Both my parents love books. I was still in the womb when my father bought me my first book: a dictionary. As a child, I saw him travel a lot for work. Whenever he could, he took with him an empty suitcase, which he filled up with books from whichever country he was visiting. While my father brought me books from different parts of the world, my mother taught me to cherish them. One of my fondest childhood memories is going to bookshops in Dhaka's New Market with my mother and picking out books to celebrate different occasions: my birthday, Eid, New Year, good grades. Thanks to her, I recall most of my life's milestones based on what books I was reading at the time. 

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Although most of my reading today is academic, I still read fiction regularly. I truly admire how novelists capture nuances of lived experiences that often get lost in academic writing. Great novelists, I think, would also make excellent sociologists. 

 

Sometimes I come across books that depict Muslims, Islamic cultures, South Asia and migration in an interesting way. In the spirit of nerding out after a particularly delicious read, I share here books (mostly fiction, all non-academic) that are related to my research. Do scroll through the list and feel free to contact me with book recommendations. I am always on the hunt for my next binge-read!