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Parvin Sultana

@parvinreads

2.1K

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2019

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Bookstagrammer, ARC Reader, a bibliophile and a scribbler. 🇮🇳 A teacher by profession but a lifelong learner by choice 😊😊 Dm for honest book reviews 🙂

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Have you ever wondered about the life you could have lived if things had turned out differently? The dreams you gave up, the choices you made, or the opportunities that almost came your way? Sonali Bhattacharya’s Almost… Not Quite explores these familiar feelings through a collection of 24 short stories.

Divided into three sections—The Echoes, The Storm and The Harvest—the book takes us through different experiences of loss, compromise, resilience and hope. Tara, the Sutradhar, guides us through these stories, each of which offers a glimpse into ordinary lives and the quiet struggles that shape them.

I particularly liked how the collection moves from the sadness of unfulfilled dreams to the possibility of beginning again. The characters do not always get what they want, but they learn to make peace with what remains and sometimes discover something beautiful along the way.

A few stories stayed with me. Roots in Ink speaks of the constant questioning of Muslims’ citizenship and loyalty, making it especially relevant to our times. Yellow Bus highlights the unequal access to education, while The Other Sister explores the expectations society places on women and the choices they are allowed to make.

What I enjoyed most is the simplicity and warmth of these stories. They are not about extraordinary events, but about everyday lives that can change in quiet yet significant ways. A dance teacher restarting her school or a father seeing his dreams fulfilled through his son reminds us that hope often arrives in unexpected forms.

Almost… Not Quite is a gentle, comforting read that makes you reflect on the things you could not have while reminding you to appreciate what you still can.

✨ A lovely collection for anyone who enjoys thoughtful short stories and needs a little hope in their reading life.

Thank you @rupa_publications for this lovely review copy 😊

#almostnotquite #sonalibhattacharyya #bookreviewsbyparvin #bookreviewsofinstagram by @parvinreads

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8 days ago

For me sales are about book buying spree without guilt 🤣🥰❤️#arunavasinha #translationliterature #thebengalreader by @parvinreads

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3 days ago

Picked up this beautiful book relating stories from the diverse tribes of India!!#currentlyreading #tribalstories #newbook #bookstagram #indiabookstagram by @parvinreads

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7 days ago

Thank you Netgalley for a review ecopy of the book.

This was one of those thrillers that left me both intrigued and occasionally frustrated. The premise is wonderfully twisted: a woman walks into a police station to confess to a murder she has planned, only to discover that the intended victim has been killed in exactly the way she had imagined. Who is the real killer, and how much can we trust the woman at the centre of it all? I was hooked from the beginning.

Jemma is a fascinating protagonist because it is never entirely clear whether she is a victim of unfortunate circumstances or someone who is far more calculating than she lets on. Her present-day account, diary entries from seventeen years earlier, and the perspectives of other characters create a narrative full of uncertainty. I enjoyed constantly questioning her motives and trying to piece together the truth. The multiple points of view, including those of several detectives, add interesting layers to the investigation, although keeping track of so many characters can sometimes be overwhelming.

However, the storytelling is not always as clever as the premise. The narrative jumps between characters, timelines and revelations, and there were moments when I struggled to follow what was happening. The introduction of a second mystery adds complexity, but some developments feel unnecessarily confusing. I was also left wondering about Jemma’s concerns regarding her daughter, Lottie, which never seemed to receive a convincing explanation. A few character choices, particularly those made by one of the detectives, also stretched my sense of believability.

#bookreviewsofinstagram #bookreviewsbyparvin #sophiehannah #theoppositeofmurder #netgalley by @parvinreads

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7 days ago

Allah Miyan’s Workshop is a hear touching story about faith and belonging. Set in Awadh, the novel follows young Gibran and his family as they navigate poverty, faith and the uncertainties of everyday life. Through Gibran’s eyes, we encounter a world of kite-flying, friendships, animals and childhood curiosities. But his seemingly uncomplicated world soon begins to unravel. His father is arrested on allegations of terrorism, his mother dies, and Gibran and his sister Nusrat are left to negotiate a life marked by loss and uncertainty.

What makes this novel particularly moving is its childlike narration. Gibran’s innocent questions about faith, suffering and the world around him often reveal more than elaborate political arguments could. Through his experiences, Mohsin Khan explores religious orthodoxy, communal prejudice and the everyday struggles of ordinary Muslims without reducing the narrative to a political statement.
I particularly loved Gibran’s affection for animals and his uncomplicated understanding of human relationships. His innocence stands in sharp contrast to a society increasingly defined by suspicion and prejudice.

