Keeper of The Lost Cities-Stellerlune By Shannon Messenger

On February 11, 2023 By KavyaIn book review, Book Series, booksLeave a comment

why I hate Stellarlune and my honest opinion on why the series is going downhill
So, don’t get me wrong. I love KotLC, and I’ll always love it! My review on 3 other KotLC books kinda proves that! But literally, Miss Messenger…… another one?! What, are you trying to break the record for the longest series ever written?! The fact is, KotLC is stretching way too long at this point. I waited for a year for Stellarlune and what did I get? Another 800-page book which was 60% just filler! I mean apart from a few plot developments (yayyyy sokeefe fans out there!! we did it!!) there was literally nothing! Finally, over the course of 2 years and 10 books, I have lost patience. It was ultimately almost totally useless to the plot. Fine, we got to know who glimmer is! And guess what? It’s someone we have never heard of before! The entire book is basically everyone stressing over stuff they don’t do anything to control and when Sophie does it, well, more on that later. The whole thing is way too idealistic (this is supposed to be a super serious problem for the elves, one that can endanger everything, and no one major has died yet? I mean come onnnnnn) the whole Mr. Forkle twin thing was totally unnecessary (I do not like him. At all.) He’s dead, let him be dead for God’s sake! Why do you have to bring him back to life in some form (the twin) and not even just because I hated him! He was like a father to Sophie and his dying would have given the series so much weight. Sophie would have a purpose to defeat the Neverseen – revenge! But noooooo he’s still there! The quality of the worldbuilding which hooked me from the first book has practically become non-existent. The Black Swan is a totally useless organisation which does absolutely nothing and (as I was saying) when Sophie actually tries to do something they become all philosophical and huffy. And that is why the elven world is in such a crisis! Because of these totally useless Black Swans and Councils. At this point, I honestly feel like I’m rooting for the Neverseen. At least they do something. The only thing I actually care about anymore is the characters. The team dynamics are basically the saving grace of this series by now. I want to root for Tam and Linh and the rest but the plot has just gone in 10 different directions and I don’t even know what the aim of the Black Swan and the Neverseen even is now. Why on Earth are there even more mysteries being revealed NOW, in the supposedly second last book? Unless of course there are 5 more books coming out. I feel like it could have been such an amazing series and it was, for a few books! The thing is, from the beginning of KotLC there was this kind of pull, an obsession to find out what happens next. That pull is just zero now. Maybe I’ve just grown old, but I don’t think that’s it. I think that it was a great series with lots of potential, but it just keeps going downhill with each book in my opinion. It’s getting way too lengthy with way too many plot holes and I feel like even the storyline doesn’t know where it’s going anymore. Maybe I expected way too much from Stellarlune in the first place, but this is my honest opinion. For a person who wanted to read it and bought it the day it came out, this is surprising. Maybe this was what I’ve thought all along and just realised. Maybe. I don’t know. Basically, what I feel is that it fell from 5 star to 1 star from the first to the latest book, and the reason that even the 1 star is there is basically because of sokeefe and the team. I’ll probably read the last book for old times’ sake, but I fully expect to be disappointed.
Stellarlune –

Moriarty By Anthony Horowitz

On November 29, 2022 By KavyaIn book review, Book Series, booksLeave a comment

Moriarty
by Anthony Horowitz

I…. never really loved to read a murder mystery. Sure, I read it once in a while. I enjoyed it. But I was never really invested in them. Sure, old lady gets murdered in revenge because she probably cut off that guy in her will. Guy changes documents, ends up inheriting most of her money, other relatives get suspicious. Enter Mr. Genius Detective, who solves it all with a lot of convenient clues, family gets fortune back, detective gets paid, and bad guy goes to jail. This was what my perception of a murder mystery was. On the other hand, I always have and always will love fantasy to the extent of dreaming random situations set in some series in which I (cough, cough) save the day. Which is quite fun, to be honest. Therefore (sounds like an exam answer at this point. Why did the author rarely read murder mysteries? Please give an example along with you answer-) I did not read murder mysteries. Where is the example, you might ask? Um, this is going to be a very unpopular opinion but You’ll Be The Death of Me, though enjoyable, was never really loved by me. It took me a month to actually start reading it, and once I was finished, I had forgotten about it by the week’s end. (sorry, certain classmate who loves her books! I APOLOGISE! I APOLOGISE!) Anyway. As you might have figured, Moriarty is a murder mystery. But is it like the stereotypical ones I ranted about before this? NO. NO, IT IS NOT. I started it with low expectations and the desperation of having to read something. Having nothing else, I started Moriarty. THAT. THAT was one of the best decisions of my life. Like omggggg seriously?!!! It. Was. So. GOOOOD!!!!! It had me hooked from line number 1. From the moment Frederick Chase started his journey from Switzerland and ended in strange underground caverns in London, I fell in love with the story. First of all, the setting! That old era London was so quaint and charming and everyone talked in a very proper way, it was so charming and so disturbing at the same time because it seems impossible that murders and such happened there. No, surely not! That city is too cute for this! But they did happen, and by the end of the book London wasn’t looking cute as cute as before. Oh, well. On the other hand, the entire case was soooo complex, but in the end it made total sense. The plot twist at the end? I JUST CAN’T. I CAN’T FUNCTIONNNN I had to read those pages like three whole times before I got it and WHEN I GOT IT. WHEN I GOT IT god I just can’t. *bow to Anthony Horowitz supremacy*. The characters, the murders, all of it! That tiny paperback just blew my mind. Never judge a book by its cover at its finest lol. Ok so the basic story is that after the events at Reichenbach falls, both Holmes and Moriarty are presumed dead. Private investigator Frederick Chase from America turns up, looking for an American criminal who, he thinks, is in England. He bumps into Athelney Jones, a Scotland Yard inspector who is on a case of his own. Realising that they have similar interests, they decide to work together. The two of them soon become fast friends, but then realize that the mystery they were determined to solve was very complicated indeed. This was one hell of a ride to read and I do not think I have ever read a mystery with more interest before. If you like mystery, or actually if you like any genre, READ IT. READ ITTTT. 12+

#Book Series Review- The Red Queen By Victoria Aveyard

On July 10, 2022 By KavyaIn book review, Book Series, booksLeave a comment

Red Queen (series review)
Victoria Aveyard

This review does not include Broken Throne (Red Queen #4.5) because I am yet to read that (I absolutely can’t wait to do so), it includes the 4 main books in the series, which are, in order,
book #1 – Red Queen (my favourite!)
book #2 – Glass Sword
book #3 – King’s Cage
book #4 – War Storm (also my favourite)
book #4.5 – Broken Throne (tbr)
This review also contains some spoilers, so be warned!

Blood is what marks people as different in this world – while some people, the nobles, have silver blood, the ordinary people have blood of the color red.
The Silvers. And the Reds.
The Silvers are the kings and queens, the nobles and more valued members of the society in general, while Red kneel in front of them, scared of the deadly powers those with silver blood hold. The Silvers can drown you with just an intent and some water, can explode you with just a touch and thought, can burn you with some fire and rage, and much, much more. The Reds live under centuries of oppression, being told they are inferior and forced to do the actual, menial work of cleaning the nobles’ houses, keeping the kingdom running and fighting its battles. The battlefields of the war between the kingdom of Norta and the neighbouring one of the Lakelands is drenched, in most, in Red blood.
No one thinks anything will change. Not the Reds, and certainly not the Silvers. But when a Red with Silver powers, Mare Barrow, reveals herself to the world, when the power struggles between the noble Silvers reach their highest, when the war rages between the two kingdoms, paid now, with young blood, and the sparks of a rebellion flare in Norta, everything may just change – forever. But will it? And will it change for good or just create an even worse world?

