Category Archives: Books

Mar 25 2013
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Books

Reading a Book

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Reading requires time and in this fast paced world, time is scarce. I used to have so much free time, and I would use it to read a book. Nowadays, readings is not even close to being one of my priorities, and I have noticed a difference in myself. Two things got effected when the amount of reading I do got drastically reduced―my vocabulary and spelling. Reading helps improve ones vocabulary and when learning new words it helps with ones writing and speaking. I have been having trouble with finding the right words to say or write. Spelling also gets better by constantly reading, and recently I have noticed that I’m making silly mistakes in spelling. I understand now why my parents used to encourage me to read. I just wish I could become an avid reader again.

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Jan 30 2013
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Books

Kindle Paperwhite Review

Other than watching tv shows and stuffing myself with yummy food, I enjoy reading in my free time. I don’t like ordering books online, so I would usually wait until I travel to buy all the books I want. I would always have a long list prepared and then I would spend hours in book shops indulging in the array of books offered. It’s something I enjoy doing, but it causes a problem later on. Books are heavy and since I’m traveling back to Kuwait I need to make sure my luggage isn’t overweight. That is why I decided to start reading ebooks. There are many ebook devices on the market, including Kindle and Kobo.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed that I was in London during the Christmas break. I got the chance to check out the different ebooks. I ended up choosing the kindle paperwhite.

What really attracted me to get the paperwhite is how much it was in demand. It was sold out in most electronic stores and bookstores, while the Kobo, for example, was always available. I finally got a hold of it in Waterstones. Price wise, it was around 50 KD. I honestly thought it would cost more.

kindle

Another reason why I got it is because it’s only an ebook and not a tablet. It doesn’t have applications and the internet is very limited. I want to be able to read without any distractions from applications. Everything about it was inviting, but when I actually bought it and turned it on I faced an annoying problem. The problem was is that the amazon market has very limited books if you live in the Middle East. I literally couldn’t download anything. I slyly changed my address to the US. I thought that I can outsmart them. The next day I got an email saying that I have to have proof that I live there. I was stuck again. But then I realized I have an address in England that I can use and I wouldn’t be lying.

That worked out great and from then on I was able to download ebooks! Then I faced another problem. I need a credit card to download books that aren’t free. I can borrow my dads credit card, but I don’t think I can use the Kuwaiti address on it, since I supposedly live in England. No idea what to do now. Any help would be appreciated.

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Aug 15 2012
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Books, Charity

Donating Books in Kuwait

I have a lot of old books that I know I won’t reread! All they’re doing is sitting on my shelves, accumulating dust and taking up space in my room. Throwing them away is out of the question and I know there’s the option of donating them. The problem is, I don’t know where to go.

Does anyone know a charity where I can donate these books?

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Jun 16 2012
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Books

WHSmith in The Dubai Mall

I love love love WHSmith! I was so excited when I found out that it opened up in Dubai. I love it because it’s so big and it literally had everything. It’s a bookshop, stationary, toy store, and it also sold candy and drinks. The one I used to go to was in the MK Center in Milton Keynes (a city not far away from London, England). It was 2 floors and I would go there nearly everyday. This is creepy, but I can still remember what the store smelled like. One of my favorite places growing up.

After I saw a picture of it in Dubai, I was slightly disappointed. IT’S REALLY SMALL.

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Jun 06 2012
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Books

That Al Salasil – Avenues

One of my all time favorite thing to do is to sit down with a book and start to read. That is slowly changing because it seems that I barely have any free/alone time. I have been really busy the past couple of months that I don’t even have enough time to read. I’m really glad that summers here because it’s the time where I usually take a long deep breath and relax. I needed new books and I haven’t been to That Al Salasil Bookshop in avenues, so I decided to check it out. I thought that there would be a smaller collection of books based on the bad reviews I have heard about it, but it turns out that its a pretty decent place. I wanted a cooking book for beginners and I found lots of them. I didn’t end up buying any because most of the recipes included either pork or alcohol and it’s too annoying trying to substitute them.

I eventually found a few cooking magazines. I ended up buying one about baking. It’s really nice and the ingredients and instructions are really easy. I also bought a novel called Utopia by Ahmed Khalid Towfik. It was a best seller and it was the first time I buy an English novel written by an Arab.

While I was paying, I found a mini book titled Speak Kuwaiti by K. Ahmad Ali. It’s basically teaches non-Kuwaitis how to speak the Kuwaiti way. I looked at a couple of pages and the layout and translations are really good. This would be a good gift for someone who’s coming to Kuwait for the first time.

