Poem Rewrites

I had to rewrite some of my poems for my Advanced Creative Writing class final portfolio, so I thought I would put up the changes here. Let me know if you like the originals better or the edited ones :)

Colors of Life
Original C poem @ http://sfraww.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-z-poetry-by-me-c.html

Love burns red and so do bloody guts.
Hints of orange are seen in beautiful sunsets.
I love gold which is related to yellow.
Green we know is healthy and environmentally friendly.
Liquid gold of life is blue water, so drink up.
Ever heard of royal purple?
Pink is society's favorite color for girls.
A good night's sleep is best in the blackest part of night.
Soft like wool, white snow falls in Winter.
Diamonds and glitters are a girl's best friends.

Dreaming in England
Original D poem @ http://sfraww.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-z-poetry-by-me-d.html

I'm finally on vacation in England and it feels like a dream!
I saw my cousins after many years and listen to their British accent.
We laugh at the different word meanings and tell scary ghost stories at night.
The cold, rainy weather wasn't my favorite, but it didn't dampen my spirits.

I went sightseeing like a true tourist in the heart of London.
Regal Buckingham Palace blends in with the cloudy gray sky.
Red flowers adorn the garden all around
While a gold statue proudly sits on top of the fountain.

I walk around the vast Tower of London as the flag blows in the wind
Ancient Big Ben stands tall as it continues to tell all the time.
A Ferris wheel (London Eye) can be seen at a distance as it goes around.
The dark blue rocket ship shaped Gherkin is an odd sight in the sky.

As light faded to dark, we made our way home.
Back in the busy train, to our awaiting black van.
Sleep enveloped me that night as I slept like a child.

More on my trip to England and be read about @ http://sfraww.blogspot.com/2012/07/seeing-england-for-first-time.html

Family Comes First
Original F poem @ http://sfraww.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-z-poetry-by-me-f.html

Unfortunately, I take my family for granted.

The ones who knew me since birth.

Ammo (mom) and Abbu (dad) who fed, clothed, and sheltered Me.

Who lost sleep and comfort to make Me happy.

Who held my hands to teach Me to walk.

Whose ears were opened to hear Me talk.

Someday I will make them proud God willing.

How about my siblings?

The ones I argued with about nothing

of importance.

And fought with about everything.

Yet somehow we made up and went back to play

pretend pirates and slid down the white clothed sofa mountains.

My older sis. read books to us (me and younger brother)

and I played school with my little bro.

Those were the days.

Some of us go to friends before family

for advice, comfort, and support.

Friends are important, but

family comes first.

I learned that after a vacation to Bangladesh

where relatives were in abundance.

Unlike in America,

where life revolves around friends.

So love and appreciate your family

before you lose them and it’s too late.

A tiny Haul and My Reading/ Book Goals for 2014!!!

I received about 7 coupon codes since Black Friday from Barnes and Noble and only recently became a member before the last 2 were sent... Note to self and other members: take advantage of all the coupon codes (online/ in store) around this time next year iA to save money on books! I was only able to get 2 books since I became a member at the last minute and these 2 books are....
 

Echoes my Jamilah Kolocotronis

and Footsteps by Umm Zakiyyah

Now I have 2 complete book series and plan to read and review these iA in the beginning of the new year!

My 2014 Reading and Book related Goals

1. Start and finish new series like The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan, The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, The Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix, etc.
2. Reread some series like Echoes by Jamilah Kolocotronis, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, Warriors by Erin Hunter, and The Game of Triumphs by Laura Powell, etc.
3. Try my best iA to do at least a book (individual or series) review/ notes/ gem every month for a reading post.
4. Again, read 50 books in 2014. I should probably reach 40 before September so I am not in a mad rush to finish a lot of books at the last minute (like this year...)
5. Start a book "project". An announcement will be made if and when this happens ;)

A-Z Poetry by Me: F

Family Comes First

We take our family
                               for granted.
The ones who knew us
                                     since birth.
Parents who fed, clothed, and sheltered
                                                               Us.
Who lost sleep and comfort
                                            to make us happy.
Who held our hands to teach us
                                                  to walk.
Whose ears were opened to hear
                                                   us talk.

