#teheran mafi

[radashes]

Book review: 'SHATTER ME' SERIES

Entering the world of the 'Shatter Me' series was like embarking on a rollercoaster ride, filled with highs and lows, twists and turns. With each installment, I found myself swept away by Tahereh Mafi's captivating storytelling, but also grappling with my own conflicting emotions. Here's a breakdown of my journey through the series, from the heights of adoration to the depths of disappointment.

SHATTER ME #1: 4/5 stars I rated this book 4 stars instead of 5 because I'm not a fan of Adam and Juliette as a couple. Juliette's affection for Adam seems more based on his kindness to her in the past and his ability to touch her, rather than genuine love. Adam's obsession with Juliette feels cliché and cringeworthy to me.

However, I still like Adam as a character overall. The plot and characters like Kenji and especially Warner are fantastic though. Warner's complexity as a character makes him stand out.

DESTROY ME #1.5 [NOVELLA]: 5/5 stars

Wow, Aaron Warner really steals the show. His depth of emotion in this novella is just so well-written. You can really feel his complex feelings, not just towards Juliette, but also in his relationship with Delalieu, which is surprisingly cute. And those dreams? They add such an intriguing layer to the story. And don't even get me started on the quotes - they're just perfection!

Seriously, if you're a Warner fan, you absolutely need to read this. It's a solid 5/5 heartbreaking stars from me.

This novella is an essential read for anyone invested in the series. As you dive into Warner's psyche, you'll feel the weight of his emotions pressing down on you. It's like he's a whirlwind of disappointment, trauma, and anger all bundled up in a 19-year-old boy. But despite all the pain and suffering, you can't help but empathize with him. You start to see the walls he's built around himself and understand why he acts the way he does. It's a real eye-opener that sheds light on every decision he made in the first book.

Fair warning, though - once you finish this novella, there's no turning back. Warner will completely shatter your heart into pieces, and you'll be left utterly captivated by him. I mean, I couldn't even put this novella down, and that rarely happens with novellas!

UNRAVEL ME #2: 4.5/5 stars

This book was so close to perfection. I loved it so much but the ending kind of messed it up for me. It was underwhelming as the whole book.

This book, this world – it's all messed up, yet people keep on living. It blows my mind how they manage to survive, rebels, soldiers, regular folks, all facing terror every day. It's wild.

Lots of folks rag on Juliette, saying she's weak, self-absorbed, always wrapped up in her own drama. But I get where she's coming from. Life's tough, you know? Juliette's been through hell and back. Treated like trash her whole life, it's no wonder she struggles to see herself as anything but a monster. And when she finally starts feeling human again, it's ripped away from her. But she lets it go, showing her humanity.

Her relationships, especially with Adam, get a lot of flack. People say it's not real, just based on need. But with Warner, it's different. Despite his tough exterior, Juliette sees his softer side.

IGNITE ME #3: 5/5 stars

I get it. I FINALLY GET THE HYPE of this series!

This book is the reason why Aaron warner is our golden boy. That guy is the definition of swoon-worthy. Every word out of his mouth had me melting into a puddle on the floor.

Kenji, though? He's the real MVP. I swear, if I wasn't so head over heels for Warner, Kenji would be stealing the show. His humor just brings so much light to everything, you know?

But Adam? Ugh, don't even get me started on him. Every time he showed up, I was ready to throw my book across the room. Seriously, why couldn't Mafi just have Warner toss him off a cliff or something?

But let's talk about the romance. Holy smokes, it was on fire! I lost count of how many scenes had me squealing out loud. Warnette forever, am I right? That pager scene? And "lyhfml"? Absolute perfection.

RESTORE ME #4: 3/5 stars

Wow, that ending though! I'm still trying to process it, honestly.

So, let's get into it. While I didn't love this book as much as "Ignite Me," those secrets and lies had me hooked! But seriously, all that miscommunication? It stressed me out big time. Like, can these characters just talk to each other already?

And Juliette... girl, what happened? She went from confident and strong to clueless and insecure. But hey, she's still the supreme commander, even if she's not sure what to do with all that power. I guess we all make dumb decisions sometimes, right?

But let's talk about the hot stuff. Juliette laying down the law? Scorching! And Kenji? Always a bright spot. His friendship with Juliette and his bond with Warner? Pure gold. And Nazeera? Badass.

Now, Warner. My heart breaks for him. His vulnerability, his anxiety - it's all too real. And that childhood trauma? Heart-wrenching. But eating a cookie with a knife and fork? Classic Warner.

And his love for Juliette? It's sickeningly sweet. He'd do anything for her, and it's both beautiful and agonizing to watch.

Overall, this book had its flaws.

