Arab and Arab Diaspora Literature We Recommend

List of the Month
April 2024 (see all)
Description
In honor of Arab American Heritage Month, our List of the Month this April is devoted to Arab and Arab Diaspora Literature that we have read and recommend. For the purpose of this list, "literature" is defined to include fiction, poetry and plays. It does not include history, sociology, or other non-fiction works. Books should be written by Arab / Arab diaspora authors, which we define as being ethnically Arab, and either coming from Arabic-speaking nations and peoples, or descended from those nations and peoples. Please do not include Turkish, Persian or Afghani authors. Each participant may vote on ten titles. Please only downvote titles if they do not fit the theme, and are not Arab or Arab Diaspora literature.
2
1,045 members
39 reviews
½ 3.5
6 Members
Aquila, ursula, AnnieMod, noveltea, Onilyn, shelahstanford
Explanations
AnnieMod: The 2014 winner of International Prize for Arabic Fiction
3
997 members
40 reviews
3.8
4
917 members
32 reviews
4
5
2,166 members
97 reviews
½ 3.6
6
16,359 members
191 reviews
4.1
7
83 members
4.8
8
175 members
1 review
½ 4.3
9
157 members
6 reviews
½ 4.4
10
1,615 members
38 reviews
3.8
11
62 members
12 reviews
½ 3.3
12
1,048 members
43 reviews
½ 3.5
3 Members
thorold, FAMeulstee, nessreader
Explanations
thorold: The Algerian view of Albert Camus’ L’étranger
13
21 members
1 review
5
14
454 members
19 reviews
3.8
3 Members
AbigailAdams26, micathe.local.femboy, claudiashakti
Explanations
AbigailAdams26: An engaging work of middle grade fiction from Palestinian American author Naomi Shihab Nye, about a young boy facing a move from his home country of Oman to the US.
15
79 members
3 reviews
4
16
566 members
36 reviews
4.2
17
570 members
12 reviews
½ 3.3
18
312 members
16 reviews
½ 3.5
19
208 members
7 reviews
4.1
20
1,457 members
98 reviews
½ 3.6
21
141 members
7 reviews
4.1
2 Members
thorold, arwa-fm
22
115 members
3 reviews
4
2 Members
kleo, susanbooks
23
463 members
14 reviews
3.9
2 Members
msjudy, arwa-fm
24
307 members
9 reviews
½ 3.5
2 Members
kleo, gypsysmom
25
168 members
2 reviews
½ 4.6
26
215 members
5 reviews
3.9
27
71 members
2 reviews
3.1
28
77 members
4 reviews
½ 3.4
2 Members
FAMeulstee, AnnieMod
Explanations
AnnieMod: The 2019 winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction
29
532 members
45 reviews
3.8
2 Members
Tess_W, gypsysmom
Explanations
gypsysmom: The author is the daughter of people who are part of the Arab diaspora and she has lived in Gaza herself. This book is mainly set in Toronto but references the war in the Balkans and has a Muslim detective.
30
28 members
2 reviews
½ 3.3
2 Members
AnnieMod, arwa-fm
Explanations
AnnieMod: The winner of the 2015 International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
31
57 members
5 reviews
4.1
2 Members
Hartsellang, AbigailAdams26
Explanations
AbigailAdams26: A gorgeous picture book with multimedia artwork from Egyptian author and artist Mohieddine Ellabbad.
32
413 members
11 reviews
4.1
33
1,450 members
94 reviews
4
Member
msjudy
34
1,313 members
78 reviews
½ 3.3
35
1,262 members
43 reviews
3.9
36
597 members
18 reviews
4.1
37
440 members
5 reviews
3.9
38
411 members
5 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
Rommert
39
334 members
5 reviews
½ 3.7
40
149 members
2 reviews
4
41
97 members
6 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
WordMaven
Explanations
WordMaven: Excellent collection of stories about mostly Lebanese immigrants now living in Dearborn, Michigan. These characters live. I read this book months ago and I still think of things some characters said. Has grade A stick-to-the-ribs goodness. Highly recommended.
42
94 members
6 reviews
4.2
43
83 members
1 review
½ 3.5
Member
TheLOFT
44
38 members
4 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
AbigailAdams26
Explanations
AbigailAdams26: A heartbreaking picture book from Lebanese American author Hayan Charara about a child's experience of war.
45
27 members
4
Member
slimikin
46
26 members
1 review
4.9
47
18 members
5 reviews
½ 3.3
Member
Ling.Lass
48
1 member
Member
Maddz
Explanations
Maddz: Céline Axelos was a member of a Lebanese literary family and resided for many years in Alexandria, Egypt.
