Latest Blog Posts
- Books/Shows you’ll love if you loved “Normal People” by Sally Rooney
Normal People by Sally Rooney is, without a doubt, one of the best books I’ve ever read to discuss intense relationships with such deep character study. It captures the raw complexities of young love and the ways relationships shape us. The slow yet realistic approach of the book is what made it an instant fan-favourite and later had its own show as well. So if you’re a fan of works of Sally Rooney as such , then I believe you’ll also love these books/shows :
1. Lady Bird (2017) –
Directed by Greta Girwig, Lady Bird remains to be one of my all-time favourite movie. For someone who might have watched the movie, this could seem a bit sad—but truth be told, I’m a sucker for movies with that kind of sad, slow-burn plot.
Lady Bird is a coming-of-age drama directed by Greta Gerwig, following the journey of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (played by Saoirse Ronan), a high school senior with a rebellious spirit and big dreams. Set in Sacramento in 2002, the film explores Lady Bird’s complex relationship with her strong-willed mother, as well as her desires to escape her hometown and attend college away from it. As she navigates friendships, first loves, and family tensions, she faces the struggles of self-identity, financial hardship, and adolescent insecurities.
I personally felt that Lady Bird and Marianne had similar ideologies about a lot of matters. Apart from the romantic aspect of their storyline, both of them had this intense desire for independence and escape and shared identical complex relationships with their families. Though we mostly get to see Lady Bird’s high school life with a very short glimpse of her in college, I can TOTALLY see Lady Bird and Marianne being best friends in some universe.
Honestly, would love to do a deep-dive on complex mother-daughter relationships on my blog someday.2. Before Sunrise Trilogy (1995-2013) –
The Before Sunrise trilogy consists of three films — Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013) follows the evolving relationship between Jesse and Celine as they meet by chance on a train and develop a deep connection over the course of nearly two decades. Each film takes place in a single day, several years apart, capturing their raw and philosophical conversations as they navigate love, longing, and the passage of time. Known for its exploration of intimacy, the trilogy offers an honest look at the complexities of modern relationships at different life stages.
Literally love this trilogy because of its raw portrayal of emotions and the fact that it has been shot over a span of 18 years to retain the realistic feel. Jesse and Celine resemble Connell and Marianne who are bound by a connection that keeps drawing them back to one another even after decades. The candid conversations between Jesse and Celine captures the complexities of love over the passage of time and the dying feeling of missed opportunities as life changes its course. It’ll DEFINITELY make you cry if you’re a sucker for sad movies.
3. Perks Of Being A Wallflower –
Written by Stephen Chbosky , The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age novel that beautifully captures the complexities of adolescence and self-discovery. The novel was later adapted into a critically acclaimed film, starring the amazing Emma Watson and Logan Lerman, and remains to be one of the best book-adaptions till date.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about Charlie, a shy high school freshman who struggles with the recent loss of his best friend as a result of which, feels like an outsider. As he writes letters to an anonymous friend, we see him navigate the ups and downs of teenage life. The movie portrays friendships, who help him come out of his shell and experience life more fully and how he confronts his past traumas and learns to embrace his true self. The story explores themes of identity, belonging, and the bittersweet nature of growing up.
I’d recommend this movie because of the similarities between Connell and Charlie . The book captures the essence of feeling lost in your teens and dealing with past traumas, so so well. Both storylines tackle themes of mental health like anxiety, depression and identity issues in very identical ways . Though I’d definitely say that Perks of being a wallflower, resonates to more of a comparatively fun theme – more of a lets-watch-it-on-a-sleepover vibe – than Normal People , so this might be a good pick for you if you’re a contemporary romcom lover.
4. Fleabag (2016) –
Fleabag is a dark comedy-drama which features a young woman in her 20s facing the complexities of life. As she processes the recent death of her best friend, the strained relationship with her family, and her chaotic love life, Fleabag’s journey is both hilarious and heart-wrenching. The series explores themes of loneliness, loss, and the search for connection, all while showcasing Fleabag’s struggle to cope with her emotions. Fleabag offers a raw and honest portrayal of modern womanhood, earning critical acclaim and a devoted fan base.
