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Butterfly books

Tag: book-review

  • Books to read on International women’s day 2026

    Alina Zainab

    Happy international women’s day everyone, as a book lover, author and writer i thought share some of my favourite female authors who saved me during bullying in school and female authors i started reading as an adult.

    1.) Dorothy Whipple – high wages.

    It is about women’s need and rights to work and own their own wages. When i watched the documentary at Blackburn’s museum and saw she was another female authors from Blackburn i was struck with excitement. Blackburn might not have the cold, elitists fashion like kensington chelsea and knightsbridge. But Blackburn was multi cultural, the textile industry and cotton town. Blackburn was full of art and also literature.

    High wages is exactly that story set back then when women were looked down for having a job or even self employment. Dorothy Whipple of course use her strong beliefs about working women.

    2.) Holly webb- The girl of glass.

    A fantasy fairytale about a girl who senses and suspects that the girl of glass is a ghost made to be real. Its a story about sisterhood, mother and daughter friendship. Wicked stepmothers much like you’re cinderella stories, this story helped me through primary school.

    3.) Alison Wier and Phillipa gregory

    Now the book i’m holding up is not one of Alison Weir six tudor queens series, but still written by Alison Weir. She is a historian and author of many historical fiction. Similar to Philippa Gregory and even her majesty Queen Camilla even shared these two authors on her queens reading room.

    4.) Queen Camilla has always been a big literature lover and supporter of books ever since she was a little girl. One if my main women in the literature industry i look upto. Her father and brother written books.

    5.) Dale Elizabeth Harper (Lady Tryon, third baroness) also known as kanga, i have always spoken dso fondly of Dale, called her my darling designer, Australian princess, fashion queen of my heart. Before she became a fashion designer she was a fashion writer for the melbourne office of Australian women’s weekly later fleet street office in London England. Her parents owned a publishing company in Melbourne Australia.

    5.) My mother Angelika Kraasch (Shaukat). My mother always supported me with reding she took me to the library every Saturday she listened to me read and saw me write pages after pages, saw me publish two books supported me as a young author and writer.

    Those are the authors and writers, literary lovers and supports i support for international women’s day 2026.In loving memory of my darling mama and darling designer and fashion queen Kanga Dale elizabeth Harper.

  • Happy new year 2026 and First book review of 2026 Adam power’s the Princess Diana conspiracy the evidence of murder and Jeffery Archer Next in line.

    Alina Zainab

    By Alina Shaukat (Lin zainab).

    Happy new year 2026 everyone to my fellow butterfly readers, i haven’t done most of these for along time i’ve been attending my first fashion show well with a folklore show, a new culture i learned, a new language. Also with losi g my mother but here i am my first booker reviews is a joined one.

    Yesterday i was just browsing the Blackburn central library, returning old books and burrowing new ones.I saw Adam Power’s investigative The princess Diana conspiracy the evidence of murder. But back then i didn’t feel ready to skim read through the book, but this week i had to burrow it. Also i was looking at burrowing a Jeffery Archer book, i burrowed next in line which i once read, but no harm in reading again, because you are not the same when you read again. This is true, because now i realised their is this connection between Archer’s next line, a fictional crime story regarding the then princess of wales and Power’s investigative book about Diana’s death.

    As i started reading Power’s book The princess Diana’s conspiracy, the line in the prologue already wants to convince the reader that Diana was killed in car accident. Not all car accident’s are murder they’re tragic and traumatic, but some are accident, Daina’s was always a talk of conspiracy, and with Diana’s leaked letter about her ex husband and his mistress were out to kill her. Diana has been suffering from mental health illnesses and this was paranoia.

    But this is not convincing, Power, however, did write about the paparazzi’s and of course did interviewed witnesses who witnessed the whole scene. on page 158, Power (2013)states that Henri Paul was goading, so provoking the paparazzi outside the ritz hotel on that same evening. “they could have given specific against the assassin but to late and people could easily prove that the paparazzi’s had nothing to do with the attack.” If this is true then this explains why people blame the royal family, King Charles and queen Camilla, but they are two down to earth and humble people, they wouldn’t plan a car accident, they had their own worries, beside his majesty had the custody over their sons William and Harry who were teenagers.

    Of course i only will give Adam Power one star for investigative research, but no this book sounds more sensational, rather then truth. Information many wanted to know and read,but why such a book. Again probably because Diana was one of the well known and famous and most moruned person. It happens a lot with celebrities, like Amy Wine house who died of alcohol poisoning but people question her fathers motives. Marylin Monroe, and so many other famous people.

    Now to why i felt this connection between Adam Power’s non fiction investigative research book and Jeffery Archer’s Next in line fictional crime novel. I Because Next in line story setting and plot is based around the royal family and on Diana the princess of wales learning the well researched information on royal protection officer.

