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Girl, Stop Apologising

“Because the world needs your spark.”

When I discovered that my favourite YouTuber of a decade plus had Rachel Hollis’s “Girl” series on repeat for more than a handful of times, I had a feeling I could do with listening to it, too.

Rachel Hollis talks very candidly about life’s ups and downs and how we as living breathing humans need to take everything in our stride. Her book has helped strengthen my faith in there being light at the end of any tunnel that we may – and will – encounter. Further to that, she has allowed me to see that it is these trials which enable humans to become their more full, contented and destined selves.

I do not believe that there is ever a set time to receive a sign to do better, achieve more, speak sincerely and act genuinely. With that said, I am truly thankful to have come across Rachel’s books during a time where I was ready to embrace as many inspiring people’s nuggets of wisdom as possible, with open arms. I listened to her anecdotes eagerly, desperate to learn how to one day reach my potential. Top tip? It may not feel as life-changing as people market it to be, so if there’s one thing to take away from this book, it is to look for it in everything you do.

I recommend this book to whoever needs a boost of hope that they are not alone in their struggle and that they can take actionable steps to get out of any funk. Time, patience and effort is what is needed.

Rachel, thank you for reminding me that it is never too late to try, and that it is okay to try again.

Readers, always trust that gut instinct because am I devastated that my time listening to Rachel Hollis as I drove to and from work has come to an end … until the next time.

Sheeza

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Been a minute

Fair to say it’s been a few months since my last check-in on Inaayat & I have sorely missed scrawling my thoughts down on here. What I would also like to add, though, is how 2021 has been for me a year of pure, chaotic & immense growth.

Right before last year’s end, I made a promise to myself that the year I was going to see next must be one that I walk out of a different being when comparing to the one that was due to walk in. I wanted to push myself to be & live how God would want. Though it has not yet ended, I can honestly say that I’ve not seen a year quite like this one before.

So this is just a reminder post to say that if you feel like it is too late to make a change, it isn’t.

If you feel like it is too late in general, it isn’t.

It may feel like any moment that one wants disappearing or eradicating but insists on lingering does for some time – a long time – but it will pass & that too quicker than you initially think.

If this year is anything to go by, I have experienced firsthand how it always passes. How else is there then space for the better times to come & to make a forever home in our hearts?

I created this site intending on making it all about books & my thoughts on those I’d read. I wish to see my love for literature translate in ways that transcend reviews. I want to now showcase exactly what impact novels I absorb have on me as I navigate life’s many winding streets – how stories I read inspire me to live my very own in the best possible way.

Hoping to share more of me on here whilst remembering & striving to stay true to the foundations of Inaayat – spreading love for the written word.

Care to join me with a cuppa?

Continuing to be filled with gratitude,

Sheeza

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Show Up: A Motivational Message for Muslim Women

“Love is a verb”

Na’ima B. Robert’s Show Up may well have a small page count, but it certainly packs a punch in the messages it succeeds in conveying to whoever gazes upon her words. It is a collection of reminders, mantras, anecdotes & realisations.

I am forever on the search for quotes & stories that leave a person feeling more hopeful, happy & as though they should be thanking their fortunes more often. Robert quenched my thirst for such a feeling. Her final few chapters left me particularly touched as she personally addresses the reader & how worthy they should consider themselves. It hit home as it is true what she writes: we’re never really taught how to love ourselves, how to praise our achievements & how to strike that balance of being proud & staying humble, so for her to dedicate a chapter to her readers – motivating them to see their distinctive potential – heartened me beyond compare.

Another one of my many interests is to find the silver lining in any type of situation & one way in which I am able to do that is by having an attitude of gratitude. Na’ima swears by counting one’s blessings; to see that reveal itself in her writing was an absolute pleasure. She encourages digging deep to see what makes one not only authentically oneself but also what makes a human being so uniquely capable of overcoming any struggle they may find themselves to be in.

Robert believes that goodness ought to rule supreme over any evil we may otherwise be inclined to spread, being the imperfect individuals that we all are. In a time where hatred can be found in pretty much every major part of the world, it was as though I exhaled a breath I had been keeping in for a long old while when I read Na’ima’s inspiring written word. Practising kindness should be on the top of everybody’s to-do lists & it’s always a lovely occurrence to see people like Na’ima Robert preaching it, too.

As one of my favourite people, Sonny Bill Williams, says, always alhamdulillah,

Sheeza

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Tokyo Ghoul, #2

Sui Ishida’s second instalment of Tokyo Ghoul is a testament to how unique an experience it always is for me whenever I dive into manga. Official statement: I don’t do it often enough.

