Shamim’s Bookshelf

Recommendations July 2025 Edition!

Dear lovely readers,

One of the quietest joys of storytelling is finding a narrative that unsettles you, whether through shock, or through subtle, persistent revelation. In a sea of constant content creation, I'm always thirsty for the mark of true artistry and revelation, a soul that’s a little exposed in the thing I’m reading or watching or listening to…

But there’s a lot of content out there. I don’t really trust a mass produced thumbs up like IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes. I do trust my friends. Most of them :) And I often ask them for recommendations, and often I’m asked about my own current loves in the book and screen world.

Perhaps it’s because, as a storyteller, I’m always searching for narratives that reach beyond the familiar. Stories that remind us there’s more to this world, and to ourselves—than we’re taught to believe.

So, starting this month, I’m sharing something a little more personal. Each month, I’ll share the books, films, music, or simply ideas that have sparked something in me. Not in the curated, social-media kind of way. But, I hope, the honest kind.

Because these reflections feel personal, I’m keeping them in a quieter space, a place for those of you who’ve chosen to go a little deeper with me. This feels less like a public broadcast, and more like a conversation. Not filmmaker and audience. Just people who love stories that challenge, comfort, and connect us.