Tag: book

Books, Contemporary, Romance

Review: Ayesha At Last

by Zaheerah1 Comment on Review: Ayesha At Last
Review: Ayesha At Last

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

Other

Review: Love From A to Z

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on Review: Love From A to Z
Review: Love From A to Z

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.

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.

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

blog tour, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/ Teen

Blog Tour: Love From A to Z

by Zaheerah1 Comment on Blog Tour: Love From A to Z
Blog Tour: Love From A to Z

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.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Love From A to Z” →
Lifestyle, Monthly Rewind

Monthly Rewind: April 2019

by Zaheerah1 Comment on Monthly Rewind: April 2019
Monthly Rewind: April 2019

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.

Continue reading “Monthly Rewind: April 2019” →
Contemporary, Romance

Review: Ayesha At Last

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on Review: Ayesha At Last
Review: Ayesha At Last

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

Books, top ten tuesday

First Ten Books I Reviewed

by Zaheerah5 Comments on First Ten Books I Reviewed
First Ten Books I Reviewed

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature once hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl! Each week, a new topic is put into place and bloggers share their top ten (or your own amount) accordingly.

This week’s topic is First Ten Books I Review. I initially wanted to make this a booktube video, but the timing was a real struggle. One day, inshaAllah. I tried to use this week to reflect on my older reviews, and what do I remember about said book and what do I think about it today.

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

Okay, wow, I completely forgot that this was the book that kickstarted my blog. I remember angrily typing this review at 12 am. I was slightly disappointed when I discovered that Zoella used a ghostwriter to help with her book. I don’t think I mentioned it in my review, but I actually have no issue with celebrities using ghostwriters but when you fail to mention it is where I found problems with. I have to admit this book has completely fallen off my radar so rereading my review made me laugh so much.

The Song of Achilles

Honestly, this is probably the only book on this list that I still reread to this day. Iconic, beautiful and amazing.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

WHY DO I HAVE NO MEMORY OF WRITING THIS? But it looks like I didn’t enjoy it at all.

Carter Reed

Okay, this one made me laugh a lot. I read this in college as a part of a buddy read with a friend. I believe we found this on BookBub.com where we randomly chose books of the emails we received and reviewed. I do not have any fond memories of this, and I’d instead not reread it.

The Fault in Our Stars

When I started my book blog, and I really started it with the intention that I was reading for me. During my teens, everything I “enjoyed” was because my friends introduced me to it. And TFiOS was one of them. To be honest, I have no issue with John Green, but I honestly don’t like his books and I kind of regret forcing myself to enjoy them because my friends did. I actually had a more positive review on my old Goodreads account, but I replaced it with this one because I couldn’t in good faith keep recommending it when I didn’t actually enjoy it.

Continue reading “First Ten Books I Reviewed” →