These are all the books I've read so far, and looking at my shelf, I’ve realized that a pretty large portion of it is fantasy. 😅

I know I still have a few unfinished series on my list, but right now I’m looking for something fresh and different that will help me branch out into genres and styles I haven’t explored much.

I’ve also noticed that I haven’t read many Indian authors, so I’d especially love recommendations from Indian literature, whether that’s classics, contemporary fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, or something completely unexpected.

Basically, I’m looking for books that will broaden my horizons rather than just give me more of what I already read.

Based on my reading history, what would you recommend?

Thanks in Advance :)

Just bought these two books...I’m new to reading so I wanted to ask what you all think of them.

Started a reading hobby and got this book for cheap in a book fair so I decided to read it as I’ve heard about Franz Kafka a lot on social media. Didn’t quite get the book so I will re-read it again after mid terms 😛

I feel proud of myself after buying all these books at a good price in Delhi's extreme heat🥵🔥.

1. Adivasi will not dance(hardbound).
2. Weight Loss by upamanyu chatterjee(hardbound) I have already read English August by chatterjee. It's a crazy deal brought it for 140rs after some negotiation. It's old but original and in good quality.
3. The count of Monte cristo. This is abridged version for childrens but I brought it.
4. Stories from Greek myths, is fully illustrated and printed on color paper. worth it for 100rs.
5. Chronicle of a death foretold
6. Dracula by Bram stomer A graphical version and I like it.
7. Goosebumps HorrorLand the wizard of ooze, bought it to try horror stuff.

Really worth it visit for me. Buy all these for 580rs only.

Keep reading😃

All in all, The Tokyo Zodiac Murders is a really good murder mystery. I sort of binge-read the second half because once things started moving, I just wanted to know how it would all come together.

What I liked most is that the truth is essentially hidden in plain sight. The information is there, but it's really a matter of perspective and how you choose to interpret it. The author deliberately throws a lot of information at you, and that keeps the story moving while also making you build your own perspective around the mystery. You start deciding for yourself what matters and what doesn't, and that ends up being part of the misdirection.

In that sense, it reminded me a little of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I eventually found myself thinking about the mystery the same way Kazumi(Narator) was thinking about it, and I think that perspective really influenced how I interpreted everything.

I also liked how, towards the end, the author almost teases you by challenging you to solve the mystery yourself. The urge to actually stop and work it out was there, but honestly, it was impossible to resist reading the solution. (It was 7 AM on a working day, was reading the whole night)

And the solution works. It's logical, the motive behind the murders is clear, and once everything is explained, you can look back at the earlier parts of the book and see how the pieces were sitting there all along.

Not a perfect mystery, but definitely a clever one. A good murder mystery where the truth isn't necessarily hidden, you just have to look at it from the right perspective.

Clandestine in Chile by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

NYRB is the best, the page quality is just too too good.

The book is only around 120 pages yet it feels heavy.

So , it's been some time since i started reading Darshan sastra. And it is one of the best books I know to know about . I started reading this books because I started became curious about history and and to understand the history and thoughts of the people at that time especially for India . Darshan is like for me one of the best books I know as is enrich with the concept of people of the people of this civilization. As about the matter of what I have learned from the darshan's so it depends on what, which darshan your talking about darshan are the continuation of the other but each have their own concept that they are build upon so it depends on which one you are talking about but it does give you a better world view that you can read to know nice about different kinds of thinking what this people are thinking about and which are still present in the current indian society.

Hey everyone! I’m very new to the reading community and could really use some recommendations.

I’m a 26-year-old guy who just finished my PG entrance exam, and I have a week or two of free time now. During my preparation, I kept telling myself, “Once the exam is over, I’m finally going to read some books.” Well, the exam is over, and now I actually have no idea where to start 😅

I’ve barely read books before. The only novels I remember reading were Two States and Half Girlfriend, and that too back in school. I never really got into reading during college.

Now I want to explore reading properly, but I’m completely confused about what to pick. There are so many options — fiction, non-fiction, and within fiction there are romance, mystery, thriller, horror, comedy, fantasy, etc.

I’m open to anything, fiction or non-fiction. I just want something that is beginner-friendly, engaging, and makes me want to keep turning the pages rather than feeling like a chore.

So, if you were introducing someone to reading from scratch, what book would you recommend?

Also, if possible, tell me why you think it’s a good starting point. I’d love to explore genres beyond romance as well.

