I'm a literature student at university and a fiction addict. My genre of choice is fantasy, (usually fast paced) though I pride myself for being up to date with the genre. But I have read the classics, famous short stories, and even some modern classic writers. My favourite classics are Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, The secret garden, Ivanhoe (yes sir Walter Scot fascinates me because I love knights, and the middle ages) amongst others. Some of my favourite current day fantasy writers are listed amongst the the list of reviews 4 my favourite books, at the very bottom.

I'm also on fanfiction at http://www.fanfiction.net/hasslecastle

I love giving reviews and they are often critical (as I am basically an anlaytical writer). Because more than often than not criticism is the best remedy to bad prose. Most writers never realise their faults...

I write poetry, some of which could be read on

http://www.poetry-mineandyours.blogspot.com/p/my-poetry.html

I am writing short stories about the terrorist situation in Pakistan to spread awareness about the local culture and the reasons behind terrorism.

Over 40,309 Civilian Pakistanis have been killed and 3.44 million Pakistanis have been displaced in the war on terror.

And the resulting Islamophobia Internationally is an added problem for the thousands of Pakistani origin people or any muslim in general.

ISLAM PROMOTES PEACE. JIHAD IS ABOUT SELF DEFENCE. MURDER IS THE GREATEST SIN. TERRORISM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ISLAM

Islamophobia is wrong. Muslims are not terrorists. so stop judging a civilization you know nothing about...

“How can you have a war on terrorism when war itself is terrorism?”

― Howard Zinn

"Osama is not a product of Pakistan or Afghanistan. He is a creation of America. Thanks to America, Osama is in every home. As a military man, I know you can never fight and win against someone who can shoot at you once and then run off and hide while you have to remain eternally on guard. You have to attack the source of your enemy's strength. In America's case, that's not Osama or Saddam or anyone else. The enemy is ignorance. That only way to defeat it is to build relationships with these people, to draw them into the modern world with education and business. Otherwise the fight will go on forever.”

― Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time

“The number of people killed by the sanctions in Iraq is greater than the total number of people killed by all weapons of mass destruction in all of history.”
― Noam Chomsky

“Terrorism is the symptom, not the disease. Terrorism has no country. It's transnational, as global an enterprise as Coke or Pepsi or Nike. At the first sign of trouble, terrorists can pull up stakes and move their "factories" from country to country in search of a better deal. Just like the multi-nationals.

Terrorism as a phenomenon may never go away. But if it is to be contained, the first step is for America to at least acknowledge that it shares the planet with other nations, with other human beings who, even if they are not on TV, have loves and griefs and stories and songs and sorrows and, for heaven's sake, rights.”
― Arundhati Roy (The Algebra of Infinite Justice, 2001)

Quoting Attolia from a social awareness psychology forum:

Not all Muslims are terrorists, so end your hatred!

God! I hate ignorant people!

I have a Muslim friend who is the kindest, sweetest person I have ever met. I know a lot of Muslims and know a lot about their religion. I mean, Muslims are like Buddhists, in the sense that they won't hurt ants because ants are God's creatures. After September 11, my Muslim friends have been treated like trash. They have been harassed, sworn at, fired from their jobs, robbed, attacked, you name it.

Why, you ask? Why would these peace-loving people who are afraid of hurting ants be attacked? Because everyone thinks all Muslims are terrorists. Timothy McVeigh, in charge of the Oklahoma bombins, was Christian. But did everyone go around attacking Christians? NO. China is a communist country. Does everyone go around attacking Chinese Americans? No.

In case you don't know, Islam does not promote terrorism. Search their holy book, the Quran. SO STOP BEING IGNORANT AND JUDGING ALL THE MUSLIMS BECAUSE A HANDFUL OF FUNDAMENTALISTS DECIDE TO BOMB SKYSCRAPERS!

I've done my best to tell people this. I thought all the attacks against Muslim Americans (meaning Americans like you, white, black, Chinese, born in America or living in America) had come to and end, but yesterday, when my Muslim friend and I were walking to the public library, some guy in his car passes by, honks, and makes a rude gesture. Jerk.

My point is, please learn more about Islam and Muslims before you start forming judgements about them. And this isn't just for Muslims. I'm talking about all minorities.

4:43:22 am - February 14, 2005

REVIEWS 4 MY FAVOURITE FANTASY BOOKS (Only the ones I read recently)

1) Patrick Rothfuss- The name of the wind - King killer 1, The wise mans fear- King killer 2 (Medieval world. Based on a child, who belongs to troupe of performers but is orphaned in a middle of a forest. He survives against insurmountable odds, goes to university and becomes the ultimate hero based on wit alone even though he is never a fighter and gets beat up everywhere.)

2) The Ring of solomon- Jonathan stroud- (Its hilarious and its a stand alone. Main character is Bartimaus - a genie who has to serve in King solomon’s court. Plot based on an assassination attempt on the king)

- The Bartimaus trilogy also by Stroud.

3) Cynthia Hand – Unearthly(Bk1), Hallowed(Bk2). Awsome Romance. Boy meets girl. Modern US based. BUT the big secret is that the main character is angelic. Part angel. Twilight style. But it works despite the stereo typical element. You shoul give this a try straight away since ur in flick chick mode anyways.

4) Richelle Mead - Dark Swan series ( It is interesting, but quite editable bcz its adult fiction. However it as fast and as snappy as vampire academy. Based on a 26 year old very modern shaman ( with a big mouth and dry humour- told in the 1st person) who discovers the other world and is pulled in to its life and politics despite her unwillingness and bias against it. And confused love with 2 guys where she fluctuates btw the 2 in every bk)

5) Christopher Paolini- Inheritance (Inheritance cycle book 4) In case you did not finish the so called trilogy

6) Maggie Stiefvater- Shiver, Linger, Forever ( A werewolf based romance trilogy)

- The scorpio races ( A stand alone fantasy based on horse racing,- sweetly non complicated)

- Lament , Ballad (Books of faeriea 1 and 2- part of a trilogie based on a teenage girl who is a target of the capricious and malignant fair folk- romance based / a little simplistic)

7) Tamora Pierce – Circle of magic series ( which is good- based on 4 children who learn magic at a school in a medieval world where magic is common). The characters continue in the ‘ The circle opens’ and reach adulthood and the stories conclusion in ‘ the will of the empress’.

- The Song of the lioness ( A 4 part series based on how a girl shamming as her twin brother trains for knighthood- medieval world)

- Terrier, Bloodhound, Mastiff ( a 3 part book about a young woman in the police force (in an ancient kingdom where magic is common). She is efficient and clever, belongs to a very poor family, and has no magic)

8) Bree Despain- The Dark divine, The lost Saint- Werewolf book. About a 16 year old girl (quite religious) who is the daughter of a preacher in current day United Sates- small town, who falls in love with a werewolf.