As of writing this, I’ve read a total of 27 books this year and these were my Top 3.
⭐ 5 stars
I found this book while browsing through the Apple Books Classics collection. It’s a tale of three young siblings, set in the 20th centry, who are forced into poverty. The children and their mother are forced to move to a village into a much smaller dwelling, living well below their lifestyle in the city, after an incident befalls their father. I will not allude to what happens to their father, but safe to say that the tragedy was big enough to warrant their downsizing (no, he did not die). The children are the most accomodating and understanding children you’d have ever met. The novel revolves around their adventures at the railway station (that is situated close to their new dwelling) and how much of an impact they make to the lives of the commuters and residents of the village. It’s a feel-good story with all the right elements and a fitting ending.
⭐ 5 stars
Another excellent read I found in the Apple Books Classics collection. It’s a fairy tale read of a young girl set during the colonial rule of the British. A well-off young girl of a single father is sent to a boarding school for young girls who is treated as a princess until tragedy strikes leaving her penniless and an orphan. While being taken advantage of, she tries to put on a brave face and put others’ needs in front of her own trying to emulate the characteristics of a true princess. But all is not lost and there is a happy ending to the story (which I shall not spoil). But safe to say, there are a few twists and turns, elements of greed, kindness, empathy, happiness and all the other usual elements to a good fairy tale story which leaves you feeling good at the end of it.
⭐ 5 stars
I rarely read books about health, and this one ticked a lot of boxes for me. There were elements of humour scattered throughout, lots of general health advice, do’s and dont’s about how to live a better life. There was also a nice sequence to it in that it visited all the organs of the body in order and provided information in the form of a consumable story for non-medical audience. The Save Yourself and Health Hacks sections did not have any outlandish and unproven health advice. But true to the author’s tone, in most cases there aren’t any shortcuts to getting healthier. There are a bunch of things that one must do right, and for a prolonged period of time. My biggest takeaway is to start exercising more (even if it’s just a 30 minute walk daily). Because I watch Dr. Karan’s videos on YouTube, I was reading the book in his voice in my head for the most part, which was a nice touch. Definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to make proven general non-outlandish changes to their lifestyle.