en-US Tue, 15 Apr 2025 11:07:00 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 182506519 The Canary Code is a groundbreaking framework for intersectional inclusion and belonging at work that embraces human cognitive, emotional, and neurobiological differences—neurodiversity.

Despite their skills and work ethics, members of autistic, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, learning differences, and related communities face barriers to hiring and advancement. In the U.S., 30-40% of neurodivergent people and 85% of autistic college graduates struggle with unemployment. Yet, like canaries in the coal mine, they are impacted by issues that ultimately harm everyone. Lack of flexibility, transparency, and psychological safety exclude neurodivergent, disabled, and multiply marginalized talent�� and leave most employees stressed and disengaged.



This book helps CEOs, human resources and DEI leaders, managers, and consultants design neuroinclusive and thriving workplaces where everyone can do their best work. It draws on examples of pioneering organizations, human stories, academic research, and the author’s decades of experience.



Organizational psychologist and member of the autistic community, Ludmila N. Praslova, PhD., offers a comprehensive framework for building neuroinclusive workplaces. Embedding the 6 “Canary Code�� principles across the talent cycle can unlock human thriving and productivity:


Participation
Outcome focus
Flexibility
Organizational justice
Transparency
Valid Measurement


This unique book combines the lived autism experience with cutting-edge organizational thinking, academic rigor, and passionate, artful writing. Readers will experience organizational life through the eyes of neurodivergent individuals and find many tools for human-centric talent management and the inclusive future of work.]]> 352 Ludmila Praslova 152300584X Melanie 0 to-read 4.81
author: Ludmila Praslova
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.81
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: to-read
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]]> 3438000
وتدور الأحداث في مملكة غرناطة بعد سقوط جميع الممالك الإسلامية في الأندلس، و تبدأ أحداث الثلاثية في عام 1491م، وهو العام الذي سقطت فيه غرناطة بإعلان المعاهدة التي تنازل بمقتضاها (أبو عبد الله محمد الصغير) آخر ملوك غرناطة عن ملكه لملكي قشتالة وأراجون، وتنتهى بمخالفة آخر أبطالها الأحياء (عليّ) لقرار ترحيل المسلمين حينما يكتشف أن الموت في الرحيل عن الأندلس و ليس في البقاء.]]> 502 Radwa Ashour Melanie 5 4.30 1994
author: Radwa Ashour
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1994
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: modern-arabic-lit, fun-books-in-arabic, school-library-suggestions
review:

]]> 29486405 القلبُ بوصَلتي و العقلُ مِصباحي

الأرضُ بيتي و كل الناسِ عائلَتي ..
بالحُـبّ أوصلُ أرواحاً بأرواح

آمنتُ باليُسر بعد العسرِ في ثقةٍ..
بمن يُحوّلُ أحزاني لأفراحِ

سيفتحُ الله باباً كنت تحسبهُ ..
من شدة اليأسِ لم يُخلق بمفتاحِ

زين�ձ�> 130 زين بن الشيخ عبدالله 6144299645 Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.85
author: زين بن الشيخ عبدالله
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 202350714 A rallying cry filled with ancient��Sikh��wisdom��for finding inner peace while fighting for what you believe in, with practices to implement in your own life—from the author of See No Stranger and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project, a "prophetic voice of our generation" (America Ferrera)Drawing from Sikh and womanist traditions, Valarie Kaur’s Sage Warrior is a guide to building a new world from the inside out, by becoming what she describes as the essential archetype for our the sage warrior, a figure who embodies both the sage, enamored by the world as it is, and��the warrior, who fights for the world as it ought to be. Kaur chronicles over 200 years of epic history from the Punjab region, with��each chapter focusing on a single Sikh guru, woman ancestor, and corresponding spiritual lesson, beginning with Guru Nanak, Bibi Nanki, and waking to oneness. Subsequent chapters encourage us to nurture our spirits with lessons such as practicing pleasure, metabolizing grief, and shaping change, and exercises at the end of each section guide us on the path of finding our inner sage warrior.��Featuring insights from Kaur's own life and brimming with shimmering wisdom, every beautifully rendered story illuminates new ways of seeing and being. This book is for anyone—Sikh and non-Sikh, religious and secular, spiritual and seeking, atheist and agnostic—who hungers for a new world and wants to be brave with their life.]]> 416 Valarie Kaur 0593448448 Melanie 0 inspiration 4.38
author: Valarie Kaur
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: inspiration
review:

]]> 53914938 The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of East-End London poverty, works the legendary code-breaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter—the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger—and their true enemy...]]> 624 Kate Quinn 0062943472 Melanie 0 The Last Light Over Oslo.]]> 4.42 2021
author: Kate Quinn
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves:
review:
If you like this book, you'll probably also like The Last Light Over Oslo.
]]> 222036136
Sans se l’avouer, chacune espère ne pas arriver trop vite à destination. Mais aucune n’avait imaginé qu’un tronc d’arbre tombé sur les voies redistribuerait les cartes de cette journée�� et peut-être même de leur vie.

Entre rencontres, confidences et sororité, le nouveau roman de Cynthia Kafka nous entraîne dans un drôle de voyage à travers le Sud-Ouest, plein de surprises et d’émerveillements.]]> 256 Cynthia Kafka 2385294001 Melanie 0 francais 4.69
author: Cynthia Kafka
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.69
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: francais
review:

]]> 195030839 Lemony Snicket meets Jon Klassen meets Grimms' fairy tales in an outrageously original picture book debut by BAFTA Award–winning and Oscar-nominated animation director Mikey Please. In The Café at the Edge of the Woods, an aspiring chef opens a café beside an enchanted forest and discovers locals with a most peculiar palette.

Rene and Glumfoot are ready to serve Very Fine Cuisine at the Café at the Edge of the Woods. But when their first customer, an ogre, demands pickled bats that smell like farts, Rene is ready to give up! She can't possibly serve such rubbish. Or can she?

With a little bit of compromise, perhaps she can satisfy her customer and still serve the most delicious grub.

Full of humor, unlikely friendship, themes of teamwork, and unexpected surprises, this charming and hilarious picture book is a winning recipe for readers who loved A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall, The Dark by Lemony Snicket, The Skull by Jon Klassen, and any fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm!]]> 0 Mikey Please 0008639027 Melanie 0 hearth-home 4.25 2024
author: Mikey Please
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: hearth-home
review:

]]> 212808327 From the incomparable Jon Klassen, one in a trio of companion board books for the youngest of children

This is your sun.
It is coming up for you.

These are your trees.
They can go over by the sun.

With a minimal tableau of familiar objects and a gentle rhythm suited for reading aloud, a forest and all its items—a cabin, some rocks, a (nice) forest ghost, a stream, a bridge—are assembled, ending with bedtime as the sun goes down. This is a forest for a young child to have whenever they want to go there. One of a trio of board books focusing on safe spaces, comfort, and imagination, Your Forest signals both a departure for Jon Klassen and a story whose peculiar touches of whimsy stamp the book as iconically his.]]> 24 Jon Klassen 1536230839 Melanie 0 hearth-home 3.99
author: Jon Klassen
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.99
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: hearth-home
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]]> 20949716
Thich Nhat Hanh acknowledges that because suffering can feel so bad, we try to run away from it or cover it up by consuming. We find something to eat or turn on the television. But unless we’re able to face our suffering, we can’t be present and available to life, and happiness will continue to elude us.

Nhat Hanh shares how the practices of stopping, mindful breathing, and deep concentration can generate the energy of mindfulness within our daily lives. With that energy, we can embrace pain and calm it down, instantly bringing a measure of freedom and a clearer mind.

No Mud, No Lotus introduces ways to be in touch with suffering without being overwhelmed by it. "When we know how to suffer," Nhat Hanh says, "we suffer much, much less." With his signature clarity and sense of joy, Thich Nhat Hanh helps us recognize the wonders inside us and around us that we tend to take for granted and teaches us the art of happiness.]]> 128 Thich Nhat Hanh 1937006859 Melanie 0 inspiration 4.26 2014
author: Thich Nhat Hanh
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: inspiration
review:

]]> 223602099 A personal exploration of the Heart Sutra by NYT bestselling author and Buddhist teacher Susan Piver

"A very helpful practical guide to reading, reciting, and contemplating the Heart Sutra... [that] opens up space for personally exploring this text that is both celebrated and enigmatic."
—Karl Brunnhölzl, author of The Heart Attack Sutra

Right now countless humans are reciting the Heart Sutra—no matter when “right now�� happens to be. This ancient, essential Buddhist text carries with it a mystery of origin and a myriad of versions for consideration. The longest is 100,000 lines. The one contemplated in Inexplicable Joy is 43 lines. The ultimate is no lines at all. Just one syllable: AH.

The Heart Sutra is multi-layered, sacred, and sometimes impenetrable. It also lays out the path to full enlightenment.

In Inexplicable Joy, Susan Piver shares her intimate, poignant understanding of this formidable text. She discusses the inner meaning and timeless qualities of the Heart Sutra. Breaking down each of its 43 lines, Piver explains how it is practiced, and offers suggestions for bringing it into our lives—while keeping all of its mysteries intact.]]> 88 Susan Piver 1736943936 Melanie 0 to-read 4.00
author: Susan Piver
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 198137716
The Japanese practice of forest bathing, shinrin-yoku, changes the levels of stress and pleasure hormones in the body, decreasing cortisol and increasing serotonin. And if being around one tree feels good, imagine how a hundred trees would feel. In her first botanical nonfiction in more than a decade, Amy Stewart brings us captivating stories of people who spend their lives collecting trees and asks what drives one to collect something as enormous, majestic, and deeply-rooted as a tree?

In her gentle, intimate, slyly humorous way, Stewart brings fifty of these people to life, organizing their stories into categories. There are the community builders--like Shyam Sunder Paliwal who, after the death of his daughter, began a movement in his Rajasthan village to plant 111 trees whenever a girl was born--who do the remarkable work of knitting people together under an arboreal canopy. There are seekers who have taken their passion for trees around the world, or even into space. There are visionaries--the former poet laureate, W.S. Merwin, who planted a tree a day for over three decades, until he had turned a barren estate into a palm sanctuary. And there are healers--like Joe Hamilton, who plants trees on land passed down to him by his formerly enslaved great-grandfather--who have found a way to heal their own lives, the lives of others, or even wounds of the past, by planting trees.

