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This book was an entirely new experience for me an

This book was an entirely new experience for me and I ended up loving this book more than I thought. The City of Brass was a brilliant Middle Eastern fantasy book that completely captivated me and made me buy the sequel even though I had not finished the first book yet.

The world-building is fascinating with the mixture of Middle Eastern culture. However, with so many distinct character names, tribes, and magical creatures at the beginning of the book, it can be a bit overwhelming. But it’s worth it. I was somewhat perplexed by all the many tribes and political systems, but at the same time, I also enjoyed learning about the four elemental creatures.

What made this book stand out to me the most was the characters. Nahri, Dara, and Ali were all thoughtful & complicated characters. The author does an outstanding job of making these characters so intriguing and beautifully written. They are flawed, make mistakes & learn as they go. Each had touching stories that made me want to root for them.

Nahri has some unique gifts that she doesn’t understand and struggles to learn about her heritage. Dara is the infamous warrior djinn who anguish about the terrible past and takes Nahri away to Daevabad. Ali is the second prince of Daevabad, destined to protect his older brother while upholding laws against less fortunate citizens. When I started the book, I firmly thought that Dara was the character I needed to cheer for while Ali was the obnoxious wealthy prince, but by the end, my view of both had begun to change. It is easily said that Alizayd al Qahtani was my favourite character.

The writing style was excellent and engaging. The plot was well-paced and had many twists and turns. Secrets were slowly disclosed just enough to keep you interested and the 20% towards the end was so great and I can’t put it down. And the epilogue leaves me pleading for more and I can’t resist picking up the next installment as soon as possible.

This book was easily my 5 stars read. The City of Brass is just incredibly stunning to the point I don’t only want to read this trilogy but also other adult fantasy books. This book is just the beginning to love a fantasy world full of magic.

"Be trustworthy and tender with your acquaintances

"Be trustworthy and tender with your acquaintances and their stories. Keep confidence, resist gossip. Read books by people whose perspective is different from yours, listen to voices you haven't heard before, look for narratives that are new to you. In them and with them, you might end up finding more room for yourself."

I haven’t yet read Becoming, and The Light We Carry is not meant to be a sequel to Becoming, so I decided to read this book first. After I finished, I became more eager to read her first book.

Divided into three parts, this book is filled with insights, thought-provoking ideas, and honest reflections from her sharing pieces of life and some inspiring stories from others. Described as a self-help rather than a memoir, I found this book helpful as she shares the tools (habits and practices) she uses, which I believe the reader could relate to and think about.

While I didn’t fancy the book format, which has been an essay and made the stories feel too long, however, I love the message and lessons she talks about in this book, which feels so important. The chapters on friendship, parenting, and partnering were my favourites. Besides, I also like a few parenting tips she learned from her mother.

All that said, I enjoyed this book and I found all the advice to be useful. I appreciated her stories and the elaboration of the key points of the lesson for each; it felt like a cozy conversation with friends while having our coffee.

"No one can make you feel bad if you feel good about yourself."

Many thanks to @putrifariza @times.reads for sending me a copy of this book 🫶🏻

Q: What author have you never read but always wanted to?

#siqahbookreviews #thelightwecarry #michelleobama #nonfictionbooks

What did I just read? OMG! I consumed this book in

What did I just read? OMG! I consumed this book in one sitting 🫶

It was an early today's morning with heavy rain and I had just picked up this title on my Kindle. I don’t know what to expect as I only bought this ebook because it’s cheap and from the famous author I love to start reading.

And here I want to introduce you to my first five-star read of the year 😌 The writing was so good and engaging, I loved the back-and-forth letter format, and I immensely enjoyed the story, and the ending really surprised me 😲 I was completely satisfied even though I wanted more, at least one more letter from David.

A short story about an affair and marriage. My first reading by the author and will definitely not be the last 🫶

"I have never felt so alone. Alone in the world and alone in my marriage. Alone in love, really. With a man who claims he never loved me."

"Protect your happiness at all costs."

"I’ve always been struck by the idea that you can’t be all that happy something has returned if it doesn’t go away in the first place. But what if the thing goes away and never comes back?"

Q: What was the last book you read in one sitting?

#siqahbookreviews #evidenceoftheaffair #taylorjenkinsreid #shortstory #amazon #kindle

"Someday Dreamland will be ours, Hold fast, don't

"Someday Dreamland will be ours, Hold fast, don't fall away."

I remember the last book I read by Nicholas Sparks was Every Breath, and even though it was not as good as A Walk to Remember, it was still good. And here is the latest book by the author, Dreamland, and sadly, I have mixed feelings towards this book.