I CANNOT emphasize on the amount of Fleabag scenes/edits that have popped up in my feed over the past few years. To be very honest, I haven’t completed the show myself but I recommend this quite often because of the representation style and the slow yet humor filled approach of the series. Filled with intense emotions, emotional turmoil, yearning and dark-humour, Fleabag will definitely remind you of Normal People and it’s beautifully narrated adult relationships and personal chaos.
5. Cleopatra And Frankenstein –
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors would be one of my no.1 book recommendations if you loved Normal People.
You can read my detail review of the book here. (it’s reall good I promise!! )
Amazingly narrated, I can guarantee that you will LOVE this book if you love Rooney’s works. It follows the same slow narration as Normal People and discusses many mental health topics like depression, eating disorder, self harm, etc. Cleo and Frank’s relationship in this book is something I can see Connell and Marianne growing up to have later in their life. Which I do agree is sad, but well that’s reality and isn’t that what we love about Normal People in the first place? The rawness of it all.
And that’s all for my recommendations. Honestly thought I had a few more movies and books I could write about here but yeah its definitely difficult to catch the vibe and essence of Normal People.
I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVVEE all the recommendations I mentioned here. Not to pick favourites, but you HAVE TO watch Lady Bird and Before Sunrise Trilogy !!
Do let me know if you know any other books/shows that resonate with Normal People, in the comments. Or just let me know whatever you’ve been enjoying recently in general (I’ve been binge-watching Office. And yes I have been miserable for a while now and it keeps me sane)
Until next time, bubye! :)) - Book Review : Cleopatra and Frankenstein
I recently completed Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors and here are my thoughts on it.
Before diving into my review, here is a short excerpt of the book :Twenty-four-year-old British painter Cleo has escaped from England to New York and is still finding her place in the sleepless city when, a few months before her student visa ends, she meets Frank. Twenty years older and a self-made success, Frank’s life is full of all the excesses Cleo’s lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy, the freedom to paint, and the opportunity to apply for a Green Card. But their impulsive marriage irreversibly changes both their lives, and the lives of those close to them, in ways they never could’ve predicted.
Each compulsively readable chapter explores the lives of Cleo, Frank, and an unforgettable cast of their closest friends and family as they grow up and grow older. Whether it’s Cleo’s best friend struggling to embrace his gender queerness in the wake of Cleo’s marriage, or Frank’s financially dependent sister arranging sugar daddy dates to support herself after being cut off, or Cleo and Frank themselves as they discover the trials of marriage and mental illness, each character is as absorbing, and painfully relatable, as the last.
My thoughts :
Coco Mellors has done a fabulous job considering this was her debut book. Set in New York, it captures the essence of the city and furthermore deviates from the stereotype of the fast life of it. The book very beautifully navigates through the relationship of Cleo and Frankenstein and definitely stands out from any other romcom book. The slow life of Cleo and the ever-so-happening life of Frank creates a paradox , leading to the core plot of the book that shades light on the reality of adult-relationships in this career-driven world. Additionally, the novel features a few impressive side characters, each with strong personalities and intricately woven storylines, adding further depth to the narrative. These elements make the book a truly captivating read.
Personal Notes –
For someone who enjoys reading works of Sally Rooney , Ottessa Moshfegh and Meiko Kawakami, I heavily enjoyed the book and it had me hooked! I loved Cleo’s character and was genuinely amazed by the rawness of the storyline. Mellors has done an incredible job in explaining the multiple issues of adult-relationships and life in the city. Though I’d say there are a lot of trigger warnings in the book (which I’ll mention later), I’d say those topics being covered added that final touch in the book that elevated the novel from good to exceptional.
Additionally, I just loved the side characters a lot and would love to see more of them in her upcoming works.Cleopatra and Frankenstein is not a book you read everyday. Its one of the few books which you read and it stays with you for a while.
Mellors’ recent book “Blue Sisters” is out now, and I’m sure it’s just as brilliant!
