BOOK OF THE MONTH REVIEW - MRS. DALLOWAY BY VIRGINIA WOOLF

 Genre : Classics, Fiction, Feminism, Women Literature

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Mrs. Dalloway was written by Woolf in 1925, when the world, particularly Europe, was experiencing a lot of changes in all fronts. The story is set in those days of modernism; and revolves around a woman named Clarissa Dalloway, the wife of a rich influential bureaucrat, who loves throwing parties and socializing. The entire story is set in a day of Mrs. Dalloway's life, where each character tells a story about his or her life. Each character directly influencing Mrs. Dalloway, looks back on a day when they were younger, when Clarissa turned down her friend, Peter Walsh's proposal for marriage. Mrs. Dalloway is one of the classics which have been widely read and appreciated around the world.
What I loved the most about Mrs. Dalloway is it's representation of the characters. A typical London morning in 1925 will have all the prominent characters in the novel. Clarissa is a socialite who arranges parties and indulge in socializing with high class families to share gossips and talk about life in London. What is even more special about the timeline is that it is set in 1925 which means the story encapsulates the old fashioned ways of living and the new modernist approach to life. Clarissa Dalloway, is taught from her early childhood how to become the perfect wife in a rich household, and that just represents how women had a certain role in lives. While she is not happy about the ways of life, she has not been able to break out of it. On the other hand, several characters, break out of the perception to become independent and "different" from the women in that time.
The novel has no chapters, just a steady flow of thoughts which jumps from one character to another to form an entire day of activities, impressions and views. Every thought, every view has a specific opinion on life in 1920s, every argument had different approaches and every view had its consequences. Every character has a personality so strong and so different, it's hard to talk about just one character. A character, Septimus Warren Smith is particularly interesting in the story, who is apparently written as a double to Clarissa. While both of them doesn't appreciate the way of life, Septimus breaks out of it by killing himself. And when Clarissa comes to know of it, she describes it as a defiance; she sees it as a way of escaping from the world of mishaps and misfortunes.
Virginia Woolf is a genius, and someone who has read at least one of her works will agree with me when I say this.

-NIVEDITA

Book review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Genre: Retelling, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

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“Some things exist in our lives for but a brief moment. And we must let them go on to light another sky.”

I have to be honest, when this book first started getting hyped up, prior to its publication even, I wasn’t interested. But lately, I’ve been in the mood for books set in the Middle East, retellings of the Arabian Nights, so I had to pick this one up. Suffice to say, this one actually lived up to the hype. Everything about this book, the plot, the writing, the characters, and the world-building was fantastic.

Each day, the Caliph of Khorasan; Khalid weds a new girl and at dawn, she is executed. When Shahrzad’s best friend falls victim to this, she volunteers as the next bride and vows to kill the Caliph and avenge her friend’s death. The night of her wedding, Shahrzad extends the date of her execution by telling stories to the Caliph. This way, she manages the impossible feat; she lives to see the next day. And the next. And the next. Quickly, Shazi realizes that nothing is what meets the eye and Khalid is more than what the world thinks him to be; a ruthless, cold-blooded killer, who has his own skeletons in the closet.

"This boy-king, this murderer . . . she would not permit him to destroy another family. To rob another family. To rob another girl of her best friend–of a lifetime filled with memories that had been and never would be."

I absolutely love the setting of this book. It's a Middle Eastern/Arabian setting that's wonderfully depicted. Renee incorporates such rich culture and customs into her book from the food to the decorum, the speech to the costume, and the tales to the geography. This book is big on sensory details. And her writing style makes it all the more colorful and enticing. I felt as if I were transported to another place, another time, where golden sands buried powerful secrets.

Shahrzad (Shazi); the Calipha of Khorasan

She has made it my list of favorite female protagonist. She’s feisty, smart, bold and reliable. You can always count on her to not do something stupid. Her sarcasm, bravery, stubbornness and lack of indecisiveness made her a refreshingly wonderful main character.

Khalid, the Caliph if Khorasan, the King of Kings

To me, it was clear from the beginning that Khalid wasn’t mindlessly murdering girls so I didn’t out rightly hate him like Shazi did. Khalid is enigmatic and elusive. He's thoughtful and caring behind his icy facade. His closed off and standoffish attitude made it hard to relate to him but once we get a glimpse behind that icy facade, you can’t help but adore him.  Khalid is the kind of character that grows on you as more about his past is revealed. He's a well-rounded and complex character that I really loved by the end of the book.

