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I know pretty much what I like and dislike; but please, don’t ask me who I am.

-Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath





Gentlemen, take notes. John Thornton

From Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South


 

-George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones




Hi 🙂

Choosing to ignore the fact that the world almost fell apart in 2015, and too wary of the future to write a New Year’s Resolutions post; I’m doing a Favorite Books post instead 🙂


My favorite reads in 2015:

Elon Musk: Inventing the Future – by Ashlee Vance

I am in love with his mind. You can check out the post I published about this book here.

2. Psychology

The Bell Jar – by Sylvia Plath Months after finishing this book, it still haunts me. It explores Esther Greenwood’s thoughts as she falls into the grips of madness…can you imagine reading someone’s mind while they’re fighting mental illness? deeply captivating.

3. Science Fiction

The Martian – by Andy Weir Until I read this one, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was my all-time-favorite science fiction book. But the Martian blew me away. Check out the post about it here.

4. عربي

ملحمة الحرافيش – نجيب محفوظ و هل هناك أجمل أو أبلغ من العربية؟

.نجيب لديه قدرة لغوية هائلة. وقعت في حب أسلوبه  من أول فصل. لن تكون آخر تجربة

5. Fantasy

The Hobbit – by  J.R.R. Tolkien I read this one while being snowed in last winter, it was perfect, I completely lost track of time. Wrote a post about this one too…find it here.

6. Chick-Lit

Where’d You Go, Bernadette – by Maria Semple I do enjoy chick-lit every once in a while. But I find it very difficult to find decent contemporary chick-lit. This one is terribly cute and funny 🙂 absolutely worth your time. I published a post about it recently.

7. Classic

Villette – by Charlotte Brontë You saw this coming. As if I could make a favorite books post and not include Villette! I reread it this year, just like I’ve done every year since I discovered it. And it still pulls me in like a moth to a flame, every single time.

Many people do not like this novel, hate it, even. But that is because Lucy is a very complex character, so incredibly different from Jane Eyre…and I think they struggle to understand her.

8. Drama

A Thousand Splendid Suns-by Khaled Hosseini Also a reread. The most heartbreaking adult drama and high on top of my all-time-favorites list. I believe that it’s Hosseini’s best work. It tells the story of Mariam and Laila, two strong Afghani women who take ‘endurance’ to whole new level.

It is better than several books that I read for the first time in 2015, and will continue to be my favorite adult drama.

9. Horror/ Thriller

IT-by Stephen King I have just finished this one. An it’s the only thriller I read in 2015, but it really is amazing. A previous post about it can be found here.


—–insert drumroll—–

10. Children’s Fiction/ fantasy

and last but definitely not least, this timeless masterpiece:

Harry Potter – J.K.Rowling Of course I reread the Harry Potter books. Also while being snowed in… I get really quiet and mopey around my birthday so Harry Potter is my go-to book in that time. To quote Alan Rickman:

When I’m 80 years old and sitting in my rocking chair, I’ll be reading Harry Potter. And my family will say to me, ‘After all this time?’ And I will say ‘Always.’


That post took forever to make! My break is over, bye!





“How do you feel when I smile at you?” he asked – and then he did smile at her, just a little.

Not like myself, Cath thought.

“Like an idiot,” she said softly. “And I never want it to stop.”

-Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl


 Not only is it the most frightening book I have ever read, it is also extremely deep and well written. It discusses the issues of friendship, family, loyalty, social cliques, bullying, young love, domestic abuse and mental illness in a seamless, horrifying tale. Brilliant.
You must give it a go if you’re a fan of thrillers. It’s amazing.
(Though I would advise you against staying up late reading this book :S )




If I had to choose the most powerful book of the few I read in 2015 it will have to be The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

2015 is the year of ‘the third wheel’ through and through.

Sylvia Plath was so talented with words, look how beautifully she described being a third wheel:

“There is something demoralizing about watching two people get more and more crazy about each other, especially when you are the only extra person in the room. It’s like watching Paris from an express caboose heading in the opposite direction–every second the city gets smaller and smaller, only you feel it’s really you getting smaller and smaller and lonelier and lonelier, rushing away from all those lights and excitement at about a million miles an hour.”

― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar



The Doodeh Life