#ayesha manazir siddiqi

[oddishfeeling]

do you have any book recommendations? pls i need lots 💙💙

this is such a loaded question friend. but lucky for u, i am procrastinating assignments, my take out has yet to arrive, and i just finished another book!

horror fic has been my choice for the last several books

the centre by ayesha manazir siddiqi is about a young Pakistani woman living in the UK. she's a translator for Urduru films. language and translation are central to this book. people are becoming fluent in a matter of weeks in complex languages.... the centre is gorgeous if not entirely mysterious, magical even. but whats the catch?? beautifully written. vivid details. anisa is a flawed, honest, and genuine feeling mc, as are the people in her life. i just finished it a couple hours ago n i miss my girls.

slewfoot by brom is set in 17th century Connecticut. our protag, Abitha, is not from this town but she does he best to adhere to the Puritan standards, if not for her well being, than that of her husband's. something stirs in the outskirts of the village, in the forest and beyond. she finds help from an unlikely source while also fostering a deep inner power of her own. these characters felt so well thought out, the writing is magnetic and the action is well paced. it puts so many preconceived notions right on their head. i loved this book and can't wait to read brom's other novel, the child thief, a retelling of peter pan and the lost boys!

sister, maiden, monster by lucy a. synder was oh so gay and oh so cosmically horrendous. this is like h.p. lovecraft wasn't a weird racist. this is like if biblically accurate angels were once just women in love. this is horrifying, visceral, and relevant to our COVID world. i was gawking at so many of the details. there are so many monster themes actually, it's perfect. the story is told through 3 povs of 3 different women. and we love women! and horror! i didn't expect to pick this one up but I'm so glad i did.

mary: an awakening of terror by nat cassidy do u know what it's like to be virtually invisible? forgotten? disaffected? do u know the pure joy of having a precious collection, adding to it over time, and it being almost ur only reason for living anymore?? then you're a lot like mary. and mary is a lot like plenty of women who get the chance to live beyond adolescence, who are cast out by society-- deemed invaluable. mary is utterly lost at a time in her life she feels she should have it all figured out. she goes back to her hometown, an ambiguous small town in the middle of the desert, and some unlikely characters help her piece things back together. i finished this book feeling so close to mary. we are friends now. there is mystique, horror, fables, myths, bad guys, mysterious architecture, and well mary is not the most reliable narrator. loved this one too.

the last house on needless street by catriona ward i had no idea where this book was going and i loved piecing the narrative together through several characters and their povs. it forces u to confront ur own biases regarding mental health. u are sympathetic to the characters in the most painful, heart wrenching ways. there is murder. there is mystery. there is missing children. there are cats. this book surprised me and it was fun to have to find a couple reddit threads to be sure i was understanding the story correctly. i felt like i read this kind of fast! which is always fun too.

brother by ania ahlborn this one pissed me off a bit. but in a good way because i was so deeply invested. this one is set in Appalachia. i'm not one for stereotypes, especially bc i think Appalachians have a bad rep and it's of no fault of their own. that being said, the insular feel of the book and the absolute claustrophobia those mountains create in this story were like a character in it of itself. our protag, michael, knows there's something beyond. he's seen them on colorful postcards. but his own mind and his own heart seem utterly trapped here. this one is heartbreaking. it's horrifying. and it'll make u dizzy from the amount of times u change ur mind. excited to read her other novel, Seed, because this one stuck with me so much!

a couple honorable mentions that fit the theme:

the vegetarian by han kang korean food. infidelity. art. nightmares. inexplicable mindfucks! this story was scary because it felt very.. possible? no monsters this time. no spells. just... the mind deteriorating. could happen to any of us.

a certain hunger by chelsea g. summers what if girlbossing is just a quick pivot from sociopathy?? what if the crimes are so much more gratifying than say, fame or fortune or even love?? women can be sociopaths too, you know!! this one is fun bc the protag is crazy and it's fun to slip into these characters. cathartic even. omg did i mention, she's a foodie too! just like me :-)

#book recs #horror lit #halloween reading list #the centre #ayesha manazir siddiqi #slewfoot #brom #sister maiden monster #lucy a. snyder #mary: an awakending #nat cassidy #the last house on needless street #catriona ward #brother #ania ahlborn #the vegetarian #han kang #a certain hunger #chelsea g. summers

[brigdh]

I used to write weekly reviews of what I was reading and post them to tumblr, but then I fell out of the habit. However, I did manage to finish some books last month, and maybe you will enjoy reading my thoughts?