Vivid watercolor portraits of these extraordinary people, populate this lively compendium along with with sidetrips to investigate more about trees, famous tree collections, necessary terms, and even "tips for unauthorized forestry." This book will be a gift for the hundreds of thousands of readers who have come to Amy's previous nature books and a delightful, informative, and often poignant treat for a whole new audience.]]> 336 Amy Stewart 0593446852 Melanie 0 to-read 4.21
author: Amy Stewart
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.21
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 10508431 225 Jessica Day George 1599906449 Melanie 0 hearth-home 4.10 2011
author: Jessica Day George
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: hearth-home
review:

]]> 7008426 وتشكل هذه (السيرة الطائرة) جزءاً من سيرته الإبداعية والإنسانية والأثر الذي تركه السفر في كتابته الشعرية والروائية، وحواراته حول القضايا العربية الساخنة والقضية الفلسطينية والصورة الإنسانية العميقة للحضارة العربية مع الجمهور الاوروبي ومع مثقفين أوروبين بين عامي 1985 و2005، عابر بكتابه هذا أيضاً أهم مفاصل التاريخ العربي المعاصر منذ عام النكبة الفلسطينية حتى اليوم]]> 294 Ibrahim Nasrallah Melanie 0 currently-reading 4.01 2006
author: Ibrahim Nasrallah
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 26535513 Storytelling is not an inherent skill, especially when it comes to data visualization, and the tools at our disposal don't make it any easier. This book demonstrates how to go beyond conventional tools to reach the root of your data, and how to use your data to create an engaging, informative, compelling story. Specifically, you'll learn how
Together, the lessons in this book will help you turn your data into high impact visual stories that stick with your audience. Rid your world of ineffective graphs, one exploding 3D pie chart at a time. There is a story in your data �� Storytelling with Data will give you the skills and power to tell it.]]> 288 Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic 1119002257 Melanie 0 to-read, business 4.39 2015
author: Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read, business
review:

]]> 45681948 336 Brent Dykes 1119615712 Melanie 0 to-read, business 4.18
author: Brent Dykes
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read, business
review:

]]> 392256 354 Ziauddin Sardar 186207755X Melanie 0 islam 3.90 2004
author: Ziauddin Sardar
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: islam
review:

]]> 120088 246 1569244030 Melanie 0 inspiration 4.15 2004
author: Bonnie Louise Gillis (formerly Kuchler)
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: inspiration
review:

]]> 171079986 0 Ayşe Kulin Melanie 0 currently-reading 3.75 2007
author: Ayşe Kulin
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 199269577 The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.]]> 384 Sarah Beth Durst Melanie 0 f-sf 4.05 2024
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: f-sf
review:

]]> 204936327 Historical fiction meets crime fiction in The Djinn's Apple, an award-winning YA murder mystery set in the Abbasid period—the golden age of Baghdad.

A ruthless murder. A magical herb. A mysterious manuscript.

When Nardeen’s home is stormed by angry men frantically in search of something—or someone—she is the only one who manages to escape. And after the rest of her family is left behind and murdered, Nardeen sets out on an unyielding mission to bring her family’s killers to justice, regardless of the cost…]]> 128 Djamila Morani 1911107283 Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 2.00 2017
author: Djamila Morani
name: Melanie
average rating: 2.00
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 428228 "I love MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH ENGLAND. It is written clearly and with a understanding that far supasses any feeling of condescension or superiority or general quaintness among the natives, all of which I detect in books about other countries."
M.F.K. Fisher]]> 320 Susan Allen Toth 0345385659 Melanie 0 to-read 3.80 1992
author: Susan Allen Toth
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36702148 324 0998125814 Melanie 0 pre-modern-arabic-lit 3.50
author: Camille Hamilton Adams Helminski
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: pre-modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 195391611
The ancient art of Islamic pattern is steeped in tradition, with dazzling motifs inspired by geometry and nature. Islamic biomorphic patterns are the floral, organic and flowing designs that usually sit within a geometric frame and are sometimes referred to as Arabesque, Islimi and Rumi. These patterns appear on everything from grand architectural monuments to illuminated manuscripts.

In this practical guide, learn how to analyse 12 patterns from the Islamic lands and draw them with a combination of geometry and freehand technique. Then, discover how to paint these patterns in contemporary and traditional ways, and explore colour harmony with watercolours. Esra Alhamal also teaches you how to produce your own shell gold, prepare your paper, and outline with ink and a brush to create stunning Islamic art compositions.

Following the historic way of learning from the masters, Esra starts each project by introducing and analysing a pattern sourced from historic ceramic tiles and illuminated manuscripts before showing you how to reproduce it with colourful step-by-step instructions. Soon you will have the knowledge to understand how these biomorphic patterns came to be and gain the skills to recreate designs and paint them beautifully.]]> 176 Esra Alhamal 1789941741 Melanie 0 history 0.0
author: Esra Alhamal
name: Melanie
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: history
review:

]]> 218707747 Father and What he Fathered informs us, Ahmed Toufiq’s childhood autobiography takes his readers to the Southern slopes of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. He places his childhood self, narrated in the third person, into the community of an Amazigh village, they being the indigenous people who have long inhabited the more southern climes of the Maghreb. The narrative depicts in great detail a thoroughly traditional family structure and society that relies entirely on its natural surroundings for sustenance. The life of a young boy, utterly spoiled by his adoring father, is loving portrayed, creating a narrative that is both informative and insightful. And there is to be a sequel…]]> 305 Ahmad Toufiq Melanie 0 history 0.0
author: Ahmad Toufiq
name: Melanie
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: history
review:

]]> 346255
Nearly five thousand years ago, the 4th Dynasty of Egypt’s Old Kingdom reigned over a highly advanced civilization. Believed to be gods, the royal family lived amid colossal palaces and temples built to honor them and their deified ancestors. Hawass brings these extraordinary historical figures to life, spinning a soap opera–like saga complete with murder, incest, and the triumphant ascension to the throne of one of only four queens ever to rule Egypt.

The magnificent pyramids attest not only to the dynasty’s supreme power, but also to the engineering expertise and architectural sophistication that flourished under their rule. Hawass argues that the pyramids—including the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World still standing—were built by skilled craftsmen who took great pride in their work.

Mountains of the Pharaohs is an unprecedented account of one of civilization’s greatest achievements]]> 224 Zahi Hawass 0385503059 Melanie 0 history 3.63 2006
author: Zahi Hawass
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: history
review:

]]> 229567 465 Ibn Khaldun 0691120544 Melanie 4 pre-modern-arabic-lit 4.08 1377
author: Ibn Khaldun
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1377
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: pre-modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 200734556 A Grammar of Arabic models a new framework for studying varieties of Arabic comparatively, highlighting the patterns of variation and consistency and showing how different styles, from primarily spoken and casual to primarily written and formal, are linguistically interrelated.

This non-traditional reference grammar is structured around patterns of usage rather than prescriptive rules, aligning function with form and taking advantage of general principles of language. Using data from Classical Arabic, Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, and dialects spoken in Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, the Levant, Iraq, and the Arabian Gulf, this grammar examines the actual usage of these language varieties, broadening understanding of Arabic dialects from a linguistics perspective whilst also giving readers the ability to engage language diversity.

Designed for instructors, researchers and advanced students of Arabic, A Grammar of Arabic explores Arabic from an internally comparative perspective that will also be valuable to theoretical linguists.]]> 630 Kristen Brustad 1032309539 Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 0.0
author: Kristen Brustad
name: Melanie
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 28009267 أمل بوشارب Melanie 0 4.12 2015
author: أمل بوشارب
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: modern-arabic-lit, travel-books
review:

]]> 3482789 126 رحاب بسام 9770923044 Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.36 2008
author: رحاب بسام
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 201102381 Spanning 3,000 years, from the birth of Minoan Crete to the death of the Julio-Claudian dynasty in Rome, a magisterial new history of the ancient world told, for the very first time, through women.

For centuries, men have been writing histories of antiquity filled with warlords, emperors and kings. But when it comes to incorporating women aside from Cleopatra and Boudica, writers have been more comfortable describing mythical heroines than real ones.

While Penelope and Helen of Troy live on in the imagination, their real-life counterparts have been relegated to the margins. In The Missing Thread, Daisy Dunn inverts this tradition and puts the women of history at the centre of the narrative.

These pages present Enheduanna, the earliest named author, the poet Sappho and Telesilla, who defended her city from attack. Here is Artemisia, sole female commander in the Graeco-Persian Wars, and Cynisca, the first female victor at the Olympic Games. Cleopatra may be the more famous, but Fulvia, Mark Antony's wife, fought a war on his behalf. Many other women remain nameless but integral.

Through new examination of the sources combined with vivid storytelling Daisy Dunn shows us the ancient world through fresh eyes, and introduces us to an incredible cast of ancient women, weavers of an entire world.]]> 480 Daisy Dunn 0593299663 Melanie 0 history 3.71 2024
author: Daisy Dunn
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: history
review:

]]> 59089898 A summer house party turns into a whodunit when Mr. Wickham, one of literature’s most notorious villains, meets a sudden and suspicious end in this mystery featuring Jane Austen’s leading literary characters.

The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.

Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys�� eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. The unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.]]> 386 Claudia Gray 059331381X Melanie 0 fiction 3.65 2022
author: Claudia Gray
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2024/09/07
date added: 2024/09/07
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> 5948768
في بحار اللاواقعية تبحر الراوية "سحر خليفة" بالقارئ حاملة إياه بخفه راسمة في ذهنه صوراً من حياتها البريئة يوم كانت صغيرة تدور مع والدها ملتقطة الصور من المجتمع لتحتفظ بها في أرشيف ذاكرتها المحملة برياح الطفولة العطرة.]]> 152 Sahar Khalifeh Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.51 1992
author: Sahar Khalifeh
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.51
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 6448580 152 وليد الرجيب Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.71 1988
author: وليد الرجيب
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1988
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 20404442
في "جبل الزمرد" تشتبك منصورة عز الدين مع "ألف ليلة وليلة" اشتباكا يتجاوز العنوان، لتقدم عملا يلعب مع "الليالي" ويحاورها متبنيا بعض أساليب السرد المستلهمة منها. عمل يتفحص بحساسية علاقة الكتابي بالشفاهي، ويشتغل على فكرة رواية الرواية، أي الوعي بفعل كتابة رواية منبثقة من قلب "ألف ليلة" ومتماسة مع الموروث الديني في آن]]> 232 منصورة عزالدين 9938886272 Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.62 2014
author: منصورة عزالدين
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 18295750
تمزج رضوى عاشور في هذه المقاطع من سيرتها الذاتية بين مشاهد من الثورة وتجربتها في مواجهة المرض طوال السنوات الثلاث الأخيرة، تربطها بسنوات سابقة وأسبق. تحكي عن الجامعة والتحرير والشهداء. تحكي عن نفسها، وتتأمل فعل الكتابة.]]> 393 Radwa Ashour 9770932639 Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.93 2013
author: Radwa Ashour
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 17318079 Emily Nasrallah املي نصرالله Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.51 1985
author: Emily Nasrallah املي نصرالله
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.51
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 3795557 102 لطيفة الزيات Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.39 1986
author: لطيفة الزيات
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.39
book published: 1986
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 7756169 97 رضوى عاشور Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit, fiction 3.13 1987
author: رضوى عاشور
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.13
book published: 1987
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: modern-arabic-lit, fiction
review:

]]> 426514 448 Janice A. Radway 0807848301 Melanie 0 theory 3.56 1997
author: Janice A. Radway
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.56
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: theory
review:

]]> 57810613 ‘Refugees are like seeds that scatter in the wind, and land in different soils that become their reluctant homes�� my mother once told me. As a small child, I looked up at my mother and clutched her hand. The puffiness of her palm reminded me of a loaf of warm pita bread, and when she laced her fingers into mine like a pretzel, I felt safe. I would have walked with her to the ends of the earth.

When Mona moved from California to Ramallah to teach conflict resolution in a school for a year, she kept a journal. Within its pages, she wrote her impressions of her homeland, a place she had only experienced through her mother’s memories.

As she settled into her teaching role, getting to know her students and the challenges they faced living in a militarized, occupied town, Mona also embarked on a personal pilgrimage to find her mother’s home in Jerusalem.

Mona had dreamed of being guided by her mother down the old souqs, and the leafy streets of her neighborhood, listening to the muezzin’s call for prayer and the medley of church bells. But after fifty-nine years of exile, it was Mona’s mother who held her daughter’s hand as they visited Jerusalem together, walking the narrow cobblestone alleys of the Old City. Their roles were reversed. Mona had become her Mama’s legs and her memory �� and the one to tell her story going forward.

