By Winter is the perfect season for curling up with a good book by the fireplace, or attending a book club with friends if that’s more your thing. Maybe you prefer to read while you’re in bed, all curled up, nice and cozy. Whatever your preference is, here are some new releases for you from some talented Muslim authors!
1. The Light at the Bottom of the World (By London Shaw)
Release Date: October 29th, 2019
What it’s about: It’s the 21st century and the world is underwater. Leyla McQueen is a 16-year-old girl living on her own in London. Her father was arrested for a crime Leyla believes he’s not guilty of, and was taken away by government authorities. Leyla wants to prove his innocence and strives to get him back. There’s a government-run race and the prize is anything the winner desires, making Leyla believe that this is her chance to ask for her father back. If you’re into sci-fi and romance novels, this is for you!
2. That Can Be Arranged (By Huda Fahmy)
Expected Release Date: March 2020
A Muslim love story told through a series of comic strips. This is a light-hearted rom-com book that’s perfect for anyone who wants to be able to read it in one sitting.
3. Yes No Maybe So (By Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed)
Release Date: February 4th, 2020
Based off of the authors’ experiences on “campaigning for a U.S. House seat,” the two wrote a book about Jamie Goldberg and Maya Rehman. In this novel, Jamie doesn’t mind volunteering as long as he’s not leading it. He’s more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. He doesn’t see himself knocking on doors to ask people to vote until he meets Maya. Maya’s closest friend is too busy to hang out, her trip got cancelled, and her parents are getting a divorce. Her mother thinks she will feel better if she funnels her anger towards “political canvassing.” Maybe going door-to-door convincing people to vote isn’t the worst idea her mother had come up with.
4. Mad, Bad, & Dangerous to Know (By Samira Ahmed)
Expected Release Date: 2020
Two teens uncover the mystery of a Muslim woman mentioned in letters from Alexander Dumas. This novel is perfect for fans of stories that weave together history, the future, and the present. The stories are told from the perspectives of different generations through the letters in question, as well as what the teens go through. The premise is nothing like what I’ve read before from a Muslim writer, so I’m ecstatic to delve into this. And if mysteries are your thing too, then this will be for you too!
5. More Than Just a Pretty Face (By Syed M. Masood)
Release Date: 2020
A story about arranged marriages, falling in love, and family expectations. This novel is specifically for fans of Becky Albertalli and Jenny Han. In this novel, Danyal Jilani is a confident guy who’s not the smartest. He makes up for that, however, because he’s hilarious, attractive, and will be an amazing chef one day. His father isn’t happy about his career choice, but that doesn’t matter to him that much. What does matter is his longtime crush Kaval and her family, who do not consider him to be a good match for Kaval. When Danyal is chosen for the Renaissance Man, a school-wide academic competition, he thinks this is his chance. He convinces the intelligent but completely uninterested-in-him Bisma to help him. But the more time he spends with Bisma, the more time he realizes that true love might have been under his nose all along.
Overall, I believe these books are going to be worth your time. I know that I plan on reading them as soon as I can! Even if you can’t read all the time, scraping out even twenty minutes every day helps. I tend to get incredibly busy, but I enjoy spending some time reading whenever I can, and with these titles, so will you!