    So i rate these two books one star only for their hard work and research, but if you are a Diana fan or fan of crime novels Jeffery Archer then yes you could read them.

  • The dangers of celebrity worship and how to overcome it

    Alina Zainab

    By Alina Zainab Shaukat (Lin Zainab)

    Over last week whilst attending different workshops around Blackburn with Darwen town centre, Museum and market i have also been doing research on Celebrity worship, because lets face it is a real issue, whilst scrolling on any type of social media i see many fan pages of famous, popular celebrities, whilst some whom i follow and interact with are cute, adorable and sweet, some of them i have noticed are extreme celebrity worship, to the point here they have to film little bits of there favoured celebrities, make up a parasocial and hypothetical friendship or romantic relationship. which is the third and extreme stage of celebrity worship according to McCutcheon, Lange, and Houran in 2002. who made a scale with

    1. Entertainment social – Where the fan/follower just engages with other fan/followers over a favoured celebrity they may create beautiful post and video/edits.
    2. Intense -personal – where fan/follower starts to feel a personal connection to the celebrity.
    3. Borderline–Pathological: obsessive, identity-fused attachment – where the fan’/follower starts to feel entitled to the celebrity and claiming them theirs.

    Mccutcheon and Maltby examined over 200 adults from the US and UK and have found that celebrity worshippers where foolish, persistent and submissive and even less honest.

    Thanks for reading Alina’s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

    Someone famous and successful can make others feel seen and heard even if they have regular life’s. the article goes on to read that people obsess over a celebrity as they resonate with a certain character of a favoured celebrity.

    Psychology today actually has a quiz https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/tests/personality/celebrity-obsession-test

    this way it can give you a rounded number of where you are on celebrity worship scale, but to prevent one for falling to deep into obsession of a celebrity. It gives practical, therapeutic advise like drawing/sketching or painting using mixed media for a portrait of a favoured celebrity. create bookmarks, zine pages and books mini, midi, large or simple A4 landscape or portrait book stories, poems and song writing. Create something if you have a garden that reminds you of your favourite celebrity. I am not a sculptor but i know some wonderful sculptors, also research what charity your favoured celebrity follows or helps out and find the charity and see how you can get involved in the community.

    Also the third and final step do go seek therapy which is another way and also often the first step to connecting with the real worlds. i know so many celebrities have Ariana Grande, selena Gomez, Demi levato, miley ray cyrus, Dua Lipa, Dove Cameron have all been open about their mental health and seeking therapy so why should non celeb not seek therapy, therapy is for everyone wether famous or not.

    Newport academy states girls between ages 14 to 16 with low/poor body image who show intense personal levels of a celebrity is evident.

    A personal example from myself i as a teenager had a very low and poor body image i hated the way i look, the way i talked even though people found my voice cute, it was all about my outer beauty, that i didn’t appreciate until my early twenties. where i started experimenting with different skin care, hair care and make up products and finding my style. but i started love myself, date myself take myself out on dinner dates and bought myself flowers well not exactly flowers but to the movies or cinemas as we say in the UK, retail therapy as i love and always have loved fashion.

    Also i was a teenager in the 2010s i did feel a little left out that i didn’t have a smart phone but that is the good thing, i felt like a teenager in the swinging sixties no mobile/smart phines, no social media and i’m glad i didn’t watch reality tv shows like dress to impress, dinner date, love island any of them or the real house wives.

    I am glad i watched cartoon instead like loud house for comedic and laughter, My little pony friendship is magic came out in 2010 and before that as child in the 2000s i watched the old my little pony from the 1980s, winxclub, and i love anime still do. This saved me from falling deeply into that celebrity worship. Lets face it last time i got myself a woman weekly magazine it talked about those weight loss jabs but before that was apage of famous celebrities who looked way skinnier then there usual weight. Weather they had weight loss jabs or surgery is there choice not mine. This only teaches us not to follow a trend and become a trendsetter, create your own trends. I see so many people doing this trend and bless them as they think they are following who they are but they say in a world full of kardashians be this certain celebrity, no in a world full of celebrities including the kardashians be yourself and i praise those who comment be yourself under these post.

    Many books and articles and J. Reid Meloy in his book stalking, threatening and attacking public figures in page 277 compulsive buying an object used or favoured by the favoured celebrity. Doing something against the law for the celebrity which is often associated with stalking or threatening the public figure.

    Michael S. Levy (2015). in his book entertainment obsession: understanding our addiction in page 50, so many people struggle with their life’s and self esteem, whether it started in childhood as their parents never mirrored and praised their accomplishments.