DEFY ME #5: 2.5/5 stars

I gotta be real here. This book left me scratching my head. Like, what was even the point? It felt like Tahereh Mafi was just stretching the story out for the sake of it. And those twists? They were more confusing than anything else. It's like she was trying to shock us without really adding anything meaningful to the plot.

Don't get me wrong, I love Mafi's writing, but this one fell flat for me. The characters I adore, like Kenji and Warner, were still solid, but the rest felt kinda irrelevant. And what's up with the whole Juliette-now-Ella thing? She'll always be Juliette to me.

Speaking of ships, Juliette and Warner? Total goals. They're the only reason I'm considering picking up book six. Oh, and I can't forget about Kenji. That guy deserves all the happiness in the world.

Overall, this book felt like a filler episode of a TV show. Not terrible, but definitely not essential. I'll stick to pretending the series ended at book three.

And can we talk about that cover? Seriously, did they just tweak the old one and call it a day? At least give us something fresh!

Oh, and a heads up for anyone thinking about diving in - there are some heavy topics like parental abuse and suicidal thoughts in here, so tread carefully.

IMAGINE ME #6: 3.5/5 stars

This series should've wrapped up neatly with "Ignite Me." Life would've been good. But nope, we got hit with "Restore Me," and it's been a rollercoaster of disappointment since then.

Honestly, going into this book, I had zero expectations. And you know what? I'm kinda glad about that because what I got was not what I expected at all.

Let's start with the positives. Tahereh's writing? Still top-notch. I mean, how does she come up with those poetic sentences? And Kenji? Bless his soul. That guy was carrying the weight of the whole story on his back, trying to keep everyone together.

But then we got Adam, who's still as irrelevant as ever. And don't even get me started on Warner. He went from being tolerable to downright insufferable. And Juliette? Where did she even go? She went from badass to passive, and it's just frustrating to watch.

The worldbuilding and plot? Yeah, still confused. And that ending? Talk about rushed and unsatisfying. So many loose ends, so many unanswered questions. And that epilogue? Don't even get me started.

In the end, the only enjoyment I got out of this mess was from Kenji's inner thoughts. That guy's a gem, always finding a way to lighten the mood.

Seriously, Mafi, this series should've stayed a trilogy. Don't even think about coming back with more books later on. I'll riot, but let's be real, I'll probably still end up reading them because I'm a glutton for punishment.

BELIEVE ME #7 [NOVELLA]: 5/5 stars

Let me tell you, when I heard about this new book coming out, I was hyped! "Imagine Me" didn't quite give us the closure we needed, so I was ready to dive back into this world.

And Aaron Warner? Damn, that guy knows how to turn up the heat. Chapter 8? I was not prepared for that level of steaminess. I thought we'd get a fade to black moment, but by the end of it, I was sweating buckets. My legs? Let's just say they were done for!

But beyond the romance, I was really digging the world-building in this book. Finally getting some insight into their plans to restore the planet was a breath of fresh air after the uncertainty of "Imagine Me."

But man, these characters? They feel like family to me. Seeing them find happiness just warms my heart. It's like revisiting old friends after all these years.

There are some more novella like:

"Destroy Me" - Aaron Warner's point of view

"Fracture Me" - Adam Kent's point of view

"Shadow Me" - Kenji Kishimoto's point of view

"Reveal Me" - Kenji Kishimoto's point of view

"Imagine Me" - Juliette Ferrars' (Ella Sommers') point of view

"Believe Me" - Aaron Warner's point of view

So there you have it, folks! 'Shatter Me' series has taken us on one wild adventure. Whether you loved it, hated it, or fell somewhere in between, one thing's for sure: Tahereh Mafi has given us a story to remember. And with that, it's time to bid adieu to Juliette, Warner, Kenji, and the rest of the crew. Until next time, happy reading!

#bibliophile #reading #book review #bookblr #booklr #books #review book #book tumblr #book club #book reading #book recommendations #shatter me #series #book search #teheran #teheran mafi #booklover #book blog #books & libraries #book quotes #long reads #female reader #aaron warner #juliette ferrars #kenji kishimoto #nazreen #fem reader #male reader #lyhfml #ella

[rhywhitefang]

It’s the end of the year (Well, not quite, but I’m not gonna get any reading done tomorrow)  - and we all know what that means... Looking back at what you read and evaluating your favorites. And no, I did not contain myself to just 10 - but that’s also because I did read a lot this year. Why are they eleven books for the first two categories? Any excuse to include one more book It looks better on the graphic. Although, before someone asks why the Broken Earth Trilogy isn’t on here - Rereads don’t count and I read those in 2017. For a more detailed look at each of my lists, links to the books, and more of my thoughts, look under the cut. For a list of all of my favorite books look here. 

Now, on to these...

