Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners but is currently hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and explain why you want to read it. It is that simple.

This week’s book:

My Part of Her by Javad Djavahery 

Blurb from Goodreads

In exiled Iranian author Javad Djavahery’s captivating English debut, a youthful betrayal during a summer on the Caspian sea has far-reaching consequences for a group of friends as their lives are irrevocably altered by the Revolution.

For our unnamed confessor, the summer months spent on the Caspian Sea during the 1970s are a magically transformative experience. There, he is not the “poor relative from the North,” but a welcome guest at his wealthy cousin Nilou’s home and the gatekeeper of her affections. He revels in the power of orchestrating the attentions of her many admirers, granting and denying access to her would-be lovers. But in a moment of jealousy and youthful bravado, he betrays and humiliates an unlikely suitor, setting into motion a series of events that will have drastic repercussions for all of them as the country is forever transformed by the Iranian Revolution a few short years later.

Over the next twenty years, the lingering effects of that betrayal set the friends on radically different paths in the wake of political, religious, and cultural upheaval. Their surprising final reunion reveals the consequences of revenge and self-preservation as they each must decide whether and how to forget the past. Urgent and gorgeously written, My Part of Her captures the innocence of youth, the folly of love, and the capriciousness of fate as these friends find themselves on opposing sides of the seismic rifts of history.

Why I Want To Read It

Happy Monday everyone! Technically, it is already the second day of the week. Regardless, I hope everyone has had a great start to the week considering how the first day of the week is not really everyone’s favorite day of the week; or, at least the majority of us. How does one really recover from a weekend hangover? The funk lingers. I wish weekends were longer. Nevertheless, I hope everyone was able to rest and recover during the weekend. I hope that the quick break prepared you for the tough workweek ahead. Here in the Philippines, the heat remains oppressive. I can’t wait for the summer season – it used to be my favorite season – to be over. I sure hope everyone is somewhere comfortable. Anyway, I hope everyone makes it through the week. More importantly, I hope everyone is doing well, in mind, body, and spirit, not only this week but for the rest of the year.

It has also not escaped my attention how time has been flying. We are just a couple of days away from waving April goodbye. I hope that the fourth month of the year has been kind to everyone. I hope that the year is going great. I hope that 2025 is generous to everyone. If it is going otherwise, I hope the coming months will shower everyone with prosperity, good news, and kindness. I hope that 2025 will be a successful and blessed year for everyone. With the start of the week is a fresh Goodreads Monday update. This weekly blogging meme has, over the years, become a weekly ritual that allows me to feature books I am looking forward to. After immersing myself in the works of East Asian writers for a full quarter, I have pivoted toward the rest of the Asian continent to experience its diverse culture and colorful history. As such, I have been featuring works of Asian writers in this month’s Goodreads Monday updates.

This week’s featured book is from a part of the continent I feel like has a big potential, at least for me to explore. It was only today that I learned about Iranian author Javad Djavahery. I specifically researched for recommended books written by Iranian writers because I have long wanted to expand my foray into this section of the literary world. Fortunately, one of the books that was churned out by the search engine is Javad Djavahery’s My Part of Her. Interestingly, Djavahery is in exile and has claimed refuge in France. I am not surprised that several Iranian writers – or at least their families – are in exile. Writing has historically been a powerful tool in delivering to the rest of the world the oppressions occurring inside a state. It comes as no surprise that censorship is the regime’s response to increased scrutiny of their actions.

Anyway, back to the subject of this weekly update. From the blurb alone, My Part of Her seems to be a promising read. It is a period piece riddled with overtones of romance. What I am looking forward to, however, is how Djavahery will capture the political and social upheavals that shaped modern Iranian history. I want to learn more about how these events shaped or altered the dynamics between individuals. Further, I always consider these as opportunities to learn more about a country’s history, its people, and its culture. It is also interesting to note that majority of the books written by Iranian writers I read are highly political in nature. For now, I just hope I get to obtain a copy of the book. How about you fellow reader? How was your Monday? What books have you added to your reading list? Do drop it in the comment box. For now, happy Monday and, as always, happy reading!