Trapped in a book world

[trappedinabookworld]

The Authenticity Project

A little green notebook left behind in a Cafe!

The title says, 'The Authenticity Project'!

If you were to read the notebook, you'd find it asking you to write down your story - the real you!

Julian Jessop, the septuagenarian who starts the Authenticity Project, used to be a social, outgoing, flamboyant artist! Now he is Lonely and goes days without speaking to anyone. He writes his story in the book and leaves it behind at a cafe!

It is subsequently found by -

☘️The cafe owner who desperately longs for a baby

☘️ A successful solicitor who is an alcoholic and an addict

☘️ A sweet, sunny young Australian man touring England

☘️ A social media influencer

☘️ A retired maternity nurse

The notebook brings together this group of strangers who would otherwise never have met!

What follows is a sweet, delightful, heartwarming story about friendship, companionship, love and forgiveness . A story about how it is okay to not be perfect all the time; how the real, authentic you is just as, if not more, likable than the carefully curated image you present to the rest of the world!

What I loved:-

This is just the story I needed to read!

In this day and age, when everyone feels compelled to present a perfect image of their lives to the world, this book is like a breath of fresh air!

I was so invested in the lives of all the characters - I wanted things to go well with them! Even the secondary characters were fun and unforgettable! I laughed through all the scenes describing Mrs Wu teaching Julian Tai' Chi!

Does this book have a too perfect ending?

Well yes - I think it aims to be a feel good read! Don't let that distract you from the real and serious topic it deals with!

QOTD:- If you found the Authenticity Project notebook, would you write your truth in it and pass it on?

AOTD:- I think I would, although I would wish I could do it anonymously! (I know, anonymous defeats the purpose of the whole thing but 🤷🏽‍♀️)

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Sixteen year old Rose Nyler, is missing. Her boyfriend, Jacob, says he walked her home last night and waited till he saw her go in!

But Rose's mother says her bed hasn't been slept in and there were no signs that she had come home the previous night!

When the police get involved, things start looking really bad for Jacob because the neighbours report that they saw Rose and Jacob arguing.

The only person who believes Jacob and is determined to prove his innocence is his mother.

But as new facts emerge, it becomes clear that everyone in this story is hiding something!

Is someone hiding information about a murder?

What I liked:-

There is a feeling of tension and dread that grips the reader from the very first chapter. Rose is missing and you just know that this can't end well.

I guessed what was happening very early in the book - but that didn't take away from my reading experience because the author does a great job of maintaining the atmosphere of uncertainty!

I was curious about how they would catch the culprit - and thats where the book shocked me! The last paragraph literally has you re-evaluating and reassesing all the characters and situations you have read so far!

This book releases on April 20th, 2023

Thank you #NetGalley for an ARC of this book

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The Booker Prize winner of the year is a book I usually add to my tbr - although the past few years have left me with mixed feelings about the books!

This one was different for 2 reasons :-

1) I already had this on my tbr before it was declared winner

2) I loved this book - it was unputdownable!!

The story:-

Maali Almeida is dead and he can't quite remember how he died or why he was killed!

Its not that Maali can't imagine anyone wanting to kill him -on the contrary, he can think of too many people who might have reason to bump him off!

A 34 year old photo journalist in war torn Sri Lanka in the 1980's, Maali has a stash of photos that people would literally kill for! He also has a gambling problem and a cheating on his boyfriend problem - both of which might have contributed to his predicament!

Now, after his death, he is stuck in the In Between, and Maali has only Seven Moons, or seven days in which to solve the mystery of his murder and ensure that his life's work is found by the right people!

What I loved:-

The blurb describes this book as a searing political satire- and it is! The political scenario described in the book wasn't limited to the 80's- it had consequences that spilled over, and in some cases blew up, during the 90's! And I remember the newspaper reports and the news out of my neighbouring country during that period. It was fascinating to read Maali's perspective on events that dominated world news during the time!

This book reads like a thriller and I literally read through the second half in one day !