How about
                   our siblings?
The ones we argued with
                                        about nothing
                                                              of importance.
And fought with
                           about everything.
Yet somehow we made up and
                                                 went back to play.
Played pretend and board games
                                                    till the end of the day.

Some of us go to friends before family
                                                             for advice, comfort, and support.
Not realizing
                     family comes first.

Reading in School Tag

I recently found out about this Reading in School tag from Pip on YouTube. Its sounds interesting so I thought I would do it too!

For those who aren't familiar with tags online, it's basically a questionnaire that people answer and they tag a number of people to also answer them as well. For my tags, I will try to vary my answers without making them up and ask that everyone else try to do the same. Feel free to answer the questions here in the comments below ;) You can still answer these questions if you want to whether I tagged you or not!

Elementary:
1. What techniques do you think teachers should use to engage young readers?
Good question, since I want to be a teacher in the future iA :) The easiest thing teachers could do is to give students some time everyday of class to read for fun. Reading books as a class to students might also be fun depending on the book and grade level. Teachers could also assign book reports monthly/ bimonthly where the students get to pick the book and write a page or two (depending on the grade level and age). The point with younger children is to get them to read for fun and a hobby from a young age and the best way to do that in my opinion is to let them read books they find interesting (and that are age appropriate ;). Basically, don't shove reading down student's throats and then expect them to enjoy it.

2. Do you think that it's the schools job to instill a love of reading in children?
No. I think the love of reading should start in the home when the child is still young. Reading bedtime stories, looking through books with pictures, making up stories, etc. But, I do think schools should continue the effort of getting students to love reading by doing any of the above (#1).

3. What was your favourite elementary school read?
My 4th grade teacher read the first 2 books from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. At the time, I loved them so I finished reading the series on my own. As for my fav. assigned book, I don't remember...

High School:
1. Do you think that an incorporation of YA books should be made? If so, which YA book would you add?
Yes, because students are going to read them regardless of any restrictions so might as well include them openly, but make wise choices when picking assigned books. I would add The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins because it will make students think deeply about if our world was actually like that and learn to appreciate things in their life. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is also a good choice in my opinion (see my book review @ http://sfraww.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-haul-collective-7-book-review.html 

2. Do you think it's important to read books from a wide variety of nationalities?
Definitely. Being exposed to different nationalities/ cultures and ways of life at an early age should help people learn to be more open minded and tolerant.

3. What was your least favourite book in high school?
I disliked A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (boring).

Beyond:
Do you think there should be an emphasis on creative writing?
1. Yes. Reading and writing go hand in hand in my opinion. Everyone should be decent at both.

2. How do you feel that the reading you did in school has affected the reading you do now?
I think reading in school exposed me to books I wouldn't have picked out on my own. Nowadays, I am exploring different genres of books that I would never have thought I would read, for example, crime fiction, historical fiction, YA books, etc.

3. If you had to choose one book that you've read in the past year, outside of school, that had to be taught in high schools, which would you choose?
Besides the 2 books in highschool question #1, I would choose The Zion Deception by Laurence B. Brown (read my review @ http://sfraww.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-zion-deception-by-dr-laurence-b.html and Far from Home by Na'ima B. Robert (read my review @ http://sfraww.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-haul-collective-7-book-review.html (scroll down).

My Journal: What I Am (Should Be) Thankful For

I thought I would mix it up a bit for this week's writing post with something from my journal. I made it a goal to journal every day this year and I thought I would share some of my personal writings once in a while.

Some days, I realized that there are small blessings that I never considered until I took the time to really think about it. I wrote these down to remind myself that there is always, always, always, something to be thankful for! Of course this list is very brief and there is much, much more that I could add, but the ones I am going to share I am sincerely grateful for (or should be...) I am not doing this just for the typical things. This is to help me learn to be more grateful iA and maybe help someone else too.

Also, I am not posting this today just because today is Thanksgiving. I know I usually post on Sundays, but I really didn't have time that day thanks to hw... The semester is almost over (only 12 more days!!!) so this is crunch time for many students in uni./ college, not just myself. I thought I would still post today rather than skip a week because it is better late than never! Now on to the actual list of what I am/ should be thankful for.

