I was tagged by Kulsoom :) and I tag everyone reading this that wants to do it.
Rules: In a text post, list 10 books that have stayed with you in some way. Don’t take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard—they don’t have to be the “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you.
I don't consider all the books mentioned below my favorites, but I still remember them for certain reasons from time to time. I will try to explain/ remember why these books have "stayed with me/ touched me" down below.
These are listed in the order I read them (chronologically; most recent last), not by favorites to least.
1. Echoes series by Jamilah Kolocotronis
This series got me interested in Islamic fiction books (see my biz site @ http://booksbt12.blogspot.com/p/about-books-by-dozen.html) and I highly enjoyed it at the time. I plan to reread and review them in the future inshAllah, so look forward to those if you are interested!
2. Women in Islam... The Myth & the Reality by Sherif Abdel Azeem
I read this book years ago when I was interested in learning about Muslim women. I think I read this at an appropriate time in my life and it did help. I learned a lot from this book and it made me more comfortable and aware of my position in Islam and the position of non-Muslim women. Highly recommend this for other Muslim females and non-Muslims interested in learning more about women in Islam. Read it for free @ http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-status-of-women-in-islam-dr-sherif-abdel-azeem/1108335888?ean=9781471028564
3. The Quran (with English translation by Muhsin Khan)
I think every Muslim should own and read a copy of the Quran in Arabic, but also in a language they understand. For me, obviously that would be in English and this is the first English translation that I read, understood, and learned a lot from. Some people might think it is too in depth for beginners, but I think if we have questions in mind while reading and a translation such as this answers them, it is more beneficial and interesting.
4. Catching Fire/ Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (don't remember which one I loved more!)
Although I like to read books for fun, I enjoy books that I learn something from even more. This was one of those books that made me think, specifically what if this was real in our world right now?! (I know some aspects are based off of reality in some parts of the world.) I enjoyed both the 2nd and 3rd books from The Hunger Games trilogy, but I don't remember specifics as to why and which one even more than the other (that's why writing reviews are helpful ;) They were emotional, thought provoking, descriptive and detailed, suspenseful, etc. I might reread these in the future one day, but for now, I have the movies to look forward to (didn't see the 2nd yet...) and enjoy!
5. Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed
I loved everything about this book and writer. If you don't know why already, read this http://sfraww.blogspot.com/search/label/Reclaim%20Your%20Heart
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
I enjoyed this book for certain reasons and didn't for others. To read my review to find out what these reasons are, please go to http://sfraww.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-haul-collective-7-book-review.html and scroll down to the book review section of the post. It is the first one.
7. Far From Home by Na'ima B. Robert
This was a book I was surprised with and eventually became a favorite. Read my review for more info. @ https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/288653779?book_show_action=false if you are interested.
8. The Zion Deception by Laurence B. Brown
Another book that made me think about the reality and situation of our world. Please read my review of this book @ http://sfraww.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-zion-deception-by-dr-laurence-b.html
9. Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
I'm a more recent fan of the Percy series. I loved this series, but the first book even more and the movie! I loved the author's writing style, the descriptions and details, characters, humor/ sarcasm, history mixed in, etc. I noticed the 1st person narration in this book, and although I'm sure I've read other books in this same style, I enjoyed The Lightening Thief even more because of this.
10. Traitor? by Terry C. Holdbrooks
Mixed feelings for this book, but it did open my eyes (and heart) more to the situation. Please read my review @ https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/645165954?book_show_action=false
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
Spanish Lesson on Nouns
My Grammar and Style professor shared the piece down below with my class this week. I thought it was true for the most part and funny as well, so I wanted to share it here. Let me know in the comments below what you think the analogies mean! Enjoy :)
A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?"
A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.
"House" for instance, is feminine: "la casa."
"Pencil," however, is masculine: "el lapiz.."
A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?"
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender (" la computadora"), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else; 3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
(THIS GETS BETTER!)
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ("el computador"), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
The women won!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Room Full of Magic
Another assignment for my Creative Non-fiction class this past semester. We had to choose a place to write about in as much details possible, so I choose the subject below. I changed a few words to keep some specifics private, but it is mostly in its final revised form. Enjoy!
Libraries are such magical places; at least to those who enjoy reading for fun. As someone who loves to read, I still look forward to my trips to the public library. I can’t imagine a town without a library and how it would hurt young children who go there not just to borrow books for free, but also DVDs if they are provided.
I still use my first library card from almost 10 years ago. The yellowing plastic card has so much value to it. You can borrow books and DVDs for free! The children’s section was my favorite spot to go to. It has seen some changes when the library got renovated last year, but the changes made it even better. You understood that right, I still love the children’s section .
When you walk in by the front door and take a right past the front desk and tall wooden shelves full of books for teenagers to adults, you come to some shorter shelves where books are being sold for under a dollar. I found some great finds there last year, and highly suggest any reader on a budget to check these shelves out. With those shelves on the left side, if you turn to the right, the children’s room awaits you.
