the Book Burger tag

Dear Reader, 

So the object of this book tag is to build a burger using books you own, and it was created by booktuber RyanReads. However, I came across it on Sue Moro's channel, who shares my enthusiasm for fantasy, sci-fi and all things escapism. 

Burger building time!!!

1) First we need the bottom bun. Choose the first book of a series that you love.

Not including The Hobbit, this was the first ever dragon-book I read and have loved it since. Also (as mentioned previously) this book holds a very special place in my heart because it was key in bringing me and my best friend, Codename: Pixie, together; and we have been friends for 10 years now.    

2) Now we need the burger meat. Choose a meaty book that you've recently read and enjoyed (400+ pages).

With a grand total of 533 pages, The Invention of Hugo Cabret was an absolute delight to read. It's light on words, more than half of this book is actually full sided intricate sketches, made by the author, that tell the story as much as the narrative and are not just complimentary artistic drawings (like in the Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld). Though you can't really understand the power of this until you read it yourself. Plus, the pages have this thick, beautiful texture that often I'd lift my fingers from the page to make sure I hadn't smudged the pencil drawing.  

3) Next we add a thin slice of cheese and lettuce. Choose two thin books: one you've read and enjoyed and one you want to read but haven't yet (200 pages or less).

With only 167 pages, this is my rather-blue but leafy lettuce. I read this one a year or two ago when I spent a winter reading ghost stories. 

A 153 paged very-read Leicester cheese. Though, I kind of cheated on this one; I'm actually in the process of reading The Sign of Four, as opposed to having never read it as the challenge requires. You can even see my beaded-bookmark hanging out of it.

4) Time for a nicely sliced tomato. Choose an average sized book you loved or hated (between 200 and 400 pages).

Fire has a total of 334 pages. But finding my tomato was a lot harder than I thought it would be since the majority of the books I own are 400 pages plus. It is plausible for me to work out the exact number of pages in an "average" sized book for me, but it'll take too long and honestly I'm not all that bothered to find out. 

5) Now you add a sauce that you've never tried before and you don't know if you'll love it or hate it. Choose a book that you thought you'd love but hated, or a book you thought you'd hate but, in the end, loved.

The Ringmaster's Daughter is one of those rare books that I thought I'd really like but ended up hating and not being able to finish it altogether. 

6) Finally, we need the bun on top to complete our burger. Choose the last book of a series that you are/were dreading the release of because you don't/didn't want the series to end.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows definitely fits that bill. I knew there would be a final battle, and doubt less people would die. But it was more than just that. The characters in this series had been a constant presence through out my adolescence, and reading the final book in the series truly felt like saying good-bye to old friends. Though it's not a permanent good-bye, as I can re-visit their world any time I wish.   

And finally, this is what my burger would look like put together: 

Quite a mouth full, if you ask me.

Nida 

Young Adult Book Series

Dear Reader,

I'm back!

But I'll forego any lengthy explanations and jump right into the reason for this blog post: Young Adult (YA) book series. 

I've lately noticed that the majority of the books I've most enjoyed reading in the past few years fall into this category. So I thought I might define the genre for myself and for my readers. (This is my own definition for my own personal reference and by no means a definition that you, as a reader, have to agree with.)  

A Young Adult Book Series, in my opinion, is where the main protagonist(s) is/are in their mid-to-late teens and the plot discusses grandiose themes, as well as exploring what it means or what it takes to transition from child/teen to adult. For it to be classified as a series, the central story arc must also span more than two books.

While the thought of reading yet another book series is enough to give some, even me sometimes, a headache, (because waiting an entire year or more for the next book to be released is not the easiest thing for an impatient book lover like me) I rather like reading trilogies, quartets, quintets, sextets etc. It gives me more time to explore their world and get to know the characters. And if it's a particularly well written series, the characters can even become friends I want to keep going back to visit.        

So for you, dear Reader, I have compiled a list of my Top 10 Favourites YA book series.