Alhamdulillah (all praise is to Allah) for...

1. Islam (will explain exactly what in a future post iA)

2. being born as a Muslim. Hearing the obstacles (ex. parents, friends, society, etc.) reverts sometimes go through should make any Muslim born into Islam appreciate that we have it easy in some ways. But then again, sometimes I think being a revert helps one appreciate Islam more since they are usually more committed to Islam. I wonder...
3. my family, especially my Mom
4. variety of food and drinks
5. nice clothes
6. roof over my head
7. being alive for 20 years +

8. chance at a college education

9. money

10. laptop = internet (or else I'd be bored!!!)

11. soft warm bed

12. cold and hot water for drinking and shower (in order)

13. living in America and not BD....

14. electricity

15. heating for the cold months...

16. cars and not having to walk far

17. proper indoor toilets and bathrooms

18. books for entertainment

19. email and phone for communication

20. beautiful, breathtaking nature

21. my knowledge thus far

22. no serious hardships like others

23. my teeth

24. no allergies

25. rain

26. people like Yasmin Mogahed

27. fresh, cool, natural air

28. air conditioner

29. the few compliments I get on my hair, petite body, etc.

30. few, but good friends
31. single at my age
32. being fluent in English (universal language)

To conclude this post, here is a hadith (report of the deeds and sayings of Muhammad (SAW) that I try to keep in mind that has to do with the subject of being grateful. Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: "Look at those who stand at a lower level than you [with regards to worldly possessions] instead of looking at those who stand at a higher level than you, for this would make the favors (gifted to you by Allah) insignificant (in your eyes)" (Book 42, Hadith 7070).

My Top 10: Favorite Children's Books/ Authors

Here is a short list of my favorite books/ authors that I enjoyed reading as a child (and a little older too ;) which I think are suited for children under 12, both girls and boys. I think the books below are not too difficult to read, but still interesting. Let me know in the comments what you think of the books I chose and also books you loved as a child (or older ;) and recommend to a young audience.
 
1. Dr. Seuss (for anyone who loves cute short stories with rhyme)
2. Shel Silverstein (for poetry fans, again those who enjoy rhyme like me ;)
3. Roald Dahl (Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, George's Marvelous Medicine, etc.) 
4. The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi (for fantasy readers)
5. Warriors by Erin Hunter (for fans of cats, action, and adventure)
6. Dolphin Diaries by Ben M. Baglio (for those who like sea life mixed with adventure)
7. Monsters by Dian Curtis Regan (cute stories with a different story line)
8. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George (great intro. series to "princess fairy tales")
9. Wonder by R.J. Palacio (love!)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, Jules Feiffer (Illustrator) (my review)  

A-Z Poetry by Me: E

Elegy to Childhood

Childhood: years of innocence, adventure, play,
No responsibilities, free time galore, and cheerful every day.

Sunny days riding bikes with friends and family picnics at the park,

Imagination running wild, making shadow puppets in the dark.

Running wild outside flying kites and playing tag,

Looking forward to school in your new outfit and bookbag.

No dreaded days at school of bullying and thoughts of suicide,

No pressure of where you want to be in 15+ years as the days pass by.

The days pass by watching PBSKids, a child of seven by Generation O,

But times have changed and so has PBSKids Go!

Times have changed you realize one day,

And childhood isn't looked at in the same way.

Children are growing up and learning much faster,

Gone are the many innocent days of fun and laughter.

The Zion Deception by Dr. Laurence B. Brown 4/5

 

I haven't done a good old fashioned single book review in a long time, so I think it is finally about time I did one again. I was very excited when I found out Dr. Brown came out with his 3rd work of fiction, The Zion Deception, so I grabbed it in my summer haul. I plan to review his other two novels that I read and loved, but for now, here is a review of his most recent published book.