I absolutely LOVED the way the author wrote the battle scenes – everything was written in great detail, and it honestly felt like you were actually there in the moment, fighting alongside the characters through the battle, and whenever something happened, like oooooh the bridge collapsed! What are we going to do now?! And now?! AND NOWW?!! There were a lot of battle scenes/fight scenes in War Storm, and I adored all of them. I WANT MOREEEE!!!!! King’s Cage did not have so many battle scenes, mainly because Mare was stuck in Whitefire Palace after being taken prisoner by Maven, so most of her pov chapters were her trying to survive the machinations and assassination attempts in the Silver Court, but there weren’t as many lengthy battles. Glass Sword was action-packed, but nothing like War Storm was. Glass Sword mostly has small, calculated skirmishes, with a few large-scale battles in between. Red Queen, however, was set almost entirely in Whitefire Palace, and it was more politics and planning than anything else. While the climax was quite eventful, and there was a lot of action, it was mostly aiding the rebellion in small steps. But I swear, War Storm and Red Queen were my favourites in the series. They were just EPIC. This is the Best. Series. Ever!!!!! (Well, till I like another series more than this one. I’m not exactly loyal, per se. But at the moment, it’s my favourite because it is AMAZING) I can’t wait to read Broken Throne, because even though it’s a novella collection it sounds really very interesting. Another thing I loved was the multiple povs. I was literally just so excited to be FINALLY getting multiple povs in King’s Cage. Sometimes multiple povs can be rather irritating, but in this case, I loved them. It was really very fascinating to see things from the other characters’ perspectives, and how they viewed Mare. A lot of people say that povs like Iris’ don’t really add much to the story, but I didn’t actually mind them. It was actually quite interesting to read everyone’s povs. Also, the covers. Have you seen the covers?!!! THEY’RE SO PRETTYYY!!! I just can’t choose my favourite (though I think I know which one is my least favourite. I’m really sorry, King’s Cage! I love you otherwise!)
Now, for the characters. Mare Barrow, was, to be honest, not my favourite. I didn’t love her, but I didn’t hate her either. I was just never sure what I felt about her. Well, at some points I did like her quite a lot, while at others I hated her with a passion, but both of these moments were few. Mostly I just felt indifferent towards her. Which is strange, I know, because she is the main character and everything depends on her choices, but I never quite cared for her. I loved or hated the others, and I always felt MUCH more invested in them than in Mare. If I had to rank all the characters, she’d probably be somewhere in the middle. And that is more than I can say for our next contender – Tiberias Calore. Yes! Note my refusal to call him Cal! I mean what an idiot. Like, ugh. Just ugh.
I really, really, really hate him. He just did not endear himself to me. Like, at all. Firstly, he does not have much more depth than a toddler’s inflatable swimming pool. Like, I get it. I really do. He’s strong! He’s bold! He has a good heart! And I do appreciate that. I appreciate the fact that he’s not willing to give up on his family, which was the one touching thing about Tiberias Calore, but otherwise, what?! How or you supposedly so great but can’t make a decision to save your life?! Did we really have to wait till the end of the third book to finally hear you make a decision about your country, and, oh, make the wrong one?!! Really, Tiberias?! Oh, and even after he becomes Norta’s king he’s not sure what to do with his kingdom. Well, congratulations! This is what he wanted, wasn’t it?!! He would have made a useless king anyways. And this isn’t it! Oh no, it isn’t! What is his damn problem about picking sides?! Just do it! All that hand wringing was really annoying. I just did. not. like. him. (As you may have got). He was an insufferable, kind of insensitive, indecisive prat. If I did the ranking thing, he’d be one of the ones at the very bottom. (if you like him then I totally respect your choice, this is all my opinion.) Yes, so, anyways! Moving on to Maven Calore! (this is going to be lengthy) I literally LOVED him in Red Queen and was therefore heartbroken at the ending, Maven HOW COULD YOUUUU!!! *sobs hysterically* I mean I did not see that coming AT ALL (or I wouldn’t have seen it coming had I not already been spoiled from the net) but he made a really great villain for this series, like, really. One thing I absolutely love about this series is how the author has made the antagonist so sympathizable and justifiable, while at the same time showing how the protagonists are equally, if not more, justified in trying to stop him. I honestly think Maven Calore is a much, much better character than Tiberias Calore, and literally that ending of War Storm destroyed me. How could you, Mare?!! But again, Mare was perfectly justified in doing so, so….. eh. Oh well. I think the bottom line is, EVERYONE WAS JUSTIFIEDDDDD (well, most of the time. And now this is getting confusing. So moving on to the other characters! Kilorn was really adorable, though we didn’t see quite a lot of him. Evangeline was amazing. Her pov chapters were an insight into her life and how she, too, was struggling with her family and how she isn’t as ice cold inside as she is mostly portrayed outside. We didn’t really see much of Ptolemus, but he was nice enough. He was much nicer through Evangeline’s eyes than he was portrayed through Mare’s as in the first couple of books. He and Evangeline were a wholesome, dangerous sibling duo. Elane’s character wasn’t really explored, but she seemed sweet. Iris and her family were ruthless, power minded and cunning. Go, strong female leads! Talking about those, Cameron Cole and Diana Farley – different, but really bold and ready to do what she believed in and bring equality for all. Two great characters! Anabel Lerolan (Tiberias’ granny) was a biased, narrow minded old silver who I didn’t really like much. Elara Merandus- ELARA MERANDUS WAS HORRIBLE. I literally hate her so much right now. She was indirectly responsible for the death of two characters and directly responsible for the death of many others. Horrible is not a strong enough word. Julian Jacos and Sara Skonos were quite supportive of Mare. I’m almost sure I’ve missed someone out, but I apologize for that, whomsoever it is! All in all, Red Queen was a really, really, REALLY great series, and I thank the stars for the day I started reading it. It’s got a really interesting web of a storyline and great characters (well, most of them). It’s very nicely written and I loved it!!! If you love fantasy and struggles for the throne, please try this series! And now, onto Broken Throne for me! 😀
12+

#Book Review- Truly Devious By Maureen Johnson.

On January 25, 2022 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

Truly Devious
by Maureen Johnson

So, I finally decided to read a murder mystery novel. I’ve always sort of seen murder mysteries as really complicated stories that don’t make a lot of sense, so I never really paid a lot of attention to them. My opinion of this got reinforced by the heavily censored and simplified version of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” that our school made us read (like it was so obvious! *spoiler* Stapleton was the killer! Like duh……) But then again, I was hardly reading the original version of Sherlock Holmes. So, I decided to give this genre a try. I didn’t really want to read the old classics like Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie, so I settled for Truly Devious instead. Truly Devious written by Maureen Johnson is more of a modern-day version of the old detective stories, and it has most definitely changed my mind about this genre. These 450 pages or so take you on a journey through the alternating perspectives of Stevie Bell (the MC) and household members of the 1930’s Ellingham academy (the murder she was investigating). I really liked this sort of format, it made things a lot more understandable and interesting ( even if it made you want to scream every time one perspective ended and the other began so you had to wait for one full chapter to see what happened next in the first perspective, and by the end of that chapter in question you were annoyed that the other perspective ended and that you had to wait for another chapter for its continuation and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH) But this style of writing really kept you from being bored. Also, it is quite descriptive in everything, from the personality of characters to the design of the campus, but not overly so. I especially liked that the author had described all the architectural design and hidden passages in detail so that you don’t get confused (as all of this features largely in the plot). I fell in love with all the characters of this book – Ellie, Vi, Janelle, Stevie, Hayes, David, Nate and so many more! The ending was truly a shocking reveal and with a cliff hanger that left you begging for more. One that made you think – surely the book wouldn’t end here? – but end it did, and I can’t wait to read the next book! I’m almost sad that the series has only 3 books (and 1 extra story as a separate book) because I LOVE long series like KotLC (it has a lot of books – 8.5 to be exact and with more coming out this year I’M PSYCHED) but anyways – getting off topic……
You’re right there with Stevie as she struggles to solve the murders – the very recent one and the 1930’s one – and it is not glaringly obvious like some books – you honestly don’t know the culprit. Alongside a plot so complex however – normal academy life also goes on, and that makes it extra interesting too. I honestly wish my school was this interesting – but noooooo I get stuck with a totally normal school where homework is the biggest mystery. So if you want to try a murder mystery you should totally try this series. I LOVED ITTT. Don’t get me wrong – fantasy is still my religion – but this may be a close second. I will definitely continue this series and maybe read some other books by this author. Murders may not be so boring after all…….. Awesome!!!!
12+

#Book Review-The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

On January 9, 2022January 9, 2022 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

All right, so first up, I did not expect this. I knew that The Book Thief was famous, and I knew that it had to be famous for a reason, but before reading it I always thought it was rather overrated. Strange, I know, because the nearest I had ever come to it was looking at its cover in the bookshop or while browsing through Amazon. “You should read it,” My mom would comment while buying some other book. I, on the other hand, would whine that I was sure it would be boring and serious and that super famous things are always horrible (despite having zero clue what it even was). Then one day, I came across it in a bookshop, (last year) and I decided to give it a try. I read it, and I was glad I did, because the experience was……..unique. In a good way. Like, the book is narrated by Death. Death is a person in this book (hello grim reaper), but he is a normal person who loves colours and is sad because he can’t take a vacation. Like, hello, that’s adorable! Everyone hates Death and this was a really new point of view. Also, the writing style was great, so it captures you in the net of HAVING to finish the book to see what happens next. The MC, Liesel Meminger, was not ‘perfect’ like a basic MC and also, I loved the sort of foreshadowing in the prologue and in the beginning of chapters and parts, it just makes things way more interesting. While the setting is 1930’s and 1940’s, in the Second World War, it mainly focuses on the effect of the war on the life of normal Germans instead of Jews unlike most WW II books. While we know that Jews suffered greatly in the hands of Nazi Germany, lives of normal Germans were fraught with danger too, especially if they had anti-Nazi sentiments and aided the Jews. That said, there were certain Jewish characters too. But while the book definitely has parts of war, it was not overly focused on war or war effort. It had normal life escapades too. The story largely revolves around Liesel, but it also focuses on the lives of other people in her life too. From her best friend to her distant neighbour to the Jew hiding in the basement, everyone gets a part. I loved how it was like a huge puzzle with last piece fitting perfectly at the end. It is quite a bittersweet book that reminds us every story need not have a happy ending. It was interesting to see the character development and bits and pieces of people’s pasts. While some parts of it were amusing, some were serious, and made a perfect balance. You might be wondering, however, about the title of the book. Why The Book Thief? Does someone steal books? The answer would be yes; Liesel does steal books. Some were those banned by the government and others were normal books. I liked the fact how Liesel and her family did not blindly listen to Nazi propaganda but instead helped those in need. This book while being fictional has some elements of truth in it as it is based in an era of history that actually happened, so I guess that the genre would be ‘historical fiction’. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that it’s boring and would be like a history book, it’s extremely interesting. This was not my best read of 2021, but it was excellent. Any age can read this. Amazing!!!!

