I’m about to start an Islam/Middle East themed reading project, and if anyone wants to join me, you are welcome.  My selection process is complex and meticulous: I’ve scanned my bookshelves and made a list of books on the topic that I own but have not yet read.

The first three out of the gate are all written by immigrants who now live and work in the United States:

• No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam by Reza Aslan
• Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters by Omid Safi
• A God Who Hates: The Courageous Woman Who Inflamed the Muslim World Speaks Out Against the Evils of Islam by Wafa Sultan

The first two look to be more or less sympathetic toward Islam, but since I haven’t read them yet, it’s hard to tell.  The third pretty much telegraphs its intention right there in the title.  (Wafa Sultan, you may recall, is the firebrand who shouted down a couple of Muslim men during an Al Jazeera exchange in 2006.)

If there’s enough interest, I might blog the first book chapter-by-chapter, like I did with Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth.  Let me know!