Trigger warnings for the book-
-Substance Abuse
-Self harm and suicide
-Infidelity
-Toxic relationships
-Body image issues - Book Review of “Breathtaking” by Courtney T. Bond.
Long time no see, huh? Well I’m back again after a long reading slump. I don’t know why, sometimes I just don’t feel like reading but I keep on buying books. Am I the only one? Do let me know in the comments section.
Okay. So now to business 😉 Let’s talk about the thing why you actually clicked on my blog post. So, I read “Breathtaking” By Courtney Turcotte Bond and here are my thoughts about it!
The Plot
Cara Ecrivain and Adam Aethhers are just neighbours. Well, let me rephrase it – They are soulmates and best friends since they were babies. They’ve always known each other. Always. And may be the window by their rooms was their connection point. Cara loves to write and since childhood has written stories and shared it to Adam in those tiny talks through their windows. But this set up is not as cute as it sounds. Cara’s father is alcoholic and her mother would rather clean their house and wear her best dresses for the people to look at her, rather than caring for her daughter. To the outer world, Ecrivain family is all – Fancy and Perfect. But inside it, are dark hidden secrets and Cara is stuck in those. Adam and her journalism class are the only escape for Cara. ….. But not every thing is the same forever. Things change, people do. Adam suddenly takes football in his high school and well Cara is left with herself. How far will she go as she starts losing her loved ones one by one and most importantly– HOW does she deal with these…. ?
Pic credit : Buzzfeed; Pic editing : Me Stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Thoughts
Okay. Oh my god. This book… It’s pure art. I just don’t know how I’ll express my feelings in this section but I’ll try my best to put my thoughts together and jot down those feelings in the best way!
What I liked about the book–
1. The characters
Courtney Turcotte Bond has done an amazing job with the characters. Truly speaking, these characters were so realistic that you can actually relate to them and the author just puts life to them!
2. The concept
Seriously, every YA books I read, the protagonists end up together. (Don’t worry it’s not a spoiler) But here I just loved the vibe Cara and Adam had with each other. Like authors please understand that – girls and boys can be friends without having to be couples godamn! (I’m sorry I had to get it off my chest.) And Ms. Bond has just understood the point and maintained that funky and cheerful vibe between the characters!
3. The Flow
The flow according to me is the most important part of a book. No matter how amazing the main idea behind it might be, but it’s the flow that intrigues the reader to actually complete the book. And Breathtaking had that flow we all love. It starts from Cara and Adam being kids and takes us through a journey from junior grade to high school and more. Their were substories that were so beautifully presented that makes you want to drop everything and crawl back to the book!
4. The Ending
Don’t worry. We don’t have spoilers here. I’ll just say that the ending was – realistic. Even if it broke my heart, I’ll say, the author did justice to the characters. I believe, that the books that can make me cry and laugh at the same time are pure gold! I was shattered. Yet, I loved the book.
I seriously don’t know how to put my thoughts together at this point. I just completed that book yesterday and had to sit for 1 hour straight trying to analyse everything I just went through in the past days with the book. And I also learnt a great amount of things, which I can’t share as that’ll ruin your reading experience.
I would recommend this book to anyone reading this. It’s beautiful. Also, I’m having an author interview with Ms. Courtney Bond shortly, so if you have any questions please feel free to drop those in the comments or just reach out to me through Twitter DMs (@MishraJennice). Make sure you’re following the amazing author, Ms. Bond at (@courtney_t_bond) and I’ll meet you guys soon in the next review. Until then, byee~ 🤗💜
Disclaimer- I was sent a free copy if the novel in exchange of an honest review on my blog. But this doesn’t affect any of my views and all my opinions hold true.
Disclaimer 2- Some pictures are directly taken from Pinterest and edited. The credits go to Charllete from writtenbycharlotte.com and Buzzfeed.
