The Windfall by Diksha Basu

Title: The Windfall
Author: Diksha Basu
Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: Middle aged website developer, Mr. Jha sells his site for more money than he and his family could ever imagine. With this new income the Jha's buy a new house and car and move out of their familiar neighborhood in Dehli to the fashionable Gurgaon neighborhood. Adjusting to their new home, new neighbors, and to becoming empty-nesters as their son studies in America is a lot of change all at once. Can the Jha's balance the old and the new?

My Thoughts

This is a very cute story of the struggle that comes along with suddenly accumulating great wealth and not knowing what to do with all of it. Mr. Jha is very concerned about "keeping up with the Jones" or the Chorpas in his case. This leads to something along the line of A Comedy of Errors. Everyone in the novel knows something that someone else does not, causing a lot of suspense throughout the story. Mrs. Jha doesn't want to ruin her husband's excitement about their move, even though she is uncertain. Mr. Jha just wants the new neighbors to see how rich they are. The neighbors are worried they are not wealthy enough. The Jha's son is struggling in school, but doesn't want anyone to know....and so on. 

While some people enjoy that kind of suspense, I personally find it stressful. Other reviews have said that his book was one to make you laugh out loud. Like I said, it was cute, but I did not find myself overcome with laughter. This may be due to the fact that I did not grow up in India or from an Indian background, so maybe some references or cultural norms were lost on me.

I did enjoy the part of the novel that focused on the young widow Mrs. Ray and her modern decisions after losing her husband at 37. Highlighting the strong traditions that still run in Indian culture, watching her navigate the dating world was amusing and sweet.

If you are looking for a quick read highlighting the missteps associated with new wealth, then this book is for you.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Title: Shadow of the Wind
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: Set in 1940s Barcelona, 10-year-old Daniel, son of a bookshop owner, finds the book Shadow of the Wind and it instantly becomes his favorite book and wants to read more by the same author. When he finds out that someone is systematically been destroying all books by the author, Julian Carax, he becomes obsessed with knowing more. After years of working to solve this mystery, Daniel finds strange parallels between himself and his favorite author.

My Thoughts

This novel tells a story like none I have ever read before. I knew that I would like a book about people who love books, but this novel has so much more going for it than just that. The expansive vocabulary used by the author alone made it so much fun to read. The version I read (and the one linked above) is an English translation from the original Spanish and it is so well done.
I didn't realize when I picked it up, but it became apparent that this novel is written in the Gothic style so some parts are very suspenseful. There was a point where I had to read it during the day because I was a little too creeped out to read it before bed. (Go ahead and laugh, then you read it and tell me what you think!) 
The storyline has so many moving parts and characters but somehow the author writes in a way that you do not get confused about who is who, or if the character is someone from the past or the present. It has such depth, there is the story of Daniel and his family, the story of Julian Carax growing up, the story of a good friend of Julian's, Nuria Munfort, and finally the story behind who is destroying all of Julian's novels. Much of what is written about the past is written in italics, which helps, and Nuria Munfort's story comes in the form of a letter. 
While much of the novel is dark and has moments of heaviness, (yes, there were points where I cried) there are also moments of levity, inspiring friendships, and hope. I highly recommend it! 
I was excited to hear from a friend that it is just the first of three novels in a series, can't wait to get my hands on the next two!

If you like Gothic novels, coming of age stories, mystery and suspense, or post-Spanish Civil war novels, this book is for you! 

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above.

Behind the Shattered Glass by Tasha Alexander

Title: Behind the Shattered Glass: A Lady Emily Mystery
Author: Tasha Alexander
Genre: Fiction/Mystery

Synopsis: When a wounded man stumbles into Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargraves' home and then dies on the carpet, she and Colin work with the police to discover who was behind this brutal murder. The murdered man is their neighbor, the newly ascended Lord Montague, and there are plenty of people who might want him dead.

My Thoughts

When I bought this book, I didn't realize it was part of a mystery series starring Lady Emily. This one is apparently set after a number of others in the series but the reader does not need to have read the other books to enjoy this one. Enough context is provided about past events to allow this novel to stand on its own.
The reader gets to see the story from two perspectives. The first part of each chapter is numbered using Arabic numerals and is told from the first person perspective of Lady Emily as she works to solve the case. The second part of each chapter is numbered using Roman numerals and is told in the third person perspective about the happenings of the household staff. 
Very Downton Abbey-esque, if you ask me. 
I think this is a good way to remind the reader who is speaking and serves to help tell the whole story. The author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing about the identity of the murderer, offering plenty of plausible suspects.
Lady Emily is a strong female character living in Victorian England so naturally, I find her endearing. The characters are all well developed and the novel is fast paced and easy to read. 
I look forward to reading other books in this series!

If you are interested in Victorian England, mysteries, or women who want to raise their station in life, then this book is for you!


Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above.