Review | The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik

The Other Half of Happiness

by Ayisha Malik

My Rating:

Sofia Khan is just married. But no-one told her life was going to be this way . . .

Her living situation is in dire straits, her husband Conall is distant, and his annoyingly attractive colleague is ringing all sorts of alarm bells.

When her mother forces them into a belated wedding ceremony (elopement: you can run, but you can't hide), Sofia wonders if it might be a chance to bring them together. But when it forces Conall to confess his darkest secret, it might just tear them apart.

I received an ARC of The Other Half of Happiness from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Check out my review of Sofia Khan is Not Obliged here!

Last year I read Ayisha Malik's debut, Sofia Khan is Not Obliged, and really enjoyed it, so I was thrilled when I was approached by the publisher and offered the chance to receive an ARC of the sequel, The Other Half of Happiness. If you haven't read Sofia Khan is Not Obliged and you're planning to then I suggest you stop reading this review now; I try to keep my reviews spoiler-free, but as this book is a sequel there will be spoilers for the end of the first book here.

One of the things I mentioned in my review of the first book was that it felt like two different books in one; the first half of the book was very much a Muslim Bridget Jones's Diary while the second half took a more serious turn, leaving me a little unsure as to the kind of tone the book was trying to hit. The Other Half of Happiness felt much more like the latter half of the first book, but Malik has still littered the story with a great sense of humour and Sofia is still such a fun protagonist to follow.

Honestly, I found this book difficult to rate and see-sawed between 3 and 4 stars for a long time before I finally compromised and settled on 3.5. I loved the relationship between Sofia and Conall in the first book - the end of Sofia Khan is Not Obliged definitely gave me the warm fuzzies - and I'm still not sure how I feel about what happens to their relationship in this book. As the blurb suggests, Sofia discovers that Conall has a pretty big secret and that secret turned Conall into someone I wasn't sure I liked anymore. I appreciated that Conall became more complex, that he's definitely not perfect despite Sofia's idolisation of him in the first book, but the secret he keeps from Sofia is not okay (the keeping it from her that is, not the secret itself) and I got a little frustrated by the way he seemed to look down on Sofia's writing career in this book while expecting her to put up with his own passion project. This was especially confusing considering he was so supportive of her in the first book.

What Sofia was lacking in romance in this book, however, she certainly made up for in the relationships with the other women in her life. I loved that Malik chose to explore the relationship Sofia has with her mother, in particular, as well as her sister and her friends. They're all incredibly supportive of Sofia, and it was nice to see this focus when so much of the first book was focused on Sofia's romantic life. So much of Sofia's life seems to have been focused on romance and marriage that, in this book, it felt as though she was finally able to pour more of her energy into the other areas of her life, such as her career.

Unfortunately, I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the first one. I loved the themes that Malik chose to explore, but so much of the book was Sofia being sad and moping; this is completely justified considering what happens, but it didn't make for particularly thrilling reading. In fact parts of this book felt like reading the first book again, with Sofia once again unsure where her life is going or what's going to become of her career - I desperately wanted her to use her own initiative more rather than simply jumping on the opportunities other people offered her. She's a bright woman, she just needed a bit of a kick up the backside from time to time.

I did still like this book, though, and I recommend both Sofia Khan books - particularly if you enjoy contemporary, and especially if you're interested in reading a Muslim protagonist written by a Muslim author.

Diversity Bingo 2017!

I spotted this over on Mallory @ The Local Muse's blog and couldn't resist taking part myself. The last thing I want to do is make it seem as though my striving to read more diversely is about ticking something off a list; as I mentioned in my 2017 Resolutions I do genuinely want to get to a point where I'm reading as many authors of colour as white authors, and reading all across the spectrum within those books because dammit it's 2017 and the world isn't made up of white, wealthy, heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied people and that's something to be celebrated and something that should be reflected in the stories I read.

So I'm going to put this Diversity Bingo here and at the end of the year I'd like to come back and see how much I've crossed off so that I can assess how diverse my reading has been throughout the year, and I'll probably check it myself throughout the year because I know there are areas that I am consistently missing out. For example, I feel as though I've read very little by Asian or South American authors, and even less about Asian and South American characters in Asian and South American settings, and I've read practically nothing about the trans community which is something I need to change. I don't want to be ignorant.

I've read 15 books so far this year, and 6 of those books have crossed something off this list which I'm really happy with, but I'm hoping to cross as many books off this list as I can. I think this will be a great starting point to help me search for new diverse reads that I might not be reading much of already; like I said above I'd like to read more books set in Asia and more books about the trans community, but I'd also like to read as many Own Voices authors as I can this year as well reading books featuring protagonists with disabilities.

