en-US Sat, 31 May 2025 05:47:28 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg ReadStatus9490305992 Sat, 31 May 2025 05:47:28 -0700 /review/show/7614794510 Fariha is currently reading A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
]]> Review7610743569 Thu, 29 May 2025 15:12:39 -0700 /review/show/7610743569 Fariha gave 5 stars to কুহক (Hardcover) by Humayun Ahmed
bookshelves: humayun, mystery-thriller
]]> Review7462218658 Thu, 29 May 2025 14:52:56 -0700 /review/show/7462218658 Fariha gave 2 stars to I Who Have Never Known Men (Paperback) by Jacqueline Harpman
bookshelves: dystopia, stand-alone
I have so many thoughts about this book!From my rating,you may assume that I didn’t like it,but you would be wrong.
The writing was beautiful,the emotions expressed were palpable.I could actually feel every despair our protagonist was feeling,all the emotions,all the sadness.
But,it didn’t actually go anywhere...creating this well written world and creating all those questions but not giving the answer to anything by the end was super underwhelming. To be honest,I kind of feel betrayed,I think we deserved to know what actually triggered all those events.Who captured them,how the world was functioning,the bunkers,the luxury room,the guards...I'd be happy with atleast a little bit of explanation about any of it. ]]> Review7448086557 Mon, 31 Mar 2025 17:06:09 -0700 /review/show/7448086557 Fariha gave 4 stars to Convenience Store Woman (Hardcover) by Sayaka Murata
bookshelves: contemporary-realistic, stand-alone
The story is very simple,about a woman on autism spectrum, living her life as a convenience store worker for 18 years.At any other time,I'd probably not be too fascinated about this.But somehow I really could relate to a lot of the things Keiko was feeling throughout.To see your life getting stuck at one point while everyone and everything else is moving forward,is not easy.I was amused at how effortless it was for her to find satisfaction and solace among all of this.She was happy,really good at her job and that's all that mattered to her.Maybe I should take one or two pointers from her.
I was super annoyed at every other character in the book though,shows how the society wont let you live peacefully unless you meet their standards aka have a high flying job,get married & get kids.I felt like killing Shiraha,multiple times I was rooting for him and thought there would be a huge turn around,some sort of awakening in him,and he will change for the good,but unfortunately life just doesn't work like that,shitty people sometimes just remain shitty. ]]> Review7169652525 Sat, 29 Mar 2025 16:37:53 -0700 /review/show/7169652525 Fariha gave 3 stars to The Memory Police (Hardcover) by Yōko Ogawa
bookshelves: stand-alone, science-fiction, dystopia, magical-realism
All three stars are for the first 70% of the book.The concept was great,the premise kept me reading,hoping for some greater plan behind all of that was happening. All of the disappearances...there must be a reason for those right? Some people STILL have the memories of the things,so they must be special right?People have hiding places!Memory Police have informers!NGL I was so excited and intrigued about all of that!The ending just made me speechless,I was disappointed beyond imagination.I feel like the writer had no clue how to tie up all of these together in a good way,so she just came up with this abstract awful ending.Even the novel within the book had a far better ending. ]]> Review7104164081 Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:45:52 -0800 /review/show/7104164081 Fariha gave 3 stars to The Only One Left (Hardcover) by Riley Sager
bookshelves: mystery-thriller, stand-alone
Lots of mixed feelings.
Really loved the book till about 80%.We have to give it to Riley Sager,he is the king of story building.The story was going so well rounded,so many mysterious things going on,it compelled me to keep reading without any breaks.
BUT the twists and the great reveals left me disappointed. I was overwhelmed, so many forced twists,so many plot holes.Everything just came together so easily ugh ]]> Review6781876830 Fri, 23 Aug 2024 14:30:56 -0700 /review/show/6781876830 Fariha gave 4 stars to Confessions (Paperback) by Kanae Minato
bookshelves: mystery-thriller, stand-alone
�� The world you live in is much bigger than that. If the place in which you find yourself is too painful, I say you should be free to seek another, less painful place of refuge. There is no shame in seeking a safe place. I want you to believe that somewhere in this wide world there is a place for you, a safe haven. ��


I think I'm going to start & end the review with two of my favourite quotes/concepts from the book.I was going through some sort of a reader's block,didn't have the concentration or patience to focus on anything,then I came across this book.And it didn't disappoint!
It was so gripping,so engaging.We get to know from the beginning that two students killed the teacher's daughter.But did they really? Why? How? So many questions and all of these questions wouldn't let you stop turning the pages till you finish the book.I was dumbfounded or excited or horrified at the end of each chapter.I didn't have a clue who I should root for,what was good or who was evil? I could read their monologues and some of those made sense,made me feel so sorry for their misfortune...but also made me feel that they deserved what was coming for them.
An emotional roller-coaster at its best!

“Lots of people fritter away their lives complaining that they were never able to find their true calling. But the truth is that most of us probably don’t even have one. So what’s wrong, then, with deciding on the thing that’s right in front of you and doing it wholeheartedly? That’s what I did, and I have no regrets.�� ]]> Review6545185234 Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:24:19 -0700 /review/show/6545185234 Fariha gave 4 stars to The Push (Hardcover) by Ashley Audrain
bookshelves: stand-alone, mystery-thriller
3.5 stars to be honest.I rounded it up with 4 because of the last 50+ pages.This book is about mothers and daughters,4 generations of it,all going through some serious psychological defects.I could only feel bad for Blythe though,atleast she tried (maybe the others did tpo but we didn’t get their perspective as much).The last 50 pages were hard to read,Blythe's loneliness was palpable,her cry for help,her need to be with someone who loves/cares about her was so strong.Surprisingly my most favourite thing throughout is her and Gemma's relationship, how they found a friendship through all that mess,even though it couldn’t last,atleast they had each other,even if for a short time.

Also this book should definitely come with a trigger warning,it just shouldnt be read by any new mother,pregnant ones,or anyone aspiring to be one.This could definitely make them restless & go spiral.It literally confirms all the reasons why a woman shouldn’t want to be a mother. ]]> Review6477945065 Tue, 28 May 2024 21:45:24 -0700 /review/show/6477945065 Fariha gave 3 stars to Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment, #2) by Rebecca Ross
bookshelves: series, young-adult
A bit disappointed.This Shouldn’t be tagged as fantasy,the GODs in this book are the weakest ones I've ever encountered.Imagine normal humans meeting up,writing letters and stealing keys from right under the nose of a GOD while living in the same house,but he has no idea? These just didn't add up at all.The letters between Roman and Iris were as always top notch,so beautiful and full of chemistry. I wish things weren't as easy as they showed,there were more casualties and greater plans involved to take out the GODs etc.But still it’s definitely recommended as a duology. ]]> Review6540821577 Tue, 28 May 2024 09:41:03 -0700 /review/show/6540821577 Fariha gave 4 stars to তন্দ্রাবিলাস (মিসি�� আল��, #11) by Humayun Ahmed
bookshelves: humayun, magical-realism, mystery-thriller
এই বইটা কি আগ�� পড়েছিলা��?ঠি�� মন�� নেই।কিন্তু আজকে�� এই বৃষ্টি আর অসুস্থতা�� মদ্ধ�� এক বসায�� পড়ে ফেললাম পুরোটা।মিসির আলী�� প্রত�� আম�� প্রচন্�� রকমে�� বায়াস��,তা�� এই বইটি�� খু�� বেশি ভা�� লাগলো।কিছু কিছু জায়গায় দম আটকে বসেছিলাম,কি হচ্ছ�� ভাবছিলাম।শেষ�� সব রহস্�� এর সমাধান হলনা,তব�� অনেকদি�� পর মিসি�� আলী�� কিছু পড়ে অনেক নস্টালজি�� লাগল��, ছোটবেলার আম�� হয়ত�� বইটাকে �� স্টা�� দিতা�� নিরদিধায়। ]]>