The best new releases of the year

Now, obviously, I did not read every single book that was released this year - duh. This is just a list of the best 2018 releases that I read this year. Ranked, they look like this:

Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake. Why I loved this one: It’s a really honest, well-written, gentle, well-done, nuanced, and detailed examination of what rape does not only to a person but also to a community from a perspective I’ve never seen considered before. 

Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram Why I loved this one: Because I love well-done coming of age narratives and this one was excellent. It’s a very quiet, introspective, slow moving book with a softer main male character. I also really appreciated the setting of Teheran. 

The Book of Essie by Meghan Maclean Weir Why I loved this one: Look, it’s one of my very specific favorite tropes of all time (I’m not going to spoil it) that I almost never see, the main character is interesting and strong in a mental way I really enjoy, and it’s a deconstruction of conservative family culture. Yay. 

The Adventure Zone - Here there be Gerblins by Griffin McElroy Why I loved this one: I jumped on the hype train and listened to the podcast - and like, this is a comic adaptation of the first arc? Which is so much fun?

The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles Why I loved this one: I loved the main character who was bitter, and passionate, and jealous and lovin, and complicated and determined and stern and regretful. It was great. If you loved Evelyn Hugo, this one should be your next read. 

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay Why I loved this one: This thriller was very unique in the way that it put its focus on just one family, and the whole rest of the world was not really present. Instead we get a very closed, and isolated narrative where everything but the characters we follow and the relationships they have with each other is called into question.

How Long Til’ Black Future Month? by N. K. Jemisin Why I loved this one: I refuse to comment on claims that I light a candle of my very own N. K. Jemisin shrine every night before I fall asleep. If you haven’t read The Fifth Season - go read them right now. My favorites from this collection include: Valedictorian, The Storyteller’s Replacement, Walking Awake, and Henosis.

Circe by Madeline Miller Why I loved this one: I’m a huge slut for greek myth retellings, if you’re a semi-competent author retelling any greek myth, I’ll eat it up. And Miller is more than just semi-competent.

The Poppy War by R.F Kuang Why I loved this one: Listen, listen, listen - you know how to get me as a reader? Training sequences and school settings. This has 250 pages of training sequences in a school setting. It made me very happy. 

Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender Why I loved this one: Everyone’s excited for this author’s other book, which is like, a YA romance and to be fair, I haven’t read that one yet, but still - why is this one so underrated? It’s a magical realism coming of age story of a young girl and it’s stellar. 

Inkmistress by Audrey Coulhourst Why I loved this one: I wasn’t the biggest fan of the author’s debut, but this has a lot of things I love - “be careful what you wish for” style blood magic, dark self-fulfilling prophecies, and a female characters journey from hero to villain. Also dragons. 

The best backlist books of the year

Meaning, the best books I read this year that were released in 2017 or before that. Pretty simple, really.

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan Why I loved this one: It has been a long time since I was this attached to a group of book characters that quickly. They’re instantly relatable, even if they’re not instantly likeable. And beyond that, the whole book is a wonderfully satirical take on the portal fantasy genre. But seriously, guys, there’s not enough of fanfiction for this book - I’d know it, I read them all.. C’mon, where’s my soulmate AU?

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman Why I loved this one: One of the best YA novels out there and not only one of my favorite’s of this year, but also one of my favorite books of all time. Alice Oseman understands the teen coming of age story on a spiritual level, and manages to be so wonderfully affirming in this one.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Why I loved this one: Listen to the hype, everyone, listen to the hype. Evelyn Hugo is an amazing character and I’d 100% believe you if you told me she was a real person. PLUS, this one also has the trope. The one I talked about with the Book of Essie. 

Strong Female Protagonist by Molly Ostertag Why I loved this one: Well-done, deconstructionalist superhero narrative are my jam. This webcomic is not that action driven, instead it focuses on the main character identity crisis, and her reconsidering what it means to be a hero and what her responsibility as a human is.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth Why I loved this one: Do you think the owner of this blog might like coming of age narratives? I’m not super sure, like, maybe if she had “I love coming of age narratives” tattooed on her forehead, it would be a little clearer... but like this? It’s a mystery. 

Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi Why I loved this one: No, I did not read the first book in this series, and I don’t think you need to in order to enjoy this. Here, I just really appreciated the friendship aspect of the book and the healing power of reaching out to others and letting them into your heart. Also death magic. That too.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Why I loved this one: I think the slam poetry style this was written in, often novels written in verse don’t work for me because it feels like more distance being put between you and the narrative, but in this case it really elevated the story. And of course, this was a very introspective read with a focus on character development.

One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabelle Greenberg Why I loved this one: The artwork here is just gorgeous, just like in the first one The Encyclopedia of Early Earth. Its beautiful and has a lovely fairytale vibe.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon Why I loved this one: This has a very sharp, very unique voice to it and a protagonist unlike anyone I ever read. And the spaceship setting was really cool as well.

