Seraphina by Rachel Hartman: Review

Dear Reader,

Synopsis:

In the capital city of the country of Gorredd, the exceptionally talented 16-year-old Seraphina lands the coveted job of Assistant to the Court Composer, Viridius. Her role entails preparing for the week-long celebrations, that'll lead up to the 40th anniversary of the Peace-Treaty with the dragons, and giving music lessons to the Queen's grand-daughter and second heir, Princess Glisselda.   

But Seraphina has a secret: she is half-dragon, the evidence of which lies under her left sleeve, where silvery dragon scales grow instead of skin. Her mother was a dragon in human form, and though she had died of child birth, in Serphina's mind she left her a "pearl" of her memories; memories that will help Seraphina greatly when the fragile peace between humans and dragons is threatened after the death of the Queen's only son, the beloved and charming Prince Rufus.       

***

Rachel Hartman has created such a well developed world and characters. I especially like the maturity with which it ends, that sets it apart from the majority of other young adult (YA) books that I've read so far. Other than the dragons, the best thing about this book is Seraphina herself. She is intelligent, thinks on her feet, and is bold and brave, without being unlikable. She has quite a few vulnerabilities but also has her priorities in order, (i.e. save the royals family first, restore peace and order, then worry about falling in love with the wrong person).And in spite of all that happens and the self-loathing Seraphina feels at the beginning (a surprisingly common theme in many YA books), at no point did I get annoyed with her, or any of the characters in fact. I did not feel that Seraphina was ever being overly whiny/self-pitying (which was a major problem I've had with the Shatter Me, Divergent, The Mortal Instruments and The Hunger Games trilogies). There is also a wonderfully malicious villain (revealing the name of which would be a major spoiler) and a really nice ensemble of characters to support Seraphina. My favourites include:

• Orma - Seraphina's teacher, who also happens to be a mathematically-orientated dragon, 
• the lively and multifaceted, Princess Glisselda, 
• Prince Lucian Kiggs - Glisselda's fiance, the bastard-grandson of the Queen, captain of the Royal Guard and "possessor of too many titles", 
• and Fruit-Bat - the silent, orange-eating, tree-climbing, dark-skinned, curly-haired little boy that lives in Seraphina's mind.    

However, the plot can feel the tiniest bit slow at times, when there isn't actually a lot happening. But it does all build-up to the big finale, which does not disappoint. Furthermore, I felt that this book discussed prejudices, race, what it means to have humanity, religion and science in a very sophisticated way. And though it is the humans that originally invaded and settled into the dragons feeding/breeding grounds, this book goes far beyond the "Natives vs. Settlers" scenario, in discussing intermingling of cultures, the back-clash from those opposed to that "dilution", as well as what can be gained from peace and the price some will pay in order to protect it. I was also pleasantly surprised to find quite a bit of diversity in Seraphina which isn't often common in this type of book. To add to that, the light humor, the interspersed refrains of music and the dash of romance balance it out enough to make Seraphina a fun and greatly enjoyable read. 

Even several days after finishing the book, I still find myself thinking about Seraphina and the adventures she would have gone on and how young Princess Glisselda would prepare for the on-coming war. So much so that when I found out that there is actually a sequel planned for release next year, I was exceptionally excited. InshaAllah I'll be reviewing that too once it's out.

Nida

The Lunar Chronicles Review

Dear Reader

Review Time!!

Series Synopsis:

So the The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is a series of fairy tale retellings. But they're not just ordinary retellings... oh, no, no ... these retellings have a twist. The Lunar Chronicles are set thousands of years from now, in a dystopic world complete with hover-cars, walking-talking androids, a genetically modified werewolf army, a new plague pandemic and super-humans with mind-control abilities that live on a colony on the moon (Luna) and called themselves Lunar. And just as the world has been given a futuristic make-over, so have our leading ladies been modernized:       

1) Linh Cinder (aka Cinderella) is a cyborg, with a mechanical hand and foot. When she's not being bullied by her step-mother and step-sister, she spends her time working as a mechanic in New Beijing, earning her keep by fixing androids and other electrical devices.  

Cinder by Lostie815

2) Scarlet Benoit (aka Little Red Riding Hood) delivers fresh produce from her farm to the local town of Rieux. But she can also drive any space ship, a talent and skill she got from her grandmother who's an ex-military pilot of the European Federation. 

Scarlet by Lostie815

3) Cress Mira (aka Repunzel) is a skilled hacker, sorry I mean programmer. But she also happens to be a Lunar (not an Earthen) who's lived alone in satellite orbiting the Earth, for seven years, keeping a watchful eye on all the important people. 

Cress by Lostie815

4) Princess Winter (aka Snow White). We don't know much about her at the moment except that she is the step-daughter of the Queen of Luna. But come 2015, I have no doubt that I will be just as thrilled and delighted to see how she fits into this new world, as I have been with all the other characters.          

