Welcome to Litsy!

We meet our characters just before the coup. The years when Russia and America are fighting for the affections of the Afghan people, investing money, building universities, outdoing each other like toddlers.

This book made me think, do I see articles along the lines of children in war in the media and the answer is sadly no.

I went into this book not knowing a lot and I think you should also, but prepare yourself, this is not an easy read.

#12BooksOf2022 #12DaysOfChristmas @Andrew65
#HistoricalFiction
Sitara is living the good life in Kabul, Afghanistan 1978. That is, until the Communists take over... then her life takes a drastic turn.

My August reads! Only one was ok but not terrible. Most of them I loved! I‘m a summer girl but I‘m actually looking forward to September this year, back to being an empty nester and I‘ll hopefully have more reading time in cooler weather. This was a busy summer! 🍁

I loved this book and can‘t wait to discuss it tonight at book club! The first half takes place in Afghanistan in the 70‘s when a coup takes place leaving Sitara orphaned and how she finds her way to America. The second half is about having a past that is always a constant in her life. When a patient from her past comes seeking her expertise, she makes the decision to confront her past. #pop22 ~ a book about a found family

As much as I loved The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, as much I struggled with this one. Maybe it was the narrator of the audio book because I didn't like her way of reading either. I was very disappointed and sad, when I realized I couldn't get into the story at all. The characters, while lovingly drawn out, still couldn't reach me. The plot didn't catch me at all, even though it would've been an interesting and important topic. But I don't feel ⬇

More April books: my number 49 for #roll100 is Nadia Hashimi with Sparks Like Stars - can't wait to read this book!

For #TurnUpTheBooks I got Knuckles by Moose Blood. Another new song, so it took me some time to find something that might fit the score. I'm going with Marissa Meyers story “The Queen's Army“, which has been on my TBR for a long time.

@PuddleJumper @AkashaVampie

This book was beautiful heartbreaking, it left me torn in shreds. I really don‘t know what else to say. It was a breathtaking story about an Afghan-American woman going back to Afghanistan to learn the truth about her family. Believe me when I say I cried. Unfortunately I could post any quotes because the internet was down, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I will be recommending this book to everyone.

I'm sorry to hear about Sharon! I plan on starting one from her TBR tomorrow, Sparks Like Stars. Since she loved cats I'm going to also throw in a couple from the Simon's Cat series. #Sharreadsreadathon @sharread @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Professional_Book_Dragon this is a great way to honor her memory.😢💔🙏

📖 2/18/22 || Moving | Quest | Historical
A young girl survives a coup in Afghanistan in the 1970s and after escaping to the US, later returns to Afghanistan to search for the truth.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really great historical fiction book about the coup in Afghanistan in 1978. I learned a lot and really loved the beginning and the end. I did think some of the scenarios dragged on too long in parts and it could have been edited down, but I overall very much enjoyed this read. I‘d like to read another book by this author.

? OK this is 100% a personal preference becuz the prose & narration were great! (Felt like Kristin Hannah)

I need to trust my physicians. Yes I‘m not a suspected mass murderer but using your profession to get what you want but dumping your fiancé for doing similar … rubbed me the wrong way < personal.

This is an interesting story & you should probably give it a listen if the summary interests you!! There‘s a lot to like about the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I put this on hold after seeing it in Modern Mrs Darcy‘s summer reading guide. It was worth the wait.

#modernmrsdarcy

A tad too long and drawn out and the shift from childhood to being a surgeon in the US was sharp and quick, but a truly lovely story.

Enjoying this incredibly beautiful Fall weather we‘re having. Soaking up these final warmer and breezy days before the end of the week when the much cooler temps show up.

What an awesome book. Especially with all that has gone on with Afghanistan, this book tells the story of a woman who escapes the Russian invasion of the late 70s. I highly recommend

I have no memories of Afghanistan before pictures of a war torn countries started appearing on the nightly news 20+ years ago. Reading another Nadia Hashimi title while current events continues to overshadow the beautiful country it once was. An emersive story first containing a childhood of great memories, incredible loss, and daring escape, the second half shares how far Aryana has come with her Mom and career when her painful past resurfaces.

Happy Labor(less) Day Weekend, Littens. Three book stack camping trip is the only to-do list 'round here.

I love this book!
The people of Afghanistan have endured so much throughout history. I‘m praying for their future as a country and people.

Haven't posted for a bit as I've had a nasty summer cold that seemed to just keep on giving. But feeling better now so we headed into town to pick up a few back to school items for the little guy. Of course we had to stop off at the book store and pick up a few books as well as a mango drangonfruit tea. None of these were on my TBR but now they are.

#BookHaul #TBR #Tea

I loved this book! 10-year-old Sitara survives a 1978 military coup in the presidential palace in Afghanistan, and the book details her escape to America and her lifelong reckoning with survivor‘s guilt and grief. An encounter decades later with a palace guard spurs on a new chapter for her. Beautifully written. I couldn‘t stop reading and didn‘t want it to end.

Loved it!

This book was incredible. It follows a young girl from an affluent family in Afghanistan after her whole family is killed and she miraculously survives. It is beautiful and heartbreaking.

Hashimi has a gift with incredible stories, making you feel everything that is going on. I loved this one but I found the second half lagged & the end somewhat rushed. That coincides with when the book shifts to the US, which wasn't as engaging in terms of setting as when in Sitara is in Kabul. Hashimi is very talented at making the setting a character and I didn't find that same strong sense of place with New York, likely why I found it lagging.