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng Why I loved this one: This is a fae book that gets fucking dark, and truly fucked up as any proper fae book should do. Some parts of it read almost like a trippy nightmare which is just delightful. And the premise itself? Just wild, man

Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard Why I loved this one: Say it with me everyone 📣: Coming 👏 of 👏 Age 👏 Narrative

Honorable Mentions

Yes, I have a whole entire seperate list of honorable mentions. What’s it to you?

A  Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi Why I loved this one: The writing is beautiful and engaging. The protagonist is refreshing, lively, realistic, and I loved her perspective. Her internal journey was wonderfully rendered. The issues she dealt with were important, timely, and needed to be put into the forefront. It had a lyrical, atmospheric quality to it and I thoroughly enjoyed my experienced reading it. Why it didn’t quite make the list: It almost, almost made the list because it was really good. There was just one thing that bothered me. I get that the point of this book was that the protagonist was really isolated in the beginning, but even so... she had a romance with a guy, she had her brother and his friends whom she hung out with. But she didn’t seem to know any other girls... at all. The only other real female character I remember is her mother. And then there’s one interaction with another girl and that girl is a racist bitch. So I didn’t like that portrayal.

Geography Club by Brent Hartinger Why I loved this one: Teenagers finding themselves.... friendship..... clubs.... gay people.... I mean, come on.  Why it didn’t quite make the list: The writing style isn’t the best.

And I Darken by Kiersten White Why I loved this one: This was a great first book in a trilogy with a historical setting I haven’t read about before. It has court intrigue, sultans, assassins and political imprisonments. The main character’s brother, Radu, is one of my favorite characters I read about this year and I liked the way this tackled religion. Why it didn’t quite make the list: Being the first one in a series, this feels more like...a prologue, than anything that could stand on its own.

When I Hit You - A Portrait of the Author as a Young Wife by Meena Kandasamy Why I loved this one: It’s an unflinching look at an abusive marriage, power dynamic, and coping with the more patriarchal aspects of your own culture. It’s also really well written and extremely believable.  Why it didn’t quite make the list: It had an odd framing device, and because the protagonist was a writer, this caused it to be kind of pretentious at times.

Here to Stay by Sara Farizan Why I loved this one: This is a very realistic depiction of high school, and the social dynamics most teenagers for. Teenagers aren’t wise or mature, most of them have a lot of growing to do. And I liked how flawed everyone there was. They just wanted to keep their head down, or they overcompensated for their insecurities, and they dealt with their own issues. I liked how the topics in here were handled. Why it didn’t quite make the list: The plot was a bit too simplistic for me. 

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant Why I loved this one: Killer mermaids! Need I say more? I’ll say it again - killer mermaids! Why it didn’t quite make the list: Despite the title, this isn’t really that deep. Just a fun monster horror.

The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson Why I loved this one: The one thing that Sanderson does consistently well is develop magic systems, and I really liked this one. And because this one was so short, there wasn’t some epic (or even cosmic) overarching plot, but a rather clear and relatively small narrative of a specific task that needed to be completed, which I found absolutely fascinating. I think I like this story even more than the Mistborn trilogy. It’s my favorite from him. Why it didn’t quite make the list: Everytime Sanderson writes a female character, you can tell he feels so proud of himself for being such a feminist. 

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman Why I loved this one: This surprised me. Even though I loved Radio Silence by Oseman and had read that one before, the subject matter of this book didn’t really seem appealing to me, but it was still really fun. I loved the friendship dynamics and the discussions of fame. Why it didn’t quite make the list: I just very much wanted this one to go more in depth and really dive into that character development, and these relationship dynamics. I just wanted a little more of that. 

A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz Why I loved this one: I loved most things to do with the fae - the dark fae of folklore, mind you, not whatever SJM is doing. Now, these fairies aren’t really traditional, but the setting is definitely dark. Also, there’s an unreliable narrator which I love.  Why it didn’t quite make the list: I was kind of iffy about some of the racial implications with the goblins. 

The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson Why I loved this one: We stan a ruthless, traitorous accountant. Love that dark character development, bitch.  Why it didn’t quite make the list: While I loved the first one, this one really lacked a clear sense of structure or direction. The pacing was kind of off. 

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan Why I loved this one: I loved the worldbuilding here, and the setting of concubines in a castle, quiety rebelling in themselves. Yay.  Why it didn’t quite make the list: It felt a bit juvenile at some points, some things were rushed, and I would have liked a bit more depth to the characters, especially the love interest.

