I spent three days straight at home. Leggings, mom bun, the works.

It was giving pandemic vibes, because:

🥴 I was caring for my daughter who had a mild asthma attack and chest infection (she’s fine now and back to school),

📺 Glued to the news (US election circus & ongoing Lebanon/ Palestine horrors) and

🎄Wondering if its too early to put up our Christmas tree to spread some cheer (my husband vetoed it, but I’ve already watched two cheesy Xmas romcoms on Netflix).

Finally ventured out of the house to attend a beautiful dinner hosted by Esquire Middle East - the dreamy, seaside setting and flowing conversation totally lifted my mood.

That, paired with a wellness event earlier in the week to celebrate the launch of a new Ayurvedic center in the heart of our fair city. Being around good people makes me feel good.

More on this later, but for now, I hope you’re faring well with your own ups and downs this week, and finding comfort in good friends, great reads, and trash tv.

Read: Cecelia Ahern’s Latest Novel

Into the Storm by Cecilia Ahern

I’ve always loved Cecilia Ahern’s work for its emotional depth and creative storylines, but this one really blew me away. Firstly, I have a thing for trees (I am convinced I was an olive tree in a past life) – this book had a flavor of Irish Celtic/ pagan views of the healing properties of rag trees. My husband is half-Irish and I love to learn about his fascinating, mystical heritage.

This stunning novel is about a tired mother who feels estranged from her son, alienated in her marriage, trying to do well in her job as a doctor, making it work in a new town… so much emotion to unpack. I inhaled it. And I really want to visit Ireland. Read it, now!

Write: Children’s Books

My lovely friend Sarah Abdalla published a wonderful Arabic children’s book about ‘selling memories’ - I can’t recommend it enough!

The launch happened at the annual Sharjah International Book Fair, one of the world’s biggest in terms of publishing and licensing deals 🔥

Be sure to visit if you have time this week - great line up of authors and activations for bookworms!

Inspire: A Touch of Ayurveda

I’ve always been a spiritual person and love to meditate, learn about Ayurvedic practices and the powerful connection between body, mind and soul.

So I was so excited to visit the new Sohum Wellness Center in the heart of Al Quoz. In the midst of dusty warehouses, the beeping horns and angry highway traffic felt a universe away as soon as I stepped into the tranquil oasis of this venue.

There are earthy, natural elements around every corner: Buddha statues, paintings of colorful chakras, a circular fire pit, breezy trees… and upstairs, the treatment rooms include Ayurvedic oil therapy, sound healing and yoga practices.

Prices are steep, but there’s been a lot thought put into the flow of this place and it is definitely worth a visit. Taama, the in-house vegan restaurant, opens out onto an airy terrace with fluffy pillows and bamboo amid trees – a must-visit.

Namaste! 🧘🏻‍♀️

Browse: These Links

Random stuff from the Internet for your procrastinating pleasure:

• Bella Hadid in Dubai!

• Sales surge for dystopian books after Trump win

• 6 great winter breaks in Europe

• Best books of 2024 so far

• Beautiful UK castles where you can stay (anyone else watching The Diplomat?)

• Mr Beast becomes 8th person to climb the Burj Khalifa

Countdown to My Novel’s Publication Day:

Thanks for reading! See you next week!

With kindness,

Sara