Instagram story viewer> @procaffeinate_withbooks> Posts

Yamini

@procaffeinate_withbooks

3.4K

followers

1332

following

Sips, Stories and Silliness
Fantasy, Mythology, Children's Fiction and occassional dose of everything else 📚

POSTS STORIES REELS

Shadow of the Serpent Fort by Arti 📖

Historical fiction has its own charm, and these days I find myself gravitating towards stories set anywhere from AD to BC.

This one is set in 324 BCE, right after Alexander's invasion of India. It almost feels like I'm travelling through time, especially since my previous read ended right where this one begins.

The book has some amazing maps, and while it clearly distinguishes between fiction and fact, my mind kept blurring the two together as I immersed myself in the story. There are political power plays, shifting loyalties, demands for kingdoms and even some unexpected supernatural appearances. I particularly enjoyed how the story moves between these different layers, keeping you curious about what might unfold next. Some of the conversations are quite intriguing too, especially when power, possession and personal interests come into play.

Some of the terms used are linguistically inclined towards Old Hindi, but the glossary at the end will definitely help non-native readers enjoy the story just as much.

A few excerpts that caught my attention:

"The two guards moved towards the old woman, and Malhar told them not to advance. They stood, with swords drawn, between the woman and the youths. The old woman stared at them for a moment, almost smiling The couple looked at each other in shock. And with a rustle of leaves, the woman was gone."

"what do you want?"
""Your fort.'"
"It's yours."
"And he wants your daughter,"

💭💭💭 What genre is attracting you the most right now? by @procaffeinate_withbooks

Alexander the Great by Stephen Harrison 📖

Books with maps are always a yes for me!
The many Persian characters had me going back and forth to look them up, and it took me a little while to get a proper hold of who's who.

I loved how the book opens on a questioning note: what was indeed so great about him? He had been called names, and many of his decisions were questionable, but the outcomes were what eventually silenced the mob.

We start with his birth on an auspicious day and follow his life from there. You get glimpses of Greece back then, the mortals' endless quests for more, and a death that set things in motion for a return.

We read about some of this in history, but certainly not from this point of view. I was already aware of the Indian connection and was sure there were more curtains to fall beyond what I already knew. And that curiosity kept me turning the pages.

💭💭💭 Whats the last book you finished reading? by @procaffeinate_withbooks

The Witch by Freida McFadden 📖🎧

Dual timelines, one set in the present day and the other during the witch trial days.

In modern-day England, Julia finds herself between jobs and moves to her family's 17th-century estate. But soon enough, she gets the sense that this place may not be the peaceful solace she was looking for. Its history seems to be seeping into her present, and as she tries to unravel it all, a haunting begins.

The audiobook version was great, and the author's knack for unexpected endings was very much present here. That made it all worth the while because, otherwise, I was expecting an ordinary witch-hunt story. But things unravel in such a way that you'll find yourself doing a few double takes!

💭 Whats your favourite book by Freida McFadden? by @procaffeinate_withbooks

Peek-a-Who: The Fire Breather 📖

Pop-up books have a next-level craze among children, and my minion was delighted to have a new one after a back-to-back run of regular books.

We slowly unwrap a dragon, piece by piece, against a lush green backdrop. The illustrations are cute and colourful, and the pop-ups add a little surprise as you turn each page. It's also pretty small, making it easy for little hands to hold and explore.

A fun little addition to our reading sessions!

💭 We're you a reader as a kid too?
I was mostly into comics. by @procaffeinate_withbooks

Monstera by Delilah S. Dawson 📖

A little spooky, a little queer, and a little creepy.

Our protagonist has finally attained her freedom and moved to a new town. But the more she settles into her new apartment, the more she feels like she's jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. The landlord is creepy, the downstairs neighbour is ambiguously attractive, and her past trauma has left its scars behind.

Going into the audiobook, we experience the world through the eyes of a girl who hasn't been out in the real world for years, and the impact of that lingers. The brewing chemistry and the way Lucy and Saskia try, but inevitably fail, to maintain their distance work rather well, much like trying to stay away from a forbidden fruit.

The audio version captures all the emotional pangs of the characters, but I do wish the book had been a little scarier.

💭 What kind of books or settings do you enjoy reading in October? by @procaffeinate_withbooks

Almost... Not Quite by Sonali Bhattacharya 📖

Unfinished stories are what the heart yearns for the most. They leave us with a window into our imagination, full of what could have been and what ifs. I learned a new Bengali term for this, 'Na Pawa'. And don't get me wrong, it's not all sad in here. There's something calm and peaceful about these stories, and this was exactly what I needed after a heavy read.

Divided into three parts (Echoes, Storm and Harvest), the stories move from little pangs of longing to feelings that are almost unbearable. Each one leaves you with something to think about, even when there isn't a definite ending to hold on to.

By the end of this book, I thought I would have a few favourites, but I don't. They've all impacted me differently, and I really fell for the writing here. Those sentences never miss their mark. They have a way of hitting you right where it hurts, sometimes long after you've finished reading.

💭💭💭 Do like open endings or a complete closed case or cliffhanger? by @procaffeinate_withbooks

Never Forget the Crows by Supriya Bansal 📖

I went in expecting a murder mystery, but this one has quite a bit going on beyond finding the killer. ACP Bhuvan's investigation into the murders keeps bringing up more questions, and the presence of Jagar, a young boy carrying his own share of pain, adds another layer to the story. I liked how the investigation gradually opens up instead of handing you all the answers at once.

