#DaysDevotedTo Day 13: My mother passed away last Sunday. This poetry anthology on #Kindness, peace, and renewal comforts me.

#DaysDevotedTo Day 9: #ArtMuseum - these two books are the perfect fit.

#DaysDevotedTo Day 8: #CoffeeTea with a Norwegian novel while I was in Bodo Norway early this year. This is part of the free “fika” offered by the hotel between 3-5 pm and- said to be a big part of Scandinavian culture. Reminded me of our merienda - byproduct of Spanish colonization.

#DaysDevotedTo Day 7: there are soul-stirring real-life #FamilyStories in this journalistic memoir of sorts by Portuguese author Susana Moreira Marques. This book will stay with me for awhile. Review is forthcoming.

#DaysDevotedTo Day 6: #HealthyLifestyle means standing in awe and wonder at what the world has to offer - plus this viral cake with pistachio and kunafa filling.

#DaysDevotedTo Day 4: With multi-award-winning author, #Candy Gourlay here in Dubai during the Emirates Literature Festival last February.

#DaysDevotedTo Day 3: #Sandwich

#DaysDevotedTo Day 2: #AllSouls with Pessoa. Here is my book haul from Livraria Bertrand in Lisbon, the world‘s oldest operating bookstore in the world, according to the Guinness World Records: https://wp.me/pDlzr-qPD

#DaysDevotedTo Portuguese #Authors while I was in Lisbon a few weeks back - at the ostensibly oldest running bookstore in the world, according to Guinness World Records - Livraria Bertrand founded in 1732.

#WickedWhispers Day 31: #Mask - I should begin Memory of Fire by Uruguayan literary author Eduardo Galeano. I fell in love with his The Book of Embraces and bought all his other books I can find. I should get to them soonest. 🙏🏼

#WickedWhispers Day 30: #Blood - brought this title written by Senegalese-French novelist David Diop while I was in Paris two months back. Naturally, I paired it with some escargot while in Paris, because French. Lols.

#WickedWhispers Day 29: Crows are always met with a sense of #Dread - epicturebook find from Libby. Review is forthcoming.

#WickedWhispers Day 18: There are a lot of #Evil ghosts in this book, like seriously creepy. Too much exposition for the world-building and too plot driven for my usual fare, but ey its Leigh Bardugo, so will trudge on, hoping it improves towards the end.

#WickedWhispers Day 27: #Grave

#WickedWhispers Day 26: #Trick

#WickedWhispers Day 25: #Shadow

#WickedWhispers Day 24: #Potion

#WickedWhispers Day 23: #Mystery

#WickedWhispers Day 22: At the heart of the narrative is ten year old Karen Reyes, a comic book aficionado, lover of #monster(s) and all things gruesome, budding artist, and self-appointed private detective. This is a book that one should take time reading. It is hefty, fairly thick and detailed, and tears at one‘s insides. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-jkn

#WickedWhispers Day 21: #Death - paired with broken cheesecake, lemon daiquiri and espresso martini - all mocktails, and utterly delicious.

#WickedWhispers Day 20: #Scarecrow - took a photo of this Goosebumps collection while at Big Bad wolf book sale in Sharjah last January - and sent it to our college kid who has an entire collection. This boxed set looks yummy!

#WickedWhispers Day 19: #Magic

#WickedWhispers Day 18: #Scream

#WickedWhispers Day 17: #Skull

#WickedWhispers Day 16: #Haunt - The “haunted bookshop” is essentially haunted by “the ghosts of all great literature.” Nicely put, right? My full review here: https://wp.me/pDlzr-gov

#WickedWhispers Day 15: #Witch - found in a London bookshop last year.

