Things I've been reading
From the river to the sea <3
Dear readers, I know I have been MIA for quite a while now. I deleted all social media from my phone about ten-ish days ago, I go on TikTok only about once per week from my iPad, and I’ve honestly never felt better. There have also been many things that left me speechless recently, like the passing of some dear family friends and the tragic passing of the dean of my university who took his own life. It’s safe to say I have been in my head a lot these past weeks. Most of all I feel like writing anything is pointless, as I believe the ongoing genocide in Palestine is the only thing people should write and read about these days.
Anyway, I have been doing some reading (more like lots of reading), of different natures: substacks, blogs, news, books, poetry — you name it. I crave information and knowledge in this season of life and I have been doing nothing other than trying to satisfy this craving. So, I thought I would simply share some of the things I’ve been reading.
First up on my current reading list is a novel — The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov. I’m about halfway through, but I can’t honestly tell whether I actually like it just yet. I’ll keep you posted.
I’ve also been reading lots of books by Grossman for my thesis - I’ve re-read my main focus, The Sistine Madonna, six or seven times now - I even read the first manuscript version without cuts and with the author’s notes on it which was extremely cool (I dream of the day I’ll get to look at it first hand in the State Archive in Moscow), and I keep re-reading passages from Life and Fate, and Everything Flows. I’ve read The Treblinka Hell for the first time and it was quite the awakening. I plan to write a separate review about it as there is so much to say, despite it being a really short book. It shook me to my core, especially in this specific time and age. Reading about innocents murdered systemically by a society that wanted to wipe them from the face of the Earth is more relevant now than it ever was— especially when the former victim has turned into the perpetrator.
I’ve also been reading a shitty novel in German which is like a romantic, diary-style thing (most def not my cup of tea) and it’s also quite badly written. I unfortunately have to keep reading it for an exam!
Among the other things I’ve been reading is another very culturally significant work - Nathan der Weise (Nathan the Wise); a play by Lessing known for the parable of the three rings and its promotion of love and respect among people of different religions, ethnicities, and cultures. Quite the thing that should be read in schools these days. It’s also written in blank verse, which makes it all the more enjoyable.
Moving onto newsletters, I’ve been loving
— I didn’t join the book club this month, but I’m for sure going to be joining future ones. Lizzy is one of the few creators I’ve been following for years (since about 2015), she has an AMAZING YouTube channel, a great sense of style and music taste, plus she’s British (you know how I love my Brits!). Highly highly suggest you check her out <3Another one I’ve been loving is
— a NYC girlie I started following on TikTok a year-ish ago. I also adore her YT videos and highly suggest you go have a look ;)
Moving onto news. You can catch me reading Al Jazeera English 24/7 (their app is honestly my favourite app I have on my phone). I went on a date last week, and when he picked me up he told me I looked extremely concerned and asked what I was reading about. I was in fact reading AJ and reading about innocent children being murdered. That about does it for me.
I have also been keeping a close eye on Middle East Eye on Twitter (no pun intended, also, I refuse to call it X). I have notifications turned on which are in real-time and offer great coverage, highly recommend.
Finally, something interesting I came across was this article by the Washington Post which I feel like helps people who haven’t yet put things into perspective understand just about how tragic this all is.
I sincerely hope you semi-enjoyed this word salad. I will start writing about books again at some point, I just don’t know when. I need time to process the horrors of this world. Go blast Hind’s Hall by Macklemore and keep talking about Gaza <3
Lots of love
xx