{"id":780919,"date":"2026-08-19T08:23:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T08:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/?p=780919"},"modified":"2026-08-19T08:23:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T08:23:57","slug":"an-avid-lebanese-readers-updated-list-of-book-recommendations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/780919\/an-avid-lebanese-readers-updated-list-of-book-recommendations\/","title":{"rendered":"An Avid Lebanese Reader\u2019s Updated List of Book Recommendations"},"content":{"rendered":"    <button class=\"sideconvo-button button-compact\">         <svg         xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"         width=\"64\"         height=\"64\"         viewBox=\"0 0 64 64\"         fill=\"none\">         <g clip-path=\"url(#clip0_5407_120)\">             <mask                 id=\"mask0_5407_120\"                 style=\"mask-type:luminance\"                 maskUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\"                 x=\"0\"                 y=\"0\"                 width=\"64\"                 height=\"64\">                 <path d=\"M64 0H0V64H64V0Z\" fill=\"white\"><\/path>             <\/mask>             <g mask=\"url(#mask0_5407_120)\">                 <path                     d=\"M38.4702 26.64L38.5252 26.775C40.3652 31.435 44.0902 35.165 48.7502 37L48.8852 37.055L48.7502 37.11C44.0902 38.95 40.3602 42.675 38.5252 47.335L38.4702 47.47L38.4152 47.335C36.5752 42.675 32.8502 38.945 28.1902 37.11L28.0552 37.055L28.1902 37C32.8502 35.16 36.5802 31.435 38.4152 26.775L38.4702 26.64ZM38.4702 14.815C38.0702 14.815 37.6702 15.035 37.5002 15.475L33.7702 24.935C32.4352 28.325 29.7502 31.01 26.3602 32.345L16.9002 36.075C16.0202 36.425 16.0202 37.67 16.9002 38.02L26.3602 41.75C29.7502 43.085 32.4352 45.77 33.7702 49.16L37.5002 58.62C37.6752 59.06 38.0752 59.28 38.4702 59.28C38.8652 59.28 39.2702 59.06 39.4402 58.62L43.1702 49.16C44.5052 45.77 47.1902 43.085 50.5802 41.75L60.0402 38.02C60.9202 37.67 60.9202 36.425 60.0402 36.075L50.5802 32.345C47.1902 31.01 44.5052 28.325 43.1702 24.935L39.4402 15.475C39.2652 15.035 38.8652 14.815 38.4702 14.815ZM14.4702 29.125L11.9802 24.57C11.9452 24.505 11.8902 24.45 11.8202 24.41L7.26516 21.92C6.62516 21.57 6.62516 20.655 7.26516 20.305L11.8202 17.815C11.8852 17.78 11.9402 17.725 11.9752 17.66L14.4652 13.105C14.8152 12.465 15.7302 12.465 16.0802 13.105L18.5702 17.66C18.6052 17.725 18.6602 17.78 18.7302 17.82L23.2852 20.31C23.9252 20.66 23.9252 21.575 23.2852 21.925L18.7302 24.415C18.6652 24.45 18.6102 24.505 18.5752 24.57L16.0852 29.125C15.7352 29.765 14.8202 29.765 14.4702 29.125Z\"                     fill=\"#fff\"><\/path>                 <path                     d=\"M38.4702 26.64L38.5252 26.775C40.3652 31.435 44.0902 35.165 48.7502 37L48.8852 37.055L48.7502 37.11C44.0902 38.95 40.3602 42.675 38.5252 47.335L38.4702 47.47L38.4152 47.335C36.5752 42.675 32.8502 38.945 28.1902 37.11L28.0552 37.055L28.1902 37C32.8502 35.16 36.5802 31.435 38.4152 26.775L38.4702 26.64Z\"                     fill=\"#fff\"><\/path>                 <path                     d=\"M32 10.7351C33.6569 10.7351 35 9.39196 35 7.73511C35 6.07825 33.6569 4.73511 32 4.73511C30.3431 4.73511 29 6.07825 29 7.73511C29 9.39196 30.3431 10.7351 32 10.7351Z\"                     fill=\"#fff\"><\/path>             <\/g>         <\/g>         <defs>             <clipPath id=\"clip0_5407_120\">                 <rect width=\"64\" height=\"64\" fill=\"white\"><\/rect>             <\/clipPath>         <\/defs>     <\/svg>        <span class=\"sideconvo_button\"  data-sideconvo-message=\"Recommend the best burgers\" data-sideconvo-mode=\"CHAT\" data-sideconvo-customCTATitle=\"Craving burgers? Click here\" data-sideconvo-customCTAPlacement=\"TITLE_TAG\">             Craving burgers? Click here        <\/span>         <div class=\"hoverEffect\">             <div><\/div>         <\/div>     <\/button>     <style>      <\/style>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes an updated reading list is all you need to help you make it through the remainder of 2026. Unless you have your upcoming reads all figured out, here&#8217;s an updated list of book recommendations I think deserve a spot on your TBR.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These selections are very political, tacking issues of identity, displacement, queerness, and representation. If that&#8217;s your cup of tea, or if you want to find out if it is, then make sure to save this list.<\/p>    <div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>    <h3 id=\"h-1-against-the-loveless-world-by-susan-abulhawa\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <em>Against the Loveless<\/em> World by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/susanabulhawa\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Susan Abulhawa<\/a><\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SusanAbulhawa-678x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-780966\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6621234567901234;width:307px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SusanAbulhawa-678x1024.jpg 678w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SusanAbulhawa-398x600.jpg 398w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SusanAbulhawa-166x250.jpg 166w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SusanAbulhawa-768x1159.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SusanAbulhawa-1018x1536.jpg 1018w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SusanAbulhawa-1357x2048.jpg 1357w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SusanAbulhawa-600x906.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SusanAbulhawa.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Susan Abulhawa has such a way with words that she can wedge generations\u2019 worth of trauma between the lines, and, obviously, overtly as well. <em>Against the Loveless World<\/em>, arguably the Palestinian-American author&#8217;s most magnificent publication yet, is so deeply moving that I had to stop reading during numerous chapters throughout the novel. <\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I often found myself trying to catch my breath, not only at her narration of the Palestinian experience, but also at how beautifully she ties her characters to their land, heritage, and each other. The story follows Nahr as she is forcibly displaced from Palestine, experiences the invasion of Kuwait, flees to Jordan with her family, returns to Palestine, and eventually finds herself in an Israeli isolation cell.