Anjum's Updates en-US Sat, 03 May 2025 09:26:12 -0700 60 Anjum's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg ReadStatus9382137020 Sat, 03 May 2025 09:26:12 -0700 <![CDATA[Anjum started reading 'Girls That Invest: Your Guide to Financial Independence through Shares and Stocks']]> /review/show/7461203289 Girls That Invest by Simran Kaur​ Anjum started reading Girls That Invest: Your Guide to Financial Independence through Shares and Stocks by Simran Kaur�
]]> Rating848806485 Sat, 19 Apr 2025 03:03:27 -0700 <![CDATA[Anjum Haz liked a review]]> /
Anjum Haz liked Abid's review of Men Without Women:
Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
"নামে� যেমনটা বোঝা যাচ্ছে, পছন্দে� বেডিমানুষক� হারিয়� ফেলবার পর� যে ভয়ানক শূণ্যত�- সে গল্প� বল� হয়েছে বইটাতে� � টা ছোটগল্� আছ� এতে। প্রতিট� গল্পের মেইন পয়েন্� এক; কিন্তু প্রত্যেকটি গল্প� স্বাতন্ত্র্য রকমে� অসাধারণ।

আমার কাছে সবচে প্রিয় গল্পটা হল� 'Yesterday'. গল্পটা� মধ্য� নরওয়েজিয়ান উডের একটা অংশে� ভাইব পাচ্ছিলাম। � গল্প� হিউমার ছিলো দারু�, উপভোগ্� কিন্তু গল্প� গভীরত� ছিলো অল্পই।

সে� গভীরতার স্বল্পতা দূ� হয়েছে পরের গল্প গুলোতে� একটা গল্পের কাহিনি একটু বল�; স্পয়লার থাকব�- কিন্তু তাতে ক্ষত� নে� কেনন�, এখান� গল্প না বর� লেখনীটা� মুখ্য। গল্পটায় দেখা যায় এক সাদামাটা জীবন কাটানো ভদ্রলো� আচমকাই একদি� নিজে� বউকে পরপুরুষে� সাথে ঘনিষ্ঠ অবস্থায় দেখত� পায়� সে কোনো রিয়েক্ট করেন�, চু� কর� চল� আসে। স্ত্রী� সাথে ডিসকাস কর� শান্তিপূর্ণভাব� ডিভোর্� কর� নেয়� স্ত্রী তা� কাছে ক্ষম� চায় কিন্তু লোকট� জানায় সে কিছু মন� করেনি। এরপর সে একটা কফিশ� দেয়�

বহুদিন পর হঠাত সে� শপের আশেপাশ� সাপে� আনাগোন� দেখা যায়� ব্যাপারট� কি? এক শুভাকাঙ্ক্ষী তাকে বল�, 'সা� শীতল জায়গা পছন্� কর�'� সে শুভাকাঙ্ক্ষী তাকে কদিনের জন্য দূরে কোথায় চল� যেতে বলে। ভদ্রলো� দোকা� বন্ধ কর� চল� যায় দূরে� এক শহরে� এক রাতে সে শুয়� থাকে� নির্ঘু�, অসহ্� একাকীত্� নিয়ে। হঠাত দরজায় শব্দ হত� থাকে- সে অনুভ� করতে থাকে সাপে� উপস্থিতি� সাথেসাথে� সে বুঝে যায় সাপে� আগমনের হেতু� 'সা� শীতল জায়গা পছন্� কর�'- কথাটির মানে এখ� স্পষ্ট হয� তা� কাছে� তা� হৃদয়ট� ঠান্ডা হয়ে আছ�, সেখানট� যেনো জম� বরফে� একটা টুকরোয� পরিণ� হয়েছে� তা� বা� ভেঙ্গে যায়, 'হ্যা, আম� কষ্ট পেয়েছিলাম� ভীষণ কষ্ট পেয়েছিলাম'� কাঁদতে থাকে সে...

