Welcome to Litsy!

“Because while it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single Muslim man must be in want of a wife, there‘s an even greater truth: To his Indian mother, his own inclinations are of secondary importance.”
A little time on the patio before it gets too hot. This is a team book for August‘s Trope-Ical Readathon.
You can still join all the fun, registration closes tomorrow. https://jenjenreviews.wordpress.com/tropeical-readathon/

#VolumesAndVocals

One of my favorite Pride and Prejudice retelling, recently reread with the #PemberLittens 💜💛

I love how the book cover coordinates with the record cover for #AtLast by Etta James. Such a gorgeous song and this part especially matches Ayesha‘s story:

“I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill that I've never known, oh, yeah, yeah”

A modern Pride & Prejudice retelling set in Toronto‘s Muslim community. School teacher Ayesha is a poet at heart who gets guilted into helping the local mosque with a conference by her cousin, Hofsa. Unfortunately, now everybody thinks she‘s her cousin.
Traditional Khalid is also helping with the conference & slowly starts falling for “Hofsa” but things get complicated when his mom arranges his engagement to the real Hofsa.
Slow burn and adorable.

I am so behind in reviews and am determined to post one a day until I am current.This was a book that I read because of the #pemberlittens.A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice that takes place in Toronto within a Muslim community. Ayesha is a school teacher with a desire to be recognized for her poetry.She is a modern woman who unexpectedly falls for traditional Khalid.Complications ensue when cousin Hafsa is engaged to Khalid.A fun read.

I enjoyed this novel, because it was so interesting to know about these immigrant Muslim families , how some of them integrated themselves better to a new culture without leaving their religious beliefs and traditions. Khalid and his mother were more traditional. I liked Ayesha, Nana popular/literary wisdom and Nani. Love the quotes and Ayesha poem and glad that the work discrimination was discussed and resolved. But⬇️

I listened to the #audiobook for our #Pemberlittens buddy read. It took me awhile to get into it but overall I enjoyed it. I learned a lot about the Muslim culture and I think by the end of the book all of the P&P tie-ins were clear and well done. Thanks for hosting @StayCurious ! 4⭐️

This was a unique Pride and Prejudice retelling from a Muslim perspective. I was interested by the conversation around religious values and how the world, even including people within the same community, can judge based on first impressions. The characters were only inspired by Austen's and they could be extremely frustrating at times with their miscommunication but overall I enjoyed the journey.
Thanks for hosting @StayCurious ☺️
#pemberlittens

I feel about the same as when I read this 3 years ago, I really enjoyed this Pride and Prejudice retelling. Back then I said, “Loved the characters & the glimpse into a modern-day suburban Toronto Muslim community setting. Keeps to the spirit of the original but has its own clear voice.” (And I‘ll take the 🥑 🍞 too!) 😋

Fun to reread it at a #chapteraday pace with the #Pemberlittens. Thanks to @StayCurious for hosting! 💜

#Pemberlittens Ch.47-48 - All‘s well that ends well indeed. I think she tied up all the loose ends and gave a nice happy ending. Overall I enjoyed this book. It was frustrating at times but it definitely made me think and react and feel. That‘s the mark of a good book in my opinion.

This was a fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice with Muslim characters. There were parts that I shook my head because of the characters' actions and I think things could have been fixed if there was open communication, but it lived up to the spirit of P&P.
4⭐️

#bookspinbingo #6 #ispybingo #scarf
@TheAromaofBooks @Clwojick

Chapter 33. Ayesha opts for a depressing, existential Shakespeare quote at the mosque's youth summit. 🤦 Khalid chases her to her car and congratulates her on her fortunate engagement to him, the rich guy who will help her be more religious and quit her job to write amateur poems. Wow. Way to read your audiences, people! #pemberlittens

Chapter 35. 🤣🤣🤣 Is Idris anyone else's favorite character? He steals the scene every time he walks onstage. I have no doubt he will be the head of a giant tech company someday. #pemberlittens

Chapter 30. I love how the best Farzana can do toward a smile is an upturned grimace. She is so mean. Tarek is clearly up to no good, but I sympathize with his opinion of Farzana. #pemberlittens

Meh, I think P&P retellings just don‘t work for me. They can‘t compare to the original, and at least this one was only ok on its own. It felt like too many threads all at once - lots of family drama on all sides, the romances with its ups and downs and knots, workplace discrimination, a makeover, career questions, friend drama, a villain getting comeuppance - it was a lot to tie together. #PemberLittens

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Reading in the giant nest at the Atlanta zoo

I did a few things that are considered self care this weekend: go on a waterfall hike, gardening, and get my eyebrows waxed (I was starting to look like sasquatch).

I listened to two different audios in between activities. I'm glad to say that I have finished all of the prompts for the #EasterOMC #picturechallenge! 🙌

@Clwojick @LadyKatrina

Finally starting this one! I hope to catch up over the next few days! Travel is mostly over for the month! @StayCurious #pemberlittens

Um, I‘m not Muslim and don‘t follow halal restrictions, but I am 99% certain that Twinkies (really, Hostess products at all) are not halal. Hostess uses tallow/animal fat in their cream fillings, and while it‘s from cows or sheep it‘s not prepared according to any religious rules. Other products (cupcakes, for one) also contain gelatin from pork. (I say this as a vegetarian, by the way)
#PemberLittens @StayCurious

I can‘t deal with this stupid mistaken identity thing any longer. Are any of the characters other than Ayesha, Khalid, and Clara more than cartoons? 🙄

My copy is due back to Libby and can‘t be renewed so I decided to just binge the second half of this. I‘ll keep silently checking it on the #Pemberlittens discussions this month to see what everyone else is thinking. I got really into this adaptation! While there were a LOT of things I found infuriating, and found myself wanting to argue with the book pretty frequently, my overall sense of the story is that it was heartwarming and captivating.

Ch 14. Jalaluddin shows us the flip side of having a traditional extended family when Ayesha confronts Hafsa. It is wonderful that Hafsa's dad gave Ayesha's mom a house and gives his children everything they could want, but now we've got a 27 year old woman covering for her irresponsible teen cousin and afraid to stop because her generous aunt and uncle might not see her as saintly anymore if they find out. And Hafsa is an entitled little sh!t.

Chapter 13. Why not? How about because it is hard to imagine a more uncomfortable feeling than heart-pounding, electric (sexual, let's call it what it is) attraction at first sight while your mom and teenage brother eagerly watch? I guess that is sort of what happened with Jane and her nosy mom when Bingley first met her, but then they danced together away from prying, immediate vicinity supervision. #pemberlittens

Mmm, yes, I do dream of larger women in lingerie… oh wait, that‘s not what Sheila meant. #bisexual 💙💜💖

Chapters 11-12. So Tarek straight up tells the small mosque that they are bumping their already scheduled conference because a bigger fish came along. Anyone else started to think this guy is a little slimy and a bit too shiny? Also, Ayesha is an idiot to cover for Hafsa again! #pemberlittens

Just my speed.

#Romantsy
#Canada

Things are settling down a little after kiddo‘s big ballet weekend, so I‘m diving into this one before I get too far behind. #PemberLittens

Time for some #pemberlittens reading!