So far I've read:

Retelling w/ MC belonging to LGBTQIA+ - The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg and As I Descended by Robin Talley.

Non-Western (Real World) Setting - The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Book by Author of Colour - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin.

Diverse Non-Fiction - The Good Immigrant ed. by Nikesh Shukla.

Hijabi MC (Own Voices) - The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik.

Are you challenging yourself to Diversity Bingo this year?

This Week in Books | 25/01/2017

This week I'm joining in with Lipsy @ Lipsyy Lost & Found to talk about the books I've been reading recently!

Now: I really, really enjoyed The Fifth Season, so much so that I immediately bought a copy of The Obelisk Gate and I think I might be enjoying this one even more. It's frustrating to know that once I finish this I'm going to have to wait until August for The Stone Sky.

Then: Unfortunately I had to DNF The Winter Witch. I got bored and I wasn't keen on the characters; the heroine was irritating and the villains were stereotypical.

Next: I'm planning to continue with my DiverseAThon reading and finish The Other Half of Happiness once I finish The Obelisk Gate, as I was very kindly sent an ARC by the publisher. I'd like to get on top of my ARCs this year!

What have you been reading recently?

Top Ten Tuesday | DiverseAThon Recommendations

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is a freebie, so as it's currently DiverseAThon I thought I'd share some of my recommendations with you for anyone who's taking part! There's a focus on #OwnVoices this DiverseAThon - e.g. an LGBT+ book written by an LGBT+ author - so that's my focus here, too.

For more information about DiverseAThon, check out these videos!

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie: This has to be one of my favourite fairy tale inspired stories out there, all about the power of older stories and how they influence our stories of the future. The 1001 Nights is a particular inspiration behind this book, so if you're a fan of A Thousand Nights, The One Hundred Nights of Hero or The Wrath & the Dawn and you haven't read this yet, you're missing out!

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley: This is Talley's debut and I loved it. Set in 1959, it explores a mixed-race, LGBT+ romance in an American high school that has started to admit black students for the very first time. It's heartbreaking, but so worth reading given the current political climate.

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: I take every chance I can get to mention this book because I love it so very much, and it's such a unique take on witchcraft. Moreno-Garcia is a Mexican writer and both her published novels, Signal to Noise and Certain Dark Things, take place in Mexico City with a Mexican cast. She's so worth reading if you haven't already!

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng: My favourite book of 2016, this is Ng's debut and follows a mixed race family in 1970s America after the death of one of the family's children. It's harrowing, but so well-written and well-plotted and just so good.

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman: This is pretty much a classic by now, right? This is a must-read.

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik: I really enjoyed this when I read it last year, and it made me realise how few books I've read that feature Muslim characters, never mind a Muslim protagonist. It's so much fun, and funny, but also knows when to be serious and is just really worth reading.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters: If you're new to LGBT+ fiction and you're not sure where to start, may I present you with Sarah Waters. Five of Waters' six publish novels feature lesbian protagonists and Fingersmith is widely considered to be her masterpiece - it's definitely a fun one to start with if you're new to her work!

The Good Immigrant ed. by Nikesh Shukla: Such an important book. Read it, read it, read it.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin: This must be the most diverse fantasy book I've ever read, and on top of that it's written and plotted fantastically, too. Highly recommended!

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: I love Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This is her only short story collection and if you're interested in fiction set in Nigeria written by a Nigerian, then you need to pick this book up.

What did you talk about this week?

#DiverseAThon 2.0 TBR

DiverseAThon is back!

I'm sure it'll come as no surprise, if you've been following my blog for a while, that I'm a huge, huge lover of diversity in the publishing industry, in the media and, most importantly, in our stories - in whatever format those stories happen to take. I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination; I'm privileged and white and I'm sure there's a whole lot of crap I still perpetuate despite my constant work to improve myself and become a better human being. That's why I love to read diversely, particularly from diverse authors, because that's how I learn and get called out on the crappy stuff I may still be doing without even realising it. Ignorance is forgivable if I'm prepared to learn to do better, but that still doesn't excuse it.

Anyhoo, DiverseAThon was started over on BookTube last year as a response to a video that I'm not going to bother linking because it made me very angry, in which someone essentially tried to argue that we don't need diversity in our books anymore, that diversity isn't needed anymore.

Smell that? It's bullshit.

