All About Books discussion

Ramadan, the ninth month on the Muslim calendar, is celebrated as the month when the first verses of the Quran were said to be revealed to the prophet Muhammad in 610 CE. Laylat al-Qadr, or Night of Power, is thought to be the actual day when the Quran was given to the prophet and usually falls within the last 10 days of the holiday. In 2014, it will start on Saturday, the 28th of June and will continue for 30 days until Sunday, the 27th of July.

As you may know, during this Muslim holiday, observers are expected to abstain from food, drink, and other pleasures from dawn to dusk. What you might not know is that removing these comforts from daily routine is intended to focus the mind on prayer, spirituality, and charity and to purify the body and mind.

This inspired the 'Ramadan' Theme challenge: to read a book that involves spirituality or religion in some way.

1. Abbé Mouret's Transgression by Emile Zola.

Same here!!!!

1. Abbé Mouret's Transgression by Emile Zola.

1. Cain by Jose Saramago

Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata by Devdutt Pattanaik

1. Greenmantle by Charles de Lint - this book has an unusual mixture of fantasy with a strong religious/spiritual flavor and Mafia shoot-em-up thriller. I liked it but I can see that it wouldn't be for everyone...

2. The God Delusion by Dawkins

2. The Immoralist by André Gide

I am not sure that this really fits the theme as it is more about loss of religion or belief in God than it is about spirituality...

2) The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi by St. Francis of Assisi

Leslie, your definition does say "read a book that involves spirituality or religion in some way". Whether it is lost or found: it's theme is religion still, I'd say.

This is a tough one! Any recommendations?

Charbel wrote: "This is a tough one! Any recommendations?"

I thought Gilead was very good and would fit the theme.

Charbel wrote: "This is a tough one! Any recommendations?"

I don't know what you could like so I suggest you two books that I loved a lot:

The Life of Milarepa

Siddhartha

3. The Spire by William Golding

3) Chiara di Assisi: Elogio della disobbedienza by Dacia Maraini (sorry, no English edition)

Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran & Oscar and the Lady in Pink is a book of two short novellas. Both are absolutely lovely. They are my two favorite by the French/Belgian author Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt. I didn't enjoy his other books at all as well. If you only want to try one read the one MIATFOTK rather than TLIP.

Very true, I loved them both too.

Diane S. wrote: "Very true, I loved them both too."

It is strange how some authors just don't get the acclaim they deserve outside their own country.

2. Habibi

Dante, La Divina Commedia - Inferno Reading now

4) Storia di Chiara e Francesco by Chiara Frugoni

5) Francis of Assisi by Chiara Frugoni

6) I fioretti - Gli scritti by Francis of Assisi

7) La leggenda dei tre compagni by Ezio Franceschini

8) Un'amicizia coi baffi. Storie di santi e dei loro animali by Felice Rossetti

9) Judas Iscariot and Others by Leonid Andreyev

3. The Jesus Dynasty: The Hidden History of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity

The Love Letters by Madeleine L'Engle

10) Job by Joseph Roth

11) Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

3. Waiting for Godot (?? seemed to me to be about God & faith but I could be wrong)

12) Processo a Gesù by Diego Fabbri

Some of the poetry in A Poetic Time Capsule 1914-1918: World War I Told By Those Who Lived It was very spiritual or religious.

13) God Sees the Truth, but Waits by Leo Tolstoy
14) The Shades, A Fantasy by Vladimir Korolenko