Zaheerah

Review: Ayesha At Last

May 10, 2019by Zaheerah1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Ayesha’s dream of being a poet is on a standstill as she’s stuck paying off a debt to her uncle. So while she’s stuck being a substitute teacher, she’s also tailing behind her gorgeous cousin who has marriage proposals thrown at her every day. An identity mishap leads her to be in charge of a fundraising conference for the young Muslims at their local mosque and pairs up with Khalid Mirza to run it. Khalid is conservative and judgemental with secrets of his own. Why should Ayesha fall for a man who acts above her? But a surprise engagement blows everything out of the water.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I had expected. Like, wow. I couldn’t get enough Ayesha and her family. And her hilarious antics as she falls further down a web of lies by pretending to be her cousin. Each character was so unique and likeable. The narration jumps between different people. It was a bit too much, but each character has a distinct voice that separated them all, voices that were authentic and funny.

Khalid was the one that took me a while to get used to. I didn’t even think he deserved Ayesha for a good half of the novel. He just reminded me of most Muslim men I’ve met who are pretty ridiculous and judgemental before getting to know anyone. You can tell from the offset he’s grown to follow whatever his mum agrees to because of some background events that happened with his sister. And he does learn to become less judgemental, but when I say it took a while, it took a long while.

Apart from the growing relationship between Ayesha and Khalid, multiple complex conflicts grow in the back that adds to this drama-filled debut. Weddings to be planned and had, gossiping aunties that get their due and a very unexpected twist at the end.

Overall, I really enjoy Ayesha At Last. I think this book addressed so many issues and was so well done in that aspect. Workplace racism, Islamophobia, and double standards that women face. A great window into Muslim communities that explored the complexities of life, family and belief. Ayesha At Last was refreshing and hilarious.

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Author

Content warning: workplace racism, Islamophobia, revenge porn

blog tour, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/ Teen

Blog Tour: Love From A to Z

May 7, 2019February 26, 2021by Zaheerah1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

Zayneb is sent packing after confronting her Islamophobic teacher, and while her parents hope her early trip will do her some good, she doesn’t anticipate meeting Adam. Adam’s shouldering a secret that he fears will break his family apart. With nothing in common but a journal of Marvel and Oddities, destiny means little to Zayneb, but it seems like it’s working its hardest to keep them on the same path.

This book has so much brilliance packed into it, and I honestly don’t know where to start.

Zayneb is a headstrong lead, who comes across quite bitter at first glance. But I felt for her and saw myself in her in every way possible. When I was younger, I was very much like her: constantly angry at the prejudice, racism and Islamophobia in the world. She doesn’t know how to stay down quietly, and I admire that. I was never brilliantly outspoken the way she is, but her anger at the world is so relatable. Her story is remarkably lifelike and is an excellent portrayal of what it is like to be visibly Muslim today.

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Other

Review: Love From A to Z

May 7, 2019April 10, 2019by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

Zayneb is sent packing to Qatar after confronting her Islamophobic teacher, and while her parents hope her early trip will do her some good, she doesn’t anticipate meeting Adam. Adam’s shouldering a secret that he fears will break his family apart. With nothing in common but a journal of Marvel and Oddities, destiny means little to Zayneb, but it seems like it’s working its hardest to keep them on the same path.

This book has so much brilliance packed into it, and I honestly don’t know where to start.

Then comes Adam, sweet, amazing Adam. He’s returning home after dropping out of university when he discovered that he has multiple sclerosis like his mother. Except he isn’t ready to tell his family his diagnosis because he doesn’t want them to suffer. Adam is so genuine and caring and thoughtful that you literally can’t help but love him. He wants the best for everyone around him, and his struggles and wins are so beautifully done.

Both of them keep their most profound thoughts locked away in the same journal, inspired by The Marvels of Creation and the Oddities of Existence, that unknowingly leads them on, what you could say is a marvellous and odd adventure. They’re so different from each other, and I loved how Ali made them work. They argue and disagree at times, but they eventually learn to understand each other. They both struggle with their expectations of themselves which creates some communication issues. But they realise their separate struggles don’t invalidate the other and the more they run into each other, the more they begin to understand each other.

There’re so many layers to this story, within Zayneb and Adam themselves and the people around them. Their friendship group is a nod towards the diversity of the Ummah and reminds people that there isn’t one type of Muslim and shows how ethnically diverse we all are. There’s a real discussion of heavy subjects like war, conflict and mistreatment.
Also, that Saints and Misfits reference killed me. I almost missed it, but my mind did the biggest double take.

