The year is drawing to an end. It’s time to look back and review a few favorites.

Favorite Read

My favorite book I read this year is I, Who Did Not Die by Zahed Haftlang,‎ Najah Aboud and Meredith May. Two soldiers: One Iraqi, the other Iranian. They meet on the battle field. Instead of killing each other, they become friends. If you ever need proof that love and compassion is greater than hate, then read this book. It’s well written and balanced, presenting the point of view of both men. My one complaint is with the book cover design. The map of Iraq and Iran is flipped, making it look as if Iraq is east of Iran. I guess the book cover designer wasn’t able to check google earth. This is a book that you will continue to think about weeks after you put it down. The big surprise is how certain bits were immensely romantic. Like downright erotic.

Favorite Movie

My favorite movie that I saw in 2017 is Frantz. I found it by accident one day on Netflix and felt transported by it. The movie surprised at every turn. I kept thinking that I knew what the movie was about but then there was a surprise. Kept me guessing till the end. Moving and beautiful. The ending is a work of genius. One of my favorite endings in a movie….. Ever! I don’t want to spoil it for you. So I can’t tell you more about it. Also the use of black and white and color was effective.

Favorite Photograph I Took on My Cellphone

I was wondering about my neighborhood, when I found a car’s broken side mirror just laying there on the side of the road. The street photographer Vivian Maier popped in my mind. So here is me pretending to be Maier taking a selfie. I felt clever for about 3 minutes.

Favorite Moment

It isn’t my first book launch but each time feels miraculous. My favorite moment of 2017 was 7 am on April 4th when I launched Spoonful Chronicles into the world. There is no feeling like it.

Favorite Eat

I used to say that Vancouver is the best place to live in the whole world, there is just one little flaw. One missing thing that would make living in Vancouver absolutely perfect. The fact that there is no place that serves knafeh. Will guess what? A new restaurant opened in town recently and they do make my favorite dessert in the whole world. Knafeh is cheese at the bottom, pastry on top, drenched in syrup. For a culture that doesn’t have much use for cheese, when it came time for inventing a dessert it hit on genius. I took one bite and was blasted into sweet cheese heaven.

Favorite gift received

49 years ago, my mother was reading a super romantic novel. Later she found four leaf clover and wished that she would experience an overwhelming love story same as what she read in the book. Shortly after she met my father. A few months ago she decided to give it to me with an instruction to make a very special wish upon it. After hard thinking for several days I made I held it in my fingers and said: “I wish to write compelling and thought provoking novels.”

Favorite Fortune Cookie

My husband came home after work one day and he brought some Chinese take out. I had already cooked dinner and I was surprised that he would bring home more food. He explained that one his co-worker ordered too much and gave him the extra food knowing that things will get consumed in our house. When I opened the fortune cookie I screamed loud: “O My God! O My God!” My son ran into the kitchen alarmed. I showed him the fortune cookie. He chastised me for alarming him. “I thought you were having a heart attack.” I even purchased a lottery ticket using the numbers on the message and won about 10$.

Favorite Purchase

Haven’t done much shopping this year. But these bejeweled silver colored sandals make me happy each time I put them on. I call it bling for my feet.

So what about you? What your favorite things from 2017? I would love to know.