FRANKENSTEIN IN BAGHDAD
Ahmed Saadawi
Set after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, Frankenstein in Baghdad captures the ordinary yet not so ordinary life in rapidly-changing Baghdad. The novel illustrates the complexity of life for a citizen in Iraq, highlights the atrocities of war and sectarianism, and questions our sense of bias and morality. Frankenstein in Baghdad is a novel relevant for everyone irrespective of their nationality.
Zahraa Al-Dawood
THE INKBLOT JOURNAL
Published by the AUS Writing Center
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
FRANKENSTEIN IN BAGHDAD
Ahmed Saadawi
Set after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, Frankenstein in Baghdad captures the ordinary yet not so ordinary life in rapidly-changing Baghdad. The novel illustrates the complexity of life for a citizen in Iraq, highlights the atrocities of war and sectarianism, and questions our sense of bias and morality. Frankenstein in Baghdad is a novel relevant for everyone irrespective of their nationality.
Zahraa Al-Dawood
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Anne Brontë
Konstantina Spyropoulou
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is unique in the sense that it is unlike any other Brontë novel. Telling the story of Helen Huntingdon who leaves her abusive husband and starts a life of her own as a working woman supporting her son through her art, the novel is quite unconventional. It sheds light on women’s struggles at a time when such issues were obscured and dispels the myth of Anne being the lesser competent Brontë sister. On the contrary, it establishes Anne Brontë as a pioneering author of her time, writing a kind of realistic fiction that would emerge only 50 years later. If you think you have read enough about the Brontës you should think again, and give a chance to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall to surprise you.
THE KITE RUNNER
Khaled Hosseini
Aisha Almaazmi
The Kite Runner is a book that is equally heartfelt and heart-wrenching. It shows the wide spectrum of human emotions, feelings, and reactions while facing the harsh realities of brotherhood, separation, and moving on. Truly a beautiful read!
the woman in the window
A. J. Finn
Alaa Itani
The Woman in the Window is a psychological suspense thriller centered around Anna Fox, a child psychologist diagnosed with agoraphobia. Chained by this fear of open spaces, Fox spends her day at home, mostly looking out her window. When new neighbors move into the house opposite to hers, Fox catches a glimpse of something through her window she should not have seen and is caught in a trap of dilemmas and ultimatums. Challenging her fears, her beliefs, and her perspectives, the events unfolding dramatically test and change Fox’s character as she ventures into a world that is not all it appears to be. The book is neatly deceptive, captivatingly twisted, and ultimately daring. A. J. Finn skillfully weaves every detail into a greater piece of art, continuously pulling the rug from under the reader’s feet with shocking truths, horrid lies, and dreadful delusions. Overall, the book does provide the reader with the perspective to look at Fox’s life from the outside looking in, but it also allows the reader to empathetically and emphatically feel Anna’s neurotic emotions, think Anna’s ruminative thoughts, and live Anna’s puzzling life throughout its chapters.
the poppy war trilogy
Rebecca F. Kuang
Gowri Prasad
All three books in The Poppy War Trilogy are astounding. Reading them taught me the impact of resilience and that we need to make mistakes in order to grow and evolve. It also taught me that we can learn from every person and situation.
HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE
Dale Carnegie
Karim Abdelwahed
How to Win Friends and Influence People will forever and always be regarded as an all-time classic, and rightly so. Amassing over 15 million purchases ever since its release in 1936, this book is a timeless bestseller that has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. Truth be told, I really do wish I had read this book sooner, considering how insightful, life-changing, and thought-provoking it is. Thanks to this book, I've now transformed from a socially awkward, timid, and defensive person to someone who is collected, calm, and confident. If you're having troubles in life and simply can't figure out what you're doing wrong, this is a fantastic place to start.
WORD POWER MADE EASY
Norman Lewis
Karim Abdelwahed
Word Power Made Easy is easily one of the best vocabulary books published to date. Written by Norman Lewis, this book makes use of a completely unique and eccentric way to teach vocabulary words. By etymologically deriving the Greek/Latin root of a specific word, and then shedding light on other words that stem from that same root, the book truly unleashes word power. It also features several ‘brief intermissions’ that examine the progression of grammar over the years and the evolution of the modern-day English language. Are you interested in knowing what words like psychosomatic, incorrigible, anachronistic, disheveled, inveterate, pathological, sphygmomanometer, unconscionable, stoical, intrepid, hypochondriac, reticent, gregarious, altruistic, multitudinous and others mean? If yes, then please do give this book a read! In my opinion, this is the best vocabulary book there is.