The back of The Zion Deception reads: "David Cohen’s wife didn’t deserve to die. Sarah Weizmann shouldn’t blame herself for Leah’s murder. But the shocking crime served a militant Zionist group’s strategic purpose. When David and Sarah team up to find Leah’s killer, they are drawn into a maze of murder and intrigue designed to conceal the ugly history of Zionism. Following a path through Poland’s WWII death camps, they are forced to fight for their lives against both a psychopathic Nazi war criminal and Israel’s Mossad. When they discover the dark secret that links their two antagonists, they realize something is bound to die – themselves, the horrifying truth, or all together. The Zion Deception is a fully-annotated and meticulously researched work that expresses pro-Jewish, anti-Zionist views popular among Jewish revisionist historians. Although controversial, it challenges what readers know about anti-Semitism, Zionism, and Israel. With a keen sense of closure and awareness of the interconnectedness behind history’s failings, author Dr. Laurence B. Brown exposes popularized fallacies, and reveals the threat Zionism poses not only to Jews, but to the world as a whole."

The Zion Deception is a real eye opener novel. It is surprising, sad, detailed, and relevant to the world today. Some parts are gruesome and action packed, typical "Brown" fiction. I am not complaining by any means. The action and adventure in Dr. LBB's books made me a fan of his in the first place after reading his previous novels. His book descriptions really catch my attention and gives me high expectations.

The Zion Deception includes some history which I think was interesting, but confusing at times with all the details. I think rereading this book will help me better digest the material. As I said, this book brings in current events, so for someone like myself who really isn't into the news and what is happening around the world (I know this isn't good, but the news is depressing...) the book was interesting and "enlightened" me about the situation between Palestine/ Israel and Zionism in general. Yes, this book is a work of fiction, but there are facts weaved within the story as Brown mentions at the end.

From The Zion Deception, readers will get yet another example of how war changes people through Sarah's experience (pg. 24-25). And I'm sure this wouldn't be the first time either for readers to hear that with joining the army, comes brainwashing. As Sarah explained to her friend, "killing an American was murder, but the army taught us the Iraqis weren't human. In the American soldier's eyes, they were animals. It's the same old story...the Germans were Krauts, the Japanese were Nips, the Chinese, Chinks... the Viet Cong were gooks. In every conflict, the military think tanks dehumanize the enemy, to make it physiologically easier for the soldiers in the field to kill them. After the war, we meet them, maybe managing the corner convenience store, and realize they're just as human as we are" (53). Sounds familiar?

Brown uses a lot of abbreviations like MP, POW, APC, etc. and while some of them can be easily figured out, I wish Brown spelled them out at least once so we wouldn't have to guess at their meanings. There are some disturbing bits in The Zion Deception such as the details in being spied on page 139. The gruesome history of Zionism and the Zionist Jews contribution to the Holocaust stands out the most in the book though. For those people who don't know what Zionism is, it is the "political movement to establish a Jewish nation-state" (Foreword). In chapter 20 in which Sarah tours the concentration camps, we learn about Josef Mengele. Mengele would perform "experiments" usually on twins, "dissecting them side by side, alive, without anesthesia... even went as far as to remove limbs and stitch siblings together" (161). By the middle of the book (pages 196-197), readers will be in shock when they read about the Transfer Agreement.

Readers will also be surprised and in suspense at almost every turn of the page. Closer to the end of The Zion Deception, we learn something shocking. I won't ruin it here, but let me just say that learning the origin of the majority of Jews makes Brown's book worth reading. Besides all the interesting, surprising, detailed facts mixed in with a good storyline, there are some funny bits as well as a lot of action. I could go on about this book (I wrote down a ton of notes), but will spoil the story no more.

Overall, I gave this book ****/***** I would consider The Zion Deception to be a realistic historical crime fiction novel (is that even possible???). Anyone into that sort of stuff would really enjoy this book. If you can digest some of the material that I have mentioned and want to learn more about this subject, I also highly recommend The Zion Deception to you. If you would like to purchase this book, go to http://ziondeception.com/

Rubyredskin

A different version of a fairy tale I wrote for Children's Lit. class this semester. Which story do you think the main plot is inspired by?

Once upon a time in Rulan, there lived a merchant, his wife, and their teenage son. They had the misfortune of living on the brink of poverty due to their selfish king. The king took his subject's goods by force, giving them a measly pay in return. The farmer and his wife wanted to teach the king a lesson, so one day the tale of their boy turning dust bunnies into gold reached the king's ears. The king quickly summoned the farmer's son. When he arrived at the King's marble castle, King Kelvin led the boy in the dead queen's chamber which hadn't been cleaned in years.

