Rummanah Aasi



20/24 books


  I had a great time with the Middle Eastern Reading Challenge this year and was thrilled to see that Helen was hosting the challenge again. I hope to read books from a wide range of genres and audiences from this region.

What is considered the Middle East?

The Middle East is a nebulous term with each person defining it in a different way (it's also a very Euro-centric term so please forgive me for that). However I am going to use it for lack of a better way to define the area covered by this reading challenge. So, what is the Middle East? Traditionally it included only the "middle eastern" countries in Asia plus Egypt. Some define it as countries with Arabic as the dominant language, while others say it is all Islamic countries. For the purposes of this challenge I am going to stick with the more traditional/geographic approach including the countries around the Arabian peninsula.

Countries Include: The author of the book may be from the following countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen. Update: Given the news lately, let's add in the north African countries of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco

What books qualify for this reading challenge?
The author of the book may be from the countries listed below or the book can be set in one of the countries included in this challenge. The book could be about Islam. Fiction, non-fiction, YA and Adult lit, graphic novels, audio books, books for other challenge... they all count.

Levels: There are no levels for this challenge, my hope is that we'll each read whatever number works for us, learning to appreciate and understand the Middle East more along the way.

What are the dates of the challenge?
The challenge will run January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.

Goal for the Challenge: 24 books

How do I sign up to participate?

Write an introductory post about what you hope to get out of this challenge, or why you are signing up, or what you know/feel about the Middle East, or something that relates to this challenge. If you want to list books you are going to read you may, but you certainly don't have to. Please include a link back to this post so that others who are interested can find it. Use the Middle East Reviews link to post your introduction/intent to participate.

Books Read for Middle East Challenge 2012 

1. Crescent by Diana Abu Jaber (Iraq)
2. The Golden Sandal by Rebecca Hickox (Iraq)
3. Mirror by Jeannine Baker (Morocco)
4. The Secret Message by Mina Javaherbin (Iran)
5. Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Ratah (Palestine)
6. Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! by Margaret Mead MacDonald
7. Mystery Bottle by Kristen Balouch
8. Silent Music by James Rumford (Iraq)
9. Joha Makes a Wish by Eric Kimmel 
10. Alia's Mission by Mark Stamatay (Iraq)
11. We All Are Equally Far From Love by Adania Shibli
12. Zeina by Nawal Sadawi (Egypt) 
13. Tasting the Sky by Ibtisam Barakat (Palestine) 
14. Three Wishes by Deborah Ellis (Palestine/Israel)
15. Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan (Egypt)
16. A Game for Swallows by Zeina Abirached (Lebanon)
17. Samir and Yonatan by Daniella Carmi (Palestine/Israel)
18. Zahra's Paradise by Amir and Khalil (Iran)
19. Beast by Donna Jo Napoli (Iran)
20. Space Between Our Footsteps by Naomi Shihab Nye (various countries from the Middle East)
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1 Response
  1. I am so glad you're joining me again for this challenge! I have a bunch of books lined up for myself and am excited to get started on them in the new year! I look forward to seeing what you read


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