Winter by Lostie815

Though each book, Cinder, Scarlet and Cress, plays out the plot of their own fairy tale, the story arc that spans and connects all the books is that of Cinder and her fight against the Evil Luna Queen, Levana.  

Levana by Lostie815

Warning: what follows is my review and personal opinion of each book in the series. This may contain spoilers for anyone who has not read any of the books. SOME SPOILERS AHEAD. BE WARNED.

***  

 Cinder

This book was absolutely captivating from start to finish, even though it was more of a "set up" novel, introducing us to the key characters (Cinder, Iko, Prince Kaito and Dr. Erland) and the world of The Lunar Chronicles. The plot was well-paced and incredibly enjoyable, and I had a great time finding the symbols and making connections with the fairytale we all know and love. It especially delighted me to read how Marissa Meyer was able to incorporated the "fairy godmother" and the "pumpkin carriage". Not to mention that this has the most well developed fairy tale "prince" I have ever come across, in all the fairytale retellings that I have read (trust me, that is a large number). It is also the second most well developed fairytale/dystopian world I have had the pleasure to read. 

To be honest, Cinderella has always been my least favourite fairytale; but I have to admit that I love this version, so much so that it is now among my all time favourites. And I will say this, I believe Cinder is a great role model young girls, though I never thought that about Cinderella, even as a young girl myself. Which goes to show the mastery with which Marissa Meyer has crafted this book. However, though I feel genuine affection for the overly-burdened and charming Prince Kai, Iko the Android is my favourite character and every scene involving her made me smile. 

Scarlet

A phenomenal sequel to what started out as a wonderfully imaginative series. I loved it, especially Marissa Meyers continued incorporation of symbolism and little references of the original fairy tale. I read the entire thing in one sitting, without skimming through a single word. Not only were the new characters that were introduced (Scarlet, the Grandmother, Wolf and Captain Thorne) entirely loveable, I was also really glad to see the character development that Cinder underwent and rejoiced at meeting Iko once again, though in a different form. 

The only downfall of this book is that I felt that the romance between Scarlet and Wolf felt a little forced and rushed; I think it needed time to grow but because of the multiple story arcs and the super-fast pacing of the novel, it just didn't get the room to seem natural. And on the topic of romance, I'm sure I'm not the only one to miss the Kai-Cinder relationship. The entire time I was reading the book, somewhere at the back of my mind, the teenage girl inside me kept wishing that they would at least just "comm" each other. 

Also, it bothered me that the characters were just not asking the right questions. They eventually came to the right conclusions and revelations ... eventually. But, I suppose if they had been asking the right questions to begin with, it would make for a much shorter story. But overall, I really did love this book.

Cress 

Though it might sound tediously repetitive and cliche, I LOVED Cress!!! I just couldn't put it down. Marissa Meyer has definitely out did herself with Cress. Though, to be honest,  I might not have loved it to this extent if Meyer hadn't already set such a strong foundation in the first two books and made me care so much about the characters. 

The plot is, again, incredibly fast paced and action packed, balanced wonderfully by a huge dose of character development for Cress, Throne, Cinder and Kai, as well as Dr.Erland and, surprsingly, for sort-of-newcomer Jacin. I really liked the way all the characters, especially the heroines, are very distinct from each other, with their own traits and peculiarities, which isn't always the case when reading fairy tale retellings or sprawling epics. Levana remains the evil queen you love to hate and I was glad to see how one particular character got their just desserts. 

The only minor grievance I had was that the Scarlet and Wolf plot line could have done with some work. Again, I felt the issue here was that they needed more time to grow, which is clearly not available in such a hectic, almost crowded, plot. I can only imagine how difficult it is to juggle so many central characters. Be warned though, this book does venture into some really dark territory, just like the original Grimm and Anderson fairy tales. That happens to be one of my favourite aspects of Meyer's writing: her faithfulness to the original stories, while still being unique and new. 

Nevertheless, there are still some very humorous scenes, that are reminiscent of Shakespeare's style of a comedy of errors and miscommunication, along with many touching scenes that warm the heart. Overall impression: I'll say it again, I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!! It is definitely up there among my favourite YA, along with Cinder. 

Waiting a whole year for Winter (2015) is going to be painful and will require a great strength of will on my part.

Characters of The Lunar Chronicles by Lostie815

Novellas

Glitches - This tells the story of how Cinder came to live with her step-mother, Linh Adri. It's sweet and funny, though equally sad and though it adds nothing new to the overall story, it's essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about Cinder, her mysterious adoptive father and how Iko came to be. 

   

Queen's Army - This short piece takes place several years before Scarlet and tells us the story of how Wolf had no choice but to become part of Queen's Army and how came to be Alpha. But most importantly, we get to see the Luna colonies for the first time and the extent of beautiful-terror that is Levana.  

The Little Android - Set about a year or two before Cinder begins, this is a short story retelling Anderson's famous The Little Mermaid. It is brilliant but bittersweet, though an improvement, in my opinion, on the original story, which had just been painfully tragic. Marissa Meyer is a truly marvelous writer; the amount of character development, plot and heart she has managed to fit into such a short space ... amazing.

