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A lovely and heartwarming novel about books, frien

A lovely and heartwarming novel about books, friendship, and readers. It is a must-read for book lovers, and you will feel exceptionally connected with this book as there are many bookish references that you can relate to ❤️

“There was nothing more enjoyable for him than taking books to other people.”

Synopsis: 👆🏻📷

First, the premise of this novel is delightful and would be a perfect read for book lovers and those who love books about books. I am immediately drawn to Carl and his world, which circles books, bookshops, and his customers/friends. His passion for books and his commitment to his customers are heartening to see, making him a great main character. The story becomes more appealing when Schascha comes into the story. She is so lovely and cute. I loved seeing how their relationship grew.

The supporting characters, especially Carl’s customers, are also quite remarkable and bring amusement to the story. I liked their respective story and how they found their enjoyment through reading. My favorites were Mrs. Longstocking, Hercules, The Reader, and Mr. Darcy. And, of course, the cat named Dog!

As a book lover, this book has many bookish quotes, which I love and totally can relate to, and the one thing that I want more than anything else from books about books.

I adored this book, and the writing was lovely, but unfortunately, the feeling is not continuous till the end of the book. Honestly, I think the plots had no surprises and were somewhat predictable. 70% of the book is excellent, but towards the end, the story became flat, and for me, it was too perfect and unrealistic, and, to some extent, it brought down my overall satisfaction with this book.

Nevertheless, I appreciate that this book shows how books can unite people, how our shared love of books brings us together, and how friends come in many ways and ages. It is comforting to read these elements through this book.

All in all, this is a short and adorable read. It could be read in a day, and I highly recommend this to people looking for something light to read about the world around books. You must add this book to your reading list if you love books.

4 🌟

The Other Daughter is a good book that makes you w

The Other Daughter is a good book that makes you wonder who knows the truth and what happened twenty years ago.

The story is about Melanie, who was abandoned at a Boston hospital and adopted by the gifted surgeon, Dr. Harper Stokes. Living with a family who had everything makes Melanie a dutiful daughter, and she does her best to keep her family happy. However, her lost memories are returning to haunt her, exposing the truth she was unaware of. Her good family started to fall apart, and Melanie felt like each family member was hiding a terrible secret that no one wanted to reveal.

#siqahbookreviews
This book has an exciting plot and appealing story that kept my attention and I was absorbed in figuring out the actual criminal. Just as I thought I knew the person who did it, twists and turns happened with the character's story and role shifting made me unsure of my choice.

The story is complicated, and the best thing is there are not many characters, so I quickly remembered them all and their backstory. I do not fancy the main characters; in some ways, Melanie was a little naïve for me, and I can't stand her at times. However, I liked how Melanie and David, the FBI agent, worked together to solve the mystery.

The only thing I can predict in this book is a love relationship between Melanie and David. I immensely enjoyed the small romance but did not think they needed to be in a relationship during the case. I also wish their romantic aspect would have been developed and not merely of sex and love. Furthermore, I felt weird reading the little spicy scene in a mystery book. Yet, this book is also tagged under romance, which explains the romance part well.

I would highly recommend this long and slow-burn mystery book for those who like a story that will keep you guessing, which has a good family drama and is well balanced with the crime elements. This book will keep you entertained till the end.

Thank you, @times.reads @putrifariza for sending me a copy of this book 🫶🏻

4 🌟

Q: What is the last book you finished?

#theotherdaughter #lisagardner #mysterybooks

✨ Bookmail from Times Reads ✨ Received my an

✨ Bookmail from Times Reads ✨

Received my anticipated reads from @times.reads @putrifariza . Much appreciated for sending me these review copies 🫠

The books I received are:
📖 Elsewhere by Yan Ge
📖 Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley
📖 Others were Emeralds by Lang Leav
📖 The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
📖 The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner
📖 The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

As of now, I have read:
The Other Daughter (4★),
The Door-to-Door Bookstore (4★)
Elsewhere (3★).

The review will be up soon :)

Q: What is the genre of the book you are currently reading?

#bookmail #timesreads #reviewcopies

“If you're not dealing with the thing you know y

“If you're not dealing with the thing you know you need to deal with, it's dealing with you. And it's likely that the people around dealing with it too.”

Glow in the F*cking Dark is a book that guides healing from your past, with some insightful advice and activities to start your journey to self-love and glowing in the f*cking dark. The book is divided into three sections (heal, grow, and glow) and has some chapters. I had high expectations for this book, and though it gave some helpful advice, it did not work well for me.