In My Mother’s Footsteps is a moving and heart-rending journey of a daughter discovering her roots and recovering her mother’s beloved past. It’s also an intimate and tender account of daily life for Palestinians as never seen before. For fans of The Bookseller of Kabul and The Beekeeper of Aleppo.]]> 292 Mona Hajjar Halaby 1800196113 Melanie 0 history 4.31 2021
author: Mona Hajjar Halaby
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/08/17
date added: 2024/08/17
shelves: history
review:

]]> 122087151 272 Zeynep Ton 1647824176 Melanie 0 business 4.12 2023
author: Zeynep Ton
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/09
shelves: business
review:

]]> 6184356 The Chicago Manual of Style Online. Some are arcane, some simply hilarious—and one editor, Carol Fisher Saller, reads every single one of them. All too often she notes a classic author-editor standoff, wherein both parties refuse to compromise on the "rights" and "wrongs" of prose styling: "This author is giving me a fit." "I wish that I could just DEMAND the use of the serial comma at all times." "My author wants his preface to come at the end of the book. This just seems ridiculous to me. I mean, it’s not a post-face."

In The Subversive Copy Editor, Saller casts aside this adversarial view and suggests new strategies for keeping the peace. Emphasizing habits of carefulness, transparency, and flexibility, she shows copy editors how to build an environment of trust and cooperation. One chapter takes on the difficult author; another speaks to writers themselves. Throughout, the focus is on serving the reader, even if it means breaking "rules" along the way. Saller’s own foibles and misadventures provide ample material: "I mess up all the time," she confesses. "It’s how I know things."

Writers, Saller acknowledges, are only half the challenge, as copy editors can also make trouble for themselves. (Does any other book have an index entry that says "terrorists. See copy editors"?) The book includes helpful sections on e-mail etiquette, work-flow management, prioritizing, and organizing computer files. One chapter even addresses the special concerns of freelance editors.

Saller’s emphasis on negotiation and flexibility will surprise many copy editors who have absorbed, along with the dos and don’ts of their stylebooks, an attitude that their way is the right way. In encouraging copy editors to banish their ignorance and disorganization, insecurities and compulsions, the Chicago Q&A presents itself as a kind of alter ego to the comparatively staid Manual of Style. In The Subversive Copy Editor, Saller continues her mission with audacity and good humor.]]> 134 Carol Fisher Saller 0226734250 Melanie 0 4.16 2009
author: Carol Fisher Saller
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2009
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 10083269 �� تروى القصص الثلاث ذكريات طفولة فتاة من منظورها وهى فى عمر أنضج. تكشف روايتها لتلك الذكريات المحملة بالمشاعر أبعاداً ومعان جديدة لم تكن هى نفسها تعيها وهي طفلة. فسلوكها المنطلق من قناعاتها ومشاعرها الطفولية وإصرارها الفطرى على الدفاع عن خياراتها- وإن كلفها أو آلمها فى حينه- تحوَّل فيما بعد لمنبع من الرضاء عن النفس، ومعين من الفرص للتميز، وكنز من الحب اخْتُزِن لها فى قلوب لم تكن تتوقعها.

�� أنتجت وزارة الثقافة في الأردن القصة الثالثة من المجموعة "حجرة الخزين" كمسرحية في مهرجان مسرح الطفل في عمان في 2012.]]> 103 عفاف طباله Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.85 2009
author: عفاف طباله
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at: 2024/08/04
date added: 2024/08/04
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 58688768 When thinking of intrepid travelers from past centuries, we don't usually put Muslim women at the top of the list. And yet, the stunning firsthand accounts in this collection completely upend preconceived notions of who was exploring the world.

Editors Siobhan Lambert-Hurley, Daniel Majchrowicz, and Sunil Sharma recover, translate, annotate, and provide historical and cultural context for the 17th- to 20th-century writings of Muslim women travelers in ten different languages. Queens and captives, pilgrims and provocateurs, these women are diverse. Their connection to Islam is wide-ranging as well, from the devout to those who distanced themselves from religion. What unites these adventurers is a concern for other women they encounter, their willingness to record their experiences, and the constant thoughts they cast homeward even as they traveled a world that was not always prepared to welcome them.

Perfect for readers interested in gender, Islam, travel writing, and global history, Three Centuries of Travel Writing by Muslim Women provides invaluable insight into how these daring women experienced the world—in their own voices.]]> 532 Siobhan Lambert-Hurley 0253062047 Melanie 0 history 5.00
author: Siobhan Lambert-Hurley
name: Melanie
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: history
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]]> 195324
In a small boat like those her Native American ancestors have used for countless generations, she travels to Ojibwe home ground, the islands of Lake of the Woods in southern Ontario. Her only companions are her new baby and the baby's father, an Ojibwe spiritual leader, on a pilgrimage to the sacred rock paintings their people have venerated for centuries as mystical "teaching and dream guides," and where even today Ojibwe leave offerings of tobacco in token of their power. With these paintings as backdrop, Erdrich summons to life the Ojibwe's spirits and songs, their language and sorrows, and the tales that are in their blood, echoing through her own family's very contemporary American lives and shaping her vision of the wider world. Thoughtful, moving, and wonderfully well observed, her meditation evokes ancient wisdom, modern ways, and the universal human concerns we all share.]]> 192 Louise Erdrich 0792257197 Melanie 0 history 4.12 2003
author: Louise Erdrich
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at: 2024/07/25
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: history
review:

]]> 189187484
Nadine is a jinn tasked with one job: telling the stories of the dead. She rises every morning to gather pomegranate seeds—the souls of the dead—that have fallen during the night. With her daughter Layala at her side, she eats the seeds and tells their stories. Only then can the departed pass through the final gate of death.

But when the seeds stop falling, Nadine knows something is terribly wrong. All her worst fears are confirmed when she is visited by Kamuna, Death herself and ruler of the underworld, who reveals her desire for someone to replace her: it is Layala she wants.

Nadine will do whatever it takes to keep her daughter safe, but Kamuna has little patience and a ruthless drive to get what she has come for. Layala’s fate, meanwhile, hangs in the balance.

Rooted in Middle Eastern mythology, Rania Hanna deftly weaves subtle, yet breathtaking, magic through this vivid and compelling story that has at its heart the universal human desire to, somehow, outmaneuver death.]]> 274 Rania Hanna 1649033648 Melanie 0 f-sf 3.80 2024
author: Rania Hanna
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/07/22
date added: 2024/07/22
shelves: f-sf
review:

]]> 48895207 Bestselling authors Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz bring us a romantic retelling of Little Women starring Jo March and her best friend, the boy next door, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence.

1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration—museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself!

But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo's desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage proposal and sends the poor boy off to college heartbroken. When Laurie returns to Concord with a sophisticated new girlfriend, will Jo finally communicate her true heart's desire or lose the love of her life forever?]]> 384 Margaret Stohl 1984812017 Melanie 4 audio 3.85 2020
author: Margaret Stohl
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/07/13
shelves: audio
review:

]]> 507735 170 Yahya ibn Sharaf al Nawawi 9960792765 Melanie 0 pre-modern-arabic-lit 4.88
author: Yahya ibn Sharaf al Nawawi
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.88
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/14
shelves: pre-modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 189188364
The idioms in this small, yet mighty, linguistic treasure trove have been put together to showcase the use of the Egyptian word�� illi , in itself a fascinating anomaly of the language as the only relative pronoun that exists in this dialect. Organized around their day-to-day linguistic function, each expression includes the original Arabic, a translation, an English equivalent or explanation, as well as whimsical illustrations.

This book covers a wide array of meanings and contexts—packed full of expressions that will console, threaten, encourage, and much more—and is sure to entertain and inform both lovers of language and Egypt enthusiasts.]]> 104 Mona Kamel Hassan 164903346X Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 0.0
author: Mona Kamel Hassan
name: Melanie
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/05/14
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 125372848 375 Linda Komaroff 1636810888 Melanie 0 history 0.0
author: Linda Komaroff
name: Melanie
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/02
shelves: history
review:

]]> 32051912
1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, code name Alice, the "queen of spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.]]> 503 Kate Quinn 0062654195 Melanie 4 4.30 2017
author: Kate Quinn
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2017
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/04/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 50158825 In a follow-up to the popular The New Paris, Lindsey Tramuta explores the impact that the women of Paris have had on the rapidly evolving culture of their city
��
The New Parisienne focuses on one of the city’s most prominent features, its women. Lifting the veil on the mythologized Parisian woman—white, lithe, ever fashionable—Lindsey Tramuta demystifies this oversimplified archetype and recasts the women of Paris as they truly are, in all their complexity. Featuring 50 activists, creators, educators, visionaries, and disruptors—like Leïla Slimani, Lauren Bastide, and Mayor Anne Hidalgo—the book reveals Paris as a blossoming cultural center of feminine power. Both the featured women and Tramuta herself offer up favorite destinations and women-owned businesses, including beloved shops, artistic venues, bistros, and more. The New Parisienne showcases “Parisianness�� in all its multiplicity, highlighting those who are bucking tradition, making names for themselves, and transforming the city.
��]]> 320 Lindsey Tramuta 1419742817 Melanie 0 francais 4.36
author: Lindsey Tramuta
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.36
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/04/24
shelves: francais
review:

]]> 54304048
As the pampered pet dragon of the Prince of Wrenly, Ruskin has never known life beyond the walls of the palace. Until the day a young dragon from Crestwood comes to the palace to plead for help. An evil curse has been unleashed in Crestwood and threatens to destroy all of Wrenly. Ruskin has a choice to make: stay safe at home in the palace, or try to help save his kingdom. For Ruskin, there is no choice. He knows he has to try and help if he can.

What Ruskin and his new dragon friends don’t yet realize is that the curse was awoken for one reason only—to put Ruskin in harm’s way. The mission to reverse the curse is far more dangerous than anyone realizes…in fact, it’s seemingly impossible. Why is Ruskin the target of these shadowy forces? And how far is Ruskin willing to go to save his kingdom?]]> 144 Jordan Quinn 153447501X Melanie 0 hearth-home 4.05 2021
author: Jordan Quinn
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/10
shelves: hearth-home
review:

]]> 760440 256 Willard F. Harley Jr. 0800731018 Melanie 0 hearth-home 4.04 2003
author: Willard F. Harley Jr.
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/09
shelves: hearth-home
review:

]]> 55586848 The riveting story of a heroic girl who fights for her belief that water should be for everyone.

Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines. Lately, though, even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity—an act that Minni accidentally witnesses one night. Meanwhile, in the high-rise building where she just started to work, she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there’s even a rooftop swimming pool. What Minni also discovers there is one of the water mafia bosses. Now she must decide whether to expose him and risk her job and maybe her life. How did something as simple as access to water get so complicated?]]> 192 Varsha Bajaj 0593354397 Melanie 0 hearth-home 4.10 2022
author: Varsha Bajaj
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/23
shelves: hearth-home
review:

]]> 25925088 وقبل عيسى و سيد الأنام

قبل الإسلام وقبل تاريخه
و قبل النور و الصراط المستقيم

قصة لم يدونها التاريخ لكنها نقلت بالأثر من قاص لآخر .. سأدونها بين ورق بالكاد سيحتويها .. واتركها لاختبار الزمن .. أسامة]]> 535 Melanie 0 4.35 2015
author: Osamah M. Al Muslim - أسامة المسلم
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/17
shelves: modern-arabic-lit, currently-reading
review:

]]> 58733693 Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.]]> 368 Shelby Van Pelt 0063204150 Melanie 4 fiction 4.35 2022
author: Shelby Van Pelt
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/03/17
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> 14805488 256 Wen-chin Ouyang 0748655697 Melanie 0 theory 0.0 2012
author: Wen-chin Ouyang
name: Melanie
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/24
shelves: theory
review:

]]> 7703857 Ranelagh, E. L. 288 E.L. Ranelagh 070432234X Melanie 0 history 4.40 1981
author: E.L. Ranelagh
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.40
book published: 1981
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/29
shelves: history
review:

]]> 63020322
Growing up in Iraq after the Gulf War, Mooz didn’t always like his name, which means “banana��. But when he learns the story behind it, he’s proud, even when being teased by his classmates. Now all he yearns for is to taste a banana—a lofty dream in a time when few countries are trading with Iraq, where bananas don’t grow.