Until the next blog, next book and next review, take care and keep reading.

Nida

Ramadan Reviews

Dear Reader,

In the continued spirit of Ramadan, I thought I'd write short reviews for the books I've been reading this month.

Review 1: 

Ameena's Ramadan Diary by Sara Kabil & Abu Bakr El-Banna

This is basically a self help guide disguised as a young woman's experience. It begins 6 weeks before Ramadan with helpful tips in preparing for Ramadan and then during Ramadan how to make the the most of it, productively and spiritually. Each entry is supported by Ayat from the Qur'an of authentic Hadith. The best bit however, I feel, is the Ramadan File at the back which can be revisited year after year.

This is a great book for new Muslims, with it's explanations, glossary and transliterations of Du'as. But it can also be really helpful for any Muslim who wishes to take advantage of all the opportunities that Ramadan presents.    

Review 2: 

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

This is Marjane Satrapi's autobiography that begins in Iran in the 1980's and tells the story of her unforgettable childhood, coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland.

However, what sets this book apart from other autobiographies is that it is also a graphic novel. The black and white drawing style is rather cute and very easy to read, though sometimes the only way to distinguish between people was there hairstyle. This can become confusing at times if you put it down for long periods of time and don't read the book all at once. 

I really liked the first half of this book, "The Story of a Childhood". Being a graphic novel it was, in my reading experience, a unique way to tell one's own story of oppression and war, while still maintaining an imaginative, light and humorous tone.  Despite the fact that there were some things in this book that I didn't really agree with (e.g. the depiction of God), I do not dispute that this is the truth as Marjane Satrapi experienced it, which opened up a whole new perspective for me. However, it must be taken with a grain of salt, as I hope that anyone reading this book will recognise that this is a story about living under an extremist regime, just like Nazi Germany or Russia under Stalin; regimes that will use any excuse to oppress people, and that it is not reflection of what the Islamic Religion is all about.

Nevertheless, the second half of this book "The Story of a Return", was a thorough disappointment and so different to what the first half set it up to be. The tone of the story became so bleak and self-pitying that I could no longer bring myself to care much for Satrapi's depiction of herself and it felt like a chore just to finish the book off. I doubt I would recommend this book to anyone for any reason, other than the novelty of being an autobiography in the form of a comic book/graphic novel.   

Review 3: 

The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson

This is also an autobiography and, as the sub-title so precisely summaries, it is the memoir of how a young American women's journey led to Islam and Love. Born into an atheist family, Willow Wilson actually begins telling the story of her life from an unusual point; while in her second year Boston University she was hospitalised for an acute reaction to medication and then suffered through adrenal distress for many months. It is during this time that she begins philosophising and contemplating the existence of God and what God means to her. And of all the major religions, her ideas about the Divine are confirmed in the Qur'an. After that, she began studying Arabic and Islam but resisted conversion to Islam until she was given the opportunity to word as a teacher in Cairo.

However, it is while she is in Cairo that her story becomes truly interesting, as she is torn between the secular West and the Muslim East. In The Butterfly Mosque, Wilson records her intensely personal struggle to forge a "third culture” that might accommodate her own values without compromising the friends and family on both sides of the divide. Though not always chronologically, Wilson tells her story in such an enchanting and contemplative manor that I could not help but cheer her on as she overcame one hardship after another.   

On a personal note, I could sympathise a lot with a the author when she wrote about moving to Egypt and navigating the great chasm between the American and Egyptian cultures; i.e. the East and the West. But while she was new to all of this, I feel like I've become an Old Pro. Being born a British-Asian Muslim I have spent me whole life in this "interworld". My entire existence lies in the "little fissures between East and West", as the author so eloquently put it, and thus I have become quite adept at finding the right balance, or the middle ground so to speak.    

But coming back to the book itself, I did not want The Butterfly Mosque to end. I wanted to continue on this journey with the Willow Wilson, I wanted to know what her life was like when she moved back to the USA, how did she and her husband adjust? I wanted to know her thoughts on/experience of the Arab Spring (2010-2011) and how she came up with the idea for her graphic novel Cairo? But more than any of that, turning the last page of this book felt like standing in Departures at an airport, saying goodbye to a beloved friend. 

I can say with complete confidence that The Butterfly Mosque is now among my favourite books, right beside Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Z. Janmohamed. At present, I'm greatly looking forward to reading Wilson's latest urban-fantasy novel: Alif the Unseen, which promises to be unlike anything I've read yet.  

Nida

reading Slumps & youTube

Dear Reader,

Leviathan, image by
Keith Thompson

It has come to my attention that I haven't posted my reading list on this blog for a long time now. The last one I believe was just before my disillusionment; and my writing since then has been going through drastic ups and downs. I had been keeping up with my reading however. But I seemed to have entered a reading slump after finishing the Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld and Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell at the beginning of this year. I even tried to re-read my all time favourite novel North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell but even that did not bring me out of my slump. 