    As adult it is a result of job loss or finance, rejection by a spouse, friend, friendship group or jobs.

    This is my research on celebrity worship, i came across this as i just typed in fanpages on TikTok search bar and few therapist and life coaches discussed about celebrity worship, this interested me as i know i had poor body image as a teenager and people calling me a loner when they never knew me was frustrating, but i’m also glad i didn’t know much about celebrities.

    However, i have to delete videos i edited on camilla as most of them where ridiculous, i’m no camilla or camilla fan page i respect and admire her, she is a human with flaws has been pitted against women which people should stop, i do followed the queens reading room as a writer and reader myself.

    Thanks for reading Alina’s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

  • A royal drama

    Alina Zainab

    Megan and Harry vs the royal family, who is telling the truth.

    So if you have been following my socials i have been doing some deep dive into the royal family vz Megan markle and Harry. As we all know Megan markle is now the current gossip around the world, her fans vs haters took a break during and after King charles 3rd coronation, as many of the gossip on social media has been about camilla and Diana going back to the the 1990s, with charles and Diana’s downfall.

    But now its back to Megan Markle again, since Megan decided to create netflix show call with love Megan. According to the Mirror Megan Markle’s popularity in the UK is low with only 20% of Britons have a positive view and a huge 65% see megan negatively.

    According to Lady Collin Campbell’s book Meghan and Harry the real story Megan would pick up friends and drop them when it pleases her something which her mother in law has done too. Also Lady Colin Campbell interviewed Megan’s step sister Samantha about Gloria and Megan.

    Samantha picked up on what Gloria was like as a step mother and what kind of sister, what she thought how Megan Markle acted like on her wedding to Harry how she behaved. Also towards the end of the interview Samantha puts it out there whatever we are reading to make sure analyse and evaluate the article or source to make sure where they got there facts from.

    I personally have not got my hands on Samantha’s Memoirs yet but hope to soon as Lady Colin Campbell has mentioned on her YouTube channel the credibility of Samantha’s memoir which describes the real megan we all know this would be much suitable resource due to it coming from Someone close to megan, but not emotionally close. Tom bower in his book revenge the war between the windsors and sussexs mentions that Samantha would often be seen as this rebel, gothic, emo type teenager who was often not home when Megan was a child. But samantha did study psychology which must come from her own family life.

    whilst i’m in the community to receive latest news from the mirror, lets face it its the latest royal news, i’m interested, i’m hooked just as i’m with my books, i am also the same with articles, however, with articles they are based on actual people so its often good to critique it how good of a story is it where do they get the information from what do family members and friends say.

    There is a lot going on now with Harry losing court battles, his father not speaking to him the mirror has covered that both his father and brother are sick of the Megan and Harry behaviour’s.

    Since it is the latest news i thought to pick up on these articles that bombarded my watts app messages. Also stay tuned for some more articles on the royal family, Megan and Harry, Fashion, art , music, movies and musical theatre, travelling life style and more.

  • Sophie’s choice

    Alina Zainab

    End of January read and book review.

    As January 2025 comes to an end here is one main book i can not forget and it is the book written by William STyron that was adapted into a movie starring Meryl Streep. As i come to finish this on Friday 31st january 2025, i bookmarked chapter 4 as i was planning to use chapter 4 as a monologue to practice my acting.

    What was my favorite part of reading Sophie’s Choice?

    My favorite part of Sophie’s choice was on page 231 this was in chapter 8, where Stingo watches Sophie every move and at the end of pg 231 mentions ‘I was still moronically in love with her.’ This line just shows how much Stingo yearned for Sophie but the question arose for me but probably for many readers who would Sophie choose, is it Nathan or Stingo?

    What where my thoughts on Nathan and sophie’s relationship?

    To be honest as Stingo explains the three of them became best friends, and Nathan ha done many good for Sophie, like looking after her, and making sure she eaten,drink and slept well. Yes they will have their naughty moments. Though Stingo being very much in love with Sophie preferred Sophie chooses him over Nathan, i do have feeling sophie and stingo could have also worked out well.

    Who would you recommend this book?

    I would recommend this book to anyone who is alover of classical romance set during the late 1940s and flashbacks on Auschwitz, this may not exactly be for young adult readers but anyone interested in romance this would be the first book i recommend to read. STryon has away of just imagining you in either sophies or Stingos position.

  • An extraordinary book wins the booker prize 2024

    Alina Zainab

    Samantha Harvey the author of shortlisted book Orbital wins the booker prize 2024.

    Samantha harvey has written five books with orbital being her fifth and interesting book, The wilderness, All is song, Dear thief, The western wind and also her non fiction book The shapeless unease: A year of not sleeping. Orbital though is a book very different to her others about six astronauts day in a life in space.

