Task 13: Read a Book That's Set in the Middle East

[Nadine in NY]

I recently read Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant and it was SO much fun - do graphic novels count? I think I will try to find a novel to read too, but I'll keep this in my back pocket in case.

[Anna]

Nadine wrote: "I recently read Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant and it was SO much fun - do graphic novels count?"

Totally! I read The Complete Persepolis, though I also have Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, so I might double up on this category...

[Nadine in NY]

I read Persepolis this year for the Popsugar Challenge category "graphic novel" - and yes, it was really good!

[Jessica]

I will be reading Murder on the Orient Express for this task - I've never read any Agatha Christie before and am very much looking forward to it!

[Danielle]

I read The Wrath & the Dawn for this challenge. It takes place in the Middle East, and mentions places like Baghdad. This book is a YA retellings of One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights) that focuses on the murderous King and his storytelling wife. Of course in this story the king is barely 18 and the wife is a 17 year old who agrees to marry the murderous boy-king with hopes of avenging the death of her best friend. Overall, it was a really entertaining book and I highly recommend it!

[Anna]

Jessica wrote: "I will be reading Murder on the Orient Express for this task - I've never read any Agatha Christie before and am very much looking forward to it!"

It's been awhile since I read this, but doesn't it take place mostly in Europe? I know it starts in Turkey, but I feel like Poirot leaves Istanbul pretty quickly...

[Dixie]

I read The Alchemist for this task. I thought it was wonderful.

[Doc.]

Quick question: Do comics/graphic novels count towards other tasks besides Task 17?
Because I've read Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi, and that fits the bill here!

[Nadine in NY]

S. wrote: "Quick question: Do comics/graphic novels count towards other tasks besides Task 17?
Because I've read Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi, and that fits the bill here!"

Yes, for me they count! I've used graphic novels to fulfill prompts before in various reading challenges.

[Doc.]

Thanks, Nadine! Good to know I'm not the only reader who counts them. I was wondering if Book Riot has any ground rules about comics and GNs because I can't find anything about it on their website... I guess we're free to count 'em! Phew! ;)

[Bonnie G.]

Nadine wrote: "S. wrote: "Quick question: Do comics/graphic novels count towards other tasks besides Task 17?
Because I've read Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi, and that fits the bill here!"

Y..."
I am not big on graphic novels, but I did read March: Book One for this and ended up using it for my 1st book in a series from a person of color category. So you are not alone. (I used Get Jiro! for the comic category.)

[Doc.]

Bonnie wrote: "I am not big on..."

Thanks. I'm relieved to find that others have counted the odd GN here and there, too.
Great pick, by the way. John Lewis is an inspiration!

[Bonnie G.]

S. wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "I am not big on..."

Thanks. I'm relieved to find that others have counted the odd GN here and there, too.
Great pick, by the way. John Lewis is an inspiration!"

Agreed! One of the few great things about living in Georgia is that I have gotten to meet and hear John Lewis speak dozens of times (I have two friends who are on his staff, so I get to see him more than I would otherwise.) His stories and his commitment to justice never get old, and he does truly inspire me.

[Doc.]

Wow! How exciting!
I'm not an American, but I'm still a little ashamed to admit that 'March' (and its sequel) was my first proper introduction to his life and his efforts in the fight for justice. I'm so happy that one of his staffers coaxed him into doing a GN about this. This vital story is going to reach a new audience through this format.

[Bonnie G.]

S. wrote: "Wow! How exciting!
I'm not an American, but I'm still a little ashamed to admit that 'March' (and its sequel) was my first proper introduction to his life and his efforts in the fight for justice. ..."

That is great to hear. I will tell my friends that the story is spreading. I am sure Congressman Lewis will be thrilled to hear it. If you enjoy non-fiction, and are interested in that period in American history you might like Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America. Also, don't be ashamed at all. I guarantee you that you know more about American history than most Americans know about any other country's history.

[Doc.]

Please do. His words reverberate loudly enough to be heard a world away in India. :)
Thanks for the rec! I'm familiar with some of Marshall's opinions from when he was a justice, so this should be interesting. And it turns out that it's available in my library!

[Bonnie G.]

If you read ot, let me know what you think!

[Theresa]

I will second the recommendation of "Devil in the Grove..." I read it as my audiobook that won an Audie selection & it's wonderful. The strength of the men & women who fought the civil rights battle never ceases to amaze me.

[Doc.]

Thanks to both of you! I was wondering what I should do about the Audie winner task. I usually don't like audiobooks because I find it hard to concentrate... probably has to do with my being a visual learner. But it's worth checking out a highly acclaimed narration to see what I'm missing.
I read up on the case that's the subject in the book; it sounded like a real-world To Kill A Mockingbird scenario.
And on the same day, a man was released here after spending 23 years in prison over a wrongful conviction. I guess whichever country you live in, if you're a minority, it's easy for the justice system to scapegoat you and get away with it.

[Bonnie G.]

S. wrote: "Thanks to both of you! I was wondering what I should do about the Audie winner task. I usually don't like audiobooks because I find it hard to concentrate... probably has to do with my being a visu..."

True dat! Though certainly there are a lot of differences, in some ways people are alike all over the world.