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (I've included this series because the last 3 books definitely fit my definition of YA)
2. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare 
3. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer 
4. The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Roirdan (I haven't included the prequel series Percy Jackson & the Olympians since the main characters are little more than 15 by the end of it) 
5. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
6. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
7. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
8. Graceling Realm Trilogy by Kristin Cashore 
9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 
10. The Sally Lockhart Mysteries by Philip Pullman

I know I said Top 10 but here's 5 more that didn't make it onto the list but I still think deserve a mention. 

• The Old Kingdom Trilogy by Garth Nix
• The Wolves of Mercy Fall by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare 
• Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth
• The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo   

(This list does not contain some very wonderful and popular stand alone books. I will dedicate an entire blog post to them in the up coming months, Inshallah.)  

I have compiled a list of the Top 10 YA book series I am most looking forward to reading.

1. Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi
2. Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
3. Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver
4. Legend Trilogy by Maria Lu
5. Shades of London by Maureen Johnson
6. Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
7. The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan 
8. UnWind Series by Neal Shusterman
9. Angel Fall Trilogy by Susan Ee
10. Across the Universe Trilogy by Beth Revis

Let me know if you've already read any of the books I've mentioned about and what you thought of them. Take care and keep reading.

Nida

bookshelf Scavenger Hunt tag

Dear Reader,

The tag was created by TheLibraryofSarah on Youtube and the one I watched was supersushipizza. The idea is to basically find books on your bookshelf(ves) that fit a certain criteria, and there might be something about not using the same book twice. So usually on these sort of youtube tags, one is supposed to make a video response if one is tagged init but it looked like fun and, like Susheela (supersushipizza), I like living "on the edge" and so I've turned this youtube tag into a blogging one. 

1) Find an author's name with the letter 'Z' in it. 

I can only think of one very handsome one for now.

2) Find a Classic 

Easy-peazy.  I've got an entire shelf dedicated to my favourite classics. But for the purpose of this tag, I'm going to choosing the classic I'm reading this month. 

3) Find a book with a key on it. 

I cannot believe how hard this was. I know that the American cover of Bitterblue, by Kritin Cashore, has keys on it, and that my UK version has keys drawn in it, but has none on the cover.

Then, after much searching, I found a key on this, of all places. And yes that's a key, even if it's attached to a bird.

4) Find something on your bookshelf that is not a book. 

I have several bookmarks, knick-knacks and photos, comfortably residing in and amongst my books. The thing I'm choosing to show you is one that I mentioned before, my teacher's pet 13th birthday present. I keep it as a reminder of how I was a nerd and always will be, (plus he's super cute).    

5) Find the oldest book on your shelf. 

This was a tough one. I had to check a lot of publication dates before I this edition, which came out in 1986. This book originally belonged to my dad until I needed it for a history assignment, back when I was doing my GCSEs. It's been in my room since then.  

6) Find a book with a girl on it. 

I have quite a few of those but I went for one of my favourite books with favourite covers, with a girl on them. 

7) Find a book that has an animal in it. 

I immediately thought of the Disreputable dog in Lireal by Garth Nix. (Only later did Aslan come to mind) 

There is even a dog on the cover. See, right here on the corner.

8) Find a book with a male protagonist. 

At first I thought of Harry Potter but then thought it was a bit cliché and I've already used a HP book once already. So I went for this one instead. 

9) Find a book with illustrations in it. 

All the books in my copy of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis have illustrations in them.

But I've only taken a picture of my favourite illustration from the first book, The Magician's Nephew. 

10) Find a book with gold lettering. 

Arabic religious books usually have gold leaf on the covers. But these are part of a beautiful series (with the traditional look) in English, published by Darussalam. You must click on the picture to see the intricately coloured patterns better.

11) Find a diary (true or fiction). Well I can one-up you on that becauase I have both. 

Non-fiction
(So far as I can tell, most people who have done this tag have used this book, so I thought I'd follow the trend, for once.)

Fiction   

12) Find a book written by someone with a common name (like Smith). 