“Sometimes it‘s when people are silent that you hear them most clearly”. -Boba

• ModernMrsDarcy.com #MMD book club pick for July 2021

• ModernMrsDarcy.com 2021 Summer Reading Guide #MMDSummerReading

Eye-opening look at the April 1978 coup in Afghanistan 🇦🇫

From the Publisher:
Sparks Like Stars by author Nadia Hashimi tells the complex story of Afghanistan‘s history over the past few decades through the eyes of Sitara/Aryana. Her loss is tragic yet she is a strong woman who uses her memories of her family to guide her.

Book 55
A good, emotional story about Sitara, a girl who's family gets killed during a coup in Afghanistan in the 1970s. The second half of the book is set in the States after Sitara has grown up. It's compelling but slows down in the middle. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a tender story of a woman who witnessed horror in a coup in Afghanistan as a child. The story follows her throughout her life as she deals with the fallout of that day and makes peace with everything that happened. #ebook #Libby #Kindle

Beautiful and heart-wrenching. I was completely engrossed in the story and the beautiful writing. I didn‘t expect to love this book as much as I did and I‘m so glad I took a chance with it. Can‘t wait to read more by the author.

An engrossing story following Sitara Zimani, daughter to a prominent advisor to an Afghan king. When Sitara is 10, a violent coup that overthrows the king ends in the violent deaths of most of her family. Perhaps through luck or divine intervention, Sitara is whisked away from the castle and put in the care of a US government worker, who gets her to the US. With the trauma still fresh 30 years later, Sitara is still haunted by that night.

Here are my top three favorite books that I read in April! They were fantastic! 😃💕📚

#bestbooksof2021

"Grief is nothing but the far brink of love. Love is the sun, grief is the shadow it casts. Love is an opera, grief is its echo. You cannot have one without the other. But if you follow that grief, you'll find your way back to love. So cry, scream, run, sleep, pray, or write notes in the sand. But grieve, so you can get back to love, because love is a better place to be."

Finishing this up on this cold, snowy day! It's fantastic! ??

Roxas and I are starting this new one today before work! I've only read the first few chapters so far, but I'm already hooked! 😸💕📚 #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #roxas

Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi is an impactful and complex story. The first part of the story takes place in Afghanistan and this is the first book I‘ve ever read set in Afghanistan. I was fascinated by their culture with both the good and bad described. Daily life is described as well as unrest.

Thank you Harper Audio, William Morrow and NetGalley.

Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com/2021/03/02/book-review-sparks-like-stars/

Beautifully written. A story that is at times heartbreaking & tragic, also finds a way to give you strength & hope. Sitara grew up within a prominent family in Kabul until tragedy struck in 1978 and changed her life forever. The reader follows Sitara's journey from her beautiful childhood in Afghanistan through her survival & growth in America & into adulthood. I can tell this is a story that will stick with me for a lifetime.⁣

There are parts of this story that are really beautiful, but overall I thought the book was just okay. My biggest issue is this romanticization of trauma that is becoming a trend. Putting characters through the most horrific life experiences possible, while actively downplaying the affects of PTSD and the aftermath of dealing with such intense trauma. It‘s not realistic and it‘s not entertaining.

#ARC pub date 3/2 (tomorrow!)

My heart needed this story. Much of it takes place in Afghanistan in 1978. Then it moves on to NYC in 2008. It deals with a subject matter that I knew little about. It definitely made me realize that there is good everywhere. I had to google some of the terms used in order to get a better understanding, but I consider that learning something new. I thank goodreads for the ARC. This book is due out in March 2021. I expect to hear that it does well.

This fascinating story is filled with historical detail, breathtaking prose, and morsels of wisdom. I enjoyed it far more than I‘d expected to. I try not to request ARCs impulsively, but it seems I had an impetuous moment when I asked for this particular book. The synopsis certainly sounded intriguing, but I wasn‘t sure this was the type of story that would hold my interest. In the end, I was deeply invested in Sitara‘s saga all the way through.

“Adults shake their heads and shine flashlights into dark corners when children insist there‘s a monster lurking in the closet, but irrational fears are a training ground. That drop in the stomach, that quickening of the pulse, those prickling bumps on the skin - All are electrical impulses that teach a child to recognize peril. They stop short of teaching the child to run.”

“Silence is a heavy coat and I found myself desperate to shed the weight.”

“We are all soldiers of some kind.”

Wow, this ended up being quite the saga. While I really enjoyed the journey of Sitara and I found some of the passages truly exquisite, I thought this book could have been whittled down a bit. There was A LOT going on, which did make for a thrilling read. And yes, tears were shed.
The audio narration was very good. Excellent choice for #ReadingAsia21 #Afghanistan #Pop21 #MuslimAuthor #Booked21 #DoctorMC
Book publishes March 2 ~ Pick it up!!!

This book/audio is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 #NetGalley #AudioArc
I‘m thinking this could be a future #BoTM
Publishes March 2
In 1978 a young girl living a privileged life in #Afghanistan is thrown on a perilous journey when a coup overthrows her palace life. #ReadingAsia21

#NetGalley #AudioArc #Afghanistan #ReadingAsia21

ARC bookmail arrived - release date 3/21 🌟

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow/Book Club Girl for this #ARC, which I LOVED. I read 1 Hashimi novel a while ago so this felt like discovering a new author!

Sparks Like Stars tells Aryana‘s story as she flees Kabul as a girl amidst political violence & her path to adulthood & her ultimate return to Kabul to reconcile w/ her trauma. The book hits many emotional beats w/o ever being maudlin & Aryana is a great character to root for! 4.5/5 ⭐️