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My name is Laura and I am a book addict. The Book Habit is a chronicle of my literary adventures, indulging my decades-long love affair with the written word. Here I post reviews, as well as anything else related to the literary lifestyle.

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“To be a Parisian in Nablus was to be out of step with the times, locked in an old colonial formula where subjects imitated masters as if in the seams of their old garments they hoped to find some dust of power left trapped.” . . . Isabella Hammad’s debut novel ‘The Parisian’ (pub. @groveatlantic) is an expansive examination of identity and otherness. It follows Midhat Kamal, a young native of the ancient Palestinian town Nablus. When Midhat’s father sends him to France in an effort to help Midhat escape World War I and its impact on the Ottoman Empire, Midhat finds himself exposed to the ruptures in his own cultural identity. Returning to Palestine at a time when national self-determination is in conflict with British rule, Midhat must wrestle with his role as ‘the Parisian’ - an eternal outsider, increasingly condemned by his conflicting allegiances. For the debut work of an author in her mid-20s, ‘The Parisian’ is a stunning achievement. Balancing the passionate zeal of a young writer with the worldliness of an author well versed in the thematic and stylistic turns of effective literary fiction, ‘The Parisian’ centres Isabella Hammad as a voice of significant literary and humanistic value. Click the link in my bio to read a full review! . . . #bookreview #bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerd #bookish #bookworm #bookphotography #igreads #bookaddict #bookblogger #bookaholic #instabook #reading #books #book #booklove #booksandtea #theparisian #isabellahammad

"Why do people have to be this lonely? What's the point of it all? Millions of people in this world, all of them yearning, looking to others to satisfy them, yet isolating themselves. Why? Was the earth put here just to nourish human loneliness?" - Haruki Murakami . . . I am no stranger to loneliness. A history of mental illness, combined with having spent no more than 2 years in one place since I was 16, has leant me toward some bouts of intense isolation. In truth, loneliness is one of the most common states of psychological discomfort and an epidemic continually on the increase. It's no surprise, therefore, that fiction deals plentifully with the experience of loneliness. For the second post in my series on bibliotherapy, I'm looking at the relationship between loneliness and fiction. Using the different components of bibliotherapy (identification, catharsis, and insight), I also have some handy recommendations for books that can help you to work your way through those difficult periods of painful isolation. Click the link in my bio to have a read and let me know if you have any recommendations of your own. 💖 . . . . . #bibliotherapy #bibliophile #bookworm #bookstagram #booklover #booknerd #bookish #igreads #bookphotography #reading #spring #blossom #bookaddict #booklove #instabooks #booknerdigans #books #springreading

“I don’t know why I even brought this up. Magpies flash now blue, green against the snow. They have a similar bossy shriek. Of course I could get a book or call somebody and find out about the nesting habits of crows. But what bothers me is that I only accidentally noticed them. What else have I missed? How many times in my life have I been, so to speak, on the back porch, not the front porch? What would have been said to me that I failed to hear? What love might there have been that I didn’t feel?” (Homing) . . . Like the eponymous hero of John Williams’ novel ‘Stoner’, Lucia Berlin died with her hand on her favourite published story collection. Although she never received the acclaim that she so deserved during her lifetime, her death and the subsequent publication of ‘A Manual for Cleaning Women’ has revived her work as centrally important to the genre of short fiction. ‘A Manual for Cleaning Women’ is a short story collection comprised of Berlin’s most loved works. Told as a form of auto-fiction, the stories play with Berlin’s own diverse experiences as a cleaning woman, ER nurse, chronic alcoholic, three times wife and four times mother. The stories carry an astounding depth and a level of intimate detail that reminds readers of the vibrant clarity afforded in even life’s darkest moments. It is a truly sublime collection. Click the link in my bio to read a full review. . . . #bibliophile #bookish #bookworm #bookstagram #bookphotography #booklover #igreads #bookreview #luciaberlin #amanualforcleaningwomen #cozy

Who else loves a TED talk? Although my TED video consumption is typically constrained to those of the ‘I was once in a cult’ variety, I spent the weekend watching just about every book and reading-related TED talk on the site (yes, it was a good time!). There’s such an incredible number of amazing presentations, from a whole lot of authors with whom you’ll be well familiar. As a starting point, I put together a list of my 5 favourite reading-related TED talks - click the link in my bio to have a look. And let me know if you have any favourites of your own (because I’m always on the look out for more recommendations)! . . . . . #ted #bookstagram #bookworm #booklover #bibliophile #books #booknerd #bookish #book #igreads #instabook #reading #bookaddict #bookphotography #read #bookstagramfeature #booknerdigans #instabooks #bookstagrammer #bookblogger #cozy #comfy #cozyhome #booklove #bookaholic

That sweet satisfaction when your pile of recently read books coordinates so perfectly! It’s been a crazy month - one full of packing, moving, and all of those little stresses that add up to a lot of exhaustion. Fortunately, I’ve had some excellent books to help get me through - as well as a month of exciting news, interviews, and new releases from the literary world. Click the link in my bio for the March edition of The Monthly Reader and a look at all of the bookish happenings from the past month! . . . . . #booksandtea #bookstagram #bookworm #booklover #bibliophile #books #booknerd #bookish #book #igreads #instabook #reading #bookaddict #bookaholic #bookphotography #read #bookstagramfeature #booknerdigans #instabooks #booklove #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram

“Peace. Only one kind of peace can ever come down the ghetto. It’s really simple...The second you say peace this and peace that, and let’s talk about peace, is the second gunman put down their guns. But guess what, white boy. As soon as you put down your gun the policeman pull out his gun. Dangerous thing, peace. Peace make you stupid. You forget that not everybody sign peace treaty. Good times bad for somebody.” . . . ‘A Brief History of Seven Killings’ - Marlon James’ astounding Man Booker winning account of Jamaica across three decades - is a masterful examination of the ruptures created by social unrest and postcolonial violence. Told through the perspectives of 12 narrators (and juggling 76 characters), this novel is a complex representation of violence, both realised and threatened. Although part of James’ skill undoubtedly lies in his ability to depict graphic violence without gratuitousness, the novel truly excels where it explores the subtle, systemic brutality of the cultural chasms created by the political vacuums of colonialism and the Cold War. ‘A Brief History’ is an astoundingly ambitious novel and a true testament to James’ skill across genres. Click the link in my bio to read a full review. . . . . . #bookstagram #bookworm #bibliophile #booklover #ilovebooks #bookblogger #bookphotography #igreads #bookaddict #bookreview #booknerdigans #books #book #instabook #reading #booknerd #bookish #booksandtea #marlonjames #abriefhistoryofsevenkillings

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