Waiting on Wednesday – Week 193

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight upcoming releases that I'm DYING to get my hands on!

This week's WoW is:

Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

Maya Aziz is torn between futures: the one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter (i.e.; staying nearby in Chicago and being matched with a "suitable" Muslim boy), and the one where she goes to film school in New York City--and maybe, just maybe, kisses a guy she's only known from afar. There's the also the fun stuff, like laughing with her best friend Violet, making on-the-spot documentaries, sneaking away for private swimming lessons at a secret pond in the woods. But her world is shattered when a suicide bomber strikes in the American heartland; by chance, he shares Maya's last name. What happens to the one Muslim family in town when their community is suddenly consumed with hatred and fear?

January 16, 2018 ● Goodreads

Thought that this title would be pretty relevant considering all that's been going on this week the past few months throughout history. As an Indian Muslim, even though I haven't grown up in the US, this is such an important book. A little personal input from me: I've never actually been afraid of being called out or hated on because of my race and religion until I went to the US for university. Seriously. It hasn't ever happened, thankfully, but I haven't been back to Trump Presidency-era America, so going back after being 9 months away due to study abroad and summer holidays is going to be a different experience...one that hopefully involves positive change (#resist). That being said, I can't wait to read this one, because now more than ever this is something we–the Muslim community, POC, etc.–need.

What are you waiting on?