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Yelda Basar Moers

@indigobookshelf

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My reading life.❤️
Proud New Yorker🗽
& East Hamptonite🪻🌊
Now Princetonian🧡🖤
Author, lawyer, journalist, musician.

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Have you read Orhan Pamuk? He is my favorite living novelist—a Turkish Nobel Prize–winning author whose writing feels like prose infused with poetry. I feel the soul of Turkey in all of his books.❤️‍🔥

He grew up in the same Istanbul neighborhood as my father, who is convinced they even attended the same primary school. So perhaps my love for him was inevitable — there’s a personal closeness there that feels almost fated. But what truly keeps me returning to him is his prose. It is tender, melancholic, deeply reflective, full of longing. It makes me think of the novels of Thomas Mann and Milan Kundera.

One of my favorite novels of his, The Museum of Innocence, is a tragic love story set in 1970s Istanbul — the very years my father was a university student there. The story follows Kemal, a wealthy young man, and his obsessive, aching love for Füsun, a lower-middle-class shopgirl and distant relative. Pamuk takes us through Kemal’s Proust-like meditations on love, memory, and loss — showing us how even when love is lost, its objects, its traces, its relics remain.

Kemal begins collecting every object that reminds him of her — building, piece by piece, a shrine to a vanished love. It is devastating and beautiful. And now, seeing The Museum of Innocence adapted into a Netflix series — with Pamuk himself appearing in the opening scene — felt surreal. What joy to see him step into the world he created. To watch one of his novels come to life on screen is truly special. I loved the series!

Pamuk reminds us that love may not endure — but memory does. And sometimes, memory is even stronger.

In Istanbul, Pamuk has created a real Museum of Innocence of the objects in the book. I haven’t visited yet, but hope to on my next visit to Istanbul.
www.masumiyetmuzesi.org

#themuseumofinnocence #orhanpamuk #bookreview #turkishnovels #kitapsever by @indigobookshelf

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8 months ago

I tend to post the books that leave a mark on my life, the books that I can’t stop thinking about days after I have finished them. These are the books that I feel compelled to share.

This book ripped right through me. It is one of the biggest nightmares for a mother to have her husband walk out on her and abandon not only her but also her children, with no explanation. It happened to Belle Burden. How do you cope when you realize your spouse of 20 years, whom you loved unconditionally with total trust, is now a stranger?

I originally picked up this book because I learned that Belle is a Tribeca mom, like me. We live in the same neighborhood. It’s not a big one, and it’s close-knit, so I already felt a connection to her story. Memoir is a form of writing that I love. But it’s a hard form because to be a good one, you have to reveal so much of yourself to the reader. You have to bear it all. To establish trust and be a reliable narrator, you can’t hide or sugarcoat. You also have to do deep work yourself to find a way to do this, to drop all the censors and self-edits.

The writing style is beautiful, moving, and fluid. I discovered that Belle is not only a Harvard-educated lawyer but also a writer who studied creative writing seriously at one point. She literally put her soul on the page, and I found her heartfelt, aching voice penetrating me in a way I had not in a long time.

Belle comes from a very wealthy family, but that doesn’t matter in this respect. It doesn’t make it any easier. The hurt, the breach of trust, the heartache, and the loss of family for her children are all the same. Privilege doesn’t shield you.

I definitely found this to be a noteworthy read, and I’d say it’s one of the most powerful memoirs I’ve read in a long time.

#belleburden #strangers #memoir #writersofig #booksandflowers taken in Tribeca, New York City by @indigobookshelf

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8 months ago

After years of waiting…it finally snowed here!❄️❄️❄️I’m really swept away by the prose of this one 🌊…My Friends. It’s pulling me in like a strong current and not letting me go. It’s by the Swedish author who wrote A Man Called Ove and Beartown.

Why are so many books inspired by Virginia Woolf’s the Waves? This one makes me think of it…Though maybe the author wasn’t thinking of it, but its themes of friendship, loss, art, and the sea make me think of Woolf’s masterpiece! I feel that her spirit is in this book!

