Posted on by sheeza

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

Posted on by sheeza

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

Posted on by sheeza · 2 Comments

Whiskey Words & a Shovel II

“You are rare.

I mean, there’s something inside you that can’t be found elsewhere.

Avoid anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.

Avoid anyone incapable of seeing what you’ve always seen in yourself.”

– r.h. Sin

r. h. Sin’s Whiskey Words & a Shovel II is a pocket-sized instruction manual on self-love. Encouraging ideas connoting feminism, this second instalment of poetry of his does very well to remind one of the necessity of never settling, in life, love, work & when finding one’s passions.

What I love most about reading r. h. Sin’s poetry is the way in which he says what the reader finds difficult to think, let alone verbalise. Sin hints at the possibility to love profoundly once more, despite it looking as though once is enough, as many a lesson can be learned from first times that can be applied to second- or better yet, third- tries. Very uplifting indeed as he reminds the reader of the reality behind being able to overcome just.

About.

Anything.

In my twenty-something years of reading poetry, I’ve read associations between hurt people & not being ready to love again or having committed grave &/or irreversible errors. Sin, however, paints such individuals with an alternative brush, illustrating the fact that hurt people house the best kind of love & it is their bravery to love ardently that lands them into the hands of hardship sometimes.

Sin is that ideal companion who delivers the reminders that one requires regarding why one has to do what one has to do, whether that be

staying

walking away

vocalising

remaining silent

In short, Whiskey Words & a Shovel II did what its predecessor had so effortlessly achieved : move me in a most ‘never going back’ manner. It’s his ability to speak my very heart & soul’s language that drives myself to digest his words in a sitting & feel like several more volumes could be read in rapid succession.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

✍🏼

Posted on by sheeza

A Silent Voice #7

“The motivation will present itself when the time’s right”

Yoshitoki Oima’s final instalment of A Silent Voice provides a bittersweet end to Shoya & Shoko’s story. About to graduate, Shoya & his friends prepare to face the real world, after experiencing so much in their own circle. Uncertainty amongst the friends looms as massive decisions regarding the future are on the horizon.

My favourite part about manga is the fact that one can learn ample lessons from it, from the importance of following one’s heart to understanding that life is a journey.

People-pleasing This coming-of age novel touches on the fact that, as a youngster (or maybe even as an adult), putting other’s needs before one’s own is a common occurrence. Being confronted with this reality in the book helps the reader to avoid this as best they can in their own lives.

Following dreams The importance of pursuing a passion is demonstrated through each character who strives to find their vocation, no matter how unbelievable.

Change A concept that is heavily focused on throughout the book, with the male protagonist, Shoya, feeling the fear & anxiety that comes with such a process … relatable!

Compromise The book reminds one never to compromise, neither on one’s present nor one’s future.

Reality The realness behind picking one’s vocation is mirrored in the adolescent characters; it is motivational to see them striving towards the end goal of being happy in the profession that they choose.

Whatever you do, do it well A lesson passed down to me by my own parents, the book teaches to put 100% into whatever one embarks on.

Friendship Centred around a group of friends, the seventh A Silent Voice takes the reader through the ups & downs of the cherished bond shared between individuals, ultimately allowing the reader to see how vital a beloved friendship can be.

It’ll work out, eventually Whether it’s fixing an old friendship or deciding what to do with oneself, life has a way of working out, as is demonstrated in this story, with Shoya’s friends discovering their true selves & Shoko her voice.

It is for the powerful & unique style that is manga that I urge readers to pick one up that sounds most tempting & appealing & to give it a go. I myself may have been fairly late on the bandwagon, but I’m not planning on getting off anytime soon!

Sincerely,

Sheeza

✒︎

Posted on by sheeza

A Silent Voice #6

“Everyone has their faults! So hold your head up high!”

I find it terribly easy to read Yoshitoki Oima’s A Silent Voice series; her writing is addictive & delectably moreish. Six volumes on & I feel no different.

In this tome, one sees history creep up on both Shoya & Shoya, no matter how fast they try to run away from it, to escape from it. Though Shoya views life as granting him a second opportunity, old skeletons refuse to budge. The previous volume saw Shoya confront his friends who for a long time partnered with him to belittle classmate Shoko, who has a hearing impairment & it is her disability that many, including Shoya, have in the past taken advantage of. Hoping for a clean slate, however, Shoya is determined to leave the past exactly there, triggering the collision with his otherwise loyal friends. Witnessing the dispute is too much for Shoko to handle as she holds herself accountable. Deciding to take her own life, Shoya risks all to save her, causing himself to be admitted into hospital, yet to regain consciousness. It is at this point in the series that all comes to a boil, as some point the finger at Shoko for Shoya’s rather critical state. Others are more mindful, reassuring her that it is Shoya’s dedicated and committed nature that has led to his plight, rather than Shoko’s own actions. The volume lends itself to an abundance of questions, leaving the reader itching to read #7.

Self-acceptance This novel heavily focuses on the theme of accepting oneself, which Shoko has struggled with as a result of constant bullying ever since she was a little girl. With supporting characters like Tomohiro, though, Shoko begins to grow proud of who she is, despite being criticised & trodden on.

Character development This is what I love most about Oima’s writing style. The reader is taken on a journey for numerous volumes, seeing several characters partake in enthralling introspection & retrospection. Characters who I initially despised somehow win me over because of their ability to recognise where they may have slipped up. It is their determination to make amends that can soften any reader’s heart, I’d like to think.

Packed full of suspense, cliffhangers & drama, the sixth instalment of A Silent Voice has followed its predecessors in winning my heart over & I await the seventh book – as it arrives by post – with bated breath!

Sincerely,

Sheeza

✒︎