100 Books

This year I have a goal to read 100 books. 40 down, 60 more to go!

Click on the names to see the book on Amazon.com.

1.  Little Princes by Conor Grennan (highly recommend- about Nepal)

2.  Passage to Istanbul by Joseph Kanon (meh- slow spy novel, not very much culture, do not recommend)

3.  Desert Queen by Janet Wallach (you have to be in the mood- about British inventing modern Iraq)

4.  Tales from the Expat Harem by Anastasia Ashman (highly recommend)

5.  Apples are from Kazakhstan by Christopher Robins (recommend- great explanations of Soviet transitions)

6.  Rebel Land by Christopher de Bellaigue (recommend- historical background via stories of different kinds of people in Turkey including Kurds and Armenians)

7.  Crescent & Star by Stephen Kinzer (not a narrative- just historic information- dry)

8.  SOLD by Zana Muhsen (highly recommend- about Yemen)

9.  My Forbidden Face by Latifa (highly recommend- about Afghanistan)

10.  Princess by Jean Sasson (highly recommend- about Saudi Arabia)

11.  Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls are not for Sale by Rachel Loyd (recommend- about child enslavement in New York)

12.  Leap of Faith by Queen Noor (highly recommend- captures the recent history of the Palestinian peace process and of course Jordan).
13.  Murder in the Name of Honor by Rana Husseini (highly recommend, about Jordan & the world)

14.  A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (highly recommend, fast and compelling read about South Sudan)

15.  The Woman Who Fell From The Sky by Jennifer Steil (recommend- about Yemen, expats, journalism)

16.  Survivors by Allan Zullo  (recommend- about Polish Children who survived Jewish camps in WWII).
17.  Friendly Fire by Alaa al Aswany (recommend- fiction collect of short stories about Egypt)

18.  Last Night Another Soldier by Andy McNab (fiction- about British troops in Afghanistan)
19.  Red Dust Road by Jackie Kay

21.   The Founding Foodies: How Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin Revolutionized America Cuisine by Dave Dewitt
22.  Finding Fish by Antwone Fisher (Highly recommend)
23.  Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed The Art of War by Robert Coram (HIGHLY recommend- military history, US history, AF history, Marine Corps history, and the story of a man of character)
24.  Knickers in a Twist by Jonathan Bernstein
25.  Britannia in Brief by Banker & Mullins
26.  A Woman in Jerusalem: A Passion in Three Parts by A.B. Yehoshua (Fiction)

27.  Princess Sultana's Circle by Jean Sasson (part 3 of the trilogy- see no. 10, highly recommend about Saudi royalty).
29.  The Quran (in English) 
30.  Building Moral Intelligence by Michelle Borba (highly recommend for ALL parents)  

31.  Culture Shock: London by Orin Hargraves
32. Religions by Philip Wilkinson (great photos but really disappointing overgeneralizations of beliefs)
33. Mormons & Muslims by Spencer J Palmer (highly recommend)
34. The Art Journal Workshop by Traci Bunker (highly recommend- she describes purposes, processes, materials, methods, etc, VERY useful and inspiring)

35.  Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (crass, full of laughs, highly recommend- but not for everyone)
36.  Culture Smart!  Britain by Paul Norbury (recommend- a little dry compared to the others of similar purpose and scope)
40.  Netherlands: Culture Smart!  by Sheryl Buckland (recommend, very informative)

42.  Anne Frank's Tales from the Secret Annex by Anne Frank (her short stories, some true some fiction)

44.  Tired of London, Tired of Life: One Thing to do a Day in London by Tom Jones (heavy on drinking suggestions, not as interesting if your socialization doesn't center on alcohol consumption.  Still had some worthy suggestions.)

45.  Princess Sultana's Daughters by Jean Sasson (recommend, but not for everyone- 2nd in the princess trilogy- see numbers 10 and 27.)
46.  For the Love of a Son by Jean Sasson (About Afghanistan, highly recommend but prepare to read about the extensive human rights violations that dominate tribal culture)
48.  Driving the Saudis by Jayne Amelia Larson


Currently underway:

20.  A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kasghar by   Suzanne Joinson (Fiction)

28.  The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization by Thomas Friedman (recommend, but like World is Flat better). 

38. Sorry!  The English and Their Manners by Henry Hitchings
47.  Beatrice & Virgil by Yann Martel (fiction.  faster read than Life of Pi but not quiet as captivating)

37.  Brit Cult: A-Z of British Pop Culture by Andrew Calcutt

Up next:

39.  Watching the English by Kate Fox
41.  The UnDutchables by Colin White & Laurie Boucke
43. Vincent van Gogh and his letters by Leo Jansen (no link)