Violet Sorrengail wanted to be a scribe but is enrolled as a rider (thanks mom) to train for battle at a war college. If she isn't killed by dragons or classmates or bullies or in a training session, there's always Xaden Riorson, "the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant" and sworn enemy of Violet's family to look out for.
The good:
- Enemies to lovers. chef's kiss.
- Steamy romance. Ultimate slow burn that made my heart FLUTTER morphing into cut this sexual tension with a blade and kill me vibes. And then gets into the steamiest sex (two). Honestly more romance writers should write romantsy.
- Loved the MC. Violet/Violence (omg stop). Fights through her life with chronic illness. Very sweet and likeable and sparky.
- The dragons were excellent. I loved the buildup around their world meshed with ours. I loved that each dragon has its own personality. The rules! The unfairness of the rules binding dragons and humans. If you are weak, dragons can simply incinerate you.
Dragons with opinions, yes please.
- The world building : War college where riders learn war strategies and train for battle + dragons who bond with the riders. I loved the rules, the quadrants at the military college, the cause they are fighting for, the unpredictability of their course (if no dragon bonds with you, you simply repeat until you die or until one of them decides to accept you as their rider). Absolutely loved the own set of rules that the dragons lived by too.
- The archives and the scribe department was fascinating to me. This is a very small section of the book. But it shows how history can be omitted, skewed and tampered with. Violet wanted to be a scribe and had to enroll as a rider because of her general (and toxic without-a-heart) mother.
- Very very tropey.Name a trope and you'll find it in this book. enemies to lovers, love triangle, second love interest, forced proximity etc etc.
-Loved the MC Xander and his handsome face (referenced ever single time he comes on the page lol). Sexy enemy. Seductive bane and boon of our fictional boyfriends. And my god, isn't audiobook narrator Rebecca Soler very very good?
- The friendships and side characters were nice. The concept of found family and genuine friendships.
- It is a cliffhanger of an ending. (honestly I saw it coming but nice)
You need to know this:
- This is pure YA language. Even though the book is marketed as new adult (perhaps because of two sex scenes). This wasn't a problem for me because I didn't know whether it was YA/NA. I simply liked the blurb, fell for the social media hype, saw there are dragons in the book and dived in. 100% does not read like an NA except for the sex. In fact at one point when a character mentions their age, i was like whaaaat?
- I saw a comment from a reader being disappointed because the book didn't have medieval kind-of language. It does not. It is very modern 2023ish language in spite of dragons and an old-fantasy-kind-of-school-training. I didn't go in expecting anything so this was not a problem for me and I enjoyed it.
The not-so-good:
- Formulaic very predictable. I don't read a lot of fantasy and I could predict nearly everything but I didn't mind it because of the addictive storytelling. Give this a try if you are willing to trade predictability for addictive plot. (worth it imo)
- The novel leaves you on the EDGE of your seat until 60% of the novel. And after that the pace drops like a dragon in freefall. It felt slow, an amalgamation of fight scenes just for the word count or to get to the plot twists and leave enough unsaid for Book 2. It felt hugely disappointing because the first 60% was really good.
- The friendship between Violet and Dain (and the love triangle which ofc you'll guess from the first time his name is mentioned) is the flatest, most one-dimensional ever. Their scenes felt like chewing on a rogue clove in between a good meal. And I didn't care at all for him or their friendship.
- Actually this is an offshoot of a story being formulaic—Many characters might feel one dimensional. Violet's sister Mira is a force to reckon with in the first chapters. When we meet her later on, she becomes a formula and not a character that you root for. This one dimensionality affects many relationships too, not just that of Violet and Dain. If Violet's mom is a cruel, non-understanding general, then where's that tension b/w her and Violet?
If you loved The Cruel Prince for its addictive style, you'll love this book. On the plus side, no bully turned lover; only enemy turned lover. Also dragons!!
Ending thoughts:
Hyped? yes. Predictable? yes. Enjoyable? yes. Addictive? yes. Did I have a good time? YES
In spite of all its faults it has been a while since a book made me have so many thoughts to write this loooong review. So I count that as a win. Would definitely rec the audiobook. Ooof romance that made my heart flutter.
Quotes :
"I will not die today"
“i know how to handle a corset”(heart eyes)
“Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs—on the probabilities.”
"A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without its dragon is dead."
"Fascinating. You look all frail and breakable, but you're really a violent little thing, aren't you?"
