Reading updates 2025

I could have made updates to the previous blog but I guess I’ll continue here (as if someone is reading this anyway, lol).

My TBR list looks like this currently:

• गुनाहों का देवता - Dharamveer Bharati
• दीवार में एक खिड़की रहती थी - Vinod Kumar Shukla
• White Night and Bobok - Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
• The First Law Trilogy - Joe Abercrombie
  • The Blade Itself
  • Before They Are Hanged
  • Last Argument of Kings
• The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
• Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami
• The Sicilian - Mario Puzo
• Isles of the Emberdark - Brandon Sanderson (on-going)

which is pretty decent for me thus far, given this was made to be followed since June, so this is decent speed for me moreso because I have also parallely re-read the The Way of Kings and currently re-reading Words of Radiance. I was someone who was prior to this re-read of the Stormlight series, averse to re-reading a series. But Brandon Sanderson’s immensely big universe calls for it and what a decision it has been. I love the books so-so much, and The Way of Kings has placed itself in one of my favorite books of all time, regardless of any genre.

Spoiler-free Reviews (of books read thus far)…

The First Law Trilogy

AN ABSOLUTE BANGER. Goddamn, what a ride!

This trilogy is pure, gritty gold. It’s character-driven to the core, packed with political drama, razor-sharp dialogue, and enough moral grayness to make your head spin (in the best way). Every chapter feels like a page-turner, and by the time I hit the last book? 10/10, no notes. Absolute perfection.

If you’re someone who usually avoids fantasy (for some godforsaken reason, I could never understand), you seriously need to give this a shot. It doesn’t lean on a heavy magic system or over-the-top worldbuilding. The magic exists, sure, but it’s subtle, more of a shadow in the background than the main act. This is grimdark at its finest: raw, brutal, dark, and wildly addictive.

The First Law world has 9 books total, and trust me, I was this close to binging all of them. But my TBR list stared me down, so I hit pause. Still, the next Abercrombie book I’m diving into is Best Served Cold; no questions.

Top characters? West and of course, Glokta. And yes, Glokta is a torturer (not a spoiler; that’s literally his intro). And yet… he’s a fan favorite. If that doesn’t scream “elite-level writing,” I don’t know what does.

Do yourself a favor. Read this trilogy. You’ll love it. Because, let’s face it: you have to be realistic about these things.

Dostoevsky

Maybe he’s just… not for me. Or maybe not yet.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved White Nights, and Crime and Punishment hit hard too. Razumikhin and Svidrigailov, alongside Raskolnikov, stood out as some of the most fascinating characters I’ve ever read. But still, there’s this sense that I haven’t fully grasped the weight of it all, like I need a bit more reading maturity to truly appreciate what Dostoevsky’s doing.

His writing is undeniably powerful. There are lines and entire passages so painfully precise, so deeply human, it almost feels invasive. White Nights nearly brought me to tears, and we don’t even know the name of the narrator we’re crying for. Nastenka never asked.

Crime and Punishment was a slower burn for me. Partly because I was traveling a lot while reading it, and partly because I had just finished Abercrombie’s world, all action, grit, and sharp edges, and I was probably still hungover from that. Dostoevsky’s pace and depth felt like a sharp shift.

Still, the book stayed with me. It doesn’t leave you with simple answers, not about plot, but about people. About guilt, pride, morality, and all the chaos in between. Some of the characters are so layered I don’t think I’ve fully unpacked them yet. A re-read feels inevitable.

But that’s for another time.

गुनाहों का देवता

This book really pulls you in. It’s soaked in the vibe of the 1940s, all the traditional, small-town, heavily orthodox society stuff, and that actually gives it a lot of charm. You can feel the old-school Allahabad atmosphere coming off the pages. Maybe it hit me harder because I’m from the same city, but the way the author paints the scenes… it’s like you’re right there.

The characters are a mixed bag, especially Chander (Chandu). He’s kind of hard to figure out for most of the book, but by the end, when the emotions really come out, it all starts to make sense. The rawness and honesty in those moments hit different. Overall, a slow burn, but worth it for the feels.