F E A T U R E – B O O K S T A G R A M
Tasnia Shahrin
For anyone who is unfamiliar with the term bookstagram, it means an Instagram account dedicated to books. In Bangladesh, Bookstagram has become quite popular through its community of Bangladeshi readers and book lovers. Bangladeshi bookstagrammers are exploring and sharing their creativity and thoughts in this buzzing space and have managed to gather an active, engaged, and interactive audience.
TDAxBookstagramBD is a segment dedicated just for this community. With its every new article, you will be provided with specific book recommendations from the leading bookstagrammers of this country.
For our first session, we got candid with Zaima Hamid Zoa, aka @readingwhileipoop.
Zoa describes herself as a hopelessly hopeful person. She aims to keep spreading happiness everywhere she goes and also to keep on reading till the world ends. Her passion for book and spreading kindness might speak for the fact that she has gathered over 2000 readers for her own bookstagram.
This article will now provide you with book recommendations that were created especially by her for The Dhaka Apologue and its audience. It will also allow you to take a small peek at the bookstagrammer’s personal life as she shares with us what actually got her into reading and books she will cherish and recommend forever. Here goes the list:
The magical book that got Zoa into reading:
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
It is a children’s novel first published in 1905. It is a story of Sara Crewe, an exceptionally intelligent and imaginative student at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies who bravely deals with the tragic loss of her father and the hardship that follows later. It is really a captivating book that will keep you hooked from the beginning till the end.
Some amazing books she has read recently that you all need to dive into ASAP:
- Circe by Madeline Miller
If you enjoy Greek mythology, complex heroines, and a generous serving of adventure, bloodshed, betrayal, magic, and monsters — both literal and figurative — then hell, READ THIS BOOK as it is just the right recommendation for you!
- I Know why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
A book that narrates late Angelou’s voice — deep and distinctive. This 1969 autobiography describes the early years of American writer and poet Maya Angelou.
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
A cracking, charming novel that will make you crave for a sequel. It is a story “about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place, and realising that family is yours” (Goodreads).
A book that has managed to be Zoa’s first read of 2021:
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
It is a story of a fantasy world full of blood and magic. The characters are delightfully unpredictable, the world is unique without being absurd, and the story is a perfectly woven tapestry. There is Kell, an Antari, a blood magician who can travel between parallel universes, and Lila, a street thief who wants to become a pirate and experience great adventures, and when their fates intertwine, they are the only ones who can save all three Londons from the tainted magic that destroyed the forth. I mean, it sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it?
Books that Zoa recommends for everyone to read:
- Wonder by R.J. Palacio
A heart-warming and super sweet story about August Pullman, who was born with a facial difference. At its core, it’s truly inspiring and a must read for every readers.
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This story is narrated by Death during World War II, and it is the story of a young German girl who comes of age during one of the most horrific times in recent history. With its captivating way through which Death narrates, giving us the ending at the beginning, giving little melodramatic scenes that make us shiver — this book is definitely a classic.
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
A cracking, charming novel that will make you crave for a sequel.
Special Mention: Some books that are in Zoa’s immediate to-be read list
- Vicious by V. E. Schwab
- The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
- Thakurbarir Andarmahal by Chitra Deb
- Padatale Chomkaye Mati by Shuhan Rizwan
The writer is a part of TDA Editorial Team.