Posts tagged Book Club

#KHIBookSwap – My Baby Turns 2!

Dear Readers,

Not long ago, I moved back to my country in search of a new life and a new dream. With my aspirations, traveled my love of the written word as well and I found myself lost amidst of writers, bloggers, photographers, painters and musicians. Not that I had any problems with any of them but what my heart desired was nowhere to be found.

A sanctuary where the written word was adored and perhaps even worshiped! I was in search of a “Book Club” to quench my thirst of like-minded individuals who were as crazy as I was for reading. But none even came close. And then entered Farman Shams, the man who would one day – be the father to my safe haven. Together Farman and I laid the foundation to “KHI Book Swap” as Pakistan’s first ever book swapping book club and promised each other a lifetime of “Doing Books”.



On August 16, 2014, Farman and I hosted our club’s first ever meeting (monthly meet) and let’s just say it did not start on a good note but little did we know that it was the start of something sweet and something luminous. It’s been two (02) exciting years of “KHI Book Swap” where every month we find ourselves surrounded by bookworms, bibliophiles and hardcore readers. I have actually found a few friends for life all thanks to this cozy, little book club of ours. Farman and I have been pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming response from many cities in the country. Often we receive queries in regard to our book club, it’s policies etc.
Allow me to narrate a comprehensive outlook regarding my baby.

If you are still reading this means you are clearly interested in becoming a part of our book club.

So here is the deal, our book club is stationed or in other words has its headquarters in Karachi. We do not have any (yet) branches, associations or affiliations with anyone or any other club/body/organization/group in any other city of the country. 

You can easily find us online including on a number of popular social media networks. We are currently active on three (03) social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. On Facebook you will find an official page to the establishment as well as a Group where you can join from anywhere in the country. The group is open to interested members from all corners of the globe. Each month we announce our “Genre of the Month” or “Selection of the Month” for all our (national and international) members. These titles are then discussed during our upcoming monthly meet. For members in other cities, we usually carry out a number of discussions on the group itself. You are most welcome to join the conversation, and discover new books, meet readers and talk about latest news from the publishing world. 

Once in a month, members available in Karachi get together and vent out on the selection in-question. The meets are usually accompanied with food and a ton of never ending “book talk”. We are more or less cutting each other sentences and that is perhaps the best part of our book club. Each one of us is more than just enthusiastic and just wants to ‘do books’ – which of course is what our motto. The online group is strictly moderated by both of us (Myself and Farman Shams) not to mention membership is only confirmed once you sign up with our online form presented to you when you join. The book club also harbors a WhatsApp presence but the WhatsApp Group is open only to active members. The criterion for entry is attendance of a minimum three (03) monthly meets. There is no such eligibility criterion for club membership itself however participation is highly encouraged for continued association.

Enough of boring policy-talk!

This book club came into existence because Farman and I love reading, we are obsessed with books and there lies the philosophy to the establishment. I never intended to organize a ‘meet-up’ or a gathering of sorts. My partner and I have always been very clear on how we want our club to function.

We all read.
And we all talk about books.

As simple as that! Period. 

We do not engage in any kind of frivolities outside the reading world. This book club is not a business to me. It’s our baby and we nurture it the same. And two (02) years down the line with over a hundred (100) members we are proud to be known as a “real book club”. 

Farman has been instrumental in the operations of the book club from day one and without him one cannot even imagine #KHIBookSwap.

His patience with my unconventional approach and adrenaline-driven ideas deserves all the gratitude in the world. And I’d like to take this moment to thank the daddy of my baby for being so gracious and cool-headed with me during all this time! 

If you like ‘reading’ then I assure you this is the place for you. Share, talk, vent out, and debate – as long as you read – you are welcome to our paradise.

And guess what? This August 16th, my Baby will turn 2! Farman and I are completely ecstatic and we intend to celebrate this glorious moment with all our active members. A grand celebration is under the wraps right now and will be unveiled shortly.

We hope to see you on our next monthly meet and share your passion of the written word!

P.S. My baby is turning 2 and I have the #MommyFeels 24/7! 

“I am a Rebel Reader”

I live in a free country.

Most of us do.

And that is something that should never be taken for granted. However at times we come across certain occurrences that leave you to question freedom itself.

I am not here to talk to about issues like freedom of speech or the freedom to choose your government but something even more grave and that my folks is the ‘Freedom to Read’. I mean if I cannot read what I want then what the hell am I to do in life?

The national book community in the United States of America decided to recognize ‘challenged books’ and created the initiative to support the ‘Freedom to Read’ under the name of ‘Banned Books Week’.

Banned Books Week is a nationwide promotion by the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with many other sponsors like AAP, ABFE, NCTE who have tried to draw attention to such censorship, and condemn it. I have always taken part of this movement whilst sitting in Pakistan and read banned books during the term designated each year. This year I involved my book club, #KHIBookSwap to join in and celebrate the banned books week.

Now let’s get personal people, I for one have had a very strong relationship with banned books. And yes, I consider myself, a rebel reader.

You see Mousier, Le fruit défendu est le doux!
And by that I mean: The forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest my friend!

Some of my all-time favorite books have been banned since their publication including Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Animal Farm, The Scarlet Letter and the Fifty Shades of Grey.

Yeah, I read about SEX and liked it, get over it! (I am going to write a whole another post as to why girls pretend to hate FSOG and exactly why these are the girls who doll up for the theatre.! Ohhh Yes I will!!!)

Well getting back to our topic of discussion today. Banned Books!

Some of us would definitely like to see FSOG banned for good but why on earth would someone ban Harry Potter? Am I right? Well today, I am here to explain to you the grounds on which some of our beloved titles were banned upon their release. I am going to make this easy by enlisting the latest list of challenged books that the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) created based on reports from libraries, schools, and the media on attempts to ban books in communities across the country. (And yes the following list is authentic!)

It’s not always sex or obscene language that leads to a ban, many times, traditions, customs and even something as valuable as viewpoints that cause such an uproar.

The top ten most frequently challenged books of 2014 include:

1) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying”.

2) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”.

3) And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “promotes the homosexual agenda”.

4) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues”.

5) It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it child pornography”.

6) Saga by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: unsolicited.

7) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence.

8) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”.

9) A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group.

10) Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Reasons: sexually explicit.

Well, I guess SEX and NUDITY make most of the list, ehhh?
Ban the books will you?
Why not ban the multi-billion dollar porn industry first???

Jealousy I tell you. Jealousy.
They know.
Readers rule the world.

So to show them that we will not be played to their ruse, let’s pick up a banned book this week, and read all the dirty scenes over and over and over and overrrrrr! 😉 *seductive voice*