The romance in this book is beautiful. It develops slowly, from hate to grudging acceptance to love. Their relationship is that kind that transcends all odds and I was rooting for them despite everything being against them.  Khalid had a bleak childhood and Shazi is the perfect contrast to that and Khalid in turn checks Shazi's reckless nature and they just fit like puzzle pieces. 

“What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?” he whispered.
“If I’m a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed.” The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest.
“No.” His hands dropped to her waist. “Destroy me.” 

The other characters that I really enjoyed seeing were Despina, Shazi’s haindmaiden, Jalal; the captain of the guard and Khalid’s cousin whom I absolutely adored. His unwavering loyalty to his family was inspiring.

There was just something really special about the story. This one mainly focused on Khalid’s secret and the romance and yet the plot was unique. Not much of action takes place but there were lots of hints here and there that I’m sure will be addressed in book 2.

This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I do suggest giving it a try if you’re looking for something unique with a strong heroine and some good romance. 

BOOK REVIEW: THE LOWLAND BY JHUMPA LAHIRI

Genre: Historical fiction, Contemporary, Indian 

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There are rarely any books which grips your from within and just breaks you into a million prices and yet you smile by the end. The Lowland is that rarity; it is that gem which everyone should read at least once in their lives and live it. It gives you lessons no textbook can give, love equal to what our parents give and life that nothing in this world can give.

The Lowland tells the story Subhash and Udayan, two brothers who are alike from outside but far different from inside. While Subhash believes in his future which is as ordinary as a life can be, whereas Udayan lives for a future which will make every life better in Kolkata. Both of them, when faced with reality chooses their own path. But Udayan, amidst of his wild life, gets killed, Subhash's dream of an ordinary life dies with Udayan.

This is a story which will neither grab everyone's attention, nor maintain it. This book will be easily forgotten, of you do not pay attention to it. But once you read it, out will never leave you. It will affect you and it daily life. As an Indian, I often wonder about my future, and reading this book makes me wonder if it's as bright as it seems. Although set in a time way before my birth, I strongly believe, most of the events might still be relevant in present times. Often, we forget what's more important and what's right and take decisions without thinking about its impact on our future.

The Lowland, in its essence, gives an important emphasis on what the future is like. It's never like what we think about. The ones we love leave us, the ones we live for stop trying. It's a cycle of love and disappointment, and this book proves that to us beautifully.

I don't know if this review in any way justifies the way how I felt about this book. But, pick it up. This won't disappoint you! 

-Niv

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Genre: Romance, Adult Fiction, Fiction

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Romance is the only genre where I’m not open to experiments. I read the books which has a lot of hype, or whose blurb strikes as different. If I Stay by Gayle Forman is one of the few which actually made to the list of my top favorite romance reads. And now, I’m quite happy to say that Me Before You made into that list as well. To find such a heart warming love story is actually making me believe in romance again.

There were two reasons why I picked out up. First, I recently saw the trailer of the movie adaptation and without even having known anything about the story, I was intrigued. Secondly, the hype around it was too much to bear! The book was actually attracting me towards it. I couldn’t sit around for another sign, and so when the trailer released, I thought it was time.
And boy was I stumped! I had started only the first chapter and and before I knew, I was reading the 8th one. It took me exactly a day and a half to complete this book.

I had a lot of thoughts while reading the book. The issue addressed here is a very delicate one. But Jojo Moyes treated with equal parts of humor, love and reality. More than the actual story, what really struck me was how Jojo Moyes managed to pick up the topic and create a story with such precision and quality. The ending was real. So real, that I found myself crying but actually feeling satisfied. I cringed every time, something happened to Will. It’s always like the end is near. Despite how it ended, for me, it was a happy one. Everyone accepted his decision by the end and that’s what counts.
Another aspect which struck me was the characters and their roles. Every character had some important role to play in the manner the book was to end. No character seemed useless. I couldn’t get around to the question that how an author could write with such details and not go wrong anywhere.
Needless to say, her writing is beautiful. So beautiful that it is difficult to concentrate on the world around and carry on with our existence. With her book, it’s difficult to even think that we have a life.

I am so impressed with this book that I’m afraid to read it’s sequel. Often good books fail to give a good aftermath of the actual story. And that is exactly why I never pick up a sequel to a book on which everything ended perfectly. The next book can ruin anything or can just glorify it. At this point, I’m not sure if I’m ready to give it a try!