Read this book- it will not disappoint!

Extra bytes:- My first book of the year was Under the Whispering Door, which started with the main character attending his own funeral.

Unintentionally, my last book of the year also starts with the main character in the after life!

I found it fascinating to note how two different books of two completely different genres envision the In-Between! And how much in common they have in their picture of the after life!

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[trappedinabookworld]

Do you read historical fiction?? A survival story set in era of Spanish civil war and Chilean dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet ,this book came highly recommended. A family is torn apart when they find themselves rooting for Republican Spain.The fractured family makes Chile their home.There, with great perseverance and sacrifices,Victor and Roser succeed in their chosen fields.Then comes the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet and the family is uprooted again.The book has a happy ending as the couple do return to their homeland ,Chile(and not Spain),and spend their last days there. What I 🤩😍😍 A brilliant portrayal of Chilean society,the do's and don'ts brought out by Victor and his relationship with Ofelia del Solar ,an heiress who came from an influential Chilean family.The whole del Solar clan was brought in to transport the reader to the heirarchial society. Roser with her determined and one track mind,her clarity in times of danger and uncertainty is awe-inspiring.Her relationship with Victor is so well written,the gradual progression from being friends to lovers never seemed forced or excessive. Carme, Victor's mother, her journey from Spain to Chile,from being a widow to finding love again,from sacrificing herself so as to not burden her children to finding her will to live is a tale deserving a separate book altogether. What I 🌠 were different Fitting in a life story and 2 of history's most impactful events in 300 something pages seemed cruel to me. The author went to great details in first half of the book and I felt transported to the world of Victor and Roser,the second half however felt too rushed.The dynamics of Chilean society after the military dictatorship was something I would have loved to read about... In all this is a good book,but I do recommend keeping your expectations not too high for the second half . #trappedinabookworldreviews ,#bookrecommendations ,#alongpetalofthesea ,#isabelallende ,#survivalstory ,#spanishcivilwar ,#chileanstories,#lovereadings ,#lovestory ,#bibliophile ,#bookreview ,#bookstagramindia ,#booksofinstagram ,#bookphoto ,#nonspoilerbookreview ,#novelsofinstagram ,#bookreview ,#booknerd ,#bookblog https://www.instagram.com/p/CTbQtxALfE_/?utm_medium=tumblr

[trappedinabookworld]

*Book Review* This book!! ❤️😢 It is brilliant and disturbing in equal measures! I knew, in part, what I was getting into when I picked this book, but I did not expect to have to put it down every few chapters to think over and process everything that was happening! The story, of course, is about Vanessa - Vanessa Wye, who at 15 had a ‘relationship’ with her teacher who was at least 30 years older! Now, decades later, Vanessa is in her 30’s and another former student of the school has come forward with serious allegations against the same teacher! She reaches out to Vanessa in the hope that Vanessa would add her voice and her story and make the case stronger! Except, Vanessa is so conflicted! She had a ‘Relationship’ with him. He never forced her or threatened her! He always asked her permission - didn’t he? And she had wanted it to happen - hadn’t she? Surely that doesn’t count as Abuse! She had loved him and protected him and sacrificed so much for him - this was all for Love, wasn’t it? So why was she being asked to paint him a monster! This book is heart-wrenching and achingly beautiful! To see the 15 year old beautiful, intelligent, talented Vanessa trying to deal with a situation no 15 year old should ever have to face, was heartbreaking! And you would have to sympathise with the adult Vanessa; to be forced to reconsider the narrative of her adolescence, and by extension, everything that has defined her as an adult would be excruciating, soul-shattering and emotionally gutting! It may be a difficult read, but it is a story that must be read! Trigger Warnings:- Rape, child abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse Question: What are your thoughts on Vanessa’s handling of the situation

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Thank you @__thelittlesunflower.reads___ for #mismatchbookstack 💓

I ve thrown together the books I thrifted this month.🤗🤗

I don't care if the books are new or thrifted as long as they are in decent condition and with no dog eared pages 😬

