pickA beautiful tale of female friendships. I also really appreciated learning more about Iran and the ongoing fight for women‘s rights. There are some cliches in the story, but it was so readable. The audiobook is especially good-highly recommend-so I hear the proper pronunciation of the dialogue. 4.5⭐️
I look forward to discussing this with my RL bookclub!
pick...beautiful, tragic, funny,...There's even a plot twist -- handled deftly by Akbar, without resorting to clichéd sentimentality. ... lays bare themes of addiction, abandonment, artistic impulse, religiosity, media filters, racism, sexuality, and yes-- martyrdom-... like one of those rare honest conversations one might have with a close friend #TOB2025
Full review: https://readingrantsandraves.blogspot.com/2025/10/2025-43-martyr-akbar.html
pickAnother banned/challenged book for our local library‘s “Read for Your Rights” book club. This is a graphic memoir of the author‘s life growing up in Tehran until age 14, during the late 1970s/early 1980s —a period that covered the fall of the Shah, the rise of the Islamic state and Iran‘s war with Iraq. I don‘t read a lot of graphic novels; I‘m glad I read this one. It was the perfect format for Satrapi‘s story.
Book mail is the best kind of mail. Who has read it? What did you think of it?
pickOkay y‘all, hear me out - at nearly 18 hours this audiobook is an investment, but for me, it paid dividends. Anderson weaves together the story of the fall of the Shaw, the obliviousness the American government, and the rise of Khomeini. Like I can‘t believe the Americans did not translate a single one of Khomeini‘s sermons. Almost no one in the *embassy* spoke Farsi or talked to any everyday people. I mean ffs y‘all!!
I bought this book solely on the fact that the cover was absolutely gorgeous!! Bonus… it was also a beautiful novel!
#sundayfunday @BookmarkTavern
Now, I can imagine your surprised expressions: wait, Iranians watched Columbo? Just think about it: from the moment the United States rests one authoritative hand on a country's politics, with the other hand it loads the people with all sorts of military, industrial, cultural, and food products. Imperialism is no joke! Not only did Iranians watch Columbo, they also watched Bewitched, Little House on the Prairie, Peyton Place...