#WickedWhispers Day 14: #Lantern

#WickedWhispers Day 13: This title sounds particularly #Chilling in a moribund sort of way. Made sure I brought female Portuguese novelists with me as I travel to Lisbon in a few hours‘ time. Made sure I have posts now for the entire duration of my five day travel. 🧳✈️🛫🇵🇹

#WickedWhispers Day 12: #TheUnknown is explored in the first few sections of the novel with a build up towards unwitting espionage or just a disingenuous interaction of unsympathetic characters leading to dire consequences and what counts for “scandal” in polite and seemingly-elite societies. Posting way in advance on account of my travel in two hours‘ time to Saramago‘s land.

#WickedWhispers Day 11: #Candy shop found in Istanbul last year.

#WickedWhispers Day 10: Found this in a park in Sibiu, Romania last year. Looks a bit like a #Tombstone of one of Romania‘s political elites.

#WickedWhispers Day 9: Possibly a few #Dark stories here and there in this short story collection. Brought this book as I will be flying to Lisbon in two hours‘ time; thus posting in advance because it will be crazy hectic again in the coming days.

#WickedWhispers Day 8: A Junji Ito graphic novel always looks like it could have #Zombie(s) on it. Recent book haul of college kid.

#WickedWhispers Day 7: #Spells

#WickedWhispers Day 6: #Howl

#WickedWhispers Day 5: Fairy tales would always have its fair share of monsters and #Cadavers. My review is forthcoming. 💕

#WickedWhispers Day 4: #Disguise

#WickedWhispers Day 3: The book begins with a curious mystery – something is causing the death of little brown #bats – so much so that they are in danger of becoming extinct! What does that matter, a curious child may ask? In simple, clear language, Sandra Markle explains how the little brown #bats are an important part of the ecosystem as they eat insects that do serious damage to crops. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-92L

#WickedWhispers Day 2: There are some #Gruesome scenes in this novel but I devoured it nonetheless. Maybe not Stephen King‘s strongest but I will read everything he writes.

#WickedWhispers Day 1: #Pumpkin

#SchoolSpirit Day 29: #Lunch can be problematic for those going through Ramadan fasting, especially after Leila was singled out for not having brought her #lunch box – with well-meaning classmates offering to share their #lunch with Lailah. A bit overwhelmed, Laila sought refuge in that one place where she felt safe, seen, and heard: the library. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-gAo

#SchoolSpirit Day 28: This Cut #Paper Book Aladdin is hands-down stunning. The primary focus, here, I believe, is making the story come alive through the shadowy edges, the fine lines, and the intricate lace-like edges that are enough to make any bibliophile sigh in delight – and for that, I commend Agnese Baruzzi‘s vision. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-9PD

#SchoolSpirit Day 27: Essentially, this is an epistolary tale of #crayon(s) who had quite a number of complaints and concerns that they wished to raise to their owner, a young boy named Duncan. Hence, Duncan found a stack of letters when he opened his box of #crayon(s). My full review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-j2m

#SchoolSpirit Day 26: Based on the childhood of US Poet Laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera, it speaks of what life was like as a young migrant boy unfamiliar with the English language, confronting the “new concrete school” with nothing but his red #backpack filled with dreams. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-j5p

#SchoolSpirit Day 25: my #Homework (self-imposed) is to read as much banned books as possible. 📚📚📚📚

#SchoolSpirit Day 24: My absolute favorite book of #Poems - paired with feta watermelon salad and strawberry mojito (the non-alcoholic mocktail we love).

#SchoolSpirit Day 23: #Bicycle - The entire story is uplifting, irreverent, and filled with energy. The Afterword written by both the author and the illustrator is also illuminating as it speaks of their influences, their background, and the visual codes embedded in the narrative. Definitely a must-read and must-have. My review of two picturebooks about #Bicycle: https://wp.me/pDlzr-lDS

#SchoolSpirit Day 22: We met a lot of #Principal(s) while we did our 3-day official university visit to strengthen ties and collaboration between our university and University of Turku. Arrived back home early Friday morning.

#SchoolSpirit Day 21: #Play was the theme for last year‘s festival for the Asian Festival of Children‘s Content where I served as Chair of Program Committee from 2012-2019. Tagged book is one of my five edited books for the festival. 💕

#SchoolSpirit Day 20: #Teams