"Get to work, boy. I want this dusty old room to be filled with gold by tomorrow morning,” the king growled as he locked the door.

"If I could turn dust into gold, I would have gotten my family out of poverty. What a silly king for not having thought of that. But what am I to do?" the boy said to himself.

"I can help you there, my boy," a female voice spoke. The boy turned around until his gaze fell upon an old lady dressed in dirty old rags standing in the corner of the room. Her skin seemed to be glowing red, as if she was on fire.

"How can you help me when you can't even help yourself?"

"Looks can be deceiving child. I heard about your dilemma and I can help, but what will you give me in return?"

"Anything you want in the future,” the boy said desperately.

“You have yourself a deal.” The old lady whispered some words and waved her arms around while dust from the top of the four poster mahogany bed collected in front of them. The dust flew in a blur of gold for a few minutes and suddenly stopped. The sound of metal could be heard as hundreds of gold coins fell to the floor.

“I'll leave you to rest. After all, you have a big day tomorrow," the witch said.

The merchant's son was pleased with the turn of events and happily fell asleep on the pile of gold. Early the next morning, King Kelvin stormed into the boy's room, waking him up.

"What, you actually managed to make gold? As your King, I order you to make more by tonight. If you can, you will have the honor of marrying my daughter." From behind the King, stepped a beautiful maiden. Her gaze lowered, Princess Pearl's long shiny brown hair was tied in a Dutch braid that reached her back. When she looked up, the boy noticed her stunning green eyes and dimples as she shyly smiled at him. He immediately fell for her looks.

After the king and his daughter stepped out of the room and locked him in, the boy thought of searching for the witch. This wasn’t necessary, as she soon appeared.

“Make me some more gold so I can present it to the king tonight and marry his daughter.”

“And how do you plan to repay me?"

"You can have whatever you want, once I marry the princess."

"In that case, promise me your first born child. If you fail to hold your side of the bargain, I promise you, you will suffer," the witch warned.

“I promise,” the boy said hastily, not thinking things through. As promised, the witch turned more dust lying on the wardrobe into gold and the boy soon married the princess.

The newly weds lived happily together for many years and eventually had a baby daughter, but unfortunately, the mother lost her life. To make things worse, the peace and quiet came to an end one evening. As the baby’s father was putting her to sleep, the witch appeared.

“It is time for you to repay me as you promised many years ago. You may have forgotten, but your first child belongs to me,” the witch said with a wicked grin.

“Take my jewels instead and go marry any guy that will take you. Then you will have a child you greatly want,” the man said protectively covering the baby.

“It is not any baby I want, but yours. I will give you another chance. If you can guess my name by tomorrow evening when I shall return, you may keep the child. If not, kiss your daughter goodbye,” the witch cackled as she disappeared in the blink of an eye.

But try as he might, the baby’s father couldn’t think of any name for a witch. The next evening as promised, the witch returned.

“Have you any clue of my name?” the witch asked as she slowly walked towards the sleeping baby’s crib.

“…Gothel? Medusa? Medea? Willow? Wicked? Bellatrix?” the man asked desperately.

“No, you fool. Now step aside as your daughter is now mine.”

But the man would not give in without a fight. He ran to push the old lady out the window, but she easily evaded him as he tumbled down to his doom.

“Serves you right. You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep after all.” Quickly and quietly, the witch took the bundled baby and disappeared from the castle forever.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Many years passed and the baby grew to be a beautiful young lady with long brown hair. The witch, who the girl believed to be her mother, kept her in a tower in the middle of a forest. “For protection,” the witch claimed when the girl asked. This girl was later known as Rapunzel. 

A to Z Bookish Survey "Tag"

I came across an interesting book survey on http://fida-islaih.blogspot.com/ and decided to give it a try. I am also making it into a tag, but whether you got tagged or not, if you want to answer these questions feel free to do so.