#favorites 2018 #books #best books of 2018 #best books of the year #bookblr

[lettersvanlia]

Ik heb weer veel gelezen #21351 :)

De keuze is weer reuze, wat de boeken betreft die ik de laatste tijd gelezen heb. Het is weer een aardige stapel geworden, en mijn Goodreads challenge verloopt dus voorspoedig :) op zeker moment was het zelfs “10 books ahead of schedule”, terwijl het vorig jaar eerder “behind schedule” was. Dat laatste zette er wel aardig druk op, terwijl ik het uiteindelijk gehaald heb met 102 boeken. We zullen zien waar ik dit jaar op uit ga komen.

Dus, welke boeken heb ik gelezen...

- Het dodenhuis (Sarah Pinborough). Een van de meer bijzondere boeken van de laatste tijd in het Young Adult genre. Gaandeweg begin je je steeds meer af te vragen over de maatschappij waarin de hoofdpersonen leven, hoe zit het nou echt? Wat is er eerder gebeurd waardoor het zover gekomen is? Helaas krijg je op deze vragen niet echt antwoord, maar het maakt het des te mysterieuzer. Wat het einde betreft moet ik zeggen dat ik een beetje met een kater achterbleef. Zo van, serieus? Dit is het einde? Al moet ik misschien ooit toegeven dat het een goed einde is doordat het zo onverwacht is. Het wijkt op z’n minst af van de eindes die je verwacht bij YA (en die zijn nog weleens wat cliché).

- De boeken van “De zoon van de krijger” (Robin Hobb). Inmiddels heb ik grotendeels de boeken gelezen die onder haar pseudoniem gepubliceerd zijn. Deze serie was de laatste die ik nog moest. Waar de eerdere boeken echt een geheel vormen, en hoe knap is dat met 20 boeken die allemaal in elkaar geweven zijn eigenlijk, staat deze serie daar voor mijn gevoel wat meer los van. De magische schepen, de draken, Fitz en de Nar... hebben er weinig mee te maken lijkt het. Toch is het wel met dezelfde ‘magische’ inslag geschreven, onverklaarbare dingen, een tempo dat niet van de ene sprint naar de andere gaat (zoals sommige boeken dat doen). Uiteindelijk waren deze boeken ook prachtig, maar missen toch net dat speciale wat de andere series voor mij hadden.

- Heel me (Tahereh Mafi). Dit vierde boek, als we de .5 delen niet meetellen (en hoe irritant zijn die, even een zijsprongetje haha. Ook met Marissa Meyer, bah haha) is weer zo’n boek dat even lekker lezen is. Echt hoogstaande literatuur is het niet, en bij tijden kan ik haar wel een mep geven “maak een KEUZE, miep!” maar zoals gezegd: het leest lekker weg. Ik zou in het volgende boek wel graag een rel hebben, een personage dat onverwachte keuzes maakt of Juliette die ineens weet wat ze wil. Zou verfrissend zijn :)

- This is going to hurt (Adam Kay). Een prachtig non-fictie boek waarin de schrijver op vrijwel de eerste bladzijde duidelijk maakt dat zijn carrière als dokter inmiddels al beëindigd was. In het boek zet hij uiteen wat het een prachtig beroep maakte, maar anderzijds ook de redenen waarom hij uiteindelijk besloten heeft om aan een andere carrière te beginnen. Bij tijden is het erg humoristisch geschreven, en heb ik regelmatig gedacht ‘kan niet waar zijn lol’. Echt een aanrader voor als je weer eens aan non-fictie toe bent.

- Gelukkig nog altijd onze man in Teheran (Thomas Erdbrink). De serie, en dit boek ook weer, is erin geslaagd om mij te interesseren voor Iran, terwijl dit eerder een ver van mijn bed show was. Het dagelijks leven van de mensen daar is iets wat Thomas Erdbrink natuurlijk prachtig kan beschrijven.

- Le grand méchant renard (Jeremy Renner). Stripboek over een vos die gedwongen is een aantal kuikentjes onder zijn hoede te nemen, en ze uiteindelijk toch wel erg lief vindt. Humoristisch. Filmpjes zijn ook te vinden op Youtube, en kennis van het Frans is fijn, maar niet per se heel noodzakelijk zou ik zeggen.

- A column of fire (Ken Follett). Ik had erg uitgekeken naar dit boek, omdat ik zijn eerdere boeken altijd prachtig heb gevonden. Toch moet ik eerlijk zeggen dat het hier en daar toch wel een tikje cliché begint te worden. Je kunt bijna vanaf het begin natuurlijk al uittekenen hoe het af gaat lopen met alle personages, al is dat natuurlijk ook al wel duidelijk als je de geschiedenis van Engeland nog enigszins paraat hebt. Al met al een fijn boek, als je de verwachtingen wat plotwendingen betreft kunt parkeren.

