Just another Muslimah…..

A/S

I  know I am suppose to post up a review of the “A thousand splendid suns” by Khalid Hosseini but I have recently been distracted by another book….”Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer. Its currently making the rounds with young girls and some  not so young girls! lol

As I work in a book shop I am always on the look out for books that sound interesting. My supervisor recommended the Twilight books as her nieces have been raving about them ( shes also bought the set for herself). As there was a special offer going on these books including me getting some extra discount on top, I decided to buy the books. They have been sitting on my shelves for a good 2 months now.  Due to a lot of University work I have not even had a chance to read anything except scientific papers on bacteria! SO hopefully you shall see bulk reviews of all the books Ive read this Xmas.

Another thing I wanted to share….i recently got in contact with an old college friend who loves reading. so we have agreed to swap some of our books in order to save ourselves money!!! I will let you know what books they are once I get a list off her.

If anyone wants me to read a book and review it… drop me a message!

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As the Xmas holidays descended upon me, I realised that now was tghe perfect time to catch up on some serious reading… I got through 5 and a half books in the space of two weeks!! lol As always i will review each one for you here!

The first is Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra. The story is based around the lives of 2 couples living in Kabul during the “war”. The first couple are young and were once upon a time well earning citizens in respectable jobs. Due to Fundamentalists they are reduced to living in squalor. Both have become disillusioned with their life and their marriage. The second couple old and childless. The wife dying of an incurable disease which leaves the husband bitter and resentful towards others. The onset of unfortunate incidents leads to the lives of both couples to change beyond their control.

 I was a bit sceptical because once I started reading there wasnt any mention of swallows! lol . And there isn’t any mentioned in the book! But this book is definately a good read. You can feel the weight of opppression upon the people. You can actually feel the anger of the young wife towards her husband. You can feel the old mans helplessness whenever he sees his wife.  The start of the story gradually builds up the characters, giving you an insight into their lives and how things have changed. The ending of the story starts to become clear where you think you know what will happen but I’ll warn you now….it doesnt! The ending was completely different to what I thought and leaves you shocked and sad. Definately worth reading and sharing your thoughts here with me! I got so many!!!!

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So, I have finally managed to get through one of the books I mentioned in my previous post. And that is only because I had such bad migraines all week that by Wednesday I couldnt take it any more and went to see my GP. Now knowing that I had a LONG wait til my turn, I took along Mohsin Hamids’ “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” to wile away the hours. Now I am a pretty fast reader and got through 3/4s of the way through before I was called in to see the GP.

At this point the story started well. American man sitting at a restaurant stall, approached by a bearded Pakistani who starts talking to the American about his life. His life at Princeton University… his first job…his first love, And how he ended back in Pakistan. The story starts well enough, good use of language and descriptions which paints a picture in the readers mind.

As the story unfolds, the reader starts to understand that whilst the young pakistani man is telling his story, theres something sinister happening in the present time.

But as I read to the last page (this afternoon on my way home from University), I found that the ending was lacking. The build up for the ending was not enough. The last paragraph did not answer the questions that were buzzing around my head. Now I dont know if thats the way the author planned it, but for me it just left me confused.

Overall I did enjoy reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist but I have definately read other books that were more enjoyable, more suspenseful, more dramatic than this. I hope that the next novel by Hamid is something a little more flavoursome and spicy!!!

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A/S

You know what the best smell in the world is???? The first page of an unread book. And I have about 6 books sitting on my shelves that are waiting to be read. The first one I will be reading is: The swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra.  I have also got the reluctant fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, and also a thousand splendid suns by Khalid Hosseini. But now that I have bought so many books ( partly because i get a big discount in the store i work in) Im having to give some books away to charity and sell some.  If I dont, knowing my mother she’ll chuck them all in a bag and give them to charity one day when im not home!!

So bear with me ( coz im studying full time too) and I iwll put up a review of each book that i read. Also Im happy to read any recommendations you have! (but convince me why i should first!)

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I’ve recently come online after a while. Partly due to going back into full time education to complete an MSc. I decided to come have a quick look here to see if theres any new comments and I have one from someone who is obviously not very tolerant of different faiths.

If that person is reading this…….ignorance is not bliss. Discrimination is not acceptable.

And dude ( coz i know ur a guy) to people like you all i say is “Whatever Trevor!”

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I repoerted in one of the older posts that i was going to keep a diary and also report my eatings here….

 Well….I kept the diary but not posted on here. So i apologise for that. Just so you know I have caved in a few times but generally im am pleased with myself. I has a healthy breakfast every day. NO junk food. Iftar time was hard because thats when all the good food is cooked but alhumdulillah i didnt overeat/indulge. Partly due to my mum n 2 sisters being on holiday and only having to cook for 5 people instead of the normal 8!

I still keep my food diary and i am still trying to eat healthily which is hard but i am determined to lose some fat pockets that have found their way onto my body!!!

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Ok Ive finished East of the Sun by j Gregson ( i think thats the author)

Anway it was a really nice chick lit story based on the journey of 3 women, Viva, Rose and Tor, to India.

The pace of the story is slow moving but very descriptive. There are moments when something unexpected happens to a character, which saves the book from becoming boring.

The author writes beautifully which actually transports you into the story and brings to life the description of India, the colours, flavours, smells.

 This is a nice read for someone who has a day or two to just relax and spend time reading. Definately a summer read, although can still be read in the winter time! Wrapped in a  blanket with a mug of hot chocolate…Perfect!

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around the corner!!!

I am to learnt he 4 Quls by heart as a self improvement for myself!

Does anyone else have self improvemens they will be making this year???

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I’ve gained a stone in weight since my University days.

 For a 5ft 4.5 tall 9 stone woman. Im well within my Body Mass Index.

BUT Im finding it harder to find good comfortable sized clothing. Over the last few shopping trips Im having to buy size 14 and not because I need it but simply to remain modest in accordance with my religion. So I hereby declare that I am slowly going to cut out bad foods from my diet including pastries, donuts, and chocolate. Hopefully the start of Ramadhaan will help me with my self control!

I know there will be times where I will cave in but as long as my overall day isnt spent eating junk food then I will be happy. To prove Im serious I will be keeping a diary AND be reporting my daily intake here.

p.s Ive nearly finished the book EAST OF THE SUN by Julia Gregson. will post up a review soon!

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Assalamu alaikum people!

Theres only a few days left til the start of Ramadhaan. I know there are many people who are dreading the fasting aspect as the days will be longer.

I for one am so looking forward to this blessed month. The chance to reap benefits this month holds.

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