For those who aren't familiar with tags online, it's basically a questionnaire that people answer and they tag a number of people to also answer them as well. For my tags, I will try to vary my answers without making them up and ask that everyone else try to do the same. Feel free to answer the questions here in the comments below ;)

Author you've read the most books from: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Best Sequel Ever: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

Currently Reading: Stories of the Quran by Ibn Kathir

Drink of Choice While Reading: I'm fine without.

E-reader or Physical Book? Old school physical book

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School: I don't date.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (read my review @ The Phantom Tollbooth)

Hidden Gem Book: The Game of Triumphs (The Game of Triumphs #1) by Laura Powell

Important Moment in your Reading Life: When it became a hobby?

Just Finished: In The Early Hours: Reflections On Spiritual and Self Development by Khurram Murad

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read: Lovey dovey romance

Longest Book You've Read: Most likely the longest book in the Harry Potter series

Major book hangover because of: idk...

Number of Bookcases You Own: 1

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times: My multiple means only twice, so Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed

Preferred Place To Read: In bed

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read: Smart people learn from their mistakes. But the real sharp ones learn from the mistakes of others.” ― Brandon Mull, Fablehaven
 
Reading Regret: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Series You Started And Need To Finish: 3rd book in If I Should Speak trilogy by Umm Zakiyyah

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books: (My newer favs.) In The Early Hours: Reflections On Spiritual and Self Development by Khurram Murad, Far from Home by Na'ima B. Robert (read my review @ Far From Home), and Wonder by R.J. Palacio (read my review @ Wonder)

Unapologetic Fangirl For: idk...

Very Excited For This Release: Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

Worst Bookish Habit: Reading too slow?

X Marks The Spot: (Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book) Eragon and Eldest(Inheritance, #1-2) by Christopher Paolini

Your latest book purchase: Islamic Book Haul

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late): The Zion Deception by Laurence B. Brown

A-Z Poetry by Me: D

Dreaming A Life?

How would you like to make the world a better place?
Dreams are for that and more,
Some are exciting, familiar, scary, or sad,
Taking you to another realm where anything can happen.

I'm finally on a vacation in England and it feels like a dream!
My mind blanks out in class and when I finally come back to Earth,
I wonder when I got there (class) and when I will get out...
Making plans for the future, even if it is just a trip to NYC.

The familiar construction sights, sounds of traffic, and smell of Asian cuisine take up my senses.
A city were some say dreams come true.
Could being a teacher make a world of a difference?
Even if it helps one child, yes it does.

Like in Mad Hot Ballroom,
Students experience activities out of their comfort zone and being prepared for the "real world"
Sharing the challenges they face at a young age,
With a helping hand, someones life can be turned around.

Islamic Book Haul

A recent litte haul I did on Amazon.com of Islamic books that looked interesting. I plan to do reviews/ notes on some (maybe all) of them ;) The first 3 books are published by Fortress-iPublications.

Stories of the Prophets by Imam Ibn Kathir

Stories of Al - Quran by Imam Ibn Kathir

Presenting the Quran: A Synopsis of All 114 Chapters of the Quran by Fortress iPublications

In The Early Hours: Reflections on Spiritual and Self Development by Khurram Murad  

A-Z Poetry by Me: B

Books in Bed

To my beloved comrade Book,
Over ten years you have been a companion of mine,
Your many subjects reel in bookworms like a hook,
Sci-Fi/ Fantasy and more to choose from throughout time,
Where should we start to take a look?

Your crisp, new pages waiting to be read,
Or maybe yellowing leafs shown much love instead,
You fill wooden shelves with your family and friends,
In public and private lives, some in heartthrobs till the end.

But who doesn't like a first-class book in bed?

After a hard daydreams work and faces turned red,
Come under a warm blanket on an arctic winter night,
Lay down and give thanks for your soft pillow so light,
Thank God for books and beds, rest well and sleep tight!

A-Z Poetry by Me: C

Colors of Life

Red; symbolizes love and the color of blood

Orange; my favorite fruit
Yellow; color family of gold
Green; environmental friendly
Blue; water, liquid gold of life
Purple; reps. royalty
Pink; society's standard for girls since birth 
Black; darkness, magic, sleep 
White; snow, purity, surrender
Multicolor: diamonds, glitter, nature

The Children of the Red King (series) by Jenny Nimmo 5/5

I had a Charlie Bone marathon for a little over 2 weeks and got to reread the series after many years! In this review, I will be focusing on the series as a whole.