- It’s a don’s life (Mary Beard). Verzameling van haar verschillende blogposts over haar leven als classicist. Ietsje minder dan haar andere boeken, maar ik vind het altijd wel heerlijk als ze begint te rellen en op mensen hun tenen gaat staan. Is ze erg goed in kan ik zeggen haha.

- Little fires everywhere (Celeste Ng). Als je wil lachen, en dit wil bespreken in je boekenclub, vooral haar site raadplegen voor de boekenclub-vragen die erop staan (erg Amerikaans). Maar dat terzijde. Wat mij betreft is de hype niet helemaal terecht geweest, en zitten er hier en daar wat gaten in de redeneringen. Ik heb me laten vertellen dat haar vorige book “Everything I never told you” beter is. Wie weet, die ga ik dan binnenkort toch ook maar lezen. Op Goodreads heb ik het vier sterren gegeven, omdat 3,5 niet kan ;)

- Mistborn serie (Brandon Sanderson). Zeer leesbare fantasy serie, uiteraard ook een trilogie. Mooi geschreven, met bij tijden prachtige plotwendingen en ontwikkelingen in de personages die bijzonder zijn. Voor mensen die willen beginnen aan fantasy, zou ik deze serie willen aanbevelen!

- Women & Power (Mary Beard). Zoals eerder gezegd op deze blog, ik ben Mary Beard fan. De laatste tijd lees ik wel meer feministische boeken, en dit boek zit wel in de top 3 (samen met “Men explain things to me”). Wat zal het volgende feministische boek zijn dat ik lees?

- Deze dag, een leven: de biografie van Astrid Lindgren (Jens Andersen). Waar ik het eerst wel komisch vond dat een Deen de biografie van deze Zweedse schrijfster geschreven heeft, is het denk ik wel juist geweest: het geeft natuurlijk net even een beetje meer afstand om een en ander te beschouwen dan wanneer een Zweed het geschreven zou hebben. Hier en daar heeft Andersen de gelegenheid laten liggen om wat kritischer naar dingen te kijken, maar dat is maar heel zelden uiteindelijk, en doet niet af aan het fascinerende levensverhaal van Astrid Lindgren. Een geëngageerd en gedreven mens.

- Mythos (Stephen Fry). Als mensen me vragen, wie is je favoriete schrijver, kan ik er nooit maar eentje opnoemen. Het is wat mij betreft bijkans een onmogelijke vraag! Al moet ik wel zeggen dat Stephen Fry zeker in het rijtje van mogelijke kanshebbers staat (zijn autobiografische zijn absoluut aanraders). Het boek leest niet supersnel of zo, maar het zijn wel prachtige verhalen, opgetekend in echte Stephen Fry stijl. Laatst kwam ik een quote tegen op Buzzfeed over mythes waar ik erg om gelachen heb: “Greek mythology in five words: unfortunately, Zeus was feeling horny”. Volgens mij zijn ze daar haast allemaal naar terug te leiden inderdaad haha. De verhalen zijn erg losjes, en op moderne wijze geschreven. Ingenieuze nieuwe kijk op de oude verhalen.

- De buitenjongen (Paolo Cognetti). Duidelijk een eerder boek van deze schrijver. Liefhebbers van “De acht bergen” moeten dit in gedachten houden voordat ze dit boek gaan lezen. Het is zeker een mooi boek, maar heeft niet de impact die “De acht bergen” had als ik een eindoordeel zou moeten vellen. Eentje voor uit de bieb, niet uit de boekhandel (sorry...).

Wauw dat is wel weer een hele lijst zeg :) 4 books ahead of schedule nog inmiddels, ik moet zeggen dat ik over Mythos iets langer gedaan heb dan ik verwacht had. Leah on the offbeat ligt nog voor me klaar, de nieuwe van Francesca Melandri “De lange weg naar Rome”, “Vanuit hier zie je alles”, “Schaduwzwart” van Sebastien de Castell, of ga ik verder in “Why we sleep” van Matthew Walker? Of toch eerst maar “Uprooted” van Naomi Novik opnieuw lezen voor de tweede aflevering van de boekenclub???

