Last month went by in a jiffy. In the beginning, I had some tall TBR goals. I selected a bunch of awesome books to be read towards the #femmemarchfest readathon but it’s really rare that I actually read the books that I plan to.

There were a lot of distractions too. I had friends and family over for almost a week and then there was a mini-Goa trip which I had planned with my friends. But enough with explanations, let me get on with the topic already.

In the month of March 2018, I read 12 books. I am listing these in the order of my liking along with all the details that you need to know.

1. The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany

bookGeeks Rating: 5/5
This famous Arabic novel has been translated into 23 different languages and has been made into a movie and a TV series. It first captured my fancy when a lady in a bookstore in Luxor recommended it to me and I am really glad that I picked it up.
The book tells us the story of the residents of The Yacoubian Building in downtown Cairo. It’s a beautiful portrayal of life in the Egypt of the 1990s during the time of the Gulf War. It’s a wonderful piece of literary fiction and a must-read book.
2. The Cyclist by Anthony Neil Smith

bookGeeks Rating: 4/5
I picked this book up on NetGalley. It is the story of a guy Judd who lives in Minnesota, America. He falls in love with a gorgeous beauty Catriona online. Catriona lives in Scotland and given their mutual love for cycling, invites Judd over for an adventurous cycling trip in the Scottish Highlands. As they set out for the trip of their life, they don’t realize that they are being hunted but the lines between the hunter and the hunted soon become blurry.
This is an exhilarating read and an edge-of-the-seat kind of novel which keeps you wanting for more. I loved the thrill and mystery which kept me hooked to the book right till the end.
3. Risen (Blood Eternal #1) by Cole Gibsen

bookGeeks Rating: 4/5
After a very long time, I picked up a vampire/paranormal fiction. Risen tells us the story of Charlie who is always weary of her isolated life in the woods. Her world changes when her aunt is kidnapped by the vampires. Until then, Charlie had no clue that monsters existed and now she is working on plans to free her aunt from her kidnappers with the help of a devilishly handsome vampire, Sebastian. In a world which is soon going to war, there are vampires, fairies and other magical creatures. The thing which appealed to me the most was how elaborately the world of Risen was created. There are various clans of vampires with different feeding patterns and magical powers. What more could I have wished for?
4. Hollywood Wives – The New Generation by Jackie Collins

bookGeeks Rating: 4/5
Bollywood Wives – The New Generation is a book that I picked up last month on my trip to Goa. I was in the mood for a scandalous read and this seemed like the perfect one. The book tells us the story of a number of Hollywood wives – mega superstars, singing sensations, stay at home wives, retired after marriage wives. They all are different and yet they all are the same. Their world is often governed by the most obvious of things – sex, money, power and fame. Hollywood Wives is a scandalously entertaining read.
5. Dead to Them by Smita Bhattacharya

bookGeeks Rating: 4/5
The book was sent to me by the author for review. It’s one of the best psychological thrillers that I have read in recent times. It tells us the story of Moira who is a successful young professional who goes missing one fine day in Mumbai. When people get curious and start looking for her, they do so because they have their own faces to save. Slowly, as the pages turn dirty secrets are revealed; secrets which are best kept hidden and they all seem to have to do something with Moira’s disappearance. Who is the culprit here and who is the victim? The lines seem blurry at the best. This is an intelligently written compelling book which I was very happy to have come across.
6. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

bookGeeks Rating: 3.5/5
One of my resolutions for the year 2018 is to read 10 classics. Keeping that in my mind, I picked this book up because of its spiritual theme and an Indian setting. I was not disappointed but neither was I thrilled when I finished reading the book. Siddhartha is the son of a Brahmin who has learned all that there was to learn from his father and other priests in the village. He soon decides to leave in seek of greater knowledge. Following him is his childhood friend Govinda who ultimately finds refuge in the teachings of the Buddha (Gotama). But Siddhartha continues to search for meaning. This was a book which was a bit too philosophical for my taste. I liked the essence of what it taught but there were a lot of repetitions as far as the philosophy was concerned.
7. Life and Other Near-Death Experiences by Camille Pagan

bookGeeks Rating: 3.5/5
This was a surprise package. I picked this book up on Kindle Unlimited thinking it to be a chick lit but it turned out completely different from what I had expected. Libby is a 30 something woman whose life changes when one fine day she discovers two truths that will forever change the course of her life – (1) Her husband of nearly 2 decades is gay (2) She is suffering from an incurable form of cancer. Devastated, Libby decides to make the most of her short life and runs off to a Caribbean island to take refuge in a hot guy and the Caribbean sun.
The book was a light-hearted read on a serious issue. It was funny, witty, romantic and serious at the same time and that is why I ended up liking it so much.
8. You Raise Me Up by Arjun Hemmady

bookGeeks Rating: 3.5/5
I was sent this book by the author for review. This is the story of a guy called Aalok Sharma who has a chance encounter with a beautiful young girl, Priyanka Verma on a flight. Priyanka and Aalok soon get friendly and after a couple of meetings, develop feelings for each other. While Priyanka is ready to mingle, Aalok is still tortured by the ghosts of his past. He is unable to commit. This is Aalok and Priyanka’s story as they come to terms with each other’s life and form an everlasting bond. I liked this book because it isn’t the simple girls-meets-boy romance. The character portrayals are very strong and the way the story is told in multiple flashbacks, it makes for an entertaining read.
9. A Journey to Yonder by Nidhi Kaur

bookGeeks Rating: 3/5
This is yet another book that was sent to me by the author. This is a memoir which is beautifully written in a part-poetry-part-prose style. Nidhi’s language is rich and her words are expressive. Throughout the book, I felt a connection to the story of Nidhi. As a woman brought up in a patriarchal society, her life has always been a struggle. The book though heart touching failed to keep me interested. There were a lot of random thoughts and there was no chronology to the chapters.
10. Road to Cherry Hills by Sohini Bagchi

bookGeeks Rating: 3/5
Road to Cherry Hills is yet another book that was sent to me by the author. It tells us the story of a young girl Rimjhim who is ambitious and courageous. She is young with dreams of winning the world. As she comes of age, she is soon caught up in the chaos that is life. It seems that her life is a series of struggles but she is determined to make it through. The book tells us a decent story but there were a lot of editing errors which hampered my reading pleasure. Also, it was not unlike a lot of other similar stories that I had read in the recent years.
11. Frailty and Valour by Vidya Bhushan

bookGeeks Rating: 2.5/5
The book was sent to me by the author for review. It tells us the story of Anamika, a charismatic young police officer who has seen a lot of tragedy all her life. All through her life, Anamika has set examples for others to follow – be it in discipline or academics, be it in personal life or professional, Anamika has been the one to garner respect and appreciation. An elderly man Prashant with the help of a diary delves deeper into the past of Anamika and helps solve a personal tragedy. Though, the book told a decent story it failed in the entertainment quotient.
12. A Beautiful Conclusion by Abhish

bookGeeks Rating: 2/5
This book was also sent to me by the author. The story revolves around a guy called Prajat, who moves to Delhi looking for a decent job after his village in Rajasthan is devastated by an earthquake. He applies for a job thinking that it is for a call center setup but only when he gets in, he realizes that he has actually become a social media hitman or “troll”. Knowing this, Prajat becomes unhappy but there isn’t much that he can do.
The book has a very interesting premise but the language and editing are a big turn off.

So, this was my Monthly Reading Wrap Up March 2018. Let me know in the comments section below about your March reads. Did you participate in the #femmemarchfest? Did you come across any great books? Would you like to recommend me some awesome books that you read? Pour your thoughts and recommendations down below.

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