Sadly I was in a horrible slump when the last DiverseAThon came about, so I couldn't do anything more than recommend a few books/authors over on Twitter, but this year the DiverseAThon is back - from the 22nd-29th January - and I'm going to take part. So I've made myself a small TBR, and while I'm still not a big fan of TBRs these are a small selection of books that I'd like to read at least one or two of during the week, though I might pick up something else instead, but I thought I'd share them with you - not only to share these books with you, but also to share DiverseAThon with you just in case you weren't already aware of it. If you'd like to know more, here are some videos all about it!

The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik: I read and really enjoyed Sofia Khan is Not Obliged (reviewed here) last year, and I was contacted by the publisher who kindly sent me an ARC of the sequel which is due to be released in April. I've actually started this one already and it's so readable, just as the first one was, and I love reading about a Muslim protagonist written by a Muslim writer. Considering stories centred around Islam can often be so dark and racially stereotypical, it's super refreshing to read what is essentially Muslim Chick Lit. No, not even that - it's Chick Lit that just happens to have Muslims in it.

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin: I've been in the mood to get back into fantasy in 2017 and after Natalie @ A Sea Change recommended Jemisin to me I bought and read The Fifth Season, and I really enjoyed it. I'm a bad finisher, which is why one of my 2017 Resolutions is to finish a series this year, so I want to continue with this trilogy. Not only is Jemisin herself an author of colour, but this has to be the most diverse fantasy series I have ever read. Ever. I don't know if I'll get to this during DiverseAThon, but I'm planning to read it soon either way.

As I Descended by Robin Talley: This is another ARC I received last year and still haven't read because I'm secretly a terrible person. I loved Robin Talley's debut, Lies We Tell Ourselves (reviewed here), and As I Descended is a lesbian retelling of Macbeth written by an LGBT+ author. Why haven't I read this yet? All of Talley's novels focus on the LGBT+ community, particularly lesbian relationships, and I think she's a super important voice in the YA world.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi: I've heard nothing but amazing things about this one and I love the sound of the way it's written. I'd really like to get to this one during DiverseAThon if I can, but I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't.

What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi: I've read the first story in this collection and I really enjoyed it, and then I put it down for a reason I can't remember. I really like the way Oyeyemi writes, though, so if I could return to and finish this collection during DiverseAThon that'd be great!

Love & Other Poisons by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: You all know how much I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia by now. Her debut novel, Signal to Noise (reviewed here), is one of my favourite books of all time, her second novel, Certain Dark Things (reviewed here), is fantastic, and I really enjoyed her short story collection, This Strange Way of Dying (reviewed here). Her third novel, The Beautiful Ones, is being released in October, so I've been saving her other short story collection, Love & Other Poisons, to fill the void in my Moreno-Garcialess life until October. She's such an original voice in the realm of speculative fiction and I can't recommend her enough.

Are you taking part in DiverseAThon? What are you planning to read?

Top Ten Tuesday | Best Books of 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Best Books Of 2016'! Now as many of you may know, 2016 hasn't been a great reading year for me at all. I think we can all agree that 2016 has been a bit of a crap year in general, and unfortunately a busy job and generally feeling low have meant I haven't been reading as avidly as I'd like to. I read half the amount of books I read last year, and so many books were a lot more underwhelming or disappointing than I would have liked them to be, so I have a top eight rather than a top ten. I could have picked another two, but I decided just to go with the books that have actually stuck with me this year in some way or another!

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison: This one's a re-read after I read it for the very first time last year, in fact I re-read it twice this year: I read the paperback and also listened to the audiobook and I loved every minute of it. It's still one of my all-time favourite books, and I'm confident I'll be reading it again in 2017, too.

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig: This one was such a pleasant surprise. I loved the sound of the premise so I was sure I was going to like it, but I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I was going to. It was a real adventure, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on The Ship Beyond Time.

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: I think we all know by now that I adored Moreno-Garcia's debut Signal to Noise, so her second novel was my most anticipated read of this year and I really enjoyed it. It's the first vampire novel I've read in a while that felt fresh and new, and I can't wait for her next novel!

Soulless by Gail Carriger: I'm glad 2016 was the year I finally read some Gail Carriger and it was so much fun. I'm planning to finish this series and then I'm looking forward to reading Carriger's other work.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn: This was a strange one in that I finished it I was a little disappointed with the ending, but I also haven't been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it and the more I think about it the more I appreciate just how brilliantly plotted it is. I didn't care for Flynn's debut, Sharp Objects, but I think this is a fantastic thriller.

