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The Wild Robot

“I’ll tell you what: If I could do it all over again, I’d spend more time helping others. All I’ve ever done is dig tunnels. Some of them were real beauties too, but they’re all hidden underground, where they’re no good to anyone but me.” p.b.

Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot is a children’s book that narrates a robot’s need to survive life in the wilderness – such an otherworldly concept that I was so eager to find the answer to! As a teacher about to teach her very first class in a few months time, I was excited to embark on the pursuit to discover literature for my class kiddos, commencing with the reading of The Wild Robot.

The story begins with a robot delivery gone wrong – several boxes filled with robots are deposited onto a remote island, in pieces. All but one are destroyed & it is Roz who survives the unfortunate accident that brings her to the wild, making her the foremost robot to pay a visit to this desolate land.

She does well to portray the standard robotic creation, running only on pure logic. That’s what makes this book so page turning: the reader cannot help but wonder what will become of her and it is what got me to be so quickly attached to her. The reader witnesses her develop into a being with emotion, purpose & meaning; I found myself wanting her to survive the obvious dangers that can and do arise with living in unfamiliar surroundings.

Slowly but surely, Roz finds a routine in the wild, her loving personality lending itself to making friends who were like family to her, with ease. When all seems to be going well, it’s then that the unthinkable happens … as if the book wasn’t gripping enough! I’ll spare you the spoiler so I’m not that reader, but I promise you that it’s the most heartbreaking yet captivating plot point I have come across in a while, much less in a children’s novel.

There is a lot to be learned from this book, from children & adults alike:

how to make friends

how to be a parent

how to not only survive but thrive in a place that is completely out of one’s comfort zone

valuing that which truly matters

living a more purposeful life

I feel that as much as this book needs to be picked up by every primary school educator, it would also provide solace for anybody who feels that either they or somebody they know could benefit from reading about complex human concepts that have been explained in a straightforward and colourful manner.

My favourite part about reading The Wild Robot As somebody who didn’t speak English at home and who didn’t read until the age of about 9, I have very little recollection of reading children’s literature when I was a child myself. I think that plays a massive role in how much I enjoyed reading The Wild Robot – I was able to feel the pleasure that can be taken from reading about a robot who learns, through experience, the art of surviving in the circumstances that, though she did not choose for herself, handled with grace and humility (attributes not commonly associated with a manufactured creation) A big thank you to Mr. Brown for showing 24-year-old me the magic that lies within children’s books such as this one.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

My rating:

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
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Maybe in Another Life

“Life is long & full of an infinite number of decisions. I have to think that the small ones don’t matter, that I’ll end up where I need to end up no matter what I do.”

~ T. J. R.

a book by a favourite author

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author whose books I now buy blindly, because I am that sure I’ll love her literary handiwork. Maybe in Another Life did not disappoint. It follows Hannah Martin, a twenty-something year old who is uncertain about where her life is headed. After a big move back home to Los Angeles from New York, Hannah hopes to start over, if circumstances around her would ever allow her to, that is. Things take an intriguing turn when her best friend, Gabby, throws a party & a certain high school sweetheart makes an appearance. As the night draws to an end, Hannah has to decide between going home with Gabby or staying a little while longer with her former flame.

The novel’s central theme is choice & what I loved most about it was the form it took. One chapter, we’re in the head of Hannah who chose to stay at the party. In the next, Hannah goes home with her best friend & lives that version of a life. It’s an absolutely mental way to experience a book & I was so here for it!

In her very classic style, Taylor Jenkins Reid turns the everyday act of making decisions on its head, taking the reader on a cosmic, time-travel-style path, writing an unprecedented tale that couldn’t have been predicted.

Female friendships I was a massive fan of Hannah’s best friend, Gabby. The epitome of fierce female independence, I truly feel that she is a friend who many could benefit from having in their lives.

Without giving anything away, there is one character who made my jaw drop. That’s the magic behind Reid’s writing: one can’t help but fall in & out of love with certain characters almost instantly.

This book has enlightened me on planning: how too much of it isn’t great, how living in the moment – the time & moment we really only ever have any control over – is always the more worthwhile choice.

Welled up, I did, & as evil as it may sound, I would love for more people to feel what I did. (sorry!)

Sincerely,

Sheeza

☽

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The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change your Life & Achieve Real Happiness

“We do not lack ability. We just lack courage. It all comes down to courage.”

