👀 First impressions:I went into Intermezzo with a mix of anticipation and caution. After Normal People and Beautiful World, Where Are You, I expected Rooney’s signature blend of introspective characters, sparse prose, and emotional excavation. The title Intermezzo suggested something transitional or in-between — which turned out to be thematically spot on. From page one, I was drawn into a quietly turbulent space…

👀 First impressions:Stag Dance arrives with a bold promise, and it delivers. Torrey Peters returns with a daring hybrid of a novella and three long stories, each genre-bending and boundary-shifting. From the moment I met Babe Bunyan, a rugged lumberjack in an illegal winter logging camp who astonishes his crew by volunteering to dance as a woman,…

👀 First impressions:I picked up Pines knowing it had inspired the Wayward Pines TV series and was often compared to Twin Peaks. From the opening chapter, it had that eerie, slightly off-kilter vibe I love in thrillers. It throws you right into the action with a sense of confusion and unease that doesn’t let up, exactly what I hoped for. ✅…

👀 First impressions:The title alone, Don’t Open Your Eyes, hooked me instantly. I was expecting a dark, suspenseful thriller, and this novel absolutely delivered. From the very first chapter, the blend of maternal fear, eerie dreams, and creeping dread created an addictive atmosphere. If you enjoy psychological thrillers that mess with your head in the best…

👀 First impressions:From the first page, Flashlight pulled me into a haze of memory, trauma, and mystery. The novel opens with a ten-year-old girl named Louisa in a tense psychiatric session, and from there, it unravels a deeply layered story about family secrets, cultural displacement, and the blurred line between truth and perception. The title itself becomes a…

When Heart Lamp won the 2025 International Booker Prize, it made history, not only as the first Kannada-language book to be awarded, but also as the first short story collection to ever win the prize. Banu Mushtaq, an 80-year-old author and activist from Karnataka, began writing these stories over three decades ago, drawing from her experiences as a Muslim woman and…

With Long Island, the long-awaited sequel to Brooklyn, now in my hands, I’m eager to dive back into Eilis Lacey’s world. But before I do, it only feels right to revisit and review the novel where her journey began. 👀 First impressions:Brooklyn is a quiet, deliberate novel, one that doesn’t shout but lingers. From the very first pages, I…

👀 First impressions:From the first page, There Are Rivers in the Sky swept me away with its lyrical prose and hypnotic imagery. Elif Shark has a gift for weaving language into something that feels almost like poetry. ✅ What I Liked:I loved the dreamlike atmosphere, the richly drawn characters, and the way the novel balances beauty with heartbreak.…

👀 First impressions:The Terror immediately gripped me with its chilling blend of historical fiction and horror. Dan Simmons brings the doomed Franklin expedition to life with vivid, brutal realism, while weaving an undercurrent of supernatural dread that makes the frozen Arctic feel truly haunted from the first page. ✅ What I Liked:The atmosphere is unmatched. Simmons captures…

👀 First impressions:The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes immediately pulled me in with its eerie, atmospheric setting and the promise of a layered psychological mystery. The idea of memory, trauma, and the hidden past tied to a seemingly ordinary house was intriguing. ✅ What I Liked:Ana Reyes builds tension well, creating a sense of unease…