What about you?😁

If you enjoy doing these challenges....you know what to do....(tag should not stop you😜🤪)

#mismatchbookstack ,#thriftedbooks ,#booksofinstagram ,#booksatgram

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[trappedinabookworld]

I like to read some mystery when it's raining....😜What do you like to read when it's pouring outside?⛈️⛈️⛈️? Trappedinabookworld 📖 review Annie ,a successful writer,loses her grandfather Eoin,who is her only family,n in her grief,goes back to their native Ireland to honour Eoin's last wishes. Fate gives her a second chance when Annie's strong emotions magically transport her to pre independence Ireland ,where Eoin is just a child,a child who has lost his mother to the freedom struggle,a mother who is strikingly similar to Annie in looks. The love for Eoin and a desire to be with him as long as possible makes her unable to leave.What she didn't expect is finding love of her life in Thomas,the man who is raising Eoin,who is a friend of Eoin's now dead parents. What she didn't expect is experiencing the hardships of an era bygone,seeing the sacrifices of freedom fighters and knowing their struggles firsthand , bringing her an unique understanding of Ireland n Irish culture. If you like historical fiction,n would like to know what becomes of this "impossible" love,you should pick up this book. What I liked🤩 *Though I'm not a "time travel"fanatic,this beautiful love story is too good to put down. *The complicated history of Ireland is used extensively n successfully brings out both the evil and good in the characters.. What I wish were different🌠 The ending is too fantastical ....(for me) #trappedinabookworldreviews ,#bookrecommendations ,#bookreview ,#bookblogs ,#bookstagramindia ,#booksofinstagram ,#amyharmon ,#whatthewindknows ,#historicalfiction ,#lovestory,#ireland,#timetravelbooks ,#bibliophile ,#booklover ,#lovereadings https://www.instagram.com/p/CR_BR-MlPMw/?utm_medium=tumblr

[trappedinabookworld]

Alex and Christine and Zachary and Lydia are two close knit middle-aged couples who have been friends for decades. Lydia and Christine were friends and flatmates at college when Lydia developed an all-obsessive crush on Alex, their French instructor and pursued him relentlessly. But in the course of events, they met Alex’s friend Zachary and Lydia ended up married to Zachary while Alex married Christine, whom he had always had a soft corner for!

Now decades later, the couples are more than friends! They are almost like family! Our story begins one evening with the news of Zach’s unexpected and untimely demise. The shock and grief initially brings the remaining three friends closer and Lydia moves in with Alex and Christine - at least until the practical aspects of this grief (like the funeral) can be dealt with. But once the sharp shock and pain abates, and each person is left dealing with their individual memories and sorrow, they discover that some fundamental balance of their friendship has altered. The absence of one of them from the relationship has somehow turned a safe, solid and comfortable friendship into something strange and new and uncertain! They slowly realise that Zachary’s death might not bring them closer like they all expected - in fact, their friendship might not survive his loss!!

What I liked:- This beautifully written tale about complicated and chaotic relationships! This book isn’t about violent emotions or outbursts of passion - it is more the subtle, confused ,many-layered and all too real emotions of ordinary people in perfectly ordinary lives.

#books , #bookstagram , #bookphoto , #lateintheday , #tessahadley , #bookaddict , #booklover , #bookreview , #bookrecommendations , #unitedbookstagram , #unitedbookstagramindia , #booknerd https://www.instagram.com/p/CRRtOECr8n0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[trappedinabookworld]