বইয়ের বাকি গল্পগুলো� সুন্দর� প্রতিট� গল্প� আলাদ� কর� ভাবায়� মুরাকামি ফ্যা� তো বটেই; যারা কৌতূহল বশ� মুরাকামি টেস্� করতে চা� তাদেরও বইটা ভালো লাগত� পারে�"
]]> Rating848806155 Sat, 19 Apr 2025 03:01:20 -0700 <![CDATA[Anjum Haz liked a review]]> /
Anjum Haz liked Shivam Tiwari's review of Unstoppable Us, Volume 1: How Humans Took Over the World:
Unstoppable Us, Volume 1 by Yuval Noah Harari
"Unstoppable Us, Volume 1 (⭐️4/5) by Yuval Noah Harari

You need to force your children to read books like these!!😅
It's Sapiens (which means it's already awesome) but lighter, funnier, and quicker. it focuses on being easy to read and connect with the young minds. Honestly, I'm sure I enjoyed it as much as my younger self would. It tells the story of the origin of humankind and how we became the most powerful species of the planet. It focuses on the good and the bad with the need for a call to action to curb the bad."
]]> ReadStatus9303611806 Sun, 13 Apr 2025 06:52:45 -0700 <![CDATA[Anjum started reading 'অক্ষয় মালবের�']]> /review/show/3359421820 অক্ষয় মালবেরি by Manindra Gupta Anjum started reading অক্ষয় মালবের� by Manindra Gupta
]]> Review6975938717 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 11:04:36 -0700 <![CDATA[Anjum added 'The Kashmir Shawl: A Novel']]> /review/show/6975938717 The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas Anjum gave 5 stars to The Kashmir Shawl: A Novel (Kindle Edition) by Rosie Thomas
bookshelves: barbara-s-recommendation, fiction, india, travel, kindle, audiobook, kindle-unlimited, audible, books-i-own, favorite
When Barbara recommended this book to me, I added this to my reading list like a precious thing, almost like a precious shawl I would keep in the almirah for wearing on a special occasion. I wanted to read this book when I am in no hurry—so that I can savor every bit of the story like a favorite dessert.

Kashmir is a favorite place, and reading about it is like revisiting all the good memories, in a format I adore most. A book titled “The Kashmir Shawl� only raised the excitement in me. And it turned out like any other recommendations by Barbara—authentic! The story spans between two timelines - one during WWII, a Presbyterian missionary and his wife were moving from Leh to Srinagar. And the other - a Welsh woman is visiting India, also Leh and Srinagar to trace back the history of a Kashmir shawl. Both sets present some surprisingly fresh stories. And they are so authentic - reading the afterwards of the book it became clear the author just did not write the book out of fantasy, she did mountaineering in these beautiful regions, got familiar with the cultures and this experience made her stories pristine.

Rosie Thomas brought the essence of India, and of these touristy places in the novel. When Mair was walking on the alleys of Leh, the picture was so clear to me, even though I did not visit Leh before. That was how powerful the author’s descriptions were. The man is Kashmiri, hence he is born to sell. LOL. Butcher shop with oozing goat head, tongue hanging to attract the flies, local guides judging an European tourist for giving someone excess tip compared to their rates � I was nodding all the time. When Rosie mentioned the sugary tea of India, my lips broke into a smile to relate the taste.
Nerys knew that she would never forget the afternoon of the long, gasping climb up to the Baralacha Pass. When at last she staggered up to the highest point, at sixteen thousand feet, it was as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of her brain and her blood, leaving her whole body as limp as string.

It was so good to read how a century ago, the woman felt what I felt in Baralacha Pass on my trip to Manali. I very much enjoyed the adventures and the travel scenes of this book, from Manali, Ladakh, Kashmir. There was this part of the book that paints a picture of a Swiss village, which too I enjoyed very much. Bruno’s cabin in a Swiss village in the mountains absolutely amazed me. Rustic with a touch of modernity, the quietness of mountains made me want to move in a cabin like that, live there, all my life.

I read a kindle copy, it's free in kindle! And switched to listening when I was walking/commuting. The audio narration was as good as the story! Loved the use of accents to distinguish an Indian character with an European.

The book hit me more-personally, as I am weak for the Himalayan tours. Thanks to Rosie for her brilliant stories nestling in the most beautiful mountains, and to Barbara for sharing this absolute gem with me!

my notes and highlights of The Kashmir Shawl
]]> ReadStatus9300504306 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 09:45:05 -0700 <![CDATA[Anjum started reading 'The Dutch House']]> /review/show/7414307824 The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Anjum started reading The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
]]> ReadingNotesCollectionPlaceholder4287327 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 07:43:20 -0700 <![CDATA[#<ReadingNotesCollectionPlaceholder:0x0000555593f67e10>]]> Review6975938717 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 07:07:12 -0700 <![CDATA[Anjum added 'The Kashmir Shawl: A Novel']]> /review/show/6975938717 The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas Anjum gave 5 stars to The Kashmir Shawl: A Novel (Kindle Edition) by Rosie Thomas
bookshelves: barbara-s-recommendation, fiction, india, travel, kindle, audiobook, kindle-unlimited, audible, books-i-own, favorite
When Barbara recommended this book to me, I added this to my reading list like a precious thing, almost like a precious shawl I would keep in the almirah for wearing on a special occasion. I wanted to read this book when I am in no hurry—so that I can savor every bit of the story like a favorite dessert.

