...to celebrate the books that are published and that are MidEast-inspired, I’m crowning 2020 the Year of the Middle East Reading Challenge (YMERC).
Christmas reading List
With powder snowing fall out the window, fireplaces burning bright, S'mores toasting over open fires, and Christmas trees all alight, I bring you tidings of well wishes and books of merry delight.
December is dark retellings month!
I've decided to end 2019 with a month of dark retellings!
YMERC is coming
In case you haven't heard, starting January 2020, I'm launching the Year of Middle East Reading Challenge (YMERC). The basics are inspired by the YARC challenge, which focused on Asian writers.
AWriterWrites becomes Reading Between the Dunes!
Lots of changes coming soon!
Persian Necromancer in Tahereh Mafi’s Whichwood
Based more on Persian folklore, Whichwood tells the story of Layla, a mordeshoor who washes the dead and sends their spirits off to the next world. And by washing the dead, I mean that she washes the bodies in a tub, hangs them on a clothesline to dry, and then plucks a rose petal out of her mouth.
Furthermore – A deliciously colorful Alice in Wonderland retelling
A captivatingly colorful and whimsical retelling of Alice in Wonderland, Furthermore pushes the boundaries of imaginative and intriguing.
The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher – LGBT retelling of The Snow Queen
A quick read with a younger voice, this was a different retelling of the Snow Queen, though it kept true to the Snow Queen's character.
Sisters of Shadow and Light
Sisters of Shadow and Light had potential, but failed to realize it.
Alice by Christina Henry – A disturbing retelling of Alice in Wonderland
A grotesque reimagining of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Alice takes you down the rabbit hole into something more violent and bloody than Carroll ever imagined.