Trappedinabookworld 📖 review QOTD....Do u prefer to binge read a series once it's over or are you a"eagerly waiting for the next book"kind of person???🤔🤔(As for me ,I prefer binge reading but fail often to wait till end of a series,&end up waiting 😜😜) "Folk of the Air" trilogy was on my tbr for quite some time now,and after finishing it I implore all the faerie lovers to not repeat my mistake. Jude,a human child is brought to "Faerieland "when her parents are killed.Taunted by the mighty magical creatures and hunted by the cruel ,she grows up under protection of her parents' killer Madoc,who imbibes her with wisdom and battle prowess much to the chagrin of many. Jude can go to any length to protect her family,she proves her strength when she goes against Prince Cardan(who happens to her classmate),then saves her brother,rises to unimaginable power ,and uses her wit and cunning to save the land and people she loves as her own(though the faerie's acceptance of a mere human is not always forthcoming). What I liked🤩 *Incredible politics and cunning goes hand in hand in this saga😎 *The twists and turns keep u guessing till the end😎 *The characters seem so well rounded and each having an agenda of own,it's not difficult to not go to the next book ASAP What I wish were different🌠 The ending seemed a bit "too good to be true" In short,this series deserves a read,and is undoubtedly one of the fastest (and shortest)of this genre....📚🎉😊 Happy reading 💕💕 #trappedinabookworldreviews ,#bookrecommendations ,#booklover ,#lovereadings ,#yafantasy ,#faerie ,#hollyblack ,#folkoftheair,#fantasyseries ,#judeandcardan ,#lovestory ,#bookreview ,#bookstagramindia ,#booksofinstagram ,#bookblogs ,#bibliophile https://www.instagram.com/p/CRLgbcdLnZG/?utm_medium=tumblr

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(NOT) A BOOK REVIEW📖📖 (STRICTLY SPEAKING😬😬) This is what you need to break your reading slump...this is what you need to get back to reading the whole night , sneaking for midnight snacks and wanting to stop doing everything to finish to get to know the ending.🤩📖🤩📖 That's CRESCENT CITY for you. SJM brings a new amalgamation of vampires, werewolves,angels,demons and a murderous serial killer,the result being a sleep depriving drug of a book🥰🥰 When half-fae Bryce,after a heartbreaking tragedy partners with a fallen angel "Hunt" to bring those responsible to justice,what the characters (and readers)don't realize is that "nothing is what it seems ".The murders are not that random,those murdered are not that innocent...the protectors of the innocent are not that pure, and the weak are not that helpless.😏😏😏 What I liked😍 1.Fast paced ⚡ 2.Glorious twists and turns👍👍 3.Badass characters🎉🎉 4.Mystery+magic+love story+friendship =unputdownable😍😍 What I wish were different🌠 The sequel should have been out sooner #trappedinabookworldreviews ,#bookrecommendations ,#sarahjmassbooks ,#sarahjmass ,#crescentcity ,#fantasybooks ,#mysterybooks ,#lovereadings ,#bibliophile ,#fantasyromance ,#fantasyfiction ,#fantasymystery ,#mystery,#strongfemalelead ,#bookstagramindia ,#booksofinstagram ,#bookstagram,#bookreview ,#booklover ,#bookblogs https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ0MFYMLq6j/?utm_medium=tumblr

[trappedinabookworld]

What is a book that let you down recently???what you felt was not "worth the hype"???🤨🤨 I was in a reading slump and decided to read LYREBIRD... " LYREBIRD "by CECELIA AHERN Spoiler free review📖📖 A documentary crew "discovers" Laura living alone in the wilderness , possessing an almost superhuman ability to mimic the surrounding,and names her"LYREBIRD".Her reasons to choose a life where no one even knows of her existance baffles everyone,these reasons she chooses not to divulge till end of her story.😬😬 She is then "brought out" to the world and media and Laura soon finds out the true face of the world and the bitterness that lives within the glitzy world of glamour. The journey of Laura where she finds friendship,love , redemption and freedom from past is LYREBIRD.☺️ What I liked😍 I got to know about existence of a 🐦 "LYREBIRD" What I did not like😖😖😖 The story is full of clichés,Laura is a perfect example of "how not to behave when you are alone in the big bad world" So,yes....this book was a big "let down " for me and I am back to my reading slump 😓😓 #lyrebird,#ceciliaahern,#trappedinabookworldreviews ,#bookrecommendations ,#booklover ,#bookreview ,#bookstagramindia ,#booksofinstagram ,#lovereading ,#lovestory ,#booknerd https://www.instagram.com/p/CQc-H3oLdP4/?utm_medium=tumblr

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*Book Review*

This book surprised me! I expected a good romance (and I usually love all of Jojo Moyes’s books), but this turned out to be so much More! The book is based on real events following World War II when roughly 70,000 war brides came from Australia to England aboard the ship HMS Victorius.

