“The Solemn Lantern Maker” by Merlinda Bobis (Philippines) Favourite Quote Foolish men. Not for a moment do they think of their wives who will be widows or their mothers who will be childless, but about country and integrity, the bigger picture. Always the home is too small. The heroic resides somewhere else. If not the streets, the halls of government, or a war. Would they … Continue reading The Solemn Lantern Maker
“Reef” by Romesh Gunesekera (Sri Lanka) Favourite Quotes ‘It’s not what you do every day, but the thoughts that you live with that matter,’ he would tell me, tapping his head with his finger. ‘That, after all, is the sum total of your life in the end.’ At times of intense pressure I sometimes suddenly feel there is nothing more I can do; everything will … Continue reading Reef
“A Golden Age” by Tahmima Anam (Bangladesh) Synopsis Spring, 1971, East Pakistan. Rehana Haque is throwing a party for her beloved children, Sohail and Maya. Her young family is growing up fast, and Rehana wants to remember this day forever. But out on the hot city streets, something violent is brewing. As the civil war develops, a war which will eventually see the birth of … Continue reading A Golden Age
“Narcopolis” by Jeet Thayil (India) Favourite Extract Instead of solving one problem he found another, he became an addict and he got lost in Bombay. But even in the lost years, or decades, he was reading. What did he read? Whatever came his way, he was unsystematic. He had no discipline and he could afford not to, after all he was not aiming to be … Continue reading Narcopolis
“Burnt Shadows” by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan) Favourite Extract She walked past the vegetable patches on the slopes a few days ago and saw the earth itself furrowing in mystification: why potatoes where once there were azaleas? What prompted this falling-off of love? How to explain to the earth that it was more functional as a vegetable patch than a flower garden, just as factories were … Continue reading Burnt Shadows
“A Return to Love” by Marianne Williamson One of Nicola’s 100 Best Books for Inspiration in the 21st century! Favourite Extract Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who … Continue reading A Return To Love
“A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle Synopsis Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth is a cornerstone for personal spirituality and self-improvement, leading readers to a new level of consciousness and inner peace. Taking off from the introspective work The Power of Now, Tolle provides the spiritual framework for people to move beyond themselves in order to make this world a better, more spiritually evolved place to live. Shattering modern … Continue reading A New Earth
“The Dark Side of the Light Chasers” by Debbie Ford Synopsis In this enlightening guide, Debbie Ford explains that the dark side of our personality should not be hidden. By denying our dark side, we reject these aspects of our true natures rather than giving ourselves the freedom to live authentically. Here she shows that it is possible to acknowledge and accept our so-called weaknesses, … Continue reading The Dark Side of the Light Chasers
Nicola's Book Club 