I was a little worried that I’d forget where the first book ended & how this second book would begin, but, contrary to my belief, I was on Kaneki’s bandwagon successfully within the first few turns of the book’s pages. I don’t wish to spoil this series for you & so I shall keep this review rather brief, but I thought to leave you with some lessons I learnt from my time with the ghouls for a second time:

– Fight for whatever it is your heart believes, regardless of who may or may not stand by your side as you do so

– There really is nothing like unconditional love – run towards that as hard-to-find as it may, at times, seem

– Be your authentic self as it is unsurprisingly tricky to be anybody but unapologetically you &

– It pays to think outside of the box

In a time as unprecedented as the one we face at the moment, manga may well provide you with a healthy dose of escapism, where for a few hundred pages, you’re in another world entirely. Having read a book that brought me into its world page turn after page turn, I sincerely hope that you too are familiar with a similar sense of being elsewhere. If not, then allow me to reassure you that, when (& only when) you do find yourself there, you’ll have a yearning for that feeling time after time, much like myself.

Socially distanced hug from myself to you,

Sheeza

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The Book Thief

“I am haunted by humans”

Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief follows the life of a little girl named Liesel Meminger, who, during the Second World War, is made to feel as though she has no place in Nazi Germany. Separated from her mother at a young age, Liesel finds herself prematurely accustomed to the feeling of loss. The novel has themes surrounding war, grief, friendship & morality.

Though it took myself a while to read, this novel wasted no time in introducing characters that I believe I won’t forget for a very long time yet:

Hans Hubermann, a shining example of what it means to be an inspiring & motivating father…

Rudy Steiner, the boy next door who showed unwavering loyalty towards his sport, friends & family…

& Max Vandenburg, the one with patience similar to that of a saint.

What I continue to find most intriguing about this book is the narrative. The book is told from the perspective of Death. Needless to say, that in itself made for a highly immersive read as the narrator would foreshadow events that would later take place. With that said, the spoilers meant little when what Death hinted at would actually transpire – nothing could have stopped those tears from surfacing. Ironically, I resented not being properly prepared for what was to come.

A truly unforgettable tale, The Book Thief needs to be read if you want firsthand insight into a country that is riddled with the constant fear of being bombed, what it is like to say goodbye to somebody without knowing if it’s the last time you’ll be in their company & what fierce loyalty resembles. I’ll sorely miss following Liesel in her journey to overcoming this time in her life she probably wishes she’d never lived.

Yours tearfully,

Sheeza

Trigger warning: violence, war, suicide

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An ode to 2020

My year in books looks a little something like:

Whiskey Words & a Shovel III – it made me weep

We Hope This Reaches You in Time – my favourite living couple of poets

THE BOOK I WROTE THAT SAVED MY LIFE – reminders I really needed

The Midnight Library – realising that the life you have is the best you could have

The Truth About Magic – what it says on the tin — just pure, simple magic

The Courage to Be Disliked – has stuck with me since the day I first picked it up

Maybe in Another Life – incredible read if you are a fan of the theory of parallel universes

Forever, Interrupted – answers a major what if question

Lullaby – moments of nostalgia about my birthplace, despite the storyline being creepy with a capital c 

Tokyo Ghoul, Tome 1 (Tokyo Ghoul, #1) – a manga that provides escapism like no other

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali – a coming of age novel discussing a topic that could not be considered more taboo in some circles

Jackpot – adventure lies within these pages

The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot, #1) – you would not believe how many of the children in my class bought a copy!

The Story of Tutankhamun – recommended highly if you wish to teach young minds about a time in Ancient Egypt

This year was not my finest with regards to how much time I dedicated to reading. It is this realisation that has inspired today’s writing as I am reminiscent about how good this year has been to me, in a myriad of ways.

So, here goes.

2020, in my eyes, was the year:

I chose myself more

I made decisions I look back on that I thought I could not make, but – thankfully so – did

I bettered my relationship with my faith

I gained clarity about how to become a better me

I became kinder to myself, thus to others

I said no often

I said yes even more

I pushed myself

I gifted patience to myself & thus to others, also

I am nervous about the new year. To many, it symbolises a new beginning; though I am getting better at embracing change, it takes time, which resonates with a few, too, I hope.

May this new beginning be the best one yet, for every single one of us, who continue to keep walking the greatest gift that we call life.

Thanking you for your company this year. Until the next.

Filled with gratitude,

Sheeza

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We Hope This Reaches You in Time

“Your presence is a gift. Be mindful of who you share it with.” Samantha King Holmes & r.h. Sin

Another day, another blogpost, another book by r.h. Sin, with bonus content provided by his wife, Samantha King Holmes. Together, they have created the breathtaking read, We Hope This Reaches You in Time (by Jove, it did!)