[Carolyn]

Adding to my TBR pile. In that same vein, I'm reading Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Powerful, real life To Kill a Mockingbird. And as the author points out, in TKAM the all white jury finds the black man guilty. Hard to read but important story about an innocent man sent to death row. Really recommend it! Hoping my book group will read it...

[Doc.]

Wow! Just Mercy has a very high average rating here; I'm intrigued! Thanks for bringing it to my notice.

[Katie]

I'm currently listening to Reading Lolita in Tehran for this category. The going is slow, but I find the topic very interesting.

[Meg]

Alice wrote: "I wonder if Pomegranate Soup qualifies… written by an Iranian author, a family transplants to Ireland. I have no idea how much takes place in the Middle East before the book switches."
Thanks for the tip, I really enjoyed this book and I think it fits the category.

[Carrie]

The Red Tent would count, right? Was hoping to count it for this category and the historical novel.

[Rachel]

I just finished The Complete Persepolis, and I absolutely loved it! I actually wasn't a huge fan of the drawing style, but the story was very powerful.

[Coco]

Carrie wrote: "The Red Tent would count, right? Was hoping to count it for this category and the historical novel."


I would say yes! I LOVED this book! Would also count for the "Read a book about religion" task!

[Stina]

I've been wondering what to read for this task, and then -- Duh! -- I realized I've had a copy of Inshallah, Habibi sitting on my desk for months now! So I think I'll read that.

[Erin]

I've chosen to read Three Daughters for this one, and that will complete the challenge for me!

[Mindy]

I'm going to read the classic "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by T.E. Lawrence.

[Felecia]

I'm reading Murder on the Orient Express after seeing it on one of the lists. I'm about halfway done & it seems the Middle Eastern element is minimal. Curious as to if others feel it counts?

[Bonnie G.]

Felecia wrote: "I'm reading Murder on the Orient Express after seeing it on one of the lists. I'm about halfway done & it seems the Middle Eastern element is minimal. Curious as to if others feel it counts?"

There was a discussion of this earlier in the thread. I think most of us who read it did not recall and Middle Eastern component, other than that is where the train leaves from.

[Carlene]

I'm reading "Alif the Unseen" and its really good so far. Contemporary Saudi Arabia, with a little fantasy thrown in, without demonizing or exoticizing Muslims.

[Rayne]

I'm listening to Words in the Dust and it's very captivating. Really enjoying it, and glad for the narration because I'd be struggling with all the Afghan names. The narrator does an excellent job. And it makes it easier for me to enjoy the story rather than getting hung up on how to pronounce everyone's names.

[quietprofanity]

Like someone else on this thread, I read Snow by Orhan Pamuk (Turkey). It was really good, even if I don't feel like I got all the nuances. The description of the weather is wonderful and reading about a military coup felt apropos given the events of this summer. (I reviewed it here.)

[Taylor]

It is getting closer to the end of the year and, of course, The Kite Runner is on my list for this. However, I was wondering if y'all thought a graphic novel set in the Middle East would qualify.

It's a rather long one (672 pages). https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Bonnie G.]

Taylor wrote: "It is getting closer to the end of the year and, of course, The Kite Runner is on my list for this. However, I was wondering if y'all thought a graphic novel set in the Middle East would qualify.

..." Absolutely!

[Karen]

Habibi -- definitely. Also, Persepolis is an excellent graphic novel by an Iranian set in both Iran and Germany.

[Taylor]

Karen wrote: "Habibi -- definitely. Also, Persepolis is an excellent graphic novel by an Iranian set in both Iran and Germany."

Thanks for validating, Karen! I have read Persepolis. :)

[Taylor]

Bonnie wrote: "Taylor wrote: "It is getting closer to the end of the year and, of course, The Kite Runner is on my list for this. However, I was wondering if y'all thought a graphic novel set in the Middle East w..."

:D

[Mary]

I read Games Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan by Tamim Ansary.

[Bonnie G.]

My 74th book of the year, I finally decided it was time to complete this darn challenge! The Oracle of Stamboul is it. It is so like me to get within a book of finishing and then read 25 consecutive books before that final step. At least I am consistent. About half way in and really enjoying the book.

[Sophia]

I used this category as an opportunity to finally read The Complete Persepolis. It was intense and moving, and made even more poignant by the current political climate in the U.S. I liked the art, and the way the author observes the world.

[Megan]

I'd originally planned to read An Unnecessary Woman for this category (and still have it on my TBR list :)), but ended up reading two non-fiction books: Cleopatra: A Life and Chicken with Plums.

[Stina]

I was having a hard time getting into Inshallah, Habibi, so I switched to Alif the Unseen. I finished it this morning and have completed the 2016 Read Harder Challenge!

[Gwen S.]

I just read " Sandstorm" by James Rollins, which was set on the Arabian Peninsula. It delved into the discovering the lost city of Ubar and the descendants of the Queen of Sheba, biblical history, parthenogenesis, anti-matter, and US/CIA military shenanigans. Loved every page turned and the characters with their tangential romantic encounters.
Must Read!

[Nadine in NY]

Stina wrote: "I was having a hard time getting into Inshallah, Habibi, so I switched to Alif the Unseen. I finished it this morning and have completed the 2016 Read Harder Challenge!"

I read Alif for this category, too! A fun book that I still think about now, months after finishing.