Dreamland has two different storylines (Colby and Beverly), and I felt like I was reading two separate books, one with a romance and the other with a suspense thriller. For the entire book, I was questioning how these two distinct storylines would come together and when they did with about 25% of the book left, I was surprised as I did not see it coming. And that explained the questions I got from Beverly's story.

I have mixed feelings about this book, mainly because I like Beverly's story and feel uninterested in Colby's story. For me, Colby's story was so uninteresting and felt flat. Colby always puts his family before his dream until he meets Morgan, who is likely to remind him about his dream. I am sorry that I did not feel the chemistry between Colby and Morgan. It felt rushed and instant love, even though Colby kept denying it. Beverly's story was so good, and I immensely enjoyed her storyline. I wanted to know how she handled her problems, and her story kept me reading this book.

Although I preferred Beverly's chapters over Colby, I still liked this book. I will say that the ending brought everything together nicely, and the epilogue was really fulfilling. I also liked the book's true meaning about the power of love and family 💚

Many thanks to @putrifariza @times.reads for sending me a copy of this book 🫶🏻

Q: What is your best read this year so far?

#siqahbookreviews #dreamland #nicholassparks

Well, that was unexpected for me to like this book

Well, that was unexpected for me to like this book more than I thought I will. This book is surprisingly content with great humour and characters. I read Four Aunties & A Wedding last year, and sadly, it wasn’t my favourite, but Well That Was Unexpected was enjoyable for me. I expected that the next book by the author would take place in Indonesia; it was but with a young couple.

The first few chapters of this book were really awkward, and I was afraid it would turn out to be just like the previous novel. More hectic and messy. However, once everyone in Indonesia and each parent catfished each other to choose the right partner for their kid and set up the right path for them, the story quickly became enjoyable.

This is a cute catfishing story with also a fake dating trope. While I didn’t like the miscommunication between Sharlot and George, I understood why they were not communicating. Both MCs were loveable, and their chemistry was so cute! The latte art class scene made me smile a lot 🥰 All the supporting characters also did a great job and made the story more likable. The storyline was so well written and hilarious, and I found the pacing was nice, with no dull moment in the book.

Another thing I liked about this book was that the setting takes place primarily in Indonesia. In the author’s note, the author says that this book is a love letter to Indonesia, and I believe the author did a great job in this particular part. I have never been to Indonesia, specifically Jakarta and Bali, and the description of this beautiful country and culture made me want to plan a visit to Indonesia right away (I wish). I loved seeing Indonesia through the eyes of the author, and it was beautiful to watch Sharlot learn about her heritage and culture. The beautiful places, the coffee culture, and the water rafting are so interesting. Not that I will do water rafting in Indonesia. I’m not that adventurous person 😌

Overall, this was a fun, hilarious, and easy read. Pick this one up if you like young adult romance with a fake dating trope with adorable characters and a glance at Indonesia’s natural beauty. 4🌟.

Many thanks @putrifariza @times.reads for the review copy 🫶🏻

✨ Buku-buku tempatan yang mahu dibaca tahun ini

✨ Buku-buku tempatan yang mahu dibaca tahun ini ✨

10 buah buku. Apabila digabungkan dengan 13 International/English books jadilah 23 buku untuk dibaca tahun 2023. Dah belajar kira-kira pula 🤭

📚📚📚
- Saving Lucy by Sara Aisha
- Kimia by Akyelrahim
- Hero dalam Irama by Harleen
- Cinta Untuk Sekali Lagi by LilaVee
- Introvert by Abstrakim
- Partner in Love by Sophia
- Warisnya Kalbu by Sri Rahayu Mohd Yusop
- Bergaji & Pokai by Suraya Zainudin
- Penat by Alizi Alias
- Ranjau Sepanjang Jalan by Shahnon Ahmad

Aku rasa buku pertama yang bakal dibaca daripada senarai di atas adalah Bergaji & Pokai atau Saving Lucy. Tengoklah mood arah ke mana nanti 😁 Tapi kan hari ni ada perbincangan mengenai buku Penat dalam @readingmuslimah buatkan tertarik nak baca buku ni dulu pula. Ahhh ~ dilema pembaca 🤧😂

Ada buku yang korang dah baca atau berminat nak baca?

#siqahbookhaul #TBRlist #bukutempatan

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Siqahiqa's bookshelf: read

Aku Yang Kau Tinggalkan

Aku Yang Kau Tinggalkan

by Alina Haizar

Silent Musings

by Almaz A.