Kashmir is a favorite place, and reading about it is like revisiting all the good memories, in a format I adore most. A book titled “The Kashmir Shawl� only raised the excitement in me. And it turned out like any other recommendations by Barbara—authentic! The story spans between two timelines - one during WWII, a Presbyterian missionary and his wife were moving from Leh to Srinagar. And the other - a Welsh woman is visiting India, also Leh and Srinagar to trace back the history of a Kashmir shawl. Both sets present some surprisingly fresh stories. And they are so authentic - reading the afterwards of the book it became clear the author just did not write the book out of fantasy, she did mountaineering in these beautiful regions, got familiar with the cultures and this experience made her stories pristine.

Rosie Thomas brought the essence of India, and of these touristy places in the novel. When Mair was walking on the alleys of Leh, the picture was so clear to me, even though I did not visit Leh before. That was how powerful the author’s descriptions were. The man is Kashmiri, hence he is born to sell. LOL. Butcher shop with oozing goat head, tongue hanging to attract the flies, local guides judging an European tourist for giving someone excess tip compared to their rates � I was nodding all the time. When Rosie mentioned the sugary tea of India, my lips broke into a smile to relate the taste.
Nerys knew that she would never forget the afternoon of the long, gasping climb up to the Baralacha Pass. When at last she staggered up to the highest point, at sixteen thousand feet, it was as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of her brain and her blood, leaving her whole body as limp as string.

It was so good to read how a century ago, the woman felt what I felt in Baralacha Pass on my trip to Manali. I very much enjoyed the adventures and the travel scenes of this book, from Manali, Ladakh, Kashmir. There was this part of the book that paints a picture of a Swiss village, which too I enjoyed very much. Bruno’s cabin in a Swiss village in the mountains absolutely amazed me. Rustic with a touch of modernity, the quietness of mountains made me want to move in a cabin like that, live there, all my life.

I read a kindle copy, it's free in kindle! And switched to listening when I was walking/commuting. The audio narration was as good as the story! Loved the use of accents to distinguish an Indian character with an European.

The book hit me more-personally, as I am weak for the Himalayan tours. Thanks to Rosie for her brilliant stories nestling in the most beautiful mountains, and to Barbara for sharing this absolute gem with me!

my notes and highlights of The Kashmir Shawl
]]> Rating846108000 Fri, 11 Apr 2025 04:10:05 -0700 <![CDATA[Anjum Haz liked a userstatus]]> /
Anjum Haz liked Abid's status update
Abid
Abid is on page 80 of 256 of Prisoners of Geography: আজকে পড়লা� 'চী�' নিয়ে� যা যা জানলাম-
�. চী� স্থল� যথেষ্ট নিরাপদ হলেও জলসীমা নিয়ে কিছুটা রিস্কে আছে। তাদে� অর্থনীতি সচ� রাখা� জন্য নৌপথের উপ� নির্ভরশীলত� অনেক বেশি� সেজন্য তারা চাচ্ছে সমগ্� South china sea এর উপ� কর্তৃত্ব প্রতিষ্ঠ� করতে� কিন্তু ভিয়েতনাম, জাপা�, ফিলিপাইনের মত� দেশগুল� এক্ষেত্র� হুমক� হত� পারে� সো বাংলাদেশ, শ্রীলঙ্ক�, পাকিস্তানে পোর্� নির্মাণে� মাধ্যম� তারা বিকল্প তৈরী কর� রাখত� চাচ্ছে�
]]> ReadStatus9269235608 Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:42:53 -0700 <![CDATA[Anjum wants to read 'Girls That Invest: Your Guide to Financial Independence through Shares and Stocks']]> /review/show/7461203289 Girls That Invest by Simran Kaur​ Anjum wants to read Girls That Invest: Your Guide to Financial Independence through Shares and Stocks by Simran Kaur�
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