"Top Ten Tuesday" is an original feature/weekly meme created on the blog "The Broke and the Bookish". This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at "The Broke and the Bookish".
It is now hosted by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl.
Since I am just as fond of them as they are, I jump at the chance to
share my lists with them! Have a look at their page, there are lots of
other bloggers who share their lists here.
This week, our topic is Books Set In a Place I’d Love to Visit (real places or fictional)
I've already done this topic last year (see here), and the places haven't changed. Since I didn't travel much lately, I still admire the countries I listed then: Ireland (Dublin), England, Israel, Brussels, and Paris. If you are interested in reading anything about those countries, have a look at my former post.
My twist this week therefore is
Places in the Middle East.
Aaronovitch, David "Paddling to Jerusalem. An Aquatic Tour of Our Small Country" - 2000 - ISRAEL 🇮🇱
Abulhawa, Susan "Mornings in Jenin" - 2010 - WEST BANK/PALESTINE 🇵🇸
Ahmad, Aeham "The Pianist from Syria" (aka The Pianist of Yarmouk) (GE: Und die Vögel werden singen. Ich, der Pianist aus den Trümmern) - 2017 - SYRIA 🇸🇾
Alsanea, Rajaa "Girls of Riyadh" (arab: بنات الرياض Banāt al-Riyāḍ) - 2005 - SAUDI ARABIA 🇸🇦
Gödde, Stefan "Nice to Meet You, Jerusalem. On a Discovery Tour into the Heart of the City" (GE: Nice to Meet You, Jerusalem. Auf Entdeckungstour ins Herz der Stadt) - 2019 - ISRAEL 🇮🇱
Nafisi, Azar "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books" - 2003 IRAN 🇮🇷
Olson, Pamela J. "Fast Times in Palestine: A Love Affair with a Homeless Homeland" - 2011 - PALESTINE 🇵🇸
Orth, Stephan "Couchsurfing in Iran: Revealing a Hidden World" (GE: Couchsurfing im Iran - Meine Reise hinter verschlossene Türen) - 2015 - IRAN 🇮🇷
Rowlatt, Bee & Witwit, May "Talking About Jane Austen in Baghdad. The True Story of an Unlikely Friendship" - 2010 - IRAQ 🇮🇶
Thomson, Mike "Syria's Secret Library: The True Story of How a Besieged Syrian Town Found Hope" - 2018 - SYRIA 🇸🇾
I have read many more books about those countries, you will find them all under "Labels".
Truly a fascinating if troubled place! I really should make the time/effort to read more about it - both in fiction and non-fiction.
ReplyDeleteVery troubled indeed but that is part of why it's so fascinating. The beauty of the area is history, though, the buildings are out of this world.
DeleteAnd the area is definitely worth reading about, Kitten. Our world has gotten small and this part influences us a lot.
The Middle East would be very interesting to visit for sure!
ReplyDeleteOh, it is, Lydia. I've been to Israel more than thirty years ago and would have loved to stay. So interesting.
DeleteI've always been intrigued with the Middle East, too. I thought Reading Lolita in Tehran was a brilliant book.
ReplyDeleteIntrigued, that's the right word, Deb. It is such a fascinating part of our world. The Lolita book is a good example but I can recommend any of the books I mentioned.
DeleteI love the sound of Reading Lolita in Tehran and Talking About Jane Austen in Baghdad—what fantastic titles and definitely eye catching! I'll have to check these books out. I also am curious about the Middle East and would love to visit some of these places one day. Great change of topic, Marianne!
ReplyDeleteExactly, Dini. Those books are about women in those part of the world where women are not worth much and definitely have to obey their "lord and master". It's hard to understand for us that you have to jump through so many hoops in order to have a halfway decent life but these women show great courage and enthusiasm.
DeleteI do hope you can visit the Middle East one day (I've been to Israel and absolutely loved it). In the meantime, enjoy reading about it.
A family friend's husband is from Jordan and they used to visit every summer. I think it'd be fascinating.
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
Thanks, Aymee. My sons's been to Jordan and Israel, we've been to Israel only but we all loved it.
DeleteI love that you focused on one place for this prompt. It would be a fascinating place to read about. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cindy. It is a wonderful part of our world and not many people know enough about it. I hope you will find a couple of books about it that you like.
DeleteI hope you enjoy all of these books. The Middle East looks like such a beautiful part of the world. It's very sad how much the people in many countries there have had to deal with over the past decade or so.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2022/08/02/top-ten-tuesday-379/
Oh, I have, Jo. These books are all greatly written and definitely worth picking up. I hope you will be able to get to a few of them.
DeleteLove that you focused on one place for this topic (I did too).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lindsey. Looking forward to seeing where you're headed.
DeleteLove that you focused on Middle Eastern settings! I read and enjoyed both Girls of Riyadh and Reading Lolita in Tehran.
ReplyDeleteGreat, Lark, that you've read a few of the books. I'm sure you would also enjoy the others.
DeleteI've never been to the Middle East. My daughter is in Jordan right now on a study abroad for college and it's been fun hearing about her experiences. I also have family members who worked for an Arab-American oil company in Saudi Arabia, so I've heard lots of stories about what living in that country is like (at least for Americans living in the "compound"). Definitely a fascinating part of the world.
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
For sure, Susan, so interesting. I didn't know your daughter is in Jordan. My son also did an exchange semester once but it wasn't as exciting as that, he got Northern Ireland which was great for his study and he loved it. And we were able to visit. Just, as I said, not as exciting.
DeleteI always enjoy reading about other parts of the world and I*ve been to Israel, so this area is cluse to my heart. Thanks for your visit.
Fascinating area. I have lived there for some years and find it one of the most interesting areas in the world. Unfortunately, I have not read that much of fiction from the area. I did read 'Mornings in Jenin' which is a wonderful and sad story. Should venture into more reading from there. Thank you for highlighting it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisbeth. You are right, such a fascinating area. I know people who live there or who have lived there for a while and it is always interesting to hear their stories.
ReplyDeleteThe books I mentioned are not all novels, as you certainly have discovered but they are all interesting. As are most of the others I read from those countries. I just used the ones here that have the name of the country or a town in their title.
I would like to read more about the Middle East, so this is a great list for me. I finally read Reading Lolita in Tehran a while ago and loved it. I'm especially interested in Syria's Secret Library.
ReplyDeleteGreat, Lory. I hope you will find a few books that you like. I have not included any books that don't contain a location but there are a lot more under my Middle East label.
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