• I LOVE books.
• It was my father who nurtured my love for reading.
• One of my fondest memories of childhood is taking a drive with my dad to a quaint second-hand bookstore in Serangoon (in Singapore) and then going home to BURY myself in my new acquisitions.
• I don’t really like libraries.
• I love re-reading books.
• Books I have re-read: The Sealed Nectar (I have to read and re-read it because of my studies but I really do it because I love any book on the life of the Prophet ); To Kill A Mockingbird (still not sick of it and what’s more, what joy! Ms M loves it too!); Hilyat-ul Awliya Wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya (I love inspirational snippets!); all of James Herriot’s books (he describes everything so aptly and beautifully and always has me in stitches…) and of course, To Kill A Mockingbird
• I don’t like giving away or selling books I have read, although I have done so in the past.
• I am therefore running out of room and am having an awful headache trying to pack everything for the return home to Singapore.
• Much of my time in Islamabad (and allowance… ahem!) is spent on second-hand bookstores.
• The rest of the time is spent making up wishlists online… :)
• I don’t read as much as I used to.
• I love reading with my kids.

“A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.”
– Henry Ward Beecher

Here is a conversation that warmed my heart. Gave me a good chuckle, it did! It took place between Ms M (she is 4-1/2) and her grandmother. They had gone to visit a friend who lived at my old neighbourhood and since it was quite a distance away, my mum decided to take a taxi home. She decided to tease Ms M a little…

Jiddah (pretending to grumble): Hmph… you know it’s all because of you that I have to spend so much money today.

Marz: How come?

Jiddah: Well you see, normally I would take a bus or train, but you said you were tired so here we are in the taxi. It’s a lot more expensive by cab you know.

Marz (somewhat apologetically): Yes, I know.

Jiddah: Didn’t Aunty give you a prezzie just now? She gave you $10, didn’t she?

Marz: Yes… (long pause) … oh! Do you mean *I* have to pay the taxi fare?

Jiddah: And why not?

Marz: But Jiddah… I HAVE to save my money…

Jiddah: Whatever for?

Marz: I HAVE to save so I can buy BOOKS for MY CHILDREN!