irania-2023

[irania-2023]

a home office day

[irania-2023]

an accidentally mild coffee, reading about the cold war in south asia and listening to the new hozier ep

[irania-2023]

spent some bad mental days doing nothing except reading naipaul and naval history and being annoyed at things

[irania-2023]

I need more fairy teacups in my life

[irania-2023]

started reading, ended up drawing

[irania-2023]

how to start reading again

from someone who was a voracious reader until high school and is now getting back into it in her twenties.

start with an old favourite. even though it felt a little silly, i re-read the harry potter series one christmas and it wiped away my worry that i wasn't capable of reading anymore. they are long books, but i was still able to get completely immersed and to read just as fast as i had years and years ago.

don't be afraid of "easier" books. before high school i was reading the french existentialists, but when getting back into reading, i picked up lucinda riley and sally rooney. not my favourite authors by far, but easier to read while not being totally terrible. i needed to remind myself that only choosing classics would not make me a better or smarter person. if a book requires a slower pace of reading to be understood, it's easier to just drop it, which is exactly what i wanted to avoid at first.

go for essays and short stories. no need to explain this one: the shorter the whole, the less daunting it is. i definitely avoided all books over 350 pages at first and stuck to essay collections until i suddenly devoured donna tartt's goldfinch.

remember it's okay not to finish. i was one of those people who finished every book they started, but not anymore! if i pick up a book at the library and after a few chapters realise i'd rather not read it, i just return it. (another good reason to use your local library! no money spent on books you might end up disliking.)

analyse — or don't. some people enjoy reading more when they take notes or really stop to think about the contents. for me, at first, it was more important to build the habit of reading, and the thought of analysing what i read felt daunting. once i let go of that expectation, i realised i naturally analyse and process what i read anyway.

read when you would usually use your phone. just as i did when i was a child, i try to read when eating, in the bathroom, on public transport, right before sleeping. i even read when i walk, because that's normally a time i stare at my screen anyway. those few pages you read when you brush your teeth and wait for a friend very quickly stack up.

finish the chapter. if you have time, try to finish the part you're reading before closing the book. usually i find i actually don't want to stop reading once i get to the end of a chapter — and if i do, it feels like a good place to pick up again later.

try different languages. i was quickly approaching a reading slump towards the end of my exchange year, until i realised i had only had access to books in english and that, despite my fluency, i was tired of the language. so as soon as i got back home i started picking up books in my native tongue, which made reading feel much easier and more fun again! after some nine months, i'm starting to read in english again without it feeling like a huge task.

forget what's popular. i thought social media would be a fun way to find interesting books to read, but i quickly grew frustrated after hating every single book i picked up on some influencer's recommendation. it's certainly more time-consuming to find new books on your own, but this way i don't despise every novel i pick up.

remember it isn't about quantity. the online book community's endless posts about reading 150 books each year or 6 books in a single day easily make us feel like we're slow, bad readers, but here's the thing: it does not matter at all how many books you read or what your reading pace is. we all lead different lives, just be proud of yourself for reading at all!

stop stressing about it. we all know why reading is important, and since the pandemic reading has become an even more popular hobby than it was before (which is wonderful!). however, there's no need to force yourself to be "a reader". pick up a book every now and then and keep reading if you enjoy it, but not reading regularly doesn't make you any less of a good person. i find the pressure to become "a person who reads" or to rediscover my inner bookworm only distances me from the very act of reading.

[irania-2023]

[irania-2023]

“Go and love someone exactly as they are. then, watch how they transform into the greatest truest version of themselves. when one feels seen and appreciated in their own essence, one is instantly empowered.”

— Wes Angelozzi

[irania-2023]

arabic poetry is so beautifully yet painfully romantic, i mean “they asked “do you love her to death?” i said “speak of her over my grave and watch how she brings me back to life" and “because my love for you is higher than words, i've decided to fall silent" and "it is not enough to say love in Arabic, you must say 'be the thing that buries me'" could have got jane austen crying and shaking

[irania-2023]

instagram @gaaaandaaaalf

[irania-2023]

[irania-2023]

4.1.22 April means the beginning of spring break, end of midterms, and an exciting announcement… my younger sister will be joining me at Cornell next fall!! Our family feels very lucky to have gone from immigrant grandparents, and only one college educated parent, to two daughters aiming for doctorates. She doesn’t have a tumblr, but look forward to posts featuring “LittleArchitectureStudies”!

🎼- Dark Red by Steve Lacy

[irania-2023]

I love the aesthetic 💖📚

i have a(nother) bookshelf now

[irania-2023]

Any short story or novella recs? Preferably spooky adult magical realism. I'm hunting for a collection to gift to a friend, but unfortunately I just haven't read many short stories. Plus, she's just getting into books so i don't want to intimidate her with something voluminous. Thanks and wish you the best day🌼

hi there! i don’t have a lot because these aren’t genres i read much of, but i think these work —

things have gotten worse since we last spoke by eric larocca: two women meet through a chat room and grow obsessed with each other, descents into madness very quickly; a short read

the dangers of smoking in bed by marina enriquez: short stories with somewhat things have gotten energy; spooky, a little horror; i read a few and they seemed fun

a season of ghosts by ruskin bond: stories on ghosts and being haunted; he sort of lifts off from legends and myths in his town and builds them into stories. also see his a face in the dark and other hauntings

flames by robbie arnott: follows a family where the women come back for a few days after dying; magical realism, very beautifully done; there's also a mystery to it, which is interesting

fragile things by neil gaiman: somewhat horror, kind of creepy, definitely dark stories. you could check out gaiman, he has work you seem to be looking for, like there's coraline or graveyard boys or the ocean at the end of the lane, all of which are quick novels; and there's trigger warning, which is also stories.

if you're looking for something more classic, i don't think you can go wrong with poe

i hope you find something you like, and i hope your friend likes whatever you choose :)

edit and p.s.: also do check the notes!

[irania-2023]

this week has been the craziest, but also that’s going to be the next week too. in other news though, i’m very excited about how this paper is turning out.

[irania-2023]

Such a Capricorn ♑️- Drama queen 😭✨

[irania-2023]

another week, another book sale