#noor naga

[very-grownup]

He cleared his throat as though fatherhood had just been declared carcinogenic and he wanted nothing to do with it: he was doing a cleanse, he was detoxing, he had given up gluten and dairy and daughters. Venus is in retrograde, he said. 

- If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English, Noor Naga

[kindledspiritsbooks]

My Month in Books: May 2024

In The Country of Others by Leïla Slimani In The Country of Others is a lyrical and character-driven historical fiction novel, loosely based on the life of Slimani’s grandmother. During World War II, Mathilde, a passionate and rebellious Frenchwoman, falls head over heels for Amine, a dashing Moroccan soldier who is serving in the French army. When the war ends, the young lovers marry and move…

[outdistancefear]

If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga

[hheavnly]

if an egyptian cannot speak english, 5☆

'If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English' by Noor Naga follows the narrative of a second-generation, Egyptian-'American Girl' and her turbulent relationship with a 'boy from Shobrakheit'.

Naga articulates the emotions of so many second-generation immigrant daughters; attempting the escape the confines of performing culture and actually trying to live it, attempting to learn a language, to unlock a secret part of society and strength. Her depiction of the blurring binaries of abuse and power in a relationship which merges class, race and gender is a breath of fresh air compared to the more typical unsubtle and conclusive portrayals of abusive relationships.

I didn't plan to give this book 5☆s, that was until the final part. I thought the book was beautiful, but generic. Naga, although creating a story which encapsulates the conflicts of race, class, gender, doesn't really introduce any new ideas to the conversation. My personal love for the novel, I think, came more from the relatability of it, being a British-Moroccan. However, the final part, as a reader and literature nerd, made me fall in love completely. Distorting narrative truth wholly to make readers want to go back and reread the boy's narrative to find truth, to almost articulate all the critiques before the critics are allowed to finish the book. I found myself desperate to jump in to the discussion in the workshop, wanting to defend the memoir against their criticisms. As a reader, regardless of any qualms, it is pretty fucking cool to introduce a meta-ending and give readers basically no catharsis.

I will defend this book to the day I die. Love, love, love!

[outlawroute]

If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English

by Noor Naga 3.5/5

I discovered this book through my friend Janiris when she nominated the book for our book club. It did not get voted in but honestly, Janiris is cool as fuck, I want to be cool like her, and I want her to think I'm cool (she already does) so I think that's all it took for me to put this on my Want to Read list.

If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English follows the dark romance between an Egyptian American woman "returning" to a country she's never been to and a man from the small village of Shobrakheit. Through this relationship, Naga demonstrates complex or unsure identities, abuse, privilege, as well as other themes.

While I've experienced abusive and toxic relationships in the past, I have not struggled with my nationality and ethnicity. I believe the latter deepens the book immensely compared to just another toxic coupling of two people. If the book had followed any two people in an abusive relationship, I wouldn't have appreciated it- I've lived it, I don't care to read it again. But by introducing the added layer of nationality and ethnicity within a toxic relationship- the book can discuss the themes of privilege, abuse, identity with much more significance.

That being said, the book was still hard to read which is why I gave it a 3.5 out of 5. I do not need to have fun while reading a book to enjoy or appreciate it. But reading the inner monologue of a delusional man stalking his ex, fantasizing that she is raped so he can save her- can feel gross. There were times where I wasn't sure if the level of explicit material was necessary to the plot/character development or rather a shock value simply for a shock value.

I couldn't casually recommend this book. I'd have to understand someone's reading interests, some level of their personal history/experience, and current emotional state before suggesting the book. But when I would recommend it, I assume it would be impactful and appreciated.

StoryGraph Link

[jamesmurualiterary]

Noor Naga, Wole Soyinka honoured at Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize 2022

Noor Naga, Wole Soyinka honoured at Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize 2022

Noor Naga and Wole Soyinka were honoured at the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize 2022 awards on December 6, 2022. The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize is an annual award presented by The Center for Fiction, a non-profit organization in New York, USA since 2006. It recognizes the year’s best debut novel as selected by a panel of distinguished American writers and carries with it an…

[jbbartram-illu]

A little something different!

I used to be a TOTAL bookworm as a kid, then sort of lost it for a decade or so, then in about 2016/17 I decided to start reading more (& also moved closer to a library & got in the habit of using it).

Fast forward 7ish years and I'm back in the habit of reading & am devouring stacks of books per year, with 2023 being my most ridiculous one yet. I somehow ended up reading 120 books? Mostly because I'm terrible at managing my library holds list & kept getting stacks of books I really wanted to read (I'm also lucky to be a really fast reader, which helps).