#Book Review: Coco Caramel By Cathy Cassidy

On November 14, 2021 By KavyaIn book review, books1 Comment

This review is about Cathy Cassidy’s novel ‘Coco Caramel’. Coco Caramel is the fourth book in the Chocolate Box Girls series, but you don’t necessarily have to read the first three books before this one, I didn’t, but I still loved it. All the books in this series can be read as stand-alone books too, which is rare in series. The story follows a 12-yr-old 8^th grade girl, Coco, who lives in a small town, Kitnor, in England, with 4 sisters, her mum and stepdad. Tomboy Coco likes playing the violin, baking cakes to save endangered animals like Giant Panda, and most of all riding horses. Once, she rides the riding stable’s problem pony, Caramel, without permission, Caramel throws her off, and that’s last straw for Caramel. The riding stable’s resident trouble causer has got to go – forever. And Coco knows it’s her fault. So, when Caramel is sold to a businessman, Coco has to make sure that the pony had gone to a safe home. When she stakes out and finds Caramel being brutally mistreated, she knows she has to rescue her. She plans to bust her out of the stable, and ride away merrily into the sunset. However, things don’t exactly go to plan, and she bumps into Lawrie, the school misfit, in the stables. Quietly stealing Caramel and another pony (because the more the merrier) they hide them in an abandoned cottage on the moors. However, with the other pony in foal, the horse’s legal owner complaining to the police, and no actual plan, they might have gotten themselves in more trouble than they bargained for. Complete family dramas, hidden secrets and more, this charming book may just be what you’re looking for.
Well, I fricking loved this. This is the first time I’ve read a book of Cathy Cassidy, and I might as well read more of her books if they’re all this good. This isn’t a fantasy book, or a murder mystery or anything like the usual suspects on my bookshelf, but I loved it all the same. An adventure drama about growing up, this really takes us into Coco’s world and we see everything from her (relatable) perspective. It also shows the sad reality of animal abuse and neglect. Caramel and the other pony are adorable!! I wish I had a horse. Or a dog. Or a cat. Any animal, really. But I draw the line at insects. Anyways, my point being that for an animal lover, this is a great book!! So yea if you are like Coco and adore animals, you should try this. You’ll probably like it! Age rating- 10+ (though if you are younger you could read this it doesn’t really matter) Star rating- 5 stars!!!

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Book Review-The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne By Jonathan Stroud

On October 8, 2021 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne
by Jonathan Stroud

This review is about the novel The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud – a great novel. The story follows outlaw Scarlett McCain, a gun toting cussing bank robber, who lives in Britain after the apocalypse event – the Cataclysm. It is a cruel and dangerous place and time, with people living inside walled surviving towns, where Britain is ruled by the Faith Houses, the government which frowns upon the slightest deviation from normality, be it birthmarks, extra fingers or the like. These ‘deviants’ are left outside the towns in the Wilds to be eaten by beasts or the Tainted – human like cannibals that evolved because of the Cataclysm. Scarlett survives outside the towns, a traveller who survives on bank raids and thefts. One day, she meets Albert Browne, a strangely naïve boy who she found among the wreckage of a bus which was savaged by some beast. They form a duo travelling through the lands, but soon Scarlett realizes there is more to Albert than meets the eye. The government is taking a special interest in trying to capture Albert Browne – because he may just bring about their downfall. Soon, Albert and Scarlett have to reach the Free Isles, where it is rumoured that anyone is accepted. This might just be his only chance at survival. They team up with Joe and Ettie – an old boat man and his granddaughter – to reach there. But will the government catch up with them before they escape? Because there’s more to everything than meets the eye……..
I have read Jonathan Stroud’s series – the Bartimaeus Trilogy and Lockwood and Co.– and they are definitely among my favourite series, with their fantasy elements, dry humorous wit and action filled escapades, so I decided to try his novel – The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne – hoping that this too will be written in the irresistible writing style, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint. I loved this! Jonathan Stroud is an amazing author! This book is a funny, sassy, and daring adventure! Everything is quite descriptive so it’s like a mind movie. This book is bound to bring a smile to your face as you read it. My favourite characters are probably Joe and Ettie, though it’s hard to choose, everyone has great character development. Do not waste your time thinking about it – just buy and read it!!! It was so good that I read it in one sitting straight!! In short – it’s amazing! I recommend it for ages 10+. I 100% give this 5 stars!!!

Book Review #Aru Shah & the city of gold By Roshani Choksi

On August 11, 2021 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

Aru Shah and the City of Gold
by Roshani Choksi

This review is about the book ‘Aru Shah and the City of Gold’ by Roshani Choksi. This book came out a few months earlier this year, and this is a fabulous addition to the Aru Shah series. This series is out of the world. It’s frickin amazing!!!!

Aru Shah has been kidnapped by the Sleeper (the nastiest villain who wants to take over the world, a.k.a Aru’s father) and now she is in for a huge surprise. Because apparently, she isn’t the only daughter of the Sleeper. Meet Kara, the Sleeper’s other daughter, who is supposedly Aru’s sister, and she wants to help the Pandavas defeat the Sleeper. But can they trust her? That remains to be seen…
First, they have to go to Lanka, the city of gold, to convince Kubera, Lanka’s king and god of, well, gold, to give them his powerful army, his secret ultimate weapon, and return their deva friends Hanuman and Urvashi. But for all this, Kubera gives them three quests. They have to succeed in all of these to win his favour, and that too before the Sleeper’s army arrives. Can Aru and her sisters and friends succeed, survive unexpected betrayals, and meet friends old and new and not die? Because the answers aren’t always in plain sight….

This is awesome. This is the fourth book in the Aru Shah series, and the fifth (and final) book will come out next year, in 2022. I’m so excited!!! I love the Aru Shah series, because a) It’s really funny! b) It’s on Indian mythology (I’m an Indian) c) It’s amazingly interesting! So I really, really love it!! This was one of the best books in the series, and the bombshell about the Sleeper’s other daughter was really shocking. It had amazing character development and obviously the author HAD to end it at a cliff-hanger. My favourite characters where probably Aru, Mini and Rudy. The characters are also relatable (not that I’m a reincarnated Pandava, hehe) but you can totally put yourselves in the character’s shoes and feel right at home. There are a lot of stories and characters from Indian mythology which I didn’t know of, and this book told their stories too in a short and engaging way. I hope that a movie is made of this series, and that they do a good job of it. This is a ‘Rick Riordan Presents’ book series which basically means that ‘Rick Riordan Presents’ is a publishing branch which publishes amazing book series based on mythology of various cultures. It’s safe to say that Aru Shah is one of my favourite book series. I recommend this for ages 9+/10+. (Read the first book, Aru Shah and the End of Time, before continuing with the series) IT’S GREAT!!!!

This book deserves 5 stars!!!

#Book Review- Keeper of the Realms-Crow’s Revenge By Marcus Alexander.

