BOOK REVIEW | THE LITTLE BOOK OF LYKKE by MEIK WIKING

Hey poodles!

I'm super chuffed to be part of the #look4lykke blog tour hosted by Penguin Life and Meik Wiking. Today is day four of the tour and I'm bringing you my thoughts on this charming book. Keep on reading for a Happiness Tip at the end and be sure to check out the other bloggers!

A little bit of context:

I'm a twenty-one year old recent English graduate based in East London. I live at home with my family and I walked to my lectures. My 'home' is a three bedroom flat in a two floor maisonette overlooking a seemingly busy road. Of the thirty-five flats in the building, I know a total of five families intimately. For someone like me, reading about the pursuit of happiness, admittedly, seemed like something you reminisced of and not actively created.

Meik's The Little Book of Lykke suggests otherwise. Following on from the success of the bestselling The Little Book of Hygge - an insight into the Danish concept of 'cosiness' - Meik sets out to show that despite Denmark being the 'World's Happiest Country', lykke - happiness - can be sought in places across the globe.

"The days, it is easier to notice the fighting and rather than what is fine. It is easy to point towards the grey skies and dark clouds, but perhaps we all need to be more like Samwise the Stout-hearted... and see what is good in this world of ours."

Using his research from the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Meik presents a collage of case studies and stories, facts and statistics, tips and photos. Reading his findings is an overwhelming discovery of the ways people lead happy lives wherever they are in the world - be it Australia, London or Detroit.

"The street-community resources grew to include a shared cargo bike, the Hulbert Street Book Exchange (bring a book, take a book) and a pizza oven on wheels (owned by no one yet shared by all), which led to weekly pizza dinners. And goats. Yes, goats. Two houses agreed to take down the fence between their lots and made room for them."

What this book does wonderfully is show how easy it is to create a street community and the benefits of one for a sense of trust and security, your children's safety, your money and most importantly - happiness. So not only are you longing to visit Denmark for a taste of a candle-infused dinner by the fireplace after reading this but you're inspired to ask after your neighbour instead of scurrying past home.

I also couldn't help comparing the lifestyle of the Danes - or the French when it came to food and the Japanese for health - with the lives of Londoners. Naturally, I was surprised to find that the UK's population was the twenty-third happiest in the world. I did not see that when we grumbled about the weather or paid taxes or even hosted dinners. One of Meik's tip to plant a community is setting up a community garden. I help my mother every week at her plot in our local farm and yet the garden is rife with suspicion, sabotage and theft. 

"In Danish, the word for community is fællesskab. Fællesskab can be split up into "fælles", meaning 'common' or 'shared', and "skab" which can mean either 'cabinet' or 'create'. Not only is community our common cabinet (our shared supplies), it is also something we create together."

Perhaps, part of this is due to the environment I live in. The city - as Meik will agree - nurtures its own breed of hostility, guardedness and impatience. In comparison, I have visited towns in the small state of Vermont - so small, a member of the US Embassy didn't recognise it - and the even smaller Welsh book town of Hay-on-Wye and I have marvelled at their love of sharing stories and hosting welcomers. For their former, their proximity to each other and stunning natural landscapes every season got them out of their houses whilst the latter united over a shared love of reading. These interactions are partly why I hope to leave the noises of the city and settle in the countryside, blanketed by forests with neighbours to call on. 

If anything, The Little Book of Lykke has made me a little less skeptic that happy people are the stuff of dreams. I'm grateful of that.

Is your country a 'happy' place? How would YOU measure your happiness?

The Little Book of Lykke is available to order now from Amazon! Click the link here to purchase.

How to Grow Engagement On Instagram

If you've felt the effects of the Instagram's algorithm recently, I understand. It's an inconspicuous being that wrecks how many unique visitors will see your posts but I have cracked several ways that will promise more engagement. My Instagram, @pardonmywritings, is a bookstagram. If you haven't come across the 11,969,203 posts under #bookstagram, they are styled photos of books. Some of the tips below therefore refer specifically to bookstagrammers.

1. Find your niche.

Find what ticks for you and make your page an expression of everything you love. For me that was books and the power of the written word hence my username, @pardonmywritings. You can only find what your niche is by experimenting however. I love to travel my city and always end up with a lot of photos of bookshops and parks in London. After posting about books strictly for a year, I had a sudden urge to share these other interests and I'm much happier with this amalgamation.

2. Interaction is key.

You can't expect to post a beautiful picture of The Wrath and The Dawn and gain a hundred likes in twenty minutes. Maybe in a pre-algorithm era. Legend has it that replying to comments beneath your post, interacting with pages you follow and commenting on posts under the hashtags you used within the first hour boosts your posts up on Instagram. Replying to comments also shows that you care that someone has taken the time to respond to your post. 'How do I get a lot of comments?' you may ask. Ask questions in your captions that will prompt responses. Questions like 'what's on your tbr?' or 'what did you think of Kite Runner?'

