Tag: ReedsyDiscovery

Book Review: Little Baghdad

Little Baghdad – a memoir by -Weam Namou- Book Cover

Book: Little Baghdad: A Memoir About an Endangered People in an American City

Author: Weam Namou

Genre: Biographies, memoirs

Review copy: Reedsy Discovery

Available at: Amazon.in

Recommended: Must Read

A fascinating read for those who want to know the history of the struggles in our world and about the life of refugees from Iraq.

Writing a memoir is a manifestation of bravery, for one must dig into the deepest crevices and corners of memory to tell an astounding story. Little Baghdad by Weam Namou is one such brilliant effort as it fills the pages with a kaleidoscopic memory scape that is endearing and poignant.

Weam delves into the lesser-known documented history and experiences of the Chaldean Christians from Iraq, who settled in the state of Michigan in the United States. The pages carry the longing and the travails of all who must leave their homeland to seek refuge in distant pastures. The amalgamation and assimilation into a new world is a long and adventurous journey peppered with stories – sweet and bitter.

Little Baghdad is not just a glimpse of the life of settlers from another part of the globe in Michigan, it is also a historical note on the city of Detroit. There is a glimpse of the culture of the Native Red Indians and how they slowly embrace modernity. In the reflections of loss and hope, a young wife, mother, sibling, and caretaker for an aging parent weaves in her professional quest.

Amidst political turmoil and a growing divide based on religion and community, our author, a feminist and flag-bearer of justice, is often disheartened, yet she gains strength in her artistic explorations. Part 2 of the book is a tender testimony of the love that only a child can feel for parents who devoted their lives to finding another haven for their children. It is, then, the sweet burden of the children to do their best to create something worthwhile for the next generation. It’s not an effortless task when time has changed the landscape and people have drifted apart. “Things don’t die, they become shells. Life then continues in different ways.”

From anecdotes related to writing a book or creating a home production to deciphering ancient scriptures and culture, or talking about a quiet evening with the family and its pet, the narration is brimming with memories. The reader can only imagine the writer’s nostalgia as she brings out precious and delicate recollections on paper. The book is bound to touch and inspire the reader in more ways than one as it meanders down memory lane. It would be a treat to see a web series on the vibrant ethnic communities that are documented in this book. 

Book Review: Freddy’s Magic Garden

Freddy’s Magic Garden -Angelin Dayan- Book Cover

Book: Freddy’s Magic Garden

Author: Angelina Dayan

Genre: Biographies, memoirs, stories

Review copy: Reedsy Discovery

Available at: Amazon.in

Recommended: Must Read

Get yourself a little something this Valentine’s Day – A delightful, warm, and fuzzy book that tells of feline adventures and is brimming with utmost love and affection.

Freddy’s Magic Garden by Angelina Dayan is a warm and fuzzy novella, perfect for the winter months. It contains stories filled with much love and affection for our furry friends. It is about friendship, guardianship, and hope. The book has been written with much tenderness and the feelings ooze out of the pages, instantly warming the heart.

With human and feline narrators, the storytelling is lively and can make for a good bedtime read for children. The cat portraits give faces to the names of frolicky balls of fur. A more vibrant portfolio of the cats in different settings around the house and garden would have made this into an exotic coffee-table book. The book is a testimony of how caring for fur babies, tugs at your heartstrings and can keep you up at night and days, in anxiety for their well-being. The commitment to care for another living being is difficult and must only be taken up if one will go the extra mile.

The stories of the cats, as told in their voice, are engaging and humorous. You feel drawn into their world. From their experiences with the breeders to waiting for their human family, to antics and escapades, these cats have a full life of adventure. In Uddy’s escapades, the author seems to channel Orwell’s Animal Farm, including a visionary piglet. There is a reference to Elon Musk’s feline alter ego, and it’s hilarious – “What you need, Uddy is to go to Mars. But hurry up before that human gets ahead of you, that Mewlon Husk,” he advised. I would have loved more farm stories, but it was a small part of the larger feline saga.

This is a fabulous book to understand the world of cats, particularly Maine Coons. As it is with life, the cats face losses and challenges, but with love and care, they bounce back. With the largesse of the heart, even a small home can become a heaven for little bundles of joy. The cat family grows by leaps and bounds and there is much joy to be shared and observed. Freddy’s Magic Garden is a perfect book for animal lovers and if you can not get enough of these stories, then like me, you can top it up with a 2022 Netflix film – Inside the mind of a cat.

Book Review: Millennial Apocalyp$e 

Millennial Apocalyp$e -Zane Brown – Book Cover

Book: Millennial Apocalyp$e Why You and Other Millennials Are Tracking Toward Financial Disaster and How You Can Avoid It

Author: Zane Brown

Genre: Non-fiction, business, self-help

Review copy: Reedsy Discovery

Available at: Amazon.in

Recommended: Loved It

This a thought-provoking and insightful book for our times, with relevance for a wide audience interested in the psychology of the millennials.