What finally brought me round was actually The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (often shortened to TFiOS). I'm not sure why I put off reading this book for so long, since I've been follow John Green and his brother Hank on Youtube for a few years now, and am proud to call myself a Nerdfighter. (Aside: some clarification for you, dear Reader, a nerdfighter is not someone who fights nerds but actual nerds who fight to increase awesome and decrease world suck i.e. bad things). 

So spoiler-free mini book-review: TFiOS is, on the most basic level, about a 16 year old girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster, who loves reading and watching American Reality TV and has an obsession with this inadequately ended book called An Imperial Affliction by Peter van Houten. Also, she's in the last stage of her terminal cancer. Then, in the typical style of boy-meets-girl stories, one day at Support Group she meets Augustus Waters, a gorgeous and charismatic cancer survivor who is, in turn, obsessed with metaphorical resonances. And so they embark on both an emotional and physical  journey to find out what happens after the ending of An Imperial Affliction. 

Surprisingly enough, it was not the book-within-a-book aspect that I like most about TFiOS (unlike Cloud Atlas, where I thought the book-within-a-journal-within-letters etc... was the best part). It was actually Hazel and Augustus's existential discussions that I loved the most. For example, that cancer and depression are just "side effects of dying", that there are an infinite number of infinities and that "some infinities are bigger than others" or how the world isn't a "wish-grating factory" and so disappointment is just an inevitable side effect of life. Anyway, I agree with Markus Zusak (The Book Theif) in that TFiOS is definitely John Green at his best. 

To add to the brilliance of this little blue book, around the time I was reading it I also discovered the booktubers' community on Youtube, which felt like coming home after a long and tiresome vacation. They reminded me of my love for reading, of discovering the stories that others had put words to and introduced me to a whole new chapter of books that I have still to explore. Which was something I was particularly lacking since my fellow bookworm/best friend, Codename: Pixie, had major eye surgery and has been unable to recommend new books to me for sometime. Anyway, there are in fact a few booktubers I'd particularly like to mention: thereadables, booksandquills, supersushipizza and Bookables.  

This post has become a lot longer than I had originally anticipated so my rather long reading list will just have to wait until next week. Be patient, my dear Reader. Now all that's left to say is: don't forget to be Awesome.

Nida 

P.S. - make sure to follow me on twitter @Bookaholic786, (though I realise now that that name isn't technically correct).

Uglies, Pretties and Specials' Review

Dear Reader,

I apologise for not informing you before now, but I'm currently on a rather serious blogging break as I'm trying hard to fully focus on my writing, though I have in fact plenty of great blog-post ideas waiting in my drafts folder. By the way, recently I was forced to get a twitter account. I'm not sure how long I'll keep it but you, dear reader, are welcome to follow me here, or add me @Bookaholic786. Today I received an e-mail from google informing me that I have quite a few comments waiting for my approvals and replies. So I thought I'd briefly pop back on to my blog for you dear reader, and update you also on what I've been reading lately.

So in the 24 hours of a day, the time that I have allocated to fictional reading has been occupied by the Uglies Quartet, a series by Scott Westerfeld (a new 'favourite writer'), recommended to me by John Green, (also a writer but unfortunately not a favourite). I'm finished with the first three books in the Quartet and have just started the fourth one Extras. But seeing how the central character in the last book is different to the first three, I thought I'd write some mini reviews for the ones I have read.       

Uglies

About three hundred years from now, in the much flooded North America, human civilization has dramatically changed. In a manner similar to The Hunger Games, our current industrialized age bought about its own ruin and downfall. In Uglies, humanity lives in small self-governing hi-tech cities, isolated and cut-off from the rest world, where it is mandatory to have plastic surgery on your 16th birthday to turn you from an ugly to a pretty. Looking out from her dorm window, Tally Youngblood has always looked forward to becoming a pretty and moving to New Pretty Town, at the centre of her city, where new pretties party all night and always have the best of everything. That is until she meets Shay, two months before they both turn 16. Drawn together by their cleverness and sense of adventure, they soon form a strong friendship. But Shay has rather heretical and radical ideas on what it really means to be "pretty" and "normal". So when Shay runs away, just a week before the operation, leaving Tally with cryptic instructions, Tally is blackmailed by Special Circumstances into following Shay across the wild; in order to find her and betray the rebel group known as "The Smoke"...    

There is not much more I want to say about this book, other than that reading this story was like flying a hoverboard over a rusty old rollercoaster, with so many twists and turns, which I never saw coming. It kept me hooked for hours on end. I was hardly able to do anything productive until I had turned the last page.

***  

Pretties

Life as a new pretty has been somewhat disappointing so far for Tally Youngblood, though she can't really put a finger on what's missing. And for some reason, her subconscious is haunted by the cruel-pretty faces of the grey suited specials. However, there is one thing she's really looking forward to, and that's joying a clique known as the Criminals (aka the Crims), which already includes her best friends Shay and Peris. But there's something about the Crims' tricky and enchanting leader, Zane. Unlike most pretties, he loves to hear stories from their ugly days and just being around him makes Tally feel more bubbly and clear-headed. And there's something about Zane that brings back memories from her past that she had thought the operation had gotten rid of permanently...