The first half is written by Holmes & as I successfully remained composed, I gained insight into how an independent, free & vindicated woman sounds. It will be of little surprise that the latter half of the poetry had me in bits. I for one felt as though he glanced into my mind & told me exactly what I needed to hear: the poignant reminder that no matter how much one is convinced that this is the end, that there is no coming back from this, that one cannot feel worse than they do now, that it will eventually get better. This too shall pass, as they say.

r.h. Sin gives me yet another reason to deem him my all time favourite living poet & the fact that he co-wrote with his wife makes the reading experience all the more meaningful & purposeful. Their words are as though somebody has extended their hand from the shadows to readers so that they may feel heard & understood.

To any future readers of We Hope This Reaches You in Time, may this book serve as a reminder that nothing is impossible to overcome. It is truly at one’s low moments that growth is most prevalent. Keep on keeping on!

Sincerely,

Sheeza

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Whiskey Words & a Shovel III

“the library is therapy for those with minds like mine” r.h. Sin

R. H. Sin’s Whiskey Words & a Shovel III was read in a solitary evening for one very specific reason: my heart could only bear to endure this book for a single sit-down reading time. I didn’t have it in me to read this the next day, though the night was waning, because if there is any living poet out there whose words resonate with my beating heart to an absolute T, it is R. H. Sin. So please don’t get me wrong — though I read it in a sitting so I didn’t have to for another evening, that is certainly not to say it wasn’t my all time favourite read of this year… as it definitely is!

He’s the poet for you if you’re big on affirmations, reminders, realisations about some realities & explanations about why certain things happen the way that they do. I believe that his words will be best appreciated by a reader who doesn’t shy away from finding parallels in somebody else’s wise words to one’s own life experience.

Sin touches on romantic relationships, friendships & family relationships, also. There are countless reasons why he is my all-time favourite living poet, but I appreciate him most for his humble nature whilst addressing real misconceptions & issues hitting society not just today but that have been pressing for quite some time now.

If you are considering diving into this delight, I recommend having a best friend nearby for emergency laughs — I very fortunately had mine readily waiting to comfort me with Instagram posts and WhatsApp messages. Guess who da real MVP is?

Sincerely,

Sheeza

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The Book I Wrote That Saved My Life

Robert M. Drake’s The Book I Wrote That Saved My Life is a collection of Drake’s poetry between the years 2012 and present day.

It is a reminder that we grow through what we go through — life goes in but a straight line & I too am slowly getting better at seeing life’s lessons for what they are: an opportunity to further blossom & improve, like his poems encourage me to do.

It has been a while since a book has touched me in the way this has. I found myself to be moved on occasion due to the sheer intro/retrospection Drake compels his readers to face. What I loved most is the fact that one does not have to experience what Drake did in order to write these verses, yet one can still learn from what he has to say.

What I most certainly wish to uphold as a mantra is this: Strive to make this already cold world a warmer one. Now, my nearest & dearest will know that some of life’s happenings has at times taken a toll on me more than they should. I struggle with people’s harshness at the best of times & I would consider myself a fairly grounded individual. With that said, my tribe — & words like R. M. Drake’s — are helping readers such as myself to stay soft in the harsh climate that this world can sometimes house.

With all of this said, as I reached the final few poetic pieces, I made the following mental note:

You cannot control your life, but you can control your response.

In life, there will be countless moments we will want to be in control of, & it is those moments that will remind us of our human inability to manage everything. It is these moments that will facilitate our growth as we learn to accept the inevitability of some events so that we may become better focused on how it is that we react to such events & occurrences.

A selection of the written word that I could not recommend more to those who need short spurts of reminders & anecdotes that they can not only relate to but learn from.

Pure wisdom lies in between the lines of this poet’s work.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

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The Midnight Library

Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library follows Nora Seed, a girl who believes that she no longer has any reason to live. She decides it’s time to call it quits, until she finds herself in the most surprising circumstances. Just when she thought it was all over, Nora wakes to what is coined the Midnight Library. In it contains archives upon archives of parallel universes, multiple versions of the one Nora, several lives that could have been led if some decisions were made rather than others. She now has the chance to live out every single one, to see which she’d rather have. After all, rumour has it that she can continue to live on in whichever world gives her most contentment.

“never underestimate the big importance of small things”

This book sheds light on how one decision – big or small, minor and major – can cause a series of dominoes to fall as a result. Reading The Midnight Library will make you stop to think just how true that is. It invites the reader to engage in deep reflection about the impact of our actions.

“he believed that the more people were connected on social media, the lonelier society became.”

This book is a wake-up call to all that is wrong with the world, namely how dependent we have become on technology and its repercussions. We think that the more socialising we do online, the better we will be perceived. Matt Haig is right to affirm how wrong this perception is, when done so in an excessive manner. It’s one thing to use social media as a means of staying connected and up to date with loved ones, but it’s another to use it as a replacement tool for actual relationships.

The resounding message that I received from this book is as follows:

Appreciate the life that you are given more than the life you think you want, or the life you think would be better, because chances are it wouldn’t have been better.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

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