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What started out as a pastime soon turned into a hobby that turned into a passion until it eventually became a necessity. Reading is a need so beautiful that I feel I must write about it every day.

Saturday 22 December 2012

I'm back!

As guilty as I am about neglecting my blog for over three months, I am not going to wallow in self reproach (done enough of that) and instead move on to tell you of the books I've been reading and the things I've been doing. 

First things first, I moved to a new city! I now live in Istanbul, Turkey which feels pretty much like lıvıng ın a museum at times. Excuse the dot less 'i's, for I haven't gotten used to the Turkish keyboards. I'm studying Psychology, exploring a highly intriguing city and adjusting to a completely different (read: independent)  life over here. Living alone has its charms and I feel extremely lucky to be having that oh-so-desirable European college experience. 

Needless to say I haven't allowed the craziness around me take its toll on my reading. So here's the list of books I read since I got here. 

  1. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway 
  2. Animal Farm - George Orwell 
  3. Istanbul: Memories and the City - Orhan Pamuk 
  4. A Mercy - Toni Morrison 
  5. The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde

...and currently Im reading This side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald. My obsession with Fitzgerald ıs at an all time high these days due to the movie adaption of The Great Gatsby. The trailer alone gives me chills every time I watch ıt. We've all had our share of horror stories about brllıant books ruined by movies but I have high hopes from this one, primarily because I think the cast is gorgeous! 
Moving on, last night I made a collage...a sort of hodge podge of pop culture mixed with personal favorites. Its for the cover of a notebook I recently got.  



No pretentiousness intended but I carry around a notebook with me when I'm travelling, writing down whatever grabs my attention. A seat by the window is all you need to get the ideas rolling in. I love the cover, its a painting of the Maiden's Tower (built during the Byzantine era) in the middle of the Bosphorus. The tower gets it's name from the two maidens who are said to have lived there.



Every monument in Turkey has a story behind ıt. Some are enshrouded in legends and myths, others in ancient glory. Its a city of varying tastes, beliefs and sights. Before coming here I heard and read a lot about the 'stark contrasts' within the city or as Orhan Pamuk puts it, the dilemma of:  'Westernisation and Europe or tradition and Islam.' Istanbul undeniably has strong elements of both. In his memoir he talks at length about the Huzun (melancholy) of the city's citizens which comes of living amid the ruins of a lost empire, but lets leave that discussion for another post. I'm itching to write about this fascinating city so expect something of that sort in the near future.

In short, I am back. I started this blog last August and now that I sit here writing after so long I realise just how much Ive mıssed ıt. A big thank you to all those who read and appreciate it. Hope you all read some wonderful books in 2012. The list of books I read this year is in the left section and I'd love to see yours too.  


Happy reading! 


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