- Book Review: Trick of Spotlight (A crazy review by a kpop stan)
Disclaimer: The following review is the result of a maniac writing at 2 am in the night coz she couldn’t resist to express her thoughts and went feral after finishing the book. Any kind of mistakes or cringeyness expressed by this crazy kpop stan (aka ME) is highly regretted and your acceptance is highly appreciated! At times I’ve added my CURRENT thoughts in brackets because I didn’t want the excited feelings of a kpop stan to die out.
Hello people! I completed this book, “Trick of Spotlight” By ML East this night and I can’t wait to tell you how much I loved it!!! Oh my god! Here goes the review–! (Here I go. Fangirling self has entered the chat)
Plot —
Vortex. The group that rules the kpop industry and has millions of fans worldwide….and Kit Allister is just another Vortex fan in the kpop industry put in the same entertainment company as her biases. A complete Rookie and she gets a chance to have a joint interview with her idols in the Kpop industry’s most well known talk show. Kit can’t just accept the enormity of the situation. Her bias, her idols sitting next to her, given the same position as her and they were talking to her! And may be she fainted when one of the Vortex member, Oh Saichi, reveals that he is a Kit-Kat (Kit’s fandom name) ! Later, the Vortex members (Oh Saichi, Ryo, Jaeyoon, Mino and Namgi) invite her to their party later that night. On going to the party Kit gets to see the side of kpop idols she never knew existed. The night was bizarre! She gets to know that her bias, Oh Saichi, has a crush on HER and if anyone is pissed off by this is, Ryo. He takes pictures of Kit and threatens her to stay away from Saichi or he would leak the pictures in the internet. Over the time, Saichi and Kit get closer and even get a chance to collab. On the same time, the fans of the ship (OTP), Minchi (Mino+Saichi) go wild as they almost kissed onstage! Everything is just so perfect for Kit that it’s hard to believe the fact that now she was friends with Vortex! She even starts having these lil conversations with Mino and Saichi and her feelings for Saichi grow even more. But why is Ryo so eager to leak the pictures? Will he actually leak them? What happens when she gets to know about all these hidden scandals? What will happen if she violates the ‘dating ban’ of her company? Is Minchi real? Above all, how far will she go for Vortex….?
My Ratings —
It’s definitely a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ book and no one should fight me! This book is everything a kpop stan can ever dream of! (The current not-maniac self agrees with this too!)
My thoughts —
I absolutely LOVED the book and I just can’t put it to words how interesting it was. What’s sad is I can’t just tell you what I loved the most as that’s the climax of the story! Believe me each and every sentence will keep you hooked up and you’ll find yourself stealing time between your schedule to read what happens next! Here are some thing I LOVED about the book —-
1. The characters—
As a kpop stan myself, I will say the way the idols are represented in a book is the most important component. And I believe the author, ML East, did a completely awesome job in doing that! The characters were so real that it’s hard to believe that in real life Kit and Vortex don’t exist. It still amazes me how badly I want them to exist! (What’s with all these exclamatory marks?? Like girl… Calm down 😂)
2. The plot —
In most of the books, some chapters in the middle are kept just for fun. Like they have some sub stories or back stories but what I absolutely loved about this book was in each chapter something or the happens that you want to scream out lungs! ( I told you….the review is crazy)
3. Representation of the characters
Now look, no matter if you’re an idol, if you stan a group, you forever will. I was so impressed by how the author represented Kit. The way she giggled when she saw Minchi flirting or how she internally screamed seeing them shirtless 🤭 I mean that is what any fan would do and I’m so glad she was presented as a fan no matter how famous she was! At times I found myself getting shy over(cringe alert! This is what happens when you’re a kpop maniac writing a kpop book review at 2am in the night) by imagining what if it was me instead of Kit and BTS instead of Vortex (I’m so sorry you had to read that. Now don’t hate me. I’m just another fangirl)……There was always this spark of fangirl in her that made it so very RELATABLE!
FINAL THOUGHTS —
I badly want to share my feelings with someone about this book. This is a dream book of every kpop stan and I bet they can relate the Kit on a spiritual level. Moreover, I really felt that the way the author represented the ‘other side’ of the kpop industry, might be true. They’re just not idols, completely perfect in their life and living there bests. They too have a life….which is somehow more complicated than ours. Although it was hard to accept the climax of the story as that is what the whole freaking novel is about! Each of their actions are this related! And about the cliffhanger at the end? I couldn’t sleep a half a night because of it.
