Book Club: Poetry Reading

I have been a part of various book clubs in the past and they all usually work the same way. The group all reads the same book and meet the following month to discuss that book. What we liked about it, what we didn't like about it, would we read something from that same author again, etc. The books read at book club are meant to start up a lot of discussion, so they tend to be books that make you feel. This upcoming meeting in February, my (current) book club is doing something a little different. Instead of reading a book, every book club member will be choosing a poem each and read it out loud to the rest of the group members. Each reading will be followed by a little explanation of why we chose that poem. 

Literature was always my favourite subject in school and I loved studying poetry. Back when I was a teenager, I used to write a lot of poems, short stories and journal entries in my free time. It is sad for me to admit that I haven't written a poem or a short story in years. However, I do occasionally still write in my journal. I was going through some of my old notebooks recently and found a collection of some of my writing. Some of them I had completely forgotten about, so it was nice to go back to them after all these years. Looking back at some of my old work, I feel like I may want to get back into writing poetry some time. Maybe one day when I am inspired, I will start again! One of my book club members suggested for me to bring one of my own poems to read for the next meeting. I was a bit hesitant at first to share my own work, but I decided to go with the one I liked the best...so here it is. Most of my writing is dated, and I wrote this one when I was sixteen.  Hope you enjoy it! 

Growing Up

by Sadaf Hussain

I am quiet,
I am lonely,
I have imaginary friends,
I am a laugher,
I am a crier,
I am a thinker,
As I look at my reflection,
In a mirror view of my past,
I let my inner-child free,
I come back to reality,
Today I am friendly,
I am loving,
I am caring,
I am a laugher,
I am a crier,
I am a thinker,
I am a writer,
I am a drawer,
I am a dreamer,
I am a friend,
I am a sister,
I am a daughter,
I am an aunt,
I am not perfect,
I make mistakes,
I am a learner,
After all,
I am human.

2016 Reading Challenge.

2015 I did not actively read as much as I had hoped. My book list was ever growing but some days I just didn't feel like reading. There were only a handful of books I read this year which were page turners. The last few months of 2015, I decided to join my local book club (again) to force myself to read more (for lack of a better word.) The very first book club book just happened to be a lovely book I'd read before; The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. 

I'd been a member of the online Good Reads community for quite some time now, but I'd been relatively inactive on it. I've started using the app more lately, and it's helped me find some good books which I've added to my TBR book list. One nice feature Good Reads has on it is a "Reading Challenge" page. Members challenge themselves to read a certain amount of books for the year. I was going through many of the other members' reading challenges, and noticed numbers like 50, 75, 100 and some even as high as 200! 

I wanted to challenge myself to reach a realistic reading goal. At first I was going to do a 30 book reading challenge. Then I decided to start off with 25. At first I thought it was a low goal, considering that so many others' wanted to read 100 books! However, a good friend of mine reminded me not to compare my goals with others. Maybe those people have more time to read, but there's nothing to be ashamed of. Furthermore, the most important thing is not the quantity of books but the quality! Hopefully I can reach my goal and will read some enjoyable books along the way. 

Happy Reading! =) 

Book Review 8: Ms. Marvel (Crushed) by Willow Wilson

I have always enjoyed watching superhero movies and T.V. shows. However, I had never read any of the comic books until very recently. I used to read Archie comics and the Saturday morning comic strips in the newspaper, but that was as far as my interest in comic books went. Until the movies had been released, I didn't know which superhero was from D.C. Comics and which was from Marvel. 

A few months ago I decided, since I enjoy the movie/T.V. shows so much, I should go back to the original source and try reading the comic books, just for kicks. I picked up several different kinds from my local library; some I enjoyed, some not so much.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a hold of Ms. Marvel. I had heard about (the new) Ms. Marvel when she was first introduced a couple of years ago. The new face of Ms. Marvel was Kamala Khan, a sixteen year old Muslim Pakistani superhero. I remember hearing both positive and negative reviews about Ms. Marvel at the time. Some people were excited to see that Marvel was coming out with more diverse and multicultural superheroes, some were outraged that the new Ms. Marvel was Muslim, and others (Muslims) were not satisfied with the way the comic book portrayed the average Muslim family. 

I sat down with the comic book, thinking I'll probably just read a few pages and then be on with my way. I was intrigued and found myself laughing out loud at a few parts. It was funny, relatable and exciting. I couldn't put it down, and before I knew it, I read the entire book in one sitting! The way Kamala's family was portrayed, everything Kamala was going through, I felt like I was reading about my own adolescent experience (as a Muslim). 