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi. A thriller set in modern-day London. Anisa, a Pakistani immigrant from a wealthy family, dreams of translating great works of literature, but is stuck doing the subtitles on Bollywood movies. Her white boyfriend Adam speaks eight languages fluently, perfectly, like he was born to them. At first Anisa is only jealous, but then she learns that Adam is hiding a connection to the Centre, a mysterious organization that promises to teach anyone any language in only two weeks – for a price. And, well, who wouldn't be tempted? But visiting the Centre is only the beginning of Anisa's uncovering a whole host of secrets, as she meets and grows close to the Indian woman of her own age who runs the place; she and Anisa fall instantly into a close friendship which reveals some of Anisa's own missing pieces.

Anisa is a fabulous character – sympathetic and self-centered, unreliable and occasionally awful, trying her best but so often (like most of us) just justifying her own lack of action. The writing is fantastic, compelling and funny and sad and precise. Right from the first page, I had trouble putting it down.

The mystery of how the Centre does what it does is obvious from fairly early on, but I didn't feel like that was a problem. The drive of The Centre isn't so much about answering the question of "how?" but that of "what now?" Knowledge (of a language or of anything else) is power, but access to power is complicated by race, gender, sexuality, class, age, and so many other factors, all of which come into play. Anisa – and the other characters, and readers ourselves – want to remake the world for the better, but can she do so by using the tools of the powerful? Or would the act of using their tools change her into just another copy of them? The Centre doesn't answer these questions (and to be fair, how on earth could a single novel do so?), but the way it raises them and the dilemma it poses to Anisa is just so good.

Hugely recommended, and I can't wait for Siddiqi's next book.

Gilded Needles by Michael McDowell. A historical thriller set in 1880s New York City, focused on the rivalry between two families: the Stallworths and the Shanks. The Stallworths are upper-class, respectable, and include a judge, a preacher, a would-be politician, and a fashionable hostess of ladies' committees. The Shanks are sordid criminals, and include a fence, a prostitute, an abortionist (which, you know, I don't have much of a problem with, except that she cares less about her patients actually surviving the procedure and more about getting paid), opium addicts, and lesbians. They come to one another's attention when the Stallworths decide to lead a 'clean up the slum' operation to boost their own political prominence, which unfortunately happens to focus on the Shanks's neighborhood and ultimately causes the death of three of the Shanks. Black Lena, matriarch of the Shanks family, seeks revenge, and vows to kill three of the Stallworths in return.

This novel is better categorized as a thriller than as horror, which is unfortunate because I wanted something scary to read for Halloween. But despite that, it's hugely compelling, a real race of devious motives and sinister plots and squalid historical detail. Not a single character in the book is remotely likable, and despite their outward differences, the Shanks and the Stallworths are united in finding the very concept of morality irrelevant and laughable. The Shanks come out ahead as slightly easier to root for because at least they seem to like one another, whereas the Stallworths hate one another as much as they hate the poor, the unpopular, and the pathetic. Gilded Needles is a bit like watching a reality show, where everyone is terrible but you still have a great time throwing back popcorn as they tear the competition to bits.

A ton of trashy fun in a historical setting? My very favorite kind of book.

#book reviews #books #michael mcdowell #Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

[chanelslibrary]

🌙𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰🌙

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Anisa Ellahi’s day job is translating subtitles for Bollywood movies, but her dream job is translating great literary works! When her mediocre, British boyfriend Adam shows off his extensive knowledge of multiple languages, Anisa’s self worth hits an all time low. The final straw is when Adam learns to speak her native tongue, Urdu, fluently overnight, and she forces him to tell his secret. There is an elite, invite-only language program that guarantees fluency almost instantly. Anisa practically jumps at the offer to enroll. As she learns more about this mysterious but efficient program, Anisa discovers the cost might be too gruesome to stomach…

Wow this book! It has a great plot, and I loved that it had subtle gothic thriller vibes throughout. It was also nice to learn through Anisa about Pakistani culture, the dynamic of India and Pakistan and the history of the two countries (since I know very little I am ashamed to admit!), as well as life as a British Pakistani woman in England. The reason for my 3 star rating is although Anisa isn’t a very likeable character, she was relatable (everyone makes mistakes in friendships, relationships, their careers, etc.). But most of the other characters weren’t likeable either…and I feel like we need SOMEONE to root for lol. Also, at the end of a book I need some kind of conclusion. It was a very ambiguous ending which I wasn’t a fan of.