"People die, it's going to happen over and over again. It's the nature of what happens here. What makes you a rider is what you do after people die."
"Not all strength is physical."
“There is nothing more sacred than the Archives. Even temples can be rebuilt, but books cannot be rewritten.”
“You’re freakishly calm for someone who just heard she’s about to be hunted.”
It’s a typical Wednesday for me."
A high stakes enemies to friends romance fantasy set in a military training school. with DRAGONS. Brutal, conflict ridden.
Audiobook performed by Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton
In short :
Violet Sorrengail wanted to be a scribe but is enrolled as a rider (thanks mom) to train for battle at a war college. If she isn't killed by dragons or classmates or bullies or in a training session, there's always Xaden Riorson, "the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant" and sworn enemy of Violet's family to look out for.
The good:
- Enemies to lovers. chef's kiss.
- Steamy romance. Ultimate slow burn that made my heart FLUTTER morphing into cut this sexual tension with a blade and kill me vibes. And then gets into the steamiest sex (two). Honestly more romance writers should write romantsy.
- Loved the MC. Violet/Violence (omg stop). Fights through her life with chronic illness. Very sweet and likeable and sparky.
- The dragons were excellent. I loved the buildup around their world meshed with ours. I loved that each dragon has its own personality. The rules! The unfairness of the rules binding dragons and humans. If you are weak, dragons can simply incinerate you.
Dragons with opinions, yes please.
- The world building : War college where riders learn war strategies and train for battle + dragons who bond with the riders. I loved the rules, the quadrants at the military college, the cause they are fighting for, the unpredictability of their course (if no dragon bonds with you, you simply repeat until you die or until one of them decides to accept you as their rider). Absolutely loved the own set of rules that the dragons lived by too.
- The archives and the scribe department was fascinating to me. This is a very small section of the book. But it shows how history can be omitted, skewed and tampered with. Violet wanted to be a scribe and had to enroll as a rider because of her general (and toxic without-a-heart) mother.
- Very very tropey.Name a trope and you'll find it in this book. enemies to lovers, love triangle, second love interest, forced proximity etc etc.
-Loved the MC Xander and his handsome face (referenced ever single time he comes on the page lol). Sexy enemy. Seductive bane and boon of our fictional boyfriends. And my god, isn't audiobook narrator Rebecca Soler very very good?
- The friendships and side characters were nice. The concept of found family and genuine friendships.
- It is a cliffhanger of an ending. (honestly I saw it coming but nice)
You need to know this:
- This is pure YA language. Even though the book is marketed as new adult (perhaps because of two sex scenes). This wasn't a problem for me because I didn't know whether it was YA/NA. I simply liked the blurb, fell for the social media hype, saw there are dragons in the book and dived in. 100% does not read like an NA except for the sex. In fact at one point when a character mentions their age, i was like whaaaat?
- I saw a comment from a reader being disappointed because the book didn't have medieval kind-of language. It does not. It is very modern 2023ish language in spite of dragons and an old-fantasy-kind-of-school-training. I didn't go in expecting anything so this was not a problem for me and I enjoyed it.
The not-so-good:
- Formulaic very predictable. I don't read a lot of fantasy and I could predict nearly everything but I didn't mind it because of the addictive storytelling. Give this a try if you are willing to trade predictability for addictive plot. (worth it imo)
- The novel leaves you on the EDGE of your seat until 60% of the novel. And after that the pace drops like a dragon in freefall. It felt slow, an amalgamation of fight scenes just for the word count or to get to the plot twists and leave enough unsaid for Book 2. It felt hugely disappointing because the first 60% was really good.
- The friendship between Violet and Dain (and the love triangle which ofc you'll guess from the first time his name is mentioned) is the flatest, most one-dimensional ever. Their scenes felt like chewing on a rogue clove in between a good meal. And I didn't care at all for him or their friendship.
- Actually this is an offshoot of a story being formulaic—Many characters might feel one dimensional. Violet's sister Mira is a force to reckon with in the first chapters. When we meet her later on, she becomes a formula and not a character that you root for. This one dimensionality affects many relationships too, not just that of Violet and Dain. If Violet's mom is a cruel, non-understanding general, then where's that tension b/w her and Violet?
If you loved The Cruel Prince for its addictive style, you'll love this book. On the plus side, no bully turned lover; only enemy turned lover. Also dragons!!
