Spill the Novel Tea #2: Escapist Comfort, Historical Fiction, and the Perfect Beach Read

Our May 2025 Reads

This month has been an odd reading month for us. It was Shruti’s turn to enter into a deep reading slump — followed by intense pain after dental surgery, which meant that my reading this month was all over the map, and few books could really hold my attention. As a result, some of the most enjoyable reading experiences were books that offered pure escapist comfort (except for Anna Karenina, which offered me comfort in a different, more analytical way).

Neha’s books are set in the past; though both are very different in theme and scope, they both explore the idea of how history and experience can shape a person and their legacy. And while both books on the surface had no relation to each other, after a deeper look, it was clear that they shared a theme of silence: what is said, what is hidden, and what is remembered — and how absence can shape legacy.

Across the board, one theme that cropped up was expansiveness. This manifested in different ways: through sharp, detailed writing; through a large cast of complicated characters; through evocative sensory descriptions; and through an imagined fantastical world. We each had one major disappointment this month — but not every book can be a five-star read! And the other books we read were enriching in unexpected ways.

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