A number of book club members commented on the Palestinian survey noting that they loved the choices, but were also excited about the cook book I included in the post as well. I'm guessing that many of us will now be enjoying Middle Eastern food as we read our Palestinian book.
To that end, I thought I'd mention another cook book which I just bought. It also has rave reviews & won "Best Arab Cuisine Book" by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Comprised of meat, fish & veggie dishes, it's a beautiful book with drool-worthy photos & also introduces you to the world of Palestinian ingredients.
But Which Book are We Reading in January?
As you can see in the voting results at the end of this post, all the books were generally liked, but there was an interesting winner...one written by multiple women writers.
"These fascinating and diverse stories reflect the everyday concerns of Palestinians living under occupation. Writers who were children during the first intifada appear alongside those who remember the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war. They offer compassionate, often critical, insight into their society in times of hardship and turmoil, drawing upon the warmth of human relations and the hope that better times will come. Qissat is a rare showcase of Palestinian women writers across generations and places, including Gaza, Ramallah, the United States and the Gulf.
'Raw and honest ... lyrical and beautifully written' - Sunday Times
'Layered, haunting, sensuously rich' - The Times
'In turn lyrical, sensuous, comic and ironic ... it is the quality of subtle, evocative writing here that makes Qissat remarkable.' -Independent"