Now, it does get a little bloody occasionally with all those bodies, so I just want my readers to be aware of the content before blindly jumping in. The flawed mother-daughter relationship was one of the things that gave this story an edge. There's quite a bit going on here besides the crimes, and the best part is that not everything is spelled out for you. Some things are left for the readers to interpret (like what happened to the heads), giving you a chance to think about them yourself.

The story also makes you look beyond the crime itself and think about the people caught in its aftermath. Not everyone fits neatly into the categories of victim, culprit, or bystander, and I found myself reconsidering my assumptions as the case progressed. The writing gets into some dark territory, especially when it comes to innocence, trauma, and the things people carry without anyone noticing.

It's a layered, unsettling read that gave me more to think about than just solving the mystery, which, honestly, I'm not even sure is 100% solved!

💭💭💭 Whats an animal you have always found spooky? by @procaffeinate_withbooks

Cobra Orchard by Terveen Gill 📖

There is quite a bit to unpack in this story. Through Deepshikha and the people around her, we get to see a family where relationships aren't always as straightforward as they appear. Affection, resentment, and old wounds all find their way into the dynamics, and you can see how differently people experience the same family. The strained relationships and the things left unsaid add another layer to the events unfolding in the story. Deepshikha's doubts about the explanation behind the tragedy also keep the questions coming, especially when there seems to be more to the past than anyone is willing to acknowledge.

I went in knowing there were some heavy themes, but I wasn't quite prepared for the reading experience. For once, when the characters entered the ashram, I genuinely thought we were walking straight into one of the scenes mentioned in the trigger warnings. Thankfully, it passed without a hiccup, but I did find myself approaching the rest of the book with some apprehension.

This is definitely not for the faint-hearted. There were occasions when I felt I was one of those readers who couldn't handle what was coming next. It is triggering, but it also makes you anxious enough to keep reading because you need to know what happens. I wouldn't call this a book you can binge-read either. I took several breaks just to let the story sink in before returning to it. It affected me more than most books do, and I needed those pauses.

The author does provide strong trigger warnings, so please don't skip them. This one asks for a little patience, and perhaps a little emotional preparation too.

💭💭💭 Whats the last book you read that left you circling back to it? by @procaffeinate_withbooks

The Golden Chisel by Seethalakshmi S. & Rahul Nandan 📖

We have all seen the Ram Lalla idol, but how often do we stop to wonder about the person who turned a piece of stone into something that millions would eventually look at with devotion?

It takes us behind that process through the journey of sculptor Arun Yogiraj, from his early years and his father’s influence to the making of the idol that now stands in Ayodhya. What I found particularly interesting was getting a glimpse into the person behind the sculptor: his struggles, his thought process, the discipline behind his craft and even the moments when he describes a sense of divine will guiding his work.

There is also something fascinating about seeing how much goes into choosing a stone, shaping it, experimenting with different styles and eventually arriving at the final form. And then there is Yogiraj’s life beyond this one project, including his earlier work and his dream of creating a sculpting studio-cum-school, something he eventually turns into reality.

For me, this was less about looking at the finished masterpiece and more about understanding the many hands, choices, experiences and years of learning that went into creating it.

💭 Do read books of religious background?

It's not something I usually pick, but the read left me with more appreciation for the whole temple. by @procaffeinate_withbooks

Hawk & Sparrow by Ayana Gray

In this world, magic is like an armour only the rich can buy, and our FMC finds herself trusting her pen as a writer more. But she painstakingly takes up a side job as a private investigator to save her workplace from money troubles. The case at hand, however, involves courting one of the wealthiest people, and let's just say, the mayhem begins.

Above everything, I am enjoying the investigative route of the plotline, which carries you through the story at a swift pace. You learn to see everyone through a lens of doubt, follow the crumbs of clues, and voilà!

Even though I was listening to the audiobook, I don't think I missed anything. In fact, the emotional parts were carried with such reverence that you find yourself tilting towards the pull the author creates. The chemistry between the two is great, and for once, I am so glad there wasn't any spice, just purely two people falling for the impossible.

💭💭💭 What was your last memorable read? by @procaffeinate_withbooks

Travancore King : The Legend of Marthanda Varma by Shubendra 📖

Stories that begin with a map immediately get a bonus point from me. 😄

For anyone who already knows a little about Travancore, you’ll know this is a pretty wide tale to fit into a 300-ish page book. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the author managed to keep the narration on a tight leash while still moving the story at a great pace.

It doesn’t drown you in details, but at the same time, it doesn’t rob you of the essence of the story either. It somehow finds that sweet spot where you get enough information to understand what is happening and keep moving without feeling like you're sitting through a history lesson.

And then there are the battles, the small victories and the bigger losses. Some of those losses genuinely left me a little sad.

You know it’s a good book when a fictional story starts feeling almost real. I finished this one and still occasionally find myself wondering how much of what I read was imagination and how much was rooted in the actual history of Venad.

💭💭💭 Whats a place you wanted to visit after reading about it? by @procaffeinate_withbooks

When you’ve had a really slow reading week and just don’t know what will hit anymore, you try everything. At least that’s what I did. 😅

I mixed a few genres, picked books based on absolutely no logical criteria, and somehow, my experiments seem to be landing pretty well.

I’ve finished 3 of these already, and if the pacing continues to cooperate, I might actually have the others done too. 📚🤞

Also tried pomegranate tea this week, and turns out, it makes for a great reading companion. 🍵

💭 What have you been upto on this weekend? by @procaffeinate_withbooks