What book are you reading right now?

From the series: ‘Reflections from Tarim’

I always laugh when people ask me,

“What book are you reading right now?”

Because the honest answer is always the same:

Not one… but a few

but this time

THREE! 😅

At the moment, I’m immersed in:

• Personality Plus for Couples — Florence Littauer
• The Nightingale — Kristin Hannah
• The Blessed Valley – Volume 1 — Dr. Mostafa Al-Badawi

I know reading three books at once sounds chaotic. But I don’t actually read them at the same time. I flow between them depending on the moment, the mood, and what my heart needs.

Let me explain…

---

✨ How It All Started

I began with Personality Plus for Couples and became completely absorbed. I read it in every spare moment m; during the day, at night, while rocking the baby, whenever I could steal a minute away.

And then…

While scrolling through my Books app, I stumbled across The Nightingale. One look at the blurb and I couldn’t resist. Suddenly that book became my new obsession. I paused Personality Plus entirely just to follow the story.

And now, beautifully intertwined with both, I’m reading The Blessed Valley, a book that feels like nourishment for the soul; a journey into the lives of the noble ancestors of the Ahl al-Bayt and the blessed people of Tarim.

My reading style may be a little all over the place…
but somehow, it works for me.

What matters is: I’m reading. I’m learning. I’m fulfilling a long-held dream.

---

Finding a Reading Routine in the Midst of Life

I’ve wanted a reading routine for years. I love reading deeply but I was always too distracted. I can’t even pretend I was “too busy.” If I can find time now, with a 5-month-old, a home, a family, classes to attend, and living far away in the Valley of Hadramout… then clearly, time wasn’t the issue.

Distraction was!!!

Scrolling. Scattered thoughts. Mental noise.

I own bookshelves and take trips to the library (mainly for my children) and always have a book nearby but I haven’t managed to achieve close to what I’ve achieved with my reading in this little time I’ve been in Tarim Alhamdulilah. We’re about to enter the 3rd month of being here and Alhamdulillāh, being here has blessed me. So many of my dreams are quietly being fulfilled here with the blessing and mercy of Allah and I’m discovering a version of myself I didn’t know was possible.
My gratitude for this place is endless. Every day unveils something new to be thankful for.
Alhamdulillāh, always.

Now, let’s talk about the books.

(Spoiler alert ! skip ahead if you don’t want any hints about these books!)

---

📘 1. Personality Plus for Couples

This is the book that brought me back into consistent reading Alhamdulilah. It explores personality types in such a simple, practical, relatable way.

There’s even a personality test you can take with your spouse. And yes I took it for each of my children too! 😂 But honestly, after reading the chapters, I already had a sense of where each child fit. The test just confirmed it.

The book is filled with:

• Clear explanations of temperaments
• Real-life examples
• Relationship insights
• Practical tools for communication
• Guidance on managing conflicts with compassion

It’s meant for couples, but it’s beneficial for everyone.
If you want to understand yourself and your loved ones better, this book is a gem.

My rating: 8/10
I deducted two points simply because some parts were repetitive.
But for new readers to personality theory, repetition may actually help.

---

📕 2. The Nightingale

This book grabbed me from the very first sample I read. What truly moved me was the author’s intention behind writing it.

Kristin Hannah wanted to honour the forgotten women of history. The women of the French Resistance during World War II whose courage, sacrifice, and strength never made it into history books.

The story follows two sisters:

• Vianne: a rule-following mother and schoolteacher
• Isabelle: rebellious, passionate, and determined to fight the German occupation

Both experience unimaginable suffering. The book highlights what war does to women, children, families, elders, the innocent who pay the price for the arrogance, ego, and cruelty of those hungry for power.

Reading it made my heart ache.
It made me reflect deeply on the oppression happening in our world today. Oppression that the world turns a blind eye to, as long as their own comfort, wealth, or reputation remain undisturbed they do not care about what’s happening to others. This is a selfish mentality. The suffering others are going through could simply happen to you. You’re not spared because you’re special. We are all required to have empathy towards one another because we are simply all brothers and sisters from Adam and Eve.

We are living in a time where:

• Human rights are selective
• Children’s rights are conditional
• Speaking the truth is “dangerous”
• Supporting the oppressed openly is a “crime”

Yet hatred has become so normalised that certain groups can spew open racism and still hide behind “free speech.”

Today, the suffering we’re witnessing mirrors the suffering of those who lived through the world wars. And yes, you know exactly who I’m talking about.

The Palestinians.

A people who offered refuge to Jews long ago only to be repaid with decades of injustice, displacement, and unspeakable cruelty. Yet they remain steadfast with hearts stronger than steel.

Reading The Nightingale made me reflect on their strength, their sacrifice, and their unwavering faith. The heroes of today are right before our eyes.

I pray one day their stories are honoured, written, shared, and remembered just like the forgotten women Kristin Hannah brought to light.

My rating: 8/10

My rating is mainly because it’s not entirely clean read as it contains few adult contents which isn’t many but still there. This may not appeal to all although can be skipped. 

---

📗 3. The Blessed Valley

This book is a treasure of knowledge and light.
It traces the lineage of the Ba ‘Alawī descendants of the Prophet ﷺ beginning from the Prophet himself, then Sayyidah Fāṭimah al-Zahra (r.a.), Sayyiduna ʿAlī (r.a.), and their sons Hasan and Husayn.

Generation after generation, both blood and sacred knowledge were preserved and passed down through a golden chain that continues today.

Reading these stories fills the heart with love and reverence. These individuals carry qualities so pure and luminous that “angelic” feels like the closest word.

They embody:

• Prophetic character
• Self-discipline
• Purity of heart
• Service to others
• Patience
• Nobility
• Humility

And it becomes clear why the people of Tarim carry the fragrance they do, because they are connected to a lineage of light.

Knowing them makes you love them.
Loving them makes you want to emulate them.
And emulating them draws you nearer to the Prophet ﷺ.

My rating: 9/10

I gave it this rating because I wish the stories were longer so I can learn more about them. I didn’t want the story of each character mentioned in the book to finish but sadly some only have a page or half due to the information available about them.

May Allāh make us among those who hold firmly to the Qur’an and to the Ahl al-Bayt.

---

Final Reflections

I didn’t intend for this post to be so long but these books stirred something in me.
They seem different on the surface, yet they complement one another beautifully.

Now I’m curious…

Have you been wanting to develop a reading routine that doesn’t seem to settle?

Have you already established a reading routine that you’re content with?

Share with me below and let’s help each other grow into readers again.

And let me know if you’d like more posts about Reading, Routines, and Reflections.

I would love to dive deeper into the beautiful world of books with you.

Until next time…

Peace be with you.