'I love books that make me want to live my dreams'

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I love books that make me want to live my dreams

Noor Ismail, Quality auditor at Tejuri, on discovering new worlds, between the pages

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Published: Fri 27 Oct 2017, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Fri 27 Oct 2017, 2:00 AM

What is your all-time favourite book and why?
It would be A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. The book touches upon a lot of sensitive topics like child abuse and childhood trauma, and the impact it has on a person's life long after the incident has happened. What I like most is how naturally the story has been constructed to make us realise that life is not just an easy trek uphill. This story tells it like it is, and that's what I call a good book.  

Is there any particular character in literature that has stayed with you?
Yes, quite a few actually. But a certain character that has influenced me since I was 11 years old would be Maggie Tulliver from The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot. I could relate to her a lot because of her tomboy nature, her stubbornness and her love for her brother. Also, the fact that she reads a lot just makes her more likeable.

What sort of non-fiction do you prefer?
There are two types of non-fiction that I like. One would be books on history. Nothing beats revisiting important events of the past. The other would be motivational books. Books that make me want to put on my shoes, go out and live my dreams. One such book would be The Greatness Guide by Robin Sharma. His lessons are very realistic and quite easy to follow.  

One overrated and one underrated book, according to you?
An overrated book in my opinion would be The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. I'm an ardent fan of Rumi and his poems, and though this book is based on his life, I could not connect with it. It felt more like the author, in order to accommodate all the 40 rules, created a plot whereas it should have been the other way around. An underrated book, for me, would be Desperate in Dubai by Ameera Al Hakawati. I'm surprised nobody's talking about this book. I love the plot and the twists in the story. Also, the fact that it is based in Dubai makes it one of my all-time favourites.
- Staff reporter


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