Welcome to Litsy!

Picked these up from the book swap on Tuesday night‘s walk home after ballet. I over did it and my ankle suffered. Ballet exam is this Sunday so I need it to do as it‘s told. Up til now I was the only one injury free! I‘d really love another distinction. I love 80‘s knits and perhaps one day I‘ll make them.

Holy cow what a story!
Manal al-Sharif grew up in Islamic Saudi Arabia and spent her childhood shackled by the extremists laws and traditions, even becoming more extreme in school herself.
Due to her mother‘s demand for excellence in school, Manal was able to pursue college where she let go of her extremist ideologies and started to buck against the restrictions on women. Manal lead the nation-wide movement to allow Saudi women to drive.

Absolutely loved this book ! A memoir of a Muslim Saudi woman who goes from extremism to feminist activism. She tells her whole life story and shares details about abuse she‘s endured due to the “tradition”. Her determinism in education and her career and refusing to accept what life had handed her was incredibly inspiring.

Well written, a level look at extremism how she went from extreme religion to being a fantastic women's right activist.

Manal writes about her struggle as a woman protesting for driving rights in Saudi Arabia. She grew up in a poor family in Mecca and became quite fundamentalist in her teens. However an opportunity to study at college and then work at Aramco, the country‘s oil company, opened her eyes to how different other countries are. While she loves Saudi Arabia and her faith, she‘d like to see custom and laws changed to give women a voice. A great memoir!

I appreciated Manal al-Sharif's memoir recounting her accidental journey into activism as she began questioning the ideas and beliefs that she had embraced and defended for many years.

"...there are also some scars that we want to see whenever we look in the mirror. Because these scars serve as a valuable reminder of our past. My scars teach me that I am stronger than what caused them."

After waiting what felt like forever, I almost forgot to open my #jolabokaflod package. It caught my eye as a made another trip to the door hoping that the UPS finally dropped off my stuff.

Thank You, @Princess-Kingofkings Wasn't able to get the chocolate in the shot but Lindor truffles is one of my fave. Also, I love old library hard copy editions, the binding keeps the books looking nice. The ornament makes a lovely bookmark.

#jolabokaflodswap

I'll do everything I can to become someone of significance, not for the sake of fame, but because I want to serve... I want to offer... something useful.

A powerful, eye-opening memoir about the ways in which Saudi women are silenced and oppressed in their homeland. Manal Al-Sharif became an unexpected activist for a woman‘s right to drive — facing prison time and the loss of her livelihood for speaking out about the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia.

#audiobook #nonfiction #memoir #bookrec #readtheworld

There was only one detention space in the station, and it was only for men. I‘m quite sure that I was the first #woman ever to enter the Thuqbah station. It took the police several hours, including a call to the commander and a visit to the local governor‘s house, just to produce a paper for me to sign.
#QuotsyMar19
#31DaysOfNonFiction

Jewish Author: I Can‘t Complain by Elinor Lipman
Memoir of AOC: Daring to Drive

#bookishbingo

Something from another country. #nonfiction2019

What an amazing book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #twelveintwo #nonfiction2019 #womenshistorymonth #bookish2019 #fall. #muslim author

Utterly fascinating and personal account of growing up female in one of the most repressive, woman-hating societies in the world. Frightening and shocking but also inspiring. And what a day to finish it, with the US sliding ever more quickly in the same direction. Trying to be hopeful, but it‘s hard.

I had no idea traditional Saudi culture limits women‘s personal freedoms so much. Not only are women not allowed to drive, but also they can‘t travel, rent an apartment, receive emergency assistance, or be admitted to a hospital without a male guardian. In this extreme context, Manal al-Sharif‘s attempt to drive while female is extremely daring. I found her story to be heroic and heartbreaking, and her country beautiful but severely oppressed.

Kindle deal 🎉 for 1.99 USD. I haven‘t read this yet but her backstory is very compelling. And apparently Oprah recommends her book so there you go. #saudiarabia ALSO I listened to a sample and the woman reading the audio, Lameece Issaq, is really easy to follow and her pronunciation of Arabic names is good and clear.

Manal al-Sharif, badass. ❤️

Starting this. I‘m “in charge” at the next meeting of my non-fiction book group.

