Fans pick 100 books like An Imperialist Love Story

By Amira Jarmakani,

Here are 100 books that An Imperialist Love Story fans have personally recommended if you like An Imperialist Love Story. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Muslims Are Coming: Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror

Marwan Mohammed Author Of Islamophobia in France: The Construction of the "Muslim Problem"

From my list on understanding and fighting Islamophobia.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm Marwan Mohammed, a sociologist for the Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), a pure product of the French working-class suburbs; having failed at school, taken to the streets, and ended up in research after a detour through social work and community organizing. I founded several grassroots organizations in the Paris suburbs, such as C'noues (which became a futsal club that trained several top-level players, including my brother Abdessamad Mohammed, the French national team's all-time top scorer) and more recently NormalZup, an association that tackles educational inequalities at source. I'll be telling the whole story in a forthcoming book. 

Marwan's book list on understanding and fighting Islamophobia

Marwan Mohammed Why did Marwan love this book?

This book provided me with the keys to understanding how the authorities' actions could bring racism to life. Arun Kundnani's book shows how the horrific attacks of September 11 gave rise to the construction of ideologies, opinions, theories, and public policies that regarded the domestic Muslim presence, whether immigrants or citizens, as a threat to the highest order, justifying programs of surveillance and repression that were discriminatory and infringed fundamental freedoms. 

It's one thing for the country to protect itself from violent attacks; it's quite another to consider a mass of Muslims, especially the most visible ones, as a threat and a suspect population by associating religious practice with Islamism or radicalization. These two vague notions have helped to spread an Islamophobic culture of suspicion. Arun Kundnani's book sheds much-needed light on this turning point in contemporary history in various Western democracies.

By Arun Kundnani,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Muslims Are Coming as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"The new front in the War on Terror is the "homegrown enemy," domestic terrorists who have become the focus of sprawling counterterrorism structures of policing and surveillance in the United States and across Europe. Domestic surveillance has mushroomed - at least 100,000 Muslims in America have been secretly under scrutiny. British police compiled a secret suspect list of more than 8,000 al-Qaeda "sympathizers," and in another operation included almost 300 children fifteen and under among the potential extremists investigated. MI5 doubled in size in just five years. Based on several years of research and reportage, in locations as disparate as…


Book cover of Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire: 20 years after 9/11

Evelyn Alsultany Author Of Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion

From my list on Islamophobia and the War on Terror.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in New York City in the 1980s as an Arab Latina American Muslim, which shaped my interest in who is considered American. Back then, there was no language to talk about my experience of marginalization as Arab or Muslim. That changed after 9/11 and the War on Terror. A decade after that, the term “Islamophobia” entered the US lexicon, leading to social recognition of this form of discrimination, and many important debates about what constitutes Islamophobia. I made my career exploring how Arabs and Muslims figure into US racial politics, and am currently a professor of US Ethnic Studies at the University of Southern California.

Evelyn's book list on Islamophobia and the War on Terror

Evelyn Alsultany Why did Evelyn love this book?

This is a remarkable book that offers a clear historical overview of Islamophobia in the US, going back several centuries.

Kumar shows that it is geopolitics that shapes whether Muslims are seen as friends or enemies. Thus the origin of Islamophobia is not a problem with Islam itself, but rather in US endeavors to remain a global empire. Besides Islamophobia, the books offers clear explanations to understand terrorism, the War on Terror, and empire.

By Deepa Kumar,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this incisive account, leading scholar of Islamophobia Deepa Kumar traces the history of anti-Muslim racism from the early modern era to the "War on Terror." Importantly, Kumar contends that Islamophobia is best understood as racism rather than as religious intolerance. An innovative analysis of anti-Muslim racism and empire, Islamophobia argues that empire creates the conditions for anti-Muslim racism, which in turn sustains empire.

This book, now updated to include the end of the Trump's presidency, offers a clear and succinct explanation of how Islamophobia functions in the United States both as a set of coercive policies and as a…


Book cover of A Global Racial Enemy: Muslims and 21st-Century Racism

Evelyn Alsultany Author Of Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion

From my list on Islamophobia and the War on Terror.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in New York City in the 1980s as an Arab Latina American Muslim, which shaped my interest in who is considered American. Back then, there was no language to talk about my experience of marginalization as Arab or Muslim. That changed after 9/11 and the War on Terror. A decade after that, the term “Islamophobia” entered the US lexicon, leading to social recognition of this form of discrimination, and many important debates about what constitutes Islamophobia. I made my career exploring how Arabs and Muslims figure into US racial politics, and am currently a professor of US Ethnic Studies at the University of Southern California.