<\/p>    <div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>    <h3 id=\"h-2-martyr-by-kaveh-akbar\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <em>Martyr!<\/em> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kavehakbar.kavehakbar\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kaveh Akbar<\/a><\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"687\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Martyr-687x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-780969\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6709034064204998;width:304px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Martyr-687x1024.jpg 687w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Martyr-403x600.jpg 403w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Martyr-168x250.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Martyr-768x1144.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Martyr-1031x1536.jpg 1031w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Martyr-1374x2048.jpg 1374w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Martyr-600x894.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Martyr.jpg 1718w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 687px) 100vw, 687px\" \/><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kaveh Akbar\u2019s debut novel is strange, funny, devastating, and deeply philosophical, moving between grief, addiction, faith, family, and the complicated inheritance of being Iranian-American.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cyrus Shams is a recovering addict and aspiring poet who becomes consumed by the story of his Iranian mother who died aboard Iran Air Flight 655, the commercial passenger jet that was shot down by a U.S. Navy warship. As he digs into the losses that have shaped him, he becomes increasingly obsessed with what it means to be a martyr, hoping to write a book about martyrs and, perhaps, understand his own place among them.<\/p>    <div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>    <h3 id=\"h-3-one-day-everyone-will-have-always-been-against-this-by-omar-el-akkad\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. <em>One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This<\/em> by Omar El Akkad<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"688\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/213870084-688x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-780995\" style=\"width:308px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/213870084-688x1024.jpg 688w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/213870084-403x600.jpg 403w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/213870084-168x250.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/213870084-768x1143.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/213870084-1032x1536.jpg 1032w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/213870084-1376x2048.jpg 1376w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/213870084-600x893.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/213870084.jpg 1712w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 688px) 100vw, 688px\" \/><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Omar El Akkad\u2019s nonfiction debut is a raw, deeply personal reckoning with the West, its promises of freedom and justice, and the violence that exposes how conditional those promises have always been.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What stayed with me most was how personal El Akkad makes something as enormous as political hypocrisy. He writes about Gaza alongside his own experiences as an immigrant, a journalist, and a father. It&#8217;s angry, heartbroken, and painfully clear-eyed, but never feels detached from the human cost of what he is writing about.<\/p>    <div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>    <h3 id=\"h-4-the-true-true-story-of-raja-the-gullible-and-his-mother-by-rabih-alameddine\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. <em>The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (And His Mother)<\/em> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/beirutiguy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rabih Alameddine<\/a><\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"448\" height=\"685\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Alameddine.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-780992\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6540197734636795;width:308px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Alameddine.jpeg 448w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Alameddine-392x600.jpeg 392w, https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Alameddine-164x250.jpeg 164w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" \/><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you read out a Rabih Alameddine book to me without telling me it was him, I would be able to tell. His writing style is so distinctly his own that I find myself searching for him on bookshelves. In typical Alameddine fashion, he takes six decades of war, political upheaval, family drama, queerness, and national catastrophe and turns them into something deeply funny, tender, and absurd.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the center of it all is Raja, a 63-year-old philosophy teacher living in Beirut with his fiercely intrusive mother, Zalfa. It&#8217;s quite entertaining when you notice how he writes mothers in all of his novels, often making them deeply pivotal to their children\u2019s upbringing while also making them a source of some of their deepest wounds.<\/p>    <div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;d love to hear your recommendations! Make sure to check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/tag\/bookworms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#Bookworms<\/a> section on our website for more.