28 July 2023

Magic Has No Borders
edited by Sona Charaipotra & Samira Ahmed




Book Summary

A pair of star-crossed lovers search for a way back to one another against all odds…

A girl fights for her life against a malignant, generations-old evil…

A peri seeks to reclaim her lost powers…

A warrior rebels against her foretold destiny…

From chudails and peris to jinn and goddesses, this lush collection of South Asian folklore, legends, and epics reimagines stories of old for a modern audience. This fantasy and science fiction teen anthology edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra contains a wide range of stories from fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and emerging writers from the South Asian diaspora that will surprise, delight, and move you. So read on, for after all, magic has no borders.




Anyone who knows me, knows that I am sucker for any book involving mythology. I don't know much about South Asian myth so this anthology interested me immediately and I really enjoyed discovering these legends. I was excited to read more from some of my previously read authors, and to find lots of new ones.

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were some stories which I really enjoyed, Kiss Me Goodbye and Dismantle the Sun were two of my favourites. Infinite Drift and Mirch, Masala and Magic both had me in tears! However there were a couple of the stories which had so many unknown words that I didn't understand half of what was happening.


To make this delicious Without Borders cocktail, shake the following ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe glass. 30ml calvados, 20ml Benedictine, 20ml maraschino, 20ml lime juice and half a pinch of salt.






21 July 2023

The Lonely Tiger by Terenia Edwards
Illustrated by Severus Lian




Book Summary

It can get lonely… being one-of-a-kind! Tiger loves to party, but he hates being alone. It’s up to his friends to show Tiger that being on your own isn’t so bad. The Lonely Tiger follows Monkey, Bird, Elephant and Frog on a quest to help himself. It’s about loneliness, friendship and discovering who we really are through the eyes of the people who love us the most. This picture book is beautifully illustrated by Severus Lian and can be enjoyed as an introduction to reading alone or as a theatrical journey performed by grown-ups at bedtime!




Sometimes it's so hard to see (and believe) what others see in you. This is a really sweet story about accepting yourself and recognising your worth to others. The illustrations are adorable and I loved the expressions on the animals' faces. The way they rally round to help Tiger really shows their friendship and how much they care, it's so heart-warming.




I'm sure your little ones will be asking you to read this to them over and over so you'll probably need something refreshing when you're done! To make an Easy Tiger cocktail, muddle 2 small slices of ginger in a shaker. Add a teaspoon of honey and 60ml of tequila and stir to disolve the honey. Then add 30ml lime juice and lots of ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. I think this is one of my new favourites!