Happy Holidays to all of my friends!🎄✨❤️💚Little guy is Sunny (he loves the snow).
Big guy is my son Ben. He played this Radiohead song for his high school jazz band holiday concert (he has the silver electric guitar).🎸I loved their arrangement, all on guitar. The teenagers in this story made me think of my own teenagers so it really hit home for me.

“She never found out who had bought the postcards and left them there, but it was probably someone like her, someone who had passed through the home and wanted to tell the children who came after that there was a different world out there. Art is empathy. One of the postcards was of the painting of the sea which isn’t a painting of the sea. It was the first thing Louisa ever stole, the first really beautiful thing she ever touched. ”

#myfriends #fredrikbackman #dogsandbooks #easthampton #bookstagram taken in East Hampton, New York by @indigobookshelf

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10 months ago

I think we are deeply in need of creativity and spirituality these days…

This woman has devoted her life to journal writing, and it’s admirable to see such dedication to a craft. Her path into journal writing is inspiring—she’s also a painter and has published a memoir and has also faced harrowing illness, which she shares in moving detail. She highlights 100 writers and their experiences of journaling (each writer is given a chapter in their own words), including favorites of mine such as Elizabeth Gilbert and Dani Shapiro. The best part of the book are the journal prompts at the end of each chapter—I’ve tried some and found them excellent.

Journal writing really is alchemy. It can help us process our thoughts, make sense of ourselves, and the world around us (Joan Didion famously said she writes for these reasons). We can record our lives and our children’s lives. Some of my favorite books are the journals of famous authors (Emerson, Thoreau, Sylvia Plath, etc…). What is most powerful for me (I have been a steadfast journal writer since I was eight years old!) is the spiritual connection that happens when you write in a journal. You enter into a quiet space where you can connect with your higher self, the divine part of us. I wrote my first book from repetitive journal entries. It’s really remarkable what can happen when you start writing in a blank notebook and come to visit it again and again.

A journal can also become a legacy—words that endure after we’re gone.

“The journal is where we seek out and find our highest, most liberated, most creative self.”

I also included other journaling books I’ve loved over the years.

Would love to hear if you journal? What has been your experience?

#journalwriting #creativewriting #writersofig #writersofinstagram #bookstagram #booklove #poetsofig #journal #spiritual #spiritualbooks #wisdom #journaling #thebookofalchemy #suleikajaouad #thoreau taken in New York, New York by @indigobookshelf

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a year ago

This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth (this December), so look out for festivities in the literary world! This book (published this year) was an absolute pleasure of a read…a survey of all of the female novelists and writers contemporary to Jane Austen who inspired her. Many of these women were famous and acclaimed in their lifetimes, and some had the craziest lives. And when I mean crazy, I mean crazy. I’ll leave it to your imagination for now. Some were mothers, others were dutiful wives, but they all dedicated themselves to their writing with a kind of devotion that can leave you almost speechless. And even though their writing and novels appeared in Jane’s books and were read by her, sadly they didn’t survive to be known like Jane’s.

The author is a rare book dealer and we get a lens into her life too, which is fascinating.

I learned so much, not only about Jane, the Regency period, and her contemporaries, but about the rare book community. Calling all Jane Austen lovers! This is a unique and noteworthy read, an absolute delight.

While reading it this summer I had no idea it was Jane’s 250th this year!

This music is from the movie about her life, Becoming Jane. Wonderful, if you are curious.

For fans like me, celebrating Jane!🎉🎉🎉

#janeausten #janeaustensbookshelf
#janeausten250 #janeaustenfan #bookstagram #booklove #igreads #bookreview #literature #classicbooks taken in New York City by @indigobookshelf

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a year ago

I stopped by Book Hampton, the neighborhood bookstore of East Hampton, and found this novel by a Turkish author on the new fiction shelf, recently published (May 2025). What a Turkish delight!🧿🍬It fits right into the Hamptons vibe too. I was just aimlessly browsing the shelves and stumbled upon it. And I found some other noteworthy reads too, which I will add to my list and share here. Have you heard of any of them?

