What are you reading today?

[Muhsin]

I cannot even laugh at it, Husnaa. Thats why I have now registered with a number of other forums. I know even if it gets back to normal functioning I'll not be the same Muhsin here, for these other forums have already stolen me.

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[gogannaka]

Yes indeed,kanoonline sai a hankali.
I have asked myself many times why most northern/hausa forums don't thrive like the non-hausa forums.
I cannot name one single northern online forum that has any serious activity compared to forums like nairaland,NVS,alljobsnigeria,naijapals e.t.c
Gaskiya awarenes din mu on the net is limited.
Dole yan kudu su raina mu because we cannot even air our views properly.
The internet is the fastest medium to get information and without our participation we would just be left behind.

So back to the thread at hand:
I am reading the book 'Commanders of the Muslim Army'
Nice one.

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[Muhsin]

Gogannaka,

We share the same feeling towards this--Northerners shameful attitude and limited awareness of the world of internet. I, in particular, barely speak of this issue for its too awesome and disheartening. 

To the thread:
Who's the author of that book? Would like to read it.

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[HUSNAA]

"Glittering strands" by Judith Lennox. Not as good as "the Italian garden" although it is a matter of opinion. Some may prefer glittering strands to the italian garden. I think I like the fairy tale quality of Chateau Marigny, in the italian garden; maybe that is why. I just imagine that is where sleeping beauty might have lain for 100 yrs but without the thorn bushes that surrounded her castle. I imagine the eerie enchanted silence that surrounded it, how it must have appeared so beautiful, serene and unattainable to Toby the first time he saw it; the unhappy lives gathered inside it, especially the little boy, Guy du Chatonnay.... 

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[gogannaka]

Gogannaka,

We share the same feeling towards this--Northerners shameful attitude and limited awareness of the world of internet. I, in particular, barely speak of this issue for its too awesome and disheartening. 

To the thread:
Who's the author of that book? Would like to read it.

Exactly Muhsin,abun takaichi wallahi.
The author is Mahmoud Ahmad Ghadanfar and translated by Jamila Muhammad Qawi.
You'll enjoy it.

Your book sounds interesting Husnaa.

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[Muhsin]

@Auntie Husnaa,

Was this Italian Garden written by an Italian author? Hmm. I thought their rather conventional theme of writing was that Mafia things, especially as the works I read by Italian (though Italian-American, i.e. Mario Fuzo) were about it. It's full with blood shedding. Yet I enjoyed reading it.

@Gogannaka,

I'll, inshaAllah, look for it.

Am still reading Doomsday Conspiracy.

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[HUSNAA]

No. It was written by an English woman. Actually the title is deceptive. Most of the events in the novel take place in France, but the early part of the events occur in Venice and Padua. The story is historical. Its set in the early years of the the 16th century. Most of the characters are French, but the principal character is spanish/italian. She is a painter's muse. He draws his greatest and best painting when she models for him. The painting eventually goes from Italy to France where it is hijacked by a nasty character. He becomes obsessed with the painting and falls in love with the woman in the painting. Meanwhile his arch rival finds her (the girl) makes her his mistress and flaunts her in front of this nasty character. The nasty character  becomes more obssessed and finds a way to separate her from her protector. So he hires her to construct a garden for him. She accepts the project because of the man's three yr old son, Guy du Chatonnay, who has been neglected by the father on the death of his mother, because the father suspects that he is not really his son. She constructs the garden based on a semi autobiography of her life, that is to say she constructs four gardens based on her life experiences and names them the garden of  jealous love; the garden of possessive love; the garden of tender love and the garden of innocent love (I think . ...  and not in that order I have forgotten which comes first but I think the garden of innocent love came last, which dealt with her children). By the time she finishes the garden, her own protector had died of some disease in the alps where he was fighting a war. The nasty character blackmails her into marrying him by kidnapping her daughter. She marries him and poisons him on the wedding night. He dies and she takes her daughter and Guy and leaves the Chateau.
End of story.
Its a really good story, and very very realistic. Nothing fairy tale about it even if some of the settings like the chateau which she does the garden in, has a fairy tale quality about it.

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[Muhsin]

Fascinating. Auntie Husnaa, you can be a very good story-teller; how you in a few words so graphically tells the story of that book really interests me. Why would not you have a try of writing one? Thanks.

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[HUSNAA]

Writing is a full time occupation, Muhsin. It drains yr brain seriously like nothing does. You are always thinking of yr characters. Every event that happens to you, u want to see how u can incorporate in the story, or how it is reminiscent of some of yr characters. It goes on and on until it becomes an obssession.
I dont have that kind of time yet. Besides, I get bored too easily.

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[HUSNAA]

PS. I once wrote a short story called Deliberate Madmen. It was published in an anthology of short stories by Nigerian authors. The book has a title, though for the life of me, I cant remember it. Ask Dr Yusuf Adamu (Geography dept) if u want to know more.

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[HUSNAA]

Anyone read the Longman Dictionary?
its so full of words and their meanings
very interesting, i highly recommend it
to all members.         

 
didnt get the joke till now!!! hahahahahaha

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[Muhsin]

Writing is a full time occupation, Muhsin. It drains yr brain seriously like nothing does. You are always thinking of yr characters. Every event that happens to you, u want to see how u can incorporate in the story, or how it is reminiscent of some of yr characters. It goes on and on until it becomes an obssession.
I dont have that kind of time yet. Besides, I get bored too easily.

Wallahi this is utterly true; when I was writing mine (oh...Allah, this thing is still unedited and hence unpublished) I always think of the characters, the plot, the setting and everything. Worst of all even during prayer, sleep, toilet...name the rest. It never let me rest.

PS. I once wrote a short story called Deliberate Madmen. It was published in an anthology of short stories by Nigerian authors. The book has a title, though for the life of me, I cant remember it. Ask Dr Yusuf Adamu (Geography dept) if u want to know more.

 

I'll, inshaAllah. Could he procure a copy for me?

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[Muhsin]

I am reading an English version of Sheikh Ibn Baz's book, entitled Establishing The Proofs Regarding The Rule On Those Who Seek Help In Other Than Allah Or Those Who Believe In Soothsayers And Fortune-Tellers. Translated by Dr. Syed Muhammad Munawwar Nainar

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[HUSNAA]

I'll, inshaAllah. Could he procure a copy for me?

I think you'd best get in touch with Ibrahim Sheme. He was the editor, I believe.

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[Muhsin]

Contacting Sheme is gonna be a bit difficult, I fear. But I'll try it maybe via he--Dr. Yusuf Adamu or Prof. Abdallah. Thanks.

I'm reading a number of books, actually, these days. The one with me now is: The Language of Postcolonial Literatures: an introduction. Written by Ismail S. Talib.

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