It’s a good book, and fans of Babel will like it. There is more of a focus on relationships/friendships v. translations/literary work than Babel.

#book blog #book aesthetic #bookworm #bookstagram #books #bookblr #book #book academia #book review #book reviewer #the centre #Ayesha manazir siddiqi #book edit #gothic thriller #thriller books #dark academia books #book recs #book rec #book recommendations

[yoongivenn]

The Centre - Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

The Centre was a book that had everything to be a perfect book for me, it’s about a Pakistani translator who is introduced to a language school that boasts fluency in just 10 days, but with a dark, sinister cost to pay. I do need to point out that the two different covers could not have been more different, and one of them (the mouth one) is completely horrendous, however, once you finish the…

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#2 estrelas #2 stars #ayesha manazir siddiqi #livros #resenha #resenhas #review #reviews #the centre

[neonsbian]

im sorry this is kinda gay

#ik this book is abt language and like colonialism and race and whatever #but like....the way the mc talks abt this character is just so gay like pleek #can i get some yuri in my thriller novel thats also abt language and translation and race and identity #the book is the centre by ayesha manazir siddiqi btw #so far it is very intriguing #vinnie talks

[mendingbone]

i keep seeing people in their late teens/early twenties having a "[X] content intended for younger audiences does not feel satisfying to me anymore but i don't know where to start to branch out into adult fiction" moment and i thought i would give some recommendations for adult fiction for my fellow creepy crawly queer people. all or at least a LOT of it will be on the darker and more fucked up side bc i primarily engage with horror and thriller media personally but feel free to add on with more or recommendations from other genres :)

edit: i am continuing to add to this list so there might be new recs (highlighted in pink) in here every once in a while! also want to add that there's a variety of POC, queer, and disabled authors in here as well, i am also all of the above (asian, bi/aro, poly, disabled) and tried to incorporate as many of their wickedly talented, compelling narratives as possible. that's all, happy reading!

A Certain Hunger, Chelsea G. Summers

A Darker Shade of Magic, V. E Schwab*

A Dowry of Blood, S.G Gibson

Animal, Lisa Taddeo*

A Ripple of Power and Promise, Jordan A. Day*

Bunny, Mona Awad*

Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi*

Cursed Bread, Sophie Mackintosh*

Dark Places, Gillian Flynn

Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry, Alex Ritany*

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Olga Tokarczuk*

Eileen, Ottessa Moshfegh*

Fruiting Bodies, Kathryn Harlan*

Goddess of Filth, V. Castro*

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

House of Leaves, Mark Danielewski

If I Had Your Face, Frances Cha*

Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao

Jackal, Erin E. Adams*

Juniper and Thorn, Ava Reid*

Kindred, Octavia Butler*

Manhunt, Gretchen Felker-Martin*

Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Ninefox Gambit, Yoon Ha Lee*

Rabbits, Terry Miles*

Scorched Grace, Margot Douaihy*

Sharp Objects, Gillian Flynn

She is a Haunting, Trang Thahn Tran

Slewfoot, Brom*

Sorrowland, Rivers Soloman

Summer Sons, Lee Mandelo

Supper Club, Lara Williams*

The Centre, Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi*

The Change, Kirsten Miller

The Death of Jane Lawrence, Caitlin Starling*

The Dreamer Trilogy, Maggie Stiefvater

The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson

The Hollow Places, T. Kingfisher*

The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter, Soraya Palmer*

The Jasmine Throne, Tasha Suri

The Locked Tomb, Tamsyn Muir

The Luminous Dead, Caitlin Starling*

The Red Tree, Caitlin Kiernan*

The Unfamiliar Garden, Benjamin Percy*

Vicious, V. E Shwab

Wake, Siren, Nina MacLaughlin*

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson

What Moves the Dead, T. Kingfisher*

#the * means i have not read it myself but have heard good things and/or have it on my to read list!! #wanted to add little blurbs on each book but i am disabled and exhausted and truly don't have the energy for anything other than listing #please do ur own research for content warnings etc! be safe. enjoy <33 #adult fiction #adult horror #horror #reference #queer lit #queer adult lit #horror fiction #thriller fiction #book recs #horror media #book list #book recommendations #iron widow #xiran jay zhao #the locked tomb #tlt #tamsyn muir #the dreamer trilogy #tdt #maggie stiefvater #gillian flynn #gone girl #sharp objects #house of leaves #shirley jackson #haunting of hill house #v. e. schwab