49
1,285 members
31 reviews
½ 4.4
50
1,006 members
37 reviews
3.9
51
894 members
8 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
AbigailAdams26
Explanations
AbigailAdams26: A lovely picture book from Arab American author Cathy Camper, featuring the bond between grandmother and granddaughter, and their appreciation for the natural world around them.
52
893 members
33 reviews
3.9
Member
Ling.Lass
53
653 members
9 reviews
3.9
54
650 members
28 reviews
½ 3.5
55
310 members
16 reviews
4
Member
WordMaven
Explanations
WordMaven: This book had me cracking up whenever the main protag showed up. He's way too smart for his own good and always has something snarky to say. There's a couple of intersecting story lines going on here between a young man from Pakistan and a younger woman from Iraq. Let's just say his journey has been a lot smoother than hers. Authentic storytelling.
56
249 members
5 reviews
½ 3.5
57
189 members
9 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
Tess_W
58
58 members
3 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
lilithcat
59
1 member
Member
Maddz
Explanations
Maddz: Céline Axelos was a member of a Lebanese literary family and resided for many years in Alexandria, Egypt.
60
1,992 members
56 reviews
3.8
Member
Tess_W
61
112 members
2 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
fannyprice
Explanations
fannyprice: An amazing novel about a gay man trying to cope with life and come to terms with his identity during the Lebanese Civil War in the late 1980s.
62
110 members
7 reviews
3.9
63
46 members
15 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
Ling.Lass
64
31 members
4
Member
TheLOFT
65
307 members
16 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
Ling.Lass
66
258 members
5 reviews
½ 3.3
67
69 members
½ 4.5
68
49 members
3 reviews
4
69
27 members
1 review
3.8
70
3 members
1 review
½ 3.5
Member
AbigailAdams26
Explanations
AbigailAdams26: A gorgeous retelling of an Arabian Cinderella variant from Qatari author Kaltham Al-Ghanem.
71
785 members
8 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
TheLOFT
72
177 members
5 reviews
4
Member
ursula
73
37 members
2 reviews
4
74
24 members
2 reviews
3
75
3 members
1 review
4
Member
AbigailAdams26
Explanations
AbigailAdams26: A heartfelt and poignant picture book examination of the loss of a grandparent, from Omani author/artist Ibtihaj Al-Harthi.
76
194 members
7 reviews
½ 4.4
Member
TheLOFT
77
169 members
3 reviews
4.1
78
121 members
4.2
79
98 members
5 reviews
3.8
80
49 members
4 reviews
2.9
Member
AnnieMod
81
714 members
29 reviews
½ 3.3
Member
AnnieMod
82
280 members
20 reviews
3.8
83
44 members
1 review
½ 3.3
84
26 members
3
Member
ursula
85
19 members
½ 2.5
87
75 members
2 reviews
3.8
Member
ursula
88
51 members
½ 4.4
Member
TheLOFT
89
39 members
1 review
3.8
90
8 members
½ 4.3
Member
AnnieMod
91
132 members
4 reviews
3.1
92
15 members
4
93
315 members
4 reviews
½ 3.5
94
116 members
5 reviews
3.2
95
14,023 members
290 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
WordMaven,
Explanations
: Not fiction, poetry, or drama. Author is Iranian, not Arabic.
WordMaven: This book should have been on the list near the very top. Maybe that's a good sign that we have so many Arab stories now that we're forgetting the pioneers in American publishing? Maybe?
96
62 members
1 review
½ 3.7
97
331 members
4 reviews
3.9
Member
Hartsellang,lilithcat ,Bookwomble
Explanations
lilithcat : Not fiction or poetry, not by an Arabic (or diasporic) author.
98
4,469 members
251 reviews
3.8
Member
gypsysmom, ,susanbooks ,Rommert ,Bookwomble
Explanations
susanbooks: Hamid is Pakistani
99
358 members
10 reviews
4
Member
Hartsellang,lilithcat , ,fannyprice , ,Bookwomble
Explanations
lilithcat : Neither fiction nor poetry.
100
7 members
1 review
3
Member
Helenliz,lilithcat , , ,fannyprice ,AnnieMod ,Rommert ,Bookwomble ,
Explanations
lilithcat : Author is Turkish, not Arabic.
: Tenuto conto che l'autore è del 1950 non si può nemmeno collegarlo all'impero ottomano: è turco al 100%