The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

The Book of Longings
by Sue Monk Kidd
narrated by Mozhan Marnò

Published: 2020
Publisher: Viking
Hardback: 416
Rating: 4
Historical | Goodreads | Website
Travel destination: Israel, Egypt

First sentence(s):
I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus ben Joseph of Nazareth. I called him Beloved and he, laughing, called me Little Thunder.

Raised in a wealthy family in Sepphoris with ties to the ruler of Galilee, Ana is rebellious and ambitious, a relentless seeker with a brilliant, curious mind and a daring spirit. She yearns for a pursuit worthy of her life, but finds no outlet for her considerable talents. Defying the expectations placed on women, she engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes secret narratives about neglected and silenced women. When she meets the eighteen-year-old Jesus, each is drawn to and enriched by the other’s spiritual and philosophical ideas. He becomes a floodgate for her intellect, but also the awakener of her heart.

Their marriage unfolds with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, James and Simon, and their mother, Mary. Here, Ana’s pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to the Roman occupation of Israel, partially led by her charismatic adopted brother, Judas. She is sustained by her indomitable aunt Yaltha, who is searching for her long-lost daughter, as well as by other women, including her friend Tabitha, who is sold into slavery after she was raped, and Phasaelis, the shrewd wife of Herod Antipas. Ana’s impetuous streak occasionally invites danger. When one such foray forces her to flee Nazareth for her safety shortly before Jesus’s public ministry begins, she makes her way with Yaltha to Alexandria, where she eventually finds refuge and purpose in unexpected surroundings.

My two-bits:

Got a sense of the state of an independent forward thinking woman's perspective in this classic story of the past.

Because of the time period one could feel the strong theme of "waiting for men" for most of this story.

~*~

* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of ibc book club (here)

* part of Armchair Autumn Travel (here)

Happy Horror Release: Monster

Frankenstein in Baghdad
by Ahmed Saadawi
translated by Jonathan Wright
-Horror, Middle East
Release date: January 23, 2018
Amazon | Goodreads
From the rubble-strewn streets of U.S.-occupied Baghdad, Hadi—a scavenger and an oddball fixture at a local café—collects human body parts and stitches them together to create a corpse. His goal, he claims, is for the government to recognize the parts as people and to give them proper burial.

But when the corpse goes missing, a wave of eerie murders sweeps the city, and reports stream in of a horrendous-looking criminal who, though shot, cannot be killed. Hadi soon realizes he’s created a monster, one that needs human flesh to survive—first from the guilty, and then from anyone in its path.

A prizewinning novel by “Baghdad’s new literary star” (The New York Times), Frankenstein in Baghdad captures with white-knuckle horror and black humor the surreal reality of contemporary Iraq.

~*~
* Winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction

* Winner of France’s Grand Prize for Fantasy

Murder Under the Bridge by Kate Raphael

Murder Under the Bridge:
A Palestine Mystery
by Kate Jessica Raphael

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
Facebook
Twitter

Published: 2015
Publisher: She Writes Press
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, LGTBQ, Middle East, Palestine
Paperback: 400
Rating: 4

A Palestine Mystery series:
Murder Under the Bridge
Murder Under the Fig Tree

First sentence(s):
Rania placed the little brass coffee pot on the flame, resting one hand no the long handle so she could snatch it up before it boiled over.

When Rania―the only female Palestinian police detective in the northern West Bank, as well as a young mother in a rural community where many believe women should not have such a dangerous career―discovers the body of a foreign woman on the edge of her village, no one seems to want her look too deeply into what’s happened. But she finds an ally in Chloe―a gay, Jewish-American peace worker with a camera and a big attitude―and together, with the help of an annoying Israeli policeman, they work to solve the murder. As they do, secrets about war crimes and Israel’s thriving sex trafficking trade begin to surface―and Rania finds everything she holds dear in jeopardy.

My two-bits:

A bit slow in some parts but got a sense of Palestine and the people with this mystery. The focus seemed to revolve around the women's relationships more than the mystery.

~*~
* part of Books, Inc. Foreign Intrigue Book Club (here)

Whitefly by Abdelilah Hamdouchi

Whitefly
by Abdelilah Hamdouchi

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads

Published: 2016
Publisher: Hoopoe Fiction
Genre: Mystery, Africa, Middle East, Morocco
Paperback: 144
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
The rain let up around three o'clock.

The traffickers. The drug dealers. The smugglers.

They know what it takes to get a gun into Morocco, and so does Detective Laafrit.