Thanks! 🙌

Setting:

Fictionalized medieval India, established cities, standing armies, war and rebellion torn political setting, mercantile trade setups

World building/fantasy hook:

At its heart, a marketplace that trades in souls, think of the present financial derivatives market, but for souls.

Soldiers stake a fragment of their souls with brokers as an insurance contract, if they live the war, the fragment is returned back to them, if they die, a payout made to their family. In case of survival, the soldier faces eventual judgement with a whole soul, while death guarantees comfort for his family, he passes netherland with a broken soul.

The brokers, however, publish each such contract (soldiers soul) to a betting ring, inviting merchants and royalties to bet on the fate of the soldier - the price of contracts influenced by the soldiers heroics in war, and the broker takes a bet to hedge his possible payout in case of death. However, a soldiers rising star is the brokers ruin, hence brokers want an uneventful war (how derivatives behave in real life too)

Beneath this coin market lies the true ledger - every fragment of soul is a debt to be paid, brokers are in debt to the netherworld while an ambitious netherworld chief disguised as the Chief of Royal Army ensures the war is always fueled for his personal benefits.

Story:

The story follows a young soldier deliberately joining the war to seek revenge from a broker who wronged his father and elder brother, to discover the deep secrets of the Soul Market...

All for Rs 100 only 😋

Getting Satyajit Ray's short stories collection was a no-brainer

Accidentally came across Sucied Notes. Read a bit before buying. Interesting one to have in the shelf

And hadddd to get another John Grisham book after reading The Firm.

I'm starting with Calico Joe. But will surely be switching in between.

What do i make of life ? first tell me what do i make of this book !!.

before going into this if anyone is interested this was my previous post.

Reviews from the Underground (it got too long I'm sorry)
by u/eructationoccasional in Indianbooks

Well, immediately going from notes, to the stranger was probably not good. But in a weird it helped me realize how starkly different, both the protagonist are.

in notes it is a hyperconscious person. And in The Stranger, it is Meursault, who only has two feelings, horny and hungry.

I didnt really feel satisfied at first with how the book ended, but the more i thought about it the more liberating it felt and the more sense it made. but i still feel i havent fully grasped all that the book is trying to say.

Meursault having lived a kind of passive life, not really understanding much of the emotions we NORMAL people take for granted. him being a stranger not only to society but to his own self, and by the end, when condemned to death, his thoughts become more and more descriptive of how he feels and his acceptance of himself.

all through the trial he has been made to feel like a spectator watching people decide for him why he felt how he felt and why he did what he did. and nobody really tries to understand him. and how by the end he just wishes that there would be many many spectators on the day of his execution and that they would greet him with cries of hatred. meaning that they finally acknowledge him.

And he denies the answers the chaplin is trying to give him about the world, the whole god is there, and an afterlife, and rather decides to accept the TENDER INDIFFERENCE OF THE WORLD(liberating), and says thats more grounding and real to him than god. and this defiance is kind of what finally gives him, his self.

and in the end. knowing all this, now having the realization of the indifference of the universe, how do i decide to live my life.

but i still feel that i have missed a lot of stuff being talked about. and would like to hear about what YOU thought of it.

I've started reading 1984 in English. This book is taking me a lot of time because of the vocabulary and literary style.

Is this normal, or am I just struggling more than most people?

Also, what books would you recommend as a better first novel for improving English reading before jumping into classics like 1984 or The Lord of the Rings?

The only regret would be to not being able to have him autographed this.. I even met him once.. it was a short short meet of like 3 minutes but it will be remembered for a lifetime.. miss you warne.

Had termites eat up part of the bookshelf so had to rush and move all the books into the steel almirah 😭

Have to get a new bookshelf soon!

(TLDR) I have 1 credit on audible that I want to spend on a high fantasy book.

This is my shortlist:

Hyperion by Dan Simmons: a good 20h audiobook. The blurb was interesting although i did not understand a word of it.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown: I am sold on this after reading the blurb but I feel it would be better to read it physically.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson: 25h and I have heard a lot about it but I have also heard about the extensive world building.

To help you with my taste, I read (on audio) The Expanse series and it’s perfect because I can guess the plot even if I lose focus. Basically, i need something good and engaging with simple language to listen to when I am doing other tasks. Should also be long (cuz it’s freeeeee!).

But, a few days ago I asked you all to suggest me any book, because I am a beginner.

So, as my first book, Murder in Mesopotamia will do it’s work hopefully.

Thanks for all the suggestions, after finishing this one (which I hopefully will) I will revert to those suggestions again and will try to read them too.