Of course, I had no idea what the book was about, but I knew that any Turkish author is worth reading.

So I started reading it and it’s actually quite good. I love the writing (translated from Turkish). Its style reminds me of Andre Aciman meets EM Forster—in a Turkish way! It’s a thriller and takes place on a beautiful island called Büyükada in Turkish, otherwise known as the Big Island, the largest in a group of islands called the Princes’ Islands, a spot historically reserved for the privileged in Turkish society (sultans, aristocrats, etc). It’s a short ferry ride from Istanbul in the Marmara Sea. I’ve been there several times and it’s beautiful. No cars were allowed when I was there, and I’m not sure if that’s still the case. It was just bicycles and lots of donkeys, beautiful villas, trees, and lush rose and bougainvillea gardens. We drank Turkish tea with salty pastries and strolled along its meandering, long walking paths.

Turkish authors are sooooo good!! The most well-known now are Elif Shafak and Orhan Pamuk (who won the Nobel Prize in literature). But there are so many stellar contemporary ones. I included one of Elif’s books here, too.

I’ll try to share more of them.

Have you read any of these?

Enjoy the Labor Day weekend! The weather is gorgeous here in East Hampton.🏖️☀️I hope it’s lovely where you are, too.

The beach pic is from yesterday at Two Mile Hollow Beach in East Hampton. Sunny, backgammon, a book—it was a great beach day.

#turkishauthors #turkishliterature #turkishnovels #booklove #bookhampton #bookstagram
#summerreads #summerreading
#thrillers #igreads #easthampton #twomilehollowbeach #beachreads #summerhhouse #kitapsever #kitapseverler #kitap taken in BookHampton by @indigobookshelf

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a year ago

Today is National Book Lover’s Day—I’m celebrating with a great book!

How cool is this cover? And yes, all those words are part of the title!

I love royal historical fiction and have spent over ten years writing in the genre, but I try to keep my reading life separate from my writing life so I can simply enjoy books. I’ve read many historical novels this year, but few have stood out. For me, connecting with the writer’s voice is the most important thing.

This book was entirely original—experimental in form, satirical, and beautifully written. It follows 19th-century Empress Sisi of Austria and King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who were first cousins, exploring their privilege and unhappiness, and ultimately the tragic ending of their lives. Sisi herself is a fascinating, complex figure—part saint, part eccentric beauty (known as the most beautiful woman in Europe)—and I’m sure the truth lies somewhere in between. She was obsessed with her figure and drank bone broth to stay slim, though she is also celebrated as a heroine to the Hungarian people for helping to secure their freedom. If you’re into Sisi, the Netflix series The Empress and Allison Pataki’s novel about her are also great.

I even discussed the book on the Readerly podcast (Read Like A Writer Book Club) where I was a guest—my first ever podcast. It was fun, but challenging without a script. And I realize that podcasts take a lot of work and are not easy to pull off. Robin is a pro, and her podcast is wonderful for thoughtful conversations about books.

This novel is compulsively readable and entertaining while also literary—a smaller treasure worth adding to your TBR.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, which seems to be fading away…I’m going to miss seeing butterflies fluttering about during al fresco reading. I also included some photos of my dog Sunny at the beach. He just loves being there. We go in the late afternoon when it’s cooler.

Have you read or heard about this book?

The link is not working here, so just DM me for the podcast link!