When a fourth corpse in three days washes up in Tangier with a bullet in the chest, Laafrit knows this isn't just another 'illegal' who didn't make it to the Spanish coast.

As his team hunts for the murder weapon, Laafrit follows a hunch and reveals the killer at the heart of an international conspiracy.

A fast-paced crime thriller from the Arab west.

My two-bits:

This was a quick mystery read that introduced a relationship between Morocco and Spain. Got a sampling of the underworld via detectives.

~*~
* part of Books, Inc. Foreign Intrigue Book Club (here)

The Walk In Closet by Abdi Nazemian (with giveaway)

~*~

The Walk In Closet
by Abdi Nazemian

Visit Abdi:
Amazon
Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Instagram
Twitter @abdaddy

Just released: May 21, 2014
Publisher: Curtis Brown Unlimited
Genre: LGBTQ, Middle East, Romance
Paperback: 274 pages
Rating: 5

Kara Walker has never found much glamour in her own life, especially not when compared to the life of her best friend Bobby Ebadi. Bobby, along with his sophisticated parents Leila and Hossein, is everything Kara always wanted to be. The trio provides the perfect antidote to what Kara views as the more mundane problems of her girlfriends and her divorced parents.

And so when the Ebadis assume that Kara is Bobby’s girlfriend, she willingly steps into the role. She enjoys the perks of life in this closet, not only Leila’s designer hand-me-downs and free rent, but also the excitement of living life as an Ebadi.

As Kara’s 30th birthday approaches, Leila and Hossein up the pressure. They are ready for Kara to assume the mantle of the next Mrs. Ebadi, and Bobby seems prepared to give them what they want: the illusion of a traditional home and grandchildren.

How far will Kara be willing to go? And will she be willing to pull the Persian rug out from under them when she discovers that her own secret is just one of many lurking inside the Ebadi closet?

About the author:

Abdi Nazemian is the screenwriter of The Quiet, Celeste in the City, Beautiful Girl, and the short film Revolution, which he also directed. 

He is an alumnus of the Sundance Writer’s Lab, a mentor at the Outfest Screenwriter’s Lab, and has taught screenwriting at UCLA Extension.  

He lives in Los Angeles with his two children, and his dog Hedy Lamarr. 

The Walk-In Closet is his first novel.

My two-bits:

While this story does not take place in the Middle East, you will get a sense of the culture as it is in America.

The main character, Kara, who is not of middle eastern descent gives her perspective on the L.A. and Hollywood singles scene. She also has some hilarious experiences of a 29 turning 30 year old.

I liked the interaction between all the characters and their issues with lies and truth.

Loved how this story unravelled and revealed itself from the "walk in closet".

Some steamy sex scenes and references.

Praise for the book:

”Absolutely engrossing read from page one- Abdi Nazemian has painted a world so vivid and real that even if you know nothing of ‘Tehrangeles’, by the end you feel as if you are a part it. I simply COULD NOT put this book down! ” -Busy Philipps

”I relished every moment of this warm, funny, brutally engaging novel. Abdi Nazemian’s Los Angeles is both uncannily familiar and entirely foreign. Put this in the canon of LA literature: Nazemian has written a side of Los Angeles prevalent in real life but rarely seen in fiction.” -Katherine Taylor, author of Rules for Saying Goodbye

“The Walk-In Closet is a contemporary fable of love, loss and redemption, set between cultures and between the sexes. Written at a spanking pace, with humor, suspense and a heart, it captures the voice of a generation and paves the way to a new genre of literary fiction.” -Lila Azam Zanganeh, author of The Enchanter: Nabokov and Happiness

Wanna give this a try?

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
WIN my review copy of this book!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: June 30, 2014

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ADD this book to your Want To Read list on Goodreads.

OR

Tweet about this giveaway.

OR

Recommend this on Google using the mini-button at end of this post (g+1).

OR

Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest or Tumblr the Book Cover image.

OR

Join the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014 here.

2. TELL me what you did in comments.

AND, leave your email.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

~*~
* review copy and giveaway courtesy of Summer Reading Challenge 2014. It's not too late, join the reading challenge here. @booksparks #SRC2014!

Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis (with giveaway)

Moon at Nine
by Deborah Ellis

Visit Deborah:
Amazon
Website
Blog
Goodreads
Twitter: @DebEllisAuthor

Just released: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Pajama Press
Genre: LGBTQ, Middle East, YA
Hardback: 240 pages
Rating: 4.5

Fifteen-year-old Farrin has many secrets. Although she goes to a school for gifted girls in Tehran, as the daughter of an aristocratic mother and wealthy father Farrin must keep a low profile. It is 1988; ever since the Shah was overthrown, the deeply conservative and religious government controls every facet of life in Iran. If the Revolutionary Guard finds out about her mother’s Bring Back the Shah activities, her family could be thrown in jail or worse.