The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney: I had a very similar experience as Dark Places with this one, too. After I finished it I felt a bit underwhelmed, but like Dark Places I haven't been able to stop thinking about it and I think it's actually a really well put together novel and a perfect read for those cold winter months.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng: Probably the best book I read this year. It's heartbreaking but it's so, so beautiful and another one that's plotted so well. I can't recommend it enough!

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik: One of the best adult contemporary novels I've read in a long time. This was so much fun to read but was also really thought-provoking in places and just a really good book. I'm looking forward to The Other Half of Happiness!

Which books made your list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Anticipated Releases of 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward To For The First Half Of 2017'. I usually don't like doing these because, despite working in publishing, I'm not that great at keeping up with what's coming out in the coming years that I'm going to love. If there's a favourite author I follow or a series I'm keeping up with, I'll know, but otherwise I'm fairly useless.

Nevertheless there are some books I'm really looking forward to in the first half of 2017, so, without further ado, here are my top ten twelve most anticipated books being published between January and June!

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli: Despite not being much of a YA reader these days, I adored Becky Albertalli's debut Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (reviewed here!) so I'd like to check out her second novel not only because I loved her debut so much, but also because The Upside of Unrequited features an overweight protagonist. We need more such protagonists in YA!

The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik: The sequel to Sofia Khan is Not Obliged (reviewed here!), which is probably one of the best adult contemporary novels I've read in a long while.

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal: If that title doesn't catch your eye, I don't know what will. I just love the sound of this novel.

Stay With Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀: I read about Adébáyọ̀'s debut in The Bookseller and loved the sound of it. Anyone who's had Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Margaret Atwood for mentors has to be fantastic so I can't wait to get my hands on this one.

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence: I don't read much high fantasy - I wish I read more than I do - but this sounds so cool. Assassin nuns are the best kind of characters.

The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember: A Norse, LGBT+ retelling of The Little Mermaid. I am ready. I read and enjoyed Ember's debut Unicorn Tracks (reviewed here!) this year, and I can't wait to read more of her work!

The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Girl From Everywhere (reviewed here!), so I'll definitely be checking out the sequel! I'm fairly certain this series is a duology so I'm curious to see how Heilig intends to wrap up Nix's story.

Dragon Springs Road by Janie Chang: This sounds magical. I've been meaning to read Chang's debut novel, Three Souls, but haven't got around to it yet. Dragon Springs Road sounds like my cup of tea, though; it's historical fiction meets magical realism meets mystery, all with a mixed race protagonist. I always enjoy reading books featuring mixed race protagonists and I'm really looking forward to this one.

Take Courage: Anne Brontë and the Art of Life by Samantha Ellis: I loved Samantha Ellis's memoir, How To Be a Heroine (reviewed here!), and I love Anne Brontë, so Samantha Ellis writing a book about Anne Brontë sounds perfect to me.

The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown: As far as I'm concerned Matthew Hopkins is one of the most evil men in history. He turned witch-hunting into a career for himself, inciting fear in small towns and making money killing women he accused of witchcraft - we even have him to thank for the Salem Witch Trials after a book he wrote became very popular overseas. This novel is from the point of view of Matthew's sister during the tumultuous years of the witch trials, and I think it'll be so interesting to read a book about Hopkins from the point of view of a female relative.

The Good People by Hannah Kent: Another author whose debut, Burial Rites (reviewed here!), I adored. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of The Good People which, like Burial Rites, is set in the 19th century but this time in Ireland.

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck: This novel is set in Germany after the Second World War and follows the widow of a German resistor who was killed in a failed attempt to assassinate Hitler in 1944. She has made a promise to her dead husband to rescue other widows of the resistance and make a home for all of them in the grand house of her husband's ancestors. I think there's a real lack of historical fiction set in Germany during or after the Second World War, and this sounds fantastic.

Which books made your list this week?

Christmas Book Tag (ORIGINAL)

Christmas is a month away! That's exciting for some and terrifying for others, and I definitely fall into the former category. I love Christmas. I love the atmosphere and the carols and the cheesy songs and the lovely movies and the warm fuzzy feeling it gives me.

So to celebrate I've created my very own Christmas Book Tag. I feel I should say I'm sure there are other such tags out there, but this is one I've made entirely on my own and if there are any similarities to any other tags I promise that's pure coincidence.

I'll tag a few people once I've given my own answers, but whether you're tagged or not please feel free to do this tag and share the festive love!

I have to go with Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan. It's cheesy and festive and lovely; I read it over Christmas a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the experience.

