At the start of the Covid -19 Pandemic, whilst in Lock down, I enrolled in a book club run by the Muslimah Sports Association. It was a time for me to connect with people who enjoyed reading books and discussing it too. I am an avid writer, not so a reader, and this was my opportunity to read the books of others, gain ideas from them and explore the way they write. I decided the best way to do this was if I joined a book club and saw what others thought of books, what they liked, what they disliked and how different people perceived the same book.
We started off with the books of seerah and it was an extremely and much needed read as I was very keen to study the seerah, to learn of my religion and to see the styles of different authors. We then went onto read a beautiful children’s book by Fatima Barkatulla, called ‘Khadija, The Mother of the Greatest Nation,’ a children’s book aimed at all. It was a very well written book which captured the imagination of all. A very simple, yet descriptive and imaginative book.
The book club proceeded to a much complex and spiritual book called ‘Divine Love’ by A Helwa. This was a difficult read as the meanings within the book were deep and highly spiritual. It touched upon all religions and beliefs but based itself upon Islam. A very interested read with different view points from the readers, some connecting to the book a lot and others found it a tough read. The book had some very interesting points, which perhaps I wouldn’t write in that style.
My book ‘My Hajj Journal 2019’ was then nominated and voted on the book club to be read and studied. I was extremely touched and felt very privileged. The book was read, discussed and some amazing and heart felt messages, feedback and reviews were left. I felt truly honored. The book allowed others to plan, prepare and be ready for Hajj and it allowed the readers to discuss their own experiences of Hajj. What made these sessions special was that the readers were able to ask me as the author questions as to why I wrote the way I did and what my true experiences were. It allowed me to see how my book was perceived and what benefit it had on others.
Feedback and reviews by readers:
Since then, we have read and studied a number of self-heal books and my new novel ‘The Choice of Uncertainty’ has been nominated and voted as the next read. I’m super excited about what the readers will think of my story and my writing as I spent a lot of time and effort in producing this book. I’m hoping it gives me the chance to see and understand what my readers gain from my story.