The day she meets Sadira, Farrin’s life changes forever. Sadira is funny, wise and outgoing; the two girls become inseparable. But as their friendship deepens into romance, the relationship takes a dangerous turn. It is against the law to be a homosexual in Iran; the punishment is death. Despite their efforts to keep their love secret, the girls are discovered and arrested. Separated from Sadira, Farrin can only pray as she awaits execution. Will her family find a way to save them both?

Based on real-life events, multi-award-winning author Deborah Ellis’s new book is a tense and riveting story about a world where homosexuality is considered so abhorrent that it is punishable by death.

My two-bits:

I found this story to be an interesting peek into the middle east, specifically Iran during the 80's.

Despite the oppression and unrest in this world, a lovely sweet friendship forms between Farrin and Sadira.

But, whoa! The attitudes portrayed against homosexuals in this story were a bit eye-opening. Being a YA book the descriptions were not as shocking or horrifying as they most likely were.

Learning about how gays and lesbians were and are still being treated in the middle east in current times is just so sad. Makes one raise the arms in the air and scream for the pain inflicted. And too, makes one wonder what can be done to turn things around so that there is more acceptance and peace.

~*~

About the author:

Deborah Ellis is the internationally acclaimed author of nearly thirty books for children and young people, most of which explore themes of social justice and courage.

A peace activist, feminist, and humanitarian, Deborah has won many national and international awards for her books, including the Governor General’s Award, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the Vicky Metcalf Award, the American Library Association’s Notable List and the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. In 2010, she received the Ontario Library Association President’s Award for Exceptional Achievement. Deborah lives in Ontario, Canada.

~*~
Welcome to Day 3 of the SECRETS OF MOON AT NINE BLOG TOUR, featuring Moon at Nine – a timely new YA novel from humanitarian and award-winning author Deborah Ellis. Each stop on the 2-week tour will feature revealing posts, a chance to win a copy of the novel, and a chance to enter the grand prize giveaway!

Guest post: Secrets of a Cover Designer

Rebecca Buchanan is the art director and cover designer at Pajama Press. She describes how the Moon at Nine cover progressed from a focus on the skyline of Tehran to the arresting image of a girl gazing out from behind barbed wire.



In our first discussion about cover concepts, we all agreed to try something with a moon, possibly a skyline and avoid a face. I think this is because we didn’t want a pitiful character that might turn some people away and send out the wrong message about the book.


In my image search I came upon the photograph of the girl that we ultimately used on the cover—we were all so taken with her stoic gaze and the fact that she’s looking up works so well with the storyline involving the moon; the two girls make a pact to look at the moon each night to remember each other. In the end this image was much more compelling than the skyline of Tehran.

--~ Giveaway courtesy of tour ~--
a Rafflecopter giveaway


GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY
At each stop along the tour, readers will have a chance to enter the grand prize giveaway.

One winner will receive a set of Deborah Ellis' books, and Pajama Press will make a $100 donation in their name to one of five charities:
Canadian Women 4 Women in Afghanistan, UNICEF Canada, Street Kids International, Leprosy Mission - Canada, or IBBY - Children in Crisis Fund.

Below is a list of the books included in the giveaway:

• Moon at Nine
• True Blue
• Looks Like Daylight: Voices of Indigenous Kids
• No Safe Place
• My name is Parvana
• Lunch With Lenin and Other Short Stories
• A Company of Fools
• Our Stories Our Songs: African Children Talk about AIDS
• Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children speak
• Annaleise Carr: How I Conquered Lake Ontario to Help Kids Battling Cancer (By Annaleise Carr with Deborah Ellis)

US/Canada only please. Enter using the rafflecopter below! Ends May 12th at 11:59 pm EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


~*~
* review copy and giveaway courtesy of book tour - check out the other stops below for more details on this book and goodies sponsored by Pajama Press.

* feel free to comment (with email) if you would be interested receiving my review copy -expires May 11

Secrets of Moon at Nine Blog Tour Schedule:

April 28th: Buried in Books
April 29th: Candace's Book Blog
April 30th: VVB32 Reads
May 1st: Read Now Sleep Later
May 2nd: LiveToRead
May 5th: Loving the Language of Literacy
May 6th: AmithaKnight.com
May 7th: From A to Z
May 8th: Manga Maniac Café
May 9th: Bookish