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Mecca: The Sacred City || A 10 point book review

Mecca is the most important religious place for Muslims all over the world. It is, as the author mentions, the heart of Islam. It’s the direction Muslims face when they pray and the site of the annual pilgrimage of Haj, which is performed by almost 2 Million people every year. It’s not for nothing that the word ‘Mecca’ has entered the English language meaning “a place regarded as a center for a specific group, activity, or interest” (Merriam-Webster). This book details the history of the city from pre Islamic times to the modern era. Filled with insights dealing with both religious and non-religious aspects, this books examines the social, physical and cultural points that makes Mecca one of the most influential cities on Earth.

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Horror: A Literary History || A 10 point book review

This book, as the name suggests, is a history of horror fiction i.e. horror in the written form; short stories, novellas, novels etc. It starts from the first gothic horror novel which was published in 1764, The Castle of Otranto (which I have read and written about here) and ends with the horror of modern times which is dominated by one author, Stephen King. Over the course of seven chapters, each written by an expert, the book traces the evolution of horror over the past 250 years.

2025 British Columbia Canada Hike Hikes in Canada2 Comments

Elk Mountain Hike, Chilliwack, BC, Canada

Standing near the side of the trail which ran near the edge of the mountain, I had a view of the surrounding areas. But for now the view was completely obscured by a thick veil of fog. As I stood there, the fog would sometimes clear to reveal spectacular views and then ever so slowly the view would disappear again. Far away I could see a solitary house surrounded by fields. This house would appear and disappear with the fog. I felt like the protagonist of a gothic horror short story, who after traversing a mountain trail is just about to reach a mysterious house. It felt surreal.

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Print & the Urdu Public || A 10 point book review

Madinah was an Urdu newspaper which was published from a small town called Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, India from 1912 till 1973. This book is primarily a study of this hugely influential newspaper and the time and space of its existence. The author, Megan Eaton Robb, who is an Associate Professor in Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania looks at the prevailing political and religious climate of the early 1900s India and how Muslims of small localities or qasbahs used newspapers printed in their qasbahs to create a discourse unique to them and went on to become an influential voice nationally as well as internationally. This book is also a good reminder of the role played by Muslims in India’s freedom struggle.

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Ice Ghosts || A 10 point book review

The disappearance of the 1845 Franklin expedition, with two ships, HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, to find the Northwest Passage remained a mystery for more than 150 years. What happened to those ships? Did anyone survive? Could the wrecks ever be found? These questions, along with hundreds others, remained unanswered until finally in 2014, the first breakthrough came. In an expedition led by Parks Canada, Inuit communities and other researchers, the wreck of HMS Erebus was found. Two years later, in 2016, the wreck of HMS Terror was found. This book traces the history of the all the expeditions that were undertaken to find what happened to the two ships from the first one after the disappearance till the one in 2016. Featuring a diverse set of characters, officials with government support, arm chair researchers, everyday people with an intense interest in the Franklin expedition, Inuit communities and military, Ice Ghosts reads like an adventure novel.

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Mesmerizing Malaysia: 4 Days of Stunning Views, Culture, and a New Chapter

Red and Yellow – these two colors dominated everything on the ground against the vast blue sky. The rooftops, the crown of the pagoda, the lights, the decorations – all bathed in yellow. The Chinese lanterns hanging everywhere – all a brilliant red. It was mesmerizing. I was standing at the stunning Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang, Malaysia, with my wife, taking it all in. This trip was unlike any other I had taken – it was my first trip with my wife. A new phase, a new way of traveling, and a new perspective on choosing destinations. It wasn’t just about exploring a place; it was also about learning more about each other along the way.

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A Question of Power || A 10 point book review

Electricity is one of the key drivers of today’s economies and societies, without which life as we know it will collapse. In A Question of Power, energy analyst and journalist Robert Bryce examines the various aspects associated with Electricity; its generation, its history, energy poverty, challenges with the aging grid, the impact of reliable electricity on human development indices, generation through renewables and other points. Robert travels to many countries around the world including India, Iceland, Lebanon, Puerto Rico to get an on-the-ground look at various issues. He shows that our very lives and our future depend on electricity.

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A History of Canada in Ten Maps || A 10 point book review

I once did a train journey across Canada from one end to another, which was around 4500 kms and took 5 days to cover. This shows how huge Canada is. In A History of Canada in Ten Maps, Adam shows how this huge country was mapped by courageous explorers and adventurers. As the name suggests, Adam takes 10 famous maps of Canada starting from the 1500s till 1820s and takes us behind to the stories and journeys of exploration which resulted in these maps.

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Ulema’s Role in India’s Freedom Movements || A 10 point book review

The word ‘Ulema’ has been given such a negative connotation these days that the general public has no idea what exactly it means but only that its Muslim and bad. This book is a much needed English language work that details the contributions of Ulema i.e. Muslim Scholars during years before the first war of Independence of 1857, during it and later. It mentions eminent personalities like Shah Abdul Aziz, Shaikhul Hind, Ubaidullah Sindhi and others. It also details movements like the Faraizi movement and the Silk Letter movement.