Welcome to Litsy!

Even if your life doesn't mean much to you, it does mean a lot to others.

This diary was smuggled out of Raqqa and is a personal account of the horrors that many of the Syrian people are facing daily. It's hard to imagine what it would be like to live in a situation like that, completely cut off from the outside world, wondering every day if you would be arrested, tortured, or killed.

This is one of the most important works of this decade. I'm never one to impress a book on someone but everyone needs to read this.

I'm heartbroken and apologetic and shocked that this is happening in our world. This book is heartbreaking and waves of shock just keep hitting you when you realise this book is not a work of fiction. A must-read for everyone!

Current read.

Can't wait to be done with work so I can head back home and binge read.

The subject matter of this book, and the way that it came into being, make this a really important work. The writing is Heartbreaking and gives a chilling look at what it is like to live in this troubled region.,

What I read last night

I can't say much about these diary entries smuggled to the BBC from Daesh-occupied Raqqa (it is past time we stopped using "IS" and "Islamic State", inverted commas aren't good enough). It's one man's experience. It's horrifying and heart-breaking. It's also beautifully produced with gorgeous illustrations by Scott Coello.

Just a small #libraryhaul today. They had lots of new items but I only had two loans left 😭

#tbrtemptation I can't wait to read this!
From @penguinpublishing :
Raqqa is now one of the most isolated and fear ridden cities on earth, where no one is allowed to speak to foreign journalists or even leave the city without the so-called Islamic State's permission. Those caught breaking the rules face death by beheading. These diaries are a living, breathing account of the conditions that Syrians face as they try to go about their daily lives.