Beyond Books

I am no writer, and have no intention of becoming a published author. But sometimes, I do feel like penning my thoughts on all things bookish. Here are a few of my thoughts and writings.
(As is evident, this page is a work-in-progress. I have written a lot more than these few articles. Stay tuned. 😃)

Author Specials:


Bookish Write-ups:



✤ Five Types of Non-fiction that Even Fiction Lovers Will Enjoy! - Guest Article for Blogchatter's BeStorified series. - March 2025.





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The Soulmate - Sally Hepworth - ★★

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AUTHOR: Sally Hepworth NARRATORS: Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry GENRE: Domestic Suspense RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: No soul, no mate. Better if read as a family drama than as a domestic thriller. Even better if you skip it. Hello once again from Outlier Island! Story Synopsis: Gabe and Pippa live in a cottage by a cliff along with their two little daughters. This cliff-side is unfortunately a suicide hotspot, and Gabe has become something of a local hero by rescuing people from jumping off to their deaths. But he doesn’t succeed in saving the latest person, a woman. When Pippa learns that Gabe has not told her the entire truth and that he actually knew the victim, she begins to ask questions and discovers many new secrets. But Gabe is her soulmate, and it is her duty to keep him safe, isn’t it? The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Pippa in two timelines – Then and Now, and also in the first person perspective of Amanda (the victim) in two timelines –...
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City of Jackals - Aman J. Bedi - ★★★★

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AUTHOR: Aman J. Bedi SERIES: Ghosts of Ethuran, #2 GENRE: Epic Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: March 13, 2025 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A dark fantasy set in a fictional South-Asian setting. The second book of the Ghosts of Ethuran series, and needs to be read in series order. Continues the story well, revealing more shades to the protagonist and the world. Excellent action sequences. The gore and the cuss words were still not to my liking, but I enjoyed the rest, maybe even more than the first book as I was better prepared for the graphic content. This was a “paisa vasool” experience. Plot Preview: (Contains mild spoilers from the first book.) After the victory against the Kraelish, Kavi is now the unofficial leader of the Taemu, who are finally getting a bit more respect in Raayan. But when a hooligan forcibly takes control of the Imperial Rickshaw Company and forces Kavi to work with his gang as an enforcer, threatening her with dire consequences against the Taemu if she refuses or...
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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea - Axie Oh

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AUTHOR: Axie Oh GENRE: Fantasy, Korean, Retelling. RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: Minority opinion alert! This wasn’t my cup of tea. Sorry. But it just didn’t click with me. Story: Mina’s village is ravaged by severe storms since decades. To appease the Sea God, a pretty young girl is thrown in to the sea to serve as his “bride” so that someday, he will choose the right bride and be appeased, thereby ending the calamities. This year, it’s the turn of Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village to be the Sea God’s bride. However, Cheong is in love with Joon, Mina’s beloved older brother. To keep the two lovers united, Mina makes a last minute sacrifice and throws herself into the sea. Swept away to the Spirit realm by an underwater dragon, Mina is stunned to see that the Sea God is in an enchanted sleep. All she has for company is three strange young men – Shin, Namgi and Kirin – and a few spirits. But whom can she trust and who is out to get her? Will she able to serve her pur...
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The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang - Stan Yan - ★★

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AUTHOR: Stan Yan GENRE: Middle-grade Graphic Novel. PUBLICATION DATE: September 30, 2025 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade graphic novel about a Chinese-American girl who suddenly gets premonitions about the future. The storyline is a bit weird, with some of the darker content left unexplained. The characterisation is also overly stereotypical for the Asian mom. I liked bits and pieces of this book, but as a whole, it didn’t come together for me. Mine is an outlier review. Plot Preview: Twelve-year-old Eugenia harbours dreams of becoming an artist. But her mom is adamant that Eugenia choose a more stable and secure career path. Eugenia also wants to celebrate her birthday on the actual date, but as 4 is an unlucky number in Chinese culture, Eugenia never gets her wish. This year, Eugenia is determined not just to have a birthday party on the 4th but also to apply for a summer art camp scholarship. When Eugenia gets hit on the head with a sneaker during PE class, she sudden...
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Inheritance: A Visual Poem - Elizabeth Acevedo - ★★

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AUTHOR: Elizabeth Acevedo ILLUSTRATOR: Andrea Pippins GENRE: Illustrated Spoken Word Poem PUBLICATION DATE: May 3, 2022 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: An illustrated version of the author's famous spoken-word poem. Didn't get much of the poetic merit (no surprises there, given my lack of fondness for poetry), but liked the powerful message and the vibrant illustrations. Might work differently for readers more impacted by this format of poetry. I have wild hair. Though thinner now with age and hormonal upheavals, my hair still looks like I forgot to brush it after I woke up. Over the years, many friends have asked me to straighten my hair. They claim it's easier to manage. No one asks me whether I'm bothered by my messy waves or if I prefer straight hair to curls. They just assume that their straight hair IS better. ( Fact: I think straight hair is boring. I love curly hair as it has a personality of its own! I am very jealous of women who have ringlet curls .) Isn'...
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