The country I chose for next month is inspired by a book which continues to crop up any time global reads are discussed in other groups. Supposedly, it's a true story told to an American author by a princess of the local region about the atrocities inflicted upon the female population there. It's made the New York Times Bestseller List & has a big number of positive reviews on Amazon & Goodreads. It's also a book which has been involved in a plagiarism lawsuit & accused of being a hoax by a number of people. It's sold as non-fiction, but its accusers note that it reads like a lurid, sensational novel written purely to make money.
Whether the book is true or not, I find it sad that one of the most popular reads about this region isn't written by a native author about her own experiences. But when we compile the list of books to vote on for this region, we can help rectify that.
So What Country Are We Reading Next?
If you've read the book I wrote about above, you've probably already figured it out.
We're reading Saudi Arabia in April!
Side note: If you haven't read the book I described above yet, I include it here if you're curious. If you have read the book, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Did it strike you as real? Did you like the writing? Did you read the other books in the series?
HAVE ANY BOOK SUGGESTIONS?
Just let us know your Saudi suggestions by Thurs., Mar. 15 11PM ET. (That's NYC time. See this converted to your local time below.)
We'll use 2 suggestions from book club members, 2 suggestions from Mia (the book club moderator) & 2 of my suggestions to compile a list of 6 books on which book club members will vote. The most popular book from the list will then be read.
Please note - We're specific in our books, they must:
- Largely occur in the location specified unless the world described is an alternate reality
- Be written by an author born there who has spent a good portion of their life there
- Exist in paperback & ebook available on both Amazon & Kindle at least in the US & hopefully elsewhere