Read Around Asia Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Asia.
Best books from Asia (1412)
801.
Pearling in the Arabian Gulf : A Kuwaiti Memoir by Sayf Marzūq Shamlān EN
KuwaitDescription:
Born in Kuwait in 1926, into a distinguished Kuwaiti family of pearl merchants and seafarers, Saif Marzooq al- Shamlan describes the final generation of the pearling industry from 1900 to the slump of the 1930s, when the development of the Japanese cultured pearl led to economic disaster for the people of the Gulf.
802.
The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi EN
Description:
Winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction Josephine escapes poverty by coming to Kuwait from the Philippines to work as a maid, where she meets Rashid, an idealistic only son with literary aspirations. Josephine, with all the wide-eyed naivety of youth, believes she has found true love. But when she becomes pregnant, and with the rumble of war growing ever louder, Rashid bows to family and social pressure, and sends her back home with her baby son, José. Brought up struggling with his dual identity, José clings to the hope of returning to his father's country when he is eighteen. He... continue
803.
Mama Hissa's Mice by Saud Alsanousi EN
Description:
From the winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction comes an apocalyptic and caustically funny novel about the power of friendship in a war-torn world that NPR calls "rich and resonant." Growing up together in the Surra section of central Kuwait, Katkout, Fahd, and Sadiq share neither ethnic origin nor religious denomination--only friendship and a rage against the unconscionable sectarian divide turning their lives into war-zone rubble. To lay bare the ugly truths, they form the protest group Fuada's Kids. Their righteous transgressions have made them targets of both Sunni and Shi'a ... continue
804.
Against the Loveless World : A Novel by Susan Abulhawa EN
Description:
From the internationally bestselling author of the “terrifically affecting” (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Mornings in Jenin, a sweeping and lyrical novel that follows a young Palestinian refugee as she slowly becomes radicalized while searching for a better life for her family throughout the Middle East, for readers of international literary bestsellers including Washington Black, My Sister, The Serial Killer, and Her Body and Other Parties. As Nahr sits, locked away in solitary confinement, she spends her days reflecting on the dramatic events that landed her in prison in a country she barely k... continue
805.
The Sandwich Swap by Rania Al-Abdullah EN
Description:
Lily and Salma are best friends. They like doing all the same things, and they always eat lunch together. Lily eats peanut butter and Salma eats hummus—but what’s that between friends? It turns out, a lot. Before they know it, a food fight breaks out. Can Lily and Salma put aside their differences? Or will a sandwich come between them? The smallest things can pull us apart—until we learn that friendship is far more powerful than difference. In a glorious three-page gatefold at the end of the book, Salma, Lily, and all their classmates come together in the true spirit of tolerance and acceptanc... continue
806.
All That I Want to Forget : A Novel by Bothayna Al-Essa EN
Description:
A courageous young woman from the Gulf must overcome conservatism and oppression from her own family to live and love as she chooses Fatima loves poetry and wants to study French literature—both of which are anathema to her strict and conservative much older brother, Saqr. While living under his roof, Fatima’s hopes and dreams are scrutinized, mocked, and slowly crushed as she is forced into his narrow vision of the right path. Then Fatima meets Isam, a poet like her; they email love letters to each other and meet in secret. Saqr, however, has other ideas: she is married off to Faris, a comple... continue
807.
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah EN
Description:
Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, this book weaves together the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp. Neither here nor there, but long ago . . . Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land--at the cost o... continue
808.
Before the Queen Falls Asleep by Huzama Habayeb EN
Description:
Born a girl to parents who expected a boy, Jihad grows up treated like the eldest son, wearing boy's clothing and sharing the financial burden of head of the household with her father. Now middle-aged, each night Jihad tells her daughter a story from her life. As Malika prepares to leave home to attend university abroad, her mother revisits the past of their Palestinian family, tenderly describing their life in exile in Kuwait and her own experiences of love and loss as she grows up. Huzama Habayeb weaves a richly observed and affectionate portrait of a Palestinian family displaced from their ... continue
809.
Guapa by Saleem Haddad EN
Description:
Rasa works as an interpreter for Western journalists by day and divides his nights between the Guapa, an underground LGBTQ nightclub, and his secret lover Taymour. When Rasa's grandmother finds them in bed together on the eve of Taymour's wedding day, all hell breaks loose. That same day Rasa learns his best friend, the famous drag queen Majid, has been arrested. Unable to go home, afraid for Majid's fate, and heartbroken by Taymour's double life, Rasa's fragile balance collapses amidst the regime's repression and the rise of the hard-line Islamist movement.
810.
Während die Welt schlief by Susan Abulhawa DE
Description:
Jenin im Blumenmonat April: Frühmorgens, bevor die Welt um sie herum erwacht, liest Amals Vater ihr aus den Werken großer Dichter vor. Es sind Momente des Friedens und des Glücks, die Amal ihr Leben lang im Herzen trägt — ein Leben, das im Flüchtlingslager beginnt, nach Amerika führt und dennoch stets geprägt ist vom scheinbar ausweglosen Konflikt zwischen Israel und Palästina. Über vier Generationen erzählt Susan Abulhawa eine tief berührende Geschichte über den Verlust der Heimat, eine zerrissene Familie und die immerwährende Hoffnung auf Versöhnung.