Inspired by author Hasan Namir’s own childhood, Banana Dream is at once a celebration of a seemingly ordinary fruit and a snapshot of how war can alter a landscape. Artist Daby Zainab Faidhi’s background in architectural illustration is evident as she brings the story's setting vividly to life.]]> 32 Hasan Namir 0823451003 Melanie 0 school-library-suggestions 4.03
author: Hasan Namir
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/28
shelves: school-library-suggestions
review:

]]> 74868338 A warrior’s power lies not in his weapons but in his heart.

Batu is just an ordinary kid in present-day Almaty, worried about bullies, school, and his mom’s new baby…until the day he meets Aspara, the Golden Warrior. Aspara steps straight out of Batu’s notebook cover—and out of Kazakhstan’s past. Aspara has been waiting hundreds of years to be summoned to the human world and to finally get his chance to search for the Golden Cup, a magical talisman sent down from the heavens. When the Golden Cup was lost, Aspara watched as many of his friends and family were killed or disappeared.

Craving adventure and a sense of purpose, Batu sets out with Aspara and his own friends to find the Golden Cup, plunging them into an adventure through a world where myths come alive. But there are others looking for the Cup, and they’ll do anything to make sure the kids fail. Will Batu and his friends make it out alive (and make it home in time for dinner)?]]> 312 Zira Nauryzbai 1662507003 Melanie 0 hearth-home 3.49
author: Zira Nauryzbai
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.49
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2024/01/27
date added: 2024/01/27
shelves: hearth-home
review:

]]> 51182560 On the stoop of this shared house, Dalia and Bashir began a surprising friendship, forged in the aftermath of war and later tested as political tensions ran high and Israelis and Palestinians each asserted their own right to live on this land. Adapted from the award-winning adult book and based on Sandy Tolan's extensive research and reporting, The Lemon Tree is a deeply personal story of two people seeking hope, transformation, and home.]]> 192 Sandy Tolan 1547603941 Melanie 0 4.04
author: Sandy Tolan
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.04
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/29
shelves: hearth-home, school-library-suggestions
review:

]]> 59069071 Celebrated cartoonist Kate Beaton vividly presents the untold story of Canada.

Before there was Kate Beaton, New York Times bestselling cartoonist of Hark A Vagrant fame, there was Katie Beaton of the Cape Breton Beatons, specifically Mabou, a tight-knit seaside community where the lobster is as abundant as beaches, fiddles, and Gaelic folk songs. After university, Beaton heads out west to take advantage of Alberta’s oil rush, part of the long tradition of East Coasters who seek gainful employment elsewhere when they can't find it in the homeland they love so much. With the singular goal of paying off her student loans, what the journey will actually cost Beaton will be far more than she anticipates.

Arriving in Fort McMurray, Beaton finds work in the lucrative camps owned and operated by the world’s largest oil companies. Being one of the few women among thousands of men, the culture shock is palpable. It does not hit home until she moves to a spartan, isolated worksite for higher pay. She encounters the harsh reality of life in the oil sands where trauma is an everyday occurrence yet never discussed. Her wounds may never heal.

Beaton’s natural cartooning prowess is on full display as she draws colossal machinery and mammoth vehicles set against a sublime Albertan backdrop of wildlife, Northern Lights, and Rocky Mountains. Her first full-length graphic narrative, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is an untold story of Canada: a country that prides itself on its egalitarian ethos and natural beauty while simultaneously exploiting both the riches of its land and the humanity of its people.]]> 430 Kate Beaton 1770462899 Melanie 5 4.41 2022
author: Kate Beaton
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/12/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 83823674 Debut graphic novelist Claire Lordon’s medical misfortunes may be one in a million in this relatable memoir, but so is her determination, grit, and passion to beat the odds and reclaim her life.

Something is wrong with Claire, but she doesn’t know what. Nobody does, not even her doctors. All she wants is to return to her happy and athletic teenage self. But her accumulating symptoms—chronic fatigue, pounding headaches, weight gain—hint that there’s something not right inside Claire’s body. Claire’s high school experience becomes filled with MRIs, visits to the Mayo Clinic, and multiple surgeries to remove a brain tumor. But even in her most difficult moments battling chronic illness, Claire manages to find solace in her family, her closest friends, and her art. A deeply personal and visually arresting memoir that draws on the author’s high school diaries and drawings, One in a Million is also a sophisticated portrayal of pain, depression, and fear that any teen or adult can relate to. With a sensitive preface and an author’s note connecting past to present, this true story of resilience strikes a moving balance between raw honesty in the face of medical and mental trauma and the everyday musings of a teenager.]]> 272 Claire Lordon 1536213675 Melanie 5 3.84 2023
author: Claire Lordon
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/12/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 36204301
So he partnered with his longtime colleague, women’s leadership expert Sally Helgesen, to create this invaluable handbook for women trying to take the next step in their careers. They realized that for women in particular, the very skills and habits that made them successful early in their careers could actually be holding them back as they advance to the next stage of their working lives. Women in particular struggle with habits like:

1. Reluctance to Claim Your Achievements

2. Expecting Others to Spontaneously Notice and Reward Your Hard Work

3. Overvaluing Expertise

4. Building Rather than Leveraging Relationships

5. Failing to Enlist Allies from Day One

6. Putting Your Job Before Your Career

7. The Disease to Please

8. The Perfection Trap

9. Minimizing

10. Too Much

11. Ruminating

12. Letting Your Radar Distract You

Like the original What Got You Here, this new book will help women identify specific behaviors that keep them from realizing their full potential, no matter what stage they are in their career. It will also help them identify why what worked for them in the past will not necessarily get them where they want to go in the future–and how to finally shed those behaviors so they can advance to the next level, whatever that may be.]]> 256 Sally Helgesen 0316440124 Melanie 0 4.08 2018
author: Sally Helgesen
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2023/12/25
date added: 2023/12/25
shelves:
review:

]]> 4907495 The raven has turned gray
O Reader of the unknown
Help us in our ordeal!
With a fine touch, Aida Bamia has explored the work of Muhammad bin al-Tayyib ‘Alili (c.1894–c.1954), a hitherto virtually unknown oral poet of Algeria, bringing to her analysis new understanding of folk poetry as part of a people’s collective memory and their resistance to colonization. For ‘Alili’s audience the despair and suffering faced by poor farmers before independence is embodied by the raven, grown old and gray with ceaseless frustration and humiliation.
Because of its oral―and all too often ephemeral―nature, the work of poets such as ‘Alili could escape close scrutiny by French colonial administrators who sought to eradicate nationalistic and ethnic elements. With succinct commentary, Bamia presents an outstanding historical and contextual background for ‘Alili’s repertoire, while she details the richness and variety of poetic forms that had developed in North Africa. In doing so, she shows an intimate grasp of the poet’s repertoire and technique, as well as of the colonial and postcolonial implications of Algerian folklore and poetry.
In their citation for the AUC Middle East Studies Award, the judges noted The Graying of the Raven’s “insightful perspective on Algerian society and the experience of colonization as perceived by the individual folk poet.”]]> 176 Aida A. Bamia 9774246675 Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 4.00 2001
author: Aida A. Bamia
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/30
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 23463462 399 أحمد التوفيق Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit
This book is like no other. It’s not experimental in form or genre. It’s a pretty straightforward historical novel. By that I mean that it doesn’t rely on flashbacks, or jump back and forth in history, or explore different points of view. The story is told in the 3rd person by an omniscient narrator. But it is unique in its content, telling the story of a European woman who completes her studies in Eastern (Arabic and Persian at least) literatures in college in 1949 and then moves to Morocco. She accompanies her father who is going to conduct research on traditional music in Morocco, but she stays on after that and has her own adventures. Set in the time of the French Protectorate, Claude and her father are under constant surveillance and are alternately courted and threatened by various international parties.

I needed to read this book for 2 reasons. First Ahmed Toufiq’s writing is usually of interest to me because it often focuses on history (he is a historian, in addition to writing fiction) and women characters. His earlier novel, جارات أبي موسى/Jarat Abi Mousa/Abu Musa's Women Neighbors (1997, English translation 2006 by Roger Allen, Post-Apollo Press) recounted historical events of the 14th century. It included Shamah, a major character, as well as other minor female characters. His work also includes a Sufi element, exploring aspects of mysticism, humanism, and philosophy.

The 2nd reason I needed to read this book was its exploration of traditional music. Its main focus is the 12 nubas (scales or modes) of Andalusian music, one of which is called Gharibat al-Husayn. You can read about nubas here:

There are several explanations offered for the name of this nuba (and the title of the novel). I conducted dissertation fieldwork on Moroccan Malhun, which is sung poetry, similar in some ways to Andalusian performance traditions. Amazigh (Berber) music and poetry is also mentioned briefly.

Ahmed Toufiq has a talent for storytelling in a historical setting. The plot is clear and compelling. The characters are likeable, and I’m always impressed by Toufiq’s attempts to develop women characters. Unfortunately, I have some trouble finding any of the characters (including men) believable and relatable. They tend to over-philosophize for my taste. But there are some exciting twists and charming connections in this book.

Certainly fans of historical fiction will enjoy it. If you like writing by Reem Bassiouney, Leila Aboulela, Latifa Zayyat, Naguib Mahfouz, or Rhys Bowen you could like this. There is a love story throughout the book, but this is not simply a romance novel. The international intrigue and art history could also appeal to readers of Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code), Girl with the Pearl Earring, and Miss Garnet's Angel by Salley Vickers by Sally Vickers among others.]]> 4.12 2000
author: أحمد التوفيق
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at: 2023/11/29
date added: 2023/11/29
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:
Gharibat al-Husayn (2000)

This book is like no other. It’s not experimental in form or genre. It’s a pretty straightforward historical novel. By that I mean that it doesn’t rely on flashbacks, or jump back and forth in history, or explore different points of view. The story is told in the 3rd person by an omniscient narrator. But it is unique in its content, telling the story of a European woman who completes her studies in Eastern (Arabic and Persian at least) literatures in college in 1949 and then moves to Morocco. She accompanies her father who is going to conduct research on traditional music in Morocco, but she stays on after that and has her own adventures. Set in the time of the French Protectorate, Claude and her father are under constant surveillance and are alternately courted and threatened by various international parties.

I needed to read this book for 2 reasons. First Ahmed Toufiq’s writing is usually of interest to me because it often focuses on history (he is a historian, in addition to writing fiction) and women characters. His earlier novel, جارات أبي موسى/Jarat Abi Mousa/Abu Musa's Women Neighbors (1997, English translation 2006 by Roger Allen, Post-Apollo Press) recounted historical events of the 14th century. It included Shamah, a major character, as well as other minor female characters. His work also includes a Sufi element, exploring aspects of mysticism, humanism, and philosophy.