Wilson made it a point not to shove Kamala's religious beliefs down the readers' throat. It's very subtle and overall, Ms. Marvel is a story about a teenage girl like any other. She has her doubts, her fears and a loving family (who at times annoy her.) 

I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend the Ms. Marvel series to anyone who likes comic books. I intend to go back and read it starting from the first issue.

 

 

Happy Reading! =)

Game of Thrones Season Finale Review (MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!)

All my social media feeds are currently full of really pissed off Game of Thrones fans venting about who died on last night's season finale. Normally, I would also be one of those fans. However, since the internet is dark and full of spoilers (and some cocky book readers), I already knew from several months ago that Jon Snow was going to die.

I tried reading the first book years ago, but I found it tedious and too detailed for my taste. So I didn't continue reading them and just stuck to the TV series. However, there's many book readers on online forums saying things like, "Well, if you didn't want to know the spoiler, then you should have read the books long ago!" So I'm just going to say what every Game of Thrones TV show watcher is thinking right now: We've finally reached a somewhat mutual point in the story line where book readers don't have the opportunity to spoil the story line for the rest of us who haven't read the books!

Can we take a step back, wipe our Jon Snow tears and talk about how awesome Theon Greyjoy was in last night's episode?! There is no doubt, Theon did horrible things. However, I've had a soft spot for him ever since the day his sister tried to rescue him from the Boltons. Since the beginning of season five, all I've really wanted is for Theon to save Sansa, and for the two of them to join forces and kick Ramsey's butt! When Theon pushed that woman off the roof and grabbed Sansa's hand, I had a shred of hope left for the two of them. I was happy to see there is a bit light at the end of Sansa's tunnel and that Theon is the one helping her out of this hellhole.

I find it funny that everyone is causing an uproar about Jon Snow's death but nobody seems to care that Myrcella died (in the arms of her father). The Lannisters are terrible human beings, but did Myrcella really deserve to die? She was completely naïve and innocent in all this craziness. On that note, what did everyone think of Cersei's atonement? I kept reading online, people saying she deserved her punishment and humiliation. But I found that scene extremely cringe worthy and hard to watch. Much to my surprise, I actually felt bad for her. It's interesting how the characters on Game of Thrones are so three dimensional that you start to feel bad for the "villians" and begin to hate the "heroes."

What was up with Drogon mimicking my cat by licking himself and taking a short nap while the people of Mereen were in trouble?! And am I the only one annoyed by the lack of direwolves this season?

I have nothing to say about Arya Stark because quite frankly, that story line is so twisted that it goes over my head and I truly have no idea what's going on there... But I was shocked to see Arya going blind.

People have stated "If you think this has a happy ending, then you haven't been paying attention." The only thing that really shocks me about the story now is that Daenerys and Tyrion have actually made it this far. Since George R. R. Martin loves to kill off beloved characters, here is my little plea for Mr. Martin: We all love Ramsey Bolton. Please protect him and let him survive till the end of the series. Please don't let Theon and Sansa kick his ***! We don't want to see the demise of Ramsey Bolton. ;)

What are your thoughts and opinions about the Game of Thrones season finale and/or the entire season so far?

Reading Slump

Most of us have probably gone through reading slumps in our life time. On days that you've gotten too busy or those lazy days that you would rather binge-watch your favourite TV show, we've all been there. It's important not to feel guilty about it. Even though you may not be reading as much as you'd like, those books are not going anywhere. Once you find some free time and your TV shows are on summer break, you can always go back, pick up those books and start reading. Remember, there is no deadline when it comes to how many books you should be reading or how many pages you need to read a day.

I went through a bit of a reading slump recently where I wasn't able to read for a good month or two because I just didn't have the time. However, I've been able to pick myself up and start reading again! The wonderful thing about reading slumps is that it feels so good when you start reading again and have a hard time putting your book down! I've been reading most nights, and on days that I don't feel like reading: well it's okay! No book police will come breathe over my shoulder and tell me that I'm being bad! Hehe. =)

I also think it is important to remember that there is no race on how many books one can read. I follow many Instragammers who post like 7-8 books with captions that say things like "These are all the books I read all month!" Well good for them! However, there is no reason for me to feel bad. Everyone reads and enjoys books at their own pace. Some people may read a novel in one sitting, others may take a few weeks to finish, there's no shame in that. Reading should be a hobby, not an obligation. People should read because they want to not because they have to.

Happy Reading! =)

Book Review 7: "Warriors" series by Erin Hunter

The Warriors book series is written by Erin Hunter, which is actually a pseudonym used by six different authors. The series follows the lives of four cat clans. The cat clans include Thundeclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan and Windclan.