Many of the books that I own were written by "foreign" authors or were written long ago. But Nicholas Baker is a common-ish sort of name in  this sense, I think.

13) Find a book that has a close up of something on it. 

I had the choice of  neuron, blood, urea crystal and the coronary artery. I went with blood because I think it will probably gross people out the least.    

           

14) Find a book on your shelf that takes place in the earliest time period. 

The actual oldest time period is in my little blue pocket-version of The Sealed Nectar, which tells the history of the Prophet (pbuh) and begins some time around 570 CE. But it's just such a worn and handled copy that the writing on the cover has completely faded. So I thought I'd go for the next oldest thing, which is Beowulf: an Anglo-Saxon folk tale, first written in Old English in the 10th century. 

15) Find a hardcover book without a jacket. 

This was a gift from my elder brother and it contains all of Jane Austen's novels. Absolutely beautiful to look at but completely impractical to read, considering that fact that it has 1433 pages in it. (I just realised it has gold writing on it too.) 

          

16) Find a teal/turquoise coloured book. 

Though it might look a bit green in the picture, but I assure you dear Reader, it is teal. 

       

17) Find a book with stars on it. 

I think those little thinks at the top are stars. (Please ignore the shadow of my camera, it was hard to find a place to take a decent picture of it because of its uber mirror-like reflective cover.)

       

18) Find a non-YA book. 

I have plenty of those too but decided to go for the one that I think has the prettiest cover. 

       

For this Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt to continue I tag you, dear Reader. You can make your own tag/response on your blog or youtube or anywhere you like on this internet. Just make sure to leave a link in the comments section below so I can check it out too.

Nida       

the Wise tooth of Misery

Dear Reader,

I'm not usually the sort of person who complains, especially about aches and pains (sorry, unintentional rhyme there). But I had to tell someone, so I thought why not you, dear reader.  

So it started off about 3 days ago. As the afternoon became evening, I began notice the inside of my right cheek kept getting caught between my teeth. This quickly went from irritating to painful and because I was deep within my writing zone, I couldn't be bothered to check it out in a mirror, let alone go downstairs and take a painkiller. I know, I know, my mistake. But to remedy the situation temporarily, I placed a small-but-handy piece of candied pineapple between my gum and my cheek. (Aside: my love of candied pineapples being the only thing I have in common with Professor Slughorn).



For a time it was perfect; my cheek was safe from my throbbing gums and every few minutes a got a burst of pineapply-sweetness in my mouth. (At this point you may point out dear reader that I could have easily used chewing gum, but to quote Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka "chewing gum is really gross, chewing gum I hate the most." This sums up quite well my feeling on that subject)

The pineapple pieces lasted me until dinner, by which time the inside of my mouth was completely coated in sweet stuff, to the point that it numbed all other pain. So I happily filled my bowl with rice and green-chickpeas and sat down to eat. The way my mum cooks it, usually this is one my favourite rice dishes, and one of the few foods I wouldn't mind a second helping of. But not this day.

I'd barely eaten five spoonfuls when I gave up. My entire lower jaw was tight, the right side of my face in agony, my right ear was ringing, I could hardly open my mouth wide enough to let a spoon, not to mention that the pointy, chickpeas were poking into my swollen gums. I felt like I was chewing on needles or raw pasta. Of course, my mum picked up on my sudden lack of appetite and asked me what was wrong.

I'm not ashamed to admit that at this moment I gushed, told her everything, just the way I did when I was five and had badly scrapped my knee. Its part of a mother's job description after all: to know exactly how to soothe her hurt child, no matter how old they get. I'm sure she would have sat me in her lap if we were not sitting at the dinner table and I wasn't too big for her. All that aside, she told me it was probably a wisdom tooth that was at the root of my pain.      

