Real Americans by Rachel Khong

Three generations, three timelines, and three wounded hearts. It has engaging writing and delving deeply into each character's history and beliefs. It starts with May and her husband, who faced hardship in China's brutal civil war. They had a reason to hate their own country and fled to the U.S. Since then, they'd wanted to be American.

Her daughter, an ABC, American-born Chinese, also faced discrimination until she met Matthew, a white perfect and pharmaceutical heir. The conflict begins when their son, Nick, is born. It seems she couldn't trust her family's secrets for the sake of changing lives and fate. Nick became aware of watching his parents and grandmother falling apart despite feeling out of place himself.

This timely book shows how real people lived with early struggles, grappling with identity, trying to feel loved, ethical challenges and fighting for the inevitable future.

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing and Izah for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store

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#definitelybooks #donereading #realamericans by #rachelkhong #igbooks #igreads #emabaca #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookstagram #letsgetreading #malaysiamembaca 

Close To Death by Anthony Horowitz

I'm thrilled! Another 5 ⭐️ read. In this latest series, Anthony Horowitz's agent encouraged him to write the fifth book in the Hawthorne series. Daniel Hawthorne is a brilliant star in his book. She even suggested he write a case Hawthorne had solved 5 years earlier in his detective career. 

A murder of Riverview Close. Riverview Close is a gated community, a perfectly serene neighbourhood. Until Giles Kenworthy and his family moved into the area. He had a strained relationship with his neighbours due to his lack of empathy. Tragically, he was found dead one night with a crossbow bolt in his throat. With everyone in the area having a potential motive, suspicion looms over all residents.

The case came to an end when one of the neighbours wrote a letter admitting to the crime and then took his own life out of remorse. Hawthorne believed that this locked room mystery was anything but usual. John Dudley, his sidekick provides insight into their enigmatic characters from a different angle. The more Anthony learned about Hawthorne, the less he knew him. 

Featuring a dual timeline, a cleverly crafted plot, a tense atmosphere, and an abundance of red herrings, this book has secured a place as one of my top psychological thrillers this year.

The Covenant Of Water by Abraham Varghese

It's hard to believe, but this is my first 5-star book of the year. Phew. A 700+ page epic spanning 7 decades with three generations of incredible characters in South India. Shedding tears over a fictional character is completely valid.

The story starts with Mariamma, who was wed at the age of twelve to a forty-year-old man around 1900. In every generation of her husband's family, there is a pattern of death by drowning. This tragic fate seems to pass down to their children like a curse. Their marriage endured through thick and thin. Mariamma is such a strong main character who becomes a respected matriarch of the family. Throughout this epic emphasis is on strong hierarchies of caste system, colonization and the incredibly diverse culture of India.

Digby Kilgour enlisted in the Indian Medical Services hoping to develop as a surgeon and disembark in India, a different place from Glasgow. There is a lot going on in this story as different characters deal with the intertwining storylines and histories. The way the characters intersected in the story timeline left a strong impression on me. Mariamma jr bears an uncanny resemblance to her grandmother. She began her neurosurgical training and discovered her family-inherited disorder with distressing revelations hidden. In summation, it's a satisfying ending.

🍂 What defines a family isn't blood but the secrets they share.

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store