Nagasravika's Book Reviews Blog

 The Buried Giant  By Kazuo Ishiguro  Published Year: 2015 Page Count: 362 pages  Medium Used: Paperback  Genre: Fatasy, Drama, Elderly People, Dragons and Warriors, 2026-read. Rating: 4.5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎  Towards the end of the book, there was a scene where the warrior warns the elderly couple - Axl and Beatrice - that their lands are going to washed with blood of their brothers and families now that the mist is cleared. But what really troubled and scared me more than this horrendous vision is that the couple getting seperated on their journey to the peaceful island. No matter what actually transpired in their past, they are all that's left for each other and that's all they crave. They were thrust into the path of warriors and knights and dragons and murder/slaughter but what did it matter to them, such simple and elderly souls they were? The language used and the treatment people conferred on one another is really lyrical, addictive and kept me going. It ...

 Hex  (Robert Grim #1) By Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Nancy Forest-Filer  Published Year: 2016( English version )  Page Count: 384 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6, Moon Reader  Genre: Horror, Gothic, Supernatural Horror, Psychological, Thriller, witches, Gore and Macabre, Mob madness, Mystery, Fantasy, 2026-read. Rating: 5/5 😎😎😎😎😎  This is a strong, unwavering 5 pointer for me. I mean, gosh. This has all the elements that always raised my hair on end. I have always feared falling a victim to mass madness, mass hysteria. I have feared coming in touch and falling on the bad side of a supernatural,evil entity. I always feared being made to choose between those of my family. Its like this book is written by taking all my fears into a mortar and beating or churning out a psychological thriller that is not just addictive but unforgettable. This book is very immersive. The writing/translation from dutch is flawless and brilliant. This story places a hook i...

 The Miserable Mill  (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) By Lemony Snicket  Published Year: 2000 Page Count: 197 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6, Moon Reader  Genre: Children's Fiction,Middle Grade, Young Adult, Science fiction, Hypnotism, Horror, Humor, Psychological, Fantasy, Siblings, 2026-read.  Rating : 5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎  Some people have comfort food to go to in case they are feeling unwell or in need of something soothing in their tummy. These books have become my comfort go-to series when I feel low or disconnected while reading something else. Although the overall logic and execution in the book remains the same, there are some interesting twists and addictive surprises added to make the story unmissable. This book has added some very memorable characters other than the main, recurring ones - like Sir the Boss, Charles, Shirley etc. Also the author has flipped the roles of Klaus and Violet - here, Violet reads and Klaus invents! Sunny jo...

The Wide Window  (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) By Lemony Snicket  Published Year: 2000 Page Count: 220 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6  Genre: Children's Fiction, Science fiction, Fantasy, Siblings, Adventure, Brilliant Prose, Middle Grade, Young Adult, 2026-read.  Rating: 5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎  This is the third book in the sensational series that hasn't failed me yet. It kept getting better with each sequel. I mean the prose is simply rivetting and great. I like how the author inserts his voice into the narration at times to clarify some situation or add more meaning to it. It feels like the author is narrating the tale to each reader in a very cosy and comforting tone and setting.  This book has two important things going for it. One is the amazing plot and the second is amazing, humorous yet realistic characters. The character of Aunt Josephine is perhaps my favourite one in the series. She is afraid of everything and wants to dig herself i...

 The Reptile Room  (A Series of Unfortunate Events #2) By Lemony Snicket  Published Year: 1999 Page Count: 190 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6 Genre: Children's Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Snakes, Adventure, Heroes and Villains, 2026-read. Rating: 5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎  These books are turning into an incorrigible addiction for me. I was on four other books when I picked the first book in the series but set them all aside to forge on with these books 1 and 2. I think I am gonna continue this ride with the next books in the series too. The author has not only written these books with his reader - a young child of above 8-9 years - in mind but also blended it with novelty, imagination and great character development. The three children along with other characters Mr.Poe, Count Olaf and the hook handed man are back in the game bearing the hallmarks of their natures but also with subtly different personas - because they are playing at impersonation. There is o...

 Snakes and their numerous Virtues  Compiled By Asutosh Patnaik  (Using ChatGPT and other sources) Snakes are considered wise or intelligent in many cultures, but this is mostly a symbolic association, not because snakes are actually known for unusually high intelligence. A few reasons: 🐍 They are observant and patient. Snakes often remain motionless for long periods, waiting for the right moment to strike. Humans interpreted this patience as deliberation and wisdom. 🐍 They seem mysterious. Their silent movement, ability to disappear into hiding places, and unusual appearance made them seem like creatures possessing secret knowledge. 🐍 They shed their skin. This looks like a form of death and rebirth, so snakes became associated with renewal, transformation, and hidden knowledge. 🐍 They survive in difficult environments. Their ability to adapt and live in deserts, forests, water, underground, etc., contributed to the idea that they possess ancient wisdom. 🐍 They were...

 The Bad Beginning  (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) By Lemony Snicket  Published Year: 1999  Page Count: 151 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6  Genre: Children's Fiction, Horror, Disturbing Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Fiction, Evil Characters, 2026-read. Rating: 5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎  This is a very small book that felt like it has finished too soon. I was immersed into the tale so much that I failed to note the passing time or the flipping pages. Though this is a children's book,it is written with such a deft hand that it took me back to my own childhood. I started wondering how it would be if I was placed in the stead of those three unfortunate children. Their parents perish in an accidental fire and they are left alone with no friend or guardian. As the story progresses and we are introduced to the characters that want to steal their fortune and leave them penniless or worse, dead, I couldn't help becoming a bit paranoid. I started seeing conspirac...

 A Gathering of Shadows  (Shades Of Magic #2) By V. E. Schwab  Published Year: 2016 Page Count: 512 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6  Genre: High Fantasy, Fantasy, Action, Magic and Sorcery, Multiverse, Romance,Romantasy, LGBTQ, 2026-read.  Rating : 5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎  Absolutely digged this! Schwab is a gifted, brilliant writer that her prose and narration kept me hooked through out. In the first book, there was too much happening. We were introduced to this world of magic and sorcery. We saw the main characters - Kell from Red London and Lila from Grey London - overtake evil kings and queens and save a world from consumption by black magic. Then Lila leaves Kell in pursuit of an adventure and thrill. She doesn't want to be bound to anyone or anything and wants instead to have some risk in her life. Doesn't want to be saddled to a boring and secure life. She is a different creature as everyone agrees. A girl cast from a different mold. At the end ...

 The School for Good and Evil  (The School for Good and Evil #1) By Soman Chainani  Published Year: 2013 Page Count: 488 pages  Medium Used: Paperback  Genre: Fairy Tales,Middle Grade, Children's Fiction, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Young Adult, Humor, Action, Adventure, 2026-read. Rating: 5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎  Just wrapped this. What a wild ride! Where do I start?! There is so much happening in every chapter it is very tough to keep track of it all. So I stopped trying after a while and just sat back and enjoyed. On the whole, this is a book with a message. With multiple messages actually. 1. Looks and beauty can betray the actual nature of a person. Sweet and beautiful looking Sophie is vile and cruel at heart and ghoulish, raven looking Agatha is the best of persons there ever would be. 2. A person need not be completely good or evil - there can exist a balance or mixture of both traits. Cruel Sophie too wanted joy, happy ever after, prince charming and all th...