Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed

Title: Reclaim Your Heart

Author: Yasmin Mogahed

Genre: Islam

Rating: ⭐️ DNF

This is a hugely unpopular opinion, but I found this book to be such a disappointment. Despite being a short 182 pages in length, I was unable to finish reading this. Whilst I understand that there is clearly an audience for a book like this, I think without all the drawbacks and shortcomings it has that prevented me from finishing it – it would be a much better and beneficial read. I think it gives a taste of something good, but does not follow through, and could have been so much more meaningful and long-lasting in my opinion.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Title: Never Let Me Go

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro

Genre: Literary fiction

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Because maybe, in a way, we didn’t leave it behind nearly as much as we might once have thought. Because somewhere underneath, a part of us stayed like that: fearful of the world around us, and no matter how much we despised ourselves for it–unable quite to let each other go.” 

This is one of those books that upon starting, you immediately sense that all is not as it seems – which exists as an underlying current throughout the entirety of the book, slowly heightening to the climax to which all will finally be revealed. Whilst I’ll admit I wasn’t completely surprised by the ending – and in fact slightly disappointed it wasn’t as shocking as I had anticipated it to be – the themes highlighted in the storyline make it an extremely thought-provoking read. I couldn’t help becoming attached to the characters, especially Kathy, and become increasingly invested in their fates, only making the story all the more impactful.

The Crowning Venture by Hafiza Saadia Mian

Title: The Crowning Venture

Author: Hafiza Saadia Mian

Genre: Islam

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book has such an exceptionally beautiful premise, that made me instantly gravitate towards it. A Muslim’s endeavour to commit the entire Qur’an to memory is one that is not only incredibly important and hold great spiritual weight in Islam, but is one that I particularly have a personal connection to, as alhamdullilah (all thanks and praises be to God) I have memorised a few chapters of the Qur’an myself and hope to continue to do so. Therefore, I was excited to see what this book had to offer in possibly easing the journey in becoming a hafiza (a Muslim woman who has memorised the entire Quran) and what it had to say especially about a Muslim woman’s journey with the Qur’an.