Welcome to #ShelfieSunday, dear reader! Today, you're going to meet a fabulous book lover named Nadira. She has a beautiful Instagram feed (@nadirasworld), where she posts colorful, artistically-structured photos of her favorite books and bookish accessories. Nadira hails from the United Arab Emirates, so her Instagram feed also features unique cultural reads that you may not have heard of otherwise. I've added quite a few books to my never-ending wish list, thanks to her!
Please read on for a brief Q&A with Nadira, and be sure to stop by her social media sites, linked below, to say hi and follow!
Quick, give us a Twitter-style bio!
Aquarian. Computer Engineer. Reader. Foodie. Cat Lover. Photographer. Loves Travel. Wannabe Masterchef. Totally Random. Your home is in the UAE. Are there any notable benefits or drawbacks an enthusiastic book lover might have there?
UAE is a melting pot of different cultures, nationalities and languages. There are many book lovers here and we are celebrating the Year of Reading to promote reading too. UAE has spent millions towards the reading campaign to encourage everyone to read more - whether it is in English or Arabic or any other language. There are quite a few reading cafes cropping up these days. The only area where I would hope for an improvement is for bookstores to house more varied range of books from different genres. I also wish books were reasonably priced here to make books more affordable for young readers. What is your favorite book?
Oh that’s a real tough question. I have a handful of all-time favorite books. Some of them are: My Feudal Lord which - a book that made me hooked onto the genre of non-fiction, Sister of my Heart - this got me loving authors and stories from the Indian subcontinent, Princess trilogy - true story about Saudi royal princess, Da Vinci Code - a phenomenal thriller, The Kite Runner/And The Mountains Echoed by the most amazing storyteller of the 21st century Khaled Hosseini. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie would probably be on top of this pile of favorites - as this story is simply imprinted in my mind. What is your most treasured book and why?
Sands of Time by Sidney Sheldon. It’s an exciting, thrilling story. It is in tatters after the numerous times I have read it. The book has truly stood the test of time! :D Where do you feel most comfortable while reading?
Sometimes its my couch, but mostly curled up on my bed, wrapped in blankets – possibly munching on some crisps too! Why is reading important to you?
Reading has always been a passion since I was a kid. Books have this magical way of transporting you to different parts of the world, to people’s homes, to exotic destinations, to different eras – all you have to do is turn that page J Would you mind sharing a picture of your favorite reading spot?
That would be my sunlit couch in my living room.
How about a shelfie (or two)?!
I have a lot of shelves in my room. I like to be very colorful in everything I do. I'm in love with my new zigzagged shelves which I got recently. They are super-cool and I have endless possibilities of being creative with it.
Special thanks to Nadira for agreeing so enthusiastically to be my first guest feature for #ShelfieSunday! Aren't her shelfies beautiful? I admire her love for the written word and the passion with which she shares that love to the rest of her fellow book lovers. You can find and follow Nadira at the following social media sites:
Instagram: @nadirasworld Snapchat: @nadirasworld Goodreads: @nadirasworld