Ending thoughts:
Hyped? yes. Predictable? yes. Enjoyable? yes. Addictive? yes. Did I have a good time? YES
In spite of all its faults it has been a while since a book made me have so many thoughts to write this loooong review. So I count that as a win. Would definitely rec the audiobook. Ooof romance that made my heart flutter.
Quotes :
"I will not die today"
“i know how to handle a corset”(heart eyes)
“Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs—on the probabilities.”
"A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without its dragon is dead."
"Fascinating. You look all frail and breakable, but you're really a violent little thing, aren't you?"
"People die, it's going to happen over and over again. It's the nature of what happens here. What makes you a rider is what you do after people die."
"Not all strength is physical."
“There is nothing more sacred than the Archives. Even temples can be rebuilt, but books cannot be rewritten.”
“You’re freakishly calm for someone who just heard she’s about to be hunted.”
It’s a typical Wednesday for me."
Happy Place by Emily Henry
I've always wondered whom to recommend an Emily Henry book to and i've got the answer. If you are looking for a romance novel, this isn't for you. There's simply too much talking, emotions, character sketches at play rather than the formulaic 'introduce characters, kiss, sex, problems, make up, happily ever after'. But, if you are looking for a literary-ish (though not quite) book and does a lot of talking and has a slow burn romance that you keep wanting to get to the bottom of, then Emily Henry is for you. Think of it as romance with more meat. Like fully invested in so many things in addition to the love story. If I am craving a romance book, I would not pick up Emily Henry, but if I am craving a light hearted, heartwarming wholesome read, I would pick up an Emily Henry book.
Happy Place is a lovely story about second chances, and friendships, and our own flaws. It is heartwarming in a good way, tiring in the wait for progression. It is meaty in the way it makes you think of so many things of adult life, like friendship, memories, love, commitment but also lean in the way the conflicts are not big enough. (making you think why so much talking/reading is needed to arrive here. why aren't small problems resolved in lesser amounts of time). Enjoyable read. Nice to listen to on audio for a slow burn story of second chances.
Happy Place is a lovely story about second chances, and friendships, and our own flaws. It is heartwarming in a good way, tiring in the wait for progression. It is meaty in the way it makes you think of so many things of adult life, like friendship, memories, love, commitment but also lean in the way the conflicts are not big enough. (making you think why so much talking/reading is needed to arrive here. why aren't small problems resolved in lesser amounts of time). Enjoyable read. Nice to listen to on audio for a slow burn story of second chances.
Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
The buzziest book of 2023.
What to expect?
- A literary crime novel that serves cruel villains, helpless victims and social commentary on the same platter. It's a nitty gritty novel set in India that kickstarts with a road accident (and five deaths) caused by a rich man's car.
- Vibe : Think lavish parties, drugs, real estate, political violence, influential families, corruption. MONEY and INFLUENCE. A social commentary on capitalism, the economic divide between the rich and the poor.
What wasn't great?
-I would call this more of literary crime novel than a literary thriller.
-The length! This could've been edited into a crisper book. Sometimes the writing took ages to come to the point, which was frustrating. Same with character introductions; shorter and quicker please.
-It took me 150ish pages to get invested in the story. So keep reading if it didn't hook you instantly.
More thoughts:
This would make a super cool TV series. I hear a movie adaptation might be coming soon. With the right cast, it is definitely gonna be a hit
If you liked White Tiger, you'll love this.
What to expect?
- A literary crime novel that serves cruel villains, helpless victims and social commentary on the same platter. It's a nitty gritty novel set in India that kickstarts with a road accident (and five deaths) caused by a rich man's car.
- Vibe : Think lavish parties, drugs, real estate, political violence, influential families, corruption. MONEY and INFLUENCE. A social commentary on capitalism, the economic divide between the rich and the poor.
What wasn't great?
-I would call this more of literary crime novel than a literary thriller.
-The length! This could've been edited into a crisper book. Sometimes the writing took ages to come to the point, which was frustrating. Same with character introductions; shorter and quicker please.
-It took me 150ish pages to get invested in the story. So keep reading if it didn't hook you instantly.
More thoughts:
This would make a super cool TV series. I hear a movie adaptation might be coming soon. With the right cast, it is definitely gonna be a hit
If you liked White Tiger, you'll love this.
Ghost Girl, Banana by Wiz Wharton
A literary read with alternating POVs.
What to expect?