I heard an interview with her on NPR and put a hold on her book at my library. After waiting forever for my hold to come in I finally gave up and got the audiobook from audible. This is an incredibly intimate memoir and I am immensely grateful she has shared her story. What an incredibly brave and courageous woman.

Interesting and brave woman. 4 🌟

Merry Christmas/Happy New Year to me! Not pictured are the 5 I bought on my kindle.... no problem here...

"The rain begins with a single drop."

Mahal Al-Sharif is a remarkable woman with a remarkable story... I was so very unaware of the extent of the oppression of women in Saudi Arabia. Her fight came at a great cost, but her activism has made a difference.

From a writing perspective this book is unfortunately very unremarkable, still a pick, because of the story.

I don't think I'll finish anything other than my current read (The Bell Jar) this weekend, so I'm sharing my #septemberfavorites #bestofseptember early. I read a lot of 'meh' books this month. The highlights were definitely Daring To Drive, One of Us is Lying, and Fierce Kingdom. Planning out my spooky #OctoberTBR now!

The Reading Envy Podcast that posted today featured this book, as brought by @Notafraidofwords ...it can't be a coincidence that the country of Saudi Arabia lifted the ban on women driving on the very same day! https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-arabia-lifts-ban-on-women-driving-1506455054

This was amazing! Manal has journeyed from rebellious teenager, to Muslim fundamentalist, to feminist activist over the course of her life. This memoir is about so much more than just the politics of mobility for women in Saudi Arabia. Manal traces her life and changing Saudi politics surrounding topics such as genital mutilation, marriage, citizenship and terrorism. Highly recommend!

My current audio read is really good so far! I don't want to stop reading to go to work. 😭

So good!!!!

When I picked up this book, I was not expecting for it to be so dark. I thought the author was going to mostly speak about the importance of mobility for women in the Middle East. But, it was more than that. This is the story of violence, hurt and the pain that comes from a government that controls your basic rights. I think this is a must read. I just want to hug her and offer her my home (and I don't feel that way about most people). Recommend.

#TBRtemptation post 6! Released in June. A ferociously intimate memoir by a devout woman from a modest Saudi Arabian family in Mecca who wound up leading a courageous movement to allow women to drive. In her adolescence she gleefully burned music tapes since music was banned; but, by her 20s, she was a computer security engineer in a compound that resembled suburban America. And that's when everything changed... #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

#Drive #90sInJuly @robothugs @Cinfhen

This was absolutely outstanding. I do wish she had written more about last few years of her life, I'd have liked to hear more about what she's done since her detainment but maybe that means there will be a second book.

TFW a book is so good that you can't put it down for a minute, not even for dinner.

#holdsonlitsy

This woman is amazing, I cannot begin to understand what it was like to be her growing up but I can appreciate and be in awe of the strength and grace she has.

My dog has been desperate for a snuggle since we got home from our morning walk but chores & errands have kept me from sitting down until now. She's gets her snuggle and I'll dive into this book - a win/win situation!

I absolutely loved Darling to Drive. Manal al-Sharif's memoir is a powerful story of her evolution from radical Islam to a brave advocate for the women of Saudi Arabia. I listened to this one and the audio was wonderful. This is a book you'll definitely need to read! Full review on Novel Visits: http://www.novelvisits.com/daring-drive-manal-al-sharif-review/

Listened to her interview on NPR's Fresh Air and thought it was pretty good. Loujain Alhathloul, another women's and driving right's activist from Saudi, was also arrested again a few days ago. It's not clear why. So I thought I'd post this for anyone else interested who might have missed this with Al Sharif: For One Saudi Woman, 'Daring To Drive' Was An Act Of Civil Disobedience http://n.pr/2sXsoFR

Manal al-Sharif grew up in Saudi Arabia in a strict religious household. As she became more educated, she ran into barriers finding housing, employment, and transportation due to her gender. She became frustrated and decided to fight for a change. It cost her a lot, and her story is well worth your time to read. Comes out in June.

#womensrights #netgalley #feminism #memoir #saudiarabia

To end International Women's Day and continuing Women's History Month, I just started this memoir by a woman who was arrested for "driving while female" in Saudi Arabia. #beboldforchange