I will avoid summarizing the books, which can be easily found online. To read goodreads descriptions on any of The Children of the Red King books (aka Charlie Bone) by Jenny Nimmo, click the titles down below.
 
#1 Midnight for Charlie Bone
#2 Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
#3 Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
#4 Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors
#5 Charlie Bone and the Hidden King
#6 Charlie Bone and the Beast
#7 Charlie Bone and the Shadow
#8 Charlie Bone and the Red Knight
 
I remember the books being suspenseful and interesting the first time I read them in middle school and I wasn't disappointed the second time around. Each book is around 400 pages and for me to get through them in 2 nights each (except for the last 2 I think because if uni opening), means they were that good in my opinion! The series as a whole has a little bit of everything, i.e. action, adventure, humor, mystery, suspense, etc., which keeps the books compelling and worth reading till the end.     
 
What I found really fascinating about the books from the beginning are the powers of the endowed. Some of these include hypnotism, telekinesis, bewitching clothes, communicating with animals, picture traveling, magnetism, illusionist, etc. The list goes on and the variety keeps the adventures fresh and new. Many powers are used only to harm people and for evil schemes, but from the useful powers, I think "weather boy's" saved lives more than the others. I think it would also be cool to control the wind, thunder, lightning, and even some snow ;) Picture traveling also sounds entertaining, if one can get over the feeling of traveling through space and time and avoid coming across unwelcome characters!  

I've heard and read reviews where people criticized The Children of the Red King series for being a copy-cat of the Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling. Yes, there are some similarities like the children going to boarding school, the setting being in England (both authors are from there so no surprise), etc., but there are many more differences. For example, while the Dursleys were not always the nicest of relatives, they do not compare to Charlie's great grandmother/aunts who wouldn't mind killing family for their "cause." Also, Charlie isn't an orphan like Harry, so the former has the comfort of some loving and supportive family members. The biggest difference of all are the powers I previously mentioned. Unlike in Harry Potter where the word "magic" is used to the fullest ex. wands, spells, potions, etc., in Charlie Bone, the characters rely on their powers they inherited from their ancestors, mainly the Red King and his ten children, to help in their quests. On a final note, who said J.K. Rowling didn't get inspiration from others (Diana Wynne Jones, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien, etc.)? This means her ideas aren't as original and don't entirely belong to her, as many HP fans think. Don't get me wrong, I too love the Harry Potter series, but Charlie Bone just the same. Their similarities should be welcoming for fans of HP who are looking for something similar yet different after finishing HP and want more.

My thoughts on some of the characters? Right from the 1st book, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Billy, an orphan boy who doesn't have a family to stay with over the weekends, and thus spent many weekends with the unpleasant "owners" of the boarding school. Imagine spending weekends in school :( Benjamin Brown (who isn't endowed so he goes to a "normal" school) doesn't have any friends besides Charlie, so when Charlie goes to school (a different one of course) or on an adventure with other endowed friends, Ben is sometimes left out with his dog. But all is not hopeless for Billy and Ben. My 2 favorite characters would be Olivia who is helpful, outgoing, and has a unique sense of style and Tancred the storm boy. He is worth having as a friend, as his powers saved many lives just in time. Him and his best friend Lysander make a good team, but sometimes their friendship seemed queer to me...  

The books in general had some funny and sarcastic bits, great descriptions as in the case of the enchanter, many adventures to save lives, and a surprise ending! The battle between good and evil and stopping power hungry people ruin the lives of many others isn't a new one, but Jenny Nimmo weaves a great story with a unique twist that holds reader's attention long enough to not lose hope.

Overall, I gave the series a 5/5 and recommend it to fans of HP, readers of fantasy novels, and anyone looking for quick and easy reads. To read The Children of the Red King (series) by Jenny Nimmo, borrow them from your local library or purchase them from here.

