The long awaited answers I got from Shelina...;)

I'm sorry I didn't post this sooner for all of you, below I pasted the answers to the questions you guys have asked Shelina JanMohammed the writer of "Love in A Headscarf":

YaMi: How were you so sure you would find “The One”?

Shelina: There is something inherently optimistic about human beings. In part I was influenced by the notion of Prince Charming, and falling in love and living happily ever after, and partly I was influenced by the Islamic idea that we are all created in pairs. So I wondered who the pair for me was. 'The One' has a deeper significance in English too, as it refers to the Divine, The Truth,The Eternal, and so in my heart I was searching for that One without even knowing the name.

Failafoosa: What was so hard about writing your first novel?

Shelina: You can read a couple of good pieces on this subject here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/feb/13/valentines-day-religion-islamhttp://theasianwriter.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/finding-the-one-with-shelina-janmohammed/

PonderingImprints: Do you feel that as a Muslim it is more preferable to write non-fiction –real factual information that has happened as in it’s not a lie – as to writing fiction – not real information - ?

Shelina: I started out on my writing career with my blog, and it was natural for me to focus on non-fiction, and so this is my foundation as a writer. However, my writing does have a certain creativity in the book which has often been mistaken for a novel. However, I believe it was important to write this book as non-fiction because otherwise I dont think people would really have believed the stories could be true! When you are writing, with some notion that you want to convey an idea of message, you have to see which medium will convey your story best. Sometimes this will be non-fiction - such as the case of my book. Sometimes this may in fact be fiction, because it is a more appropriate way to touch people with a different perspective. I don't see fiction as 'lying', rather just a different mechanism for storytelling and meaning.

Saks: As a Muslim women living in the West do you ever feel that you sometimes face situations where you feel that want to take the easy way out?

Shelina: Is there ever such a thing as an easy way out? Everything in life is about perspective. In London I can practice my faith with as much vigour as i wish - i can wear hijab, (or niqab if i wanted!), I can work, I can be educated, I could have an islamic mortgage etc etc. I lived in Bahrain for a year for work, and found that some challenges are harder to 'Muslim' countries, and some are harder in 'the West'. What I concluded is that people have the same preoccupations wherever they are, they are just expressed in different ways. What it comes down to is who you are, and what you do with your resources - your time, effort, energy and enthusiasm.

She added in the end :

"Good luck with the book club meeting - and let me know what was discussed!with warmest wishes shelina"

When I went to the book fair, in the midst of the stalls with bestsellers, children's books, standing crowds I saw at the very back in a corner of the Al Mutanabi stall a pile of purple books that perked my interest and when I read Khalil Gibran's name on the cover I was like "That's the one I was looking for!"

I am loving the poetic mood of the book and I hope all of you feel the same, can't wait to see you all on Monday, 22nd March at 6:00...


And here's a pic to share from last meeting, since it was a weekend it wasn't a suprise not many could make it ! But we had loads of fun nonetheless nibbling on chocolate covered strawberries and talking about the love story in "Thanks for the Memories" with the members who did make it (and for next time don't you guys dare tell me you want the meeting in the weekend ! :P)

Mystical Glow I really like the books you recommended! I was also going to ask when are we going to bring books from the other genres, autobiography, and arabic? I was thinking of choosing the arabic version of one of Gibran's books and we compare it with the translation we read, but that depends on how much his writings was enjoyed.

Let us make the final decision all of us next meeting InshAllah...;D

I qoute the following from "The Broken Wings", I loved the way the narrator described his beloved Selma:

"The beauty of Selma's face was not classic; it was like a dream of revelation which cannot be measured or bound, or copied by the brush of a painter or the chisel of a sculptor. Selma's beauty was not in her golden hair, but in the virtue of purity which surronded it; not in her large eyes, but in the light which emanated from them; not in her red lips, but in the sweetness of her words; not in her ivory neck, but in it's slight bow to the front. Nor was it in her perfect figure, but in the nobility of her spirit, burning like a white torch between earth and sky.

Her beauty was like a gift of poetry."

Hey members :)

Hope everyone enjoyed reading "The Broken wings"
True, It was a short read but could not put it down & finished it within two days..^.^

So, applause Ponderingimprints for the good choice ;P
Am wondering how is everyone doing?!

Anyway, ive had these books since forever on my bookshelf :"Confession of a Jane Austen Addict & Rude Awakening of a Jane Austen Addict";they are Laurie Viera Rigler Sequel, what do you think including them to the BC?!

Below is a link and a clip that is related to the book plz have a look and kindly, let me know ur thoughts! =)

http://www.janeaustenaddict.com/home

Hope u'll like it^.^

The other day as i was looking at the blog archive i noticed that we already completed a year since our 1st entry was created in Feb.2009 ^.^

Time has passed quick with great books and company that we all have shared. There were laughs, pauses & thoughts bouncing on the Table on each day of our meeting. And as we left the place, moments of our shared thoughts moved along.

We traveled in time, places & into peoples thoughts, then we lived the "what if" life by connecting it to our reality, either by shows that we have watched, daily life exprience or even places that we have visited.

With you members along with the pleasure of books, Our BC left Prints. As the pages kept turning we gained Facts and knowledge .

I would like to thank you all membrs for the time that we have shared & Happy 1st BC Birthday o 3gabal el 50 years **inshala** ;P

Promise last thought lol .... if you could change or add one thing to the BC, what could that be? what is the 1st thought that comes to mind?!

will you plz Think about it till our next meeting!

Thanks all for your time & Take care =)

Scooping into other cultures, Knowing there thoughts and way of living; i always find myself interested to that. Maybe that's why i chose "Peony in love" :P

I cant say i totally loved it however, it was a nice book...
The book was soo dense and complex of thoughts and behavior that i felt lost at the begining then back again in track. It also made me feel all type of emotions. However, there are parts where i enjoyed and was moved.. btw e7m did anyone cry am curious to know?!(a)

PonderingImprints thanks for sharing your thoughts, and to all members i hope ur enjoying ur read and can't wait to know what u think about it! ;P

Take care ! ^.^

Peony in Love ...

Mystical glow's choice "Peony in Love" gives us a totally new understanding about the old Chinese culture and tradition ... it made me feel trapped, sad, angry, happy, romantic ... but above all it made me feel grateful for many things that we have ... the women in China were very much controlled, I could even add oppressed whilst we in comparison through Islam have been priviliged with so much freedom :D

I couldn't put it down and finished it within two days - sorry didn't update the pic sooner MG :P