I Can't Think Straight Paperback – 11 Nov. 2008

Worth reading even if you have seen the film. There is so much depth and internal monologues in this book with the characters really fleshed out. I’m not a big fan of novels generally but I found her writing style so enchanting it’s a great book and was totally engrossing!

Whilst many of the scenes were predictable this was an interesting novel and a compelling read. Apart from an insight into lesbian relationships it gave a fascinating insight into the cultural mores of wealthy Jordanian and Indian societies. The inevitable conflicts between the different faiths in those regions played out as well.

This is a delightful romance that's wonderfully written and full of humour. Leyla is a London girl with Indian ancestry, and Tala is from a wealthy Christian family in Jordan with Palestinian origin. The story is very revealing about religion and culture in a way that is serious but often also a source of humour. The book had me laughing out loud frequently.At the start, both women are in denial of their true sexual orientation, Tala getting engaged for the fourth time and Leyla dating also. Their boyfriends are good, honest men, practically perfect, but the women don't feel any passion for them. But then they meet each other, and there is no longer any denying what they feel...I watched the film a year ago and loved it. I have finally got around to reading the book, and my memories of the film are vague enough that the book is full of discovery, but the film certainly influences the way I imagine places and people in the story. I would actually recommend that people watch the film before reading the book, although this is not necessary.Both film and book have their faults, and I almost feel I should take a star from each, but ultimately I enjoyed them so much for so many different reasons that it would be churlish to do so.★★★★★ (Film & Book)

I can't believe I've only just discovered this author, and that was by chance when reading a review of another book. This book is so beautifully written it was an absolute joy to read and I immediately bought Ms Sarif's other book, The World Unseen. In fact I bought it when only part way through this book. I have subsequently finished both books, both were excellent, real page turners and difficult to tear oneself away from. I am going to buy her third book as soon as I've finished this sentence.

Not as good as Despite the Falling Snow. OK read but found it hard going in places. Interesting story line though.

I watched the movie based on this book years ago and always wanted to read the novel because the characters had such wonderful on screen chemistry that I wanted to see if it worked the same in the text. It did. Although I think it helped that the director was the author and the producer their partner so the movie was always going to come out as close to the book as possible. Regardless, Shamim Sarif weaves a passionate story of two women trying to find themselves and each other. There is humour, there are tears, there is love. It is quirky and it works. It is lesfic but deftly avoids all the usual almost fan fiction style cliches, and for that, I love it.

I have read this book umpteen times, still get new insights into it. I am sure Shamim Sarif is one of the best writers of lesbian fiction of this time. Always it makes one aware of the cultural differences and forces one to confront them. The physical content is kept to a minimum and long may that be so

I'm not one to watch a film before I have read the book as it usually spoils the magic of the words. I have only found a few books and films that go against this and I can't think straight is one of them! It isn't a heavy read and I could not put it down even though I knew the whole plot almost word for word! The film reflects the book fantastically and reading the book after watching added a whole new dimension to my understanding of the story.