Evelyn's book list on Islamophobia and the War on Terror

Evelyn Alsultany Why did Evelyn love this book?

I write about Islamophobia in the US but often wonder how it manifests in other countries. I now know where to go for answers.

This book examines Muslim racialization in four countries – the US, the UK, India, and China. It takes readers through the history of Islamophobia in each country, examining the role of media in stereotyping and Othering Muslims. Importantly, the book also explains how anti-Muslim racism has figured in recent ethnonationalist movements and counterterrorism policies.

By Saher Selod, Inaash Islam, Steve Garner

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Global Racial Enemy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Prejudice against Muslims has a long and complex history, shaped over many centuries. In recent decades, discrimination, violence, and human rights abuses against Muslims have taken a significant turn, with rising reports and discussions of Islamophobia across the globe. However, as the authors of A Global Racial Enemy argue, much of the conversation has missed the key features of this increasingly insidious phenomenon.

This original book puts race at the center of the analysis, exposing the global racialization of Muslims. With special attention paid to the United States, China, India, and the United Kingdom, the authors examine both the unique…


Book cover of Nothing Has to Make Sense: Upholding White Supremacy through Anti-Muslim Racism

Evelyn Alsultany Author Of Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion

From my list on Islamophobia and the War on Terror.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in New York City in the 1980s as an Arab Latina American Muslim, which shaped my interest in who is considered American. Back then, there was no language to talk about my experience of marginalization as Arab or Muslim. That changed after 9/11 and the War on Terror. A decade after that, the term “Islamophobia” entered the US lexicon, leading to social recognition of this form of discrimination, and many important debates about what constitutes Islamophobia. I made my career exploring how Arabs and Muslims figure into US racial politics, and am currently a professor of US Ethnic Studies at the University of Southern California.

Evelyn's book list on Islamophobia and the War on Terror

Evelyn Alsultany Why did Evelyn love this book?

Did you know that anti-Muslim racism and white supremacy are interrelated?

Razack’s book helps us understand why Islamophobia should be understood as a form of racism rather than religious discrimination. She powerfully shows that anti-Muslim racism is not unique to the political right and does not always take overt forms like “the Muslim ban.” Rather, it can manifest in liberal commitments to Western values of democracy, secularism, and women’s rights.

Razack argues that “anti-Muslim feelings” uphold infrastructures of white supremacy and laws that authorize racial violence.

By Sherene H. Razack,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Nothing Has to Make Sense as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How Western nations have consolidated their whiteness through the figure of the Muslim in the post-9/11 world

While much has been written about post-9/11 anti-Muslim racism (often termed Islamophobia), insufficient attention has been given to how anti-Muslim racism operates through law and is a vital part of law's protection of whiteness. This book fills this gap while also providing a unique new global perspective on white supremacy. Sherene H. Razack, a leading critical race and feminist scholar, takes an innovative approach by situating law within media discourses and historical and contemporary realities. We may think of law as logical, but,…


Book cover of A Message in the Moon

Nancy Tupper Ling Author Of One Perfect Plan: The Bible's Big Story in Tiny Poems

From my list on Christian picture reads for kids.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a children’s author, poet, bookseller, and librarian, I surround myself with books and sometimes books of faith. I remember the joy I felt reading many Bible stories with my parents as a child. It took months to journey from the battle of David and Goliath to the bravery of Queen Esther, and then onto Jesus’ miracles. Exploring something new, I decided to tell these stories through short poem, so a family could read an entire book in one sitting. I truly appreciate when faith-based books work to build the love of God for young readers. Thankfully, more books exist now to show young readers what a faith-centric life looks like.

Nancy's book list on Christian picture reads for kids

Nancy Tupper Ling Why did Nancy love this book?

Wow! While Roma Downey is best-known for her role as Monica in Touched By an Angel, she is also making her mark as a children’s author.

This is both a touching and reassuring story for a child who feels miles apart from a loved one for any number of reasons. When Roma lost her own mother at a young age, her father reminded her that if they looked up at the light of the moon, they could sense one another’s love across the miles. In the end, we can be grateful for the moon reminding us of God’s love.