In this story we experience the voyage through the eyes of four young women, from very different backgrounds, who were allotted the same room for the trip. Maggie is a farm girl and is pregnant, Jeanne is the youngest at 16, Frances is a nurse and very quiet and reserved by nature, and Avis is a high-society, rich woman who is surprised to find herself in the same situation as the others! Some bits of this story reads like a tale of boarding schools —- of friends and enemies, and enemies-turned-friends, of bullies and dominance, of night-curfews and water rationing, of breaking a few rules and trying to have some fun in an otherwise daunting journey! But this story is also about these brave young women, undertaking a journey on a modified battleship! They leave their homes and their country to travel to foreign lands, to husbands they hadn’t seen in months, if not years. And this is what surprised me - the understanding of the scope and nature of this journey! This is 1945 when most women did not travel alone, when communication meant letters and telegrams! Most of the women were so young, in their teens! Imagine the courage it must have taken to leave their homes and families! And in spite of all of this, there were women who received “Not wanted, Don’t come” telegrams during the trip and had to be sent back home! Or worse, had someone report “indecent behaviour on board” to their husbands who then wasted no time in sending them back home! To risk so much on the basis and promise of so little! Also fascinating is the story of how a battleship, an aircraft carrier at that, gets converted to a ship carrying the most unusual cargo ever! Although a book with more women characters, the few male characters integral to the story are beautifully written and unforgettable!

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In this tale of lost children, torn families, and dark family secrets, Lisa Wingate spins a deeply moving story around the real-life scandal surrounding “black- market” adoptions in Memphis, Tennessee around 1920’s to 1940’s! The story moves back and forth between the past and the present!

Back in 1939, the story starts on a house-boat where 5 children are waiting for their parents to return from the hospital. But before their parents come back, their boat is stormed by strangers.

Present day: Avery Stafford, a lawyer, has moved back to her home in South Carolina. Her father, Senator Stafford, has been diagnosed with cancer and Avery is being groomed to help him and take his place in Congress should the need arise! There is also the matter of finalizing wedding plans with her fiance Elliot and their families! One day, when Avery and her father make a scheduled public appearance at a nursing home, an elderly woman, May Crandall,walks up to Avery and acts as though she knows her and recognises her and then walks off with her bracelet. The hospital staff are quick to brush aside the incident saying that May has memory issues. But something about the encounter unsettles Avery who goes back to find out more! Her quest sets her on a trail that threatens to unearth long and carefully buried family secrets; threatens to change Avery’s life and Avery as a person!

What I liked❤️:- I like stories that are set around real people and real life events. And this story is set around a real life person, Georgia Tann and the scandal surrounding her “orphanages” and adoption centres! Of course, I had to then read about her and about the scandal on the internet! Before We were Yours is a story well told! Shifting between the past and the present with ease, the author slowly builds up to an extremely emotional ending. And up until then, the reader is never quite sure about the roles or identities of the characters in the story!

Extra Bytes😋: A few very interesting You-Tube videos about the scandal. And an extremely emotional one called Honoring Survivors and their stories! https://www.instagram.com/p/CNvJgfyj2bz/?utm_medium=tumblr

[trappedinabookworld]

OPINIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN FANATIC(not a book review)🤨😉

Pride and Prejudice is one of the books that made me fall in love with power of words and a story beautifully written🤩.So, PRIDE AND PREMEDITATION by Tirzah Price was warranted as a one day reading session🙂🙃

This is a retelling with a murder mystery thrown together with gender inequality as a sublime undertone.🕵️