My opinions on this book are rather divided. I loved the running metaphor of the beautiful princess locked in the tower, and how the reoccurring dream was used to summarize and make sense of what was happening in the story. But the way the pretties spoke and their "pretty-talk" / happy-slang I found utterly annoying, because no one in their right mind would talk with that silly limited vocabulary. Then again, I think that's the whole point: they're suppose to be annoying and not in their right minds. And without giving away any major plot points; when I actually finished the book I was so full of despair, anger and frustration that I threw it across the room. I so badly wanted to go up to the author, take him by the shoulders, and shake him vigorously while yelling "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?????!!!!!!" This in itself is rather astonishing as I'm known to be a rather calm and "bubbly" person, more prone to smiling than yelling, especially at complete strangers.  But the mere fact that Westerfeld was able to provoke such emotions from me means that he is a really good writer. Because, in the few short days that it took me to get to this point, I head quite come to care for his characters.  

***  

Specials

I'm not going to write a summary paragraph for this book because, dear reader, if you haven't read this series already then a summary of this book would be a spoiler for the first two books. So instead I'll just tell you what I thought of it.

As you can imagine, I was rather reluctant to start this novel, given all that had happened by the end of Pretties. I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to see what Tally would become next. But being the completionist that I am, I read it anyway. And I loved it. I will honestly admit that there were times when I was so aggravated with Tally and the author that I just had to close the book, wishing I'd never started the series. And yet, it was the the writing itself, the plot and the need to know what happens next, that kept bringing me back the moment I closed the book. Now I'm quite glad to say that it was well worth it in the end. Because the ending, the last few pages themselves, are so rewarding and so apt that Specials has found a home amongst my "special" favourite books.

***  

I don't really listen to music any more but there is this one song, In Between by Linkin Park, that quite reminds me of Tally Youngblood's situation throughout these three novels, a bit like a running theme, but one that she manages to overcome. If you, dear reader, are like me and not really interested in music, then for you I'll end this post with the lyrics from In Between.

Nida

In Between

Let me apologize to begin with
Let me apologize for what I'm about to say

But trying to be genuine was harder than it seemed
And somehow I got caught up in between

Let me apologize to begin with
Let me apologize for what I'm about to say
But trying to be someone else was harder than it seemed
And somehow I got caught up in between

Between my pride and my promise
Between my lies and how the truth gets in the way
And things I want to say to you get lost before they come
The only thing that's worse than one is none

Let me apologize to begin with
Let me apologize for what I'm about to sa
But trying to regain your trust was harder than it seemed
And somehow I got caught up in between

Between my pride and my promise
Between my lies and how the truth gets in the way
The things I want to say to you get lost before they come
The only thing that's worse than one is none


And I cannot explain to you
And anything I say or do or plan
Fear is not afraid of you
But guilt's a language you can understand

I cannot explain to you
And anything I say or do
I hope the actions speak the words they can

For my pride and my promise
For my lies and how the truth gets in the way
The things I want to say to you get lost before they come
The only thing that's worse than one is

Pride and my promise
Between my lies and how the truth gets in the way
The things I want to say to you get lost before they come
The only thing that's worse than one is none

Sonnets

Dear Reader,

A few weeks ago, in an attempt at procrastination, I decided to reorganise all my bookshelves. If you have been following this blog for some time, you'll understand what an immense task this was. For your interest, dear curious reader I will, once again, map out the arrangements of my books with photographs, but not today. 

Today, I want to write about something I found under a pile of books from my bygone days, when I used to study English Literature. It was my old copy of Shakespeare's Sonnets:

I don't know why this book in particular piqued my interest. I had devoured the entire thing when I was 14 and just beginning to dive into marvellous but murky waters of metaphors and imagery. Those poems had fuelled my imagination greatly and inspired me to write, even though, I have to admit, I did not understand most of the meanings behind what he had written. My love for the poems was based almost entirely on their literary value. 

There was something about finding those poems now, that felt providential. As if, Allah (swt) knowing my current dismayed attitude towards poetry and creativity, wanted to encourage me to carry on writing. By once again providing me with something that had once so inspired me, Allah (swt) in all His guiding wisdom, wanted to remind me of my love for poetry. And so in the time I usually leave for fictional reading (i.e. just before I go to bed), I have been re-analysing each sonnet individually now, with a much more aged and, hopefully, wizened mind. Here is an example:

I thinking that, at least the first 10 or so sonnets, are written from the perspective of a once-beautiful man. And now he is also looking through the eyes of age and wisdom, warning his young and extremely handsome son/protégée about the follies of vanity, of how physical beauty is superficial and will fade with time. And underlying that, there seems to be a plea, for the beautiful youth to pass on this beauty that once belonged to his mother; pass it on to his own children if, like the poet, he wants this beauty to persist after his eventual but inevitable death.        