What I liked:
✾ It started well, and the author shared her traumatic experience with her parents. She has been through a lot since childhood, and I admire that she overcame all those things and became more alive and healthy.
✾ Her real-life experiences feel so raw, and she is so vulnerable in sharing them before elaborating on points related to the story. Many topics were covered that I think many people could relate to.
✾ The chapters I like the most are “Make Decisions for Future You” and “The Best Way to Build a Habit”.
✾ I liked that she shared the healing process with her parents.
✾ There are many takeaways/quotes that I found valuable, and the author also helped me to understand that all of our feelings are valid.

What I disliked:
✾ Why all the footnotes? Initially, I was okay with that, but throughout more pages, I found the footnotes were distracting. Too many things to elaborate on?
✾ It was inspiring when the author approached the serious healing topics in a funny and lighthearted way, but I felt that the author was trying so hard to be funny in some parts, and I could not bring myself to like it.
✾ The elaboration of her experience before getting to the main point was so long. It could be cut off a lot with good editing. The book's format is also not my liking for a self-help book.
✾ I could not agree less with the chapter “Please Stop Calling Your Colleagues Your Family.”

Overall, this book is a miss for me. However, I truly believe I am not the right person for this book, and I hope it will reach the correct audience widely.

Thank you, @putrifariza @times.reads for sending me this book 🫶🏻

"My life does not belong to you or this family. It

"My life does not belong to you or this family. It is mine and mine alone."

Ghost Girl, Banana follows a mother and her daughter over two timelines. Sook-Yin was sent to London by her family in the 1960s to regain her family's honour. Her daughter Lily, who is in her late 20s in 1997, has experienced hardship all her life due to losing her mother when she was only four. She does not know her mother well until she comes across a large inheritance and sets out to Hong Kong to learn more about it and her mother's past.

Discovering family history or secrets is always interesting, and I specifically like this kind of story. This book has a clear premise with the combined stories over decades and countries that explore multiple themes like immigration, belonging, identity, love, and family dynamics.

I was interested to learn more about the inheritance and Sook Yin's past; however, the whole story did not particularly stand out to me over other family dramas. While I liked the short chapters and found Sook-Yin's story more captivating, I sometimes got bored with the plot. And I also thought there wasn't enough depth or detail about the characters to make me truly care.

But I enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Lily and her sister, Maya. Initially, it was pretty tense, and I did not understand some of Maya's actions, but as secrets came to light and Lily knew what she wanted her life to take her, I liked seeing their interaction and closeness during this time. When Maya came to Hong Kong when she was heavily pregnant, it showed her unconditional love for her young sister; I loved seeing that.

Although I was not fond of this book, I liked the premise. I still think that this book is a promising debut. If you're into stories about family with historical settings, you can include Ghost Girl, Banana in your reading list.

Many thanks, @putrifariza @times.reads for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review 🫶💕

Q: If you had a chance to migrate to one country only, where would it be?

#siqahbookreviews #ghostgirlbanana #wizwharton

Yellowface is worth the hype 🤌🏻 My first rea

Yellowface is worth the hype 🤌🏻 My first read by R. F. Kuang, and it was such a compelling read. I stayed engaged the whole time, and Yellowface also made me want to read more of R. F. Kuang's work.

The writing is impressive, and I had difficulty putting the book down once I got into the plot. The plots are wild and well-written, and the main character, June Hayward, is ridiculous and flawed but endearing, who undoubtedly makes some dubious decisions and tries to live with them. I was utterly engrossed in the story from beginning to end because I had to know how June would navigate the things she had set up. She is delusional and truly believes what she is doing is acceptable, and she is a queen of self-justification 🤧

What did she do? ➠ Swipe left 👆🏻

I think R. F. Kuang does an amazing job of creating a character you absolutely hate but unintentionally root for. It is not always the proper action to plagiarism, but I understand why June decided to do what she did. Do I justify her action? 🤨😅 That's so messed up! I sympathized with her when her private story was stolen, but it is still no reason for her to reciprocate Athena's action. Besides, it is difficult to say who is the right person who could tell a story.

I don't know much about the publishing industry, and I felt that this book was a great look into the world of publication and the difficulties faced by writers of all backgrounds. The emphasis on how social media impacted the author's life and the book's sale is also fascinating.

Despite all these good things I liked about Yellowface, this book is not getting a 5-star from me. It was fast-paced with an enjoyable yet tense story, but I found the ending rather unexpected and wanted more. It should not end like that. It made me scream after I reached the last page. However, after I took a long time to write this review, it somehow makes me think there's no solid ending for this particular story 👌🏻

For those who want to read Yellowface, what are you waiting for? I urge you to pick up this book immediately!

Thank you, @times.reads @putrifariza for sending me this page-turner book 🫶🏻💛

#siqahbookreviews #yellowface #rfkuang

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Siqahiqa's bookshelf: read

Aku Yang Kau Tinggalkan

Aku Yang Kau Tinggalkan

by Alina Haizar

Silent Musings

by Almaz A.

