I am Malala - QR #1

I've hit a bit of a reading slump. When I say a bit, I've been suffering from it for the best part of the last 2-3 years, which is in part why the bookshany tbr jar is so large. One of my favourite booktubers [booktubers refers to book bloggers who make videos for youtube instead of writing blogs, although some do both], Little Book Owl, made a video on reading slumps a while ago, and one of her suggestions was to read something that you would not normally go for, such as non fiction, a memoir or autobiography.

On a recent trip to Waterstones, I spotted this year's selection of Quick Reads, which is a range of books priced at £1 each, with the aim of being fast for those who want something short and sweet,  and easy to pick up, for adults who may feel daunted by a larger book. For somebody in a slump, this makes the quick reads range very suitable to help shake it off.

Having lived in the UK my entire life, I was quite familiar with the story of Malala Yousafzai, the young woman who was shot by the Taliban for daring to try to get an education for herself and for encouraging other girls to do the same, who had come to England for life-saving treatment, and is now the youngest person ever to be awarded the Nobel peace prize. I had considered buying her book, and felt that this abridged edition would give me some insight into the details of her story that I was unaware of.   

Title: I am Malala : the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban
Author: Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb
Date Started: 02/03/16
Date Finished: 02/03/16
Star rating: 4.5 out of 5
Thoughts and Quotes: 
Malala's story, is a stark reminder of the liberties that women and girls in the west often take for granted, such as the right to vote, being allowed to travel without a male companion or needing permission to do so, the right to have our own property, and most importantly of all, the right to a free and equal education. There are some people in the west do not appreciate school, or see the importance of reading and writing, because it is not something they think about, it is taken for granted that they will be taught as children, and then used in a basic form as adults. This book should be given to those people, so it can be held up as a mirror and remind them that others do not have it so easy, and yes, life is hard in the western world, but it is far, far easier and safer for a huge majority than life is in the middle east. Though of course, some may argue against this point.

I would have liked a little more detail on the stark differences between life before and after the shooting for Malala, as I would have given this book a 5 out of 5 if that had been the case, however this is an abridged edition that I am reviewing, and the full length book may indeed give more detail. The book is split into named chapters, that in many ways, serve as interview question between Christina Lamb and Malala, Lamb being a recognised war correspondent and shares co-author credit on this book. I don't want to go into too much detail, as that would defeat the object of others reading this book, but one aspect of Malala is clear and jumps from every page: Malala is very humble and grateful for the help and support she has received for both herself and her cause. Through out her ordeal it is clear she has held tightly onto the wish that all children should receive a full education so that they might reach their full potential, a wish that I personally support wholeheartedly and hope to see come true in the future. All girls are equal to boys, they should be treated as equals and yet they are not, they denied the right to go to school and learn how to read and write in both Malala's home land and neighbouring countries due to poverty, extremists in control, and other political and economic factors. 

'I am Malala' chronicles Malala's fight to make it right.

If  any of the readers of bookshany would like to support Malala's goal of universal access to education through the malala fund, a non-profit organisation investing in community led education programmes and supporting education advocates around the world, please visit:
www.malala.org