Blogiversary Bookshelf: My Top Book Reviews from 6 Years of Bohemian Bibliophile

Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. Truer words haven’t been spoken.

Bohemian Bibliophile started as a lark. I was quite comfortable managing the technical aspects of top-ranking online magazines and blogs. In my 25+ years career, I have managed blogs in all shapes and forms. Fashion blogs, lifestyle blogs, food blogs, and blogs as a tool for lead generation. I have seen the massive rise of blogging and the switch to video content on Instagram and TikTok.

Bohemian Bibliophile completed 6 years in April. Blogging for me has been a rewarding and educational journey. All said, managing my own blog is a whole different ball game. Some learning and some unlearning, too.

I have evolved as a reader. Be it diversifying my reading, picking up more underrated books, and most importantly, more appreciation for the art. It does have its pitfalls with the algorithm monster, but the good outweighs the bad.

I have also evolved as a writer. I cringe each time I read my first review on the blog. Over the years, acknowledgment and being featured among the top book bloggers at Himalayan Retreat and Feedspot have been a motivation. Not to miss the feedback I receive from the community. Makes it all worth it.

Brave Inked Emotions, a collection of 31 soulful life experiences of women across all ages, marked my transition from a blogger to an author. I shall forever be grateful to the editor, Roma Gupta Sinha @ Truly Yours Roma, for gently nudging me to share my story. How books have supported me during the darkest phases of my life. Do pick up the anthology if you haven’t already.

Book reviews, discussion posts, and listicles. I enjoy writing all three forms of content. Join me as I share my favorite reviews through the years. The book review that was the highlight of the year for me. Books that have stayed with me through the years. I had planned this series of posts last blogiversary, but life happened. I hope to turn this into a series (fingers crossed) with my favorite discussion posts and listicles.

2019

Before launching Bohemian Bibliophile, book reviews were often a couple of sentences on Goodreads and/or Amazon. It took me a while to find my footing. I am not a professional writer. My expertise lies in design (and to some point, coding). No doubt, I had done some content writing. But writing research-based articles is different from analysing a book.

After some fair bit of experimenting, I finally zeroed in on the format I was comfortable with. Sharing how I felt about the book instead of a critical analysis. Two blogging communities, Book Dragons India and Blogchatter, played a huge role in shaping the blogger I am.

Letters from Kargil
by Diksha Dwivedi

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As an army kid, I have grown up hearing stories about soldiers and wars. Whenever I see a book about soldiers, I always pick it up. Needless to say, when Letters from Kargil by Diksha Dwivedi was featured on the now-defunct Juggernaut app on Vijay Diwas, I knew I had to read it.

It is an extremely moving book that is a compilation of letters sent by soldiers during the Kargil War. In most cases, it was the last letter the family received. The book has its flaws, but it is a must-read. More so in the current times when warmongers demand that India go to war. Martyrs leave behind proud but broken families.

2020

2020 was a life-changing year for so many of us. The first wave of the pandemic and lockdowns. Most of us sought solace in books to escape the realities of life.

2020 was the year I started exploring book blog tours. It also began my long association with Algonquin Books (now an imprint of Hachette) and some brilliant reads. I also actively participated in the Blogchatter Book Review program. It was difficult for me to pick just one book as the book of the year.

The Mountains Sing
by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

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The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is definitely the highlight of 2020 for me in regards to book reviews. As a part of the blog tour, I had a chance to read and promote the advanced review copy of this award-winning masterpiece.

A vivid and gripping account of Vietnam’s 20th-century history. The book is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.

2021

Just when we thought it was over and done with, Covid returned and was worse than before.

Up until 2021, I wasn’t much into middle-grade books. Well into my 40s, I always thought it was meant for kids and young adults. I finally began exploring the genre and found some gems. It was the year of a spate of partition-related books. Some good. Some not so good. But stories that needed to be told.

Lahore: The Partition Trilogy #1
by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

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Merging fiction with non-fiction, Lahore (Book 1 of The Partition Trilogy) by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is a well-researched story of the most tumultuous time in Indian history – the partition.

The book felt personal because these are the stories of my family too. My family belonged to the other side of the border. Rawalpindi, to be exact. It reminded me of dining table conversations with my grandparents discussing Kauntrila and the partition. I have since read and reviewed Hyderabad, book 2 of the series but Lahore will always have a special place in my heart.

2022

2022 was the year of return to the new normal. But it was also a year when family took priority. Health scares and hospitalization, blogging took a bit of a back seat as I switched to mini reviews on updates instead of full-length ones mid-year.