Overall, Love From A to Z was gloriously refreshing. Saints and Misfit created a new love for Ali’s writing for me, but this book cemented S.K. Ali as a forever favourite. I’ve been eager to find to a romance story between Muslims characters that isn’t overly stereotypical. And this book hits every mark.

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Author

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#RamadanReadathon 2019 TBR

May 3, 2019by Zaheerah1 Comment

I’m so excited to be sharing my TBR for this year’s #RamadanReadathon! I’ve been wanting to join this ever since its start but Ramadan, the last few years, has always fallen during the same months as exam season. Now, that I’m little more organised that I have been in the last few years, I’ve already started/ completed my assignment for this year so I can join this year without deadlines looming behind my head.

The main focus of this readathon is to celebrate and support Muslim authors during the holy month of Ramadan.The main focus this year is a bingo board that is themed around the five pillars of Islam. Each pillar has four different prompts and one free space to complete! To participate in this reading challenge, you must choose one or more of the pillars to complete and, beginning at the bottom, work your way up the board.

MY TBR (the Salah pillar)

BOOK IN A SERIES
A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2)
Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.

I actually read the first book in this series, An Ember in the Ashes, back in it’s pre-release days. I remember really enjoying this book and thinking that I had to immediately read the next book. That was back in 2015! I think this book has been on my TBR for too long! A reread maybe in order or finding a recap because it’s been a long four years and I can’t remember anything.

Free Space
Exit West
In a city far away, bombs and assassinations shatter lives every day. Yet, even here, hope renews itself, welling up through the rubble. Somewhere in this city, two young people are smiling, hesitating, sharing cheap cigarettes, speaking softly then boldly, falling in love.

My university works with the Booker Prize foundation on a scheme that gives students books to read each year. This was their 2018 pick. We call it the Big Read and I also had an opportunity to meet the author but my sister and her in-laws came to visit so I couldn’t attend. 😦

Contemporary Fiction
Secrets of the Henna Girl
Zeba Khan is like any other sixteen-year-old girl: enjoying herself, waiting for exam results… and dreaming of the day she’ll meet her one true love. Except her parents have other plans. In Pakistan for the summer, Zeba’s world is shattered. Her future is threatened by an unthinkable – and forced – duty to protect her father’s honour.

This one has been on my Kindle for so long and I never found the time to read it. So glad I found the opportunity now!

Recently released
We Hunt The Flame
War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

This is actually released in May and I’m grateful for it’s placement in the chart because I think I’ll be in the position to read it right away on release day!

Name in the title
Amina’s Voice
Amina has never been comfortable in the spotlight. She is happy just hanging out with her best friend, Soojin. Except now that she’s in middle school everything feels different. Soojin is suddenly hanging out with Emily, one of the “cool” girls in the class, and even talking about changing her name to something more “American.” Does Amina need to start changing too? Or hiding who she is to fit in? While Amina grapples with these questions, she is devastated when her local mosque is vandalized.

Another book that’s been on my TBR for too long! Time to fix that!

Well, that’s my TBR for #RamadanReadathon 2019! Are you taking part this year? If so, which pillar(s) are you aiming to complete?

Lifestyle, Monthly Rewind

Monthly Rewind: April 2019

May 1, 2019February 26, 2021by Zaheerah1 Comment

B O O K S

During the month of April, I read 4 books. (It’s actually 7, but I collapsed Our Dreams at Dusk because it’s in Manga volumes)

Book covers (left to right): Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman, Hate To Want You by Alisha Rai, The Rise and Fall of the Amir Sisters by Nadiya Hussain and Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani.

Summer Bird Blue
“It was just so heartfelt and emotional, especially the last quarter had me in tears. A story about a girl exploring her grief, but also a story about family and friendship. A brilliant character-driven novel that really hit all the right notes .” My review

Hate to Want You
Everyone I follow has read this book. It’s a little more steamy than I would’ve liked but the family drama was to die for and I was on edge.

The Fall and Rise of the Amir Sisters
Eh, I’m not too sure about this. I love Nadiya but this book was just so weird. I found the sisters to be so unlikeable at some points. Mae was a disappointment and the attempt to portray her as a teen today really flopped. (Her texting was so irritating and illegible at some points. I don’t want to sound like an adult complaining about teens in fiction but in 2019 are most eighteen-year-olds really texting like this? “Nt doom. Better nt jinx uni. L8ers! Xxxx”)

Our Dreams at Dusk
A short manga about a gay teen who is scared he’s been outed. He meets a mysterious woman and finds himself joining (a sort of) club. The depiction of different LGBT+ characters was honestly so amazing. It’s so short but so impactful. The art is so beautiful.

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Contemporary, Romance