On July 23, 2021 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

Keeper of the Realms #1
Crow’s Revenge

By Marcus Alexander

When I found out about this book, I thought it was going to be kind of similar to the series ‘Keeper of the Lost Cities’ series (which is like one of my favourite series ever) but I decided to give it a try anyway. And I’m really glad I did because they are NOT similar. I guess this just proves the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” (or its name, in this case). This book definitely deserves to be a lot more famous. It’s a great series! I’m just sad that there are only three books in this series. So, the main character is a 13-yr-old girl, Charlie Keeper, who lives in London with her old grandma. (Charlie is like my favourite character because of her feisty attitude). Her parents are missing, presumed dead for seven years. Their lawyer, Mr. Crow, (who is a mean, money loving, little……ahem.) takes ‘care’ of them. One day, Charlie comes home to find a blood thirsty giant waiting for her. While trying to run from it, she accidently opens a doorway to the magic realm of Bellania. She escapes through it and…. finds an amazing realm full of wonder. Three races live together, Stomen, Treman and Human. Stomen sing to stone and carve it, Treman sing to trees, and Humans…. just muddle on. Charlie Keeper is a special human, a Keeper, and Keepers always have special abilities. In Bellania, she finds out that the giant was Bane, the Western Menace who is feared throughout the lands. The reason he was after her was because she had a special pendant that her parents had given her, that could change the fate of all of Bellania. Bane might not be the only threat……
When it seems like the entire world wants her pendant, Charlie isn’t sure whom to trust. Can Charlie and her friends stop Bane and his allies before they can get a hand on her pendant, especially with Mr. Crow making a rather drastic return? ………
This was an awesome book, and of course the author had to give a cliff-hanger ending. It’s interesting, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! It’s a great book for those who love the genre fantasy (like me!), and the traitor (Bane’s ally) is extremely unexpected. It’s actually really innovative and new. I loved the game of K’Changa, and I would love to play it. K’Changa is a special game of Bellania. It’s fun to read, and I don’t think you’ll get bored reading this fast-paced ride of adventure. There are some loose ends, but I think they’ll all tie up nicely in the next books. It’s not too heavy but it’s not kiddish either. It has got a lot of action and mystery and humour and fantasy, and those are for me the best things to mix up for a book. It’s basically a fab read! Oh, and the handful of illustrations are very nice! They help to picture the characters clearly and they are really good drawings! I recommend this book for 11+. EXCELLENT!!!!!

Magisterium-The Bronze key- Book-3, By Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

On June 22, 2021June 22, 2021 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

Magisterium – The Bronze Key-Book 3
by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

This review is about the third book in the Magisterium series, ‘The Bronze Key’, by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. A perfect, magical book in an excellent series.

Call and his friends attend a party hosted in their honour, for helping in recovering the Alkahest, (a metal glove that gives you loads of power), when someone tries to assassinate Call but manages to assassinate another student instead. There is a spy at the Magisterium, and he or she is growing more and more desperate to kill Call. The mages are doing their level best to catch him or her, but none of them are succeeding. A mage of the great Assembly of Mages has tried and failed. It’s up to Call, Aaron, Jasper and Tamara to catch the spy, and to defend the biggest secret of all time (read the first book). A secret that could throw the world in an uproar if they find out. Now, they set up traps, talk to elementals, break into one of the most important and heavily guarded safes in the world. And they find out that things aren’t always what they seem. After many near death adventures, false alarms and cold trails, they stumble onto the truth. A shocking, surprising truth that makes it even harder for them to trust people. One that will blow you away……

Magisterium may sound a bit like a typical magic school story, or a Harry Potter rip off, but I can assure you that it is not. But it is still extremely great. I, personally, actually liked this better than Harry Potter (though both are nice) and thought that this was lighter, funnier and more engaging than Potter. The school, the characters and situations are well defined and leading up to an excellent climax which is both unexpected, intriguing and sad. Predictable end? NOT. This series is just getting better and better! (There are five books, btw). And the school, Magisterium, is so interesting! I wish I could go to such a school, where you learn levitating and fighting rogue monsters like elementals, but I, sadly, have to learn maths and history. It’s still pretty fun to imagine you’re a student in the Magisterium, though. It’s interesting, riveting, cliff-hanger-ing (is that a word?) and basically – it’s an awesome book! My favourite character was definitely Jasper. This is the third book, though, so if you want to read it, you should read the first and second books in the series (The Iron Trial and The Copper Gauntlet). I recommend this series for all ages. It is amazing!!!! It has a great sense of snarky humour which will leave you smiling for more.
I give this book five stars!

The Secret world of Arrietty-By Studio Ghibli

On June 7, 2021 By KavyaIn anime, film reviewLeave a comment

The Secret World of Arrietty
by Studio Ghibli

The Secret World of Arrietty is a Studio Ghibli anime film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and with music by Cecile Corbel. It is really beautiful with amazing animation, and a great storyline. The movie is based on the famous book by Mary Norton, ‘The Borrowers’. It all happened like this…….

14-yr-old Arrietty is not a normal teenager. For starters, she isn’t human. She belongs to a race of tiny people, who are just like humans except, well, they are tinier. They live in an extremely small and charming house under the floorboards of an old house in the middle of nowhere. For food, they borrow from the occupants of the humans’ house. She and her family thought that they would be safe enough here, as there was almost no one about, except an old caretaker. But then, more human beings come to the previously safe house. An ill human boy named Sho had come to the house for a few days for some peace and quiet. At first, they thought they would be fine if they were careful, but then, he saw Arrietty by mistake. The caretaker of the house firmly believed that little people lived here, and kept trying to find one. After they were seen, Arrietty and her family now have to move from their house in order to avoid getting caught. However, Arrietty wants to know whether Sho is really a threat to them or not. Eventually, they become friends, and Arrietty doesn’t think that they have to be afraid of him anymore. However, the caretaker had become increasingly suspicious and now had set her heart on finding the tiny people. After seeing Sho open the floorboards of Arrietty’s house, she herself takes of the roof of the house and captures Arrietty’s mother. She calls the pest exterminator and is determined to find every single tiny person. Sho and Arrietty catch wind of this plot and are determined to foil it. Can they do it in time?…

The Secret World of Arrietty is a magical story that is just fascinating to watch. A fabulous movie with an excellent storyline and magnificent animation (I loved Arrietty’s house!) and it is a really wholesome and satisfying movie. It has great, ambient music that makes you feel as if you’re in the scene too. I loved this movie because it was really nice and engrossing. My favourite character was definitely Arrietty because she is so brave and adventurous. This is a unique and great story. It is an awesome movie and you should totally see it! With its simplistic, exquisite animation and heart-warming story, it is sure to win you over. It is a great movie to watch if you want something adventurous and interesting. It is an outstanding, engaging movie. It is superb!
I recommend this movie for all ages.

I give this movie 5 stars!!!

The Land of Stories, The wishing spell #Book 1 By Chris Colfer

On January 9, 2021 By KavyaIn book review, books, fantasygenreLeave a comment

The Wishing Spell (Land of Stories book 1)

Today I am reviewing the first book of the Land of Stories series, The Wishing Spell, written by Chris Colfer. This is a beautiful book, about the adventures of a pair of twins in a fairy tale land. Let me tell you more about it!

Alex and Conner Bailey are twins, who both look really alike – strawberry-blonde hair, blue eyes, and similar complexion. However, their habits and characteristics are not. Alex is neat, class topper, loves school and is bullied for being so smart. On the other hand, Conner is messy, finds school boring, has trouble staying awake in class and has many friends. Despite all this, the twins love each other and try to look out for the other. They do have one thing in common, that is, they both love fairy tales. Their grandma used to read them to the twins when they were little. However, they barely saw her, as she was always travelling the world with her friends and helping people. After their dad died in a car accident, they had to move out of their big house, into a small rental apartment. Their mom has to work overtime as a nurse in a hospital, and they don’t see her that much anymore. And when their twelfth birthdays rolled around, they were certain nothing special would happen on that day. The day started out normal, as usual, but when they got home, an incredibly special surprise was waiting for them….

It was none other than their grandmother! And she made it the most special birthday they ever had. She gave them their most favourite book- her treasured copy of fairy tales.

After a little while, Alex discovers that the book is behaving strangely. Its glowing. She doesn’t tell Conner about it, but he finds out about it anyways. It starts glowing and they hear birds twittering…. and suddenly, a bird flies out of it!!! Alex falls into it too, by mistake, and Conner follows. They realise…. they have fallen into…. the land of stories. Not just any stories, too. The stories are of classic fairy tales!

Their following adventure is one of a lifetime, with them meeting many strange, fairy tale characters, for example, oh, Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood, Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), a talking frog man, the Charming brothers and many more. The fairy tale characters live their original lives, but each with a special twist….

To go back home, the Bailey twins have to collect ingredients from all corners of that world, to make a wishing spell. They do so collecting help from the most unexpected places, all while competing against an evil queen, and with the help of a diary, written by an unknown person, they try to do so. The diary is much closer to home than they thought, and this quest will reveal the most astonishing family secrets. Secrets with a touch of magic….