Motivational Moments by Mufti Menk

Motivational Moments by Mufti Menk

by Mufti Ismail Menk

Love from A to Z

Love from A to Z

by S.K. Ali

book reviewsbook club

@siriusiqa

A lovely and heartwarming novel about books, frien

A lovely and heartwarming novel about books, friendship, and readers. It is a must-read for book lovers, and you will feel exceptionally connected with this book as there are many bookish references that you can relate to ❤️

“There was nothing more enjoyable for him than taking books to other people.”

Synopsis: 👆🏻📷

First, the premise of this novel is delightful and would be a perfect read for book lovers and those who love books about books. I am immediately drawn to Carl and his world, which circles books, bookshops, and his customers/friends. His passion for books and his commitment to his customers are heartening to see, making him a great main character. The story becomes more appealing when Schascha comes into the story. She is so lovely and cute. I loved seeing how their relationship grew.

The supporting characters, especially Carl’s customers, are also quite remarkable and bring amusement to the story. I liked their respective story and how they found their enjoyment through reading. My favorites were Mrs. Longstocking, Hercules, The Reader, and Mr. Darcy. And, of course, the cat named Dog!

As a book lover, this book has many bookish quotes, which I love and totally can relate to, and the one thing that I want more than anything else from books about books.

I adored this book, and the writing was lovely, but unfortunately, the feeling is not continuous till the end of the book. Honestly, I think the plots had no surprises and were somewhat predictable. 70% of the book is excellent, but towards the end, the story became flat, and for me, it was too perfect and unrealistic, and, to some extent, it brought down my overall satisfaction with this book.

Nevertheless, I appreciate that this book shows how books can unite people, how our shared love of books brings us together, and how friends come in many ways and ages. It is comforting to read these elements through this book.

All in all, this is a short and adorable read. It could be read in a day, and I highly recommend this to people looking for something light to read about the world around books. You must add this book to your reading list if you love books.

4 🌟

The Other Daughter is a good book that makes you w

The Other Daughter is a good book that makes you wonder who knows the truth and what happened twenty years ago.

The story is about Melanie, who was abandoned at a Boston hospital and adopted by the gifted surgeon, Dr. Harper Stokes. Living with a family who had everything makes Melanie a dutiful daughter, and she does her best to keep her family happy. However, her lost memories are returning to haunt her, exposing the truth she was unaware of. Her good family started to fall apart, and Melanie felt like each family member was hiding a terrible secret that no one wanted to reveal.

#siqahbookreviews
This book has an exciting plot and appealing story that kept my attention and I was absorbed in figuring out the actual criminal. Just as I thought I knew the person who did it, twists and turns happened with the character's story and role shifting made me unsure of my choice.

The story is complicated, and the best thing is there are not many characters, so I quickly remembered them all and their backstory. I do not fancy the main characters; in some ways, Melanie was a little naïve for me, and I can't stand her at times. However, I liked how Melanie and David, the FBI agent, worked together to solve the mystery.

The only thing I can predict in this book is a love relationship between Melanie and David. I immensely enjoyed the small romance but did not think they needed to be in a relationship during the case. I also wish their romantic aspect would have been developed and not merely of sex and love. Furthermore, I felt weird reading the little spicy scene in a mystery book. Yet, this book is also tagged under romance, which explains the romance part well.

I would highly recommend this long and slow-burn mystery book for those who like a story that will keep you guessing, which has a good family drama and is well balanced with the crime elements. This book will keep you entertained till the end.

Thank you, @times.reads @putrifariza for sending me a copy of this book 🫶🏻

4 🌟

Q: What is the last book you finished?

#theotherdaughter #lisagardner #mysterybooks

✨ Bookmail from Times Reads ✨ Received my an

✨ Bookmail from Times Reads ✨

Received my anticipated reads from @times.reads @putrifariza . Much appreciated for sending me these review copies 🫠

The books I received are:
📖 Elsewhere by Yan Ge
📖 Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley
📖 Others were Emeralds by Lang Leav
📖 The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
📖 The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner
📖 The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

As of now, I have read:
The Other Daughter (4★),
The Door-to-Door Bookstore (4★)
Elsewhere (3★).

The review will be up soon :)

Q: What is the genre of the book you are currently reading?

#bookmail #timesreads #reviewcopies

“If you're not dealing with the thing you know y

“If you're not dealing with the thing you know you need to deal with, it's dealing with you. And it's likely that the people around dealing with it too.”

Glow in the F*cking Dark is a book that guides healing from your past, with some insightful advice and activities to start your journey to self-love and glowing in the f*cking dark. The book is divided into three sections (heal, grow, and glow) and has some chapters. I had high expectations for this book, and though it gave some helpful advice, it did not work well for me.

