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anikaisreading's review against another edition
5.0
This is a love letter to Islam and young Muslims :') sk ali you have my heart always <3
kaulhilo's review against another edition
5.0
this book feels like sadqa-e-jaria. that is the simplest way i can summarize what it is, what it meant to me, and what it symbolizes. it teaches you so much, all the intricacies and elegance of islam; and it's just so insanely important, in a way that's feels categorically overlooked. the premise is apparent enough from the title itself, which is why i was so out-of-bounds excited to get to read this!, but i don't think i had fully comprehended the real /significance/ of a book such as this being written.
we go from makkah to madinah (sorry i really can't stand the way it's spelled in the book) on an umrah journey, where both adam and zayneb (but prerogatively adam) are hoping to reconnect. with each other, and their personal lives, but also with God and finding their faith afresh. it's a truly beautiful novel, with descriptions so apt and rich that it really felt like i was very much in saudi arabia with them. i was fortunate enough to get to go on hajj a year before the pandemic struck, and reading this book felt like i was thrown back in time, to 2019; i could see adam performing tawaf so clearly in my mind's eye, i could recall exactly which spot zayneb sat when she prayed in the haramain. a moment in time, when adam is walking towards zayneb in masjid-e-nabvi, was so crystal clear in my head, stunning and precise. the way both the cities are described were so exact to what i felt when i was there, that just about every chapter had me overwhelmed.
love from mecca to medina brought my hajj back to me. (and i'm not saying this lightly) it took me back to all those rites and rituals i did, all those years ago, and put them in a new clarity, a newer understanding. it took so much, and redefined it and gave it another meaning. i'll forever, and forever, love this book for that, if for nothing else: that it reconnected me to my faith in so many, seemingly mundane ways.
i saw a looot of criticism regarding the premise of this book a while ago, and though i didn't take any of it seriously, it's still very nice and heartening to know every bit of it was unfounded. this is a book that /needs/ to be read, it's a book with so much love, and understanding, and forgiveness, and what it means to be a muslim in essence.
i truly adore adam and zayneb very much. softest, prettiest couple<3 there are so many specific (and big) parts of both of them that i related to so much, that i've needed to read about very badly, all so i could reflect, which is a recurring factor i have always appreciated in sk ali books.
the parts i didn't like, however: weirdly enough, were the romance parts. i don't remember much from love from a to z considering it's been years since i read it, but i feel like i would've remembered it being so... (?) i couldn't figure out why adam or zayneb made such an issue out of what was essentially nothing and then actively squandered any chance of (a sooner) reconciliation with each other. i really expected them to act, if not perfect, at least a bit more.. serious, since they're married and all, but i was not ready for what was mostly 300 pages of vague thoughtlessness (mostly adam), dramatic and impulsive jumping-to-conclusions, and never honestly communicating about any of it. it got so tiring and repetitive, and i'm still stumped why it occurred in the first place. nevertheless, when it resolved, it was done so well, so beautifully that i just loved them all the more for it. the ending wrapped up so nicely, so heartwarmingly that i'm willing to forgive/ignore/look past whatever happened beforehand. adam and zayneb always always be my favorite people, regardless of anything else, and i'm over-the-moon happy i could be a part of their umrah journey.
thank you so much<3 to salaam reads for the arc, and for approving me on a friday! that feels important, somehow. (5,000/5 stars)
***
18/6/21 pre-read: HELLO??????? I LOVE THIS ALREADY
we go from makkah to madinah (sorry i really can't stand the way it's spelled in the book) on an umrah journey, where both adam and zayneb (but prerogatively adam) are hoping to reconnect. with each other, and their personal lives, but also with God and finding their faith afresh. it's a truly beautiful novel, with descriptions so apt and rich that it really felt like i was very much in saudi arabia with them. i was fortunate enough to get to go on hajj a year before the pandemic struck, and reading this book felt like i was thrown back in time, to 2019; i could see adam performing tawaf so clearly in my mind's eye, i could recall exactly which spot zayneb sat when she prayed in the haramain. a moment in time, when adam is walking towards zayneb in masjid-e-nabvi, was so crystal clear in my head, stunning and precise. the way both the cities are described were so exact to what i felt when i was there, that just about every chapter had me overwhelmed.
love from mecca to medina brought my hajj back to me. (and i'm not saying this lightly) it took me back to all those rites and rituals i did, all those years ago, and put them in a new clarity, a newer understanding. it took so much, and redefined it and gave it another meaning. i'll forever, and forever, love this book for that, if for nothing else: that it reconnected me to my faith in so many, seemingly mundane ways.
i saw a looot of criticism regarding the premise of this book a while ago, and though i didn't take any of it seriously, it's still very nice and heartening to know every bit of it was unfounded. this is a book that /needs/ to be read, it's a book with so much love, and understanding, and forgiveness, and what it means to be a muslim in essence.
i truly adore adam and zayneb very much. softest, prettiest couple<3 there are so many specific (and big) parts of both of them that i related to so much, that i've needed to read about very badly, all so i could reflect, which is a recurring factor i have always appreciated in sk ali books.
