Sidra Javed

The Great Mughals and Their India Dirk Collier Our love affair with Mughals is something we grew up with. Whenever I visit the historical places of that era I love imagining how it would have been in those time when Prince and Princesses , great emperors walked through these galleries, what would they look out the jharooka etc. anything related to their history is fascinating. This book is a treasure trove of Mughal information, the era of each emperor , the family saga and drama, the court politics, the family politics, their ambitions, frustrations, grandeur and decline, love stories, scandals , loyalties and despair. The information is supported by evidences from various Mughal sources , books written by the court historians and later other independent historians. Apart from new information it also clarified some old beliefs I held e.g Lahore being a centre stage where in fact Lahore was merely a guest house for them going to their Ancestral country Afghanistan from their headquarters India. Same way some famous battles like pani patt which we have been taught as the epitome of war strategy my Babur when in fact it was just good luck after a bad adventure etc. The book covers all the Mughal emperors starting from Babur down to Bahadur Shah Zafar. A fascinating tale of ups and downs where Akbar stood out as the most successfull one. I read in "the Muqadmah" by ibn e khaldun that every strong kingdom or civilization will fall and fail by the time it reaches the 4th generation and while reading the about the reign of Mughals it stood true. It's a very fast paced book as it had to cover alot of details about each Mughal badshah so there is never a dull moment. Apart from Mughals it also touched upon the other successful rulers like Sher Shah and his excellent government skills. Also other rivals like Persian, Uzbek , Indian Marathas etc are also discussed to give a full circle perspective. This is a very comprehensive and engrossing read, written in a very engaging manner simply hard to put down as it unfolds a fascinating and riveting saga that brings alive a spectacular bygone era.

Fall Of The Ottomans Eugene Rogan The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history- unknown If you have not yet included history in your reading you must do it. In this genre you will find everything you enjoy and the fact that these these things once took place in real world makes it even more appealing. You get to live in an era gone long before you. We have been reading about Khilafat movement in our text books, watching movies and seasons so it's not something we don't relate too, and the fact that now you don't have to memorise the names and dates makes it much more appealing and engaging. Ottomans was an empire with diversified ethnicities and religions sustaining it's hold since long over the world . How world powers of the time England, France, Germany Russia attacked to get a piece of it is thrilling yet enlightening. The inner conflicts of Ottoman empire with Arabs and Armenians even Turks are discussed in detail. Book elaborated the ulterior motives of all the then super powers and their collaboration to bring the empire on its knees. The plight of soldiers who were brought from outside like subcontinent, Austria etc to fight a war they had no hand in. Writer has included letters of those soldiers,their interviews, testimonials in the book which will take you right into the battle field. These accounts are heart wrenching to say the least. Millions of deaths, cities destroyed, people displaced , the atrocities of war prove that there are no winners in a war. The tactical attacks through land and sea, the politics, backdoor contracts, treason etc, the resilience of Ottomans was commendable as well but at the same time the ambitions of Military leaders of Ottomans showed their lack of knowledge about ground realities, false pride which is true till date and relatable for us. The writer takes you right into the heart of war. Depiction of war fronts will make you visualise it all. The accounts of soldiers makes it real. From high ranking generals to a low level medic, an Australian poet, a naive young indian he made all voices heared and stories told. In the end this teaches us no matter how big and strong an empire is time spares no one. It's a very detailed book and I would recommend everyone to read it.

I have always enjoyed self help books. They are a secret between the book pages and you where you can clearly see your strengths and weaknesses without anyone knowing. This one is another good book that I enjoyed to the fullest. Learned some new tips and felt good about others that I already practice. If I have to sum it up precisely then basically it's a feel good book. While reading you mind will be filled with the possibilities life has to offer. Universe is brimming with opportunities waiting to be explored and things you can master. At times while reading I did felt conflicting concepts between chapters but then again you see people who have crossed these thresholds , some make it through to the top but some don't. Yet we have examples and persistence is the key. Now , there are obviously some limitations everyone has with them be it social, be it courage or be it circumstances . In these scenarios the book offers ways to keep it hopes alive and rebuild urself. There are small chapters to make it easy to read through. Every chapter ends with "LOVE YOURSELF" and a one liner to go with it. I found this thing very appealing. The writing is free flowing you will love how smoothly it takes you along the ride. Decorated with examples and tips and reality checks this is a piece that will keep you smiling and hopefully about yourself. If nothing else ...as long as you are reading you will feel great about who you are. And if you don't already love yourself you will start doing it. Totally recommended.

Eat That Frog Brian Tracy First of all let's get over with this title . Writer has associated tasks with frogs. Eating the frog sounds really gross and it resonates with our desire to procrastinate and delay doing certain things because we don't want to, don't feel like doing. Writer urged us to eat (read work on) those frogs ( tasks) asap to clear our conscience. I have always enjoyed self help books as they are, to me, a secret self analysis tool. While reading I constantly relate them to my life and if I already practice the tips I feel good, and if I am failing at certain things I get to know it without anybody noticing. The book has excellent , doable, relatable and understandable tips on how to tackle your never ending to do list. Plenty of real life examples for motivation. It's a small book hence it won't overwhelm you. Has small chapters so you don't get the feeling of a never ending lecture. There is a summary in form of points at the end of each chapter to revise the key points. We often think that these sort of books are for working class. As there are sale targets or projects to be completed at certain date, or work related goals etc. But, we can relate these things to our lives to get the best out of these books. We all have chores to do, laundry to fold, getting something from market, a project at home, a cupboard to clean, store room to organise etc. These are all frogs hopping in our mind which we need to eat in order to get them done. So this book is for you no matter your occupation. It's helpfull and it works. I would totally recommend it to everyone.

HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW Holly Bourne Sometimes you get a great deal of diverse topics in a single book this is one of them. It starts off a simple story but once u finish it and think about it you will see that it has subtly touched so many aspects of our lives that affect our peace of mind and everyday life . This is a story of Tori who is writter to a best selling book and is hugely popular among people. She is running her social media face book insta etc and is always interacting with her fans. She is busy with book signings , being called on tv shows, she even gave Ted Talk. So over all she paints a very prosperous and fulfilling life . But, she is falling apart in her personal life. Her relationship with boy friend Tom is on the verge of collapse yet she is unable to let it go. Here you will see that majority of women have same fears , anxieties, insecurities and eisodes of frustrations..no matter they are a Desi or a celebrity like Tori. We often get inspired by social media influencers and here the writer gives us a sneak peak on the back side story where posting a single selfie is a hassel in itself for these people. The insecurities they have about their image, their age, how they look and the constant pressure of keeping the brand at all time high is exhausting. The writer also touches the aspect of comparison this social media has brought into our lives. While going through these posts we compare our life situations with these people who are our friends or not ..but it brings a sence of dissatisfaction in our lives. There is Dee who is Tori's best friend yet writer shows us how the dynamics of such a long and strong friendship change when one person is struggling for something and the other gets it so easily. The story might seem to drag in between as you feel Tori really needs to make a decision NOW but while there is a drag in that part there are many things that are happening in between ..small subtle nudges . This is a story many of you can relate to . The writing style is engaging and witty so you read on effortlessly . I recommend it 👍

Red Birds Muhammad Hanif " There are no winners in a war". I read this quote somewhere are while reading this book I fully realised it. There are victims , devastation, death on both sides. Yet, the human nature to posess and conquer makes them indulge in this horrific act again and again. When I looked at the cover recommendations labelled it as a humor filled story and all along my reading I kept searching for that ...to be it's a sad, ugly, heartbreaking and terrible tale of history that keeps repeating itself in a hope that someday someone will learn something from it. Major Ellie is an American pilot who is directed to bomb certain areas and doing so his own air craft crashes down into the dessert. His story gives us a glimpse into the mindset of these soldiers who have to fight a fight that they know little about and hence it wrecks havoc in their own life as their bombing does to those unaware innocents. He is rescued by Momo an inhabitant of the refugee camp. Momo is a young man representing the life of numerous young people living in a war torn area . They have no idea how they became refugees in their own lands , why they were showered with bombs and bullets. Their homes turned into rubble Infront of their eyes . Now living in a refugee camp he keeps dreaming about bringing back his brother Ali who went to work for the goras and never returned. Bro Ali is a representation of all the disappeared people either sold or killed. His mother's and father's anguish and helplessness in nothing but heartbreaking. Do you see any humour yet? Ahh and then there is Mutt ..Momo's dog whose narration makes more sense than the humans around. The only comic character I found in this book was the Flower body, a foreigner from an NGO sent to study the Young Muslims minds of the area after they have successfully ruined their lives in pursuit of ghosts. Their frustration and devastation to be summed up into an impressive theises paper they would surely bring her applaud and a high grade. This is the third book I have read by Muhammad Hanif and all three have impressed me. The writing style as always was sarcastic ( may be that's why they mistook it as humourous) hard bitter facts presented in a milder tone. Engaging story line that kept me interested throughout. It's a good one I recommend it.

Reading Lolita in Tehran Azar Nafisi This is a memoir of Nafisi while she was teaching English Literature in a University in Tehran. It's an interesting mix of fiction and non fiction that you don't usually get to experience. It's a memoir woven into a number of fictional books to keep your imagination and interest intact. It's like reading multiple books in a single book. Nafisi has recounted her time in Tehran through different characters, her students, colleagues at university, family, friends etc and their lives interwined with the stories that they were reading—Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Miller and Lolita etc. When I started the book I was a bit putoff by her narrative where she focused mainly on veil and Chaddar that was strictly imposed on women, and how its a hurdle in everything women could achieve or feel. This in my view is a very lame excuse as the Chaddar is on ur head it doesn't mean ur brain stops working or you can't perform to your best abilities. But later as you read along and get to know the restrictions and environment of war torn, engulfed in revolution frenzy Iran of that time you realise she talks about much deeper problems especially for women . School going girls were harassed and made to feel guilty if they had nail paints on, women were imprisoned if a little skin was showing under their chaddars, or at times simply being pretty. Going to university was a huge task for them. Then the war with Iraq and it's terrifying days where you were under constant threat of bombs etc.She used the life situations of her students to explain them and make them manifest in reality. There is however a parallel debate of this book as well. Some also called it exaggeration and inaccurate as we see happens many times when authors settle abroad especially in America. Other than that it's an engaging read as Nafisi keeps taking you in the world of fiction through the books that are discussed in class or at private lessons and then back to the real world of her memoir. I enjoyed it .