[belle-keys]

Recommendations for media about translation, interpreting, and foreign languages

Movies and TV

Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020) The Interpreter (2005) The Last Stage (1948)

Books

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi Translating Myself and Others by Jhumpa Lahiri The Interpreter by Suki Kim Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok Translation Nation by Héctor Tobar Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip Translation State by Ann Leckie

Other Important Topics and Subjects

La Malinche The Rosetta Stone The Tower of Babel The Adamic Language Esperanto Philology Goethean World Literature

Documentaries and History

The Interpreters: A Historical Perspective The Nuremberg Trials Biblical Translation St. Jerome - patron saint of translators Shu-ilishu's Seal (first depiction of an interpreter)

#translation #interpreting #languages #foreign languages #polyglot #langblr #lingblr #grad school #translator #interpreter #babel #babel an arcane history #rf kuang #jhumpa lahiri #tower of babel #esperanto #nuremberg trials #biblical scripture #language nerd #language learning #bilingual #multilingual #gradblr #book recommendations #film recommendations #studyblr #philology #classic literature #dark academia blog

[clonerightsagenda]

#recently read November 23

The Golem of Brooklyn by Adam Mansbach. A stoned art teacher accidentally creates a golem who decides his mission is to stop an upcoming alt right rally.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. Finally got around to this. A unicorn seeks the rest of her people and is forever changed by the mortal world.

How Can I Help You? by Laura Sims. A failed novelist working at a public library realizes her coworker was a killer nurse - and becomes fascinated with her as a topic for a new novel.

Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling. While investigating why her city has started sinking, scientist Tamsin finds a new door in her basement - and then her doppelganger walks through it.

A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens by Raul Palma. Buried in debt, nonbeliever Hugo works as a babalawo. Then he's given a chance to clear his debts if he can end the very real haunting of his debt collector.

Before the Streetlights Come On: Black America's Urgent Call for Climate Solutions by Heather McTeer Toney. An environmental justice book discussing the climate crisis' disparate racial impacts.

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi. Anisa is referred to a secretive language-learning program with miraculous results... and a sinister secret raising questions of translation, appropriation, and power.

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2023 ed. by R.F. Kuang.

#recently read

[ninzied]

tagged by: my love @redbelles

favorite color: dusty rose

last song: arson by hobi ♡

currently reading: hell bent by leigh bardugo, the centre by ayesha manazir siddiqi, stone blind by natalie haynes, the plague by camus

last movie: mission impossible - dead reckoning part one

sweet/spicy/savory: potatoes

currently working on: this is a sore subject

tagging: @152glasslippers @carry-the-sky @garglyswoof @heartonfirewrites @heidiamalia @myletternevercame @zushigirl

#kastle fam #tag game

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

☀️🏳️‍🌈 Queer and Feminist Books Arriving July 2023 ♀️☀️

While you're soaking up the sunshine and good vibes, don't forget to keep that TBR shelf happy and healthy with fresh reads. There are so many queer, trans, and feminist books dropping this month! Here are a few to consider adding to your summer reading list.

☀️ A Crime of Secrets by Ann Aptaker (July 4) ☀️ The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa (July 11) ☀️ The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi (July 11) ☀️ All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky (July 11) ☀️ Digging for Heaven by Jenna Jarvis (July 11) ☀️ Marigold by Melissa Brayden (July 11) ☀️ All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan (July 11) ☀️ The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei (July 18) ☀️ The Third Daughter by Adrienne Tooley (July 18) ☀️ The Hunt by Kelly J. Ford (July 25) ☀️ Rana Joon and the One & Only Now by Shideh Etaat (July 25) ☀️ The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz (July 25) ☀️ Contradiction Days by JoAnna Novak (July 25) ☀️ Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith (July 25)

#books #book recommendation #queer books #feminism #book lovers #battyaboutbooks #batty about books

[ghoultalks]

books i've read this year (2023)

reading goal: 30 books

total read so far: 29 (last updated: 10/31/23)

MARCH 2023

1. And I Do Not Forgive You by Amber Sparks

APRIL 2023

2. Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson 3. Vladimir by Julia May Jonas 4. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata 5. Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

MAY 2023

6. Brutes by Dizz Tate 7. Pretty Girls by Karen Slaughter

JUNE 2023

8. The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon 9. Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala 10. Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

