All-Time Favorite Seasonal Reads

Our concept of seasons is formed in part by where we live. In Rhode Island, we had four fairly equal seasons (reflected in the lineup below). Since moving to Minnesota in 2022, our seasons and weather vary dramatically. Change, sometimes very fast, is key here. What do seasons mean to you? If your seasons differ from New England, adjust accordingly (for example, if you’re in New Zealand, reverse them for below suggestions).

Reading with seasons can work in different ways. For example, in the summer time a person might seek out a story that features summery scenes (sun, beach, etc). Another person might pick the opposite (cold, rainy, snowy, etc). What about you? Do you ever revisit favorite books? Do you feel drawn to certain ones in certain seasons?

Also, what format do you prefer? I find that some books are great for audiobook (for example, I have a favorite audiobook version of Pride and Prejudice (narrated by Kate Beckinsale). For Arabic audiobooks, I heard an excellent reading of في قلبي أنثى عبرية  by خولة   حمدي  on the Swedish-based Kitab Sawti (now Storytel, and therefore unavailable to me in the U.S.). I find that most people who enjoy reading books tend to prefer book versions over film versions, although some films become favorites. In my case, I think about rewatching Little Women (1994) during the winter season. For Arabic book-to-film adaptations, I can recommend Bab el-shams/Gate of the Sun (2004). I don’t associate it strongly with a certain season, but perhaps summer…

The following list provides some ideas of books/stories to explore throughout the seasons. Feel free to tell me about your own on social media.

Spring (Mar.-May)

• Contemporary Arabic poetry suggestion: Midnight / منتصف الليل by Mourid Barghouti
• Bilingual pre-modern Arabic poetry suggestion: Ibn Arabi’s Translator of Desires by Michael Sells, and reinterpreted in Agitated Air by Yasmine Seale and Robin Moger
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hogson Burnett (perhaps audiobook, easily available classic)
• The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim (perhaps audiobook, easily available classic)

Summer (Jun.-Aug.)

• Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman | A mix of island paradise, African folklore, and imaginative storytelling
• Persuasion by Jane Austen | While I lived in South County, Rhode Island, we had a season of tourists attracted by nearby beaches. I developed a whole new appreciation for the touristy coastal town in this novel. The story itself is worth revisiting for its depiction of true love, tough lessons, and hope renewed.
• A Recipe for Daphne by Nektaria Anastasiadou | Visit Istanbul for a summer of comedy and romance across multiple generations
• Little Songs in the Shade of Tamaara / ترانيم في ظل تمارا by Mohammed Afifi | Lay back in a garden in Egypt with the retired author and enjoy his musings on surrounding plants, animals, and family
• Favorite Film: Caramel (Nadine Labaki, 2007)

Fall (Sep.-Nov.)

In this season, many people in the U.S. enjoy “witchy” entertainment, with supernatural elements in books and movies. For an Arabic selection, I recommend The Square Moon by Ghada Samman for stories filled with ghosts and mystery.

Ahmed Salah Mahdi’s Reem includes a charming spookiness.

This is also back-to-school time for many. A book with a university setting that I’d like to reread this year is The Translator by Leila Aboulela, a cross-cultural story of love, identity, and integrity.

A favorite classic with settings at college is The Open Door by Latifa Zayyat.

Winter (Dec.-Feb.)

One MENA/SWANA book that includes beautiful depictions of wintry snow is My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk. For example:

When you love a city and have explored it frequently on foot, your body, not to mention your soul, gets to know the streets so well after a number of years that in a fit of melancholy, perhaps stirred by a light snow falling ever so sorrowfully, you’ll discover your legs carrying you of their own accord toward one of your favorite promontories.

Orhan Pamuk, My Name Is Red, p. 11 in Faber and Faber 2001 edition

For wintry graphic novels, there’s the fantasy Mouse Guard (#2 is set in winter) and the gritty and insightful Ducks, set in the oil fields of Alberta, Canada.

If you prefer to spend time in warmer imaginary places where you can enjoy a good story, try Siraaj by Radwa Ashour. May your year include great moments with literature!