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Niledaughter wrote: "Great list Tamara! thanks for sharing:)"

Thank you!

I have only one more book to go. I am waiting for the latest Elif Shafik book from the library. I often buy her books, but was not completely convinced about this one.

Tamara wrote: "I just realized I have completed the challenge:

1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict:
Apeirogon by Colum McCann.

2. a book, fiction or non-fictio..."

Congratulation!!!
I will join this challenge next year :))

Thanks, Orgeluse!
It's a great challenge. It forces me to read new-to-me authors from MENA countries, which is always a grand thing. I really enjoy the challenge and am thankful for all the recommendations and suggestions people come up with to fill the slots. I look forward to seeing what books you come up with for the challenge next year.
Take care and all best :)

By the way , Jalilah brought up next year challenge , if you would like to add any suggestions, in here
/topic/show/...

Finished the challenge. Did not love all of these, but no regrets o reading any of them.
1. �Time of White Horses - Palestine conflict
2. �The Upstairs Wife: An Intimate History of Pakistan - History (Pakistan)
3. � Zubaida's Window: A Novel of Iraqi Exile - female author (Iraq/Germany)
4. �Sky So Close, A: A Novel -Iraq
5. �: Beirut Hellfire Society - Al Sham (Lebanon)
6. �Celestial Bodies - Oman
7. � The Meursault Investigation - Maghreb (Algeria)
8. �The Seven Days of Man -Egypt
9. �Frontline Turkey: The Conflict at the Heart of the Middle East - Turkish author
10. �The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran - Iranian author
11. � Born in the Big Rains: A Memoir of Somalia and Survival -Horn of Africa (Somalia)
12. � I Should Have Honor: A Memoir of Hope and Pride in Pakistan -Pakistan

Great Sami! Thanks for sharing, I am glad to see finished list, I am afraid I am behind.

1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict.
✅[[book:The Smile of the Lamb|60365] by David Grossman

2. a book, fiction or non-fiction based on or about MENA history
✅[[book:Yemen: Dancing on the Heads of Snakes|7883041] by Victoria Clark

3. a book, fiction or non-fiction written by a female author
�Beirut Blues by Hanan Al-Shaykh

4. a book, fiction or non fiction. written by an author from Iraq
�The Epic of Gilgamesh

5. book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Al Sham (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria)
�Willow Trees Don't Weep by Fadia Faqir

6.A book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Arabian Peninsula - ( Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates )
�A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose by Samra Zafar

7. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Maghreb ( North Africa) - ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya,Mauritania
�A Palace in the Old Village by Tahar Ben Jelloun

8. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Egypt
�The Man from Bashmour: A Modern Arabic Novel by Salwa Bakr

9. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by a Turkish author
�The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak

10. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an Iranian author
�The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer

11. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from Sudan and the Horn of Africa (Somalia , Djibouti and Eritrea)
�Maps by Nuruddin Farah

12. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from the "Stan" countries or Central Asia ( Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan) and Afghanistan or Pakistan
�The Railway by Hamid Ismailov

I don't know if I'll finish all of the last two by the end of the year, but I'll give it a go, since I'm stuck in my apartment over Christmas anyway!

Just in time! I finally completed my challenge! This is what I read:

1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict.
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
2. a book, fiction or non-fiction based on or about MENA history
Travels with a Tangerine: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battutah by Tim Mackintosh-Smith
3. a book, fiction or non-fiction written by a female author
A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar
4. a book, fiction or non fiction. written by an author from Iraq
The Gardener of Baghdad by Ahmad Ardalan
5. book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Al Sham (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria)
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
6.A book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Arabian Peninsula - ( Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates )
The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi
7. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Maghreb ( North Africa) - ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya,Mauritania
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami
8. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Egypt
Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World by Shereen El Feki
9. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by a Turkish author
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak
10. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an Iranian author
Disoriental by Négar Djavadi
11. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from Sudan and the Horn of Africa (Somalia , Djibouti and Eritrea)
Bird Summons by Leila Aboulela
12. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from the "Stan" countries or Central Asia ( Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan) and Afghanistan or Pakistan
Jamilia by Chingiz Aitmatov

I must say I liked everything I read!
I enjoy these challenges because I read do many books I normally might not have come across!

