2013 Middle East Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Maphead
Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2013
See the challenge announcement/sign-up page here

The goal here is to read as many books as you like, related to the Greater Middle East area (or MENA--Middle East/North Africa).  Books can be fiction or nonfiction, and there are four levels of participation:

1. Tourist (1-5 books)
2. Diplomat (5-10 books)
3. Foreign Policy Specialist (10-15 books)
4. Scholar (15 books or more)

Books can be written by Middle Eastern authors, take place in the Middle East, or be concerned with the Greater Middle East; and they can deal with either contemporary or historical Middle Eastern issues.

This challenge sounds like a good way to expand my reading horizons a bit.  I'll be signing up at the Tourist level -- I should be able to manage at least one to five books.  Some possibilities I'm thinking about:

• Clea. Lawrence Durrell (I've read the first three books of the Alexandria Quartet, but somehow never got around to this one)
• Martyrs' Crossing. Amy Wilentz
• A Woman in Jerusalem. Abraham Yehoshua
• Reading Lolita in Tehran. Azar Nafisi

Of course, that list is subject to change. Whatever I do end up reading, I'll be tracking my progress on my challenge blog (HERE).