Anyways! All that to say - I compiled a top 22 + 19ish honourable mentions, as seen below:

My Top 22:

Tear – Erica Mckeen

Our Wives Under The Sea – Julia Armfield

The Vaster Wilds – Lauren Groff

Paladin’s Strength – T. Kingfisher

Paladin’s Grace – T. Kingfisher

Great Circle – Maggie Shipstead

Between Two Fires – Christopher Buehlman

Sisters – Daisy Johnson

How High We Go In The Dark – Sequoia Nagamatsu

Moon Of The Turning Leaves – Waubgeshig Rice

The Memory Police – Yoko Ogawa

The Night Ship – Jess Kidd

The Conjoined – Jen Sookfong Lee

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter – Hazel Gaynor

If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English – Noor Naga

The Annual Migration Of Clouds – Premee Mohamed

Wandering Souls – Cecile Pin

The Only Good Indians – Stephen Graham Jones

Lone Women – Victor Lavalle

Ring Shout – P. Djèlí Clark

Lucy – Jamaica Kincaid

The Bookshop Of Yesterdays – Amy Meyerson

Honourable Mentions:

The Marigold – Andrew F. Sullivan

Five Little Indians – Michelle Good

Swordheart – T. Kingfisher…and all the other books of hers (9 of them in total) I read this year!

Even Though I Knew The End – C.L. Polk

Everything Under – Daisy Johnson

Fen – Daisy Johnson

The Animals In That Country – Laura Jean Mckay

A Prayer For The Crown-Shy – Becky Chambers

The Sea Captain’s Wife – Beth Powning

Hester – Laurie Lico Albanese

Tauhou – Kotuku Titihuia Nuttall

Ducks – Kate Beaton

You Made A Fool Of Death With Your Beauty – Akwaeke Emezi

The Hatbox Letters – Beth Powning

And Then She Fell – Alicia Elliot

The Adult – Bronwyn Fischer

Everyone Knows Your Mother Is A Witch – Rivka Galchen

Lute – Jennifer Thorne

Monster – Mariel Ashlinn Kelly

Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway Series (I read 8 books from this series this yr & loved all of them!)

If you want to go through my entire list for 2023, you can read it on my website!

[cozycryptidcorner]

Masterlist

All stories and monster matches will be on my Ao3 page in case things with tumblr go even further south. I also have a Masterlist for the Monster Matches, and if anyone is interested in commissioning me, here’s some info.

Riaghan the Kelpie/Female Reader, Part One (sfw), Part Two (nsfw), art by me 

Kalil the Naga/Female Reader (nsfw), art by me, art by illustrariane

Adham the Infected/Female Reader (nsfw)

Ciarán the High Fae/Female Reader (nsfw), art by me

Alesdair the Changeling/Female Reader, Part One (sfw), Part Two (nsfw)

Noor the Siren/Gender Neutral Reader (sfw)

Sela the High Fae (wlw) (sfw), art by me, art by thatweirdoneintheback

Mark the Selkie (sfw)

The Nøkken, Part One (sfw), Part Two (nsfw- female reader)

Aleksander the Naga, Part One (sfw), Ten Word Ko-Fi Drabble (sfw)

Hikaru the Kitsune/Female Reader, Part One (slight nsfw), Part Two (nsfw)

Winter, Chapter One (sfw), Chapter Two (sfw), Chapter Three (sfw), Chapter Four (sfw), Chapter Five (sfw), Chapter Six (nsfw- female reader), Chapter Seven (sfw), art by lukeios, art by puddimilk 

Winter Ficlets: Fantasies (nsfw), Adoration (sfw), Morphine (sfw), Poison (sfw)

Tisiphone the Erinyes (wlw) (sfw), art by me

Alien Android/Female Reader (nsfw)

Merikh the Incubus, Part One (nsfw- female reader) Part Two (sfw)

Raúl the Centaur (sfw), art by thatweirdoneintheback

Eòin the Kelpie (sfw)

Fylkir the Selkie, Part One (sfw), Part Two (nsfw- female reader)

The Spring Sacrament (nsfw- gender neutral reader)

Ronan and Sally’s Story (not a reader insert), Chapter One (sfw), Chapter Two (sfw)

Nayda the Selkie (wlw) (sfw)

Intertwined (wlw) (sfw) (not a reader insert)

Yavid the Demon (sfw)

August the Infected (mlm) (sfw)

Savannah and Remembrance (not a reader insert) (sfw)

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

Out of curiosity, could be either due to craft or sheer enjoyment, what are your top favourite books?

