Popular Asian Cultural Books
Find cultural books written by authors from Asia for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (102)
1.
99 Nights in Logar by Jamil Jan Kochai EN
PakistanDescription:
"Twelve-year-old Marwand's memories from his previous visit to Afghanistan six years ago center on his contentious relationship with Budabash, the terrifying but beloved dog who guards his extended family's compound in Logar. Eager to find an ally in this place that's meant to be 'home, Marwand approaches Budabash the way he would any dog on his American suburban block--and the results are disastrous: Marwand loses a finger and Budabash escapes. The resulting search for the family dog is an expertly told adventure, a ninety-nine-night quest that sends Marwand and his cousins across the landsca... continue
2.
A Life at Noon by Talasbek Asemkulov EN
Country: Asia / 
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Description:
"Azhigerei is growing up in Soviet Kazakhstan, learning the ancient art of the kuy from his musician father. But with the music comes knowledge about his country, his family, and the past that is at times difficult to bear. Based on the author's own family history, A Life at Noon provides us a glimpse into a time and place Western literature has rarely seen as the first post-Soviet novel from Kazakhstan to appear in English"--
3.
A Personal Matter by Kenzaburo Oe EN
JapanDescription:
First pub. 1964. Author's most dramatic work, won him the prestigious Shincho Literary Prize. In the novel the narrator tells how he responds to the birth and problems posed by his handicapped child. Recipient of the 1994 Nobel prize.
4.
A Strange Woman by Leylâ Erbil TR
TurkeyDescription:
The pioneering debut novel by one of Turkey's most radical female authors tells the story of an aspiring intellectual in a complex, modernizing country. In English at last: the first novel by a Turkish woman to ever be nominated for the Nobel. A Strange Woman is the story of Nermin, a young woman and aspiring poet growing up in Istanbul. Nermin frequents coffeehouses and underground readings, determined to immerse herself in the creative, anarchist youth culture of Turkey’s capital; however, she is regularly thwarted by her complicated relationship to her parents, members of the old guard who ... continue
5.
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman EN
IndiaDescription:
In India, a girl who excels at Bharatanatyam dance refuses to give up after losing a leg in an accident.
6.
A Woman in the Crossfire : Diaries of the Syrian Revolution by Samar Yazbek EN
SyriaDescription:
A well-known novelist and journalist from the coastal city of Jableh, Samar Yazbek witnessed the beginning four months of the uprising first-hand and actively participated in a variety of public actions and budding social movements. Throughout this period she kept a diary of personal reflections on, and observations of, this historic time. Because of the outspoken views she published in print and online, Yazbek quickly attracted the attention and fury of the regime, vicious rumours started to spread about her disloyalty to the homeland and the Alawite community to which she belongs. The lyrica... continue
7.
A Woman Like Her : The Short Life of Qandeel Baloch by Sanam Maher EN
Description:
A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 'The powerful story of a woman who was ahead of her time' Mishal Husain, presenter at BBC News 'Terrific and necessary' Sonia Faleiro 'This book is brilliant and terrifying' Meena Kandasamy _________________________ A beautiful woman in winged eyeliner and a low-cut top lies on a bed urging her favourite cricketer to win the next match. In another post, she pouts at the camera from a hot tub. She posts a selfie with a cleric, wearing his cap at a jaunty angle. Her posts are viewed millions of times and the comments beneath them are full of hate. As her no... continue
8.
Above Us the Milky Way by Fowzia Karimi EN
Country: Asia / 
Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Description:
Debut novel about a young family forced to flee their war-ravaged homeland, forced to leave behind everything & everyone beloved & familiar. Old family photographs & lush watercolor paintings based on medieval illuminated manuscripts interweave with remembrances, ghost stories/stories of the war dead, & fairy tales to conjure a story of war, of emigration & immigration, the remarkable human capacity to experience love & wonder amidst destruction & loss, & how to create beauty out of horror.
9.
Afghanistan : A Lexicon by Mariam Ghani, Ashraf Ghani EN
Country: Asia / Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Description:
"In the form of a lexicon, artist Mariam Ghani describes, together with her father, the renowned anthropologist and political scientist Ashraf Ghani, the cycle of repeated collapse and recovery that Afghanistan has undergone over the course of the twentieth century. The lexicon comprises seventy-one mostly illustrated terms that include central figures and places, words that carry a specific (political) meaning in the Afghan context, and entries on recurring events and defining themes."--Documenta 13 website, viewed Oct. 5, 2011.
10.
American Refuge by Diya Abdo EN
JordanDescription:
A provocative, conversation-sparking exploration of refugee experiences told in their own words, for readers of Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s The Undocumented Americans and Viet Thanh Nguyen “A moving and timely book that strips away misleading politics to reveal the complexities of real human lives." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Forced to leave their homes, they came to America... In this intimate and eye-opening book, Diya Abdo--daughter of refugees, U.S. immigrant, English professor, and activist—shares the stories of seven refugees. Coming from around the world, they’re welcomed by Ev... continue