Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun by the Nigerian writer, Sarah Ladipo Manyika is a life-affirming novel exploring ageing, personal independence, debilitating illnesses that affect us as we grow older, loneliness, friendship, loss, immigration, the importance of books in one’s life and the position of older women in the society.   This novel is also an ode to the city of San Francisco which the main protagonist Morayo finds “gentler than most”. She treasures this city “with its bright morning sun and brilliant blue skies (…), the people of San Fransisco so often quirky, but often ..read more

I have prepared a list of book featuring older women at the centre of the story. I have tried to include books from various parts of the world: Nigeria, Ukraine,Argentina, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel, England, Italy and Germany and written mainly by female writers. I hope you will find this list of use when choosing your next title to read. 1 An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine (Lebanon) An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alemaddine tells a story of an introverted 72-year-old woman, Aaliya who lives in Beirut. She is a recluse who lives her life through literature. It is a portrayal ..read more

“(…) literature – (…)  wants and strives to be a true part of the composite human record – that is, not words but a reality.” “Through these woods I have walked thousands of times. For many years I felt more at home here than anywhere else, including our own house. Stepping out into the world, into the grass, onto the path, was always a kind of relief. I was not escaping anything. I was returning to the arena of delight.” Upstream by the American poet, Mary Oliver is a collection of essays in which she reflects on the connection between her life and the natural world as well as the worl ..read more

I have prepared a list of book featuring older women at the centre of the story. I have tried to include books from various parts of the world: Nigeria, Ukraine,Argentina, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel, England, Italy and Germany and written mainly by female writers. I hope you will find this list of use when choosing your next title to read. 1 An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine (Lebanon) An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alemaddine tells a story of an introverted 72-year-old woman, Aaliya who lives in Beirut. She is a recluse who lives her life through literature. It is a portrayal ..read more

“(…) literature – (…)  wants and strives to be a true part of the composite human record – that is, not words but a reality.” “Through these woods I have walked thousands of times. For many years I felt more at home here than anywhere else, including our own house. Stepping out into the world, into the grass, onto the path, was always a kind of relief. I was not escaping anything. I was returning to the arena of delight.” Upstream by the American poet, Mary Oliver is a collection of essays in which she reflects on the connection between her life and the natural world as well as the worl ..read more

Brian is a profoundly moving meditation on the meaning of solitary life, of art and cinema in shaping one’s perception of and connection with the world, of the hidden depths of human soul often kept private in fear of misunderstanding and stigma, and of the importance of companionship and community. This is a subtle novel of great depth focused on the interiority of life enriched by art. Jeremy Cooper thoughtfully and empathetically chronicled life of a gentle soul spanning thirty years starting in the early 1990s all the way up to the present times. The events such as the 2005 London bombing ..read more

“I still exist in a work environment where I’m forced to mask because to expect accommodations would still be seen as asking too much in a world where most people know next to nothing on my neurotype. (…) I have accepted I may never have lasting friendships or know how to maintain them.” Strong Female Character by the Scottish comedian Fern Brady is a moving exploration of life with undiagnosed autism. Fern Brady shares her own experience of living as an autistic individual in the society where still there is a lot of stigma and bias towards people who are “wired differently”. It was not unt ..read more

I have prepared the list of 15 books translated from various languages that can help you diversify your reading experience. I hope this list will be of use. 1 FRENCH: I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman  I Who Have Never Known Men is a dystopian novel written by the Belgian author, Jacqueline Harpman, a Belgian author, originally published in French in 1995 under the title “Moi qui n’ai pas connu les hommes”. I Who Have Never Known Men is notable for its introspective, philosophical and thought-provoking exploration of human nature under extreme circumstances in a dystopian ..read more

I have spent a few days in Istanbul. I made a few videos which I’m going to share below. I tried to keep sounds of the city as much as possible. I put music in the background only if there is some noise or my heavy breathing … I hope you will enjoy this digital recording of my memories ARRIVAL IN ISTANBUL The video below is a recording of my arrival in Istanbul and getting to my AirBnB. SULTANAHMET, SULEYMANIYE MOSQUE, THE GRAND MOSQUE and SAHAFLAR BAZAAR and BLUE MOSQUE I spent this day on visiting Sultanahmet. I went to Süleymaniye Mosque which is far more peaceful than The Blue Mosque. I t ..read more

“We live so many lives within our lives – smaller lives with people who come and go, friends who disappear, children who grow up – and I never know which of these lives is meant to serve as the frame.” “With time I have come to understand that everything I was looking for was right here, inside of me, inside the things that surround me, in the money jobs that became my actual jobs, in the constancy of the everyday, in the eyes of the people I meet when I allow my gaze to linger.” The Details by Ia Genberg is a very compelling, subtle and nuanced reflection on the meaning of relationships wit ..read more