This book is a laugh out loud read, with a novelty of its own. It has a captivating and complex plot, and it is really touching. It told us not to judge people before we knew their story and reasons (read the book and you will get what I mean). My favourite character was Froggy because he was exceedingly kind and didn’t expect anything in return. I loved the storyline, because it was really original, adventurous and humorous. It wasn’t heavy at all, because everything was written in a way that kept you hooked. The changes in the stories of the fairy tale characters were very clever, not too much, but enough to make you look at them in a different light. You will laugh at the jokes, have sympathy for the sad parts, and feel as if you are having the adventure along with the characters. It is a beautifully written book, and I loved each part of it!!! I recommend this book for ages 9+. Another good thing about this book is that even an adult can read it. I am a fan of this series, and I recommend that you read this book!!!!!

I give this book 5 stars!!!

Artemis Fowl & the Opal Deception #Book-4 By Eoin Colfer

On August 3, 2020August 4, 2020 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

Hi Guys!

So today, I shall be reviewing Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception, the fourth book in the Artemis Fowl series. This book is really nicely written by Eoin Colfer. It is the right blend of action, humor and drama. I personally loved this book. Hope every upcoming in this series is as good. Ok, enough talk. I bet you are dying to know what happens in this story. Well, it all started like this…

: ARTEMIS FOWL AND THE OPAL DECEPTION

The evil pixie Opal Koboi is back, and with plans of world domination. NOT GOOD!!! She is supposed to be in coma in the J. Argon clinic, as a prisoner in a medical faculty. However, she had a backup plan waiting just in case she gets arrested and taken prisoner. ( she was paranoid, but hey, being a criminal what would you expect?). Her backup was…..a clone of herself!! Her idea was great. Now her aim was to expose the fairies and start a war with them with a simple yet brilliant plan.

She is now scot free owing to a daring escape from the clinic replacing herself with her clone!

Only one fairy knew about her escape plan and that was Holly Short who was an exceptional officer of LEP. Holly Short was actually considered fugitive now because Opal Koboi got her framed for a attack on her commander which was executed by Koboi herself.

Her only hope is now Artemis Fowl but he has actually gone back to his criminal ways and doesn’t believe in existence of fairies now. Things could not be any worse. Or that’s what she think. She and Artemis gets kidnapped and are involved in a fierce battle with the trolls. Can they get out of this alive, and foil Koboi’s plan?

Oh my! I mean this series getting better and better. YES!! This is brilliant. The elaborate plot is laid out so very well and this book is filled with more thrills than the cheese riddled with the holes. It is written from 3 or four different point of views which is good. Had it been written from a single point of view, you would have been clueless. as you need various angles to understand the story and the sequence of events.

Also, the farting dwarf and Mulch Diggums again appear in the book, which adds quite a lot of humour to this book.Both the villain the chances nicely. The author describes the adventures so well that you are transported to the action scene and are fighting trolls and whatnot yourself! Also the advance technology used by fairies is really creative and futuristic, which I liked. I hope, i get to read and review all the books in the series…..

Till then , Happy reading! Ciao!

5 star read.

Artemis Fowl & the Eternity Code #Book-3 By Eoin Colfer

On July 23, 2020 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

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Hi friends, I am back with a new book review! I really loved the first two books of the Artemis Fowl series. I loved them so much that I decided to read and review all eight of them in the series. The book I am reviewing today is the third installment in the series, which is called “Artemis Fowl & the Eternity Code“, which by far has the most action. My love for this series is increasing with each book.So enough talk, let’s get started..

Artemis Fowl has once again been too clever for his own good. This time he has constructed a super-computer with fairy technology. He has taken the technology from high-tech police helmets captured during the fowl manor siege. That technology is many years ahead of its time.He has invented a small cube which acts as a micro TV, a verbally controlled computer, a mobile phone and a diagnostic aid as well. It could do anything and its battery wouldn’t die for at least 2 years. And of course it is completely wireless. All this in one teeny tiny box! He has made a new computer language and the cube is coded to his voice patterns and commands and which means that only he can operate it.

He decides to sell the cube for (you guessed it!) GOLD. He sets up a meeting with an american businessman Jon Spiro, to sell the cube, but the meeting went horribly wrong. In the meeting Butler gets gravely injured trying to save Artemis. Jon Spiro turns out to be a crook. If Artemis unravels the secrets of his cube to Jon Spiro, it will endanger the fairy world which would mean only one thing. WAR!

Can Artemis heal his old friend, prevent the exposure of fairy world and expose Jon Spiro for the crook he is and get the cube back??

I really liked this book because it was totally different from its prequels, unlike in some books where their prequel/sequel are sort of same, this wasn’t. Also , this series is totally different from any other series I have read. I mean, armed and dangerous fairies!! Who would have thought!!

Also it has got its fair share of action, humor and drama. Even a person who doesn’t like to read will get addicted to this series. I also like it because plot is laid out really well, though it is written from two to three different perspectives,you can keep track and it all comes together beautifully in the end. I also like the fact that Artemis is becoming nicer with each book. In the first one he was pure evil. In the second book he was better and in the third one he was just great! I loved the way he planned his operation, it was simply genius. Hold on to your seats for a ride that is thrilling and will keep you hooked. Anyone who likes the fantasy genre will love it.

Hope you liked my review and this book is rated 5/5 by me!

Artemis Fowl & the Arctic Incident:Book 2 By Eoin Colfer

On July 6, 2020July 6, 2020 By KavyaIn book review, books2 Comments

I am so glad that I continued with the series because this book is super good. I really like the first book in the series but this 2nd book transported me in a whole new world. I really wanted to know how it ended and at the same time I didn’t want it end! But hey. I bet you are dying to know what’s the story like…so here it goes..

Haven, the fairy city, has started being frequently attacked by Goblins. They are becoming more and more rebellious and are using outlawed dangerous guns called Softnoses. Pathetic name, I know, but really dangerous guns. And to top it all, these guns are powered by human AAA batteries which means that there is a human involved at the end of the deal. It means that someone know about the existence of fairies. As suspected, all finger point towards Artemis Fowl since he is the only human who knows about the fairies.

But for once, he is not the culprit. He is just trying to get his father back from Russia where the Russian mafia has captured him after the Fowl Star exploded in the Bay of Kola.

Anyway, when the fairies realize that Artemis is not behind these Goblins attack, they decide to co-operate with each other. Artemis will help them with their Goblin issue and they will in turn help him in the rescue of his father.

Now Artemis and fairies have to find out who is behind Goblins attack… I won’t tell you more.. Read the book to find out how interesting it gets from here…

I loved this book. I know I have said this many times…but still.It’s written in such an absorbing way that it keeps you hooked until you finish it. I actually liked it better than the first book since in this book, Artemis is actually a much more nicer person and in Holly Short’s words…

” Under those layers of deviousness, there is a spark of decency. Perhaps you could blow in that spark some times.”

In the first book, he was a gold obsessed person an in this version he is so much better. Earlier it was more like a waiting game with the LEP sending in stuff like a troll, bio-bombs and farting dwarf etc. In this book it was more hands on action and Artemis in in the thick of it.

Action and drama are the words that describe Eoin Colfer’s book in the nutshell. Any adult, teen, child with little taste of Science fiction and fantasy will and should love this. It has also got great humour as well. Love it.!

Artemis Fowl : Book 1 By Eoin Colfer

On June 29, 2020July 6, 2020 By KavyaIn book review, books, lockdown4 Comments

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Hey friends! So today I am gonna be talking about Artemis Fowl..Book no.1. Earlier I never read it because I was always hooked on to Percy Jackson series, and i always thought that Artemis fowl can’t be as interesting as Percy Jackson. Boy , I was so wrong. I always knew it to be a popular series, but I never read it some how and this lock down gave me this opportunity to read it and i am so glad that I did. I am really chiding myself for not reading it earlier. But hey enough talk, let’s get on with the story…

Artemis Fowl, the protagonist, is a child genius with the highest tested IQ in all of Europe. He has descended from a long line of criminal masterminds, The Fowls. His Mother, Angeline Fowl had become slightly eccentric after her husband’s disappearance in Russia. He wants to restore the family fortune, and he wants to do it in his own unique way. He believes that the fairies and spirits do exist and he is obsessed with finding them and their fortune. To obtain gold, Artemis acquires the book called ” The Fairy Bible” to know all about them. He then kidnaps an Elf, Holly Short, the first female police officer in the fairy police for a ransom.

To get hold of the Gold, he and Butler ( who helped him in the kidnapping) have to overcome trolls,bombs, Commanders with anger management issue & many other things.

In between, Artemis conscience keeps on nagging him whether he has done the right thing in kidnapping an Elf… Will Artemis get the Gold and at what price? Well, I am not gonna tell you!

Go on , grab a copy and enjoy this roller coaster ride of drama, action and lots of fun.

