Carla Power, a journalist, was motivated to write this book because she realized that although she wrote a lot about the Muslim world she had no idea about the Quran and what the scripture meant to the Muslims she reported on. She decided to study the Quran under the guidance of Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi,Continue reading “Book Review: If The Oceans Were Ink by Carla Power”
Book Review: Don’t Be Afraid of the Bullets
Country: Yemen Back in 2020, when I was meticulously making my list of books to read for this year, there were a number of countries in the MENA region for which it was difficult to find a translated work to add to the list. That is not to say that there weren’t any authors fromContinue reading “Book Review: Don’t Be Afraid of the Bullets”
Book Review: Lion Mountain by Mustapha Tlili
Country: Tunisia Mustapha Tlili’s Lion Mountain is a beautifully written book, which was banned in Tunisia due to its critique of the government and the general political situation. The novel spans the colonial times all through to the end days of the Bourguiba’s regime. This review took me a long time to write because IContinue reading “Book Review: Lion Mountain by Mustapha Tlili”
2021 Reading List
This year the theme of my reading list is Middle East and North Africa, or MENA, which includes 20 countries. I don’t really know much about the Middle East or North Africa. At first I thought I would only consider the Middle East, but then decided to extend it to cover North Africa as well.Continue reading “2021 Reading List”
Book Review: The Marginalized Majority: Claiming Our Power in a Post-Truth America by Onnesha Roychoudhuri
Back in 2019, I came across an essay, which later turned out to be an excerpt from her book, written by her. She inspired my reading list this year. It wasn’t until I read her essay, did I think about the authors I mainly read. And of course, it was mostly men. The Marginalized MajorityContinue reading “Book Review: The Marginalized Majority: Claiming Our Power in a Post-Truth America by Onnesha Roychoudhuri”
Book Review: Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
“To say that a moment is ‘very Barbara Pym’ is to say that it is a moment of self-observed, poignant acceptance of the modesty of one’s circumstances, of one’s peripheral position.” Alexander McCall Smith, Excellent Women (page X) I came across this book in 2018 via an article in the Guardian written in 2008 andContinue reading “Book Review: Excellent Women by Barbara Pym”
Book Review: Quicksand by Nella Larsen
I don’t remember what brought my attention to this book. Whatever it was, I am grateful for it. Nella Larsen was associated with the Harlem Renaissance and Quicksand is loosely based on her life. Our protagonist Helga Crane, like Larsen, has mixed-race heritage. A daughter of a Danish mother and West Indian father, Helga findsContinue reading “Book Review: Quicksand by Nella Larsen”
Book Review – Shrill:Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West
“We live and then we stop living. We exist and then we stop existing. That means I only get one chance to do a good job. I want to do a good job.” – Lindy West, Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman On June 17, 2016, This American Life aired an episode titled Tell MeContinue reading “Book Review – Shrill:Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West”
Book Review: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
*** My reading list for this year has been exclusively women. Why? Because I realized that I mostly read men and wanted to read more women. So I picked up a few books from my to-read list, added to that some recommendation from friends and then finished off the list with some spur-of-the-moment purchases .Continue reading “Book Review: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata”
Road trip Czech Republic Day 4: Back home via Lednice-Valtice
On our way back home, we decided to stop at what would be the last UNESCO world heritage site for our trip. This wasn’t on our plan originally, but it was recommended by our guide in Brno. The Lednice-Valtice cultural landscape was the perfect end to our UNESCO road-trip. The Liechtensteins (yes, the one andContinue reading “Road trip Czech Republic Day 4: Back home via Lednice-Valtice”
Ms Elanie 