~ I. K. & F. K.

Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga’s The Courage to Be Disliked is a personal development book that retells a conversation between a young man & a philosopher. It is the book’s structure that I find most captivating – addictively easy to follow, I found it such a pleasure to accompany two polar opposite individuals attempting to answer burning questions about:

human behaviour, growth amidst insecurity, love, loyalty, confidence in oneself, taking control over one’s life, reasons for misbehaviour in children, handling conflict, managing negativity

This unique novel reminds the reader to strike a balance between work & play, not by simply stating one to do so, but rather by providing the analogy of how closely associated a lifestyle similar to that of a workaholic’s is to disharmony, which nobody wants to be responsible for feeding (right?)

If there was anything to dislike, it would have to be the youth’s attitude throughout the book. On the whole, I found him to be rather dismissive of whatever it was the philosopher had to say. I suppose it does well for the purpose of the book, which is to illustrate the young man becoming better informed. I just wish he was more open-minded about another’s views, is all. That said, I’m sure he represents a large chunk of our population who act in a similarly stubborn way – human nature cannot be helped!

The primary message that I will be taking with me: change is easy once one adopts the courage to do so. Courage is all it takes. Courage gets rid of external factors that would ordinarily discourage somebody from making some serious moves to change their lifestyle for the better – familial, economical, perhaps even mental.

I am truly sad to see this book come to an end, but I am reminding myself that my journey with it will always go on.

It really is that deep!

I urge you to read it.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

🦋

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Lullaby

“This is what it’s like, being a mother. It makes her a bit silly sometimes. The most banal moments suddenly seem important. Her heart is stirred by the smallest things”

~ L. S.

Trigger warning: suicide, depression, anxiety, graphic content

Leïla Slimani’s Lullaby is a dark tale set in inner Paris about a couple, Myriam and Paul, who employ a nanny named Louise to look after their two children, Mila & Adam. From the beginning, the reader is told that Louise murders these two children. Her simple exterior & quiet demeanour most certainly does not lend itself to an unlikeable character, much less a murderer. Hence, the reader is left having to constantly ask themselves as the story goes on: why?

I was fortunate enough to attend the BBC’S recording of their World Book Club podcast to hear Slimani discuss her book at length with Harriett Gilbert. The floor was open for questions from the audience & many were curious to know more about what inspired the author to write about the rather perverse subject matter of a murderous nanny. She revealed that she writes with no set aim, neither to provoke nor to create tension, rather to move her readers. She spoke of her enjoyment in steering clear of clichés, which she most definitely succeeded in doing by creating a character like Louise who the reader cannot help but feel sorry for, bizarrely enough. I credit Slimani’s talent for character development for almost compelling the reader to feel sympathy for a woman who, due to differences in class, has had to deal with tribulations all her life & who, it is believed, ultimately snapped.

What I find most intriguing about the experience of reading this novel is how readers differ on their opinions of the book’s characters. I, for one, was not much of a fan of Paul, as I found him to be unsupportive & bitter about her return to work. However, I know that not everybody agrees, as it is insisted that some fathers are as Paul is portrayed. Fascinating.

Gruesome, evil & downright creepy, it is no wonder that this book can allegedly be read in one sitting, for it certainly packs a punch, which does well to keep you reading on. I do not recommend it for the light-hearted, but then I do, too, because I really believe it has the power to speak to all, in some form or another.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

🌷

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The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali

“We must be the masters of our own destinies”

~ R. A.

Where to even begin with this book?

Sabina Khan’s The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali is a profound read about a Bangladeshi American teenager, Rukhsana, who is anxious & afraid of one part of her identity being scorned by her loved ones. She has a bright future ahead of her, with a scholarship waiting & a tribe who could not sound more supportive of her.

Though she is perfectly happy as is, she finds herself to be preoccupied with what those around her might think. She fears it may lead to dealing with an ultimatum, a decision she dreams to never have to make.

What threw me for a loop was how moving this book ended up being. What initially reads as the most light-hearted narrative begins to tell a powerful underlying message that would make anyone exhale a breath unknowingly left in as a result of the twists & turns the tale takes. Though it made me giggle tons, the overall vibe of the story is very much heavy.

Family relationships is a theme explored at length, with Sabina Khan depicting the sweetest brother-sister bond; it made my heart melt & provided respite in & amongst the otherwise difficult storyline.