I like this book because the story is unlike any other book i have read in the past. Some books can be really predictable, but in this book you can never tell what’s gonna happen next. The author has described the situations in such great detail that you can visualize the entire scene completely in your mind. It is jam packed with twists and turns and subtle traces of humour. If you want to read a story, with characters such as a Tech-Wiz Centuar or a tunneling dwarf or a strong spirited brave police officer then this book is for you. I am gonna read the rest of series too and hopefully write a blog about them. Till then Ciao!!

CORONA TIMES

On May 25, 2020 By KavyaIn books, coronavirus2 Comments

Corona virus or COVID-19 has become a nightmare around the world. Originally started in China, it slowly spread across to USA and other countries. It eventually made its way to to India. To ensure safety of our citizens, the government has imposed lock down in the country so as to flatten the curve. Yes, I know, lock down seems horrible….

But is it???

I know you are not able to go to school, see your friends, go to work, go to parks, go outside etc. but if you look at the lock down from another angle it is blessing in disguise.

You must be wondering HOW???

I am the perfect example. Me and my family have been able to spend more time with each other. We are learning more about each other and our bond is getting stronger.It is the perfect time to learn and use technology in our lives. Be it video calling with friends, online classes, online tests etc in the comfort of our homes!

It is also great time to start new hobbies, spend more time with your pets. Who knows may be you are amazing a t playing violin or brilliant at painting but never tried it due to your busy schedule.. This is the the perfect time for all your creativity to come out! I am learning more songs on my key board.

In case, you are still thinking that the lock down is horrible, well you are healthy and happy. There are lot many sick people in the hospital struggling to fight this disease and you are lucky enough not to be one of them.

We are all in the same boat.We are all stuck at home. So I implore you that do not waste this time. It will not come again.

May God bless us all. and may we be happy , healthy and wise.

In the end i’d like to thank all the doctors, paramedics, Police and all those who are out there performing their jobs in these difficult times. Also i’d like to pray for the migrants who are on the roads to reach safely to their homes.

STAY HOME, STAY SAFE. WE WILL WIN THIS WAR.

Lockdown Sketching.

On May 12, 2020May 13, 2020 By KavyaIn ART, book review, books, DRAWING, films, hollywood, movies, PAINTING, schoolLeave a comment

HARRY-1 — HARRY POTTER, RON WEASLEY AND HERMIONE GRANGER

Today, I drew my favorite characters from Harry Potter series. I am yet again re-reading the entire series and utilizing the free time in the lock down fully!!

There are few quotes that i really really like in the series. I am sharing them with you.

It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to our enemies, but even more to stand up to our friends..
You want fame, you have to prepared for long hard slog…
Working hard is important but there is something that matters even more that is believing yourself.
I solemnly swear I am up to no good… 🙂
If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals….
It is our choices that show what we really are, not our abilities…

and many more…

I have always loved the Harry Potter books more than the Harry Potter movies..

Here is a picture of my Harry Potter collection books…

26ba7d35-ab05-44b8-bd74-ff157b29cdcc — MY HARRY POTTER BOOKS COLLECTION!

FAN FOR LIFE!!

The sky at our feet by Nadia Hashimi

On December 26, 2019 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

I loved this book because it was different.It had a different,interesting and a very touching story. It will keep you hooked from beginning to end. When I started it , i wished it would never end.Well, what am i waiting for then, Let me tell you more about it!

Jason d’ Raizi, the protagonist, feels like a normal American kid in a normal American town near New York. One day he finds out on his Mom’s birthday that there is more to his story. He always knew that he was an Afghan. What he didn’t know that his mother had come to the U.S on a student visa,while his father was an American soldier who was posted in Afghanistan and unfortunately got killed there. A lot of Afghan friends of Jason didn’t like the fact that his father is an American. Jason was terrified that his mother would be taken away by authorities as she was staying in America illegally. Jason was an American citizen by birth. Just a couple of days later when he came know know about all this, his mother was take away by authorities. Now he was on his own.

This is where the story gets interesting. He decides to go New York to find his aunt. Unfortunately, he meets with an accident and lands up in hospital. He meets a daring girl Max in the hospital and they both decide to run away from the hospital to find Jason’s aunt. It is a roller coaster of adventure from there on. Must read for book lovers.

Why? Answers to Everything by Crispin Boyer

On December 18, 2019 By KavyaIn book review, books, quiz, schoolLeave a comment

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Hey Guys, After a long break , i am posting a book review that too surprisingly on a non fiction book.

Your reaction might be WHAT?? or BORING!!

Yes, It is not a story book but it is a fact filled book. There are number of amazing facts in this books that makes you go WOWW!!

It is a non fiction but surely not those kinds that makes you fall asleep in about five minutes! It has may interesting facts , with funny and eye catching illustrations and puns.It is published by National Geographic.

It’s got everything in it from space tech facts to food facts. From how to cure hiccups to how to become a knight!!

Let me share a couple of interesting facts that i came to know from this books. Don’t worry just sharing a couple from 1100 odd facts!!

” The ghost pepper is so hot that it will burn your skin unless you wear glove before working with them!!”

“Bats sleep upside down because they aren’t strong enough to take off from the ground to fly. They drop from the tree branch in the air and then take off!!”

Isn’t it astonishing!!

If you are an avid reader wanting to get your hands on some fresh material, this book is for you!

Hope you like my review and found it helpful.

CIAO!

GOA!!

On March 31, 2019March 31, 2019 By KavyaIn travel, travelblogLeave a comment

My final examinations had just ended and my spring vacations had begun when my parents gave me a surprise that we were going to Goa!! I said YAY!! I couldn’t wait! Finally the travel day came and i was super excited. We boarded our plane and took off. It was a long flight but since it was a cloudless day, the view outside was worth it especially GOA was very beautiful from above. It was too good to be true. I was tired at first but after checking in the hotel i couldn’t wait to explore GOA. We went to many places like beautiful beaches, old churches, interesting temples and many more. I liked the beaches the best, they were very pretty. The beach adjoining our hotel was very clean and lovely. It is called Arrosim beach. We collected lots of sea shells and build sand castles there.We went to the beach daily. There were many adventure activities also happening on beach like para gliding, ride on speed boat etc. Walking on beach was very joyful thing, we got very wet and dirty but i loved it. I worked up a good appetite there, and ate a lot. I loved to swim in the pool. The poll was very huge and very pretty with water falls and fountains. I also read a lot as I took my Kindle along. My father clicked many pictures in GOA.

GOA-1-23 — ME AND MOM WALKING ON THE BEACH

We went to theBasillica of Bom Jesus and the statues there were very interesting. I specially like my visit to Reis Magos Fort. It was very beautiful and the view from there was super.I didn’t want to leave Goa and I felt sad for a bit but was also very delighted to go home sweet home!!

GOA-1-43 — FULL MOON NIGHT AND HIGH TIDE AT BEACH

An old church

My pool in the hotel

Lotus pond in Hotel

Paragliding at bewach

Visit to World Book Fair 2019, New Delhi.

On January 12, 2019January 13, 2019 By KavyaIn book review, books2 Comments

World Book Fair 2019 was held in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. I was eagerly waiting for it. I was very excited to buy and read new books. This year the guest nation was UAE.

Glimpses of Book Fair

GLIMPSES OF BOOK FAIR

I went on the very first day of the fair. It was so difficult to reach the halls as there was lot of construction work going on.

CONSTRUCTION WORK

They are making new exhibitions halls and i can’t wait to see them. We had to walk a lot and were dead tired by the time we covered only half of stalls. But I managed to buy around 20 books.

BOOKS I BOUGHT

There was so many books and I would have loved to read them all. I went along with my parents.We took a strolley from home so that we don’t have to carry heavy books in our backpacks. In one of the stalls I met my school Library teacher who was buying stash of new books for our school library.

That’s me at Harper Collin’s stall. I have also made this my profile picture. My father also took some candid pictures of me while I was browsing the books.

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CANDID SHOTS

Even though we went on the very first day, being a weekend it was pretty crowded. Also we had a to walk a lot but it was worth it. I go there every year and buy lots of books. It was a very nice and memorable visit and I would love to go there again…. I would recommend that if you a get a chance, you must visit!

King Solomon’s Mines by Sir Henry Rider Haggard

On December 30, 2018December 30, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

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King Solomon’s Mines by Sir Henry Rider Haggard is an interesting story that will leave you hanging on to every last word. Sir Haggard has written in such a captivating way that every reasonable book critic would agree that it deserves five stars. Every character is either good or evil. For e.g. take Gogool, a witch-doctor hag who has lived for hundreds of years. She was definitely on the evil end of spectrum. But enough talking..let’s get on with the story!