the parts i didn't like, however: weirdly enough, were the romance parts. i don't remember much from love from a to z considering it's been years since i read it, but i feel like i would've remembered it being so... (?) i couldn't figure out why adam or zayneb made such an issue out of what was essentially nothing and then actively squandered any chance of (a sooner) reconciliation with each other. i really expected them to act, if not perfect, at least a bit more.. serious, since they're married and all, but i was not ready for what was mostly 300 pages of vague thoughtlessness (mostly adam), dramatic and impulsive jumping-to-conclusions, and never honestly communicating about any of it. it got so tiring and repetitive, and i'm still stumped why it occurred in the first place. nevertheless, when it resolved, it was done so well, so beautifully that i just loved them all the more for it. the ending wrapped up so nicely, so heartwarmingly that i'm willing to forgive/ignore/look past whatever happened beforehand. adam and zayneb always always be my favorite people, regardless of anything else, and i'm over-the-moon happy i could be a part of their umrah journey.
thank you so much<3 to salaam reads for the arc, and for approving me on a friday! that feels important, somehow. (5,000/5 stars)
***
18/6/21 pre-read: HELLO??????? I LOVE THIS ALREADY
nikolinaza's review
To be very honest, I didn't really finish this book, so I have no idea on how to rate this. I skimmed most parts until a little bit before the end because the story was rolling a bit too slow for my mood right now and I am currently in the mood of a light read, while this book didn't quite offer me that.
To everyone who thinks this will be a cute, lovey-dovey book of our beloved A and Z: it's NOT.
I do love the end though. Everything is resolved quite satisfyingly (even though I want to see Z at least lash out to that one girl—I didn't really read about her but judging by how she acts in the first part, she totally acted like a pick-me girl? Please do correct me if I am wrong with my judgement) and I am just happy to see them again.
Also, Sausun! My girl needs her own story!!!
To everyone who thinks this will be a cute, lovey-dovey book of our beloved A and Z: it's NOT.
I do love the end though. Everything is resolved quite satisfyingly (even though I want to see Z at least lash out to that one girl—I didn't really read about her but judging by how she acts in the first part, she totally acted like a pick-me girl? Please do correct me if I am wrong with my judgement) and I am just happy to see them again.
Also, Sausun! My girl needs her own story!!!
asmachemchem's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
injyelshinawy12's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
maalikha's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
After a long long time, finally i finished the second book of SK Ali's halal romance. Love from mecca to medina is next book of Adam-Zayneb's journey. As i've read the first book and i loved adam and zayneb so much so that i gladly following their story after nikah.
Thoughts that i can't change after reading both books is how lovely Adam is, he's such a green flag man, the way he treats zayneb with his love languages has succesfully made me swoon. How passionate he is to zayneb.
In the second book SK Ali write it with more adult content, because it tells about life after marriage for Adam and Zayneb, and i totally okey with that. Honestly i kinda enjoying it 🤭
But still the adult content isn't explicit like other spicy book i've read. Because it's a halal romance book !
Reading this book feels very close to my life as a Muslim girl. And i can't help but set high standards for my future husband based on Adam's character, except his character thst i dislike. when he was insensitive to Zayneb's feelings when they went on Umrah 🤧
Their umroh journey was supposed to be a memorable and happy moment for them, but it turned into a moment that caused a lot of anxiety for the readers because the homewrecker who always feels right with everything she did, which without her realizing it almost destroyed Adam and Zayneb's wedding.
Sorry to say, Sarinah. although You are described as a perfect woman like an angel, for me you are a thorns in a beautiful love story that needs to be removed.😑
I expect more for the ending, but i didn't dissapoint me either.
Thoughts that i can't change after reading both books is how lovely Adam is, he's such a green flag man, the way he treats zayneb with his love languages has succesfully made me swoon. How passionate he is to zayneb.
In the second book SK Ali write it with more adult content, because it tells about life after marriage for Adam and Zayneb, and i totally okey with that. Honestly i kinda enjoying it 🤭
But still the adult content isn't explicit like other spicy book i've read. Because it's a halal romance book !
Reading this book feels very close to my life as a Muslim girl. And i can't help but set high standards for my future husband based on Adam's character, except his character thst i dislike. when he was insensitive to Zayneb's feelings when they went on Umrah 🤧
Their umroh journey was supposed to be a memorable and happy moment for them, but it turned into a moment that caused a lot of anxiety for the readers because the homewrecker who always feels right with everything she did, which without her realizing it almost destroyed Adam and Zayneb's wedding.
Sorry to say, Sarinah. although You are described as a perfect woman like an angel, for me you are a thorns in a beautiful love story that needs to be removed.😑
I expect more for the ending, but i didn't dissapoint me either.
justagirlwithbooks's review against another edition
3.75
“Everyone is important. When you know that and believe it and act upon it, everything and everyone around you will feel at peace with you.”
I didn't enjoy this as much as the first one, but at the same time, the depictions of Mecca and Medina were so stunning and it made me miss it so much. Didn't really like the miscommunication that was going on in this book though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Sexual content
lintasdiary's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed reading this book although at times zaynab annoyed me, girl needed to just communicate with him but at the end she made up for it.
Adam has a special place in my heart and I loved the patience he had
Adam has a special place in my heart and I loved the patience he had