One of the first things I did as soon as I landed in Houston was to head to my neighbourhood library. The McGoven-Stella Link library has been my “local” library and it still makes me gasp. It is a beautiful place filled with things I love. I watched kuttyma fall in love with the place. We have since then been regulars. We have been borrowing A LOT of books and indulging in them.

Book Haul from the library

1) The Fourth Passenger by Mira Nair

I had such high hopes on this book based on the blurb. It wasn’t a bad read but it didn’t just have enough drama to hold my attention. It traces the story of women who dream and work to achieve their dreams in Mumbai. It has a lot of sub-plots and characters and often I just felt like giving up.

2) P.S I Love You by Cecelia Arhen

I know Arhen has a major reader follower and had always meant to read her works. Romance is never a genre I gravitate too and yet I picked this book up to see if I can warm up to the story. It is a sweet story and well-written but I just couldn’t get myself into it. It would make a great vacation read for romance lovers.

3) The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls

I have no clue when I added this book to my TBR but it is one the earliest books I added when I started my goodreads account. I found a copy at the Houston Library and got reading. I didn’t regret reading the book but it just dragged on and I was hoping for a twist. The major plot twists didn’t involve the protagonist directly or so I felt. Another book that will make a great vacation read

4) The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken by Tarquin Hall

I have had quite a few friends who have recommended the Vish Puri series to me and you have to admit the title is pretty eye-catching. I found a copy of this book at the Houston Library and spent the day reading the book. It is a well-paced and planned detective story that includes the various layers of grime, grit and sand that makes India. It is also very refreshing to find the book doesn’t have much of the Bollywood flavour infused into it like many books set in India seem to do. A light-hearted detective story taking the reader into the troubled partition era, cricket betting and political circles.

5) The Pleasure of Reading : 43 Writers on Discovery on the Discovery of Reading and the Books that Inspired Them by Antonia Fraser and Victoria Gray

The past couple of years I have started reading more non-fiction and this is one great discovery. It gives a peek into what, why and how writers read. It is one for the bookshelf to pick and read every time you need inspiration.

5 books is a monthly series featuring some of the books I read and loved recently. For more book updates and to check my current reading list, head to my Goodreads account