Islamic Authors

October is Islamic History Month. Celebrate and learn with these reads.

Updated March 19, 2024
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1

Homeland elegies : a novel
Akhtar, Ayad
Paper Book
This "profound and provocative" work by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Disgraced and American Dervish followsan immigrant father and his son as they search for belonging--in post-Trump America, and with each other (Kirkus Reviews). "Passionate, disturbing,...
Also available in eBook, eAudiobook and Large Print formats.

2

Hope ablaze
Rana, Sarah Mughal
Paper Book
She lost her words but found her voice. All My Rage meets The Poet X in this electric debut that explores a Muslim teen finding her voice in a post-9/11 America. Nida has always been known as Mamou Abdul-Hafeedh's niece - the poet who will fill her...

3

The adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi : a novel
Chakraborty, S. A.
Paper Book
"A thrilling, transportative adventure that is everything promised-Chakraborty's storytelling is fantasy at its best." -- R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and The Poppy War "An exhilarating, propulsive adventure, stitched from the threads of real history, Amina's...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

4

Remember Me Tomorrow
Heron, Farah
Paper Book
A missing student. A singular investigation. A new romance. Every bit of it is a mystery in a delightful novel of cosmic twists by the author of How to Win a Breakup. East House is the oldest and least desirable dorm on campus, but it has a draw for lonely university freshman...

5

Seven
Doctor, Farzana
Paper Book
FINALIST FOR THE 2021 TRILLIUM AWARD * FINALIST FOR THE 2021 EVERGREEN AWARD * AN INDIGO BEST BOOK OF 2020 * A GLOBE AND MAILBEST INDEPENDENT READ FOR FALL 2020 * AN APPLE BOOKS BEST BOOK OF 2020 * A CBC BOOKS BEST CANADIAN FICTION BOOK OF 2020 * A NOW MAGAZINE TOP TEN BOOK OF 2020 ...

Also available in eAudiobook format.

Canadian author

6

A place for us : a novel
Mirza, Fatima Farheen
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD "5 UNDER 35" NOMINEE * NEW YORK'S "ONE BOOK, ONE NEW YORK" PICK Named One of the Best Books of the Year: Washington Post * NPR * People * Refinery29 * Parade * BuzzFeed "Mirza ...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

7

Exit west : a novel
Hamid, Mohsin
Paper Book
One of The New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century FINALIST FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE & WINNER OF THE L.A. TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR FICTION and THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE "It was as if Hamid knew what was going to happen to America and the...
Also available in eBook, eAudiobook and Large Print formats.

8

Sea prayer
Hosseini, Khaled.
Paper Book
An illustrated book on the refugee crisis that will break your heart in under 48 pages, from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and And the Mountains Echoed. "Intensely moving. . .Powerfully...
Also available in eBook format.

9

Much Ado about Nada: A Novel
Jalaluddin, Uzma
Paper Book
A sparkling second-chance romance inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion...   Nada Syed is stuck. On the cusp of thirty, she's still living at home with her brothers and parents in the Golden Crescent neighbourhood of Toronto, resolutely ignoring her mother's unsubtle...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

10

Blackwater Falls
Khan, Ausma Zehanat
Paper Book
From critically acclaimed author Ausma Zehanat Khan, Blackwater Falls is the first in a timely and powerful crime series, introducing Detective Inaya Rahman. "A gripping and compulsive mystery, but much more than that: an exploration of faith, prejudice and fear of...

Also available in eBook, eAudiobook and Large Print formats.

Canadian author.

11

Nights of Plague
Pamuk, Orhan/ Oklap, Ekin (TRN)
Paper Book
From the the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature: Part detective story, part historical epic--a bold and brilliant novel that imagines a plague ravaging a fictional island in the Ottoman Empire. It is April 1900, in the Levant, on the imaginary island of Mingheria--the...
Also available in eBook format.

12

Nights of Plague
Pamuk, Orhan/ Oklap, Ekin (TRN)
Paper Book
From the the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature: Part detective story, part historical epic--a bold and brilliant novel that imagines a plague ravaging a fictional island in the Ottoman Empire. It is April 1900, in the Levant, on the imaginary island of Mingheria--the...

En avril 1901, il se murmure que la peste s'est declaree a Mingher, une ile au large de Rhodes sur la route d'Alexandrie. Deux eminents specialistes des epidemies sont depeches sur place par le sultan Abdulhamid II. La maladie infectieuse est rapidement confirmee mais imposer des mesures sanitaires represente un veritable defi, en particulier lorsqu'elles se heurtent aux croyances religieuses. Dans cette ile multiculturelle ou musulmans et orthodoxes tentent de cohabiter, la maladie agit comme un accelerateur des tensions communautaires. Et si l'union etait rendue possible par la construction d'une identite nationale ?

