Monthly Archives: January 2017

Around the world, around the world…

Hey readers,

You may have noticed I flew around a lot this past year. That’s because I’ve been diagnosed with chronic travel bug. Since our trip to Pakistan last year, the FamJam has been itching for more and this year the symptoms are showing.

Since January, I’ve been to Chicago twice, Cleveland once, and to the great country of Turkey for the first time ever! The fun hasn’t stopped there either. My cousin got married this year too so we jetted off to Karachi again this summer (the heat. Oh God.) for 2 weeks (!!) to take part in the festivities. And this winter, I did a fun little road trip from Chicago to Toronto with the broski cuz bonding 💯. There was lots of color and to-die-for food that are just absolute must-have experiences. So, I’ve decided to add a few travel posts to the site. Expect one for Karachi, Chicago, and Istanbul in the next few months. I’ve got a hunch that I’m going to be adding a few cities to the list this year. 😉

Stay tunes, Belles!

Top 5 Books of 2016

Readers, open your books to page 394… May Alan Rickman rest in peace.

I read a grand total of 24 books this year and a lot of them were really good! More than can fit on this list, thankfully. Enjoy!

5. Hollow City by Random Riggs

In the second installment of Missouri Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series, gives sophisticated topics a fresh point of view. Full grown adults, forever trapped in the bodies of their youth- how is maturity effected when you are living the same day over and over? And how quickly does that rose-tinted view of life last once thrust into the throes of war?

4. Muslim Girl by Amani Al-Khatahtbeh

If you haven’t already, read my review of here.

3. Muhammad: His life based on the earliest sources by Martin Ling

Lings drafts out a complete and thorough narrative of the story of the life of Prophet Muhammad through a variety of sources. Commonly, his story is told in fragments, so hearing the story of his life from birth to death made the man feel complete. I really enjoyed this listen from Audible.

2. Heartless by Marissa Meyer

See my raves of this wonderful book here.

1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (R.I.P)

This haunting story of a man’s awakening was incredible. And I could listen to Tim Robbins’ reading it over and over again. Indeed, it is one of those books that leaves you with an eerie sense of incompleteness. You feel like you missed something very important the first time around because you were so engrossed in the plot. You want to go back and see if you can pinpoint what you’re looking for. A true classic, up there with Brave New World and 1984, Fahrenheit 451 is my top read of 2016.

Now it’s your turn, dear readers. What were your favorite books of the year? Tell me in the comments below!

How could you be so Heartless?

If you’ve not read Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles, I greatly urge you to do so. I’ve always been a sucker for a good fairytale retelling. I’m still obsessed with Ella Enchanted. Meyer’s does wonders blending sci-fi and fantasy together in hers. 

Beyond her Lunar Chronicles series, Meyer’s new book, Heartless, does not disappoint. How did the Queen of Hearts find her catchphrase “OFF WITH HIS HEAD!”? We are given the thrilling experience of finding out.

I love Catherine, with her kind yet passionate nature and strong sense of purpose. I found Jest to be a bit odd but I grew to like him, as I grew to like his whole tea party of friends. In a topsy-turvy world on the other side of Wonderland, Meyer ingeniously made me love a story I’ve never been fond of before. How? She has a very clear understanding of her characters and their actions and growth throughout the story feels devastatingly true. 

I swear to you, readers, I read the whole thing in 12 hours straight. No bathroom breaks or meals. 5pm to 5am. It was a whirlwind. And when destiny came knocking, I found myself sobbing. That’s how invested I was. At 4am, I was crying in big heaving sobs. By the end, I was an emotional wreck; my chest aching, hollow. 

Looking again at the title of the book, I have to ask, who does Meyer leave heartless? Because I could have sworn it was me.