I'm still reading one of these (Stationery Shop). Otherwise done for 2020. There were a couple items in the list I didn't fulfill. I've moved a couple to-read books to 2021...
1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict.
None
2. a book, fiction or non-fiction based on or about MENA history
Travels with a Tangerine: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battutah
3. a book, fiction or non-fiction written by a female author
Halide's Gift: A Novel
4. a book, fiction or non fiction. written by an author from Iraq
None
5. book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Al Sham (Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria) Sabriya: Damascus Bitter Sweet
6.A book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Arabian Peninsula - ( Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates )
An Apartment Called Freedom
7. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Maghreb ( North Africa) - ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya,Mauritania
La Proie des Mondes
8. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Egypt
The Quarter
(In Arabic only: مريم - مع خالص حبي واعتقاديمريم and أولاد الناس: ثلاثية المماليك)
9. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by a Turkish author
Last Train to Istanbul (related interest: )
10. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an Iranian author
The Stationery Shop
11. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from Sudan and the Horn of Africa (Somalia , Djibouti and Eritrea)
Bird Summons
12. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from the "Stan" countries or Central Asia ( Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan) and Afghanistan or Pakistan - None

Jalilah wrote: "Just in time! I finally completed my challenge! This is what I read:

1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict.
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan..."

I loved Salt Houses and The Other Americans! The Bamboo Stalk, A Map of Home, and Disoriental are definitely on my TBR. I also really enjoy finding books from other countries that I wouldn't just stumble upon in Canada.

I have read 4 of the books on my list. So I think I will keep this list for 2021.

1. A Mountainous Journey by Fadwa Tuqan � Not started but want to read.
2. Rediscovering Palestine: Merchants and Peasants in Jabal Nablus, 1700�1900 by Beshara Doumani � Midway through and enjoying it as it is a very localised history of Nablus so I am learning a lot about cotton, oil, and soap.
3. The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem � So good - it left me thinking about so much.
4. *Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi - Excellent use of Frankenstein story to convey the impact of conflict
5. *Flight Against Time by Emily Nasrallah - Loved it.
6. *Outclassed In Kuwait by Taleb Alrefai � My first Kuwaiti novel and a really good exploration of the role of the novelist.
7. *Women in the Qur'an: An Emancipatory Reading by Asma Lamrabet �- Thoroughly enjoyed this one too.
8. In The Spider’s Room by Muhammad Abdelnadi � Just started it.
9. *I Will Never See This World Again by Ahmet Altan � a firm favourite and one of the best prison memoirs I have read.
10. *When They Broke Down The Door by Fatemeh Shams - beautiful but heartbreaking poetry
11. *Thirteen Months of Sunrise by Rania Mamoun � A fantastic and creative set of short stories
12. *The Dead Lake by Hamid Ismailov � very dark but gripping read

Thank you all for sharing :)

I did not finish a 12 books challenge but here are the books I read:
Here is my list , I have multiple choices , so I am not completely settled

�1. a book, fiction or non-fiction book about the Palestine conflict.
Dancing Arabs

�2. a book, fiction or non-fiction based on or about MENA history
The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt


�3. a book, fiction or non-fiction written by a female author
Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World


4. a book, fiction or non fiction. written by an author from Iraq
None


�5. book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Al Sham (Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria)
Cinnamon


�6.A book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Arabian Peninsula - ( Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates
An Apartment Called Freedom


7. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from The Maghreb ( North Africa) - ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya,Mauritania

None

�8. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by an author from Egypt
The Seven Days of Man


9. a book, fiction or non-fiction, by a Turkish author
None


�10. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an Iranian author
The Stationery Shop
Still reading

11. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from Sudan and the Horn of Africa (Somalia , Djibouti and Eritrea)

None

�12. a book, fiction or non-fiction by an author from the "Stan" countries or Central Asia ( Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan) and Afghanistan or Pakistan

Jamilia