The Stationary Shop of Tehran

The Stationery Shop of Tehran is one of those stories that stays with you, quietly, even after you’ve finished it. It follows Roya and Bahman, whose love begins so beautifully but is left incomplete because of circumstances they couldn’t control. And honestly, that’s what makes it hurt in the most real way.

The book really captures that kind of love that never fully ends, even if it never gets to be lived properly. Roya and Bahman don’t just move on from each other; they carry that “what if” for years. It shows how some love stories don’t need closure to matter, they just stay, soft and unfinished, in the background of your life.

At the same time, I loved how the story shows a different kind of love through Walter. He’s such a kind and understanding husband, the kind who doesn’t try to replace the past but still gives Roya a steady, comforting present. His love feels calm, patient, and real in a completely different way.

Overall, it’s a bittersweet book about love, memory, and timing. It makes you realize that not all love stories are meant to be complete, but that doesn’t make them any less meaningful.

Crime And Punishment

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky honestly felt exhausting in the best and worst way. The part that really stayed with me was the crime itself. When Raskolnikov actually does it, I just sat there like what was he even thinking? It didn’t feel like some grand, powerful moment. It felt messy and rushed, moreover, wrong. His whole “extraordinary man” theory sounds almost convincing first, but in that moment, it just collapses. He doesn’t seem extraordinary at all—just scared, unstable, and very human. And then the aftermath hits. That’s what made the book hard to read. Not because of the violence, but because of what comes after. He doesn’t get away with it in any real sense. He just lives with it. And watching him spiral like that, overthinking everything, isolating himself, getting irritated, confused. It felt suffocating. It’s like his mind won’t let him rest for even a second.

What I kept thinking while reading was that he tried so hard to convince himself that morality doesn’t matter, that some people can go beyond it. But clearly, it does matter. Because the second he crosses that line, everything inside him starts falling apart. It’s almost like without that sense of right and wrong, he has nothing stable left. No peace, no clarity, nothing. Just noise in his head.And then there’s Sonia. I think she was the only part of the story that felt calm. Not happy, not perfect, just calm. She doesn’t argue with him the way others do, she doesn’t try to outthink him, she just stays. And that somehow affects him more than anything else. Their connection didn’t feel dramatic, but it felt real. Like for the first time, he wasn’t completely alone inside his own head.

I don’t think this is the kind of book you “enjoy” in a simple way. It’s heavy, and sometimes frustrating, and very, very intense. But it stays with you. Especially that idea, that you can try to ignore your moral values all you want, but the moment you lose them, you kind of lose yourself too.

Verity

 I think it is the best book I have read of Colleen Hoover. The plot, the writing, the drama, the story—everything is on point. I am amused by how Verity's thoughts and writings ultimately led to her own death. The manuscript added a chilling layer to the story and constantly made me question what was real and what was manipulation.

The suspense kept building until the very end, and just when you think you understand everything, the story leaves you doubting it again. That lingering uncertainty is what makes the book so memorable. It is disturbing, intense, and completely gripping. Verity by Colleen Hoover is a book that stays with you even after you finish the last page.

The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar is the kind of book where the protagonist is deeply observant and constantly reflects on every situation in life. It is a novel that fascinates many readers and helps them understand or relate to their inner turmoil. Sylvia Plath writes with depth, and many readers may find the story relatable. The writing itself is clear and accessible.

However, speaking about my personal experience with The Bell Jar, I did not finish the book and I did not feel the emotional pull while reading it. Perhaps this is because I could not relate to the kind of inner conflict described in the story at this point in my life. But, apart from my personal experience, I still believe this book deserves a chance, as many readers may connect with it deeply.

A Man Called Ove

'A Man Called Ove' is a mixture of comedy, drama, and a deeply emotional story. The novel is about a strict and seemingly grumpy old man who lives alone after the death of his beloved wife.

It is strange how people like Ove spend a part of their life trying to end it, for they feel they stopped truly living long before. However, life keeps interrupting his plans. His lively neighbour, Parvaneh and her family slowly enter his life, constantly asking for his help. At the same time, a stubborn stray cat begins following him everywhere, quietly becoming a part of his routine.

Through humour and emotional moments, Fredrik Backman shows how unexpected friendships and small acts of kindness can slowly bring meaning back into someone’s life. In the end, A Man Called Ove becomes a touching reminder that even the loneliest people are capable of love, and sometimes all it takes is a few neighbours and even a stray cat to remind them that life is still worth living.

Animal Farm

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"

Something well said by Orwell, that equality does not have degrees. In the book "Animal Farm' by George Orwell, we see that the idea of equality is kept only as a slogan, while power is redistributed to benefit a few. The pigs don’t openly reject equality, they redefine it until it serves them. This manipulation of language becomes one of the most unsettling aspects of the novel. The commandments change, memories blur, and truth becomes whatever those in power decide it should be. The animals, once driven by hope and rebellion, slowly surrender their ability to question. What makes Animal Farm disturbing is not the pigs’ cruelty alone, but the silence that grows around it.

Among all the characters, Boxer stands as the most heartbreaking. His strength and determination are unmatched, yet they are also his undoing. He believes that hard work will correct injustice, that loyalty will be rewarded, and that the system, no matter how flawed, must be trusted. Boxer does not fail the revolution, but the revolution fails him. Through him, Orwell shows how sincerity and perseverance, when paired with blind faith, can be exploited until nothing remains.

By the end, the farm looks nothing like the dream it once held. The animals can no longer distinguish pigs from humans, oppressors from liberators. Orwell leaves us with an uncomfortable realization that tyranny does not always arrive loudly. 

The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne is a heartbreaking novel that explores innocence, friendship, and the horrors of war through the eyes of a child. The story follows Bruno, a young German boy, who befriends Shmuel, a Jewish boy living on the other side of a concentration camp fence.

Through this innocent friendship, the novel highlights the cruelty of the Holocaust and the ignorance that allowed such suffering to exist. Boyne’s simple language makes the tragedy even more powerful, as it contrasts a child’s innocence with unimaginable brutality.

Overall, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a deeply moving novel that reminds readers of the devastating consequences of hatred and the importance of humanity