Date Night!

Check out lisa-Jo Baker's Website

The other day, trawling the internet, looking for inspiration for an article, I happened to come across a post on the importance of re-dating your spouse. According to Lisa-Jo Baker, author of 'Surprised by Motherhood' which will be released April 2014, the reasoning behind her idea is because 'between the dishes and the piles of unfolded laundry stacked across the bed and the kids who come in demanding attention, cookies, help with their homework there’s no room for conversation'. Sounds familiar? Well, it did to me and in a spur-of-the-moment enthusiasm, I decided that Mr. Fabulous and I were going on a date!

The stars must have been aligned and the heaven doors wide open to receive my shouts of where oh where could I go on a date that did not involve eating or drinking. This drama queen is on a diet (again) and rule number one is to stick to it because if I don't (yet again), the slump in my self esteem will make sure that the only date that will be happening is with my nutritionist crying my eyes out. But as I said, this date was destined to happen because Mrs C. called up with two tickets to spare to the Cavalia Show. It was official: Mr. Fabulous and I were definitely going on this date.

The stunning Qasr al Hosn where
we watched Cavalia

Euphoria over, sobriety settled in. So, what was this 'date' supposed to be like and how was it different to Mr. Fabulous and I nipping down together to the local store for some bread and milk? Back to the articles on the internet. Here was what I gathered: I had to dress up for this date (dress and heels preferable), wash my hair and apply make-up. In a nutshell, I had to put in the effort to re-create that 'first date' scenario of long ago. I had to forget being 'mother' and 'wife' and concentrate on being 'femme fatale' for the night. It also meant Mr. Fabulous's son was getting a pizza delivery so this mum could smell of roses and not the usual chicken nuggets.

The Cavalia Show

The White Big Top

FINALLY, after a resounding cry of 'I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR' aimed at self in the mirror, with note to same self to schedule an emergency shopping spree with the girls, I settled, in typical me fashion, on the first outfit I'd initially planned to wear anyway. And off we went to what would prove a breathtaking memorable performance.

And was the date a success? Suffice to say that good girls never kiss and tell, or do they? ;)

Books in today's News!

The news comes from the UAE's Gulf News Weekend:

Gulf News Weekend reports on page A14 that in Tokyo, Anne Frank's 'The Diary of a Young Girl' and scores of books about the young Holocaust victim have been vandalised in the city's public libraries since earlier this year. The reason? According to Gulf News Weekend that although Holocaust denial has occurred in Japan at times, the motive for damaging the books is unclear this time and police are investigating.

Akhel Mathew on page A16 reports that in India, a book titled 'Holy Hell: A Memoir of Faith, Devotion and Pure Madness' by Australian Gail Tredwell has caused controversy in spite of the fact that it is not even available in the country. However, it is widely circulating on social media, prompting thousands of comments. In the book Tredwell claims she arrived in Kollam in 1978 as a 19-year-old and worked as a personal assistant to Amritanandamayi for 21 years before quitting in 1999. She makes allegations against several members of the ashram, which has denied her claims.

Review: 'Beyond Belief' by Helen Smith

I received a request to read/review 'Beyond Belief' by Helen Smith around Christmas holidays last year. As of January 28th the book has become available in paperback, audio and ebook editions and I am happy to write in that this latest addition to the Emily Castles Mystery series, is just as light-hearted and engaging as ever.

This time, Emily Castles lands a gig with the Royal Society for the Exploration of Science and Culture to attend their annual conference being held in Torquay entitled 'Belief and Beyond'. The society will have for the first time in its history, extended the invitation to mediums, hypnotists and psychics. Emily's mission? Hired by the society's current president Gerald Ayode, she is there to investigate the possible threat to the conference's main attraction and 'super star' Edmund Zenon who is offering a £50,000 reward to anyone who can prove the existence of the paranormal. A well-known rationalist, he is not only a TV celebrity hoping to plug his book at the conference but his tour is aptly entitled 'Don't Believe the Hype'. Quite an inflammatory title at a conference that specialises in nothing but the paranormal.

The setting for the novel is The Seaview Hotel in Torquay aptly named for its location. It is in the waters of Torquay that Zenon has promised his audience, who are gathering in this seaside village from near and far, the most amazing gig on Earth: he will walk on water. And so enter a wide range of amusing (the colonel) and the not so amusing (Madame Nova) and even sinister characters who are all hoping to witness the moment Zenon delivers on his promise.

