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Mar. 15th, 2020 11:23 amSince many of us are looking for light reading fare currently, it seems like a good time to post about the first real rom-com I've read this year, Ayisha Malik's Sofia Khan is Not Obliged.
The premise: devout-but-trendy Sofia Khan, a book publicist fresh off a failed engagement with a man who wanted her to move into an apartment that directly adjoined his parents', pitches a Muslim dating guide as a joke in a meeting that backfires when it turns out her bosses would actually like her to write the thing. Over the rest of the book, Sofia attempts to mine her friends and family for helpful book anecdotes while juggling various potential suitors, including:
BACHELOR A, the devout Muslim ex, who is still convinced they're meant for each other
BACHELOR B, the casually-Muslim American expat who Sofia texts constantly while insisting that they're Just Friends
BACHELOR C, the surly, hot, and Extremely Woke Irish neighbor whom Sofia is convinced finds her whole family annoying, and yet keeps doing inexplicably nice things for Mysterious Reasons
As far as I can tell, the book is written as a direct nod to Bridget Jones, with up-the-minute diary entries recounting the titular Sofia's adventures in life, love, friends, family, etc. (including some apparently obligatory constant references to weight, alas.) There are also definitely some more serious moments and themes, including ( stuff under a cut that may be potential plot spoilers ) but for the most part the style of the book sets its tone. This sort of book is only intermittently my thing and it's very much this sort of book, but I'm glad a version of it exists with a Muslim default!
The premise: devout-but-trendy Sofia Khan, a book publicist fresh off a failed engagement with a man who wanted her to move into an apartment that directly adjoined his parents', pitches a Muslim dating guide as a joke in a meeting that backfires when it turns out her bosses would actually like her to write the thing. Over the rest of the book, Sofia attempts to mine her friends and family for helpful book anecdotes while juggling various potential suitors, including:
BACHELOR A, the devout Muslim ex, who is still convinced they're meant for each other
BACHELOR B, the casually-Muslim American expat who Sofia texts constantly while insisting that they're Just Friends
BACHELOR C, the surly, hot, and Extremely Woke Irish neighbor whom Sofia is convinced finds her whole family annoying, and yet keeps doing inexplicably nice things for Mysterious Reasons
As far as I can tell, the book is written as a direct nod to Bridget Jones, with up-the-minute diary entries recounting the titular Sofia's adventures in life, love, friends, family, etc. (including some apparently obligatory constant references to weight, alas.) There are also definitely some more serious moments and themes, including ( stuff under a cut that may be potential plot spoilers ) but for the most part the style of the book sets its tone. This sort of book is only intermittently my thing and it's very much this sort of book, but I'm glad a version of it exists with a Muslim default!