JULY 2023

11. All’s Well by Mona Awad 12. Dykette by Jenny Fran Davis 13. A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan 14. The Grownup by Gillian Flynn 15. The Guest by Emma Cline 16. Sarahland by Sam Cohen

AUGUST 2023

17. Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova 18. Pure Colour by Sheila Heti 19. Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter 20. Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder 21. All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky

SEPTEMBER 2023

22. The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz 23. My Husband by Maud Ventura 24. I Hold a Wolf by the Ears: Stories by Laura van den Berg 25. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

OCTOBER 2023

26. The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi 27. Slewfoot by Brom 28. Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica 29. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

#book log #reading log #books read in 2023

[josiepugblog]

My extremely objectively correct media favorites for 2023:

Books

Fantasy

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torsz

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Other Fiction

The September House by Carissa Orlando (horror, arguably fantasy)

The Winter Guest by W.C. Ryan (mystery/historical drama)

Kala by Colin Walsh (mystery)

The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel (historical drama, arguably fantasy as well lolll)

August Blue by Deborah Levy (contemporary fiction (for once!))

Nonfiction

No Ordinary Assignment by Jane Ferguson

A Village in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd

The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klosterman

The Russo-Ukrainian War by Serhii Plokhy

Nazi Culture by George L Mosse

Movies

Polite Society (action/comedy, dir. Nida Manzoor)

Rustin (historical drama, dir. Colman Domingo)

Saltburn (dark comedy, dir. Emerald Fennell)

Flora and Son (comedy/drama, dir. John Carney)

Past Lives (drama, dir. Celine Song)

TV

The Bear

Slow Horses

Succession

Doctor Who (RTDv2)

Beef

#black sun #the centre #ink blood sister scribe #the oleander sword #piranesi #the september house #the winter guest #kala #the wild hunt #August blue #no ordinary war #the Russo-Ukrainian war #the nineties #a village in the third reich #polite society #saltburn #Rustin #flora and son #past lives #the bear #beef #doctor who #slow horses #succession

[solarisrenbeth]

16, 17, and 20 for the book asks!! <3

hiiii erin ty!! 🤗💕

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

ooooh this is tough…..i’m gonna have to say the centre by ayesha manazir siddiqi 😔 i had heard a lot of amazing things from people who read early copies and i did enjoy it, but the ending was a bit disappointing and i don’t think it all came together in the way i was hoping 🤔 i would still recommend it but maybe with more tempered expectations going in lol

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

yeah a few actually!! i’ll mention my murder by katie williams for one. i picked up the audiobook because i wanted to listen to something fast paced with a mystery vibe but didn’t really expect much, and i actually really liked it! some beautiful writing with a very clever premise and surprising/satisfying twist 👌

and then also creep: accusations and confessions by myriam gurba, which i picked up when i heard that one of the essays featured some scathing criticism about american dirt (and i am nothing if not an american dirt hater 🤭🙃), but i ended up being completely blown away by gurba’s writing and ideas. the entire collection is brilliant, easy 5⭐️ (*heavy subject matter tho so def check the CWs 🫶)

20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

i mentioned two here that met/exceeded my expectations, but i’ll also add rouge by mona awad as one of my most anticipated! i’ve seen mixed reviews from other awad stans but i had a blast with it so i’d say it did meet my expectations, tho maybe not as much as those other two.

#ty beloved!! ✨ #ask game #cait reads

[asexualbookbird]

I don't normally rec books based on format (read how you want to read) but people should try The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi as an audiobook. It just hits different.

"Adam tells Anisa about the Centre, an elite, invite-only program that guarantees absolute fluency in any language in just ten days"

I AM LISTENING

#ezra gets a letter #Anonymous #send me there yes i know the synopsis implies its Bad but listen i wanna know Languages

[belle-keys]

“When I felt my stomach, my womb, my breasts and sternum, I saw that they didn’t just hold my memories, they held the rage and pain and isolation, the joy and passion and lust, of the women before me. My body remembered my mother’s life experiences and my grandmother’s and her mother’s before her. I felt the violations and indiscretions, the reverence and longings, from unfathomable years back.”

- The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

#girlhood #womanhood #the female experience #women #book quotes #writers of color #woc writers #books #book blog #litfic #literary fiction #the body #female body #generational trauma

[pensivegladiola]

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

#books #literature #book recommendations #quotes #literature quotes #female authors #women authors #booklr #novels