Read Around Asia Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Asia.
Best books from Asia (1412)
781.
Almost Transparent Blue by Ryu Murakami EN
JapanDescription:
This controversial novel touched the raw nerves of the Japanese and became a million seller within six months of publication. It is a semi-autobiographical tale of the author's youth spent amidst the glorious squalor of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll in 1970s Japan. Almost Transparent Blue is a brutal tale of lost youth in a Japanese port town close to an American military base. Murakami's image-intensive narrative paints a portrait of a group of friends locked in a destructive cycle of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. The novel is all but plotless, but the raw and
782.
Killing Commendatore : A novel by Haruki Murakami EN
Description:
A tour de force of love and loneliness, war and art, Killing Commendatore is a stunning work of imagination from one of our greatest writers. When a thirty-something portrait painter is abandoned by his wife, he secludes himself in the mountain home of a world famous artist. One day, the young painter hears a noise from the attic, and upon investigation, he discovers a previously unseen painting. By unearthing this hidden work of art, he unintentionally opens a circle of mysterious circumstances; and to close it, he must undertake a perilous journey into a netherworld that only Haruki Murakami... continue
783.
Honor Lost : Love and Death in Modern-day Jordan by Norma Khouri EN
JordanDescription:
Dalia was a young, beautiful, Arabian Muslim living with her family in Amman, Jordan. This text gives a harrowing account by a Jordanian woman of the honour-killing of her lifelong friend at the hands of her own father, after she fell in love with a young Catholic man.
784.
Cities of Salt by Abdelrahman Munif, Abd al-Raḥmān Munīf EN
Description:
Banned in Saudia Arabia, this is a blistering look at Arab and American hypocrisy following the discovery of oil in a poor oasis community. "From the Trade Paperback edition.
785.
The cry of the dove by Fadia Faqir EN
Description:
Left pregnant after an illicit love affair, Saalma, a young Bedouin woman from Hima in the Levant flees her people to escape the honor killing waiting for her at the hands of her tribe and seeks asylum in England. Original.
786.
Description:
In her coming-of-age memoir, refugee advocate Luma Mufleh writes of her tumultuous journey to reconcile her identity as a gay Muslim woman and a proud Arab-turned-American refugee. With no word for “gay” in Arabic, Luma may not have known what to call the feelings she had growing up in Jordan during the 1980s, but she knew well enough to keep them secret. It was clear that not only would her family have trouble accepting her, but trapped in a conservative religious society, she could’ve also been killed if anyone discovered her sexuality. Luma spent her teenage years increasingly desperate to ... continue
787.
The Monotonous Chaos of Existence by Hisham Bustani EN
Description:
The stories within Hisham Bustani's The Monotonous Chaos of Existence explore the turbulent transformation in contemporary Arab societies. With a deft and poetic touch, Bustani examines the interpersonal with a global lens, connects the seemingly contradictory, and delves into the ways that international conflict can tear open the individuals that populate his world-all while pushing the narrative form into new and unexpected terrain.
788.
Description:
Two brothers fight to reunite amidst the turmoil of the Syrian War. Since the passing of their father, Omar has tried—and in his little brother Sufyan’s eyes, failed—to be the man of his family of Syrian refugees. As Omar waits in line for rations, longing for the books he left behind when his family fled their home, Sufyan explores more nontraditional methods to provide for his family. Ignoring his brother’s warnings, Sufyan gets more and more involved with a group that provides him with big rewards for doing seemingly inconsequential tasks. When the group abruptly gets more intense—taking Su... continue
789.
Am Ende bleiben die Zedern : Roman by Pierre Jarawan DE
Description:
Samir ist auf einer Reise, die Gegenwart und Vergangenheit verbinden soll: Er will endlich die Wahrheit über seinen Vater erfahren, der die Familie vor zwanzig Jahren ohne eine Nachricht verlassen hat. Mit einem rätselhaften Dia und den Erinnerungen an die Geschichten seines Vaters im Gepäck macht der junge Mann sich in den Libanon auf, das Geheimnis zu lüften. Seine Suche führt ihn durch ein noch immer gespaltenes Land, und schon bald scheint Samir nicht mehr nur den Spuren des Vaters zu folgen. Vielmehr ist es, als seien die Figuren aus dessen Geschichten real geworden. Sie bringen Samir ein... continue
790.
X by Kafa’ Al-Zoubi ES
Description:
Una escritora encuentra por casualidad por las calles de Ammán al personaje de la novela que está escribiendo, y desde entonces la búsqueda obsesiva de la autora por su personaje y la relación entre ambas, a través de la escritura de la novela, permiten atisbar al lector tanto la vida cotidiana de una mujer a la búsqueda de su libertad personal como al enfrentamiento de ambas con una sociedad opresiva. X, la incógnita de todo problema matemático, sufre desde su infancia las reglas que le impone una posición subalterna en su propia familia, donde debe aceptar desde la imposición del hiyab hasta... continue