Now, when it comes to teeth, I've always been a bit of a late bloomer. For example, while all my friend's baby teeth fell out when they were 5, 6 or 7 years old, mine didn't begin to fall out until I was 10. And the last of my baby teeth had to be yanked out of my mouth by my dentist when I was 16. So, it only made sense I was quite surprised by this revelation. Even more surprised by it, in fact, than the day I woke up to find that Mount Everest had taken up residence on my chin. (Now that was one tenant I was more than happy to get rid off.) I'd always thought I'd get my wisdom teeth when I was in my 30's.

But my mum told me that the same thing happened to her when she was 23, slightly more than a year before I was born. The conversation then diverted on to topics that included how much my brothers and I had cried as teething babies, the tooth-fairy and did my early wisdom teeth mean that I had wisdom and my older brother's lack there of. The only thing of help that came out of it was the advice that I go and see my dentist about it.

And so, like a dutiful citizen that has complete faith in the NHS, I called my local dentist the very next morning and they gave me an appointment for the day after. It felt strange sitting there in the same, unchanged waiting room after so many years. The only real difference, I'm sad to say, was that the little aquarium with the sea horses was gone. (Aside: what's with dentist having aquarium in their waiting rooms? Is it some unwritten code?) I was surrounded by children and toddlers, with their hassled mama's and pushchairs. In an oddly sentimental moment, I could not helping thinking/hoping that that would be me one day.

Anyways, my dentist was really rather nice and showed me an X-ray of my teeth. It turns out that I have one wisdom tooth coming out on either side of my lower jaw. The pain is being caused by an ulcerated infection on my right gum and cheek, which probably would have been worse had I not been brushing properly. So, like most any other dentist, she told me to start brushing twice a day and then prescribed me with an antibiotic that had my name in it: metroNIDAzole, lol.

And what was the point of all this? I hear you ask. Well, I believe that all stories have a moral, if you look hard enough. But for this one, I'm not exactly sure what it might be. Maybe it should be that 'wisdom comes at a price'. Or maybe 'gaining wisdom is not always painless, but hopefully it is worth it'. Though I keep fingers-crossed as swallow another set of antibiotics and painkillers. ;-)  

Nida

what Makes a Heroine?

Dear Reader,

Since I started thinking about the quartet I'm currently working on, Chronicles by Anamika, which is to say for about 6 years now, I've often found myself asking this question: "what makes a heroine?" It's also the question that Jane Austen explored quite well in her first complete novel, Northanger Abbey, especially in the first chapter: "No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her to be born a heroine."   

To answer this question, I've often turned to my favourite stories, looking at the characters in particular and analysing why I liked them so much. That is how I formed my list: 'Favourite Fictional Heroines (not including Fairytales)' which I plan to share with you today. Aside: this list is not ranked by favourite first, but rather in order of how I read them.  

Matilda by Roald Dahl:

The first book I ever remember reading was a picture book by Roald Dahl called The Enormous Crocodile. From then on, my childhood was littered by his books, including the famous Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But the one that stayed with me the most was obviously Matilda. As a child, she was the one I identified with the most: she had this endless thirst for knowledge and loved to read. Though, Matilda also had many qualities that I aspired towards: she was spunky, mischievous, always did what she believed was right and just, and had the power to move things with her mind! You, dear reader, can probably see why this appealed to the shy little girl that I was.    

Illustration of Matilda by Quentin Blake

Lucy Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis:

I first read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe back in year five with the rest of my class. It took me another year or two before I found the rest of the Narnia books and fell deeply in love with them. Of the two Pevensie sisters, I only liked Susan because she was 'the voice of reason', cautious and practical (much like myself), but it was Lucy who really found a way into my heart. Looking back now I've realised why that was. Lucy was the embodiment of childhood innocence, she was imaginative and trusting and completely loyal to her family and friends.  