@readerlybooks

#bookstagram #emptytheater #historicalfiction #historicalnovel #booklover #bookreview #dogsandbooks #igreads #booklove taken in Indian Wells Beach - Amagansett by @indigobookshelf

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a year ago

There are certain books I love to read in the spring and one of them is A ROOM WITH A VIEW by E.M. FORSTER. Who also loves this book? It’s one of my favorite novels and Forster is one of my most coveted authors. Soon, blossoms will be taking over Central Park and I cannot wait. I always make it a ritual to visit the park in late April and early May when they peak, and it is always an auspicious moment of new beginnings (the first photo is taken at the park). No matter what, it’s a sign that we can start over, be hopeful, and begin anew despite the craziness of the world, especially in the US right now, where chaos seems to reign. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that the Earth laughs in flowers, and this is so true. During trying times, nature can give us refuge and respite, and so can great literature.

A Room with a View begins during springtime in Florence, one of my favorite cities. There are themes of love, class, being true to oneself and living an authentic life, and finally, honoring your soul and higher being. I feel that this novel is a quintessential spring book, particularly fitting for the season, with its themes of awakening, new beginnings, the beauty of Italy, especially Florence, which is a character itself in the book. And Lucy Honeychurch is one of my favorite heroines in literature.

I’ve also included some photos of Florence during my last visit. I can’t wait to go back. I plan to. Until then, I’m learning Italian!

What are your thoughts of A Room With A View? And spring? It’s my favorite time in NYC!

The last photo is literally a room with a view in Florence!

“Italy was offering her the most priceless of all possessions—her own soul.”

Wishing you all new and wonderful beginnings…

#aroomwithaview #emforster #classicbooks #literature #bookish #bookstagram #springbooks #springreading #igreads #bookaddict #bibliophile #ilovebooks #booklover #reading #instabook #booksandflowers #bookcommunity #bookreview #florence taken in Florence, Italy by @indigobookshelf

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2 years ago

Two things fascinate me— the ocean and space. Both have unfathomable deep worlds that we can never fully access and that will always remain a mystery.

Orbital is a beautiful book. It’s definitely out there like space, so if you’re looking for a normal narrative experience, this is not it. It does have that otherworldly, disembodied, strange feeling like you’re outside the Earth and moving around it, looking at all the different countries in deserts, forests and canyons, and trying to see the perspective from these people, which doesn’t seem to be a very pleasant one at times, and at other times, it is pure awe. During the space walking part, I was cringing in terror! And yes an astronaut has walked in space untethered. I can’t imagine anything more terrifying!

The story follows 6 astronauts at the international space station in the course of 24 hours where they are orbiting the earth 16 times and it follows their day and their intimate thoughts (“they are so together and so alone”). It reminded me of Virginia Woolf’s The Waves in its meditative narration of each character and how they all come together. And like The Waves, there are six main characters here. The book won the prestigious Booker Prize this past year.

I have looked at the Earth from cameras at night and I have to say seeing all the lights from the cities is a spectacular sight. It makes you think of how beautiful our planet is, the wonder, the collective consciousness. The book makes you think of all that.

I’d be curious what people who have visited space thought about the book and maybe the author consulted them; I don’t know. I don’t think she did. She certainly has not been to space.

But Albert Einstein used to say that imagination is more important than knowledge, and I believe that…

Orbital…one of the most unique books I’ve read in a long time.

#orbital #samanthaharvey #bookerprize #naturebooks #bookreview #bookstagram #booklove #instabook #igreads #bookcommunity #bibliophile #bookaddict taken in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida by @indigobookshelf

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2 years ago

Happy International Women’s Day! Maybe women will save the world— most likely.❤️💪

You can be a literary snob and you can love Colleen Hoover because she is so good at what she does. She really knows how to pack the punch in a work of fiction. This was the craziest, wackiest, most suspenseful and bizarre thriller of a book that I’ve read in a long time (since Stephen King’s Misery- both deal with writers in compromising positions) but I have to say that I was glued to every page and I never thought the writing wasn’t doing its job on delivering her story!

It’s not in my usual line of books but I’m glad I had the experience of reading the mega blockbuster hit that is Colleen Hoover!

Have you read her books? I have read several of them and she does write books that support women and bring serious issues to light that women face like domestic violence.

