Suggested Readings
Here is a list of readings that some of you may enjoy, if you found the content on this website interesting. Some of these will be readings I covered in the work on this site, and others are books, stories, and essays, that are similar to those I have used and cover. I will also include some collections of academic essays I have used for research.
From the Essays
- Three Turk Plays from Early Modern England, edited by Daniel J. Vitkus. Content Warning: anit-islamic rhetoric and sentiments, implied and overt sexism, and general misunderstandings about the human body. This book is where Robert Dabornes
A Christian Turned TUrk
is pulled from. The three plays in this book are interesting reads, but are from the Renaissance period in England. While outdated, they allow for insights into the minds of the early modern Enlgish. They are also, unfortunately, fun reads if you can get past the sings of the periods they were written. - Coryat's Crudities, by Thomas Coryat. Content Warning: Cultural misunderstandings, colorism, racism, some anti-islamic sentiments. This entry is where the Coryat piece I looked at in
Not What England Is
can be found. Thomas Coryat was an interesting character, he was a well learend polyglot who actively exposed himself to other cultures. However, he was still an Englishman traveling the world in the early modern period, so he says and does a few problematic things in his writings. This book is worth looking at if you are interested in what an early modern celebrity was like. War Years
, from The Refugees, by Viet Thahn Nguyen. This piece is a short story about a young boy struggling between his dual identity as both Vietnamese and American. This story is a great read for anyone interested in stories about cultural crossover and familial understanding.- A Mercy, by Toni Morrison. Content Warinng: implied rape, religous trauma, racism. This book is about a young slave girl named florens who goes a journey to find a freed man blacksmith to save her dying mistress. However, Florens is in love with the blacksmith and hopes he will take her away from the Vaark estate. Exploring the power dynamics of relationships of all kinds and breaking down the idea of community, this is a perfect read for lovers of drama and sad, yet gripping, tales.
- The Origin of Others, by Toni Morrison. A collection of analytical essays in which Morrison discusses othering. Great choice for those interested in learning more about othering, a key concept in post-colonial theory.
Canon Alberic's Scrapbook
, by M.R. James. Content Warning: distrubing imagery. This short story can be foud in a collection titled Ghost Stories of an Antiquarian. This piece is a ghost story, and one of the most terrifying ones I have read. For those wanting a good scare, this short story is for you. It is also for you if you are interested in seeing how other religions viewed Catholicism in the early 1900s in England.- Treasure Island, by Robert Louise Stevenson. I am not going to gas this one up too much, as most of us probably know of this book. If you do not, it is likely you have read a story, or watched a movie, inspired by it, like Disney's Treasure Island, but the original is worth reading.
- Above the Well, by Asao Inoue. Content Warning: Racism and really awkward scenes. This book is one part critical analysis of language use, and one part memoir. Asao Inoue details his experience with the English language, and explains how its standarized form is based in a system of white supremacy. Great read for those looking for something new and enlightening, but can make first time readers uncomfortable as it reveals how we all participate in white supremacy without realizing it.
Gisli Surson's Saga
, from Icelandic Sagas.Content Warning: a whole lot of blood and murder. This saga is a tale of revenge and squabble over wealth. Can be a hard read for those who have never read an Icelandic saga before, but for those that can get into it, it is one of the most fun stories you will ever read.
From Outside the Essays
- The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Moshin Hamid. Content Warning: Discussions of religious extremism and anti-muslim sentiments directed at the main character. There is not much I can say about this book that won't ruin for fist time readers. It explores a post 9/11 America from the persepctive of a Muslim man, who fell into the trap of the American dream. A very thought provoking, sad, and angry story. Recomended for anyone who likes dramatic reads.
- Men in the Sun, by Ghassan Kanafani. Content Warning: Discussion of a man's privates getting mutilated and a very uncomfortable scene involving dead bodies. This is a novella written by a Palestinian Author, who often wrote about Palestinians' struggle to hold onto their hope of returning home. A very sad yet good read, it is a little slow, but at only 70 some pages it can be read by those who do not have a lot of time. It connects back to my essays on diaspora as well. The ending is very sad in a disturbing way, but if that does not turn you away from the book, you will enjoy it.
- Love, by Toni Morrison. Content Warning: Implied child SA, child marriage, implied rape. My personal favorite book by Toni Morrison. This story takes place in two different time periods and discusses what happens when friendships are ruined and victims are blamed for their own victimhood, all while Morrison once again expertly discusses racism and white supremacy.