The 2nd reason I needed to read this book was its exploration of traditional music. Its main focus is the 12 nubas (scales or modes) of Andalusian music, one of which is called Gharibat al-Husayn. You can read about nubas here:

There are several explanations offered for the name of this nuba (and the title of the novel). I conducted dissertation fieldwork on Moroccan Malhun, which is sung poetry, similar in some ways to Andalusian performance traditions. Amazigh (Berber) music and poetry is also mentioned briefly.

Ahmed Toufiq has a talent for storytelling in a historical setting. The plot is clear and compelling. The characters are likeable, and I’m always impressed by Toufiq’s attempts to develop women characters. Unfortunately, I have some trouble finding any of the characters (including men) believable and relatable. They tend to over-philosophize for my taste. But there are some exciting twists and charming connections in this book.

Certainly fans of historical fiction will enjoy it. If you like writing by Reem Bassiouney, Leila Aboulela, Latifa Zayyat, Naguib Mahfouz, or Rhys Bowen you could like this. There is a love story throughout the book, but this is not simply a romance novel. The international intrigue and art history could also appeal to readers of Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code), Girl with the Pearl Earring, and Miss Garnet's Angel by Salley Vickers by Sally Vickers among others.
]]> 205854 My Grandfather's Blessings, Rachel Naomi Remen, a cancer physician and master storyteller, uses her luminous stories to remind us of the power of our kindness and the joy of being alive.

Dr. Remen's grandfather, an orthodox rabbi and scholar of the Kabbalah, saw life as a web of connection and knew that everyone belonged to him, and that he belonged to everyone. He taught her that blessing one another is what fills our emptiness, heals our loneliness, and connects us more deeply to life.

Life has given us many more blessings than we have allowed ourselves to receive. My Grandfather's Blessings is about how we can recognize and receive our blessings and bless the life in others. Serving others heals us. Through our service we will discover our own wholeness—and the way to restore hidden wholeness in the world.]]> 400 Rachel Naomi Remen 1573228567 Melanie 0 inspiration 4.39 2001
author: Rachel Naomi Remen
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/21
shelves: inspiration
review:

]]> 42304129 334 مناهل محمد سندي 6030247409 Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.84
author: مناهل محمد سندي
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.84
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2023/11/11
date added: 2023/11/11
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 7908762
It’s there that Zoe realizes she is a coru prime ruled by the elemental sign of water. She must return to the palace, not as an unwilling bride for the king, but a woman with power in her own right. But as Zoe unlocks more of the mysteries of her blood �� and the secrets of the royal family �� she must decide how to use her great power to rise above the deceptions and intrigue of the royal court.]]> 400 Sharon Shinn 0441019234 Melanie 5 f-sf 4.00 2010
author: Sharon Shinn
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/11/05
shelves: f-sf
review:

]]> 11140803 An illuminating history of North America's eleven rival cultural regions that explodes the red state-blue state myth. North America was settled by people with distinct religious, political, and ethnographic characteristics, creating regional cultures that have been at odds with one another ever since. Subsequent immigrants didn't confront or assimilate into an "American" or "Canadian" culture, but rather into one of the eleven distinct regional ones that spread over the continent each staking out mutually exclusive territory.

In American Nations, Colin Woodard leads us on a journey through the history of our fractured continent, and the rivalries and alliances between its component nations, which conform to neither state nor international boundaries. He illustrates and explains why "American" values vary sharply from one region to another. Woodard reveals how intranational differences have played a pivotal role at every point in the continent's history, from the American Revolution and the Civil War to the tumultuous sixties and the "blue county/red county" maps of recent presidential elections. American Nations is a revolutionary and revelatory take on America's myriad identities and how the conflicts between them have shaped our past and are molding our future.]]> 371 Colin Woodard 0670022969 Melanie 0 4.16 2011
author: Colin Woodard
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at: 2023/10/24
date added: 2023/10/24
shelves:
review:

]]> 6522458 Is God a White Racist?, William R. Jones sharply criticized black theologians for their agnostic approach to black suffering, noting that the doctrine of an ominibenevolent God poses very significant problems for a perennially oppressed community. He proposed a "humanocentric theism" which denies God's sovereignty over human history and imputes autonomous agency to humans. By rendering humans alone responsible for moral evil, Jones's theology freed blacks to revolt against the evil of oppression without revolting against God. Sherman Jackson now places Jones's argument in conversation with the classical schools of Islamic theology. The problem confronting the black community is not simply proving that God exists, says Jackson. The problem, rather, is establishing that God cares. No religious expression that fails to tackle the problem of black suffering can hope to enjoy a durable tenure in the black community. For the Muslim, therefore, it is essential to find a Quranic/Islamic grounding for the protest-oriented agenda of black religion. That is the task Jackson undertakes in this pathbreaking work. Jackson's previous book, Islam and the Blackamerican (OUP 2006) laid the groundwork for this ambitious project. Its sequel, Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering, solidifies Jackson's reputation as the foremost theologian of the black American Islamic movement.
]]> 222 Sherman A. Jackson 0195382064 Melanie 0 islam 4.54 2009
author: Sherman A. Jackson
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/12
shelves: islam
review:

]]> 172761 304 Byron Katie 0307339238 Melanie 0 inspiration 4.25 2007
author: Byron Katie
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/06
shelves: inspiration
review:

]]> 56269272
In 2002, with her sister, Hind, and their friend, Nihal, she founded Diwan, a fiercely independent bookstore. They were three young women with no business degrees, no formal training, and nothing to lose. At the time, nothing like Diwan existed in Egypt. Culture was languishing under government mismanagement, and books were considered a luxury, not a necessity. Ten years later, Diwan had become a rousing success, with ten locations, 150 employees, and a fervent fan base.

Frank, fresh, and very funny, Nadia Wassef's memoir tells the story of this journey. Its eclectic cast of characters features Diwan's impassioned regulars, like the demanding Dr. Medhat; Samir, the driver with CEO aspirations; meditative and mythical Nihal; silent but deadly Hind; dictatorial and exacting Nadia, a self-proclaimed bitch to work with--and the many people, mostly men, who said Diwan would never work.

Shelf Life is a portrait of a country hurtling toward revolution, a feminist rallying cry, and an unapologetic crash course in running a business under the law of entropy. Above all, it is a celebration of the power of words to bring us home.]]> 240 Nadia Wassef 037460018X Melanie 0 business
Note: The audiobook version worked for me, but unfortunately the mispronunciation of the Arabic words by the reader is distracting if you know Arabic.]]> 3.58 2021
author: Nadia Wassef
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/29
shelves: business
review:
I enjoyed hearing (the audiobook version) Nadia Wassef's stories and experiences with founding the Diwan chain of bookstores in Cairo. Having lived in Cairo for a year (2004-2005), I was fond of browsing in Diwan locations. It was nice to hear about the success story of this business person and her colleagues and to hear more about the original vision. Of course, there were challenges in the author's life and in Egypt during the period she was discussing. And it was good to hear her perspectives on these as well. I think this book will be of interest to women, entrepreneurs, booksellers, and those interested in the book industry (especially in Egypt and Arab regions).

Note: The audiobook version worked for me, but unfortunately the mispronunciation of the Arabic words by the reader is distracting if you know Arabic.
]]> 1270149 Original Arabic]]> 125 Latifa Al Zayyat 0704302047 Melanie 0 modern-arabic-lit 3.20 1992
author: Latifa Al Zayyat
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.20
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/20
shelves: modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 15805370
"Minnesota" is derived from the Dakota phrase Mni Sota Makoce, Land Where the Waters Reflect the Clouds—and the people's roots here remain strong. Authors Gwen Westerman and Bruce White examine narratives of the people's origins, their associations with the land, and the seasonal round through key players and place names. They consider Dakota interactions with Europeans and offer an in-depth "reading between the lines" of historical documents—some of them virtually unknown—and treaties made with the United States, uncovering misunderstandings and outright deceptions that helped lead to war in 1862.

Dakota history did not begin with the U.S.�� Dakota War of 1862—nor did it end there. Mni Sota Makoce is, more than anything, a celebration of the Dakota people through their undisputed connection to this place, Minnesota, in the past, present, and future.]]> 296 Gwen Westerman 0873518691 Melanie 0 history 4.14 2012
author: Gwen Westerman
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/15
shelves: history
review:

]]> 124947274
She unpacks the text by focusing on Qur'anic narrative, and specifically, repetition in Qur'anic stories. Repetition is an important part of the Qur'an's literary technique. Ozgur Alhassen traces the use of repetition as a narrative device from the text's overall structure to individual letters. She compares different Qur'anic stories and explores the kinds of repetition that occur in them and what purposes they serve. Repetition, she shows, forges patterns, connections, and layers of meaning that develop, complicate, and comment on the Qur'an's messages.]]> 198 Leyla Ozgur Alhassen 0197654606 Melanie 0 islam 0.0
author: Leyla Ozgur Alhassen
name: Melanie
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/22
shelves: islam
review:

]]> 153317137 Son premier roman,�� Les Lettres de Rose , a reçu le Prix du Livre Romantique 2016, et connaît un beau succès (+ de 32 000 ex. vendus).
Elle est également l'auteure de�� La Plage de la mariée, ��du�� Jardin de l'oubli ��et de Ceux qui voulaient voir la mer parus aux éditions Charleston. Elle vit à Nice.]]> 305 Clarisse Sabard 2368123601 Melanie 0 francais 3.40
author: Clarisse Sabard
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.40
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/20
shelves: francais
review:

]]> 52559343 This middle grade mystery adventure, told using diary entries, maps and photos, takes readers along on the harrowing journeys of siblings separated during WWII.

Twelve-year-old twin siblings, Nadya and Viktor, are separated just before the Nazi seige of their city. Desperate to reunite, each sets out on a harrowing journey to find one another before it is too late.]]> 432 Davide Morosinotto 1984893335 Melanie 0 hearth-home 4.09 2017
author: Davide Morosinotto
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/10
shelves: hearth-home
review:

]]> 248193
Le ton beau de Marot�� literally means ”The sweet tone of Marot��, but to a French ear it suggests ”Le tombeau de Marot”—that is, ”The tomb of Marot��. That double entendre foreshadows the linguistic exuberance of this book, which was sparked a decade ago when Hofstadter, under the spell of an exquisite French miniature by Marot, got hooked on the challenge of recreating both its sweet message and its tight rhymes in English—jumping through two tough hoops at once. In the next few years, he not only did many of his own translations of Marot's poem, but also enlisted friends, students, colleagues, family, noted poets, and translators—even three state-of-the-art translation programs!—to try their hand at this subtle challenge.

The rich harvest is represented here by 88 wildly diverse variations on Marot's little theme. Yet this barely scratches the surface of Le Ton beau de Marot, for small groups of these poems alternate with chapters that run all over the map of language and thought.

Not merely a set of translations of one poem, Le Ton beau de Marot is an autobiographical essay, a love letter to the French language, a series of musings on life, loss, and death, a sweet bouquet of stirring poetry—but most of all, it celebrates the limitless creativity fired by a passion for the music of words.

Dozens of literary themes and creations are woven into the picture, including Pushkin's Eugene Onegin , Dante's Inferno, Salinger's Catcher in the Rye , Villon's Ballades, �������ǰ�DZ�’s essays, Georges Perec's La Disparition, Vikram Seth's The Golden Gate, Horace's odes, and more.

Rife with stunning form-content interplay, crammed with creative linguistic experiments yet always crystal-clear, this book is meant not only for lovers of literature, but also for people who wish to be brought into contact with current ideas about how creativity works, and who wish to see how today’s computational models of language and thought stack up next to the human mind.

