Reading Goals

2/26 of

I usually turn to romance novels as a palate cleanser, especially when life feels overwhelming and I want to read just for pleasure, without worrying about tracking every small detail of the story - not every book is supposed to alter our life. Sometimes the stories are just meant to be enjoyed in the moment without any lingering heavy emotions. Picking up 'And Then There Were None' by 'Agatha Christie' during an already hectic January ended up being exactly that- a perfect distraction.
There’s no need to introduce this book or dwell on Christie’s writing; her legacy speaks for itself. It was one of those books where I didn’t feel the need to overthink it; I just let the story take over. With the sound of rain outside and winter settling in, cosying up in bed with this thriller and immersing myself in the world of Soldier Island felt like the perfect escape.



[Winter Reading, Dublin Reads, Agatha Christie, And then there were none, Thriller Reads]

1 of

Finished reading Circe as my first read of 2026, and I’m so glad I picked it. It was the perfect choice to snuggle up, feel cozy, and get lost in the lands of gods and mortals.
I loved how Circe’s strength grows through the pages, and how she eventually becomes the protector rather than the weak, timid, unsure version of herself that the story begins with. As someone who hasn’t read much about Greek mythology or the Trojan War, I truly commend Madeline Miller’s storytelling. To weave words so beautifully and portray characters in their full complexity,without leaning into pure divinity or hatred is a remarkable feat.
At times, I found myself looking up terms like Daedalus’s loom, Scylla, and Charybdis, because the story sparked such genuine curiosity. I wanted to visually understand them and learn more beyond the page. A definite recommendation if you’re a fan of Greek mythology.

[Greek mythology, Circe, Odysseus, Greek Goddess, Divinity and power, Madeline Miller, first read of 2026, women in mythology, 2026 reading, bookstagram]

Eager to begin 2026 Reading Journey

Book 21 of

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa is a haunting account of how people can adapt to the impossible when their ability to remember, and even question it, is slowly taken from them. It felt very 1984-esque in the way it shows control, not through violence alone, but through quiet erasure.
Some moments genuinely stayed with me: the grief of losing memories of loved ones, R not being able to see a photograph of his son, the slow heartbreak of losing the old man, and the eerie acceptance from everyone around them when they start losing themselves physically at the end. It’s the lack of revolt that disturbed me the most; how easily life continues even when something important is gone.
It was a fitting book to end my 2025 reading with.

Book 21 of

Trigger warning: This book deals with themes of self-harm, disordered eating, and abuse.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang is a deeply disturbing and tragic book, and not an easy one to read through. Yeong-hye’s story was told entirely through other people in her life - her husband, her brother-in-law, and finally her sister, In-hye. This felt intentional, and unsettling from the start. We never really heard Yeong-hye speak for herself, and that absence- of never knowing her true feelings, has lingered with me.
In the first two sections, Yeong-hye was constantly seen through the male gaze, existing largely to cater to men’s needs and desires. Her husband’s perspective was particularly uncomfortable to read, shaped by entitlement and self-interest. In the brother-in-law’s section, both Yeong-hye and In-hye were reduced to objects, and this deeply unsettled me as a reader. What made it even more disturbing was how he justified his actions - hiding behind the idea of creating art, of wanting to make something meaningful. While the responsibility of earning and holding a life together rested on In-hye, he seemed preoccupied with protecting his own sense of masculinity, clinging to the idea of being a “true artist,” even if it meant acting in morally ambiguous and irresponsible ways.
It was In-hye’s section that grounded the story for me. Through her, we saw glimpses of their abusive childhood and how differently the sisters learned to survive it. In-hye suppressed and endured, trying to hold things together, while Yeong-hye resisted and suffered because of it.
Although the title and summary mention vegetarianism, it isn't really the focal element of this story. It is just a source used to depict a story filled with so much pain, control, and inherited trauma. This was a heavy, heartbreaking read, and not something I could recommend lightly.

Book 19 of

Where do I even begin describing the effect of this book?
The pain, the anguish, the grief I went through as the characters suffered… and the realization that, although this is fiction, somewhere it really did happen. Somewhere there was a Samir wanting to be with his Firdaus. Somewhere there was a Vij Bhawan with a dutiful Mohan, a tortured but talented Vivek, a nostalgic Som Nath, and a gentle yet determined Savitri. And through no fault of their own, they were removed from “home”- a place that’s meant to keep you safest.

Going in, I expected an interreligious romance, but it’s so much more. It shows the psychological trauma war inflicts on men like Vivek and Samir, how displacement strips away not just loved ones and family, but identity itself. Even years later, the grief remains. There is no moving on.
One of the last chapters explains this beautifully -

"Truth, even reality, had so many versions, and they were all being lived simultaneously. Religion quickly became the root of all misfortune. Us or them. And who was them, who was other? It was us. We had created the other ourselves, for we were all the other to someone."

My only disconnect (purely personal) was the deep, detailed focus on perfumes. But I know that for many readers, this will be the very thing that deepens their connection to the story.

These past few days, I’ve been watching YouTube videos about Lahore - the artists, the way of life — and feeling a strange, unfamiliar grief for a city I will never be able to visit. All because of the beautiful, poetic narration of .
Thank you for this masterpiece. Attending your session with made me appreciate your thought process even more, especially knowing this wasn’t imagined from thin air but a fictional account of a very real tragedy.

A definite, must-read.

Book 18 of

Been meaning to read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson since last year when one of my book clubs picked it. As someone who gets scared easily (would get a fever after watching a few episodes of Aahat), horror stories have always been difficult for me to get into, and so I dropped it last year. This year, though, another book club picked it as the monthly read for our Dublin bookclub and since it’s Halloween season, I decided it was finally time to be brave and finish this book once and for all.

The first few chapters were slow, and it took me a while to get used to Eleanor’s perspective - a complex character shaped by years of isolation and caregiving. The story gives us a glimpse into how uncomfortable it is for her to suddenly be in social situations she doesn’t quite understand. Told through her eyes, we see her account of Hill House, Dr. Montague, Theodora, and Luke - how she fabricates parts of her life for the others and constantly wonders if they’re perceiving her the way she hopes.
By the middle of the book, I was completely engaged. The suspense builds quietly into a chilling narrative and ends on a deeply unsettling, psychological note. Chapters 7 and 8 especially had me so creeped out I could feel my heart racing with fear.

It’s definitely a fitting Halloween read- eerie, haunting, and fast-paced. I understand now why it’s such a popular pick for the spooky season.
Will I reread it soon? Probably not - maybe if I’m feeling brave again next Halloween. 🎃