The Romance Bookie

 Hey Everyone! I finished Tahereh Mafi's new book An Emotion of Great Delight .  I could not put this one down.  I mean, I had to, because you know, baby, appointments, chores, errands, etc.  But I was reading any chance I got.  Even during my waits at the chiropractor I was reading.  I finished this one in a day, which is pretty impressive for me at this point. From Goodreads: From bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author Tahereh Mafi comes a stunning novel about love and loneliness, navigating the hyphen of dual identity, and reclaiming your right to joy -- even when you're trapped in the amber of sorrow. It's 2003, several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Tensions are high, hate crimes are on the ride, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears hijab, keeps her head down....

Hey! Wow, two books finished in two days!  It's amazing what you can do when you have no internet to distract you!  Seriously! I honestly, thought I was just going to get this one started, and finishing it after YA'll West! From Goodreads: It's 2002, a year after 9/11.  It's an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who's tired of being stereotyped. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be.  She's tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments --even the physical violence -- she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day.  So she's built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her.  Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother. But then she meets Ocean James.  He's the first person in forever who really seems to want to ge...