Motivational Moments by Mufti Menk

Motivational Moments by Mufti Menk

by Mufti Ismail Menk

Love from A to Z

Love from A to Z

by S.K. Ali

book reviewsbook club

@siriusiqa

This book was an entirely new experience for me an

This book was an entirely new experience for me and I ended up loving this book more than I thought. The City of Brass was a brilliant Middle Eastern fantasy book that completely captivated me and made me buy the sequel even though I had not finished the first book yet.

The world-building is fascinating with the mixture of Middle Eastern culture. However, with so many distinct character names, tribes, and magical creatures at the beginning of the book, it can be a bit overwhelming. But it’s worth it. I was somewhat perplexed by all the many tribes and political systems, but at the same time, I also enjoyed learning about the four elemental creatures.

What made this book stand out to me the most was the characters. Nahri, Dara, and Ali were all thoughtful & complicated characters. The author does an outstanding job of making these characters so intriguing and beautifully written. They are flawed, make mistakes & learn as they go. Each had touching stories that made me want to root for them.

Nahri has some unique gifts that she doesn’t understand and struggles to learn about her heritage. Dara is the infamous warrior djinn who anguish about the terrible past and takes Nahri away to Daevabad. Ali is the second prince of Daevabad, destined to protect his older brother while upholding laws against less fortunate citizens. When I started the book, I firmly thought that Dara was the character I needed to cheer for while Ali was the obnoxious wealthy prince, but by the end, my view of both had begun to change. It is easily said that Alizayd al Qahtani was my favourite character.

The writing style was excellent and engaging. The plot was well-paced and had many twists and turns. Secrets were slowly disclosed just enough to keep you interested and the 20% towards the end was so great and I can’t put it down. And the epilogue leaves me pleading for more and I can’t resist picking up the next installment as soon as possible.

This book was easily my 5 stars read. The City of Brass is just incredibly stunning to the point I don’t only want to read this trilogy but also other adult fantasy books. This book is just the beginning to love a fantasy world full of magic.

"Be trustworthy and tender with your acquaintances

"Be trustworthy and tender with your acquaintances and their stories. Keep confidence, resist gossip. Read books by people whose perspective is different from yours, listen to voices you haven't heard before, look for narratives that are new to you. In them and with them, you might end up finding more room for yourself."

I haven’t yet read Becoming, and The Light We Carry is not meant to be a sequel to Becoming, so I decided to read this book first. After I finished, I became more eager to read her first book.

Divided into three parts, this book is filled with insights, thought-provoking ideas, and honest reflections from her sharing pieces of life and some inspiring stories from others. Described as a self-help rather than a memoir, I found this book helpful as she shares the tools (habits and practices) she uses, which I believe the reader could relate to and think about.

While I didn’t fancy the book format, which has been an essay and made the stories feel too long, however, I love the message and lessons she talks about in this book, which feels so important. The chapters on friendship, parenting, and partnering were my favourites. Besides, I also like a few parenting tips she learned from her mother.

All that said, I enjoyed this book and I found all the advice to be useful. I appreciated her stories and the elaboration of the key points of the lesson for each; it felt like a cozy conversation with friends while having our coffee.

"No one can make you feel bad if you feel good about yourself."

Many thanks to @putrifariza @times.reads for sending me a copy of this book 🫶🏻

Q: What author have you never read but always wanted to?

#siqahbookreviews #thelightwecarry #michelleobama #nonfictionbooks

What did I just read? OMG! I consumed this book in

What did I just read? OMG! I consumed this book in one sitting 🫶

It was an early today's morning with heavy rain and I had just picked up this title on my Kindle. I don’t know what to expect as I only bought this ebook because it’s cheap and from the famous author I love to start reading.

And here I want to introduce you to my first five-star read of the year 😌 The writing was so good and engaging, I loved the back-and-forth letter format, and I immensely enjoyed the story, and the ending really surprised me 😲 I was completely satisfied even though I wanted more, at least one more letter from David.

A short story about an affair and marriage. My first reading by the author and will definitely not be the last 🫶

"I have never felt so alone. Alone in the world and alone in my marriage. Alone in love, really. With a man who claims he never loved me."

"Protect your happiness at all costs."

"I’ve always been struck by the idea that you can’t be all that happy something has returned if it doesn’t go away in the first place. But what if the thing goes away and never comes back?"

Q: What was the last book you read in one sitting?

#siqahbookreviews #evidenceoftheaffair #taylorjenkinsreid #shortstory #amazon #kindle

"Someday Dreamland will be ours, Hold fast, don't

"Someday Dreamland will be ours, Hold fast, don't fall away."