Miranda Otto as Eowyn,
The Shieldmaiden of Rohan

Éowyn daughter of  Éomund from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien:

Back in 2001, when I was just on the brink of my teenage years, my cousin (who is 8 years older than me), took me and my elder brother to the cinema to watch The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. She was already a big fan of the books and told me to read them as well. It goes without saying that I'd read the entire trilogy and The Hobbit before the next film was released a year later. There aren't actually many female characters in Tolkien's works, but the few that there are, are all rather memorable. My favourite of the lot is definitely Éowyn, though she is not my most favourite character from the trilogy (that would be Gandalf and Sam Gamgee). The reason why I like Éowyn so much (and on whom I somewhat modelled my own character Sharon) is because she is brave and she wants to prove that women can do so much more than just take care of hearth and home, and that when it comes to courage, size and strength doesn't matter. Plus, she says the simplest things in a very interesting manner: "I have waited on faltering feet long enough. Since they falter no longer, it seems, may I not spend my life as I will?" (I wish people still spoke like that *sigh*). 

Sally Lockhart from The Sally Lockhart Mysteries by Philip Pullman:

While Philip Pullman is better known for His Dark Material trilogy, I personally much prefer The Sally Lockhart Quartet. I actually found these books in a neglected corner of my secondary school library, when I was 16 and was working there as a library assistant. I was just beginning to develop my love for history and all things Victorian, so these books (which are set between 1872 and 1882) greatly appealed to me and were also written in modern English, making them easy reads. So, when we first meet Victoria (Sally) Lockhart, she's a feisty 16 year old, albeit one in mourning for her beloved father and thoroughly determined to solve the mystery surrounding his death. Then over the years (and books) she goes on to become a successful businesswoman, then a single mother trying to juggle her work, an old nemesis and her personal life, when all the while she's also been battling against the stereotypes of the British Victorian Society. This unconsciously taught me an important lesson in writing, that heroines are much more interesting when they don't conform to society's view of a 'typical woman'.  And being a bit of a nonconformist at heart, these books gave me the courage to just be who I am and not care much for how inconsequential others saw me.     

Lirael by Garth Nix: 

I read The Old Kingdom Series (aka The Abhorsen Chronicles) just a little while, maybe only a few months, after The Sally Lockhart books. Anyway, in the very north of the Old Kingdom lives the Clayr, who are all fair-haired women and all are Seers. Amongst the Clayr is dark-haired Lirael, a misfit since her birth. The only place she finds sanctuary is in the mysterious and convoluted Library, where she works as a librarian and is usually accompanied by her unusual companion: the Disreputable Dog. But soon enough her adventures in the Library lead her to begin a journey that takes her all the way across the Old Kingdom, in which a dark evil is rising once again. And it is in the murky waters of Death itself that she finally begins finding her identity. The last time I read Lirael was about six years ago now, and considering the hundreds of books I've read since then it is only understandable that I no longer remember much of the story or the names of other characters in this one. But the fact that I have a lasting impression of Lirael in my mind and still see her as being one of my favourite heroines, is testament to the fact that she was such a well written character. 

Sabriel & Lirael by Claire Lenth

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë:

When I was studying for my A Levels in English Literature (as well as Biology, Chemistry, Maths and History), I was also going through 'my Classics phase'. That's when I read Jane Eyre for the first time, as well as all the other books by the Brontë sisters (save for Villette, since my local library didn't have a copy). There are so many reasons why the character of Jane Eyre is such a brilliant a heroine that I'm not sure where to start. I suppose it'll only be true to Jane if we use her own words: "Do you think because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, an as much heart!" Actually I think this quote by an 'anonymous' reviewer, also captures her just right: "The book revolves around the trials and tribulations to which she [Jane] is subjected. Jane is headstrong and fights for what she believes in; she stands up for her rights and retaliates when harassed. She can be passionate and determined." I would like to add that what I liked best about Jane Eyre was that when she finally married Mr. Rochester, they were completely equal, both in terms of wealth and status as well as their dependency on each other.  

