pickI‘m ever so slowly making my way through my #10BeforetheEnd stack.
This was a dense and thought provoking read. Translated from the Turkish and set in the 16th century during the Ottoman Empire, this reflects a culture which is largely unknown to me. It does have a murder mystery as its overarching plot, but that‘s just a framework used to delve into larger philosophical questions about art and religion.
#WhereAreYouMonday
This Monday finds me in 16th century Istanbul among the scribes, miniaturists, gilders, and other artists of the empire who have been commissioned to create book which will also be a work of art for the sultan. Only 50 pages in, but definitely getting The Name of the Rose vibes.
pickArmanoush (Amy), an American Armenian teen, travels to #Turkey to learn more about her family. She befriends Asya and her family of kooky but wonderful aunts—each of whom must come to grasps with Amy‘s harsh family‘s past due to the slaughter and ouster of Armenians. The book reveals a delicious commonality between the cultures: food. A bit of mysticism helps tell this story. Amy‘s broken family in America don‘t know she‘s made this trip. The ⬇️
I finished this book last month and as I was going to write my review I remembered highlighting this from the author‘s notes. Unreal…
#Turkey #foodandlit @Catsandbooks
pickThis was my July #FoodAndLit book for #Turkey and my July #DoubleSpin
Although it was slow in parts, and the beginning section isn‘t repeated even though it occurs in the middle of the book timeline, I did enjoy this.
Jahan and his elephant Chota are part of the Sultan‘s menagerie. In time Jahan also becomes apprentice to the chief royal architect. It is full of political intrigue, and spans a large chunk of time in the Ottoman Empire.
It has taken me NINE chapters to realize the chapters are all named after food! No wonder there are so many references to food in the story. And here I thought it was just another coincidence that I chose it for #foodandlit. Well, that was a coincidence. This was the perfect book for #foodandlit this month!! #Turkey @Catsandbooks
Lots more food but I‘m going to have to look these up. #foodandlit #Turkey @Catsandbooks