13

Six truths and a lie
Shukairy, Ream
Paper Book
Six Muslim teens are falsely accused of a deadly attack in this timely and harrowing examination of America's justice system, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas and Samira Ahmed. As fireworks pop off at a rowdy Fourth of July bonfire party, an explosion off the...

14

Fatima Tate takes the cake
VanBrakle, Khadijah
Paper Book
Fatima Tate wants to be a baker AND enjoy some innocent flirting with her hot friend Raheem-but her strict Muslim parents would never approve of either... Seventeen-year-old Fatima Tate, aspiring baker (100% against her conservative parents' wishes), leads a pretty normal life in...
Also available in eBook format.

15

Ms. Marvel. 1, No normal
Wilson, G. Willow
Paper Book
Marvel Comics presents the all-new Ms. Marvel, the ground breaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City until she is suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the all-new Ms. Marvel? Find out as she takes the Marvel...

Also available in eBook format.

16

Miss Marvel. Tome 1, Métamorphose
Wilson, G. Willow
Paper Book
Marvel Comics presents the all-new Ms. Marvel, the ground breaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City until she is suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the all-new Ms. Marvel? Find out as she takes the Marvel...

17

Son of elsewhere : a memoir in pieces
Abdelmahmoud, Elamin
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR * A "funny and frank" (The New York Times) collection of essays on Blackness, faith, pop culture, and the challenges--and rewards--of finding one's way in the world, from a BuzzFeed editor and podcast host. "A memoir...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

18

Brown boy : a memoir
Aziz, Omer
Paper Book
An uncompromising portrait of identity, family, religion, race, and class that "cuts to the bone" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) told through Omer Aziz's incisive and luminous prose. In a tough neighborhood on the outskirts of Toronto, miles away from wealthy white...

19

No god but God : the origins, evolution, and future of Islam
Aslan, Reza.
Paper Book
Though it is the fastest growing religion in the world, Islam remains shrouded by ignorance and fear. What is the essence of this ancient faith? Is it a religion of peace or war? How does Allah differ from the God of Jews and Christians? Can an Islamic state be founded on democratic values such as...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

20

Arabiyya : recipes from the life of an Arab in diaspora
Assil, Reem
Paper Book
IACP AWARD WINNER . A collection of 100+ bright, bold recipes influenced by the vibrant flavors and convivial culture of the Arab world, filled with moving personal essays on food, family, and identity and mixed with a pinch of California cool, from chef and activist Reem Assil ...
Also available in eBook format.

21

We have always been here : a queer Muslim memoir
Habib, Samra
Paper Book
Samra Habib has spent most of her life searching for the safety to be herself. The men in her life wanted to police her, the women had only shown her the example of pious obedience, and her body was a problem to be solved. A triumphant memoir of forgiveness and family, both chosen and not, We Have...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

22

Eyeliner : a cultural history
Hankir, Zahra
Paper Book
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Pick "Cosmetic, tool of rebellion, status signifier: Eyeliner has been all these and more. Moving through millenniums and across civilizations, Hankir gives the makeup its eye-opening due." --The New York Times Book Review<...

23

Between two kingdoms : a memoir of a life interrupted
Jaouad, Suleika
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A deeply moving memoir of illness and recovery that traces one young woman's journey from diagnosis to remission to re-entry into "normal" life--from the founder of The Isolation Journals and a subject of the Netflix documentary American Symphony ...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

24

Proud : living my American dream
Muhammad, Ibtihaj
Paper Book
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Ibtihaj Muhammad smashed barriers as the first American to compete wearing hijab, and made history as the first Muslim-American woman to medal. She now shares her unforgettable tale of perseverance and faith. Raised in a working-class community in New Jersey...

25

Persepolis
Satrapi, Marjane
Paper Book
A New York Times Notable Book A Time Magazine “Best Comix of the Year” A San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times Best-seller Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in...

26

Persepolis
Satrapi, Marjane
Paper Book
Here, in one volume: Marjane Satrapi's best-selling, internationally acclaimed graphic memoir of growing up as a girl in Iran during the revolution has for twenty years been a classroom staple, a feminist manifesto, and one of the most popular and widely known graphic novels of all time. <...

Recit autobiographique d'une enfance iranienne, entre guerre et revolution, a travers le regard d'une petite fille.

27

LArabe du Futur: Une Jeunesse Au Moyen-Orient
Sattouf, Riad
Paper Book
The highly anticipated continuation of Riad Sattouf's internationally acclaimed, #1 French bestseller, which was hailed by The New York Times as "a disquieting yet essential read" In The Arab of the Future: Volume 1, cartoonist Riad Sattouf tells of the first...

28

The Arab of the future 2 : a graphic memoir : a childhood in the Middle East (1984-1985)
Sattouf, Riad
Paper Book
The highly anticipated continuation of Riad Sattouf's internationally acclaimed, #1 French bestseller, which was hailed by The New York Times as "a disquieting yet essential read" In The Arab of the Future: Volume 1, cartoonist Riad Sattouf tells of the first...

