Main takeaway from this exercise is nothing to do with my Spanish level (pretty rusty) and everything to do with how well I know Persuasion. Turns outMain takeaway from this exercise is nothing to do with my Spanish level (pretty rusty) and everything to do with how well I know Persuasion. Turns out that it doesn't matter if I only recognise half the words in a sentence: I can still follow the story perfectly well.
(Also, on a minor point: I’m somewhat bemused by the choice to change Elizabeth’s name to Isabel, but keep everything else the same?)...more
Thank you so much to Quarto Words and Pictures for sending me a copy of this lovely (and gorgeously illustrated!) little book!
I’ve read so many ‘IslamThank you so much to Quarto Words and Pictures for sending me a copy of this lovely (and gorgeously illustrated!) little book!
I’ve read so many ‘Islamic’ picture books that somehow manage to lose all actual religiosity, and I’m so happy to say that this one doesn’t fall into that trap at all!
I LOVE that we get to see Raya and her parents doing fun (but generic) holiday traditions like baking iftar cookies and making Ramadan cards, and *also* attending tarawih prayers and reading more Quran. AND, the book is explicit about the fact that the purpose of Ramadan is to get closer to Allah, a message which is so sadly lacking from most children’s books.
The back of the book also has activities like a quiz and recipes, as well as more detailed information about what Ramadan is all about - this would be such a great resource for adults to share with the kids in your life, both Muslim and non....more
Wow, this was such a disappointment. Partly I think it was overhyped and my expectations were too high, but also I just really didn’t like i2.5 stars?
Wow, this was such a disappointment. Partly I think it was overhyped and my expectations were too high, but also I just really didn’t like it!
I found the storytelling incredibly stilted. It was all so repetitive, and the writing (whether the fault of the original writing or the translation I’m not sure) felt so stilted - and also quite male-gazey?
I didn’t have the same problems with the third story that lots of reviewers seem to have. I think there’s a lot of ‘West vs the rest’ cultural differences that colour a lot of people’s response to that one. But I wasn’t particularly keen on the first or the last story, and I never really felt connected to the characters except for one or two.
CW: grief, Alzheimer’s, references to death in childbirth ...more
I enjoyed this enough when I initially finished it (though still not as much as the first two books), but I think the disappointment of the last book I enjoyed this enough when I initially finished it (though still not as much as the first two books), but I think the disappointment of the last book has caused my perception of this book to retroactively worsen.
CW: grief, murder, ableism, being forced to remove all your clothes...more
Hmm. Lots to chew on with this one - some that the author intended, some she definitely didn't. RTC. Hmm. Lots to chew on with this one - some that the author intended, some she definitely didn't. RTC. ...more
The first half of this was five stars easily, second half I didn’t love quite as much. But overall I still just felt this book so deeply, in w4.5 stars
The first half of this was five stars easily, second half I didn’t love quite as much. But overall I still just felt this book so deeply, in ways I’m not sure I’m able to verbalise. ...more
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