King Solomon’s Mines is a story about an elephant killer and trader Allan Quatermainin in Africa.He was on a streamer to Natal when he meets Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good(not the captain of the ship!!). Allan knows the secret of the treasure hidden in Solomon mountains ( he doesn’t know where it is though). He told them because Sir Henry’s brother George aka Neville, went looking for them for years and had not returned since. So, they decided to go to the mountains to look for Neville and the treasure. They hired three servants, one of them was Umbopa who was actually Ignosi, the true heir to the throne of the Zulu tribe. Will they succeed in their mission of finding Neville, the treasure and securing Ignosi’s throne from Twala the evil King? You have to read it to find out!

I hope you liked my review. The book i chose to write a review on my blog is so awesome and it would be so cool if you read it. It is one of my favourites.

P.S. Don’t be evil like Gogool. Ultimately she died in the end of the story. 🙂

Spy Dog- Rocket Rider by Andrew Cope.

On November 8, 2018November 8, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

spy dog

Woah! Woah! Woah! I know what you must be thinking.. A SPY DOG??????? And that too a rocket rider… Does she become an astronaut or what??

Read on to find out more and you will get an answer to all your questions and more..

Spy dog rocket rider is a story of a semi retired spy dog. Semi retired because during one of her missions five bullets hit her and one bullet was still lodged in her, so she semi retired. Then on the orders of her trainer she allowed herself to be rehomed with Cooks family . Cook’s household had 3 kids.

The dog’s name was LARA but her secret code name was GM-451.Don’t be under the impression that she isn’t an adventurous dog anymore. She formed a neighbourhood security team and she became their leader. LARA was very keen to find her parentage. She had a professor who she would visit occasionally with the Cooks, where she found a file about herself on the professor’s desk.

The file said that a Russian man named Oleg Jetski knew about her parentage. She wanted to know more but how? Since she was a very smart dog, fluent in many languages like english , Italian etc and she could also surf the internet and type too. Using her typing skill, she tells the cooks children and they all go to Oleg Jetski who doesn’t live very far. There they found a diary and found out that LARA’s great grand mother is LAIKA, the first dog to travel in space. It was also written in the diary that her father was LEO, a rescue dog who works in the Scottish highlands. She then decides to go to Scotland to meet her dad. There she discovers a terrible plot by JIMMY, a sunscreen man. He has planned to send rocket in space to cut a hole in ozone layer which will emit harmful UV rays and only by wearing his sunscreen people will get protected from it.

Cook’s family along with her professor go to Scotland to find her where they help her to foil jimmy’s plot

Read the book to get carried into a hair-raising adventure. It’s a lovely book. I’d read it any day. Lara has all the qualities of a good pet. She is Loyal, smart and courageous.

I’d give this book 5/5 rating. One of my most favourite reads!

Once a spy dog always spy dog.!

Jennie by Paul Gallico

On July 28, 2018July 28, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

Jennie is wonderful. It is a story about a boy named Peter Brown who loved cats. His father was a colonel in the army. His mother was usually very busy and had to go out a lot, so mostly Peter had only his nanny for company. He wanted a cat as a companion, but his nanny did not like them, so, he could not get one. But he loved to stroke and pet any stray cat he saw. One day, he noticed a beautiful kitten sitting on a railing across the road, and he wanted to pet it. He ran across the road without nanny and got hit by a coal lorry. Then suddenly………………he turned into a cat!!!!!!!! Nanny threw him out, thinking him to be just another stray. His cat self wandered out into the rain and got wet and cold. Then he got into a fight with Dempsey, the greatest fighter cats and got seriously injured. He laid down on the street side. Then the kindest and friendliest stray cat in the world, Jennie found him and took him into a room in the warehouse where she lived. That’s where their friendship began.They had a friend in an old man named Mr. Grims. They travelled to Glasgow and back again. They were thrown overboard too. Then in the end Dempsey spoke for Jennie as he wanted Jennie to come with him. Peter and Dempsey had a fight and Peter won this time. Dempsey died in the fight and Peter got seriously injured. Then suddenly all became black……..and Peter became human again!!

However, Peter never forgot about this incident and best thing was that he got a kitten for himself.

This is a lovely story, extremely adventurous and you will love it a lot. This is one of the most adventurous journey of a kitten I have ever read. Peter learned about the hardships of stray animals. It made him even more sympathetic towards the stray cats. We should never abuse a stray animal and love them always.

My Top Ten Reads!

On July 3, 2018July 3, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

As i promised in previous blog that I will list out my Top ten favourite books, here they are in no particular order.

These are from the books that I have read till now. I have reviewed most of them and will review the left ones soon!

MARLEY, A DOG LIKE NO OTHER by JOHN GROGAN
ALL FOUR STARS BY TARA DAIRMAN
CARBONEL BY BARBARA SLEIGH
ANIMALCOLM BY DAVID BADDIEL
OUT OF MY MIND BY DRAPER
KIRA KIRA BY KADOHATA
THE TRUMPET OF SWAN BY E.B.WHITE
GOODNIGHT MR. TOM BY MICHELLE MAGORIAN
ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS BY SCOTT O’DELL
JENNIE BY PAUL GALLICO

Apart from these books, I have loved reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and of course all eight Harry Potter books by J.K.Rowling which I have read over and over again!

Hope you like my favourite books!!

Carbonel by Barbara Sleigh

On July 2, 2018July 3, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

This is a story about a kitten called Carbonel (a royal kitten, future king to all cats), who was stolen from his cradle by a witch. The kitten grew up with the witch. When the witch decided to retire, she sold the kitten to a girl called Rosemary Brown. She not only buys kitten but also a broom from the witch without knowing that it was enchanted. She later found out that by holding the broom she could actually talk to Carbonel.

She with her friend John decided to free the bonding between the witch and the cat. Carbonel was bound by two spells.The first spell was broken by merely buying the cat from the witch.The second spell was made by SILENT magic. It required two objects namely a witch’s hat and a witch’s cauldron. Rosemary and John arranged these two items and managed to break the second spell.

The cat is now free!!

However that’s only the half battle won! Now Carbonel has to take back his kingdom of cats. Will he be able to conquest over Ginger Cat who has taken over the kingdom? Or will the Ginger Cat rule forever?

It is a must read. It is a mix of fantasy and reality. I love this book and this one of my most favourite books. Certainly in my top ten list.( will share my favourites in the next blog). Barbara Sleigh has written this book in such an extensive detail that you can’t help but enjoy it. I recommend this book for ages 7+. I hope you enjoy it as much as i did!

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

On June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

Hatchet is a story about a thirteen year old boy named Brian. His parents were divorced. He went on a small plane ride to Canadian oil fields where his father lived. But unfortunately, on the plane, the pilot had a heart attack and died leaving Brian alone in the plane. He managed to crash-land the plane some how, with the help of tips that pilot gave him about flying before he died. It crashed land on a lake in the middle of no where. Well, not no where, but in the middle of somewhere that Brian didn’t know. It was unfamiliar territory for him.

Now the struggle starts. He has to learn to survive in this hostile land without food and shelter. Will he be able to do it? YES! He did survive and he did surprisingly well too. I don’t think I would be able to do that.

He with his faithful weapon, a HATCHET which his mother gave him on his birthday, managed to make a shelter and fire.He used it as a weapon. This lifestyle changed him completely. He got converted from a city boy to an experienced trekker in no time.

After living for quite some time in the wilderness, one day, during a storm, the tail of the plane emerged from the lake. It struck him that every plane has emergency survival kit. He somehow got into the wreckage of the plane and bring the kit. He got wonders. There was a GPS transmitter, food and some more stuff. The signals were picked up by a passing plane and he was rescued.

I loved every bit of this book!

Charlotte’s web by E.B.White

On June 19, 2018June 22, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, books2 Comments

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Before i begin my review, I’d like to share that my blog has a new and easy web address! It is now called http://www.thebookmonk.in All thanks to my dad!

Charlotte’s Web!

You might be thinking “huh!” I like to read mysteries and adventures but I have to admit that this book was pretty perfect. I loved every bit of it. It is a classic and quite famous too. I loved when in the starting Fern, a girl, who lived in a farm saved a runt pig from being killed. It simply shows that Fern is an extraordinary girl who is compassionate.E.B.White is one of the best authors who has written classics. I have also reviewed “The Trumpet of Swan” written by him earlier in my blog.

Charlotte’s web is a story of a modest pig called Wilbur who was raised by Fern untill he was five weeks old. Then he was sold to Fern’s uncle Homer where he was kept in a barn.There he finds a friend in the form of a spider named Charlotte. He is told by the old sheep in the barn that he is going to be killed for pork chops soon. Charlotte devise a clever plan to keep Wilbur alive.She spins a web in which she spins words praising Wilbur which are seen by farm owner. This eventually saved Wilbur’s life. Charlotte’s quick thinking saved Wilbur.However in the end Charlotte dies. It is a lovely, and illuminating tale. It is one of my favourite books. It’s an awesome book. Charlotte proved to be a faithful friend and I will cherish this story forever!!