Crushing
by Sophie Burrows

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A story told in silence. A story without words but bursting with meaning.

Crushing, the debut graphic novel by Sophie Burrows is quite unlike others. Pencil art in duotone (gray and red). No dialogues. Barely any typed words. Using one color over the other to highlight emotions. It was a lesson in the art of storytelling. Colors and words take a backseat in this graphic novel.

2023

I always look back at 2023 with a grateful heart. The highlight of the year was the opportunity to interview the inspirational powerhouse, distinguished editor and author Vinita Dawra Nangia Ma’am for my blog. It was also the year I launched Bookish League as a way to give back to the community, bringing together my favorite bloggers.

My personal health took a beating in 2023, and I had to limit blog tours and book review requests. That said, the ones I chose to review are close to my heart.

Dust Child
by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

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When I was invited to promote Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, I signed up immediately. I read the author’s debut book in 2020 and it is still one of my favorite reads.

The sophomore novel captures the heartache and trauma during and after the war. The Amerasian children, the soldiers on all sides, the villagers, the city dwellers, and people who had nothing to do with the politics of war. The book does not romanticize the trauma. It lays bare the ravages of war but also speaks of hope, forgiveness, and second chances.

2024

2024 was a year of high highs and low lows. It began with my first-ever anthology as an author. Ended with both my mother and brother dealing with a health crisis. Family took priority over everything else.

Ramrajya by Ashutosh Rana,
Translated by Tarang Sinha

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Books were my solace during the difficult times. Reviews were limited but the highlight of the year was Ramrajya by Ashutosh Rana, Translated by Tarang Sinha.

Why did Kaikeyi, who adored Ram, suddenly demand a fourteen-year exile for him? Why did Ram decide to abandon Sita? With Ramrajya, the author attempts to answer these questions and more in a unique retelling of the great epic.

A personal thank-you note from the author himself was both overwhelming and motivating. I shall be forever grateful to Tarang Sinha for the opportunity to review the book and also for the immense patience to allow me time to review it.

2025

We are still reeling from the repercussions of 2024 and I haven’t posted much yet on the blog, let alone a full-length review. The fact that this is my fourth post in 2025 says it all. My mother is my #1 priority right now. 2025 has been a mixed bag. Not too kind, but lots to be grateful for. Hope to be back soon full-fledged with reviews, recommendations, and discussions.

Honorable Mentions

As I mentioned before, it was not easy to pick my favorite review/book of the year. There were some honorable mentions, too. I am limiting them to the books I shared a full-length review. Skipping mini reviews on monthly updates.

Girl From The Tree House by Gudrun Frerichs (2019): My first ever Netgalley ARC, and I couldn’t have picked a better book. A brilliant fictionalized depiction of dissociative identity disorder.

Hiraeth: Partition Stories From 1947 by Dr. Shivani Salil (2020): A tribute to all refugees, on both sides of the border. Heartbreaking stories of loss. Uplifting stories of hope.

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc (2021): Beauty is good. Ugly is evil. The book examines the disability representation from the fairy tales of yore to modern-day tales of superheroes.

African Icons: Ten People Who Built a Continent by Tracey Baptiste (2021): Inspiring and enriching, the book provides ten illuminating portraits of Black excellence from ancient times through the sixteenth century.

This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke (2022): Historical fiction with a hint of magical realism, a story exploring the aftermath of World War II. Of the youth stepping up to take back what is rightfully theirs.

Silver Lining – The Story of NephroPlus by Kamal Shah (2023): Sometimes a book finds you when you need it the most. Silver Lining is a testimony of personal strength in the face of adversity. A compelling memoir, but also one to educate yourself about chronic kidney disease.

The Indian Café in London by Veena Nagpal (2023): A love story. A recipe book. A book on food trivia. A delectable read that will warm your heart.

Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture by Kyle Chayka (2024): How the algorithm influences almost every decision of our life. Art. Literature. Movies. Food. Travel. Fashion. Dating.

Hope you enjoyed this retrospective as much as I did. Compiling the post and rereading the reviews made me realize how I have grown as a reader and reviewer. Have you read the books I have listed? Do let me know in the comments below.

Blogiversary Bookshelf: My Top Book Reviews from 6 Years of Bohemian Bibliophile #BookishLeague Share on X

This post is part of the Bookish League blog hop hosted by Bohemian Bibliophile.

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