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BOOK REVIEW: THE FORTY RULES OF LOVE BY ELIF SHAFAK ★★★★☆

  PROS: I preferred the story within the story, Rumi and Shams storyline told by Aziz Zahara. Had more spiritualism to it. Like the prostitute trying to leave her brothel, the leper begging outside the mosque and Rumi’s family’s mixed feelings towards Shams. A radical transformation of Rumi. It was through loss and heartbreak did Rumi go from scholar to poet, thus passing down his philosophy. A study in opposites- discipline vs. spontaneity, reason vs. love, perspective vs. acceptance, wisdom vs. youth, and foundation vs. risk. My take is finding the balance between the extremes.   CONS: It read like a translated story so some parts felt awkward with jarring flow. Little historical inaccuracies that I should forget but it itched at me, like why would Rumi use the Gregorian calendar when he should have used the Islamic one and so on? Sufiism is about the pure, spiritual love for your Creator, but Shafak makes is more about physical love. Morally didn’t set right with me. *spoile

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Honourable Top 3 Mentions From Each Year

2023

The African Samurai by Craig Shreve

Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

2022

The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

The Conqueror's Saga #3 Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

This Thing of Darkness (From BBC Radio 4 drama) Written by Lucia Haynes with monologues by Eileen Horne

2021

Horror Stories by E. Nesbit

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. read by Wil Wheaton

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco, read by Nicola Barber

2020

Declutter: The get-real guide to creating calm from chaos by Debora Robertson

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

BBC Radio production of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

2019

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Malevolent (Shay Archer series) by Jana Deleon

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (narrated by Adepero Oduye)

2018

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

As Old As Time by Liz Braswell

2017

Harry Potter Series (Books 1 to 7) by J.K.Rowling

This House is Haunted by John Boyne

Born A Crime by Trevor Noah

2016

These Shallow Graves By Jennifer Donnelly

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

2015

Struck By Lightning by Chris Colfer

True Grit by Charles Portis

The Holy Woman By Qasira Shahraz

Latif's Read Book Montage

The Wolves of Winter
The Prophet
We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World
Burial Rites
My Sister, the Serial Killer
Rules for Dating a Romantic Hero
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Crushed
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why
Seth MacFarlane's A Million Ways to Die in the West: A Novel
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Crimes by Moonlight
The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair
Embroideries
Practical Magic
The House With a Clock in Its Walls
The Legend of Keane O'Leary
A Little History of the World