A-Z Poetry by Me: A

Allah

He is the Most...
Merciful to give us another chance,
Forgiving for all sins except polytheism,
Generous in His gifts (1) even to sinners,
More Loving than a mother to her child (2).
So don't complain of your wishes not immediately granted.
Rather, be thankful of your sins not immediately punished.

Allah is One without partners or son (Quran:112),
He is the Creator of everything we benefit from (3),
The Provider and Sustainer for all living creatures we see,
And the BEST Protector for you and me.
 
He is the Most Powerful and Just,
Most Wise with knowledge of the Unseen (4),
THE King of kings, Resurrector (Quran 36:78-79), and Owner of Judgment Day.
Life is not guaranteed, but death is certain.
Your life will flash before your eyes, so make sure it is worth it.
 
I call Him Allah,
You may call Him God.
We should learn about Him,
Acknowledge and believe in His existence,
Live by His standards and obey His commands,
For our own good (5) in this life and the next.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inspirational References

 

(1) Quran (14:34) And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful.

(2) Umar ibn Al-Khattab reported "...The Prophet said, “Allah is more merciful to His servants than a mother is to her child.” (Sahih Bukhari 5653)

(3) Quran (25:61) Blessed is He who has placed in the sky great stars and placed therein a [burning] lamp (Sun) and luminous moon. Quran (78:6-7) Have We not made the earth a resting place? And the mountains as stakes?

(4) Quran (31:34) Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.

(5) Quran (17:15) Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.

*To learn more about Islam, please go to my blogs @ http://satisfiedwithislam.blogspot.com/ and http://learnislam2day.blogspot.com For a list of books I recommend, read http://sfraww.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-top-10-favorite-islamic-books-extras.html
 

The Story Behind this Poem

I have been wanting to learn more about the names and attributes of Allah (God) and while on my search, I came across certain verses from the Quran and authentic sayings (Hadith) of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) that grabbed my attention. Some of these are listed above. I saved these and initially wanted to work on a "book" where I put down verses and sayings that I felt really described each of Allah's 99 names and attributes that would be easy to understand and remember, almost children-friendly (since I couldn't find one already available). Only time will tell if this book will happen. For now, I thought a general poem about Allah, including some of His names and attributes that are my favorites, will due. And what better way to start my recent A-Z Poetry by Me Project than with Allah for the letter A! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this and look forward to more poems to come in this series :)

My Movie Madness Scrapbook Pages

 

I love watching movies and scrapbooking, so 3 years ago I decided to do 2 scrapbook pages dedicated to them. I came up with 10 categories and wanted to watch enough movies to have 5 movies in each. I recently finished my second page and watched wayyy more than 50 for this "project," so I have a good idea on what movie fits where in my opinion. I do have some repeats, but generally tried to vary my choices.

I started to include bookish topics on my blog since the beginning of the year, and more recently decided to include movie posts as well. Some of these may include reviews, lists, and now this! I hope you like this different post and learn about some of my favorite movies :)

Here are some closeups. Click the images to enlarge.

 

 

 

 

 

A-Z Poetry by Me: Intro.

I got the idea of a poetry project after coming across Fida Islaih's blog a few weeks ago. It is called A to Z Poetry. I don't know why I never thought of this before, being a fan of poetry myself, but with writer's block for a long time...

I will try my best to write poems in different forms for every letter of the alphabet, i.e. the significant theme, item, or word basically has to start with a letter from A-Z. I came up with some (general) ideas which I will share below so you get an idea of what I mean exactly. These may change eventually, but this is what I plan to write about for now. Some may be familiar to you already ;)

I would also like help from you on ideas for letters I left blank. As you will see, there are a number of blanks, so I am bound to pick something you suggest ;) I want to write about (nouns) that have meaning to me or that I have words to share on the subject. So far, below is what I could come up with. Finally, I encourage you to join in and share some of your poetry too :)

Once I get each poem posted, I will directly link them here for easier access. Here is my list!

Allah
Books in Bed
Colors of Life
Dreaming a Life? (poem for uni. had to include a dream, road trip, and film...)
Elegy to Childhood
Family Comes First
G
H
Islam
J
Knowledge
Love
(The) Most Influential Person in History
N
O
P
Q
Ramadan
So Much to Be Thankful For
T
U
V
Women
X
Youth
Z