Minhaj Khurshid

Finished The Tenant in just two days — definitely a page-turner. The pacing kept me hooked, though the twists felt only mildly satisfying. The constant references to fish and detergents started to grate after a while, but the portrayal of the psychopathic girlfriend was disturbingly realistic — you could really feel her presence. Overall, an engaging read with moments that linger, even if not all the symbolism lands.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros delivers fast-paced action, sharp twists, and cliffhangers that hook readers—key traits of compelling popular fiction. It explores themes like trauma, personal agency, and expectations, resonating strongly with young audiences. However, the world-building feels derivative, and turns pale when compared to Harry Potter and Narnia series. The modern slang clashes with its medieval setting, and the familiar enemies-to-lovers romance overshadows plot originality. Fourth Wing succeeds as a compulsively readable, emotionally resonant fantasy for a broad audience but falls short on a literary level.

"The Lord of the Flies" is a thought-provoking novel that reveals the darker side of human nature. As the characters' sense of order breaks down, fear takes over, and their primal instincts emerge. The book expertly portrays the struggle between civilization and savagery, highlighting how the desire for power and control can lead to corruption and cruelty. Through its vivid depiction of a primitive society, the novel shows how fear of the unknown can bring out the worst in humans.

A well written psychological thriller that delves into the dark recesses of the mind while dealing with grief, separation and superstition. It is a compelling dark thriller that explores the interplay between the human psychology and supernatural elements making it a thought-provoking experience that lingers long after the last page.

The book's language is somewhat archaic, making it a demanding read that requires patience from modern readers. "Beyond Good and Evil" by Nietzsche challenges traditional morality, advocating for individual strength, questioning universal truths, and exploring the complexities of human nature and power dynamics. Nietzsche's views on women reflect his critique of societal norms but often reinforce patriarchal ideas, sparking debate on his complex, sometimes contradictory, portrayal of gender roles, which I personally found repulsive. However, this book remains significant today for its critique of moral absolutism, encouraging critical thinking, questioning authority, and fostering intellectual independence in an era of ideological polarization and conformity.

"A story is a letter the author writes to himself, to tell himself things he would be unable to discover otherwise." --- Carlos Ruiz Zafón's 'The Shadow of the Wind' is a captivating novel that defies genre classification. Blending suspense, danger, glimpses of Franco's Spain and unexpected twists, it weaves a poignant, tragic love story throughout. Exploring the nature of reality, identity, using the power of storytelling, the narrative is infused with nostalgia, loss, and longing.

This book offers more of a philosophical and sociological observation on mankind, achieved by contrasting it with a fictional alien world. Therefore, not everyone will enjoy this science fiction, infact you need to have a lot open mindedness to get it all. Additionally, while the inclusion of numerous details may be suitable for pulp fiction, it feels like the author herself became detached from the subject matter by the end.

In George Orwell's 1984, people are controlled by inflicting pain whereas in Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. This novel gives us a glimpse of totalitarian State that has achThere are no families, so no family friction/ There are no marriages so no marital discord or domestic violence. Everyone belongs to everyone else so there is apparent freedom to everyone. If you dont observe the State's beliefs and defy the conditioning somehow, you are banished to "Savage Reservation" where people live the old way, embracing marriage, family life, disease, undergo aging process, follow religious lifestyle. One of the character in this dystopia says he wants - 'God, Poetry,Real Danger, Freedom, goodness and Sin. To which the controller responds saying that what he is claiming is right to be unhappy, right to be living in constant apprehension of what might happen tomorrow. "I claim them all " replies the character. So this novel will make you think on what is better - order imposed by society or freedom- freedom to experiment, to get hurt- for out of sorrow comes the fascination of joy, without pain , pleasure becomes meaningless...anyhow reading this novel gives one a new perspective on life. giving it 4 star because too much scientific jargon makes it a little tough for new readers.......

This book is for open minded person, for those who can see deeper into life, those who seek meaning and purpose. Brilliantly written and thought provoking, this work of Margaret Atwood will compulsively engage you with spectacular word play and vivid mental pictures. There are so many dimensions to this story- a mother, a daughter, a wife, a mistress ,an individual and then a nobody...just brilliantly conceived and executed storyline

Classic satire on petty frivolousness and petulance of human behaviour. Shows how what we perceive can be so different from what the next person is trying to convey.pride and prejudice is novel garnished with love story that frequently challenges us to relook into impertinence of our own perceptions. One of the must read book if you are into victorian era classics !!!