Maaz Bin Bilal’s translation retains the simplicity and lyrical quality of the original, making the narrative all the more poignant.

At its heart, this is a story about childhood, loss and the search for belonging. A quiet yet deeply affecting novel that reminds us how easily innocence is overwhelmed by circumstances beyond one’s control.

⭐ 4.5/5
#bookreviewsofinstagram #bookreviewsbyparvin #allahmiyansworkshop #mohsinkhan #maazbinbilal by @parvinreads

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20 days ago

📖 The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah

A country house, a suspicious death, a room full of secrets—and Hercule Poirot in the middle of it all. What could possibly go wrong? 🔎

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill brings back the familiar pleasures of a classic whodunit. Set against the backdrop of an elegant country estate, the story gives us a colourful cast of suspects, hidden motives, carefully placed clues and, of course, Poirot trying to make sense of it all.

What I enjoyed most was the atmosphere. Sophie Hannah manages to capture that old-fashioned mystery feeling where everyone seems to be hiding something and even the smallest detail might turn out to be important. The clues and red herrings kept me guessing, while Poirot’s observations were easily my favourite part.

The mystery does take its time, and the pacing felt a little slow in places. But if you enjoy classic detective fiction, complicated family secrets and mysteries that invite you to play detective alongside the investigator, this is a satisfying read.

A cosy, clever mystery for anyone who enjoys a good old-fashioned “whodunit?” 🕵️‍♂️
⭐ 3.5/5
#bookreviewsofinstagram #bookreviewsbyparvin #thekillingsatkingfisherhill #sophiehannah #agathachristie by @parvinreads

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22 days ago

I loved good In Other Rooms, Other Wonders 🥰 and was eagerly waiting to read something more by him!! Can’t wait to dive right into this one 😁#bookmail #southasianliterature #daniyalmueenuddin #thisiswheretheserpentlives by @parvinreads

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24 days ago

Thank you so much @rupa_publications 🥰#readersofinstagram #bookmail #reviewcopies #loveforreading❤️ by @parvinreads

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25 days ago

Just picked this one up 😊#currentlyreadi̇ng #maazbinbilal #urduliteratureaddict #middlegradebooks by @parvinreads

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a month ago

How much of a woman’s life is really her own when society has already written the rules for her?

The Grammar of Silence takes us across five centuries of Tamil history through the lives of three women—Dharma, Vinodhini and Muthu, who later becomes Mary Amelia. Their worlds are very different, yet their struggles are connected by the same forces of patriarchy, caste and social expectations.

Dharma is an intelligent woman trapped in a conservative Brahmin household. Vinodhini, a courtesan in the Thanjavur Maratha court, witnesses the changing fortunes of the devadasi community. Muthu begins life with the disadvantages of caste but manages to cross boundaries that were meant to define her life.

What stayed with me was the idea behind the title. Silence here is not simply the absence of a voice. It can also become a way of surviving, negotiating and quietly resisting. These women may not always rebel openly, but they find their own ways of claiming space in societies that constantly try to limit them.

The novel is also richly rooted in the social and cultural history of Tamil Nadu. The detailed descriptions of the period, along with the author’s knowledge of music and culture, give the historical setting considerable depth.

I did feel that the pacing becomes somewhat uneven towards the later sections, especially after the richly detailed beginning. But the larger idea of the novel remains powerful: the forms of patriarchy may change, but the struggle for agency continues.

A thoughtful historical novel about women, silence and the courage to make a life of one’s own.
⭐ 4/5

#bookreviewsofinstagram #bookreviewsbyparvin #thegrammarofsilence #rseshasayee by @parvinreads

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a month ago

For Manipur, we turn to M. K. Binodini Devi’s The Princess and the Political Agent—a haunting story where love, power, history and colonialism intersect.

Through the intimate world of Princess Sanatombi, Binodini Devi brings a personal dimension to a turbulent chapter of Manipur’s past, reminding us that history is also made of memories, relationships, silences and losses.

Reading Northeast #7 | Manipur
📖 The Princess and the Political Agent — M. K. Binodini Devi

#ReadingNortheast #ManipurLiterature #BinodiniDevi #ThePrincessAndThePoliticalAgent by @parvinreads

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a month ago

Current Read 😊#grammarofsilence #feministmovement #feministreading by @parvinreads

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a month ago