from times square to jarir bookstore

some years ago when Abu R-R and I were struggling (in every sense of the word) with college and jobs and our new responsibilities as spouses and parents, we lived in a little town that had four intersecting roads at its centre..this square was lined by designer shops and chic restaurants and icecream parlours that had the latest flavours ...and a little bookshop where we bought our weekend copy of The Times, and so we called it Times Square ..

Each time I'd go in the bookshop and inhale the scent of fresh ink on crisp paper, it'd be like the kid with nose pressed against the glass of a candy store counter, and I'd promise myself that if we ever had more than barely-enough money, the only extravagance I'd allow myself would be sadaqah and books..

since then, alhamdulillaah, we've been overwhelmed by Allaah's favours (including some very high maintenance ones j/k) and I haven't nearly been as extravagant as I'd like..except last week, when in a grown-up version of a kid going crazy in a candy store, I went berserk at Jarir bookstore and picked up all the books I'd ever wanted ...and then some..alhamdulillaah 'alaa ne'aam

to the person who wrote and asked when we'll post again, just as soon we finish the books we've started:

Purification of the Soul/Jamal Zarabozo

My Story/Dave Pelzer's trilogy

Evolution of Fiqh/Bilal Philips (re-read)

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man/James Joyce

Out of Place/Edward Said's childhood memoirs
Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Tom Brown's Schooldays and Nancy Drew (21st century avatar)

excuse us, while we indulge..