Books from Saudi Arabia
13 popular saudi arabian books
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
The target of the Read Around The World Challenge is to read at least one book written by an author from each and every country in the world.
All books that are listed here as part of the "Read Around Asia Challenge" were written by authors from Saudi Arabia.
Find a great book for the next part of your reading journey around the world from this book list. The following popular books have been recommended so far.
1.
A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena EN
Country: Asia / Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
In this debut novel set in Saudi Arabia, where the law forbids romantic relationships outside of marriage, two teens fall in love with tragic consequences. "Unlike any YA book I've ever readEfascinating and disturbing."--#1 "New York Times"-bestselling author Jodi Picoult.
2.
Country: Asia / Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
Turki al-Hamad's explosive novel Adama became an unlikely bestseller in the Middle East, selling more than 20,000 copies despite being officially banned in several countries, including the author's native Saudi Arabia. A compelling coming-of-age story, it also offers a rare and stunning inside look at the hidden roots of dissent in the modern Arab world. In his tranquil middle-class neighbourhood, eighteen-year-old Hisham doesn't quite fit in. He's a budding philosopher who spends his days reading banned books and developing his political ideals. His Saudi Arabia is a nation embroiled in inter... continue
3.
Daring to Drive : A Saudi Woman’s Awakening by Manal Sharif EN
Country: Asia / Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
A memoir by a Saudi Arabian woman who became the unexpected leader of a movement to support women's rights describes how fundamentalism influenced her radical religious beliefs until her education, a job, and legal contradictions changed her perspectives.
4.
Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea EN
Country: Asia / Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
“Alsanea's wisdom and insight into the female experience seem surreal. She captures the core, universal truths of the complications in finding and holding a life partner. Her characters provide wisdom to each other that are astounding in their accuracy, and Alsanea thus speaks for countless women everywhere.” —Bookreporter.com When Rajaa Alsanea boldly chose to open up the hidden world of Saudi women—their private lives and their conflicts with the traditions of their culture—she caused a sensation across the Arab world. Now in English, Alsanea’s tale of the personal struggles of four young up... continue
5.
Ibn Arabi's Small Death by Mohammad Hassan Alwan EN
Country: Asia / Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
Ibn Arabi’s Small Death is a sweeping and inventive work of historical fiction that chronicles the life of the great Sufi master and philosopher Ibn Arabi. Known in the West as “Rumi’s teacher,” he was a poet and mystic who proclaimed that love was his religion. Born in twelfth-century Spain during the Golden Age of Islam, Ibn Arabi traveled thousands of miles from Andalusia to distant Azerbaijan, passing through Morocco, Egypt, the Hijaz, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey on a journey of discovery both physical and spiritual. Witness to the wonders and cruelties of his age, exposed to the political rul... continue
6.
Country: Asia / Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
Játim es un relato que mantiene una sólida conexión con el lugar, la ciudad santa de La Meca. Se sitúa en un periodo poco delimitado, que puede ser a comienzos del siglo XX. En cualquier caso, es antes de que el Reino de Arabia Saudí surgiera como tal después de haberse independizado de Turquía. Es una novela con apariencia realista cuyo entramado se teje entre la realidad, la magia, la memoria colectiva, las prácticas religiosas, el simbolismo y las ambigüedad. En Játim se manifiesta una bisexualidad que le permite atravesar todas las barreras establecidas para separar a los sexos: la calle, ... continue
7.
My Past Is a Foreign Country : A Muslim Feminist Finds Herself by Zeba Talkhani EN
Country: Asia / Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
'Brilliant and brutally honest, this memoir ropes you in with every page. The intimacy that Zeba evokes will remind you of your own sister opening her heart to you.' Meena Kandasamy, author of When I Hit You, shortlisted for The Women's Prize 28-year-old Zeba Talkhani charts her experiences growing up in Saudi Arabia amid patriarchal customs reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale, and her journey to find freedom in India, Germany and the UK. Talkhani offers a fresh perspective on living as an outsider and examines her relationship with her mother and the challenges she faced when she experienced h... continue
8.
My Thousand and One Nights : A Novel of Mecca by Raja Alem EN
Country: Asia / Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
The distinguished Middle Eastern author Raja Alem grew up in Mecca at a time when the holy city was on the cusp of changing from medieval to modern. In this vanished Mecca, vividly brought to life again in My Thousand and One Nights, women hold center stage—especially Jummo, the wildly passionate daughter of the Water Carriers’ Sheik. This faraway time and setting become compellingly real as we follow the intimate drama of Jummo’s life, the tragic arc of her affair with her childhood sweetheart and her lifelong love for the mysterious Sidi Wadhana, a more-than-human emissary from the Netherwor... continue
9.
Rebel : My Escape from Saudi Arabia to Freedom by Rahaf Mohammed EN
Country: Asia / Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
A gripping memoir of bravery and sacrifice by a young woman whose escape from her abusive family and an oppressive culture in Saudi Arabia captivated the world
In early 2019, after three years of careful planning, Rahaf Mohammed finally escaped her abusive family in Saudi Arabia—but made it only to Bangkok before being stripped of her passport. If forced to return home, she was sure she would be killed, like other rebel women in her country. As men pounded at the door of her barricaded hotel room, she opened a Twitter account. The teenager reached out to the world, and the world answ... continue
10.
The Green Bicycle by Haifaa al Mansour EN
Country: Asia / Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Description:
Dreamer. Rebel. Hero. Wadjda has one simple wish - to race her friend Abdullah on her very own bicycle. But in Saudi Arabia, it is considered improper for girls to ride bikes and her parents forbid her from having one. Sick of playing by the rules, Wadjda schemes different ways to make money and buy the bike herself. But freedom comes at a high price . . . Set against the shifting social attitudes of the Middle East, The Green Bicycle explores gender roles, conformity, and the importance of family, all with wit and irresistible heart.