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Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak
“She and Mona and I. The three of us: the Sinner, the Believer, the Confused.” Since I fell in love with Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love back in 2016, I have made my way through her oeuvre, even her more ‘obscure’ titles such as the overlooked gem that is The Saint of Incipient Insanities.…
1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 3 STARS, 3rd pov, bi side characters, BOOK REVIEW, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, campus, CHILDHOOD, class, Contemporary, cultural dissonance, drama, ELIF SHAFAK, england, family, favourite authors, female authors, friendships, growing up, GUILT, introspective, Islam, jealousy, lgbtq+ side, LITERARY FICTION, MAGICAL REALISM, My reviews, oxford, politics, published in 2016, read in 2021, Religion, teachers, Turkey, turkish author, UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE, unrequited love -
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak — book review
Shafak never disappoints! In her newest novel Shafak explores many of the themes she has already touched upon in previous novels in an innovative manner as the narrative bridges the gap between the life and death of its protagonist. There is something about Shafak’s prose that really resonates with me. She can address serious and…
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World, 4.25 stars, afterlife, BOOK REVIEW, class, Contemporary, DEATH, different styles (1st/2nd/3rd povs), ELIF SHAFAK, favourite authors, female authors, female friendships, friendships, GRIEF, introspective, istanbul, lgbtq+ side, LITERARY FICTION, MAGICAL REALISM, MEMORY, Poverty, prostitution, sexual assault/abuse/rape, social issues, trans side characters, TRANSGENDER, Turkey, turkish author, violence against women -
Walking on the Ceiling : Book Review
Walking on the Ceiling by Aysegül Savas ★★✰✰✰ 2 stars I don’t mind plotless novels or meandering stories but there has to be something that holds my attention. Some of my favourite books feature characters with little to no backstory, and simply focus on a time of their life or certain feelings that they…
1st pov, 2 STARS, Adult, Aysegül Savas, bad love, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklr, books about writers, BOOKS ON WRITING, Contemporary, cultural dissonance, existentialism, female authors, FRANCE, GRIEF, identity, istanbul, LITERARY FICTION, MEMORY, metaphysical, migration/immigration, Paris, philosophical, published in 2019, READ IN 2019, REVIEW, travel, Turkey, turkish author, UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE, Walking on the Ceiling -
The Saint of Incipient Insanities: Book Review
The Saint of Incipient Insanities by Elif Shafak ★★★★✰ 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 just for kicks) “Lovers are pathetically charming, and exceedingly full of themselves, itself more precisely, for one of the plentiful troubles with loving couples is that the minute two autonomous selves develop themselves into a duo, instead of “two” (as in…
2000s, 3.5 STARS, 3rd pov, Adult, ALIENATION, America, American, BISEXUAL/PANSEXUAL, BOSTON, DEPRESSION, eating disorders, ELIF SHAFAK, existentialism, female authors, friendships, HUMOR, introspective, language, lgbtq+, mental health, philosophical, playful style, published in 2004, READ IN 2019, The Saint of Incipient Insanities, Turkey, turkish author, UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE -
The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
A whimsical and moving tale that spans through the most difficult times. To say that the focus of this novel is of the contemporary troubled relationship between Armenians and Turks is reductive. Shafak’s writing is incredibly evocative: she brings to life smells, sounds, cultures and cities. Her descriptions envelope you transporting you straight into her…
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Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
‘All I could feel was a terrible hollowness in my heart. A door had opened, promising the sublime, but then it had slammed shut, robbing my life of all hope and meaning. I felt as bereft as if I’d woken from the sweetest of dreams to face the pain of truth.’ Madonna in a Fur…