And those are my crystals, malachite, amethyst and quartz! I have to say, yes, I’m a crystal reader. I have them around me all the time when I’m reading, together with candles and other bookish things.

I am not ashamed to say I dip into good escapist fiction to evade the troubles and tribulations of our times. That malachite might help too but I think we need one the size of a massive meteor!

#colleenhoover #verity #bookstagram #bookreview #igreads #feministbooks #crystaltherapy #thrillerbooks #kitap #kitapsever #bibliophile #bookreview #bookaddict #bookaholic #crystals #feministbooks by @indigobookshelf

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2 years ago

A few weeks ago my husband and I went to the incredible photo exhibit of JAMES BALDWIN called TURKEY SAVED MY LIFE: BALDWIN IN ISTANBUL at the Brooklyn Public Library. James Baldwin, one of my favorite writers, spent a decade in Turkey (during the 60s) during a period of terrible writer’s block in the US and experienced an incredible burgeoning period of creativity and writing.

He found Turkey to be a sanctuary from the homophobia and racism he was experiencing in the US. I have to say that Turkey has an extraordinary history of tolerance, especially to visitors, which may be shocking for some. Just look to the Ottoman Empire, one of the greatest meritocracies that ever existed. He also came to love the people (how can you not?) and Turkish tea (the best!). The photographer was one of his closest friends, Sedat Pakay, and twenty of these photos have never been seen before.

While in Turkey, Baldwin wrote three of his famous books including Another Country and The Fire Next Time.

I had no idea that there was a Baldwin/Turkey connection, and I was beyond overjoyed to hear it. These past couple of years I have really discovered Baldwin, especially this year because of all the attention his centennial has received (the NYPL was also hosting an exhibit— sadly both ended Feb. 28th).

Our Brooklyn journey didn’t end there. After the exhibit, we went to eat at an incredible Mediterranean restaurant, with cuisine very similar to Turkish. Honestly, I would not be able to tell the difference. The owner Jimmy is originally from Egypt and he made us feel so welcome as if we were in his living room. This is the Turkish way too. For those of you who are in Brooklyn, you may know this place: Mazzat! And those of you visiting, you must go! @mazzatbrooklyn Oh and we also discovered this wonderful bookstore along the way— Freebird Books. @freebirdbooks

Unfortunately the glass on the photos is not anti-glare so it was hard to photograph them well.

#jamesbaldwin #brooklynpubliclibrary #thefirenexttime #anothercountry #bookstagram #kitapsever #kitapseverler #kitap #libraries #igreads #igbooks #booklove #bookcommunity #books #jamesbaldwin100 taken in Brooklyn Public Library by @indigobookshelf

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2 years ago

I started the year with Amor Towles…

I loved Table for Two and read it last month. It’s a collection of short stories and the writing is so elevated and exquisite that it makes a writer shun their own existence, question their own capabilities, and seek a new vocation!😂The stories, most them contemporary, are varied and take place in New York. The collection also includes a novella. They explore themes of connection, brief encounters, happiness, ambition, and power. They remind me of Edith Wharton’s The New York Stories, her collection of short stories (published in the 1920’s). I was impressed at what a wide gamut the stories encompass. Towles is the author of the crazy hit A Gentleman in Moscow.

Rules of Civility is next for me.

I think this is a record for me in brevity. Those of you who know me know that I write lenghty posts, as much as I try to keep it short…

I always wonder if book friends here want the nutshell or more instropection? The long and the short of it?

I’m also reading Colleen Hoover and Jojo Moyes. I am not a literary snob at all and I’m open to all literature. All I seek is a good book! They come in all shapes and sizes…I want a good book to hit me over the head and make an impression.

#tablefortwo #amortowles #bookreview #bookstagram #kitapsever #kitapseverler #igreads #shortstories #booksandflowers #bookcommunity #booklove #literature #instabooks taken in East Hampton, New York by @indigobookshelf

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2 years ago