English books from Asia
Recommended English books (1090)
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
If you speak English here are some English books from Asia for the next part of the "Read Around The World Challenge".
871.
The Other Side of Silence : A Memoir of Exile, Iran, and the Global Women's Movement by Mahnaz Afkhami EN
IranDescription:
When Mahnaz Afkhami picked up the phone in a New York hotel room early one morning in November 1978, she learned she could never go home again: she had been declared an apostate and enemy of the Iranian Revolution and was now on its death list. Afkhami, Iran's first minister for women's affairs, began to rebuild her life in the United States, becoming an architect of the women's movement in the Global South. Along the way, she encountered familial, cultural, political, and organizational hurdles that threatened to derail her quest to empower women and change the very structure of human relatio... continue
872.
The Others by Seba Al-Herz, Ṣabā Ḥirz EN
Country: Asia / 
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
A daring literary debut from Saudi Arabia reveals the secret world of a sexually rebellious woman.
873.
The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu EN
ChinaDescription:
Ken Liu is one of the most original, thought-provoking and award-winning short-story writers of his generation. This is the first collection of his work – sixteen stories that invoke the magical within the mundane, by turns profound, beguiling and heartbreaking. Included here are: The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary (Finalist for Hugo, Nebula, and Sturgeon Awards), Mono No Aware (Hugo Award winner), The Waves (Nebula Award finalist), The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species (Nebula and Sturgeon award finalists), All the Flavors (Nebula Award finalist), The Litigation Master and the Monkey ... continue
874.
IndiaDescription:
The Parcel is about a transgender sex worker, Madhu, in the red-light district of Bombay who is given an unexpected, harrowing task. Now, at forty, Madhu has moved away from prostitution, her trade since her teens, and taken up begging to support the leader of the hijras, Gurumai. One day Madhu receives a call from Padma Madam, the most-feared brothel owner in the district: a 'parcel' has arrived - a ten-year-old girl from the provinces, betrayed and sold by her aunt - and Madhu needs to prepare it for her fate.
875.
The Patience Stone by Atiq Rahimi EN
Country: Asia / 
Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Description:
In Persian folklore, Syngue Sabour is the name of a magical black stone, a patience stone, which absorbs the plight of those who confide in it. It is believed that the day it explodes, after having received too much hardship and pain, will be the day of the Apocalypse. But here, the Syngue Sabour is not a stone but rather a man lying brain-dead with a bullet lodged in his neck. His wife is with him, sitting by his side. But she resents him for having sacrificed her to the war, for never being able to resist the call to arms, for wanting to be a hero, and in the end, after all was said and done... continue
876.
The Peace Machine by Oezguer Mumcu EN
TurkeyDescription:
A thrilling historical adventure story from Turkey's most daring young voice We'll create a machine. A peace machine that will put an end to all wars. As the twentieth century dawns the world stands on the brink of yet another bloody war. But what if conflict were not inevitable? What if a machine could exploit the latest developments in electromagnetic science to influence people's minds? And what if such a machine could put an end to violence for ever? The search for the answer to these questions will lead our hero Celal away from his unassuming life as an Istanbul-based writer of erotic fic... continue
877.
The Pear Field by Nana Ekvtimishvili EN
GeorgiaDescription:
Lela knows two things: her history teacher must die and she must start a new life beyond the pear field. On the outskirts of Tbilisi, in a newly independent Georgia, is the Residential School for Intellectually Disabled Children – or, as the locals call it, the School for Idiots. Abandoned by their parents, the pupils here receive lessons in violence and neglect. At eighteen, Lela is old enough to leave, but with nowhere to go she stays and plans, both for her own escape and for the future she hopes to give Irakli, a young boy at the school. When a couple from the USA decide they want to adopt... continue
878.
The Pearl that Broke Its Shell : A Novel by Nadia Hashimi EN
Country: Asia / Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Description:
Afghan-American Nadia Hashimi's literary debut novel is a searing tale of powerlessness, fate, and the freedom to control one's own fate that combines the cultural flavor and emotional resonance of the works of Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Lisa See. In Kabul, 2007, with a drug-addicted father and no brothers, Rahima and her sisters can only sporadically attend school, and can rarely leave the house. Their only hope lies in the ancient custom of bacha posh, which allows young Rahima to dress and be treated as a boy until she is of marriageable age. As a son, she can attend school, go to ... continue
879.
The Pearl Thief by Noor Al Noaimi EN
BahrainDescription:
This is a lovely little short story about Hassan, a poor Bahraini islander, who finds himself in desperate circumstances. Driven by the need to take care of his aging parents, he embarks on the unthinkable; a pearl diving quest... when he can't even swim! But can Hassan be more than he is? Can he leave his world of poverty and being looked-down upon, to finally be someone in life and provide for his family? Or will he always be a poor man's son, destined to a life of destitution and struggle?
880.
The Peasant King by Tessa Afshar EN
Description:
Jemmah has always thought of herself as perfectly ordinary . . . until she faces extraordinary circumstances. When her mother, the Persian king's famous senior scribe, is kidnapped, Jemmah and her sister must sneak undetected into enemy territory to rescue her. But infiltrating their adversary's lands proves easier than escaping them. Fleeing through dangerous mountain passes, their survival depends on the skills of a stranger they free from prison: a mysterious prince named Asher. Asher is not who the world believes he is. Despite his royal blood, he has had to climb his way out of poverty to... continue