On a beautiful day, the sun shines through the large windows casting the room in natural light as if the sun is welcoming you in with a bright smile. Outside these windows, you will get a pleasant view of fresh cut green grass around the library parking lot. Whether you are inside our outside, the environment around the library is clean and peaceful.
"Hello. How are you?" You are warmly greeted by an elderly, but extremely friendly librarian with glasses and long curly blond hair. (She is my favorite!) You can count on her help and her persona is just so sweet you can't help but enjoy your stay. Children will definitely love her too. In front of her desk lies stuffed animals in a circle on the carpeted floor. There is a mini puppet stage there too. When I was younger, I used to wonder what it would feel like to be a librarian. I imagine it as an enjoyable job for anyone who likes being in the company of people and books ;)
The numerous wooden shelves of books are inviting to any bookworm. One shelf in particular showcases new books upfront for anyone looking for recently published books. The clean smell of the crisp new pages and colorful cover illustrations draws me in almost every time I visit. This shelf is a good place to start for those who have read almost every book of their liking available at the library, and desperately wants something new to read. The shelves behind are just as fun to search through. I am a long time fantasy reader and there are a ton of books for people with similar taste such as The Children of the Red King series, the infamous Harry Potter series, and more. The bent pages and musty smell of these books testifies to how long they have been on the shelves and passed from reader to reader. Many more genres are available for young readers of any age and interest. Labels are positioned on top of these shelves making it easier to find particular books.
Libraries are such magical places; at least to those who enjoy reading for fun. As someone who loves to read, I still look forward to my trips to the public library. I can’t imagine a town without a library and how it would hurt young children who go there not just to borrow books for free, but also DVDs if they are provided.
I still use my first library card from almost 10 years ago. The yellowing plastic card has so much value to it. You can borrow books and DVDs for free! The children’s section was my favorite spot to go to. It has seen some changes when the library got renovated last year, but the changes made it even better. You understood that right, I still love the children’s section .
When you walk in by the front door and take a right past the front desk and tall wooden shelves full of books for teenagers to adults, you come to some shorter shelves where books are being sold for under a dollar. I found some great finds there last year, and highly suggest any reader on a budget to check these shelves out. With those shelves on the left side, if you turn to the right, the children’s room awaits you.
On a beautiful day, the sun shines through the large windows casting the room in natural light as if the sun is welcoming you in with a bright smile. Outside these windows, you will get a pleasant view of fresh cut green grass around the library parking lot. Whether you are inside our outside, the environment around the library is clean and peaceful.
"Hello. How are you?" You are warmly greeted by an elderly, but extremely friendly librarian with glasses and long curly blond hair. (She is my favorite!) You can count on her help and her persona is just so sweet you can't help but enjoy your stay. Children will definitely love her too. In front of her desk lies stuffed animals in a circle on the carpeted floor. There is a mini puppet stage there too. When I was younger, I used to wonder what it would feel like to be a librarian. I imagine it as an enjoyable job for anyone who likes being in the company of people and books ;)
The numerous wooden shelves of books are inviting to any bookworm. One shelf in particular showcases new books upfront for anyone looking for recently published books. The clean smell of the crisp new pages and colorful cover illustrations draws me in almost every time I visit. This shelf is a good place to start for those who have read almost every book of their liking available at the library, and desperately wants something new to read. The shelves behind are just as fun to search through. I am a long time fantasy reader and there are a ton of books for people with similar taste such as The Children of the Red King series, the infamous Harry Potter series, and more. The bent pages and musty smell of these books testifies to how long they have been on the shelves and passed from reader to reader. Many more genres are available for young readers of any age and interest. Labels are positioned on top of these shelves making it easier to find particular books.
One of my favorite areas close to the new book stand is the DVD rack. The almost six feet high grey rotating rack is bursting with pleasurable family friendly and child appropriate movies. I have watched about 200 movies in the past four years and many of them were right from here. Disney, DreamWorks Animation, 20th Century Fox, etc. provide an enormous selection for entertainment. I frequently come to this place looking for recent releases. Slowly spinning the rack around, I look through the interesting titles. The eye-catching cover art makes it really hard sometimes to choose just a few movies to borrow for a week. Once you do decide on what to borrow, you can take them to the desk. The librarian is helpful enough to put the materials in a reusable cloth bag for you. Now, you are on your way home to enjoy some great books and/ movies for the rest of the week!
Even now as a college student, the children's room is still inviting. I have reread some of my favorite childhood books over the past summer and this room has made that possible. When I become a future (English) teacher iA, I know I can count on this room to help me incorporate engaging books for kindergarten to 6th grade students. If you have children, teach children, or are looking for entertainment suited for a young audience, the children's room at DDE library is a great resource.
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