Most of us know that Oprah is a huge book reader. Aside from her infamous book club, she’s also starred in tons of movies based off books. This week, channel your inner Oprah Winfrey as we  compile a list of super-special beach reads to get lost in this summer, and even better, they’re all written by Arab authors.

1 | The Greater Freedom by Alya Mooro

“The Greater Freedom is my reckoning with the many, many messages we receive from society, from culture, from family, from ourselves, and represents my attempt to unpick them, to question them, so we can understand that there is no such thing as ‘normal’ and in fact there are many ways in to live a life,” says Egyptian born and raised writer, Alya Mooro, who’s based in London.

2 | Assembly of The Dead by Saeida Rouass

“Set in 1906 in the medina of Marrakesh, Assembly of the Dead transports the modern day visitor to a bygone age as they wander the city’s ancient alleyways where a killer is at large,” says Saieda Rouass, a writer of Moroccan heritage, born and raised in London, of her book that has recently been optioned for a screen adaptation.

3 | Proven Billionaires’ Formula by Adwa Al Dakheel

Born in 1992, Adwa Al-Dakheel is a Saudi Arabian author, poet, pilot, musician and entrepreneur. Her book is written for people who want to leave a mark in history as successful, influential, innovative, and entrepreneurial individuals. Proven Billionaire’s Formula  was written as a 16-year-old, and edited four years later by that same girl turned woman – as a result, it appeals to all ages.

4 | Fini Avec Les Histoires a l’Eau de Rose by Arze Nakhle

Senior Features Editor at Marie Claire Arabia magazine, PhD candidate and researcher at Université Bordeaux Montaigne, Arze Nakhle says, “This book tells through poetry the story of a soul searching for love. Its three chapters intertwine to question the definitions of love, deceit, communication, fidelity, separation and indifference. Somewhere between storytelling and poetry, reality and dreams, writing can be so liberating and therapeutic.”

5 | Superman is an Arab by Joumana Haddad

Aren’t we all?! Joumana Haddad is a Lebanese author, public speaker, journalist, feminist and human rights activist, her book is a howl in the face of a particular species of men: the macho man, Supermen, as they like to envision themselves. But Superman is a lie. In this explosive sequel to “I Killed Scheherazade”, Joumana Haddad examines the patriarchal system that continues to dominate the Arab world and beyond.