By now readers of Helen Smith will be expecting a diverse list of eccentric characters and she does not fail to deliver. There is never a dull moment as the characters battle each other for attention. There is murder, fortune-telling, a prophecy, and a very memorable baptism scene. And, of course, there is philosophy professor, Dr. Muriel Crowther, who is like the 'Watson' to our female 'Sherlock'.

Helen Smith's 'Beyond Belief', a whodunnit in all sense of the word, touches upon sensitive, humane issues such as ordinary people's need for the paranormal and the reason people feed into the hype of fortune tellers, psychics, and mediums. It also highlights how wrong it could all go and how easily some take advantage to prey and exploit people's vulnerabilities at a time of loss, bereavement and loneliness. It highlights how people's fears, anxieties, hopes and dreams are feeding an industry, whether authentic in its claims or not, that is constantly expanding and that is proving hard to ignore. 

Finally, let me tell you why I like Helen Smith and why you should read her books. It's simple: Helen Smith is an author who listens to her readers. When those readers loved Emily Castles from the word go and asked to know more about her, Helen Smith was listening. In 'Beyond Belief' she creates settings that allow her main character the opportunity to connect with the reader. We glimpse a more intimate, possibly romantic side to Emily that was lacking in the previous book. I do believe she has a lot of growing up to do as a character and I do think there is more to her than the author is letting on. And best of all? Emily's a South London girl. Enough said!

Other books written by Helen Smith & reviewed by BOOKFABULOUS:

An Invitation to Die

The Miracle Inspector

To know more about Helen Smith, click HERE.

'No Araaabic Madam!': Book Shopping in Abu Dhabi

The beautifully designed programme
for the Emirates Festival of Literature
2014

So, I stayed up late last night happily listing all the books that I wanted to read before attending the Emirates Festival of Literature in March. My plan: read the books, finish the books, get books signed, if possible, by their authors at the festival. An easy, straight-forward quite boring plan really.

The Emirates Festival of Literature has many sponsors. One of which is WHSmith where one can purchase the tickets (I got mine online) and where supposedly one would assume the books authored by the festival's speakers would be housed. Well, think again! 

In all fairness I did find two of the 15 books on my list and those were written in English. Bar one, the rest of my list consisted of Arabic titles and this is where it all went pear shape. The bookseller could not in any shape or form check if the Arabic titles on my list were anywhere in the store or even on the system because not one member of staff knew how to read Arabic. When I offered to check their system for them, I was refused on the grounds that it is not company policy to allow customers to access the store's computer. When I asked whether anyone in all the shop floors or in management elsewhere read Arabic, the response was a complete blank stare.

Me: 'So, what do you do if someone comes in and asks for an Arabic title?"

Staff: shoulder shrug and polite smile.

Me: 'So there are no Arabic speaking employees?'

Staff: 'No ma'am sorry. I don't know Araaabic'.

Me: 'Umm, how do I find my books then?'

Staff: All the Arabic books are over there

Me turns around to where I see three bookcases of Arabic titles stacked top to bottom. Will need at least two hours to go through them one by one. I am looking for 13 books. Exasperated I give it one last shot: 'Is there any way someone can help?'

The Blank Stare makes an appearance.

I leave.

And so the scenario repeats itself at Virgin Megastore and Magrudy's where in the case of the latter the staff were perplexed at the sight of a list in the first place. They were able to find one more title for me (the last remaining English title on the list) and nothing on the Arabic front. Again, the staff spoke no Arabic.

Looking back at the time when Mr. Fabulous suggested moving to Abu Dhabi, one of the positives I wrote down on my list was the fact that I would finally be able to get my hands on Arab author's books without the hassle of having to order them from the Middle East and wait for them to arrive in the United Kingdom. No postage, no postman! Now quite obviously No Chance!

It also makes me think that no wonder authors are excited to be chosen for the IPAF, a truly golden ticket. Why? Because one: they get to be translated into English which automatically leads to number two: the fact that they will be read by the public. Can it be that only a handful of people read any book written in Arabic and so booksellers are not concerned about catering to a few, such as myself, who might on the odd chance seek to read an Arabic title? Perhaps only the author's editor, spouse, and best friend read an Arab author's work and they probably get it free anyway. 

Frankly, I don't know how anyone is meant to find an Arabic title among a sea of Arabic books with no help from bookshop staff. No matter how much of an avid reader one is, I doubt one has the time to go over every single title in the store to find what he/she seeks. Is it now madness to assume that in a store that sells Arabic titles in an Arab country one might expect to find at least one member of staff who knows Arabic? How difficult can that be? Judging by my experience today: a mammoth ask!