I quite enjoyed getting to know Rukhsana – she tries as hard as possible to stay true to herself & in her world of doubt and wariness, she does well to continue on her path.

I know that, in the best way, this is a story that is going to haunt me and is up there in my Top 3 favourite reads list!

The anticipation as I read on was frightening, particularly when Rukhsana gets taken to Bangladesh & discovers some home truths that were, to say the least, hard to swallow.

You have to read it.

I laughed, I cried & now I want everybody to pick it up from their local Waterstone’s or The Works. Utterly heartbreaking & poignant, I am truly surprised this has not yet become a bestseller. One glorious day, though!

You will not regret it, this I pinky.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

☾

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One True Loves

“If you want to do something, you have to do it”

~ T. J. R.

She’s gone & done it again for me – Taylor Jenkins Reid’s One True Loves follows Emma Blair who finds herself at a crossroads when her once-thought-to-be-deceased husband, Jesse Lerner, comes back. Thought to have died in a helicopter crash, it is a surprise to all when he returns three years later & has been in search of Emma the entire time. What should be a happy ending transforms into a crisis when Sam Kemper is added into the mix – the man she moved on with.

I appreciate the concepts behind her books; her blurbs are captivating & tempt me to find out more! Having read another one of her books, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I was in awe of the way in which Reid handled the fairly cliché concepts of a well-known actress’ controversial journey to fame. Fortunately, Reid did not disappoint here either, handling the otherwise banal power struggle between heart-throb Jesse & the more introverted Sam in a way that provided myself with almost a new perspective on what has now become a traditional trope.

Cliché (but I like it) I grew to love reading what I have seen been done so often in films before, but only because of – or rather, thanks to – Reid’s immaculate suspense building!

Team Sam There is no contest in my mind as to who Emma should choose (personally).

Jesse’s character development is immense … Yay! It was a relief to see a character who I initially found to be nauseating evolve from an entitled teenager to a husband ready to see the world with his partner by his side. Huzzah!

I’m just not sure I really like Emma. Her ambivalence really started to grate on me; I felt that it set the tone for the rest of the novel, perhaps to its detriment. That said, I am slowly making peace with the possibility that it may just be a case of, as a discerning reader, having very little patience for the way in which she would take actions with uncertainty … Maybe.

All in all, a delightful book to dive right into when in the mood for a blanket, coupled with a cuppa & cosy read.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

☃︎

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Reasons to Stay Alive

“Read a book without thinking about finishing it. Just read it. Enjoy every word, sentence, and paragraph. Don’t wish for it to end, or for it to never end.”

– M. H.

With school, work & family being at the forefront of my everydays, there was no better book to choose in which to fully immerse myself than Matt Haig’s Reasons to Stay Alive.

Amazingly, Haig transforms his personal struggles into life lessons that he has come to gain, taking inspiration from figures such as Abraham Lincoln to have “an ‘irrepressible desire’ to accomplish something while he lived.”

He does well to remind the reader of the possibility to step out of one’s parameters if they feel all too confining and/or restricting; of the possibility to bestow more power onto oneself & less so on negative feelings, emotions or circumstances.

I feel inspired having read how far Haig has come: there truly is so much to look forward to.

The fact that anti-consumerism is not quite the norm in our day & age is an important one as the reader is left better informed into the underlying yet largely prevalent way in which our society functions, with consumerism- the idea that all can be fixed with the handing over of a sum of money- prevailing.

Haig touches on highly sensitive topics, which deserve a disclaimer, addressing suicide, depression & addiction. That said, I cannot help but feel motivated & mightily uplifted. It is truly awe-inspiring to feel empowered after reading a fellow human’s fight to stay afloat. It is for this reason that I am as thankful as I am to be a lover of the written word.

All in all, considering that I found it tricky to get through a couple of the initial chapters, I could not have savoured this book more. There were nights where I was tempted to read more than just my allocated daily chapter, but I refrained, for fear of burning the midnight oil one evening too many!

If there were any main takeaways from this novel, it would be the bare necessity of:

Making every minute count & accepting oneself

His raw & real writing leaves the reader feeling helplessly compassionate towards Haig’s mental health journey as he talks us through encountering, then later overcoming, hardships big & small, including the composition of this very book, for starters. Could not thank him enough for mustering up enough willpower, not to mention confidence, to share his advice with the rest of the world. I thank my very fortunate stars that his words from the heart have come into my life, with the intention to leave an unforgettable mark.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

✏︎ ✏︎ ✏︎

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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

✍🏼

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The Little Prince

“Only the children know what they are looking for”

– A. S. E.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince (translated by Katherine Woods) tells the story of two men who meet after finding themselves both stranded in the Sahara.

