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Finishing #ReadTheWorld2025 with 6 more countries: #Spain, #India, #Brazil, #Armenia, #Nigeria and #Lebanon. I managed to read from/about 37 countries and will definitely continue reading from around the world. Thanks for hosting Myra!
pick#ToB26 #24
Vera‘s grandparents left Armenia after the massacre and started anew in Lebanon. Years later Vera and her parents leave for the US when the situation in Lebanon becomes too dangerous.
9/11 brings back memories of a family leaving so much behind, not just danger and war, but also family, friends and happy memories. A thought provoking book.
#ReadTheWorld2025 #Lebanon
📸 Chatel, France
BkClubCare, Hooked_on_books, GatheringBooks, Deblovestoread, merelybookish, Bookwormjillk, Chelsea.Poole, squirrelbrain, sarahbarnes, ImperfectCJ, ChaoticMissAdventures
pickRaja is lovable. He just wants to dance and play with Barbies but growing up in the time and place he did makes it difficult to be his true self. His mother is his fiercest defender, protector, ally, friend, but also pain in the neck! This story takes place over years, as Raja remembers his childhood and coming of age, which happened during conflict, into later adulthood. There‘s humor despite heavy topics. This mother-son relationship is lovely.
pickThis is a charming book in many ways- love between a mother and son as they shout insults to each other, living life in the chaos of Beirut, and a quick witted narrator. The middle of the book didn‘t have the pace the first third did, but a wonderful book. I‘m not surprised this one won awards, as it was enjoyable and as it had humor, trauma and love woven throughout.
pickI loved this NBA nominee. Raja is a 60 year old queer man, living in Beirut. His mother has just moved in with him and they have a rather fractious, but hilarious relationship.
Raja looks back over Lebanese history which, of course, is a rather serious topic. He intersperses that with his own relationship history, which also has a serious side, but he is witty and loveable throughout. (And his mother is an absolute menace! 😝)
And here‘s the #NBAshortlist for fiction! I haven‘t cracked the Majumdar yet but am 2/3 through North Sun and really liking it, and have read the other 3. Today, my vote would go to Raja (tagged), as I absolutely loved it. I‘m very happy to see The Sisters not be here but am a little surprised Flournoy was left out, though I haven‘t read hers yet.
pickThe True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother), by Rabih Alameddine (2025)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Premise: A queer resident of Beirut navigates the many crises of the past sixty years of his country‘s history.
Review: What makes this book so good is that somehow Alameddine makes it delightful and fun despite the very often serious subject matter. An unexpected but deserved choice for the National Book Award list!