I remember the last book I read by Nicholas Sparks was Every Breath, and even though it was not as good as A Walk to Remember, it was still good. And here is the latest book by the author, Dreamland, and sadly, I have mixed feelings towards this book.

Dreamland has two different storylines (Colby and Beverly), and I felt like I was reading two separate books, one with a romance and the other with a suspense thriller. For the entire book, I was questioning how these two distinct storylines would come together and when they did with about 25% of the book left, I was surprised as I did not see it coming. And that explained the questions I got from Beverly's story.

I have mixed feelings about this book, mainly because I like Beverly's story and feel uninterested in Colby's story. For me, Colby's story was so uninteresting and felt flat. Colby always puts his family before his dream until he meets Morgan, who is likely to remind him about his dream. I am sorry that I did not feel the chemistry between Colby and Morgan. It felt rushed and instant love, even though Colby kept denying it. Beverly's story was so good, and I immensely enjoyed her storyline. I wanted to know how she handled her problems, and her story kept me reading this book.

Although I preferred Beverly's chapters over Colby, I still liked this book. I will say that the ending brought everything together nicely, and the epilogue was really fulfilling. I also liked the book's true meaning about the power of love and family 💚

Many thanks to @putrifariza @times.reads for sending me a copy of this book 🫶🏻

Q: What is your best read this year so far?

#siqahbookreviews #dreamland #nicholassparks

Well, that was unexpected for me to like this book

Well, that was unexpected for me to like this book more than I thought I will. This book is surprisingly content with great humour and characters. I read Four Aunties & A Wedding last year, and sadly, it wasn’t my favourite, but Well That Was Unexpected was enjoyable for me. I expected that the next book by the author would take place in Indonesia; it was but with a young couple.

The first few chapters of this book were really awkward, and I was afraid it would turn out to be just like the previous novel. More hectic and messy. However, once everyone in Indonesia and each parent catfished each other to choose the right partner for their kid and set up the right path for them, the story quickly became enjoyable.

This is a cute catfishing story with also a fake dating trope. While I didn’t like the miscommunication between Sharlot and George, I understood why they were not communicating. Both MCs were loveable, and their chemistry was so cute! The latte art class scene made me smile a lot 🥰 All the supporting characters also did a great job and made the story more likable. The storyline was so well written and hilarious, and I found the pacing was nice, with no dull moment in the book.

Another thing I liked about this book was that the setting takes place primarily in Indonesia. In the author’s note, the author says that this book is a love letter to Indonesia, and I believe the author did a great job in this particular part. I have never been to Indonesia, specifically Jakarta and Bali, and the description of this beautiful country and culture made me want to plan a visit to Indonesia right away (I wish). I loved seeing Indonesia through the eyes of the author, and it was beautiful to watch Sharlot learn about her heritage and culture. The beautiful places, the coffee culture, and the water rafting are so interesting. Not that I will do water rafting in Indonesia. I’m not that adventurous person 😌

Overall, this was a fun, hilarious, and easy read. Pick this one up if you like young adult romance with a fake dating trope with adorable characters and a glance at Indonesia’s natural beauty. 4🌟.

Many thanks @putrifariza @times.reads for the review copy 🫶🏻

✨ Buku-buku tempatan yang mahu dibaca tahun ini

✨ Buku-buku tempatan yang mahu dibaca tahun ini ✨

10 buah buku. Apabila digabungkan dengan 13 International/English books jadilah 23 buku untuk dibaca tahun 2023. Dah belajar kira-kira pula 🤭

📚📚📚
- Saving Lucy by Sara Aisha
- Kimia by Akyelrahim
- Hero dalam Irama by Harleen
- Cinta Untuk Sekali Lagi by LilaVee
- Introvert by Abstrakim
- Partner in Love by Sophia
- Warisnya Kalbu by Sri Rahayu Mohd Yusop
- Bergaji & Pokai by Suraya Zainudin
- Penat by Alizi Alias
- Ranjau Sepanjang Jalan by Shahnon Ahmad

Aku rasa buku pertama yang bakal dibaca daripada senarai di atas adalah Bergaji & Pokai atau Saving Lucy. Tengoklah mood arah ke mana nanti 😁 Tapi kan hari ni ada perbincangan mengenai buku Penat dalam @readingmuslimah buatkan tertarik nak baca buku ni dulu pula. Ahhh ~ dilema pembaca 🤧😂

Ada buku yang korang dah baca atau berminat nak baca?

#siqahbookhaul #TBRlist #bukutempatan

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