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Butterfly books

Tag: book-reviews

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • The Shapes

    Alina Zainab

    The showcase on saturday 1st February 2025.

    On Saturday The 1st of February 2025, was the show case day to showcase our designs to the rest mentees that where mentored with the shapes. It was amazing to see many beautiful designs, well i didn’t get to see much since i was sent a zoom link which i joined and presented my designs, my art project with this picture not good.

    However, my cushions i had to send their but apparently where misplaced somewhere and now no one can see the beautiful work i did i hope that after the showcase they actually managed to find my cushions i have been working hard on.

    But the aim of the cushions is to add mental and physical health helplines on where people would have easy access mixing art and fashion with mental and physical health.

    The main cushion SANE was in memory of my favorite fashion designer lady Dale Tryon, who i Don’t sympathize with but empathize with her, from her suffering from spina bifida from a young age and spending many times hospitals, very similar to me rheumatic pain and often spend most time in hospitals. Then it is trusting and befriending the wrong people, who later betray you.

    If i sympathize with Dale i am not showing to many emotions and still making her feel lonely, but what she needed was one friend to sit down with her and listen to her, not asking her many leading questions or not questions on her relationship with the royal family. Just be there for her, listen to her comfort her let her cry and be herself. Tell her she is an amazing fashion designer.

    Empathy is being there with the person, putting yourself in their position and just wanting to build a friendship based on trust, love, care and comfort. The ozdust ballroom scene reminded me of Dale where everyone would be looking at Dale either laughing and giggling at her, making fun of her, some might sympathize for her, feeling sorry. But similar to Glinda who always wanted one true friend who understood her, yes popular, steps forward and takes Dales hand or reaches my hands out to Dale like asking her if she like to be my friend, and when Elphaba cries i just imagined Dale crying thinking how did she get from a popular fashion designer to everyone hating her or feeling sorry for her. All she wanted is a friend not showing sympathy towards her but showing empathy by stepping forward and saying i want to be your friend, i understand you.

    So i couldn’t have done the Showcase on 1st January 2025 without the help of Lady dale Tryon Kanga.

  • 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.