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Mar 17 2012
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Books

Currently Reading – Waiter Rant

I’m reading Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica and it’s beyond amazing. I’m halfway through the book, but it’s something worth reading. It’s about a guy that ended up to be a waiter because he couldn’t get a job anywhere else. He struggles through it at first, but later on he becomes an expert at it. One of the parts that I really liked  is when he compares being a waiter to gambling. He explains that gamblers  are most likely going to loose, however; occasionally, they win back a few coins which makes them feel good. So, they continue on playing in order to have that feeling again. It’s psychologically proven that those random wins have an influence on behavior. Gamblers get addicted because they believe that the next time they play they’re going to be the big winner. Waiting tables is the same because waiters never know when they’re going to win (get a lot of tips) or when they get nothing at all. It’s also hard for waiters to quit because they too get addicted to the random wins. That comparison made me realize that blogging is the same as gambling and waiting tables. In blogging, winning means getting many views/comments. It feels good, so I continue on blogging in order to win, but sometimes that never happens. It takes a few weeks or sometimes months of hard work, but I never stop because I get the same small random wins (slightly higher views/few more comments). At some point, I might get addicted to that too. That lead to a bigger realization. Everything in life can be compared to gambling/waiting tables.

Told you it’s a good book.

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Jan 15 2012
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Books

Joy of Books

“There is Nothing Quite Like a Real Book”

I prefer books over e-readers any day. Devices malfunction. Batteries need recharging at inconvenient times. Technology is fantastic, but there is no way I can stop buying books. Bringing home a new book is joy to me. I first look it over, front to back, then remove the dustjacket. Then I open it up and smell the pages, running my hands over it the first time. After that, I find the right bookmark and the perfect place to sit while making sure that my mobile is silent.

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Jan 03 2012
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Books

Arabic Online Dictionaries

I hate using dictionaries unless they’re online or in an application. I stopped using the actual book a long time ago. The good thing is that there are lots of reliable dictionaries for English. There’s even a dictionary application on my mac that is really good. The most annoying thing in the world is trying to find the meaning of an Arabic word. It’s not very easy to find the word in a dictionary book, but it’s even harder to find the definition online. I always suffer when it comes to knowing the definition. I can never know if the websites have valid definitions because the graphics and the way the website looks usually sets me off. After tons of research, I kind of found a decent website called Al Maany. It’s actually good, but some words that I tried searching for weren’t there. So, it’s not perfect, but up to now it’s the best. Does anyone know any applications or websites for Arabic dictionaries?

 

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Dec 23 2011
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Books

Goodnight, Beautiful By Dorothy Koomson

This is the third book that I have read for Dorothy Koomson and my love for this author is growing stronger and stronger. I already have every single book she published, but nowadays I barely find the time to read. This novel is by far an outstanding read.

It’s about Nova Kumalisi, a young woman who agreed to have a baby for Mal and Stephanie Wacken eight years ago. The relationship between Nova and Mal goes back to their childhood. They love each other deeply, but misunderstandings renders them incapable of taking their friendship to the next level. Mal’s love for his wife Stephanie is one of complexity, she relies on him in ways that only Mal can understand and so when faced with her need over his own needs to support Nova, he has to make a choice. Halfway through the pregnancy, the couple changed their minds and walked away, leaving Nova pregnant, scared and alone. Nova moves to Brighton and brings up Leo alone until she marries the steadfast Keith. Link

Now, Nova is anxiously waiting for her son, Leo, to wake up from a coma, while childless Stephanie is desperately trying to save her failing marriage. Although they live separate lives, both women have secrets that will bind them together for ever. Link

The narrative moves between Nova and Stephanie so we are able to sympathize with Stephanie’s motives for forcing Mal to choose between them. It was a bit confusing at first because sometimes its hard to tell who was narrating, but as the story progressed things started getting clear.

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Oct 07 2011
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Books

Plague By Michael Grant – Review

It’s hard to admit this, but I wouldn’t have been attracted to read this series if it wasn’t for the cool covers. I mean, who wouldn’t fall in love with the neon colors used for the sides of the pages.

Anyways, Plague is the fourth book of the Gone series by Michael Grant. The characters in the book are around 15, but their actions make them seem much older. It’s because people 15 and over suddenly disappeared into another dimension. Hence, GONE. The younger ones found a way not to disappear, so the kids who were turning 15 survived the POOF, which makes them the adults. They’ve survived hunger. They’ve survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm. But enemies don’t just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are mutating, and finding their way free. The amazing thing with this series is that I started reading it when I was much younger, so the reading level is low for me, but that never stopped me.

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