- Alternating POV set in the Chinese Windrush (1966) to early 1970s following nurse Sook-Yin who comes to England from Hong Kong for a better life. Sook-Yin's younger daughter Lily in 1997 comes across a large inheritance and tries to find out more about the inheritance, her mother's history etc; set during Hong King's handover to China in 1997.
- Sook-Yin was an interesting character. She makes new friends despite her misconceptions that she might not transition into the England life easily (I loved the Marilyn, Clark Gable and movie stars talk between her and her roommate Peggy). She then works as a nanny, meets a white guy Julian and marries him. They start a business and try to build a life.
- Sook-Yin's brother's characterisation, though small, was shocking and punches you in the gut. He blames Sook-Yin for marrying a colonizer and also puts her down. These scenes show the contrast between how Sook-Yin is trying to find a new life in a new land and how her family's expectations of her are very different.
- The title draws from Lily being the ghost girl (perhaps Sook-Yin too in some measure, finding herself in a new country, and her decisions not accepted by her family). Banana is a derogatory term for a white person.
- The daughters are brought up by their father. Maya the eldest daughter with features that fit into Western standards has an easier life. Lily, the youngest daughter finds it difficult to fit in, being away from her heritage, and because of the way other kids/people treat her. (The scene where she tries to search whether a Western girl could be born with a monolid ). While Maya sails through life, Lily finds herself stuck. The author then transports Lily in a search for the truth about her mother. But she finds that she doesn't fit in there either. It was enlightening reading about the diff struggles Lily faced, and also how nice people can bring out the best in you.
What could've been better?
- I wish Lily had more things to say/feel about the other people in her life. She seemed reduced to pursue the truth about her mother. How did the death of her father affect her? While we see enough of Maya, I wished she was more fleshed out and her role existed not just to show how she and Lily were different, or to aid the fleshing of the character Lily. I would've liked Maya to have more individuality, perhaps like Sook-Yin's character sketch. While this is Sook-Yin and Lily's story, but I was curious about Maya beyond her role to aid Lily's story.
-I feel Julian, for his irresponsible, manipulative ways was toned down by the author. When Sook-Yin's brother was well written in a few dialogues, the father and husband in Julian could've been better written too. It was almost as if his faults are no big deal and toned down. Why?
What to expect?
- Alternating POV set in the Chinese Windrush (1966) to early 1970s following nurse Sook-Yin who comes to England from Hong Kong for a better life. Sook-Yin's younger daughter Lily in 1997 comes across a large inheritance and tries to find out more about the inheritance, her mother's history etc; set during Hong King's handover to China in 1997.
- Sook-Yin was an interesting character. She makes new friends despite her misconceptions that she might not transition into the England life easily (I loved the Marilyn, Clark Gable and movie stars talk between her and her roommate Peggy). She then works as a nanny, meets a white guy Julian and marries him. They start a business and try to build a life.
- Sook-Yin's brother's characterisation, though small, was shocking and punches you in the gut. He blames Sook-Yin for marrying a colonizer and also puts her down. These scenes show the contrast between how Sook-Yin is trying to find a new life in a new land and how her family's expectations of her are very different.
- The title draws from Lily being the ghost girl (perhaps Sook-Yin too in some measure, finding herself in a new country, and her decisions not accepted by her family). Banana is a derogatory term for a white person.
- The daughters are brought up by their father. Maya the eldest daughter with features that fit into Western standards has an easier life. Lily, the youngest daughter finds it difficult to fit in, being away from her heritage, and because of the way other kids/people treat her. (The scene where she tries to search whether a Western girl could be born with a monolid ). While Maya sails through life, Lily finds herself stuck. The author then transports Lily in a search for the truth about her mother. But she finds that she doesn't fit in there either. It was enlightening reading about the diff struggles Lily faced, and also how nice people can bring out the best in you.
What could've been better?
- I wish Lily had more things to say/feel about the other people in her life. She seemed reduced to pursue the truth about her mother. How did the death of her father affect her? While we see enough of Maya, I wished she was more fleshed out and her role existed not just to show how she and Lily were different, or to aid the fleshing of the character Lily. I would've liked Maya to have more individuality, perhaps like Sook-Yin's character sketch. While this is Sook-Yin and Lily's story, but I was curious about Maya beyond her role to aid Lily's story.
-I feel Julian, for his irresponsible, manipulative ways was toned down by the author. When Sook-Yin's brother was well written in a few dialogues, the father and husband in Julian could've been better written too. It was almost as if his faults are no big deal and toned down. Why?