Sakshi's Bookshelf

  Book: Diving for El Corazón Written by: Charlie Damitz Rating: 4/5 Review: On his tenth birthday, a famous cliff diver named Paco in Mexico found a legendary ring. Thinking of the ring as a curse, he threw it in the sea and didn't find it again.  Finally, after searching for it, seven years after Paco got his hands on the ring again. He couldn't share his happiness with others as he fears getting robbed of the ring. Also, he wants to protect himself from evil.  Paco was able to slip the ring El Corazón on his finger once or twice weekly. He started asking his friends what they would do if they found the treasure. Paco was obsessed with finding out how he can help his village using the magic of the ring. Some people wanted to sail around the world, some wanted to move to America and build a mansion.  The twists and turns in the story kept me hooked till the last page. The character of Paco is written very well by the author. I am impressed with Charlie's work in thi...

  Title: The Boy who really hated Christmas Author: Charlie Damitz My Rating: 5/5 Review: I love reading Children's books that refresh my mind. This time, I read the book "The Boy who really hated Christmas". The story is set a few days before Christmas. Two friends Barney and Ned are having chit chat while having hot chocolate. Christmas is a special occasion on which kids expect a gift from Santa. The same was the expectation for Ned. When Ned stayed a good kid for three years and didn't receive any presents from Santa, he was highly disappointed. He told his friend Barney as he hasn't received any presents, he hates Christmas. Any kid would feel like Ned if they don't receive Christmas presents. Ned and Barney decided to be bad kids. They started bullying their teacher and Barney's sister Daisy. Find out will Ned finally receive a Christmas present by being bad? This story has a beautiful lesson in it for the kids.  The beautiful illustrations would add...

  Book: The Forbidden Fruit Author: Tina Scott Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 My thoughts: In The Forbidden Fruit, the author has shared about her second husband Steve's battle with stomach cancer. After Steve lost the battle, Tina moved to Nepal. After three months, she started working on her book while sitting in the Monkey Temple in Kathmandu.  The author is quite open in her narrative when she shares about her days of having sex and doing drugs. Tina has mentioned about her broken marriage leaving her as a single mother of three kids. She met a single father Steve who also has three kids. Tina lived a great married life with Steve until he left for the heavenly abode. After Steve's death, she felt a pain in her heart. She reflected how she had different experiences with Steve. They even participated in the idea of swingers, swapping spouses with others, etc.  One would get to know about many experiences from the author's life by reading this book. The description is clear. I binge r...

  Book: Don't Play the Game Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Author: Wes Mogenson My Thoughts: Wes Mogenson's other book "Don't Play the Game" is a compelling read for not only today's new generation but their parents as well. The story is about the two teenage best friends Pam and Amber. When Pam saw all the students of her class obsessed with the Creature Hunt Now game, she thought that the game had turned her classmates into mindless zombies.  There is so much hype about this game. Those who don't play it are called low on social scales but Pam doesn't care about that. One night when Amber didn't reach to meet Pam, Pam got worried as Amber is always punctual and reliable. Eric has also been stood up by his friend Vince. The chapters are of 3-4 pages and readers could read a couple of chapters in a single sitting. This book is a perfect pick for today's generation. It is an insightful read. Through this book, the author wants to warn the readers about the dan...

  Book: Dead Summer Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Author: Wes Mogenson My Thoughts: Dead Summer is the first book that I have read written by author Wes Mogenson. The author has created a perfect fantasy world in the story and I enjoyed that.  A few kids are going to attend the Philadelphia Music Festival. They didn't know that they would have to face unexpected circumstances on their journey. Sydney, Sean, Jen and Ryan are interesting characters. Sydney knows how to win the reader's heart. She became my favorite character immediately.  The kids haven't thought at all that they would encounter zombies on their way. Is their life in danger? Will kids do anything to save themselves and others? This middle grade book has become my favorite of the year. The story is written from multiple povs but wasn't confusing at all. The author has mentioned the character name at the top of each chapter so readers could easily understand whose pov it is. I am happy to read this book. I wish I would h...

  Book: Lighthearted Justice Author: Caleb Thornton Rating: 5/5 ⭐ My Thoughts: I have read so many books by the author Caleb Thornton but Lighthearted Justice is my favorite from his books. That is because this book teaches a valuable life lesson to the readers.  Also, the book has a brilliant ending that wasn't expected by me. This book teaches us that we should know our self-worth and shouldn't doubt ourselves when we receive what we deserve. I could relate to the character of Tyson Nathaniel Hughes as I doubt myself at times.  Tyson's character is my favorite. He is so cute and sweet that anyone would be lucky to be with him. Tyson has a crush on a guy named Will. Would he be with Will ultimately?  Gay fiction lovers must pick this book. The story is fast paced and gripping. One couldn't put this book down until you finish it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what will happen with Tyson. Nice work by the author in this book.

  Book: The Curious Spell of Madam Genova Author: J G Schwartz Rating: 5/5 Review: Madam Genova and her colleagues will keep you on the edge of your seat in this book. Few of the characters of the story are fictional and others are famous historical figures and their family members.  The book began with the fortune teller Madam Genova attending to her clients. Howard T James is a fine artist and the finest watchmaker in New York. He created two pocket watches: one for his son Richard and one for himself. Howard's wife Dolores took the watches to Madam Genova so she can cast a spell on the watches that will protect Howard and Richard. However, sometimes things don't go as we want them to. The spell backfired and the adventure began.  Grab a copy of this book to read the story. It would be amazing to watch a movie based on this book. The writing style of the author is impressive. The language is easy to follow. I appreciate the amount of research the author must have done w...