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS BY CRISTIN TERRILL : SCI-FI - THEME OF THE MONTH

 GENRE: Sci-fi, Young Adult, Dystopia

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All Our Yesterdays, is a sci-fi novel mainly based on the concept of time travel. To say that the concept was stunningly executed, is an understatement. It was not just the concept, but the plot, the characters and the writing also, equally contributed to the book's success in being the best sci-fi book.
To begin with, let me talk about the plot. Without revealing much, this book revolves around Em, who is currently held captive by Doctor who is ruining this world one by one. When one day, Em finds a note saying she has to complete a final instruction in the note, she finds herself fighting against the Doctor, and killing her one and only love. I am not a big fan of romance, and I never even look towards sci-fi novels, and when I find a book with romance AND sc-fi together, I knew I shouldn't pick it up. But I did. And, boy was I surprised! I literally breathed the book, taking everything like wind. Writing a proper review is still very difficult for me, because I'm still inside that book, and I refuse to come out of this.
The characters of this book were mind-blowing. The protagonist Em living in the future, is everything from badass to caring. She is definitely my favorite literary hero. On the other hand, Em's past self, Marina, is a very different, though not opposite of Em. Like every other girl, who cares about her looks, and wants to fall in love with the perfect guy, Marina is everything Em is not. But, what is strikingly similar about them is their caring nature, their love, and their strong personality. The male leads, James and Finn, love interests of Marina and Em, respectively, are pure awesomeness. And what is strangely beautiful, is the love triangle which seems to grow out their their relationships.

“I've been scared of so much stupid crap in my life. Making a bad grade or not fitting in. God, I was scared of you. And it was all such a waste. None of it matters now that the real scary shit is here.”

Lastly, what stood out for me is the writing. No matter how great a plot is, and how striking the characters, what binds a story together is its writing. I often find myself bored when the writing is not good. and if the writing is good, I'll love it no matter what the story is like. In this case, the writing was so good, that it was a cherry on the top, for such a powerful story and such amazing characters. Cristin Terrill writes beautifully, yet powerfully. It makes a lasting impact, and even when the story ends, you'll find yourself wanting for more.

“The truth is, the world is a f*cked up place sometimes.”

 What are your Sci-Fi reads this month, tell us about it with the hashtag #ficfortressreads on any social media.

November Read-along

Hellooo people of the book world!
As you guys already know, we'll be reading only ONE book in November because, exams.
We asked you guys  to vote for the book you'd like to read with us and after a week of voting, the result was a TIE between Me Before You and Ready Player One.

Since Goodreads was acting weird and wasn't letting us create a new poll, we ended up having a tie-breaker-face-off-poll for 24 hours on Instagram and it's time for the result,
Behold, this November we are going to read
*drum rolls*

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. 
The fictional Fortress is taking a detour to the future and you're are very much invited.

FicFort Notes:
1. Make sure to tag your progress, comments anything related to this read on social medias with #ficfortressreads.

2. Some accounts will be featured on our IG through the month. Only criteria, use the tag.

3. Keep a look-out for the pre-discussion thread on Goodreads, cause that thread is gonna come in handy to: find a buddy for buddy reading, *if* there are any book deals, you'll be informed. Also, if we find e-books, those will be given away.

4. Spread the word!

Happy Ready Soldiers!

Are you joining us for the November Read-along?

November Read-along: Book Nominees

Hello Readers!

It's time to vote for the book you'd like to snuggle up with next month.
This November we will be reading one book instead of two, because exam season. You get to pick, so, choose wisely, here are the four contenders:

1. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling:

For all our readers who wanted us to add non-fiction to the read-along, we present to you this
hilarious memoir.

Read the blurb, here.

Shonazee's Pick

2. Me Before You, Jojo Moyes:

Most people who've read this book complain of a hangover. So, if you're looking for a tear-jerker, you have come to the right stop. Also, this book is being turned into a movie that may come out sometime next year.

Read the blurb, here.

Somdyuti's Pick

3. A Thousand Nights, E.K.Johnston:

A YA Fantasy retelling of One Thousand And One Nights. This book is full of folklore, legends, fairytales and magic! Also it's a new release, this book came out on October 6th 2015.

Read the Blurb, here.

Varsha's Pick

4) Ready Player One, Ernest Cline:
Sci-Fi. Futuristic setting (read: 2044). Video-gamers.
If any of these words interest you, pick this book up already! (Not already. November, pick it up in November. Meanwhile, vote. okay?okay.)

Read the blurb, here.

Niv's Pick

Vote here:

November Book Of The Month Poll

It's time to cast your vote again. Hurry up, go go go!

May the odds be in your favour.

Me Before You
A Thousand Nights
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
Ready Player One

Results will be declared on 25th October'15.

Until then, stay rad, keep reading!