Whenever it feels like things might be a teensy (and I do mean teensy) better, something has to happen to shatter our worlds and faith in each other. It's been a rough week and it hurts. The media also manages to refocus the narrative and lose interest just as quickly as a global tragedy happens, so I wanted to highlight some Muslim authors I love.
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty: If you're a SF/F fan who hasn't read this series, I need you to get to your nearest bookstore and buy the first two books, you won't regret it. Chakraborty is an excellent historian and it shows in her writing. Her world's are lush and her characters are morally grey with varying motivations. I can't recommend this series enough!
Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed: Am I bias towards books that take place in my favorite city, yes, yes I am. I enjoyed this book because it followed a teen's desperation to please her parents while also pursuing her dreams.
Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali: For someone who doesn't really read contemporary, I loved this one. Ali wrote about the community that Islam fosters and the hard place of knowing that the town's Golden Boy is actually a monster in disguise. The characters and their relationships made this book addictive.
L'Enfant de Sable by Tahar Ben Jelloun: I read this in one of my French classes for universities and it was honestly one of the few I actually enjoyed. Jelloun wrote about a family who chose to disguise their eldest daughter as their eldest son since they didn't have any male heirs. It was fascinating to hear how Ahmed viewed himself and the world around him.
Mirage by Somaiya Daud: While I wanted a bit more from Mirage than the insta love story we got, I love the idea of revolution so I am still intrigued by this series.
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir: This book is lush and will suck and SF/F lover in. The characters came from all different parts of the country with ambitions that would put them at odds from each other. I admit, that I'm not caught up on this series, but that doesn't stop me from recommending!
My list isn't as robust as I would have liked so give me your recommendations! What are some of your favorite books that Muslim authors??
Labels: book discussion, Muslim authors