Anne Elliot from Persuasion by Jane Austen:

Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot
from the 2007 ITV adaptation of
'Persuasion'

(Also a part of my 'Classics phase'.) Of the six complete novels that Jane Austen wrote, Persuasion is my favourite. It's all about second chances and persuading each other to not give up on hope and love, even when there is little chance of it. And as for Anne Elliot, the protagonist, I feel a lot of empathy towards her. Her family, and some of her friends, are very negligent of her and constantly under appreciating her kindness, compassion and good sense. They never miss an opportunity to impose their arrogant aristocratic values on her. Anyway, what better way is there to describe Anne Elliot than with the words of Captain Wentworth (the 'hero') "[There was] no one so proper, so capable as Anne ... Her character was now fixed in my mind as perfection itself, maintaining the loveliest medium of fortitude and gentleness." So basically I really look up to Anne Elliot, she seems to embody all the values that should be in a down-to-earth young woman. On a side note, her personality greatly reminds me of my mother.    

Margaret Hale from North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell (both my favourite book and author):

Another amazingly-realistic and moving book written in the Victorian Era. I won't say too much about Margaret today because I plan to write an entire review post about this book in the near future, Inshallah. I will say however that one of the things I like best about Margaret Hale and Mr. Thornton is the way they both change and develop into better, less stubborn, people over the course of the novel.

Lady Fire from Fire by Kristen Cashore (the only American author on this list, funnily enough):

It took me only two and a half days to read this book, that I had purchased on the day of its release in the UK, which happened to be only a few years ago (2009). What kept me so hooked on this book was not only its fast paced and engaging plot, but also the way that Cashore uses the character of Lady Fire as a medium through which to explore broad and thought provoking themes. For example, the struggle between control and freedom, which was embellished with the exploration of the idea that hardly anyone is either entirely good or entirely evil, everyone has their own shade of grey (ETA - no reference any other rather "popular" book), as well as the concept that if one has power, it is so very easy to abuse it. I hope to convey similar themes in my novels, and the fantasy genre seems to be a really good way to go about doing that.    

UK book cover

Elinor Dashwood from Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen (again): 

Surprisingly enough, I didn't get around to reading this one until only 2 years ago. I'm not exactly sure why that was, but I'm sure it no longer matters since I have finally read it. Simply put, I like her because Elinor Dashwood is 'sense' personified. Though she also has a great deal of patience, fortitude and faith in her too. To this effect, she is described quite well by Austen in Chapter 1: "Elinor, this eldest daughter whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgement, which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her mother ... She had an excellent heart - her disposition was affectionate and her feelings were strong; but she knew how to govern them."  There is not much more that I can add to that. 

Hermione Granger from The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling:

Emma Watson as Hermione
Granger (2003) 

I've already explained in this post why I read the Harry Potter books only recently, so I won't go through that again as it might be boring for you, dear reader. When I read about Hermione, especially in books 1 through to 4, I kept thinking back to myself as a teenager. I was a complete nerd, with goofy front teeth (and braces later on, though I didn't acquire my glasses until more recently), spent lots of time in the library, had a penchant for answering questions and getting them right (though I'm not nearly as clever as Hermione), got along quite well with most teachers, was enthusiastic about learning (although not so much about exams), just a tad bit bossy with my friends and brothers (okay, okay, really bossy), and was very neat, tidy and super organised (still am). Furthermore, among many other more unpleasant things, I was often called 'teacher's pet', so much so that for my 13th birthday one of my friends, Codename: Guji (who up until recently possessed my Inkheart trilogy) gave me a teddy-dog with a graduation cap and the words 'teacher's pet' written on it (I still have it sitting among my books). So when it came to Hermione, not only did I feel sympathy for her, but I could very much relate to most of what she went through (except her crush on Ron, as I didn't have a friend like him). But there were also many things that I learnt from Hermione; one of which is that a girl can be adventurous, brave and beautiful while still remaining proud of being a nerd. It's one of the things I like best about her: she has integrity and dignity, as she is not willing to sacrifice her intelligence, or any part of herself, to be more likeable to other people, especially boys.  
       

Though these next two are not technically heroines, I still think they deserve a mention among my favourites. 