One of them- known as the little prince– embarks on informing the other about all that he’s seen on his adventures around the universe, which in actual fact represents a microcosm of society, one that the little prince found he wanted very little to do with, since it revealed

gluttony

usurpation

insecurity

the fear to be oneself

& the thirst for power

Many are confused as to what type of story the book is (if it is an allegory or fairytale, a parable or folktale) I quite like how it is all of them, yet none: it needs no label to have done its job of reminding the reader to hold on to their inquisitive child self. I for one was certainly made to believe the notion that ‘grown-ups’ are overrated because they let go of whimsical dreaming & settle for reasoning. It is ‘being a child’ that allows for one to show genuine interest & actual presence in the today before them.

Finding beauty in all things, finding the treasure in the little things Saint-Exupéry lets it be known that things of beauty are destined for greatness, inspiring the reader to remain steadfast in maintaining a mind, body & soul that is rid of toxicity & rather coated with authenticity:

“& since it is beautiful, it is truly useful”

With imagination comes beauty, magic, power & ample miracles, of that I have been made more sure, having read about the little prince, who represents the miracle that comes with being a creative sort, as creativity paints the banality of life in a less harsh colour & helps individuals such as the little prince to look past realities of the world, like greed for power & authority, for instance.

Grown-ups are just as human as those a little less aged, who are simply trying their hand at life, who are neither as enlightened nor as learned as children tend to assume. The little prince affirms this & now I do, too.

A takeaway I can’t get out of my mind is the following fact: in everyone we meet, there lies a lesson, something to learn. This is particularly true of those we may encounter who we feel do not bring out the best in us. The least we can do is figure out what lesson they’ve taught us- how not to talk, act or carry ourselves, for example- so that we may become better selves anyway.

The little prince from Asteroid B-612 has my heart, as do the illustrations provided by Saint-Exupéry. As such, I would’ve preferred a different end to the tale (tempted yet?)

To my honest surprise, all in all: a short book full of complexity & meanders. Having said that, post-reading me was full of questions. Thus, the book is thought-provoking & compelling as it encourages the reader to think outside of the box, just like the narrator wanted when he first illustrated an elephant being swallowed whole by a boa constrictor …

…

… You’ll just have to read the book to find out what I mean. Very worth your while, I think you’ll find.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

✍🏼

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Bloom

“Never be sorry for who you are. Your personality should never be shrouded in what society expects of you.

Be shamelessly, unapologetically you. You will find the world rallies behind those who carve roads of their own.”

– B. T.

Beau Taplin’s Bloom is a collection of words that aim to

liberate

heal

remind

& advise

I first came across Beau Taplin online, where he’s made quite the wonderful name for himself as an Instagram poet; to have received one of his books as a gift was a surprise that I am yet to really get over (& I hope I never do!)

Bloom is no ordinary book of poetry, for it combines stunning typography with words that provide a steady shoulder to its reader.

There was no way of predicting what the next page turn would entail, as one side writing about pain would be followed by another describing the process of coming out of the other side a stronger being.

A thing of magic I had come to realise upon finishing this read is how seamlessly Taplin was able to mingle strengthening statements with pained affirmations. Choosing to structure his poetry in this way illustrates the way in which life is made up of both good & ‘bad’, easy & tricky; how blessings & tribulations are symbiotic, not disparate.

Taplin does well to remind readers of hurt that is inevitable & unavoidable. He does even better to encourage the belief that one does not have to remain crippled as a result of such affliction, but can rather escape with the thought alone that experiencing & overcoming is part & parcel of one’s involvement with the universe we are a part of.

I could go on.

In short, poetry has a way of making me feel that little bit more empowered, tall & inspired. I find myself reaching for it particularly during times where I’m in need of a little pick-me-up. It’s my little saving grace, because it finds words that, at times, I’m unable to come up with myself. I’m sure other fellow avid readers of poetry would attest to it being their guardian angel in a very similar way, also. A special shoutout to Beau Taplin for being a poet who never fails to bring out a few smiles, tears & laughter out of this reader, time & time again.

Sincerely,

Sheeza

✍︎