29

Do you even know me?
Faruqi, Reem
Paper Book
"With colorful, appealing cartoon illustrations and a text that reads aloud well, this touching story encourages kids not only to accept people from different cultures and religions but to stand up for themselves when they're being bullied." --ALA Booklist (starred review) ...

30

Yusuf Azeem is not a hero
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
At a time when we are all asking questions about identity, grief, and how to stand up for what is right, this book by the author of A Thousand Questions will hit home with young readers who love Hena Khan and Varian Johnson--or anyone struggling to understand recent U.S. history and...
Also available in eBook format.

31

The masjid Kamal loves
Franklin, Ashley
Paper Book
From the author of Not Quite Snow White comes a story about a young Muslim boy celebrating the many reasons he loves going to his local masjid in this jubilant and playful picture book perfect for fans of Mommy's Khimar and Abdul's Story. Friday is Kamal's...
Also available in eBook format.

32

Saving Sunshine
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
Eisner-nominated A 2024 Bank Street Best Books of the Year Nominated for the 2024 Jane Addams Children's Book Award A Kirkus Best Book of 2023 A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids 2023 A YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection

33

Under my hijab
Khan, Hena
Paper Book
This lovely book from the author of Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns invites readers to understand and appreciate the hijab and the Muslim women who decide to wear it. Grandma's hijab clasps under her chin. Auntie pins hers up with a whimsical brooch. Jenna puts a sun hat...
Also available in eBook format.

34

Banana dream
Namir, Hasan
Paper Book
A young boy in Iraq yearns to taste the bananas that have been made unavailable by warfare. Growing up in Iraq after the Gulf War, Mooz didn't always like his name, which means "banana". But when he learns the story behind it, he's proud, even when being teased by his classmates....
Canadian author.

35

We are big time
Khan, Hena
Paper Book
SWISH! Cheer courtside for a Muslim teen as she joins an all-girls, hijab-wearing basketball team and learns that she's much more than a score. This energetic graphic novel is inspired by a true story! "A slam dunk!" --Minh Lê A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BEST KIDS' BOOK...

36

A bit of Earth
Riazi, Karuna
Paper Book
"Karuna Riazi has a way with words. This story will find its way into your heart."--Tae Keller, Newbery Medalist for When You Trap a Tiger "As timeless as it is timely, A Bit of Earth is a rare gift."--Laurel Snyder, author of National Book Award nominee Orphan Island ...
Also available in eBook format.

37

Amal unbound
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
"Saeed's timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review The compelling story of a girl's fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude. Life is quiet and...

38

Le courage d'Amal
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
"Saeed's timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review The compelling story of a girl's fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude. Life is quiet and...

Dans son village du Pakistan, Amal, douze ans, aspire a devenir un jour enseignante. Ainee de la famille, elle doit veiller sur ses soeurs apes l'ecole, mais trouve toujours le temps de parfaire son education. Un jour, elle se querelle avec le fils du chef du village et l'insulte sans le vouloir. Homme riche et corrompu, le chef oblige Amal a devenir sa servante afin de racheter sa faute. Au domaine des Khan ou elle habite desormais, la jeune fille est traitee comme une esclave et doit lutter pour sa survie dans un univers ou c'est chacun pour soi. Determinee et intelligente, elle ne se laisse pas abattre. Rassemblant tout son courage, elle amorce un combat qui lui permettra d'obtenir justice et de realiser enfin son reve d'une vie meilleure.

Aussi disponible en format numerique.

39

Grounded
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
Four kids meet at an airport for one unforgettable night in this middle-grade novel by four bestselling and award-winning authors--Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, and S. K. Ali. A Walter Award Honor Book When a...
Also available in eBook format.

40

Salat in secret
Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah
Paper Book
From the critically acclaimed author of Your Name Is a Song and the bestselling illustrator of The Proudest Blue comes a story about a Muslim boy who receives a salat (prayer) rug on his seventh birthday and becomes empowered about his faith. In this beautiful story...

41

The wonders we seek : thirty incredible Muslims who helped shape the world
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
In this biographical collection, with stunning portraits and illustrations by Saffa Khan, authors Saadia Faruqi and Aneesa Mumtaz highlight some of the talented Muslim physicians, musicians, athletes, poets, and more who helped make the world we know today. A brilliant...
Also available in eBook format.

42

Lion on the inside : how one girl changed basketball
Abdul-Qaadir, Bilqis
Paper Book
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was born to play basketball. At three, she has her own hoop. By seventeen, she's the star player on her school's varsity team. On the day of the playoffs, though, the referee says she can't play while wearing her hijab. Her teammates refuse to play, the crowd shouts its support...

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