Angela from Eragon by Christopher Paolini: 

Eragon is a book that holds a rather special place in my heart, since it was the reason that I first properly spoke to Codename: Pixie, who is now one of my closest friends. This was about 9 years ago, so we have been friends a very long time. You know, dear reader, eccentric Angela rather reminds of Pixie, if she were 40 years old that is. If you want to know what sort of woman Angela is, all you have to do is read page 179 and 180 of Eragon, and you'll also understand why I love her so much.(They are very much the same reasons why I love Luna Lovegood).  

Professor Mcgonagall from The Harry Potter Series (again): 

There are plenty of amazing/noteworthy female characters in the Harry Potter books that I absolutely adore, but I thought that I'll only mention Minerva Mcgonagall in this post. Professor Mcgonagall is all about discipline, on the outside at least, though she is caring and warm enough that no one really hates her. And she also has this way of commanding peoples' respect, including my own. As tough and no-nonsense her exterior is, she has a very soft heart on the inside that, on the rare occasion, makes itself known: for example, in those first few pages, of the first book, when Professor Mcgonagall's eyes tear up, when she hears about James and Lily Potter's death ... *sigh* ... or when she becomes rather emotional when Harry & Ron say that they want to go visit the petrified Hermione. Actually, I really want to know Minerva Mcgonagall's back story, after all, we got to know Professor Lupin's, Professor Snape's and even Professor Dumbledore's. I want to know what she was like as a talented student at Hogwarts, then as a young woman and how that led to her becoming a Professor. And yet, I have a feeling that her story can only be bittersweet.          

Dame Maggie Smith as Professor Mcgonagall

Anyway, it has not escaped my notice that many of my favourite heroines (7 out of 11) are of the 'bookish' sort (i.e. they really like reading). But that is probably because I myself am bookish and so can relate really well to those kind of girls/women. Moving on. So, to answer the question 'what makes a heroine?':

1. I've learnt that a heroine must be relate-able, so the reader can connect with her
2. While she should still symbolise something 
3. She must have the strength, will and determination to shoulder the story's plot  
4. She doesn't have to conform to the norms of society
5. She should be true to herself and I should make sure that her characteristics are consistent 
6. She must also be likeable so the reader doesn't despise her (which may put some people off)
7. She can be a medium through which heavy themes can be explored
8. She should grow and develop into a better person through the course of the novel. 
9. And finally, she should be well written and memorable.

Nida

a Potter present

Dear Reader,

A little while ago, I received a very delayed birthday present through the post. (Aside: my birthday is in the middle of July, and it arrived some-time during August.) It wasn't some small card with money in it from my Aunt in Pakistan or anything like that. No. It was HUGE. I wish I had taken a picture of the actual box to show you. It came up to my waste. Within the cardboard box was another slightly smaller box. In the style of a Russian Nesting doll I kept opening, and smaller boxes kept emerging. Until finally, after seven layers of cardboard, packing and bubble-wrap (yey bubble-wrap!!!!), I came out with this:

Yes! it's a Harry Potter Box Set delivered by Owl Post.
Its a shame the photo doesn't do full justice to the beautiful details on the box.  

...in which was this...

Cool right!

The present was from my friend Codename: Pixie. You see, we've had this very long standing argument. She absolutely adores all the Harry Potter Books. Where as me ... well, when I was about 10 or 11, I attempted to read the first two books, didn't like them much at the time and gave up 1/2 way. Then of course, the movies began coming out and everyone went Potter-crazy. And, being the sort of person who hates following popular trends, I thought to myself that there was no way I was going to read the Potter books now.   

However, being my one of my oldest friends, and sharing my obsession with books, Pixie also knew that I cannot resist the seductive lure of a shiny, brand-new just-off-press/just-off-a-shop-shelf book. And so, by giving me this beautiful Harry Potter Box Set for my birthday, she had guaranteed that I would finally come around to reading those books.

I tried. Believe me. I tried to resist the smell of those crease-less books, the glittering gold on those perfectly flat covers, the fresh black ink on those thousands of unread pages. It was incredibly hard but I succeed, some-what. Long-story short, it's suffice to say that within a week of the end of Ramadan, I had finished the entire series.    