Okay lowkey I wrote this post & then tumblr ATE it so here it is a little late!! Rachel's All Time Favourite Books (in no particular order):

Cleanness - Garth Greenwell (litfic, ok but this is actually my fave book & today Garth Greenwell lowkey Acknowledged My Presence SOOOO!!! I've read this 4x since August, it's a craft masterpiece)

What Belongs to You - Garth Greenwell (litfic, the book that comes before Cleanness, I'm not as attached to it but it's still FANTASTIC)

A Hundred Lovers - Richie Hofmann (poetry, my fave poetry collection of all time, ALL my epigraphs come from here)

We Do What We Do in the Dark - Michelle Hart (litfic, AMAZINGGG character study & peak into relationship dynamics)

Big Shadow - Marta Balcewicz (litfic, one of my fave books of all time, FANTASTIC teen protagonist in this bildungsroman)

Physical - Andrew McMillan (poetry, AMAZING queer poetry, lots of epigraphs from here too)

Winter in Sokcho - Elisa Shua Desapin (litfic, probably the best start-to-finish narrative I've ever read in my whole life)

If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English - Noor Naga (litfic, THE BEST litfic ending I've ever read, it's UNEXPECTED and something to be STUDIED)

Undoing Hours - Selina Boan (poetry, I feel so grateful for this book as it really helped me reconnect to my Indigenous identity. I met Selina after a LIFE-CHANGING reading & chatted with her, & that conversation drove me to learn more about my family!)

Bitterblue - Kristen Cashore (YA fantasy, this is LITERARY FICTION TO ME I've re-read this like 6 times)

Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo (YA fantasy, really fun ensemble cast, THE AUDIOBOOK SLAYS)

Intimations - Alexandra Kleeman (litfic short story collection, some of THE BEST short story collections, my work feels adjacent to this dare I say??)

The Marionettes - Katie Wismer (NA paranormal, this series is sooo tropey and fun like I CAN'T WAIT for the last book, I did like book 2 best but this is the first one & I loved it too!)

Demi-Gods - Eliza Robertson (litfic, this was my fave novel before Cleanness & Eliza is my fave writer & from my alma mater! Read my interview with her!)

Monkey Beach - Eden Robinson (litfic, I read this book in a DAY, it's the most impactful novel I've ever read, she's also from my alma mater!)

How to Pronounce Knife - Souvankham Thammavongsa (litfic short story collection, my fave short story collection OF ALL TIME I learned so MUCH about short stories from this!)

The Girls - Emma Cline (litfic, this was MY writing bible for so long lol, I actually ethically hate how this book treats real murders but Emma Cline is an incredible writer & the best parts of this book are the ones that don't casually repurpose history... I have thoughts...)

History of Wolves - Emily Fridlund (litfic, I need to re-read this NOW but wow, the first half of this is chilling...)

Past Lives, Future Bodies - K-Ming Chang (poetry, not sure if you can still buy this but this is one of THE best collections I own)

The Darkest Minds - Alexandra Bracken (YA dystopian, I love AB SOOO MUCH even now hehe, this was a childhood fave & Fostered is a ripoff so <3)

[visuls]

from If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English, Noor Naga

[very-grownup]

He moved to the kitchen, he moved to the living room, the bathroom, back to the bedroom like a murder-verb looking for its object ... 

- If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English, Noor Naga

[kummatty]

step through the haziness into another time / from if an egyptian cannot speak english, noor naga

[cherrybreakfast]

“What if female arousal is just the belief that you will not die at this man’s hands?”

Noor Naga in If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English

[shivtomdivorce]

i saw someone do this and love the concept

[claudia-lioncourt]

tagged by @kellythepitiablefangirl, thank you my darling

the picrew

this is a biblically accurate daph

— last song: goodbye, my danish sweetheart by mitski

— favorite color: pink, black, gold, green, brown… how does one choose just one when all of them are so beautiful

— currently watching: nothing, atm. was watching criminal minds for a while but I’ve put it on hold for now. send me show recs!

— last movie: whisper of the heart (1995). it was so nice and so gorgeous, can’t believe studio ghibli invented romance

— currently reading: severance by ling ma, if an egyptian cannot speak english by noor naga, foster dade explores the cosmos by nash jenkins

— sweet/spicy/savory: sweet and spicy, but not together. we need the separation of church and state

— relationship status: single

— current obsession: darklina, always

— last thing I googled: lyrics to auld lang syne

— currently working on: the third chapter of my fic, there’s an ache in you (put there by the ache in me), being more physically active, reading more (29 books so far this year!), and also not being so caught up in my own head all the time. lol.

tagging: anyone who sees this and wants to do it!! <3

[dobaara]

Ghazal hi 🥨🥞🪄 i so love hearing good news from you congrats on the recent shoot!! Where would you like to travel to if you could and for how long? What is the most stunning state of the sky to you? And how do you think book covers should look?

Maria!!! thank u so much my love this one surpassed my own expectations!! 💕💓

Ooh I'd like to go to Rome and Venice and I would like to go away for a month or two. My photographer knows another photographer who decided to do a photo essay on an african reserve and loved being there so much he took time off his career to document and to help around in the reserve, I would like to do that too!

The purples and oranges when the sun sets and the sky slowly begins to darken, that's my absolute favorite!!

Ooh this might be my personal choice but I love love love! books with like gold detailing on them. on the other hand books that have paintings as their covers on them (like My year of rest and relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh or If an Egyptian cannot speak english by Noor Naga) are my absolute favorites!!