I know, I know! There's a big whole in my interpretation. The actor who went by the name William Shakespeare didn't have any sons. But then again, I never really believed that he was the true author of these magnificent poems and plays anyway. There are just too many obvious pieces that don't add up. Alas, but this is a debate for another time. I've added here Sonnet 2 for your perusal, dear reader. Let me know what you think of it and my interpretation.     

When forty winters shall besiege thy brow, 
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field,
Thy youth's proud livery, so gazed on now,
Will be a totter'd weed, of small worth held:
Then being asked where all thy beauty lies,
Where all the treasure of thy lusty days;
To say, within thine own deep-sunken eyes,
Were an all-eating shame and thriftless praise.
How much more praise deserved thy beauty use?
If thou could answer, "This fair child of mine
Shall sum my count, and make my old excuse,"
Proving his beauty by succession thine!
           This were to be new made when thou art old,
           And see thy blood warm when thou feels it cold. 

I've also added here some quotes from some of the other sonnets that I thought were just too amazing to keep to myself:

Beauty's effect with beauty were bereft, ~ Sonnet 5


Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel. ~ Sonnet 1

Thou art thy mother's glass, and she in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime:
...Despite of wrinkles, this thy golden time. ~ Sonnet 3


That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake,
And die as fast as they see others grow; ~ Sonnet 12



Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?

Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy. ~ Sonnet 8


However, since we are speaking of sonnets and age and maturity, I thought I'd present you, dear reader, first one of my very first sonnets (that I wrote when I was about 15) and then, of course, my latest one.  

Flight

To lift my wings, and to fly,

To see all these cities bare,

To watch people boldly lie,

To feel the rush of the air.

To see things born, see them die,

To glimpse beauty and despair,

To reach the top, touch the sky,

To race along with a mare.

To witness those, in pain, cry.

To sight tender love and care,

To view people steel and buy,

To sense scenic freedom so near.

To lift my wings and to gloriously fly,

No day could be more fair.

***

Thoughts on a Plane (7th February, 2012)

The soft white landscape in the sky,

I look on to as I hover by,

And remark on the hills the clouds form,

Or the black mountains created by a storm,

Or wispy ones that are a steamy stream

Lit asunder by sun-light’s full gleam.

They travel the world, these fluffy Bedouins.  

With all their hidden precipitous denizens.

So as I journey above, this city of pearl cotton

I watch as the light around me, slowly softens.

Until nought but an orange-red ribbon is left,

Gracing this perpetual horizon, right to left.

Now awe and breathless is how I feel,

            As before my Creator I prostrate and kneel.  

I just realised that, despite the fact that these two sonnets were written 7 years apart, and that I have written many other sonnets concerning all sorts of topics in between, these two in particular seem to share a theme: gazing out over the world, from above.

And with that thought, I shall say goodbye.   

Nida    

a Succession of Three

Dear Reader,

This past week (or two) I read three young-adult fiction novels - in rather quick succession. This in itself is not surprising or note-worthy. What is unexpected and worthy of  its own post, however, is that all three have taken up place among my "favourite" novels. As far as I can recall, I've read about 400 novels of which less than a quarter can boast the praise of being a favourite. (Aside: I'm currently using Shelfari.com to help me keep track of such things.) 

Gandalf the White from The Two Towers

I'm actually rather picky when it comes to choosing favourites. That's why I believe this is the first time three unlinked books that I've read one after another, back-to-back, have so captured my imagination (and heart at times too).  I think the last time something like this happened was when I read The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the first three books of The Inheritance Cycle - each time I happen to enjoy all three books in equal amounts. But this time it's completely different: these three new favourites are not even by the same author. *Gasp!* 

So for you, my book-loving reader, since I haven't done anything like a review in a long time now, I've decided to post here three mini-reviews for this succession of three favourites, in chronological order:

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

Elizabeth Rew is a lover of fairy tales. She even seems to be living in one, complete with two 'ugly' stepsisters and a domineering stepmother. She is also quite lonely in her new school. When her social studies teacher offers her the opportunity to work part time, as a page, in the New York Circulating Material Repository, she is excited by the prospect of making new friends. Elizabeth finds the Repository to be a wondrous place that house all manner of objects: from the ordinary, e.g. light bulbs and buttons, to the obscure, like the wig in which Marie Antoinette was beheaded. Her new job entails cataloguing, strange tests, dealing with requests from even stranger patrons and taking care of truly magical objects collected by the Brothers Grimm themselves; objects, like the magic mirror, thought to have inspired the classic fairytales.

She also finds great friends in her fellow pages: the beautiful Anjali, athletic Marc and the omnious Aaron. But not all is well at the Repository. There are rumours abound of theft, missing pages and faulty  and even disappearing magical items. Elizabeth soon finds herself thrust into the middle of a conspiracy that would require her to go to great lengths to rescue her new found friends...  