The fear of recession and the current doldrums that our economy is braving is directly impacting millennials. The sudden dissemination of the Big Tech bubble and its ripple across several digitalized segments is causing a lot of concern with markets in a tizzy. In this well-timed and relevant book, financial strategist Zane Brown, and psychologist Dr. Donalee Brown address the conditions, fears, and proposed solutions around the financial well-being of millennials.

The book is primarily targeted towards an American audience with many references to laws, socio-economic situations, and even research centered on the American ecosystem. However, most insights are valid for an international audience and informative for all who want to understand the global economy and millennial psychology.

I recommend this book as a thought-provoking and insightful study of the world of millennials. It helps us understand how their sense of entitlement, risk aversion, internet addiction, self-aggrandizement, behavioral biases, distrust in banks and traditionally organized financial organizations in favor of cryptocurrencies, and even financial PTSD – all of this crumples up the modern social fabric. This book explains how late marriages, high student debts, delayed or no real estate investment, and zero retirement plans are keeping millennials on the precipice of a financial disaster.

The book offers advice and aims at pulling millennials out of the rut of choosing to remain uninformed and risk-averse while making unhealthy financial decisions. This is an important book for a wide audience – parents, educators, leaders, and of course, the young generation, who are not getting straightforward answers on what 2023 and beyond hold for the world. We are living in a stressful time – a book that acknowledges this and offers succor in practical ways while validating the concerns of our generation – is a must-read book.

The research, analysis, examples, and explanations make this an engaging read. However, the descriptive content is often repetitive, as if to meet a certain word count. A better way to handle this would have been to include graphics, tables, line drawings, or caricatures, which this book lacks. Yet, this is a necessary book for its advice related to deep analysis, personal connections with professional and financial advisors, delayed gratification, and patience for the millennials.

Book Review: Art

Art – book cover

Book: Art

Author: Marin Darmonkow (@fontrealbooks) / Twitter

Genre: Children’s fiction, Picture book

Review copy: Reedsy Discovery

Available at: Amazon.in

Recommended: Must Read

This magical book of inspired art lets you create your own story and give voice to its protagonist. Art, an illustrated book, reminds me of silent movies of yore when only actors’ expressions were articulated and audiences interpreted the characters in different ways. In this book of intricate imagery, the creative artist Marin Darmonkow has given voice to an autistic character without saying a word. This work of art is intense, tugging at the heartstrings, and generating empathy.

The artwork in fluorescent line drawings and colors stands out on black paper. A heavy mood hangs on the pages because the story that is hardly narrated invokes sadness. There is so much going on in just a few pages – the circus, non-verbal Art, and his stuffed toy friend, mesmerizing people with antics, yet no one knows what goes on in Art’s mind. The jester’s hat of Art and the thousand glistening crowns in the audience bring about the sharp contrasts in life. The stuffed bear, in its silent companionship, seems to be alive and supporting Art in his life’s mission of “Do what you dream!”

There is a lyrical melancholy that pulls you into the black sheets of sparkling wonder. I can imagine a parent narrating a bedtime story based on pure imagination, brilliantly transposed against the beautiful artwork. As an empath, I wonder if it is too dark or sad a book for children. Then, I think – it is not by shielding from the pain that a child grows, but by expounding truths so that compassion flows.

This inspired book can inspire many stories and poems. Bring the magic home and carve your tales, page-by-page, where the stuffed bear comes to life, and Art speaks from the heart. Truly, a collector’s edition, this book must find a place on the bookshelves of young and old. It holds a meditative power, deep insights, and imaginative streak. Make it yours because silence can be stronger than words, as we see in this book.

Words – are all that matter

Reading and reviewing books for ReedsyDiscovery has become an integral part of my daily schedule. My reading game seems to be spot on even though I don’t give it a thought. I get the Reedsy Discovery top book reviewers for the month badge when I am least accepting it. I do not count the books I read in a month or compete to get this badge. I just pick up a book that draws me in – be it the book cover or the back cover blurb.

I read parts of a book throughout the day. Each weekend, I carve out a good 3-4 hours to write and publish book reviews. I always have a read and review task on my to-do list. Honestly, it requires discipline, dedication, time, and effort. Yet, it comes effortlessly because it is a cherished interest. It has helped me grow in so many ways.

I have read some brilliant books this year and the stories have stayed with me. I often ponder over the stories or the lessons I garnered from the non-fiction book I consumed.

The most endearing part is that the authors are also thinking about my review of their work. I receive comments and emails from authors and it warms my heart. Many request me to read another of their work or contact me with advanced review copies (ARC) when their new work is ready to be unveiled. It’s a symbiotic author-reader relationship – unique because we only know each other through words.

We build bridges across the world with our words. I can only stand in awe of all the brilliant talent out there and gaze with greedy eyes wanting to consume the brilliance of these works of art and creativity.

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