#books #books and libraries #bookstore #bookstafeatures #booklover #bookworm #lettersvanlia #bookreview

[jamariyanews]

L’ultima vittoria di Muammar Gheddafi

Il 6 marzo 2011 era chiaro che il regime libico aveva soppresso la rivolta interna e sospeso il caos nel mondo arabo. Una missione clandestina di un diplomatico inglese protetto da 8 ufficiali delle SAS nella base orientale dell’opposizione libica si concluse con la loro detenzione e “interrogatorio” da parte dei capi ribelli. L’articolo del Sunday Times fu la “bandiera bianca” issata dagli organizzatori delle proteste in Medio Oriente e Nord Africa del 2010-2011. Fin dall’inizio la catena di eventi in Libia ebbe una svolta inaspettata per le élite globali. Muammar Gheddafi si rifiutò di abbandonare Tripoli e, insieme alla famiglia e al clan, mantenne i contatti coi libici attraverso la TV nazionale e regolari apparizioni pubbliche. Nell’impressionante discorso del 22 febbraio 2011, ripristinò il sostegno pubblico ed incoraggiò i libici a resistere alla rivolta. Da allora i media mainstream internazionali diffusero bugie inaudite sugli eventi in Libia. Si sentì parlare di “mercenari stranieri che uccidono civili”, “attacchi aerei sui dimostranti”, “bombardamenti delle posizioni ribelli”, “grandi proteste contro Gheddafi a Tripoli”, “migliaia di rifugiati libici” e tanti altri annunci che, come risultò, non avevano nulla a che fare con la realtà. Le fonti interne libiche, ad esempio del Centro di San Pietroburgo per il Medio Oriente moderno, descrivevano una realtà piuttosto diversa. Non c’erano proteste a Tripoli e dintorni. Pochi gruppi di emarginati operavano ad al-Zawiya (sobborgo occidentale di Tripoli) e al centro (l’incendio doloso della Sala del Popolo la notte del 21 febbraio è apparentemente l’atto più noto) furono prontamente neutralizzati dalla polizia municipale. Gli “attacchi aerei” dell’Aeronautica libica prendevano di mira depositi di munizioni nelle vicinanze di Bengasi, quando la minaccia che venissero catturati dai separatisti orientali era ancora alta. La questione dei “mercenari stranieri che proteggevano Gheddafi”, è apparentemente la più interessante. È chiaro che qualsiasi mercenario combatte per soldi. Quindi nel conflitto in cui sono coinvolti gli interessi delle mafie petrolifere internazionali, i mercenari sono la forza meno affidabile. Avrebbero tradito Gheddafi ben prima. Quindi Gheddafi è un uomo intelligente e ne è perfettamente consapevole. Non poteva arruolarli. Ma supponiamo che la loro presenza in Libia fosse un fatto provato. Potevano essere “gentilmente” proposti a Gheddafi dai vicini “simpatizzanti” africani? Si, perché no. Qual era la loro missione? Dovevano avere l’ordine dai loro veri padroni di essere spietati e feroci contro i “manifestanti” locali il più possibile per intensificare il conflitto. Non c’è da stupirsi che dopo i primi scontri con la loro partecipazione e annunci nel mondo dei media, i mercenari siano “scomparsi”. Certamente avremo modo di conoscere dettagli sorprendenti sulle operazioni militari dell’esercito libico contro i mercenari “alleati” di fine febbraio 2011. Guardando la CNN riportare la “guerra civile” in Libia va capito che ciò significa che le forze governative localizzavano ed eliminavano questi “alleati”. Ora, perché tale scenario rischioso? Perché il regime di Gheddafi era il più stabile in Medio Oriente. Si noti che tutti i “dittatori arabi” andati al potere col sostegno degli Stati Uniti negli anni ’80 furono facilmente eliminati nel gennaio-febbraio 2011, prontamente “caduti in coma”. Non avevano l’autorità morale per combattere per un potere ottenuto illegittimamente. Qual era la componente chiave di tale illegittimità? Quando aspirarono al potere, si allearono segretamente con una nazione straniera che li sostenne completamente. Da allora non sono leader sovrani. Questo è il motivo per cui non possono sconfiggere la rivoluzione. Non possono dire la verità al popolo e alla comunità internazionale, perché iniziare a dire la verità significa dirla TUTTA. E TUTTA la verità include le circostanze della loro ascesa al potere… Ma c’è una soluzione per tale situazione di “stallo”. Se un leader politico riconosce i vergognosi rapporti clandestini con una potenza straniera, non sarà mai condannato ma PERDONATO e sostenuto dal popolo. Dopo di che lealtà e professionalità delle guardie del corpo impediranno che il futuro politico sia il caos. Le alternative sono la forca di Sadam, i letti da moribondi di Mubaraq e Ben Ali. Torniamo alle “rivoluzioni popolari in Medio Oriente”. Vediamo che per avere successo c’era disperatamente bisogno di “masse infuriate”. Quindi qualcuno doveva infuriarle. Come in Iran nel giugno 2009? Cecchini sconosciuti uccisero astanti a Teheran durante le proteste (i dettagli sono nell’articolo “Cosa decidono i Bilderberger dell’Iran“). Cosa successe in Egitto nel gennaio 2011? Ancora una volta cecchini sconosciuti spararono alla folla dal tetto dell’edificio del Ministero degli Interni di Cairo. Si noti che in entrambi i casi fu fatto di tutto per convincere il pubblico che i perpetratori fossero le forze governative. Ma dov’era la prova? C’è qualche logica nei servizi di sicurezza che uccidono dimostranti per provocarli a commettere atti violenti? Al contrario, la loro missione è disperdere pacificamente la folla, identificare e arrestare le “teste calde” tra i manifestanti ed evitare vittime! Allora, chi sparava dal tetto del Ministero degli Interni egiziano? Non lo sappiamo ancora. Ma chi fece lo stesso in Tunisia durante l’agitazione pubblica fu catturato e mostrato da RT. Si guardi il seguente video:

Credete che costoro dai passaporti svedesi e inlgesi cacciassero davvero cinghiali per le strade di Tunisi? Ora possiamo fare alcune conclusioni. Innanzitutto, non c’era nulla di spontaneo nell’ondata delle rivoluzioni del Nord Africa e Medio Oriente del 2011. I disordini popolari in Tunisia, Egitto, Libia, Bahrein, ecc. furono accuratamente preparati, organizzati, finanziati e sostenuti dai media internazionali. Abbastanza sorprendentemente, al-Jazeera svolse un ruolo fondamentale nel sostenere i conflitti nelle società arabe diffondendo disinformazione e silenziando le voci della verità e sobrie. In secondo luogo, chi architettò tali insurrezioni, generalmente fallì. Non c’è dubbio che l’idea era organizzare caos e guerre civili nel mondo arabo, provocare imbarazzo nelle élite nazionali, imporre l’opposizione radicale anti-progressista al potere nei Paesi chiave della regione. Poi si aspettavano che, a tempo debito, standard sociali degradati e cattiva gestione del governo catalizzata dalla propaganda dei media internazionali creassero le condizioni per imporre il controllo estero su questi Stati islamici. La Libia con le sue ricche riserve naturali era il premio più ambito. Ma con Muammar Gheddafi ancora al potere che riacquistava sostegno pubblico e si sbarazzava dei rami “secchi” tra gli alti funzionari, gli attori globali soffrivano molto mentre il fantasma del presidente Bush Jr. si profila di nuovo al largo delle coste libiche. Apparentemente le élite non ebbero altra scelta che attivare le super-portaerei statunitensi. Messi all’angolo e sotto la pressione schiacciante della piramide del dollaro. Terzo e più importante, questi eventi rivelavano il legame occulto tra “islamisti” ed élite globali. Muammar Gheddafi combattendo gli islamisti di al-Qaida e allo stesso tempo sostituendo solennemente bin Ladin come incarnazione del “Male assoluto” nei media tradizionali, fu un cambiamento notevole. I radicali dovevano essere la nuova generazione di leader arabi. Non avrebbero portato prosperità o giustizia nelle loro società. La loro missione era stringere saldamente la pentola a pressione del mondo musulmano con regole e retorica pseudo-islamiche. Una volta esplosa, l’energia di milioni di giovani fanatici ignoranti che si diffondono nel mondo avrebbe aperto la strada allo scaltro Gran Pacificatore. I semi di tale misteriosa simbiosi furono piantati dall’intelligence inglese nel XIX secolo. Per esempio, se si segue la storia del fondatore della Fratellanza musulmana Hasan al-Bana, si vedrà che il “controllore generale” inglese in Egitto dal 1878 era Evelyn Baring, rampollo di una vecchia dinastia di banchieri che nominò lo sceicco Muhamad Abduh Gran Mufti d’Egitto. Non ne va sottovalutata l’importanza. Il Gran Mufti d’Egitto del tempo era la massima autorità spirituale nel mondo musulmano. Perché lo sceicco Abduh, noto salafita, fu scelto dal residente inglese? Perché lo scenario della falsa guida del mondo islamico delle élite globali era già stato scritto. Volevano che i musulmani fossero carne da cannone per imporre il loro dominio. Dovevano corrompere la fede islamica, sostituirla con un surrogato pseudo-islamico. Ecco perché Evelyn Baring scrisse dei salafiti: “Sono gli alleati naturali del riformatore europeo” (Goodgame, Peter. La Fratellanza Musulmana: l’arma segreta dei globalisti). A quel tempo Sheikh Adbuh divenne murshid (insegnante) di Muhamad al-Bana, padre di Hasan… Quindi entriamo in tempi molto interessanti, forse decisivi. Muammar Gheddafi ha vinto la sua ultima battaglia nonostante vigore e pressione insolente da ogni parte. Ci saranno nuovi Gheddafi nati da madri musulmane che resisteranno al nuovo ordine mondiale? Speriamo e preghiamo di sì.

Traduzione di Alessandro Lattanzio

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