And now, I must admit that I have fallen in love with The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows. J.K. Rowling really is an amazing writer, which was something I didn't really appreciate when I was 10 years old. But, anything I might say now about her writing style or the characters or plots has probably been said and written a hundred, maybe a thousand, times overs already. So I won't won't bore you with repetition. ;-)     

Having newly immersed myself into the world of wizards and muggles, I would love to hear from you, dear reader, if you have read the Harry Potter books or even if you've only watched the movies, which one(s) your favourite(s) are, and what you like the most. Leave your intriguing and fascinating opinions in the comment section below. :-)

But now I must go and thoroughly enjoy my salad-filled SUBWAY sandwich.
Nida

Summer Yey! Oh....it's raining Again

Dear Reader,

Image courtesy of
Fix My Slow Computer

Sorry for the blogging dry spell. Due to the not-so-summerie weather we've been having here, my time this past two weeks has been quite thoroughly divided between my uni friends and writing Life in Conversations. 

I would like to say that I've written thousands upon thousands of words that go towards my summer goal, but the sad truth is that I made an awful blunder last night. The entirety of Chapter 3 was, somehow, accidentally deleted.  And now my unfortunate word count is even less then what I had started off with. I was awake until 4 this morning, rewriting all that I remembered. I still have the ending section of the chapter to go, which is about another 1,500 words. But Alhumdulillah, I think this new Chapter 3 is actually better than the one I wrote before. All I can say is that everything happens for a reason. 

Anyway, sitting here in my bedroom in a sweater, it doesn't actually feel like summer has started yet. But my calender tells me other wise. So I guess it's time for another sampling of my current reading list. 

1. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
2. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
3. The History of the Khalifahs by Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti 
4. The Biography of  Abu-Bakr as-Siddeeq by Dr. Muhammad as-Sallaabee
5. The Biography of  Ummar ibn Al-Khattaab by Dr. Muhammad as-Sallaabee
6. The Biography of  Uthman Ibn Affan by Dr. Muhammad as-Sallaabee
7. The Black Tulip by Alexander Dumas 
8. Sybil by Benjamin Disraeli
9. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater - there is still a whole month before it's release!
10. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - also not yet released (ugh!)

Instructions: click on the picture to see all the book titles properly 

I've also incorporated those books I intend to read during Ramadaan as it will Inshallah begin at the beginning of August. But, currently I'm reading Rebecca. I'm about 88 pages in, and though the pace so far is quite slow and the plot is slightly cliché, this book has reminded me of why I love writing and literature so much. The prose and descriptive pieces hold this marvellous poetic resonance that is often scarce in modern literature. In this hectic and fast paced time, even writers just want to hurry along with the thrill of the plot and not pause by the roadside to describe how the "nettles were everywhere, the vanguard of the army. They choked the terrace, they sprawled about the paths, they lent, vulgar and lanky against the very windows of the house."  It's the metaphors, similes, symbols, literary paradoxes and oxymorons that I miss most. 

In Rebecca, there is also this one quote  I came across that really made me think and which I thought I should share with you, dear reader:

"Happiness is not a possession to be prized, it is a quality of thought, a state of mind."      

Anyway, during the week of my absence, I read three little books that left me smiling and laughing: The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages, all by J. K. Rowling. Now I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan, but after The Deathly Hallows I really wanted to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard and I must admit, I like it far more than any of the Harry Potter books. I can't help it, I just have a thing for fairy tales, parables and short-stories-with-morals. I can even see myself reading it to my own children 15 years from now. 

The other two I just sort of stumbled across and, being a compulsive completionist, well I just had to read them. They're pretty good and really make it hit home how large the detailed the Harry Potter universe is.  


So, that's all I have to say for now. I know that this post is quite dull and lifeless, but I'm quite exhausted to be honest. I promise, next time the post will be much livelier, Inshallah. Until next time, take care.
Nida