Reviewer Verushka shares her picks for 2017…
Let’s Do Diwali (Chook Doolan #7) – James Roy
My young nephews are 2.5 years old, and it’s become clearer that diversity in books for their age group still has a long way to go. Books like Let’s Do Diwali show me that there is progress being made as it celebrates a Hindu festival that is so important to our family.
When Dimple met Rishi – Sandhya Menon
I don’t think I’ve ever quite related to a character as much as I did with Dimple – from her desire to work in computer and app coding to her desire to do her own thing and go against her parents’ old-fashioned expectations. But the author shows too that Dimple needed to open her mind to her parents’ expectations for that’s how she falls in love. It’s a flawed story, but Dimple is a beautiful character in a story that celebrates growing up Indian.
The Satanic Mechanic – Sally Andrew
This is a title and book that quite literally lives up to the old “it’s not what you expect”. Set in South Africa, this is a love story, wrapped around a mystery that involves our heroine, Maria, dealing with the abuse in her past, acknowledging the PTSD she has to deal with and learning to move on. And the Satanic Mechanic? Is actually a PTSD counsellor. You’re going to have to read the book to find out the story behind that!