Le Ton beau de Marot is a sparkling, personal, and poetic exploration aimed at both the literary and the scientific world, and is sure to provoke great excitement and heated controversy among poets and translators, critics and writers, and those involved in the study of creativity and its elusive wellsprings.]]> 632 Douglas R. Hofstadter 0465086454 Melanie 0 business 4.25 1995
author: Douglas R. Hofstadter
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/06
shelves: business
review:

]]> 57834591
لم تنطقي اسمي هكذا من قبل.

أنت أفضل زوج في كل البلاد.
مع أنني من المماليك؟
مع أنك من المماليك.

سلَّط نظره إلى عينيها وقال: زينب، اصدقيني القول، ماذا يقول العامة عن المماليك؟ وإياك أن تكذبي.

قالت في خضوع: يحمون البلاد ويضحون بأنفسهم وحياتهم. ابتسم في تهكم ثم قال: وأهل مصر يفهمون هذا؟

يعرفون الأخطار؟

طأطأت رأسها ثم قالت: ربما لا يدركون سوى أخطار الوباء والفقر يا مولاي، للإدراك يومٌ وميعاده، مثله مثل الموت والميلاد... الجهل يعمي البصيرة ويخرج الضغائن، ربما لو عرف أهل مصر المماليك أكثر لتلاشى الخوف.....]]> 760 ريم بسيوني Melanie 0
Dr. Reem Bassiouney’s latest work of fiction is a masterful, multi-generation epic set in Mamluk Cairo (1309-1517). The action moves out of Cairo at times, to Alexandria, Greater Syria, or the Western Desert, but it is focused around several historic buildings of Mamluk Cairo. There are also brief scenes from 2005-2017. For me, the heart of the book lies in the first of the three main stories, set in the 14th century.

The book contains three main tales: Awlad al-Nas / Children of the People, Qadi Qaws / A Qadi Named Qaws, and Hadithat al-Layali / Nocturnal Mishaps. Together they combine Bassiouney’s careful historical research with the finesse of a talented storyteller. The first section is named for Awlad al-nas, a name used in 14th-c. Egypt to refer to the children of Mamluk rulers. While Mamluks were born in Anatolia and imported to Egypt, their children were born in Egypt and were known as ‘children of the people.�� Often these children’s parents were not from Egypt, although in some cases, one of the parents was Egyptian. The identity of the children resulting from these unions was open to speculation, depending on the social climate.

The story Awlad al-Nas tells a tale of a Mamluk ruler who chooses a bride from a middle-class Egyptian family. It is the first in a series of unusual choices he makes. Together this couple affects the fate of their country and they leave their mark on history. Their names are inscribed in the Cairo mosque of Muhammad b. Abdullah al-Muhsini where they were entombed with their loved ones. This opening tale of love and adventure, for me, was the most thrilling part of the trilogy. The characters are believable, their dialogue both meaningful and natural. The story pulls the reader along with surprises and a clear narrative arc. It also examines and reimagines the experiences of boys who were captured and enlisted into Mamluk service and the ways that they were, and were not, integrated into society in Cairo.

After the couple’s death, there follows a tale of their creative son and his adventures. This section, beginning in 1353, is most significant, in my reading, for its representation of a historical period as well as a key theme of Bassiouney’s writing. This son is obsessed with architecture and the desire to design and build an architectural marvel. This theme appears in other work by Bassiouney (as in her novel Mortal Designs / Ashiya�� ra’i‘a), as well as others�� work, such as The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak. Characters in these works follow aspirations of art in order to fulfill their need to create, to memorialize their patrons, and to contribute to their civilization. This section considers the life of the artist. What responsibilities do artists have? How does creativity affect family life? How does it affect society?

Qadi Qaws / A Qadi Named Qaws opens in 1388 with a qadi (religious judge) named Qaws facing a time of tense power struggles between clerics and rulers in Mamluk Cairo. Bassiouney captures this internal strife in the Muslim establishment beautifully, showing what it must have felt like for ordinary Egyptians, complete with her sense of humor: “For the first time, the Coptic Christians and Jews looked at Muslims with eyes of pity and understanding. Their lot was certainly worse!�� (p. 289, my translation). Three women come to visit the qadi, presenting two legal cases and requesting his intervention. These two cases will lead to horrors and delights for the unsuspecting qadi. The historic madrasa / school of the Sultan Hasan Mosque also appears in this story.

The Mamluk era comes to a close with the coming of the Ottomans in 1517. The final tale weaves together three eyewitness accounts of this tumultuous era (1517-1522) by: a woman named Hind, a man named Salar, and a scholar named Mustafa. This final tale includes the dark terror of this time, but like the others, it also tells a story of human endurance and the commitments that bring people together against the odds.

There is plenty of social diversity throughout the trilogy, touching on issues of racism (such as a preference for lighter skin or for Turkish instead of Arabic), interreligious tensions (both within a community and between communities), different religions (including a Christian character and some characters who do not necessarily practice any religion), and marginalization of women practicing “magic.�� This last theme also appears in Bassiouney’s earlier work (Mortal Designs / Ashiya�� ra’i‘a). Each tale includes a love story, woven in amidst action, intrigue, suspense, and history. The last two pages of the book suggest that these stories of love are also stories of healing, offering hope, warmth and meaning in the lives of mortals consumed by daily toil and turmoil. The collection is characterized by a deep respect for spiritual life and values. It also asks questions about identity, responsibility, and what happens when people realize that their attitudes, ideas, or actions are no longer in alignment with their personal values. The history is meticulously researched by Bassiouney. This trilogy gives new life to historic Mamluk Cairo for all of us to learn from and enjoy.

Note: All images and review copy of the book provided by Reem Bassiouney. This review was written as an independent, honest review by Melanie Magidow. The trilogy is currently available in Arabic only.

Merged review:

See review with photos on my blog:

Dr. Reem Bassiouney’s latest work of fiction is a masterful, multi-generation epic set in Mamluk Cairo (1309-1517). The action moves out of Cairo at times, to Alexandria, Greater Syria, or the Western Desert, but it is focused around several historic buildings of Mamluk Cairo. There are also brief scenes from 2005-2017. For me, the heart of the book lies in the first of the three main stories, set in the 14th century.

The book contains three main tales: Awlad al-Nas / Children of the People, Qadi Qaws / A Qadi Named Qaws, and Hadithat al-Layali / Nocturnal Mishaps. Together they combine Bassiouney’s careful historical research with the finesse of a talented storyteller. The first section is named for Awlad al-nas, a name used in 14th-c. Egypt to refer to the children of Mamluk rulers. While Mamluks were born in Anatolia and imported to Egypt, their children were born in Egypt and were known as ‘children of the people.�� Often these children’s parents were not from Egypt, although in some cases, one of the parents was Egyptian. The identity of the children resulting from these unions was open to speculation, depending on the social climate.

The story Awlad al-Nas tells a tale of a Mamluk ruler who chooses a bride from a middle-class Egyptian family. It is the first in a series of unusual choices he makes. Together this couple affects the fate of their country and they leave their mark on history. Their names are inscribed in the Cairo mosque of Muhammad b. Abdullah al-Muhsini where they were entombed with their loved ones. This opening tale of love and adventure, for me, was the most thrilling part of the trilogy. The characters are believable, their dialogue both meaningful and natural. The story pulls the reader along with surprises and a clear narrative arc. It also examines and reimagines the experiences of boys who were captured and enlisted into Mamluk service and the ways that they were, and were not, integrated into society in Cairo.

After the couple’s death, there follows a tale of their creative son and his adventures. This section, beginning in 1353, is most significant, in my reading, for its representation of a historical period as well as a key theme of Bassiouney’s writing. This son is obsessed with architecture and the desire to design and build an architectural marvel. This theme appears in other work by Bassiouney (as in her novel Mortal Designs / Ashiya�� ra’i‘a), as well as others�� work, such as The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak. Characters in these works follow aspirations of art in order to fulfill their need to create, to memorialize their patrons, and to contribute to their civilization. This section considers the life of the artist. What responsibilities do artists have? How does creativity affect family life? How does it affect society?

Qadi Qaws / A Qadi Named Qaws opens in 1388 with a qadi (religious judge) named Qaws facing a time of tense power struggles between clerics and rulers in Mamluk Cairo. Bassiouney captures this internal strife in the Muslim establishment beautifully, showing what it must have felt like for ordinary Egyptians, complete with her sense of humor: “For the first time, the Coptic Christians and Jews looked at Muslims with eyes of pity and understanding. Their lot was certainly worse!�� (p. 289, my translation). Three women come to visit the qadi, presenting two legal cases and requesting his intervention. These two cases will lead to horrors and delights for the unsuspecting qadi. The historic madrasa / school of the Sultan Hasan Mosque also appears in this story.

The Mamluk era comes to a close with the coming of the Ottomans in 1517. The final tale weaves together three eyewitness accounts of this tumultuous era (1517-1522) by: a woman named Hind, a man named Salar, and a scholar named Mustafa. This final tale includes the dark terror of this time, but like the others, it also tells a story of human endurance and the commitments that bring people together against the odds.

There is plenty of social diversity throughout the trilogy, touching on issues of racism (such as a preference for lighter skin or for Turkish instead of Arabic), interreligious tensions (both within a community and between communities), different religions (including a Christian character and some characters who do not necessarily practice any religion), and marginalization of women practicing “magic.�� This last theme also appears in Bassiouney’s earlier work (Mortal Designs / Ashiya�� ra’i‘a). Each tale includes a love story, woven in amidst action, intrigue, suspense, and history. The last two pages of the book suggest that these stories of love are also stories of healing, offering hope, warmth and meaning in the lives of mortals consumed by daily toil and turmoil. The collection is characterized by a deep respect for spiritual life and values. It also asks questions about identity, responsibility, and what happens when people realize that their attitudes, ideas, or actions are no longer in alignment with their personal values. The history is meticulously researched by Bassiouney. This trilogy gives new life to historic Mamluk Cairo for all of us to learn from and enjoy.

Note: All images and review copy of the book provided by Reem Bassiouney. This review was written as an independent, honest review by Melanie Magidow. The trilogy is currently available in Arabic only.]]> 4.03 2018
author: ريم بسيوني
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2020/02/18
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves: modern-arabic-lit, fun-books-in-arabic
review:
See review with photos on my blog:

Dr. Reem Bassiouney’s latest work of fiction is a masterful, multi-generation epic set in Mamluk Cairo (1309-1517). The action moves out of Cairo at times, to Alexandria, Greater Syria, or the Western Desert, but it is focused around several historic buildings of Mamluk Cairo. There are also brief scenes from 2005-2017. For me, the heart of the book lies in the first of the three main stories, set in the 14th century.

The book contains three main tales: Awlad al-Nas / Children of the People, Qadi Qaws / A Qadi Named Qaws, and Hadithat al-Layali / Nocturnal Mishaps. Together they combine Bassiouney’s careful historical research with the finesse of a talented storyteller. The first section is named for Awlad al-nas, a name used in 14th-c. Egypt to refer to the children of Mamluk rulers. While Mamluks were born in Anatolia and imported to Egypt, their children were born in Egypt and were known as ‘children of the people.�� Often these children’s parents were not from Egypt, although in some cases, one of the parents was Egyptian. The identity of the children resulting from these unions was open to speculation, depending on the social climate.