The Grimm Legacy has a fast-paced and engaging plot with beautifully imaginative writing. Yet there seems to be a lack of character development, with the entire cast being rather two-dimensional. However, I think this might have been intentional because, after all, all the characters in the Grimm fairytales are either just good guys or bad guys.

Though this book is targeted towards early teens, it is actually fun to read for anyone who enjoyed reading/listening to any of the Brothers Grimm's fairytales as a child or wished that they could be the hero/heroine of their own fantasy/sci-fi story. And I must confess, not even I could remember all of those items from all those stories (e.g. The Golden Key), and I had thought I knew the Grimm fairytales quite well. Polly Shulman did do her research well.   

***

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Ansel and Gretchen have been thrown out of their house by their stepmother, and now they are one the road with little cash heading as far away as possible from their old life. Because both Gretchen and Ansel are haunted by the memories of a little girl. Twelve years ago, Gretchen's twin sisters vanished, stolen by the witch in the woods behind their home.

Now, somewhere in North Carolina, their car breaks down. Without any way of repairing the car, Ansel and Gretchen walk to the nearest town, Live Oak. Its very small, hostile and on the verge of becoming a ghost-town. But with very few options, Ansel takes up a job making repairs to the Chocolatier owned by the radiant Sophia Kelly, who takes both of them into her home and life with open arms. But something isn't right at Live Oak. Eight young women seemed to have vanished into thin air just after Sophia Kelly's infamous annual Chocolate Festival. And Gretchen instinctively knows that the witch from her past has returned and lurks ever-present in the woods surrounding Live Oak. But this time it's different. She is different and determined to not let her fear of the witch prevent her from saving the rest of the girls of Live Oak, including Sophia. Together with the handsome and sarcastic Samuel Reynolds and armed with a rifle, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery surrounding the witch and the Chocolate Festival, only to find that love came be as deadly as it is sweet.     

Sweetly is a riveting modern retelling of the story of Hansel and Gretel. It's also a companion novel to the amazing Sisters Red, with some surprising links. Jackson Pearce seems to have found the perfect balance between plot-pace and characters development. I absolutely loved it. There's not much more I can say.

***

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

As bad as it sounds, and though this is definitely not my usual practice, I initially bought this book because it has just the most exquisite cover that I have seen in years. The picture to the left, can't compare to the actual real thing. Hats-off to Jonathan Barkat and April Ward, the people responsible for the jacket design.

However, after reading this book, I have to say I made a really good choice and this time, despite the popular saying, my judgement of the book's cover coincides with my judgement of the novel itself. But before I go into all of that, I think I should tell you, dear reader, what this book is all about:

Every family has their secrets. And for Gwen's family, it's her cousin Charlotte. Gwen has lived most of her life in Charlotte's shadow. She is just one day older than Gwen but she is also beautiful, graceful, intelligent, gets special treatment by their grandmother, Lady Arista, and every Wednesday, Charlotte attends mysterious meetings and classes. All this fuss is because Charlotte carries the gene that will allow her to travel back in time. But someone, maybe deliberately, has made a mistake. Gwen becomes aware of this mistake when she suddenly finds herself on Oxford Street, in the early 1900's.

From then on, Gwen's world is turned on it's head and shaken vigorously. Her uncontrolled leaps into the past are an unwanted surprise and she is completely unprepared for the secret society known as the 'Guardians' that are run by the de Villiers, a family like her own who also passes on the time travelling gene. Despite her mother's warning and protection, Gwen is coerced by the Guardians into a carrying out a mission with her male counter-part Gideon de Villiers. But it doesn't take her long to find out that the past, and her mission, is fraught with mind-games, danger, intrigue and, most surprisingly of all, love...      

I think this is the first "time travel" book that I've ever read. And I just can't get enough of it. Especially the twist at the end. It has been plaguing my mind these past three days and has even resulted in restless nights, since my brain refuses to desist from imagining what the next book, Sapphire Blue, might bring with it. Another thing that I like about Ruby Red, is the way that Gwen and her best friend Lesley are two very realistic teenage girls (with all the faults and symptoms of an average teen) plunged into particularly unrealistic world. There is also a very nice blend of history and all-things-modern. But in spite of the engaging narrative, the action and the mysterious clues dotted at the beginning of each chapter, Ruby Red still feels like only an introduction to this world that Kerstin Gier has created, with the main storyline yet to come. It's just such a shame that I have to wait almost an entire year before I can read Sapphire Blue. *Sigh*   

By the way, these three books still count towards my on-going charitable 2011 Reading Challenge. Check it out and please make a donation to my cause, if you like what you read. And with the year coming almost to and end, I really don't want to fail now. I could use all the help and support I can get.