Mr. Stink by David Williams.

On June 16, 2018June 16, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

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Mr. Stink is a story about a girl called Chloe Crumb who lived in England.She was a girl with vivid imagination. Her mother was super posh and her younger sister, Annabelle, was evil to her.Her dad was the only one who understood her. She was always hounded by other girls at the school. She felt very unhappy at heart. She found one friend in the form of vagabond named Mr. Stink. Mr Stink had a dog named Duchess. Both of them always sat on the bench whether it is day or night. One day Chloe plucked up the courage to go and talk to him. He stunk and stank and stanked. Though he was a very kind man. Chloe invited them to live in their shed without her parents knowing it.

Read it to find out what happens next!!

It is a thrilling story which if i could, I would read all the time. If you know a person who doesn’t like to read, advise him/her to read this. He/she will want to read more. It will be transformation from book hater to book lover in no time.

What has no boundaries?

Love

What makes you feel happy?

Love

Love is the essence of this book. Without love this book review wouldn’t exist.

I love it!

AniMalcolm by David Baddiel

On June 10, 2018June 10, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

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AniMalcolm is written by David Baddiel. It is written in perfect detail with right amount of humour. It has a gripping storyline with very nicely illustrated pictures. I copied one drawing from the book which you see right below

This book is story about eleven year old boy Malcolm, who on his 11th birthday was given a CHINCHILLA, a dog.

He hated animals and wanted a laptop as birthday present instead. He was sad and disappointed.Though one thing cheered him up, his parents had paid for a sixth grade school trip to a farm which Malcolm was looking forward to.And believe me, that was a no ordinary trip!

When he took that trip and reached the farm, the magic goat named K-Pax who lived in the farm, turns him in to an ANIMAL!

He turns into many animals at the farm. K-Pax also told Malcolm that on the 4th morning, he will turn into the same animal which ever he sees first. With the help of his fellow animal friends, he managed to reach the city where he lived. There he saw a human first on the fourth morning. As humans are mammals, he turned back into a human being.

From then on, he began to love animals as he realized that without the help of his animal friends, he couldn’t have turned back into human being.

A very interesting and different read!!

Marley, a dog like no other by John Grogan

On June 10, 2018June 10, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

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Look, they are right.There is no dog like Marley. You will laugh at all the funny bits like swallowing precious jewellery, brightly coloured kleenex,decorating poop piles, sprawling like King Tut, paws in the air etc. It is also a very touching read. It’s a book that will definitely want you to have a pet dog. Come on, what are you waiting for, buy your copy and dive into MARLEY LAND!

Marley is a story of a Labrador Retriever dog,who was bought by the author John Grogan and his wife Jenny when he was a pup. He was a loopy, but loyal dog. He was very energetic.He was very playful, naughty and ate everything. He was sweet and excitable dog. His tail, his wildly wagging weapon, knocked everything within knee length.It didn’t matter whether they were magazines, books coffee mugs, they were all over the floor. But even with his naughtiness, he proved to be best companion the family ever had. Eventually he became so big that he ate his whole meal in few chomp. In the end he dies because of bloating of stomach.

Marley bought the family invaluable joy and they missed him a lot.

A very touching read indeed. Recommended for all ages.

Below: A sketch of Marley made by me.

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All four stars by Tara Dairman

On June 5, 2018June 6, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

all four stars

All four stars is a book written by Tara Dairman. It has 273 pages and it is published by Puffin Books.It is an unusual book but unusual in a good way. You read books about princesses, mermaids, monsters,children, animals etc but how often do you read a book about a preteen restaurant critic. Definitely off the ‘usual’ list.

It was interesting when Gladys Gatsby , a 6th grader 11 yer old preteen plans something else and ends up somewhere else.

It is a story about a girl Gladys Gatsby who lives in East Dumsford, New York city. She loves to cook but her parents do not like her to cook. So whenever her parents are out for work, she cooks. Unfortunately one day while blow torching her creme brulee, she torched her kitchen curtain as well and that was the end of cooking for her. She was banned from entering the kitchen.

Once there was an essay writing competition in school and she wrote about her love for cooking and her dream to be future food critic. Somehow her essay find its way to Fiona Iglethorpe, the editor of the dining section who was looking for a restaurant critic. Mistaking the essay for a job application, she invites Gladys to write a review for a restaurant in New York.

How will she do it without letting her parents know? I’ll let you read it for yourself to know more.

It’s an awesome read. It transports you to another land. Certainly one of my favourite book.

The Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo.

On June 3, 2018June 3, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

the butterfly lion

The Butterfly Lion is a book written by Michael Morpurgo, The best selling author. It has 127 pages. It may be a little short, but how does it matter if the story is great! It is a touching tale described in vivid details. It is a must read for everyone. It is a fantastic story by a fantastic author.

The Butterfly Lion is a story about a boy , named Bertie who lives in Africa. Bertie’s father own huge farm land in Africa. There is a fence separating Bertie from outside dangers since there are Lions, Hyenas, Leopards just who roam freely near his farm. One day he spots a Cub which was being hunted by three Hyenas. With the help of his mother, they rescue the Cub. They then decide to keep the cub. Bertie loved the cub very much. Soon he develops a strong bonding with the cub. Once Bertie was at school, his father sold the cub to a french circus. Bertie was heart broken.He vows to find the lion again one day.

Will he be able to keep his promise or the lion will be forgotten?

I liked it because it has a lovely ending . Though the story is short, it kept me glued and interested.. I think it is the best book written by Micheal Morpurgo out of all the books i have read till now.

I LOVE IT!!

Where the Red Fern grows by Wilson Rawls.

On May 30, 2018May 31, 2018 By KavyaIn book review, booksLeave a comment

where the red fern grows

Hi!
I am back to reviewing books!

Where the Red Fern grows is a book written by Wilson Rawls and it has 282 pages. My copy was published by Yearling adventures. It has over seven million copies in print.

This is a story about a boy named Billy who lived in the countryside in a beautiful valley in Ozark Mountains,near Illinois river. He badly wanted a dog when he was 10 years old but not any common dog, he wanted Hounds, two good hunting hounds.

He asked his parents but they refused since it was too expensive and they didn’t have that kind of money. Now here is the twist in the story. On the banks of the river Illinois, fishermen came annually and they often left things like magazine, fish poles, fish lines etc after they move on.

One day, he found a magazine there. He read something heart stopping in it. He read an ad for the sale of two hound pups for $25 each. This ad changed his life.

He started saving money to buy the hounds.He sold fish and vegetables to people. Finally after two years,he saved $50 and he got the pups.

He trained the dogs. For him no path was too tough and no task was too long. Soon they became hunting champion. They also participated in a hunting competition and won.

One day, unfortunately, a mountain lion attacked Billy. The two loyal dogs saved his life. The male dog, which he named Old Dan, died and female dog which he named Little Ann died too some time later due to heart-break.

Billy was very sad. He buried them at the same place close to each other. His parents decided to move to another city to give Billy better education.

When Billy visited one final time to the graves to say good-bye to his beloved dogs, he noticed that a Red Fern is growing there. It was widely believed that Red Fern were planted by angels.

The title of the books says where the red fern grows and I’ll tell you where the red fern grew. It grew right on OLD DAN AND LITTLE ANN!!

A beautiful book!!

Coco, The musical movie.

On May 30, 2018June 1, 2018 By KavyaIn films, hollywood, moviesLeave a comment

Coco-Movie-2017-Pixar-Box-Office-Predictions-Week

Coco is a 2017 animated fantasy film produced by PIXAR animation studios and released by Walt Disney pictures. COCO won Golden Globe award for best animated feature film, Academy award for best animated feature, New york film critics circle award for best animated film and many more.

Coco is a story of a boy named Miguel, who lives in Mexico and he has a lovely street dog as his friend. He wants to be a musician but his family doesn’t allow him to be a musician as they think that music is a curse. They think so because his great great grandfather abandoned his wife and a small child for his love of music.

Miguel believes that his great great grandfather is actually Ernesto De La Cruz, the greatest musician of all time. He makes his own guitar but his Grandma smashes it. At that time there a competition of music was going on in the plaza. He borrows a guitar to take part in it but as on as he touch the strings, he finds out that the living cannot see him, but he can see the dead!!

He sees his ancestors and they take him to the land of the dead, where he uncovers a horrible plot.

This movie teaches us that family is more important than anything as they always care the most about you. My favourite character in the movie is DANTE the dog, because he is extremely funny.

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I like this movie because it has a nice story and an important message. The character are very cute too. Very touching movie indeed.

It also inspired me to start taking guitar lessons!!

IT IS A MUST SEE MOVIE FOR ALL AGES!!

The Book Monk

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