By Roma Downey, Holly Hatam (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Message in the Moon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

This gorgeous picture book illustrates the unique relationship between children and their parents and how this special love connects them always, from near or far—from Emmy-nominated actress, producer, and New York Times bestselling author Roma Downey.

Oh Moon, moon, moon that shines so bright.
Please send this message far . . .
So all will know that they are loved,
No matter where they are.

A Message in the Moon was inspired by Downey’s own story of losing her mother when she was just ten years old and the comfort her father brought her. Years later, when Downey left home…


Book cover of It Had to Be You

Samantha Gassman Author Of Dear Rainbow Baby

From my list on reading to your rainbow baby.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I started writing children’s stories in 2018, I never would've guessed that my first book would be about rainbow babies. I hadn’t even heard of the term until I miscarried the following year. As I grieved the baby we would never hold, I used writing to work through the mess of emotions I felt: pain, disappointment, sorrow… until the words “Dear Rainbow Baby” appeared. My husband and I didn’t know if we could or would have a rainbow baby, yet, writing a letter filled me with hope that one day she would come. We recently celebrated our daughter’s second birthday, and the publication of my first picture book Dear Rainbow Baby.

Samantha's book list on reading to your rainbow baby

Samantha Gassman Why did Samantha love this book?

The first thing I noticed about this book was its simple black, white, and red illustrations. They are simple and clean and add so much to the book’s message. While the text doesn’t explicitly mention rainbow babies, parents who have endured previous losses will resonate with its beautiful refrain: it had to be you. 

By Loryn Brantz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked It Had to Be You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This sweet and playful board book features bold, high-contrast black-and-white illustrations that babies can actually see!

In simple, beautiful verse, bestselling Feminist Baby creator and two-time Emmy Award winner Loryn Brantz narrates the journey that parents take to have their perfect little one.

New York magazine's The Strategist chose It Had to Be You as one of the "Best (Nonobvious) Baby Books to Bring to a Shower." As The Strategist stated: "Because of its high-contrast color scheme (with red accents), it's easy for babies to see the illustrations. Plus, the lyrical text is a love poem to the child that's…


Book cover of What Love Is: And What It Could Be

Roanne van Voorst Author Of Six in a Bed: The Future of Love - from Sex Dolls and Avatars to Polyamory

From my list on finding connection in a modern digital world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a futures anthropologist whose research centers on anticipated changes within human society. I seek to understand what gains can be made for humanity in various future scenarios, what aspects we must preserve to safeguard what I refer to as ‘sustainable humanity,’ and what is at risk of being lost and who stands to lose. One of the important themes in my work is love because intimacy–whether that be in a romantic, sensual, or friendly manner–is innate to the human experience. In my work, I wonder: if the experience of love changes, does this mean we, as humans, are also changing?

Roanne's book list on finding connection in a modern digital world

Roanne van Voorst Why did Roanne love this book?

Some books affirm, and some books expand your thinking. This book belongs to the second category. Jenkins explores a new definition of love and tries to make that concept more inclusive than it currently is. This new definition of love is necessary, I believe, because as time changes, so does our experience of love.

By Carrie Jenkins,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked What Love Is as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What is love? Aside from being the title of many a popular love song, this is one of life's perennial questions. In What Love Is , philosopher Carrie Jenkins offers a bold new theory on the nature of romantic love that reconciles its humanistic and scientific components. Love can be a social construct (the idea of a perfect fairy tale romance) and a physical manifestation (those anxiety- inducing heart palpitations) we must recognize its complexities and decide for ourselves how to love. Motivated by her own polyamorous relationships, she examines the ways in which our parameters of love have recently…


Book cover of Salaam, with Love

Jenn P. Nguyen Author Of Fake It Till You Break It

From my list on YA books about first love and discovering yourself.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a kid, I’ve always loved reading romances, even if it meant spending my recesses in the library and reading through lunchtime. This resulted in my 6th-grade teacher giving me the weirdest look when she caught me reading a romance at school. When I started writing, I wrote a couple of different genres to test out, but YA contemporary romances were always the ones that stuck with me. I loved writing about the fluttery feelings of first love and the complexities of an uncertain future. It also helps that I met my husband, the love of my life, in high school so I’ll always have a soft spot for books that make me feel that way again.

Jenn's book list on YA books about first love and discovering yourself

Jenn P. Nguyen Why did Jenn love this book?