The first Warriors book (Into The Wild) starts off with Rusty, a beautiful ginger "kittypet" (housecat) who decides to leave his warm comfortable home to become a "warrior" (feral cat). Once he meets the rest of the warrior cats, adventure ensues.

When I told my husband about these books, he asked me if the cats fought with swords and weapons. Although the cats in the book(s) have been personified, they behave like regular cats. They are often described bathing, purring, growling, and hissing just like any other cat.

The terminology in the book can be quite amusing. They use words like "kittypet" to describe a housecat, "thunderpath" to describe the main road, and "monster" to describe the cars that drive through the "thunderpath."

Though these are children's books, don't be mistaken; they are not for the faint of heart. Due to the nature of feral cat colonies, these books are true to their behaviours and the cats can be very violent. The violence often leads to graphic and untimely deaths of some of the characters in the book. I shed a few tears for some of the cats who died.

The books were overall enjoyable, and I read most of book 6 (The Darkest Hour) in one sitting. It was really hard to put down and I wanted to see how the story played out. However, the story has way too many characters to follow. Since the cat's names are so unique, it can get very confusing at times, and it's hard to remember which cat belongs to which clan, or which kits (kittens) belong to which queen (mother). Furthermore, the cats' names change as they get higher up in the warrior hierarchy. For example, "Rusty" the kittypet becomes "Firepaw" the warrior, and he proceeds to become "Fireheart" and then "Firestar" as the story moves along. Another thing I didn't like about the series was that it ended really abruptly.

About 3/4 way into The Darkest Hour, the book takes an unexpected turn, which is why my eyes were glued to the book. The story doesn't end the way you'd think.

Despite it's downfalls, I would still recommend this series to anyone who loves cats and adventure. They are full of love, cuteness, betrayal and honour. If you are not a cat person, you can also try Erin Hunter's other book series' Seekers (which is about bears) or Survivors (which is about dogs.)

Please Note: The series I read is only the first series of Warriors books. They are followed by three more Warriors series', each consisting of six books.

Happy Reading! =)

Some of the many Warriors books. There are also standalone Warriors books, mangas and Warriors guides.

 

Firepaw is the protagonist in the series and definitely my favourire character. Graypaw is his best friend in the story and they have the cutest kitty bromance ever.

 

 

Quoted from book 2 (Forest of Secrets).

 

My own kittypets striking their Warrior pose! =)

 

 

From Twilight Fan Fiction to Fifty Shades of Shame

I am getting really tired of my twitter feed and youtube homepage throwing "50 Shades of Grey" in my face. I am extremely disgusted by this book/movie phenomenon. I have not read these books, nor do I have any interest in even coming within a mile of any of them. I don't understand why or how they suddenly became so popular. As far as I understand, it is a story about a young girl named Anastasia, an older man named Christian Grey, and a whole lot of pornographic content.

There have been many book/movie fandoms in the past decade or so which included Twilight, Divergent, and Hunger Games to name the few known ones. Although I have not read The Divergent or the Hunger Games series, I can understand their appeal. I, myself, am not interested in reading them because it's not a genre I normally read. I keep hearing mixed reviews about both series, and a few people have told me that the ending(s) to both books are disappointing. If I'm going to invest my time reading 3-4 books, then it better be worth it in the end.

I will admit, I did read the Twilight series (out of curiosity). I thought the series was overrated and I didn't enjoy them as much as I expected. First of all, the writing style was not for me. And second, I wanted Bella to marry Jacob, but she ended up marrying Edward instead. This conclusion to the Twilight saga was disappointing. I thought Bella made a bad life decision when she decided to become a vampire and leave her potential future behind. She was a really bad female role model. As if this wasn't bad enough, Twilight spawned Twilight fan fiction, which somehow became the book series "50 Shades of Grey" by E.L. James. The protagonist in this book was/is a far worse female role model than Bella Swan.

I don't understand why women are reading this "50 Shades of Grey" book series. I have read an excerpt or two and they are terribly written. More importantly, these books are doing nothing but glorifying a sexually abusive relationship, making women everywhere think that Christian Grey is the "man of their dreams." There is nothing romantic about this relationship, and Anastasia should not be seen as a good female role model. As an avid reader, I know these characters are fictional, but we really do end up getting attached to them. Sometimes it happens without us even realizing it. That's why I strongly encourage women everywhere to read books about female characters who are headstrong and know how to kick a little butt! Please do yourself a favour and choose class over trash.