Book Review: The Yoga of Max's Discontent by Karan Bajaj

Title: The Yoga of Max's Discontent

Author: Karan Bajaj

Published: 2016

Pages: 336

My rating: 4/5

Brief synopsis: Max, a man who is living the American Dream, finds himself discontented at heart and begins to ponder over questions about suffering and mortality that have bothered him since his mother's recent death. He one day makes the spontaneous decision to go to India and continue his search for nirvana & transcendence under the tutelage of a Yogi, where he undergoes a total inner transformation that changes his life. 

Review: I remember closing this novel after I had first finished and having to take a few minutes to contemplate what I had just read. This book was wonderful--wonderfully written, wonderfully told. Max's journey as he seeks enlightenment was both captivating and inspiring. Living in a society where everything is quite rushed and overwhelming, I could not help but deeply relate to Max's disillusionment and desire to find that *something more.* This book's pacing was perfect--I am being completely honest when I say I flew through this story; it's definitely a page turner. The principles discussed in this book concerning our place in this universe and who we really are, was interesting. Although I did not agree with all the perspectives and values portrayed, I still enjoyed it and appreciate its thought provoking ideals. Not to mention that mind-boggling ending.

**Disclaimer: I was sent this novel in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my thoughts on the novel; all opinions are entirely my own.

My Top 5 Favorite Books of 2016 (so far)

Wow, time flies. I can't believe that we are already more than half way through the year. (Although, I don't mind because that just means we're closer to Autumn and Winter and everything cozy.)

I have read a total thirty books so far, and I must say that most of my reads have been quite pleasant. Choosing my top five was not as difficult as I worried it would be, however, since these five are quite undeniably amazing.

May TBR

Hurray for May!

Hello friends!~

I'll be done with most of my big exams this month (specifically this week), and so I'm looking forward to relaxing and reading some good books for the rest of the month (I hope)!

Here are the books I plan to read in May (in no particular order):

1. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara  (Goodreads | Amazon)

2. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover (Goodreads | Amazon)

3. Delaying the Real World by Colleen Kinder (Goodreads)

4. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks (Goodreads | Amazon)

What do you hope to read this month?

April Book Haul!

1. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Goodreads | 
Synopsis: This tells the poignant tale of a Chinese farmer and his family in old agrarian China. The humble Wang Lung glories in the soil he works, nurturing the land as it nurtures him and his family. Nearby, the nobles of the House of Hwang consider themselves above the land and its workers; but they will soon meet their own downfall.

Hard times come upon Wang Lung and his family when flood and drought force them to seek work in the city. The working people riot, breaking into the homes of the rich and forcing them to flee. When Wang Lung shows mercy to one noble and is rewarded, he begins to rise in the world, even as the House of Hwang falls.

Online Book-shopping 101: Where To Buy Cheap Books

Buying books is probably one of the most thrilling sensations for any die hard bibliophiles out there, and as much as we love stocking up on new releases and anticipated reads, we all can't help but cringe a little at the sound of our metaphorically crying wallet. Let's face it: books are pricey!

Of course, that doesn't stop us from buying the books we want--no, need in order to function properly.

Over the years, I've slowly moved away from buying books at full price, and instead have turned to a variety of websites where I can find incredible deals on incredible reads. Using these websites, I have been able to land some wonderful bargains on all sorts of books, both hardcover and paperback, and today I'd like to share these dimes with you all.

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken - Book Review (Spoiler Free)

Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis:
Passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home... forever.

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Book Review/Discussion: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (Beware: Spoiler Warning)

Ah, Sarah J. Maas, once again you have successfully completed the art of tearing my heart into shreds and only leaving my tears in its wake.

This book was great. I liked it—a lot. Okay, more than a lot, really.

But...

I'm going to be 100% honest and admit that I did not love it. And I definitely did not like it nearly as much as its predecessors: Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, and The Assassin's Blade.



In all sincerity, I feel that the main reasons why I liked this book and gave it a 5 star rating despite it's somewhat mediocre storyline are because 1. The author is Sarah J. Maas. 2. I love the series far too much to let anything cloud my appraisal for it. And, 3. A lot of things happened in this book that I had been waiting for and wanting to happen for a very, very long time.

After the jaw-dropping, action packed ending in HoF, you better believe it when I say I went into Queen of Shadows prepared for the most exciting, thrilling, action filled book in the series yet—or so I thought.

Instead, I was first met with the complete opposite.