3. What you post matters. 

This is said with a heavy heart because Instagram was (read: should be) about people expressing themselves. However it is really about posting your best selves. How many times do you retake the same photo? Or edit it with filters and apps? I'm guilty of all of this. Also, long captions without paragraph breaks can be a turn-off so capture attention with short engaging captions. 

4. Good quality photos.

A clear and bright photo will be more eye-catching so use lighting to your advantage. I prepare and take most of my photos between 10am and 12pm when natural sunlight filters into my room. Others have purchased light boxes to take photos late in the day but again: experiment. Grainy or blurry photos are also not pretty but you don't need to sell a kidney to own a camera. I use my iPhone 6S and while I bought a camera, I'm still, urm, learning to use it. Editing will be your best friend if you know how to. I use three apps: Photoshop Express, VSCO and Afterlight. Experiment filters. Find a editing process. Stick To. It.

5. Consistency is important.

This refers to your feed. If your post carries someone to your page, having more posts in similar styles and colours will appear aesthetically pleasing when scrolling down. Maintaining your posting time and frequency means that your followers can expect your posts. I usually post daily, between 17:00 and 19:00, because more of my Western and Eastern followers are online and I'm free enough to respond to comments and generally interact on Instagram. It's okay if there is a day or two when you can't post but consistency is key. 

6. Have something to offer.

Even though posts of Harry Potter and stacked bookshelves are an easy 1000-likes because they appear on the Explore page, strive for meaningful posts with something to offer. If you consider yourself a blogger, think of yourself as a business or a service. Posting about a book or bookish candle or second-hand bookshop are all recommendations - good or bad - that get people thinking they need to follow you. Be aware of trends and news in the publishing industry like which book was newly released, won the Man Booker prize or found itself in controversial debates. Doing all this may seem like a chore and you may decide you don't want your Instagram going in the direction but if you do, it seems more professional.

7. Be positive.

The important thing is to maintain a positive personality. It doesn't have to be fake but being positive means followers can approach you or are inspired by you. This may be hard especially when you feel disappointed that you're not getting enough attention in return for the effort you put into your posts. But you have to act as though the muggles haven't got you down. Believe me, complaining on your Instagram posts or stories that the algorithm sucks doesn't invite people to check out your posts. It may be out of pity but you want active followers, not sympathisers. If you feel uninspired, take a break from posting to regain motivation. 

8. Hashtags are your friends.

Instagram usually allows thirty tags. Use a mixture of generic ones like:

#instagood #vscocam #photooftheday #literature #reading #books #bookish #booklover #bookworm #bibliophile #bookstagram #vscobooks #igreads #bookphotography #instabook #goodreads #blogger #currentlyreading #blogger #bookgram #classic #epicreads

But having smaller tags help to get your posts seen if you're a smaller account. I would change a few up based on every post such as including the book's title, author or publisher or the props you're using in your post for example #eating #nigellalawson #food #vintageminis #vintagebooks #penguinbooks #penguinstagram to start discussions with people reading or posting the same.

9. Use Instagram story for marketing.

To the best of my knowledge, Instagram Stories isn't affected by the algorithm in the same way as Instagram posts are. Stories is similar to Snapchat whereby your posts disappear after twenty-four hours. Every time you post to Story, your profile icon will appear at the header of yours and others' Instagram interface. A good way to promote a new post is to announce it on Story with fancy handwriting and stickers and again a couple hours later for followers who may have missed it. Stories are a great way to interact with followers in a way that doesn't restrict you to post a really good quality photo.

10. Getting partnership opportunities.

One of the most asked questions I get is how to establish yourself as a book blogger in order to get rep packages or free arcs from publisher or authors. It's not something that has happened to me overnight. I would say that doing all of the above helps establish oneself as a book blogger. Reviewing books, reading and having opinions whilst interacting with your followers promises to publishers, authors or literary companies that you're someobody who maintains an engaging page. Follower counts does matter to some sense because I was getting approached more after reaching 5000 followers but that is not to say someone at 2000 or 500 cannot work with an author or bookish shop.

I hope all those tips help! Let me know what you already know and what you're going to try. Whatever you try, I can't insist enough to make Instagram a reflection of YOU and what you love. What is your experience with the algorithm? 

You can find me here:
•Instagram - @pardonmywritings

•Twitter – @pardonmywriting

•Facebook – Pardon My Writings

•Blog - PardonMy Writings

•Goodreads – Rima Rashid

Revive Your Heart, Nouman Ali Khan | Book Review

Happiest of happy release days to Revive Your Heart by Nouman Ali Khan. 

