Ayesha At Last

One of my favorite Jane Austen spin offs yet, a Muslim Pride and Prejudice set in modern day Canada. Ayesha has set aside her dreams of being a poet so she can focus on teaching and paying back her uncle for the college loan he gave her. When her younger cousin has her dreams set on being an event planner she enlists Ayesha to help her... only to abandon her at the meetings, leaving Ayesha to pretend being her cousin, Hafsa. Khalid is a conservative Muslim and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his mother happy. When she insists on an arranged marriage; his heart isn't in it until he realizes that Hafsa, the event planner, might be the one his mother is trying to set him up with. What ensues is a comedy of errors and heartbreak. A thoroughly enjoyable take on a classic storyline. Unique, playful, and romantic; Uzma Jalaluddin is an author to look out for!

A Woman is No Man

I was a freaking EMOTIONAL WRECK after reading this! It's heartbreaking, unflinching, and damned powerful. A Woman is No Man tells the story of three generations of Palestinian American women; two who immigrated to the US and one who was born there. The story centers on Irsa, a young woman who is married off to an American Muslim, she is terrified to leave behind her family and the only life she's ever known, but she has dreams that life will better for women in America. Maybe they wil be loved and respected and given opportunities; something she never had growing up. America proves to be another let down though her new family is just as strict as the one she left behind. She is expected to clean and cook all day and bear her husband sons. There is no room for growth or freedom; she can't leave the house, make friends, read, or relax. She is constantly bossed around by Fareeda, her husbands mother, who makes sure that Irsa knows her place. It's a man's world and she shouldn't get any foolish notions in her head. She gets pregnant pretty quickly and everyone is annoyed when she births a girl. A useless girl. Then she goes and has three more girls. She and her daughters are the shame of the family, Irsa's husband starts beating her. The other two perspectives in the story are from Fareeda, her mother in law, and Irsa's eldest daughter, Deya. Reading this book you wish it was taking place in the past, how could something so unfair and inhumane take place in today's society? Are women really so unappreciated and abused? The ending was especially heartbreaking. A necessary read that will break your heart.

Code of Honor

Totally unbelievable, but 100% enjoyable and fast paced. I can definitely see this book being popular with teens. Kamran has it all, he's a a football star, homecoming king, and has a smoking hot girlfriend. But that all comes crashing down when his older brother joins up with terrorists. He had been in the military but suddenly he's on the news making demands, condemning the US, and standing by while an innocent journalist is beheaded. Everyone writes him off, except for his brother. Kamran is convinced that his brother is giving him hints in the video and that he's being held hostage. Instead of being at high school, Kamran is now working with the US government and trying to get them believe that his brother is innocent. But will it be enough? Can they rescue him and stop the terrorists before they kill people? Short chapters, fast paced, and deals with hard themes like culture, religion, and judging others who are different from us. Surprisingly good!

If You Could be Mine

Definitely a groundbreaking book in LGBT literature for teens. It brings up a lot of uncomfortable but necessary questions and fears that LGBT teens have to face everyday, except as is the case in this book, sometimes it is waay harder then we could ever imagine. This story takes place in Iran, were homosexuality is punished with death. Sahar and her best friend Nasrin have been in love with each other for years. Their romance has blossomed but they are both very careful to keep it under wraps so they don't get themselves killed. When Sahar finds out that the love of her life has been betrothed to a doctor her pretty naive little world starts to come apart. She can't imagine life without Nasrin but she can't think of any way that the two of them can be together, that is until her gay cousin introduces her to his transexual friend Parveen. Is she changing genders the only way she can stay with the love of her life. Will her family forgive her? Will Nasrin still love her if she is a man?

Definitely a book that causes you to think. It also raises good conversation on how homosexuality and sex reassignment are perceived in other countries and cultures.

American Dervish

This was a beautifully crafted masterpiece. The eloquence of the words, the power of the plot, and the wonderfully developed and flawed characters come together to form a twenty-first century literary marvel.

Told through the naive eyes of a young Pakistani American boy, Hayat recounts his youth and the summer that changed his life forever, the summer when his mother's best friend, Mina, came to America with her five year old son to seek refuge from her ex-husband. Through Mina, Hayat learns about his religious roots (something his parents never bothered with) and slowly falls in love with the Quran and Mina herself. But when Mina starts to fall for Nathan, a young Jewish man, Hayat finds himself at a crossroads and the decisions he makes will haunt him forever.

Pakistani and Muslim culture shines brightly in this novel. It's a real eye opener. A must read.

Side note, I listened to the audiobook version which is narrated by the author and I HIGHLY recommend it. Ayad Akhtar can switch in between accents seamlessly and bring to life Muslim culture with his Quranic recitations and chants.