I refuse to believe that I am the only one who finds this odd or unreasonable grounds for a moan. And yet I am nowhere closer to allocating those titles by authors I am dying to read. I need an end to my quest and I need it soon. All suggestions welcome! 

Catch Up ... Yet Again!

Here I go again playing catch up with all that I have missed to report on this blog regarding all things books and otherwise. It has been busy times here in the BookFabulous household what with invitations flying left, right and centre and Mr. Fabulous having his parents over to stay, we've had our hands full. 

But true to my promise, I am continuing to read up on all things Abu Dhabi-related as per THIS POST. I am done with the list and the books have been great eye-openers. Some I enjoyed more than others and I will spread my views along various posts, but in the meantime feel free to email me any of your questions regarding any of them and I'll happily email back the answers. Or of course leave a comment and others including myself who have read the books and would like to share their views as well with you will have the chance to do just that.

But first drrrrrrrrum roll please! Today marks my 6-month anniversary landing in Abu Dhabi. I can't believe how the time has whizzed by! Ups and downs dearies but finally feeling settled in this precious city. So what have I done to mark the occasion? Had breakfast with an amazing American Abu Dhabi-based artist, treated myself to a manicure/pedicure, and cooked a lasagna! 

Anyway, enough with the blabbering and on to more blog-related matters. As you all may well know by now, The IPAF shortlist was announced last week. Personally, I am happy with the choices on that list particularly so as one of my favourites of the year 'No Knives in This City's Kitchen' by Syrian author Khaled Khalifa was picked as one of the lucky six. 

Much of the commentary after the announcement of the list was made has concentrated around the fact that the books were picked for their political references and topics. This seems unsurprising firstly because they were written in a region where politics at the moment is the 'hot topic' and cannot be avoided and I think that secondly this may be the IPAF judges' way of ensuring that the prize is not only therefore current but relevant as well. 

I believe that every political era has produced politically inspired-books and today's ever-changing, ever-evolving Middle East is no different. With political change comes social change and it is the very practical and natural response of creatives to want to step up to the plate and to reflect their interpretation of these changes through their artwork. There is no better way to understand the times we live in than through the readings of fiction. For fiction is a reflection of our reality and although in some cases it is no more than wishful thinking or a lie even, yet "writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth' as Khaled Hosseini was once quoted as saying.

It is a very strong, well-chosen IPAF shortlist, and to read more about the books, click HERE.

This week I have downloaded two books I mean to read. The first is a novel written by Abu Dhabi-based author Daniel Danser called 'The God Particle' which is published by Aventura in e-book format and is available from major online e-bookstores.  This thriller is about CERN's Hadron Collider whose sole purpose is to prove the existence of the mysterious God Particles - the essential building blocks of the universe. After the sudden death of the project's director general, Tom Halligan is headhunted by CERN's governing council to continue the search for the elusive particles. He is soon embroiled in a titanic struggle against sinister forces that are intent on creating a chain of events, the outcome of which will determine the fate of civilisation. 

The other book I've downloaded on my kindle is 'Burqas, Baseball and Apple Pie: Being Muslim in America' by Ranya Tabari Idliby. This is the story of one American Muslim family - the story of how, through their lives, their schools, their friends, and their neighbours, they end up living the challenges, myths, fears, hopes, and dreams of all Americans. They are challenged by both Muslims who speak for them and by Americans who reject them. In this moving memoir, Idliby discusses not only coming to terms with what it means to be Muslim today, but how to raise and teach her children about their heritage and religious legacy. She explores life as a Muslim in a world where hostility towards Muslims runs rampant, where there is an entire industry financed and supported by think tanks, authors, film makers, and individual vigilantes whose sole purpose is to vilify and spread fear about all things Muslim. Her story is quintessentially American, a story of the struggles of assimilation and acceptance in a climate of confusion and prejudice - a story for anyone who has experienced being an "outsider" inside your own home country.

The book club I attend has just finished reading Sheryl Sandberg's book 'Lean In: Women, Work and The Will to Lead'. Sheryl Sandberg - Facebook COO and one of Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women in Business - draws on her own experience of working in some of the world's most successful businesses and looks at what women can do to help themselves, and make the small changes in their life that can effect change on a more universal scale. 

Until next time ... keep reading!