    I would highly recommend this book if you either have been a fan of sailor moon series or have always fascinated by the earth, the moon, the stars, the night sky or the sun. Are different planets other than planet earth.

    if you have a short attention span then this sweet but short exquisite read will be your comfort zone.

    For more amazing booker prize shortlisted and long listed books https://thebookerprizes.substack.com/?r=3z1jl3&utm_campaign=subscribe-page-share-screen&utm_medium=web

    The link attached should bring you to the booker prize website where they have so many recommended reds few which i have seen in the local library where i am a member with.

    @bookerprize to see what else they have in stock and there amazing books winning, shortlisted or longlisted.

    Follow for more book recommendations, self care, mental health and physical health or the latest fashion fashion history famous fashion designer subscribe to receive daily newsletters.

  • Invisible child

    Alina Zainab

    You might see this in a book shop, americans and and canadians probably Barnes and nobles, or if you’re not like me a fan of online shopping the link to amazon is attached at the beginning, however , if you’re like me ns when buying books you’re helping the environment where i brought the modern, royal cookbook by Tom Parker Bowles on awesome books. Awesome books where when you buy books you’re donating to a charity. https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9781665597067/invisible-child

    Now when you read my book, you might think what inspired me to write this book? Well During my childhood age 7 to 20 i didn’t have a great time i was bullied at age seven about being different, because they heard i came from Germany, I do not know what got through their heads but many of my classmates told me to go back to Germany we don’t want naziz’s or go back to my nazis friends.

    The boys were brutal, pinching and punching me, kicking me underneath the table that it left bruises on my legs and hips, somewhere where i have always been stiff due to me suffering from arthritic pain from a young age. Dancing and gymnastics where always my biggest strength and hobby of mine.

    Anyway taking you back to what my classmates a lot of people in school did to me, few girls calling me ugly, fatty fat, full moon, smelly, whilst i told you the boys where a lot more physical. Even poking me with sharp pencils again leaving marks, when i go to highschool all that stopped just dealt with natural teenage drama, i even felt a little heard i made three close friends to which i talked to today.

    But when it comes to friends my father saw i spend most of my time at home reading books from school and school library or the public, local library books were definitely my first best friends they brought a sense of comfort in times so tough, where i was bullied. Becoming a school librarian in year 10 and year 11 also a prefect in year 11 brought out more confidence. For once, slowly, slowly i was seen in school, however, i was feeling a sense of invisibility still. Whenever i went to public events my sisters would still talk for me. I was never the popular one in school, the popular girl. If i was ever a mean girl to anyone please forgive me i was very insecure their and that’s it when you’re feeling insecure.

    People who feel insecure of themselves tend to often be mean to others who are embracing their inner beauty and just being themselves. I am not sure if its what my auntie, my father’s only living sister felt , i cannot speak for her but her bullying me about my weight show how insecure she was about her own body. Her daughters probably looked up to her because she was there mother like i look up to my mother and paternal grandmother.

    Again i am not in contact with the LGBTQIA charity but they have my support anytime, my auntie was brought up with my grandfather, a strict religious, islamic muslim father, who doesn’t believe in a same sex relationship and marriage. Since i have a more of a fair skinned, european voice when i try to read or speak Urdu or Punjabi, which i have received many compliments on how cute i sound. But my auntie took advantage of that and would often whenever i sat next to her she first when others are looking tickle me and pretend she was playing with me, but i knew i was fifteen years old turning sixteen still a child but there was always some uncomfortable feeling.

    When we where alone, she would first tickle me as always the neck first and then down where i never really liked to be touched. She would squeeze my hand, kiss it and when i needed to go to the toilet that’s the only thing she let me go. But she would always tickle me or touch me between my thighs or stroke me where she shouldn’t be touching.

    Whether you been bullied, sexully abused or like one of the characters in forced marriage domestic abuse, or been with a friend who never values you as a friend.

    Invisible Child

    https://pangobooks.com/books/3fa1cc8c-3226-4b6a-a2e9-4425801900e7-QxNIU3Me4VZJ7uq4sQHXwi5Vsm02?srsltid=AfmBOopXz_AoXLhGC_yfsdZbtUAu71woBLkTh1xL4FeIzpRCex9oIizq#

    https://www.everand.com/author/613727667/Lin-Zainab

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Invisible-Child-Paperback-9781665597067/984597720?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0

    https://wordery.com/invisible-child-zainab-lin-9781665597067?srsltid=AfmBOopEkEAaE5v58DBmvUHoERO3urQMB2UPxA1A1QwFKGrXRHuJxIDU

    Keep reading and enjoy every moment.