<\/p>    <div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>    <div class=\"wp-block-thisis-thisis-more-like-this-block\">             <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/740481\/9-book-and-coffee-shops-you-should-know-about-in-lebanon\/\" class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block__link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"10 Book and Coffee Shops You Should Know About in Lebanon\">                 <div class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block\">             <div class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block__header\"                 style=\"background-color: #98CA3C;\">                 <h3>                     MORE LIKE THIS                <\/h3>             <\/div>             <div class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block__content\"                 style=\"background-color: #98CA3C1a;\">                                     <div class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block__image\">                         <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/coffee-bookshops-250x131.jpg\" alt=\"10 Book and Coffee Shops You Should Know About in Lebanon\" \/>                     <\/div>                                                     <div class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block__text\">                                                     <h2>10 Book and Coffee Shops You Should Know About in Lebanon<\/h2>                                                                             <p>We\u2019ve rounded up a bunch of charming book and coffee shops across Lebanon that deserve a spot on your list.<\/p>                                             <\/div>                             <\/div>         <\/div>                 <\/a>     <\/div>   <div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>         <div style=\"width: 100%;\" class=\"mobile products-container-two-product swiper products-embed-container\">   <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">        <a class=\"swiper-slide\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/product\/made-in-beirut-tee\/\" aria-label=\"&quot;Made in Beirut&quot; Tee\" style=\"min-width: 66% !important;height:auto !important;\">      <div style=\"min-width: 90% !important;\" class=\"single-product-two-product\">       <div class=\"product-image-two-product lazy-load\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Image_20240606_151551_715-328x600.jpeg\">       <\/div>       <div class=\"product-content-two-product\">        <h2 style=\"height: 45px;\">&quot;Made in Beirut&quot; Tee<\/h2>        <p>High quality t-shirt that is available in either round neck loose fit made of 100% cotton with short sleeves, or fitted cropped with a round neck and short sleeves (95% cotton,5% elastane). <\/p>        <div class=\"price-container-two-product\">         Starting At <span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\">&#36;<\/span>15<\/bdi><\/span>       <\/div>       <\/div>      <\/div>     <\/a>         <a class=\"swiper-slide\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/product\/the-beirut-tee\/\" aria-label=\"The Beirut Tee\" style=\"min-width: 66% !important;height:auto !important;\">      <div style=\"min-width: 90% !important;\" class=\"single-product-two-product\">       <div class=\"product-image-two-product lazy-load\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/beirutee-524x600.png\">       <\/div>       <div class=\"product-content-two-product\">        <h2 style=\"height: 45px;\">The Beirut Tee<\/h2>        <p>Beirut.com printed logo on the left side. Available in Black, White, and Olive Green.<\/p>        <div class=\"price-container-two-product\">         Starting At <span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\">&#36;<\/span>15<\/bdi><\/span>       <\/div>       <\/div>      <\/div>     <\/a>       <\/div>   <div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>   <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><\/div>   <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><\/div>  <\/div>   <div style=\"width: 100%;\" class=\"desktop products-container-two-product products-embed-container\">      <a style=\"min-width: calc(25% - 1.5rem); width:calc(25% - 1.5rem);\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/product\/made-in-beirut-tee\/\" aria-label=\"&quot;Made in Beirut&quot; Tee\">     <div style=\"min-width: 100% !important;\" class=\"single-product-two-product\">      <div class=\"product-image-two-product lazy-load\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Image_20240606_151551_715-328x600.jpeg\">      <\/div>      <div class=\"product-content-two-product\">       <h2>&quot;Made in Beirut&quot; Tee<\/h2>       <p>High quality t-shirt that is available in either round neck loose fit made of 100% cotton with short sleeves, or fitted cropped with a round neck and short sleeves (95% cotton,5% elastane). <\/p>       <div class=\"price-container-two-product\">        Starting At <span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\">&#36;<\/span>15<\/bdi><\/span>      <\/div>      <\/div>     <\/div>    <\/a>       <a style=\"min-width: calc(25% - 1.5rem); width:calc(25% - 1.5rem);\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/product\/the-beirut-tee\/\" aria-label=\"The Beirut Tee\">     <div style=\"min-width: 100% !important;\" class=\"single-product-two-product\">      <div class=\"product-image-two-product lazy-load\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/beirutee-524x600.png\">      <\/div>      <div class=\"product-content-two-product\">       <h2>The Beirut Tee<\/h2>       <p>Beirut.com printed logo on the left side. Available in Black, White, and Olive Green.<\/p>       <div class=\"price-container-two-product\">        Starting At <span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\">&#36;<\/span>15<\/bdi><\/span>      <\/div>      <\/div>     <\/div>    <\/a>       <\/div>   ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sometimes an updated reading list is all you need to help you make it through the remainder of 2026. Unless you have your upcoming reads all figured out, here&#8217;s an updated list of book recommendations I think deserve a spot on your TBR. 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