Sakshi's Bookshelf

  Title: Things you know when you read 2,000 books Author: Ella Yoon  My thoughts: Ella Yoon's debut novel immerses readers into the enchanting realm of literature. The merits of reading are manifold. Ella has read more than 2000 books once she developed the taste of reading. A random visit to a bookstore was the turning point of her life.  Once Ella delved into the world of literature, there was no turning back. She embarked on a journey of endless exploration, discovering the boundless adventures that reading offers. Ella eschews the notion of fixed reading times, embracing the freedom to indulge in books at any moment, whether waiting or commuting. Setting a goal of devouring 100 books annually, Ella pursued her passion alongside her professional commitments, dedicating her leisure time to the pursuit of knowledge through literature. Her dedication serves as an inspiration, kindling a desire within others, including myself, to delve deeper into the world of books. I wh...

  Book: Damn Cat By: Ernest Mirich Review: Damn Cat is an absolutely hilarious read. In this book, the writing of the author feels so real. It seems that it's the true story of some couple whose cat ran away. Maggie and Carter Ferris have been married for years. Maggie has lots of friends about whom Carter doesn't care but Maggie is lucky to have a husband who listens to her. When Maggie was upset over her lost boy cat, Buttercup, she asked Carter to find him. Maggie got her wisdom teeth removed and can't go on the quest herself. When Carter was in the neighborhood looking for a boy cat, he met prostitutes, racist people, liars, etc. The crazy people he met made this story more real. With Carter in one trouble after the other, my interest in this book kept increasing.  The ending of the story reminded me of the quote "All's well that ends well". Ernest is great at writing novellas. I am curious to explore more of his books in the future. Anyone who would pick ...

  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...