The story Awlad al-Nas tells a tale of a Mamluk ruler who chooses a bride from a middle-class Egyptian family. It is the first in a series of unusual choices he makes. Together this couple affects the fate of their country and they leave their mark on history. Their names are inscribed in the Cairo mosque of Muhammad b. Abdullah al-Muhsini where they were entombed with their loved ones. This opening tale of love and adventure, for me, was the most thrilling part of the trilogy. The characters are believable, their dialogue both meaningful and natural. The story pulls the reader along with surprises and a clear narrative arc. It also examines and reimagines the experiences of boys who were captured and enlisted into Mamluk service and the ways that they were, and were not, integrated into society in Cairo.

After the couple’s death, there follows a tale of their creative son and his adventures. This section, beginning in 1353, is most significant, in my reading, for its representation of a historical period as well as a key theme of Bassiouney’s writing. This son is obsessed with architecture and the desire to design and build an architectural marvel. This theme appears in other work by Bassiouney (as in her novel Mortal Designs / Ashiya�� ra’i‘a), as well as others�� work, such as The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak. Characters in these works follow aspirations of art in order to fulfill their need to create, to memorialize their patrons, and to contribute to their civilization. This section considers the life of the artist. What responsibilities do artists have? How does creativity affect family life? How does it affect society?

Qadi Qaws / A Qadi Named Qaws opens in 1388 with a qadi (religious judge) named Qaws facing a time of tense power struggles between clerics and rulers in Mamluk Cairo. Bassiouney captures this internal strife in the Muslim establishment beautifully, showing what it must have felt like for ordinary Egyptians, complete with her sense of humor: “For the first time, the Coptic Christians and Jews looked at Muslims with eyes of pity and understanding. Their lot was certainly worse!�� (p. 289, my translation). Three women come to visit the qadi, presenting two legal cases and requesting his intervention. These two cases will lead to horrors and delights for the unsuspecting qadi. The historic madrasa / school of the Sultan Hasan Mosque also appears in this story.

The Mamluk era comes to a close with the coming of the Ottomans in 1517. The final tale weaves together three eyewitness accounts of this tumultuous era (1517-1522) by: a woman named Hind, a man named Salar, and a scholar named Mustafa. This final tale includes the dark terror of this time, but like the others, it also tells a story of human endurance and the commitments that bring people together against the odds.

There is plenty of social diversity throughout the trilogy, touching on issues of racism (such as a preference for lighter skin or for Turkish instead of Arabic), interreligious tensions (both within a community and between communities), different religions (including a Christian character and some characters who do not necessarily practice any religion), and marginalization of women practicing “magic.�� This last theme also appears in Bassiouney’s earlier work (Mortal Designs / Ashiya�� ra’i‘a). Each tale includes a love story, woven in amidst action, intrigue, suspense, and history. The last two pages of the book suggest that these stories of love are also stories of healing, offering hope, warmth and meaning in the lives of mortals consumed by daily toil and turmoil. The collection is characterized by a deep respect for spiritual life and values. It also asks questions about identity, responsibility, and what happens when people realize that their attitudes, ideas, or actions are no longer in alignment with their personal values. The history is meticulously researched by Bassiouney. This trilogy gives new life to historic Mamluk Cairo for all of us to learn from and enjoy.

Note: All images and review copy of the book provided by Reem Bassiouney. This review was written as an independent, honest review by Melanie Magidow. The trilogy is currently available in Arabic only.

Merged review:

See review with photos on my blog:

Dr. Reem Bassiouney’s latest work of fiction is a masterful, multi-generation epic set in Mamluk Cairo (1309-1517). The action moves out of Cairo at times, to Alexandria, Greater Syria, or the Western Desert, but it is focused around several historic buildings of Mamluk Cairo. There are also brief scenes from 2005-2017. For me, the heart of the book lies in the first of the three main stories, set in the 14th century.

The book contains three main tales: Awlad al-Nas / Children of the People, Qadi Qaws / A Qadi Named Qaws, and Hadithat al-Layali / Nocturnal Mishaps. Together they combine Bassiouney’s careful historical research with the finesse of a talented storyteller. The first section is named for Awlad al-nas, a name used in 14th-c. Egypt to refer to the children of Mamluk rulers. While Mamluks were born in Anatolia and imported to Egypt, their children were born in Egypt and were known as ‘children of the people.�� Often these children’s parents were not from Egypt, although in some cases, one of the parents was Egyptian. The identity of the children resulting from these unions was open to speculation, depending on the social climate.

The story Awlad al-Nas tells a tale of a Mamluk ruler who chooses a bride from a middle-class Egyptian family. It is the first in a series of unusual choices he makes. Together this couple affects the fate of their country and they leave their mark on history. Their names are inscribed in the Cairo mosque of Muhammad b. Abdullah al-Muhsini where they were entombed with their loved ones. This opening tale of love and adventure, for me, was the most thrilling part of the trilogy. The characters are believable, their dialogue both meaningful and natural. The story pulls the reader along with surprises and a clear narrative arc. It also examines and reimagines the experiences of boys who were captured and enlisted into Mamluk service and the ways that they were, and were not, integrated into society in Cairo.

After the couple’s death, there follows a tale of their creative son and his adventures. This section, beginning in 1353, is most significant, in my reading, for its representation of a historical period as well as a key theme of Bassiouney’s writing. This son is obsessed with architecture and the desire to design and build an architectural marvel. This theme appears in other work by Bassiouney (as in her novel Mortal Designs / Ashiya�� ra’i‘a), as well as others�� work, such as The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak. Characters in these works follow aspirations of art in order to fulfill their need to create, to memorialize their patrons, and to contribute to their civilization. This section considers the life of the artist. What responsibilities do artists have? How does creativity affect family life? How does it affect society?

Qadi Qaws / A Qadi Named Qaws opens in 1388 with a qadi (religious judge) named Qaws facing a time of tense power struggles between clerics and rulers in Mamluk Cairo. Bassiouney captures this internal strife in the Muslim establishment beautifully, showing what it must have felt like for ordinary Egyptians, complete with her sense of humor: “For the first time, the Coptic Christians and Jews looked at Muslims with eyes of pity and understanding. Their lot was certainly worse!�� (p. 289, my translation). Three women come to visit the qadi, presenting two legal cases and requesting his intervention. These two cases will lead to horrors and delights for the unsuspecting qadi. The historic madrasa / school of the Sultan Hasan Mosque also appears in this story.

The Mamluk era comes to a close with the coming of the Ottomans in 1517. The final tale weaves together three eyewitness accounts of this tumultuous era (1517-1522) by: a woman named Hind, a man named Salar, and a scholar named Mustafa. This final tale includes the dark terror of this time, but like the others, it also tells a story of human endurance and the commitments that bring people together against the odds.

There is plenty of social diversity throughout the trilogy, touching on issues of racism (such as a preference for lighter skin or for Turkish instead of Arabic), interreligious tensions (both within a community and between communities), different religions (including a Christian character and some characters who do not necessarily practice any religion), and marginalization of women practicing “magic.�� This last theme also appears in Bassiouney’s earlier work (Mortal Designs / Ashiya�� ra’i‘a). Each tale includes a love story, woven in amidst action, intrigue, suspense, and history. The last two pages of the book suggest that these stories of love are also stories of healing, offering hope, warmth and meaning in the lives of mortals consumed by daily toil and turmoil. The collection is characterized by a deep respect for spiritual life and values. It also asks questions about identity, responsibility, and what happens when people realize that their attitudes, ideas, or actions are no longer in alignment with their personal values. The history is meticulously researched by Bassiouney. This trilogy gives new life to historic Mamluk Cairo for all of us to learn from and enjoy.

Note: All images and review copy of the book provided by Reem Bassiouney. This review was written as an independent, honest review by Melanie Magidow. The trilogy is currently available in Arabic only.
]]> 18234540 494 Beatrice Chestnut 1938314549 Melanie 0 inspiration 4.34 2013
author: Beatrice Chestnut
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/24
shelves: inspiration
review:

]]> 59857378 512 0939660261 Melanie 0 islam 4.33
author: Camille Hamilton Adams Helminski
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/24
shelves: islam
review:

]]> 57637533 218 Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi 3948177562 Melanie 0 islam 4.67
author: Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/24
shelves: islam
review:

]]> 122109290 182 Amina Wadud 1915653002 Melanie 0 islam 3.50
author: Amina Wadud
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/24
shelves: islam
review:

]]> 62891606 A first-ever collection of contemporary Muslim women’s khutbahs (sermons) drawing on their social, religious, and spiritual experiences and framed by original reflections on an emerging Muslim feminist ethics


Within the Muslim world, there is a dynamic and exciting social change a number of communities across the globe have embraced more gender-inclusive and representative ideas of religious authority. Within some spaces, women have taken on the role of preacher at the ���ܳ���’a�� (Friday) communal prayers. In other communities, women have been leading the prayers, officiating at marriage and funeral ceremonies, or participating on mosque boards or executive committees. These new developments signify a transformation in contemporary positions on gender and religious authority.



This pioneering book makes an innovative contribution to Muslim feminist ethics. It is grounded in a collection of religious sermons (khutbahs) by contemporary Muslim women in a variety of new and emerging contexts, in South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Canada, Mexico, the United States, Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.]]> 260 Sa’diyya Shaikh 030026903X Melanie 0 islam 0.0
author: Sa’diyya Shaikh
name: Melanie
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/24
shelves: islam
review:

]]> 63269007 Quant à la vie de Menie, partagée entre le tourbillon d'une société libérée par Mai 68 et les tourments qu'on lui livre, elle en est totalement bouleversée. Cinquante ans plus tard, Esther, une documentariste qui peine à se reconstruire, va replonger dans ces années pas si lointaines où le sort des Françaises semble d'un autre âge. Avec ce nouveau roman porté par la figure de Menie Grégoire, sa grand-mère, Adèle Bréau unit les destinées de femmes qui, malgré leurs différences, se tendent la main.
Amour, maternité, droits, sororité... l'auteure explore sur cinq décennies les avancées, paradoxes et régressions de la condition féminine, les mettant en résonance dans une fresque résolument romanesque.]]> 426 Adèle Bréau Melanie 0 francais 4.33
author: Adèle Bréau
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/24
shelves: francais
review:

]]> 100182030
Not long after the original publication of the Memoirs, two translations appeared in 1888 and 1907. No longer copyrighted, these translations have been reprinted in various editions that are easily and cheaply available. But no matter the packaging, they all suffer from the same serious flaw: They are not entirely true to the original. In an effort to respect the author and uphold contemporary standards of authenticity, this new edition presents an accurate translation in readable English fit for the modern age. Written with great care by her great-great-granddaughter, it seeks to revive her original narrative in her authentic voice. Through these Memoirs, we can learn much about Sayyida Salme's time and place in history - and about ourselves.]]> 278 Andrea Emily Stumpf 1732397538 Melanie 0 history 4.25
author: Andrea Emily Stumpf
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/24
shelves: history
review:

]]> 63127235 For a young woman who wields the power of fear, humanity’s greatest enemy is her only hope in a new fairy-tale adventure by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Seven years on the run from her abusive father, and with no hope of sanctuary among the dwindling pockets of human civilization, Lark is out of options. Her only leverage is a cursed power: she can thrust fear onto others, leaving all threats fleeing in terror. It’s a means of survival as she searches for a place to call home. If the campfire myths of her childhood are true, Lark’s sole chance for refuge could lie in Cagmar, the city of trolls—a brutal species and the sworn enemies of humanity.

Valuing combat prowess, the troll high council is intrigued. Lark could be much more useful than the low-caste humans who merely labor in Cagmar. Her gift makes her invaluable as a monster slayer to fight off the unspeakable creatures that torment the trolls�� hanging city, suspended from a bridge over an endless dark canyon.