My favorite genre to read and write is romance, but there are different levels to them. I got the honor to read Salaam, With Love before it came out and although the romance in here is more subtle and sweet, this book is definitely about loving yourself. About discovering who you are and being proud of where you’re from. Although our lives and cultures are different, I can definitely relate to Dua’s journey of self-discovery and was rooting for her every step of the way. 

By Sara Sharaf Beg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Salaam, with Love as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This heartfelt and humorous YA contemporary follows Dua, who spends the month of Ramadan making unexpected discoveries about family, faith, and first love.

"Beg beautifully crafts a comforting tale filled with fun characters and excellent Muslim representation.”--Aamna Qureshi, author of The Lady or the Lion

"[A] love letter to Islam, capturing all the wonderful nuances of faith and culture."--Adiba Jaigirdar, author of Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating

Being crammed into a house in Queens with her cousins is not how Dua envisions her trip to New York City. But here she is, spending the holy month of Ramadan…


Book cover of I Will Hold You 'til You Sleep

Elizabeth Jorgensen Author Of I Love You More

From my list on children's stories that convey profound love.

Why am I passionate about this?

It's a pleasure to share these books with other readers because they so elegantly convey love in a way for young readers to easily understand. They contain elements of reassurance that both children and parents need, especially during times of transition. I didn't comprehend how much love I could have for another person until the birth of my daughter. My love for her was so immense and all-consuming that it brought an unfathomable joy to my life. I read these books to her during transitional times as a way to articulate the infinite love I have for her. I hope they bring as much comfort and closeness to other readers as they have to us.

Elizabeth's book list on children's stories that convey profound love

Elizabeth Jorgensen Why did Elizabeth love this book?

The tenderness a parent has for their child is so compelling, so strong, that the overwhelming need to nurture and soothe is boundless even as they grow into adults. As my children have grown, this book has become an even more precious part of our library. The love a parent has for a child only begins at birth, but lasts a lifetime and grows stronger with each new season. This stunning book illustrates this perfectly!

By Linda Zuckerman, Jon J. Muth (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Will Hold You 'til You Sleep as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 2, 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

A book that combines the spiritual (and artistic) appeal of Jon Muth's THE THREE QUESTIONS with the heartfelt emotion of LOVE YOU FOREVER.

Here is the rare book that not only expresses a parent's love for their child, but offers a hope for what that love will become. It begins with a wish at bedtime, as parents hold their children tight and hope their love will cradle them, safe and sound. It continues through the day their children have grown up, proud and strong, and can pass that love on to someone else. This is a book that goes beyond…


Book cover of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

Rachael O’Meara Author Of Pause

From my list on be a more confident leader.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since I was a little girl, I felt intimidated to use my voice when I needed to, or didn’t feel confident to speak up or show up to support myself. It wasn’t until I studied emotional intelligence (EI) that I started to learn the tools that helped me develop my confidence and step into my power. My book has many of these tools in it, and I am on a mission to help leaders embrace intentional shifts in behavior, or pauses, to redirect their energy to feel more confident, calm, and clear–without the overwhelm. 

Rachael's book list on be a more confident leader

Rachael O’Meara Why did Rachael love this book?

I read this book as part of my Search Inside Yourself (SIY) facilitator training when I worked at Google and later taught. I love this book because it’s full of science-based research on the power of mindfulness. I personally love all of Rick’s books and hosted him on my podcast, The Pausecast podcast (Ep. 17), where he blends his psychology and mindfulness expertise into easy and relatable concepts.

This book stuck out to me because Hanson shares how great teachers like Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi, and the Buddha all had brains built essentially like anyone else's, yet they were able to harness their thoughts and shape their patterns of thinking in ways that changed history. I was inspired by their stories and also saw how I could model my own thinking in ways that better serve me and the world. 

By Rick Hanson, Richard Mendius,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Buddha's Brain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi, and the Buddha all had brains built essentially like anyone else's, yet they were able to harness their thoughts and shape their patterns of thinking in ways that changed history.

With new breakthroughs in modern neuroscience and the wisdom of thousands of years of contemplative practice, it is possible for us to shape our own thoughts in a similar way for greater happiness, love, compassion, and wisdom.

Buddha's Brain joins the forces of modern neuroscience with ancient contemplative teachings to show readers how they can work toward greater emotional well-being, healthier relationships, more effective actions, and…


Book cover of The Muslims Are Coming: Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror
Book cover of Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire: 20 years after 9/11
Book cover of A Global Racial Enemy: Muslims and 21st-Century Racism

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