I DID NOT LIKE IT😖😖

Fitzwilliam Darcy is one of the gems in the original.His character comes alive as the plot evolves.Same with Elizabeth and each n every sister,this retelling smashes the idea of "character development"..simply put.....there is none.🤢🤢

Lizzy comes out as annoying and headstrong ,Darcy comes out as unsure and weak,and as for Jane and Bingley...the characters are simply missing 😓😓

The story could have been a good murder mystery set in the past...with gender inequality being a hero of a storyline....had the author not taken a masterpiece and shred it to pieces...😬😬

Having said that....this is not a book I'll recommend to anyone who likes Jane Austen🙁

these are my opinions....I hope others will find the book to their liking.

🙂🙂

#trappedinabookworldreviews ,#bookrecommendations ,#bookreview ,#janeausten ,#tirzahprice ,#prideandprejudice ,#prideandpremeditation ,#murdermystery ,#historicalmystery ,#booksofinstagram ,#bookstagram ,#lovereadings ,#bibliophile ,#bookstagramindia

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*Book Review* A little blue glass vial dredged up from the muddy waters of the Thames. A glass vial connecting two women across centuries - weaving around them a tale as old as time; a tale of lies, deceit, murder and betrayal! A little glass vial that was thrown into the waters at the climactic culmination of a series of shocking events, and fished out from the river centuries later, to set the course of a new story and a new series of events! A story of Nella, who had an Apothecary dedicated to helping women with all their “troubles”, and of Caroline, who in the present day is spending her anniversary alone in London because of her husband’s infidelity!

What I loved:- I loved this pretty book with its pretty cover. The alternate chapters deal with the different time lines and the story builds up to a satisfying and interesting finish.

What I did not like:- Eliza Fanning. All the characters make perfect sense, but Eliza’s role seems a little too convenient in some parts! But the story wouldn’t be what it is without her!

[bookish-brews]

I don't know how well these work on Tumblr, but let's do a booklr / writers lift! I know book tumblr and writing tumblr overlaps a ton, so let's do both! Does your blog have:

📚 Bookish content

✍ writing content

📖 book reviews

🌻 pretty book pictures

or do you consider yourself a:

✒ writer

👩‍💻 book blogger

🔏 anything in between or both

✨ like for new friends & reblog for more exposure!

I'm always looking for more Bookish friends, so let's build the ACTIVE book and writing community 💕 Introduce yourself and let's be friends! I post cosy book pics, book reviews & book aesthetics 💕

ps. let's date this to prove its active blogs: 6/6/2021 😄

[trappedinabookworld]

A spoiler free review of "House of Hollow" by Krystal Sutherland📖😎 3 sisters are abducted together in childhood and are returned together after a month, having forgotten everything that happened to them in that time.🤯🤯 Although their father claims that they have been "changed",the world notices no difference other than a change in their hair and eye colour which is attributed to their psychological trauma. In time ,fate seems to be favouring them since all their tormentors and enemies seem to be suffering humiliation and even death.☠️☠️ The sisters now grown up,face another challenge when the eldest is taken again. She leaves behind a trail of clues which quickly become supernatural, intriguing and a danger to the other sisters. What is chasing these girls ??and why??who are the monsters???🕵️🕵️ This supernatural thriller will keep u hooked till u find the answers. What I liked Fast paced storytelling 🧛+☠️+🕵️=🤩 What I did not like😶 Though the author can bring alive the mystical world through words, "explanation" part of the mystery seems lacking in place,which takes away points from an otherwise good book. Too many questions were kept unanswered . Extra bytes The cover😍😍 What is the prettiest book you have??😀😀 #trappedinabookworldreviews ,#bookrecommendations ,#booklover ,#bibliophile ,#fantasybooks ,#bookstagram ,#booksofinstagram ,#bookclub ,#lovereading ,#mysterybooks ,#thriller ,#krystalsutherland ,#houseofhollow ,#supernaturalbooks ,#bookreview ,#booknerd https://www.instagram.com/p/CPuiiKJDzai/?utm_medium=tumblr