What I liked:
✾ It started well, and the author shared her traumatic experience with her parents. She has been through a lot since childhood, and I admire that she overcame all those things and became more alive and healthy.
✾ Her real-life experiences feel so raw, and she is so vulnerable in sharing them before elaborating on points related to the story. Many topics were covered that I think many people could relate to.
✾ The chapters I like the most are “Make Decisions for Future You” and “The Best Way to Build a Habit”.
✾ I liked that she shared the healing process with her parents.
✾ There are many takeaways/quotes that I found valuable, and the author also helped me to understand that all of our feelings are valid.

What I disliked:
✾ Why all the footnotes? Initially, I was okay with that, but throughout more pages, I found the footnotes were distracting. Too many things to elaborate on?
✾ It was inspiring when the author approached the serious healing topics in a funny and lighthearted way, but I felt that the author was trying so hard to be funny in some parts, and I could not bring myself to like it.
✾ The elaboration of her experience before getting to the main point was so long. It could be cut off a lot with good editing. The book's format is also not my liking for a self-help book.
✾ I could not agree less with the chapter “Please Stop Calling Your Colleagues Your Family.”

Overall, this book is a miss for me. However, I truly believe I am not the right person for this book, and I hope it will reach the correct audience widely.

Thank you, @putrifariza @times.reads for sending me this book 🫶🏻

"My life does not belong to you or this family. It

"My life does not belong to you or this family. It is mine and mine alone."

Ghost Girl, Banana follows a mother and her daughter over two timelines. Sook-Yin was sent to London by her family in the 1960s to regain her family's honour. Her daughter Lily, who is in her late 20s in 1997, has experienced hardship all her life due to losing her mother when she was only four. She does not know her mother well until she comes across a large inheritance and sets out to Hong Kong to learn more about it and her mother's past.

Discovering family history or secrets is always interesting, and I specifically like this kind of story. This book has a clear premise with the combined stories over decades and countries that explore multiple themes like immigration, belonging, identity, love, and family dynamics.

I was interested to learn more about the inheritance and Sook Yin's past; however, the whole story did not particularly stand out to me over other family dramas. While I liked the short chapters and found Sook-Yin's story more captivating, I sometimes got bored with the plot. And I also thought there wasn't enough depth or detail about the characters to make me truly care.

But I enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Lily and her sister, Maya. Initially, it was pretty tense, and I did not understand some of Maya's actions, but as secrets came to light and Lily knew what she wanted her life to take her, I liked seeing their interaction and closeness during this time. When Maya came to Hong Kong when she was heavily pregnant, it showed her unconditional love for her young sister; I loved seeing that.

Although I was not fond of this book, I liked the premise. I still think that this book is a promising debut. If you're into stories about family with historical settings, you can include Ghost Girl, Banana in your reading list.

Many thanks, @putrifariza @times.reads for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review 🫶💕

Q: If you had a chance to migrate to one country only, where would it be?

#siqahbookreviews #ghostgirlbanana #wizwharton

Yellowface is worth the hype 🤌🏻 My first rea

Yellowface is worth the hype 🤌🏻 My first read by R. F. Kuang, and it was such a compelling read. I stayed engaged the whole time, and Yellowface also made me want to read more of R. F. Kuang's work.

The writing is impressive, and I had difficulty putting the book down once I got into the plot. The plots are wild and well-written, and the main character, June Hayward, is ridiculous and flawed but endearing, who undoubtedly makes some dubious decisions and tries to live with them. I was utterly engrossed in the story from beginning to end because I had to know how June would navigate the things she had set up. She is delusional and truly believes what she is doing is acceptable, and she is a queen of self-justification 🤧

What did she do? ➠ Swipe left 👆🏻

I think R. F. Kuang does an amazing job of creating a character you absolutely hate but unintentionally root for. It is not always the proper action to plagiarism, but I understand why June decided to do what she did. Do I justify her action? 🤨😅 That's so messed up! I sympathized with her when her private story was stolen, but it is still no reason for her to reciprocate Athena's action. Besides, it is difficult to say who is the right person who could tell a story.

I don't know much about the publishing industry, and I felt that this book was a great look into the world of publication and the difficulties faced by writers of all backgrounds. The emphasis on how social media impacted the author's life and the book's sale is also fascinating.

Despite all these good things I liked about Yellowface, this book is not getting a 5-star from me. It was fast-paced with an enjoyable yet tense story, but I found the ending rather unexpected and wanted more. It should not end like that. It made me scream after I reached the last page. However, after I took a long time to write this review, it somehow makes me think there's no solid ending for this particular story 👌🏻

For those who want to read Yellowface, what are you waiting for? I urge you to pick up this book immediately!

Thank you, @times.reads @putrifariza for sending me this page-turner book 🫶🏻💛

#siqahbookreviews #yellowface #rfkuang

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