Review: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hooter: The Story behind building a story (for video games)

Most books about technology or creative people end up romanticizing either the genius or the fallout. What Zevin does differently is put the making of a game front and center, not just as a plot device, but as the actual fabric holding Sam and Sadie together.

The game development process is where this book hits its stride. You see everything—the ideas that seem crazy until they work, the hours spent debugging and designing, the periods where nothing seems to connect and then, out of nowhere, sudden breakthroughs. Much of the emotional impact isn’t in dramatic fights or romance; it’s two people trying (and often failing) to build something bigger than themselves.

The way the games reflect Sadie and Sam’s changing relationship is very well done. Each project seems to parallel a phase in their own lives: optimism, burnout, ambition, forgiveness. There’s a sense of realism in how collaboration works—the tension between creative vision and compromise, competition and partnership. Game-building becomes more than just work; it’s the main story.

Zevin’s focus on storyplay—not just the stories told within their games, but the act of making those stories possible—adds a fresh dimension to the book. The tech jargon never gets in the way, and you don’t need to be a gamer to connect with the challenge and satisfaction the characters find in creation.

You’ll enjoy Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow if you’ve ever worked hard on a creative project, gotten stuck, fought with teammates, and celebrated small wins. It’s a good read for anyone who cares about how things get made—not just how they end.

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Review: The Chola Tigers: Avengers of Somnath

The Chola Tigers: Avengers of Somnath by Amish Tripathi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hooter: Global Assassins - made in India

The Chola Tigers takes readers into the aftermath of the Somnath Temple’s destruction, following five determined individuals set on a mission of vengeance and restoration. The premise is intriguing and Amish’s attention to historical detail and world-building is evident—he effectively captures the atmosphere of the Chola Empire and the gravity of the threat faced.

The book shines in its sense of place. Cultural details, glimpses of political intrigue, and the geographical sweep from Bharat to Ghazni keep the narrative fresh. The core team of protagonists is likeable, even if their backstories and motivations feel familiar to fans of the Indic Chronicles.

Where the novel is strongest is in its pacing and clarity. Chapters are crisp, battle sequences are easy to visualize, and the plot advances without unnecessary digressions. If you seek a straightforward, accessible tale of unity and resilience, this novel delivers.​

The emotional impact and internal struggles of characters, while present, don’t reach the same depth or cinematic scale as in the Shiva Trilogy or Ram Chandra series. While the action is steady, it isn’t always pulse-pounding, and the prose occasionally feels more functional than evocative.

I have a feeling the book is also being presented as a template for a potential movie script seeing how a lot of the elements could come alive on the screen really well.

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