Middle East/North African Lit discussion

The challenge continues!

1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict.
2. a book, fiction or non-fiction based on or about MENA history
3. a book, fiction or non-fiction about "Empowering women
4. a book, fiction or non fiction. written by an author from Iraq
5. book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Al Sham (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria)
6.A book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Arabian Peninsula - ( Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates )
7. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Maghreb ( North Africa) - ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya,Mauritania
8. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Egypt
9. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by a Turkish author
10. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an Iranian author
11. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from Sudan and the Horn of Africa (Somalia , Djibouti and Eritrea)
12. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from the "Stan" countries or Central Asia ( Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan) and Afghanistan or Pakistan.

Please add your list for the challenge in here!

My place holder:
1. The Palestine conflict:
2. MENA history:
3. Empowering women:
4. Iraq:
5. Al Sham (:
6. The Arabian Peninsula :
7. The Maghreb :
8. Egypt: حاكم: جنون ابن الهيثم
9. Turkey :
10. Iran
11. Horn of Africa
12. The "Stan" countries or Central Asia:

My Placeholder
1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict.
Arabesques by Anton Shammas
2. a book, fiction or non-fiction based on or about MENA history
Granada: The Complete Trilogy by Radwa Ashour
3. a book, fiction or non-fiction about "Empowering women
One Thousand and One Nights by Hanan Al-Shaykh
4. a book, fiction or non fiction. written by an author from Iraq
The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad
5. book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Al Sham (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria). Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales by Najla Khoury
6.A book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Arabian Peninsula - ( Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates )
Silken Gazelles by Jokha Alharthi
7. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Maghreb ( North Africa) - ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya,Mauritania )
The Djinn's Apple by Djamila Morani
8. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Egypt
Then He Sent Prophets by Mohamed Seif El Nasr
9. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by a Turkish author
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
10. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an Iranian author
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar
11. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from Sudan and the Horn of Africa (Somalia , Djibouti and Eritrea)
A New Yearby Leila Aboulela

12. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from the "Stan" countries or Central Asia ( Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan) and Afghanistan or Pakistan.
Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed

My Placeholder
1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict.
أقل من عدو أكثر من صديق: السيرة الطائرة - done
2. a book, fiction or non-fiction based on or about MENA history
ثلاثية غرناطة - done
3. a book, fiction or non-fiction about "Empowering women
محطات الرحيل
4. a book, fiction or non fiction. written by an author from Iraq
5. book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Al Sham (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria)
خبزنا اليومي
6.A book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Arabian Peninsula - ( Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates )
بساتين عربستان - done
تجاوز - done
7. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Maghreb ( North Africa) - ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya,Mauritania
8. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Egypt
الشتاء الأسود
9. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by a Turkish author
Farewell by Ayse Kulin - done
10. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an Iranian author
11. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from Sudan and the Horn of Africa (Somalia , Djibouti and Eritrea)
12. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from the "Stan" countries or Central Asia ( Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan) and Afghanistan or Pakistan.

My Placeholder
1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict.
2. a book, fiction or non-fiction based on or about MENA history
3. a book, fiction or non-fiction about "Empowering women
4. a book, fiction or non fiction. written by an author from Iraq
5. book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Al Sham (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria)
6.A book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Arabian Peninsula - ( Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates )
7. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Maghreb ( North Africa) - ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya,Mauritania
8. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Egypt
9. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by a Turkish author
10. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an Iranian author
11. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from Sudan and the Horn of Africa (Somalia , Djibouti and Eritrea)
12. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from the "Stan" countries or Central Asia ( Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan) and Afghanistan or Pakistan.

updates at: 28.01.2025

I'm aiming to read four books from the region during 2025.

Sign me up! I'll add the books as I go
MENA 2025 CHALLENGE
7/12
✅1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict: Where Jasmine Blooms by Holly S. Warah (Palestine) 2 May 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅2. a book, fiction or non-fiction based on or about MENA history: Of Mud and Honey by Roxana Trabulsi (Yemen) 2 Mar 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅3. a book, fiction or non-fiction about "Empowering women:" Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim 21 Jun 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
4. a book, fiction or non fiction. written by an author from Iraq
✅5. book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Al Sham (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria): The Bride of Amman by Fadi Zaghmout* (Jordan) 23 Mar 2025 ⭐⭐ my review
✅6. A book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Arabian Peninsula (Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates): Of Mud and Honey by Roxana Trabulsi (Yemen) 2 Mar 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

7. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Maghreb (North Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania)
✅8. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Egypt: Other Names, Other Places by Ola Mustapha (Tunisia) 27 Mar 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
✅9. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by a Turkish author: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak* (Turkey) 5 Jul 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review
10. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an Iranian author
11. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from Sudan and the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea)
✅12. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from the "Stan" countries or Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) and Afghanistan or Pakistan: The City Where Dreams Come True by Gulsifat Shakhidi* (Tajikistan) 6 Jul 2025 ⭐⭐⭐ my review

1. Palestine:
2. MENA history:
3. Empowering Women:
4. Iraq: A Stranger in Your Own City: Travels in the Middle East's Long War
5. Al Sham:
6. The Gulf:
7. North Africa: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
8. Egypt:
9. Turkey:
10. Iran, Greater Persia:
11. Sudan & East Africa:
12. Central Asia:

Finished!
Thank you again moderators for this challenge that truly does. “challenge “ me to read books I normally might not have read!

Jalilah wrote: "Finished! Thank you again moderators for this challenge that truly does “challenge “ me to read books I normally might not have read!"

Thanks, Jalilah. Looking at your list, I remember Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales as being a really well-done collection of stories :)