(and some of my book recommendations!)
Growing up, I remember mama constantly begging me to pick up a book and read. I constantly refused and always hated when we were assigned books to read in English class for our exams or assignments. I hated reading, partly because we were forced to read, but also because I felt like I wasn’t benefitting in any way from anything I was reading. I was struggling to read a book or two a year and didn’t enjoy it. Reading wasn’t considered a ‘cool’ thing to do and no one really read books outside of school.
Cut to this last summer, when I was working and doing courses in London and spending lots of time on my own. I decided I might as well and try to read a book with all the free time I had.
Picking up that first book was one of the best things I’ve done for myself in the past year. I discovered a love for learning in the books I read (I prefer non-fiction books). With each book, I tried to learn something new that I can implement in my life or that could impact me in a positive way. And the more I read, I felt increasingly aware of different things around the world and could form intelligent opinions.
So why reading? Why do I feel it’s so important?
I want to be able to sit at any table with any type of people and be able to have an intelligent conversation. I want to be able to watch the news and understand not only what’s going on, but the implications of the news on different groups of people (including myself). I want to be taken seriously as a knowledgable woman.
Reading books isn’t a mainstream pastime in Arab culture, and I don’t really understand why. For a region that produced great Arabic literature writers such as Gibran Khalil Gibran, Mahmoud Darwish, and Naguib Mahfouz, you don’t really see young Arabs going to bookstores and picking up books to read for fun. Reading is something that you’re forced to do in school or when studying the Quran. Otherwise, it’s simply not done.
But I’ve started to see more and more of my friends picking up books and starting to read as they’ve gone to study abroad. As we’ve traveled abroad and discovered reading in Western cultures, we’ve opened our mind up to it and started to read ourselves. I remember when I first moved to the UK and saw people reading everywhere- on the underground, on buses, in cafes, in the park, and on the streets. It blew my mind. People… voluntarily reading? Shocking.
My mom, who is in a book club, noticed my sudden interest in reading and started feeding me books to read. When my dad travels to the UK for business, she’d send with him books for me to read and I’d send back books for her to read and we often call each other to discuss the books we’re currently reading. I guess all the times she used to beg me to read, she was actually right in doing so (yes, you heard me mama- you were right).
I’ve been so inspired to read and have read 8 books so far in 2020! Here are some of my favourite reads so far (including some of Mama’s recommendations):
How to Be Right, James O’Brien
In a world were there are an increasing number of ways for people to voice their opinions, however wrong they may be, it’s important to know how to approach people with unwavering beliefs. Radio host O’Brien uses on-air conversations with people who have extremely controversial opinions to guide readers to dismantle arguments to reveal underlying prejudices and inconsistencies, which can be applied with anyone, anywhere. If you want to learn how to win arguments with logic and a coherent line of questioning, this is book is for you.
The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg
Ever wonder why we have the habits we do and how to get change you bad habits? The Power of Habit examines the formation of habits and how to change them by exploring habits of individuals, successful organisations, and societies. The book uses scientific experiments, celebrity success stories, as well as patient case studies to show the importance of habits, and creating good habits, in self-improvement and transforming our lives. The book is fascinating insightful in how our brain works and inspires you to immediately implement good habits.
Shoe Dog, Phil Knight
Nike creator Phil Knight pulls back the curtains and recalls founding and early days of Nike (or Blue Ribbon as it was initially called), his passion for running, and how the most unlikely group of people helped him catapult his shoe business to the forefront of athletic wear. In the memoir, Knight remembers being on the brink of bankruptcy and begging bankers for loans, trips to Asia to tour broken down factories, partnering with the Japanese, and more to found one of the most culturally significant (and profitable) brands in the world.
Born A Crime, Trevor Noah
The Daily Show host, Trevor Noah, was born to a South African mother and Swiss father, a mixed couple, at a time when being in a mixed-race couple relationship considered a crime. Through his compelling, yet hilarious storytelling, Noah proves that despite numerous hardships being thrown your way, you can still do the impossible and achieve your dreams. His powerful narrative reveals the implications and damage of South Africa’s apartheid on his childhood, and how his experiences and mother shaped his identity to what he is today.
Animal Farm, George Orwell
Orwell, the writer of the popular book 1984, wrote the allegorical novella (short story/fable) in 1945 about communist Russia.
Mama highly recommended this book to me and so I asked her why she thinks the book is so important and relevant to read. Mama says, “The beauty of Animal Farm is that it’s timeless- it applies to so many regimes, dictators, and politics around the world today. With the current spread of ‘fake news’, it’s a must-read and is very relevant. Although Orwell uses talking animals on a farm to help illustrate how ‘fake news’ spreads, it is evident to the readers: individuals twist truths to lies and repeat them, and people will believe its true and even forget that they knew otherwise.”
So minshaanAllah, pick up a book ya shabab o banat- there’s so much in the world to discover and learn.
Love always,
N
Friendly Neighborhood Arab 