Of Men and Monsters/Sweet Dates in Basra (Books 39 and 40) in Book Challenge 2016 (52 books to be read in 52 weeks)

In Of Mice and Monsters by William Tenn (235 pages), the human race lives like mice. A superior, gigantic alien race takes over the Earth, and humans live within the walls of the alien’s houses. The human race survives by stealing, and is treated like vermin. Which may not be a bad thing…This was a slight disappointment. I read this book from 14 to 17 May, and I’m struggling a little to remember all the little details. Interesting concept, but I’m not really sure about the ending.

The other book I read recently was Sweet Dates In Basra by Jessica Jiji (368 pages). This is the story of a young Marsh Arab called Kathmiya Mahmoud, and is set in 1940s Iraq. Kathmiya’s family should be arranging her marriage, but she finds herself sent to work as a maid in Basra. Shafiq, a Jewish boy, spends his days playing with his Muslim neighbour Omar. When Kathmiya and Shafiq meet, they find themselves drawn into a forbidden relationship. The backdrop was interesting - I can’t say I know a great deal about the Middle East, especially during the Second World War. Even though this was a work of fiction, it was a good starting point.

My only concern was that the characters seemed to lack depth. I did struggle a little to keep my interest going. Date Read: 17 - 20 May 2016. 3 stars.

Books Read This Year: 40/52. Total Pages Read So Far This Year: 10211