Believe me guys the plot might sound dry as I can’t just let out any more details as if I say you even 1 more your reading experience will get ruined. But trust me you will LOVE this book and thank me for recommending it to you! They’re just so much I love about this book that it’s just hard to explain what. It’s definitely my favourite book that I reviewed and I can’t wait to read more from the author. For a debut book, her writing style is simply mind blowing!
Anyways, leaving alone my ‘fangirling-over-a-book-self’ , I just wanted to saw thank you for reading till the end. If you’re a kpop stan make sure you read this. I hope you’re having an amazing day and are safe with you and your family… Until next time.. Bubye!
(So ladies and gentlemen finally we came to an end of the review of a crazy kpop stan going wild. I’m so sorry you had to read that 😂 But trust me, the now-self which ain’t a maniac holds the same opinion of the book being amazing! 😉)
Love,
Jennice 💙 ( a kpop stan)
- Me Fangirling over ‘Fangirl’ | Book Review
If you’re reading this you’re either one of these 3 people —
1. You’ve read the book
2. You have heard about the book.
3. You live under a rock and haven’t even heard of the book at all!
you belong to the 2nd and 3rd category — Allow me to start my presentation. 😆
PLOT—
The novel follows the story a girl named Cath and her twin sister Wren. Apparently, they had been doing everything together; starting from sharing a room to writing a fanfic. But gradually Wren wants to socialise and make new friends in their new session of college. With multiple requests by Cath to share a room and Wren advising her to ‘get to know the word‘, Cath finally shares a room with a badass girl Regan. They never got along. Their room was like a station for Regan, to change clothes between going to classes, work and parties. But what bothers the most to Cath is Levi, Reagan’s Boyfriend (or that’s what she assumes) who stays in her room most of the time ‘waiting’ for Regan. On top of that, Cath doesn’t know where the dining hall is and has to live on Protein Bars she brought from home. Whats more? Her boyfriend with whom she was in a relationship With for over 3 years dumped her for someone with higher grades. And there is this boy named Nick in whom she finds some interest but fears if she in right in doing so. She’s also inconsistent in posting chapters on her fanfic page where thousands of her fans are waiting for her. With all these uneasiness can Cath survive her College life?
What I liked about this book –
This book was recommended to me by many of my YA lover friends also my favorite booktubers who absolutely loved this so I had to give it a try. Turns out that it’d my favorite book as well! Here are some reasons why —
1. The Flow
There are some books which freak the hell out of me. The whole point of writing a book is ‘gradually’ moving to the end not that you’ve gotta complete it in a rush or linger the story so much that you lose interest. And what I loved about this book was there were sub stories no doubt, but on top of that each story told me more about Cath and explained reasons of the unanswered questions in the beginning of the book. I really enjoyed the book throughout.
2. The characters
This book is just what you need in high school. There was this character Abel, Cath’s boyfriend who dumbed her and another one Nick who was in Cath’s English class, who I bet people can relate to on a spiritual level. Just everything they do is so accurate to what we see in daily life. So I think the author, Rainbow Rowell, did an amazing job in giving life to these characters!
Stars –
I’ll give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ because this is something I don’t get to read everyday. I really think it taught me things plus gave me an amazing experience that I’d want to experience again and again.
There’s just so much I want to write but there are some things which I can’t put into words. This book holds a special place in my heart and I’ll forever love it. So if you’re more of a YA person, then I promise you’re gonna LOVE this book! 💙
I pretty much have this much to say because I absolutely loved the book. Funny how I can write an essay on something I hate but can’t write much about things I like.
Anyways, thank you for taking out some time and reading the thoughts of someone sitting opposite from you on the globe 🤗 I hope you’re having an amazing day. Also, DMs are always open on Twitter for bookish talks and more. Until next time, goodbye! 🤗🤗💙💙
Love,
Jennice 💙💙
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