But now I must go and prepare for today's lectures. Ssshhhh, don't tell anyone I've left it to last minute ;-)

Nida

Girls of Riyadh vs. Nine Parts of Desire

Dear Reader,

A belated Ramadan Kareem to all my brothers and sisters in Islam. I was told recently that I use Islamic-transliterated words and abbreviations in some of my posts that often don't mean anything to some readers. For that I sincerely apologise. To remedy this, I've set up a page for you, dear reader, if you come across a word/phrase/abbreviation that you are unfamiliar with. Link is also in the side bar --->

Now, given that it is a holy month for us Muslims, I thought I'd write something Islam related. But the question is "what do I write?" I am no expert on the religion and still have much to learn, Inshallah. So, as always I decided to stick to what I know. And what I know is a lot about books, Alhumdulillah. That is why this post is a comparative review of two somewhat-controversial books that I read recently, both of which are centred around Middle-eastern women:

The Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanae:

This is a fictional novel, based mainly in Saudi Arabia and written as a series of e-mail by the narrator, "seerehwenfadha'et", who is revealing the sensational/scandalous stories of her four friends: Sadeem, Gamrah, Lamees and Michelle (a.k.a Mishaal), these are, of course,  not their "real names". At first, this books reminded me strongly of Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, you know what with the four close friends going their separate ways in life but still managing to keep in contact with each other. Story wise, it was gripping and emotional, but no way near as scandalous as I thought it would be. (Aside: maybe Julia Quinn's icky-romances have changed my ideas of "scandalous", who knows!)

But I soon realised that it was far far more than just that. It was a commentary on Saudi Society in general, with all it's cold and distant fathers, the ruling tribal traditions and selfish (and sometimes hypocritical) young men. I realised that this novel, however fictional,  represents a very real, very non-fictional Society in which few outsiders can find a niche into. This also made me incredibly angry!

You see, the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) worked so hard throughout his life to break down the barriers of tribal traditions and prejudices and racism within the Arab community at the time. This was also the reason behind some of his marriages. He set the example for Muslims that is was okay to marry someone from a different tribe or one of the Bedouins, or someone from a different social status, whether it was higher or lower. He, salallahu alaihi wasalam, even married a woman who was originally Jewish. It was permitted and encouraged to marry someone of different race, in order to increase cultural and international awareness and to promote equality and peace. There is even verses in the Qur'an to this effect. For example, in Surat Al-Hujarat it state:

"O mankind! indeed We have created you from male and female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in sight of Allah is that who is most righteous." [49:13]   

You see, the thing that distinguishes true status is not race or tribe or cast or family or wealth or gender or age but righteousness, i.e. how good a person is. And it upsets me, truly pains me, to read about how now, more than 1400 years later, in an age that is supposedly "more advanced", that the people of Saudi Arabia still hold tight to the demeaning tribal traditions of inequality, values that were prominent in the the Age of Ignorance; especially when it comes to marriage, and a woman's say - her Islamic rights - when it comes to picking a spouse.   

Nine Parts of Desire: the Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks

Written by Pultizer Prize winning Australian author and journalist, this is a non-fictional autobiography about the time Brooks spent travelling and reporting in the Middle-East. This books is really good in the way that it allows you to, as the title suggests, glimpse into the worlds of Muslim women from all walks of life: from those in war-strewn Palestine, an Eritrean doctor in the back-caves of Ethiopia, to women soldiers in the UAE army and Queen Noor of Jordan. It also gives you a brief/basic overview of what Islam is about and about the five pillars. It is interesting reading about these things from the perspective of someone who is not Muslim. Her views are rather fair-minded and she does not condemn Islam to be a religion of terrorism.        

However, there were certain passages in this books that make our Prophet (pbuh) sound like a tactful opportunist, or a player/womaniser, not something I particularly agree with. Also, there was subtle hints of bias against Aisha (RA), Muhammed's (pbuh) most beloved wife. This probably can be accounted for by the fact that Geraldine Brooks spent most of her time among the Iranian Shiite community. But, for some reason I cannot fathom, she also seems to have formed very strong opinions against Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA), the 2nd Kalipha after Muhammed sallahu-alaihi-wasalaam, often calling him a "cruel misogynist" or "Muhammed's misogynistic lieutenant"!!!! (*written while shrugging uncomprehendingly*)

But, if Brooks has taught me anything, its that it's not just good enough to justify our religion and show people that it does not condone violence etc. We have to stand up and take action against, or better yet, fix the wrongs that are being done in the name of Islam. And this should begin now, today in this holy month of Ramadaan. 

I don't have an exact solution to all the numerous problems that are effecting Muslim communities around the world. But I do know that a single person can only do so much. To accomplish real change, we need to stand united with solidarity, as one Ummah. We need to be willing to help each other out of any problem, whether it is the big global issues like oppression of women, political oppression and dictatorships, lawlessness and violence (domestic or other wise) or smaller but just as important issues, like female genital mutilation and forced marriages.

If you, dear reader, like this post and want to read more, then you might be interested in reading a similar post I wrote a few months ago about International Women's Day. If not then I'm sorry that this post is so serious, and some-what preachy, but I promise that next one will be a lot lighter and bubblier, Inshallah.


Nida