Lark will do anything to make Cagmar her home, but her new role comes with a caveat: use her power against a troll, and she’ll be killed. Her loyalty is quickly put to the test when she draws the hatred of a powerful troll who loathes humankind. Still, she finds unexpected friendship in the city and, even more surprisingly, love. But if everything else doesn’t undo her, being caught in the arms of a troll surely will. Now in the fight of her life, Lark has a lot to learn—about her past, about trust and hope when all seems lost, and above all, about the extraordinary power of fear itself.]]> 344 Charlie N. Holmberg 1662508719 Melanie 4 3.96 2023
author: Charlie N. Holmberg
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/23
date added: 2023/07/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 123645190
The Divine Names is a philosophically sophisticated commentary on the names of God. Penned by the seventh-/thirteenth-century North African scholar and Sufi poet ʿAfīf al-Dīn al-Tilimsānī, The Divine Names expounds upon the one hundred and forty-six names of God that appear in the Qurʾan, including The All-Merciful, The Powerful, The First, and The Last. In his treatment of each divine name, al-Tilimsānī synthesizes and compares the views of three influential earlier authors, al-Bayhaqī, al-Ghazālī, and Ibn Barrajān.

Al-Tilimsānī famously described his two teachers Ibn al-ʿArabī and al-Qūnawī as a “philosophizing mystic�� and a “mysticizing philosopher,�� respectively. Picking up their mantle, al-Tilimsānī merges mysticism and philosophy, combining the tenets of Akbari Sufism with the technical language of Aristotelian, Neoplatonic, and Avicennan philosophy as he explains his logic in a rigorous and concise way. Unlike Ibn al-ʿArabī, his overarching concern is not to examine the names as correspondences between God and creation, but to demonstrate how the names overlap at every level of cosmic existence. The Divine Names shows how a broad range of competing theological and philosophical interpretations can all contain elements of the truth.]]> 656 ʿAfīf al-Dīn al-Tilimsānī 147982612X Melanie 0 islam 0.0
author: ʿAfīf al-Dīn al-Tilimsānī
name: Melanie
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/17
shelves: islam
review:

]]> 36665726 "I well recall a conversation with an executive I hoped to interview about her astonishing productivity. I began our call with an assurance that I would not take much of her time. She laughed. 'Oh, I have all the time in the world,' she said."Most of us feel constantly behind, unsure how to escape feeling oppressed by busyness. Laura Vanderkam, unlike other time-management gurus, believes that in order to get more done, we must first feel like we have all the time in the world. Think about why haven't you trained for that 5K or read War and Peace? Probably because you feel beaten down by all the time you don't seem to have.In this book, Vanderkam reveals the seven counterintuitive principles the most time-free people have adopted. She teaches mindset shifts to help you feel calm on the busiest days and tools to help you get more done without feeling overwhelmed. You'll meet people such as... �� An elementary school principal who figured out how to spend more time mentoring teachers, and less time supervising the cafeteria �� An executive who builds lots of meeting-free space into his calendar, despite managing teams across multiple continents ♦��A CEO who does focused work in a Waffle House early in the morning, so he can keep an open door and a relaxed mindset all day ♦��An artist who overcame a creative block, and reached new heights of productivity, by being more gentle with herself, rather than more demandingThe strategies in this book can help if your life feels out of control, but they can also help if you want to take your career, your relationships, and your personal happiness to the next level. Vanderkam has packed this book with insights from busy yet relaxed professionals, including "time makeovers" of people who are learning how to use these tools. Off the Clock can inspire the rest of us to create lives that are not only productive, but enjoyable in the moment.]]> 256 Laura Vanderkam 0735219826 Melanie 0 to-read, business 3.94 2018
author: Laura Vanderkam
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/13
shelves: to-read, business
review:

]]> 15859122
Introduction to this Edition
Chapter One: The Introduction of the Book The Lark and the Elephant
Chapter Two: Borzoi, the Physician Pretender The Thief and the Beam of Light The Hesitant Thief The Merchant and the Jeweler
Chapter Three: The Lion and the Ox The Monkey and the Carpenter The Raven and the Snake The Seagull and the Crab The Lion and the Hare The Louse and the Flea The Lion and his Companions The Tortoise and the Two Ducks The Crook and the Simpleton The Rats and the Iron The Lion and the Ox The Fox and the Drum
Chapter Four: Investigating Dimna The Ignorant Physician Investigating Dimna
Chapter Five: The Ringdove The Ringdove and the Rat The Raven and His Companions The Rat and the Ascetic
Chapter Six: The Owls and the Ravens The Hostility of the Owls and Ravens The Hare and the Elephants The Ascetic and the Thieves The Mouse Marries Only a Mouse The Snake and the King Frog The Owls and the Ravens The Thief and the Devil
Chapter Seven: The Monkey and the Male Turtle The Monkey and the Male Turtle The Jackal, the Lion, and the Donkey
Chapter Eight: The Ascetic and the Weasel The Ascetic, the Weasel, and the Snake The Ascetic, the Ghee, and the Honey
Chapter Nine: The Rat and the Cat
Chapter Ten: The King and the Bird Fanza
Chapter Eleven: The Lion and the Jackal
Chapter Twelve: The Lioness, the Hunter and the Cougar
Chapter Thirteen: Iladh, Biladh, and Irakht The Male Dove that killed himself Chapter Fourteen: The Ascetic and the Guest
Chapter Fifteen: The Traveler and the Jeweler Chapter Sixteen: The King’s Son and His Companions The King’s Son and His Companions The Pair of Hoopoes and the Treasure
Chapter Seventeen: The Dove, the Fox, and the Crane
Glossary]]> 304 Vishnu Sharma 0415639964 Melanie 0 pre-modern-arabic-lit 3.25 300
author: Vishnu Sharma
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.25
book published: 300
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/08
shelves: pre-modern-arabic-lit
review:

]]> 45681654 382 Wendy M.K. Shaw 1108474659 Melanie 0 history 4.25
author: Wendy M.K. Shaw
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/28
shelves: history
review:

]]> 61196439 225 Faïza Guène Melanie 4 francais 4.18 2020
author: Faïza Guène
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/11
date added: 2023/06/11
shelves: francais
review:

]]> 56937418 Even a Kyoshi Warrior can find herself in trouble.

Suki is captured by the Fire Nation and brought to the Boiling Rock, a grim prison in the middle of a dormant volcano. Separated from Team Avatar and her Kyoshi Warrior sisters, she decides to build her own community among other prisoners. But it's going to take more than an encouraging word to build trust among so many frightened people. Suki will need to draw on all her resources to do it, and even that might not be enough.

Enjoy all-new material from Faith Erin Hicks (The Nameless City; The Adventures of Superhero Girl) and Peter Wartman (Stonebreaker), with colors by Adele Matera. Written in consultation with original series writer Tim Hedrick!]]> 80 Faith Erin Hicks 1506717160 Melanie 1 4.36 2021
author: Faith Erin Hicks
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2023/05/26
date added: 2023/05/26
shelves:
review:

]]> 26031273
On the brink of her Quinceañera, and her official coronation, Solimar visits the oyamel forest to sit among the monarch butterflies. There, the sun pierces through a sword-shaped crevice in a boulder, which shines on her and sends the butterflies humming and swirling around her.

After the magical frenzy, she realizes she's been given a gift—and a burden: she can predict the near future! She has also become a protector of the young and weak butterflies. This alone would be a huge responsibility, but tragedy strikes when a neighboring king invades while her father and brother and many others are away. The remaining villagers are taken hostage—all except Solimar.

Can this princess-to-be save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarch butterflies from a greedy and dangerous king?

Written for ages 8 to 12 by the Newbery Honor Medal winner of the highly acclaimed novel Echo.]]> 272 Pam Muñoz Ryan 1484728351 Melanie 0 hearth-home 3.87 2022
author: Pam Muñoz Ryan
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/23
shelves: hearth-home
review:

]]> 60310820
In the beginning, there was only darkness, and then a great ray of light ended the darkness and the world was born, the world of a thousand thousand things. It was filled with light. Then something unexpected happened, and the light of the world broke into millions of sparks of light. These sparks fell everywhere. They fell into everyone and everything. This is why you were born and I was born, and why everyone was born—to find the light and change the world.

The Birthday of the World is a beautiful retelling by a beloved author of a timeless story about finding light in the darkness, one spark at a time.]]> 32 Rachel Naomi Remen MD 1951836340 Melanie 0 hearth-home 4.20
author: Rachel Naomi Remen MD
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/15
shelves: hearth-home
review:

]]> 52484387 A single twist of fate puts a servant girl to work in Queen Victoria’s royal kitchen, setting off a suspenseful, historical mystery by the New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child and The Victory Garden.

Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings.

Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies.

Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down—if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.]]> 348 Rhys Bowen 1542008263 Melanie 4 audio, fiction 3.78 2020
author: Rhys Bowen
name: Melanie
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/12/29
date added: 2023/05/09
shelves: audio, fiction
review:

]]> 61770319 With his dying breath, Lena's father asks his family a cryptic question: "You couldn't tell, could you?" After his passing, Lena stumbles upon the answer that changes her life forever.




As her revolutionary neighbor mysteriously disappears during Josef Stalin's Great Terror purges, 18-year-old Regina suspects that she's the Kremlin's next target. Under cover of the night, she flees from her parents' communal apartment in 1930s Moscow to the 20th century's first Jewish state, Birobidzhan, on the border between Russia and China. Once there, Regina has to grapple with her preconceived notions of socialism and Judaism while asking herself the eternal question: What do we owe each other? How can we best help one another? While she contends with these queries and struggles to help Birobidzhan establish itself, love and war are on the horizon.




New York Times Bestselling author Alina Adams draws on her own experiences as a Jewish refugee from Odessa, USSR as she provides readers a rare glimpse into the world's first Jewish Autonomous Region. My Mother's Secret is rooted in detailed research about a little known chapter of Soviet and Jewish history while exploring universal themes of identity, love, loss, war, and parenthood. Readers can expect a whirlwind journey as Regina finds herself and her courage within one of the century's most tumultuous eras.





]]> 353 Alina Adams Melanie 4 fiction The Rose Code and other Kate Quinn books (women, WWII, relationships) and Last Train to Istanbul will like this book, and vice versa (Jews, WWII, relationships), and perhaps also A Recipe for Daphne (Greek Christians in Istanbul, historical conflict, relationships). This was my first read by this author. I've added her The Nesting Dolls to my to-read list. From the description, it reminds me of Together Tea (Iranian Revolution, US immigration, relationships).]]> 4.17
author: Alina Adams
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/05/09
shelves: fiction
review:
Wow, this is a suspenseful read with rich historical context (just enough) and strong relationships between characters. Readers of The Rose Code and other Kate Quinn books (women, WWII, relationships) and Last Train to Istanbul will like this book, and vice versa (Jews, WWII, relationships), and perhaps also A Recipe for Daphne (Greek Christians in Istanbul, historical conflict, relationships). This was my first read by this author. I've added her The Nesting Dolls to my to-read list. From the description, it reminds me of Together Tea (Iranian Revolution, US immigration, relationships).
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Until, that is, Tokue comes into his life. An elderly woman with disfigured hands and a troubled past, she makes the best sweet bean paste Sentaro has ever tasted. The unlikeliest of friendships blossoms, but it will take all of their resolve �� and plenty of pancakes �� to protect themselves when Tokue's dark secret comes to light.]]> 216 Durian Sukegawa 1786071959 Melanie 4 fiction 4.07 2013
author: Durian Sukegawa
name: Melanie
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/05/08
shelves: fiction
review:

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