I didn't really like The Great Zoo of China that much - which is a shame because it's essentially Jurassic Park but with dragons - but it was a shamelessly fun, quick read. If you want to know my thoughts in more detail you can check out my review here!

I don't know why, but I feel like Taylor Swift's 'Style' would be a great movie. It's one of my favourite songs from 1989 and something about it always makes me think there must be a bigger story someone can write in there somewhere; the lyrics make me think it'd be a great movie about a pair of doomed lovers who appear in different incarnations every century throughout history.

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged features a heroine who is a practicing muslim, and it's one of the best contemporary novels I've read in a long while. Check out my review here!

I have to go with The Disreputable Dog from The Old Kingdom series, who first appears in Lirael as Lirael's much-needed companion. She's so much fun and I love her, although Mogget is a very close second.

I read Burial Rites over new year a couple of years ago and it was the perfect read for those cold winter months. The setting was one of my favourite parts of Hannah Kent's debut - it was as much a character as all the people within it - and she writes those bleak, Icelandic landscapes beautifully.

Maia is one of my favourite fictional characters from one of my favourite books of all time. I adore The Goblin Emperor, it's like Rivendell meets the Tudor court, and when I was poorly with quinsy earlier this year the thing that comforted me most was curling up in bed and listening to the audiobook. If you haven't picked this up yet, I highly recommend that you do!

There are plenty I could have chosen, but I've always had a soft spot for The Secret Garden. I adored the 1993 adaptation when I was little and I finally read the book for my Popular Victorian Fiction module at university and loved it. I love Mary Lennox; she's grumpy and heartwarming, and a very good gardener to boot!

I'm still not over it.

I'm sure my lovely friend Natalie @ A Sea Change won't be too impressed with my choice, knowing how much she loved this book, but Uprooted was one of those books I really had to struggle through to finish. I liked a lot of things about it but the writing style and I just didn't get along very well which is a real shame, but I'd like to try more of Naomi Novik's work in future.

Okay so The Nutcracker certainly isn't without adaptations. Not only is it one of the most famous ballets around, but it also has numerous film adaptations - I just haven't found one I've completely fallen in love with yet. I want an adaptation that's nostalgic rather than juvenile; I'm a big fan of slightly creepy fairy stories, so I'd love to see someone like Henry Selick direct a stop motion adaptation of it.

I think The Good Immigrant is such an important book right now, so I'm hoping to get my hands on a copy of it over the Christmas period! Then again, there are a bunch of other books I want to get my hands on, too...

If you'd like to have a go at this tag then please do! I'd love to know what your answers would be. For now I'm going to go ahead and tag:

Natalie @ A Sea Change

Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows Reviews

Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Mallory @ The Local Muse

Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight

Top Ten Tuesday | Ten Bookish Facts About Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Ten Facts About Me', whether they're personal, bookish or any other kind. So this week I decided to do something a little different: these are facts about me that I share with various heroines from various books!

1. Like Hermione, I loved school. I was also a bit of a know-it-all, but I think Hermione is far brighter than I ever was.

2. Like Mary, I was raised in Yorkshire. I was also born there, but I moved around to a few different places and had three different primary schools before we finally settled for nine years in North Yorkshire, which is a beautiful part of England.

3. Like Matilda, I love to read. And like Matilda I've loved to read since I was very young. I wouldn't have a book blog if I didn't!

4. Like Sofia, I was once religious. I really enjoyed Sofia Khan is Not Obliged because it's one of the only books I've read where a main character has practised a religion and hasn't been mocked for it, and the plot hasn't involved her losing her religion. I class myself as agnostic now, but I was christened Catholic and as a child I loved going to church with my mum; I still find churches to be very comforting places even now.

5. Like Nix, I love history. Sadly I can't time travel like Nix, but a girl can dream...

6. Like Violet, I'm short and stocky. I have big hands, big feet and big boobs, but I'm only 5'2". Trying to put together a whole new outfit is a nightmare.

7. Like Catherine, I'm a fangirl. I don't let my favourite books and shows influence me so much that I'd accuse another person of murder, but I can certainly empathise with Catherine's ability to get a little carried away with a good novel!

8. Like Jo, I have sisters. Jo is the second oldest of four sisters while I'm the youngest of three, and I'm the youngest by quite a few years; there's only two years between my big sisters, but there's ten years between me and my oldest sister and eight between me and my middle sister.

9. Like Meche, I've loved a friend.

10. Like Alexia, I mainly attend parties for the food. Omnomnom.

Which heroes and heroines from fiction are you similar to?