A stunning collection of spiritual lectures that are both current and thought-provoking, Revive Your Heart: Putting Life into Perspective is Nouman Ali Khan's first book and I'm so glad it exists. I've followed his lectures and conferences on Youtube for a few years now and he is hands down one of my favourite Islamic teachers.

Revive Your Heart was written to suggest how Muslims can find peace in chaotic times. In a world that revolves around technology, social media and globalisation, it is easy to get distracted and disheartened by every day life. As a Muslim myself, Nouman Ali Khan's book was as much comforting as it was eye-opening. His thoughts on the way Muslims continue to favour sons over daughters as appalling was a refreshing thing for a young woman who has been exposed to such experiences whilst his call to collectively condemn terrorist attacks that hijack the name of Islam was a reassuring confirmation that the Muslim ummah (community) could be unified under this global issue.

Divided into five key parts, Revive Your Heart delves into the issue with Connecting to Allah through Du'a, Creating a Cohesive Muslim Community, Our Financial Dealings, Some Contemporary Issues and finally, Focusing on the Akhirah. The chapters are very short therefore I would recommend reading the book in parts. This way, you're able to treat each topic individually, allowing time to process it, maybe even discuss with those around you, just like as if you were to watch one of his youtube videos. I really felt like reading Revive Your Heart became a brief period amongst the assignment deadlines every week where I could spend valuable time reflecting on myself, my behaviour towards those around me and most importantly, my connection to God. 

Favourite parts! 

This is a book that interestingly works much like the format of Nouman Ali Khan's youtube videos. Just as easy as it is to copy>link>share his talks, I found myself snapping pictures of poignant passages midway through reading and either posting them on Snapchat, Insta-story or sending them to friends. Some of my favourite quotes are:

The believer recognises that whatever Allah gives you, whatever food He puts on the table, whatever job you found, whatever business you're doing - not only is it good enough, you desperately needed it. You don't get to be fussy with Allah and tell him, 'Ya Allah, I don't know if I want this one'. You don't get to tell Allah, 'I know You provided me this rock or this tree to sit under but if You could provide me some kind of bedding, it would be better'. 'I know You gave me this water over here but maybe some coconuts might help.' No, no, no. Whatever You have given me, is exactly what I needed and I desperately needed it. 

- from A Prayer for Desperate Times p. 15.

It's an honour Allah gave to these girls that are born in our households... I'm reminded - Allah has blessed me with four daughters... but I will tell you something: I had two daughters in a row, and then when my third daughter was born I was really happy. And I got a bunch of doughnuts and I went to the masjid. For I'sha, I'm just going to give everybody doughnuts because we had a girl again. This brother came outside the masjid and he said, 'Oh doughnuts? What happened? Good news?' I said 'Yeah, it's a girl' and he said, 'in sha Allah, next time.' That's what he said - 'in she Allah, next time' - and I wanted to slap him!'

- from It's a Girl! p. 158.

And any people, any people including Muslims when they are insulted, when things they hold sacred are insulted, they have a right to be offended. We have a right to be offended. We have a right to be insulted that is part of our dignity. If it didn't hurt our feelings it would mean we have no dignity... I have a right to be angry but those are two separate issues. What's happening in the media now is these two are being made into one issue... No, no, no; for the Muslim it's not that simple... we are against people who are killed unjustifiably and we stand against those who killed them unjustifiably... but at the same time we have a right to be offended by that kind of ignorant and hateful speech; and we will speak out against it and we will stand against it. 

- from Thoughts on Paris (Charlie Hebdo) p. 179.

One thing I have always appreciated about Nouman Ali Khan is his honesty. You can tell when something seriously grieves him in his videos just from the way he talks or when something ridiculous cracks him up. It's the same for Revive Your Heart. 

This book is the perfect addition in your life to reflect during the quiet hours. Get your copy from Amazon or Kube Publishing now. 

*** Will you be getting a copy? What other spiritual/lifestyle book have you read? ***

*A copy of Revive Your Heart was provided for review. Words are my own. 

Dreams on Post-it notes

A singer once came to my secondary school during assembly to talk about how she followed her dream.


She's been singing from a young age, sharing her talent before family and friends after Christmas dinner but really she wanted to sing to the world.


Every night, before she went to bed, she would ask herself, "what did I do today that's one step closer to my dream?" Every night she had an answer and she scribbled it on a post-it note.


Her advice stuck with me to this day. So when I'm busy handing in an assignment or just having a bad day, I still have my dream waiting for me, pushing me past the present, making me stronger.


I'm only just starting to realise how easy it is to get trapped in everyday life. We wake up, eat, work and sleep, conditioning our bodies and souls into thinking that's all there is to exist for.


It's poisonous. Snap out of it.


Somewhere in everyone is a little child who dreamt to be an astronaut or a doctor or a writer. Your life may be busy now, you may need to make money to survive but you don't have to sacrifice your dream.


You can walk towards it, one post-it note at a time.




~ Rima