Book Reviews

From memorable classics and modern fiction to memoirs and recent favourites: a collection of books that have inspired lively conversations and different perspectives.

Literary & Contemporary Fiction (43)

The Color Purple

by Alice Walker

I have to admit that the reason I added this book to my TBR list was because I wanted to read it before watching the film. I am one of the few people who never watched the first film because it was never shown in the country where I grew up. So the remake of the film sparked my interest to read this classic.

I really loved the way the Author cleverly gave the books’ female characters their own strong & special storylines. By using somewhat sub-Par penmanship in Celie’s letters, she reminds us of her life’s circumstances that took her out of school & predestined that she live a ‘simple life’. Nettie on the other, went to school longer & is able to live a more fulfilled & well travelled life. There storylines of the other women in this book are so good but I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone who hasn’t read it.

And even though Patriarchy ‘rules’ throughout the book with a heavy hand, the love between the sisters, mothers & their children & also the queer love that develops in Celie’s life overshadows it & the characters get to experience kindness, hope, forgiveness & the possibility for a new start.

This book & ‘Alice Walker’ deserve all the accolades & even more!

Black Cake

by Charmaine Wilkerson

Who knew that a piece of cake left by a dying woman to be shared among her children would take us on a journey that spans 60 years in the life of a family. The writer does an amazing job as she takes us through the stories, past & present of Eleanor Bennet & her loved ones. And even as she tells the gripping narrative, she still manages to skillfully touch on important issues such as racism, family, generational trauma, survival, environmental issues, migration, motherhood & life in the diaspora. This she does with so much delicacy as she weaves them right into the characters’ lives without having them take over the book, but they still remain as an inkling at the back of our minds.

And to top it all, she gives us a Recipe of the ‘famous’ ‘Black Cake’. What more can a book offer. In my opinion, a definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Ghost Season

by Fatin Abbas

Review copy from @cassavarepublicpress

This is a brilliant debut novel set in Saraaya, a fictional remote border town which lies on a contested region between northern & southern Sudan. In it we meet Dena, a Sudanese-American filmmaker, Alex, a white American aid worker & geographer on a mission to create & update existing maps, William, a Nilot translator, Layla, a cook who is a nomad & Mustafa, a 12 year old nomad boy who acts as the errand boy in this compound.

The ‘peace & order‘ in this enclosed compound is suddenly shattered when a burnt corpse mysteriously appears, something that turns out to be foreshadowing troubles that are to come.

The writing in this book is gripping, atmospheric & multifaceted in its portrayal of Sudan as potrayed in this quote….”he was a Nilot, and a Catholic. Now a Muslim. There was room in him for many things.“

There is the prominent use of a camera lens in the telling of the story which reminded me of biology class, where we learned about similarities between how the eye works and how a camera lens works. I felt like I’d been placed right in the center of Saraaya, I was an insider, but also an outsider, privy to people’s thoughts, emotions & deeds, but with my hands tied & unable to influence or interfere with what I was seeing. But I also thought a lot about the neutrality of my eyes/view on what was happening in this book and in Sudan in general. I thought about how much more observation, documentation & broadcasting can be done about Sudan, how many more reports or photos or videos do we have to see while claiming that our hands are tied? I also thought about the photographer in THE SHADOW KING by Maaza Mengitse’s who was a perpetrator while carrying a device of resistance in his hands (a camera).

I also thought about borders, boundaries & maps and how fragile these are. The fence around the compound that was meant to protect the insiders, the logo of the NGO painted on the jeep, the clothes that Dena chose to wear, the rivers & streams that suddenly dried up due to climate change that created conflicts among the communities that lived around them & also those maps & boundaries that are drawn by foreigners. Our bodies as maps; what kind of the information & stories do the marks on our bodies tell (stares at the marks on my knees from childhood scrapes & burns).

And let me not get started on the NGO world & its Altruistic nature that is disguised as adventure, but is IMO often self-serving, superficial in nature & impact & mostly designed to give its participants a ‘high’‼️

I loved everything about this book; the thoughtfulness & care with which the characters were written, the dignity that Sudan & its people were given, the sensitive way in which the deeply fragmented & highly delicate conflicts were portrayed, the joy; past, present & future that was, is & is to come. Such a mesmerizing book that is so well written & one that I would highly recommend.

Shuggie Bain

by Douglas Stuart

What happens when the person you love the most is also a monster? In the 2020 Booker prize winning debut book by Douglas Stuart, we meet a young Shuggie Bain, a sweet and lonely boy caught between loving a woman who seems determined to destroy her life and that of her loved ones and his own coming-of-age story that is confusing to him and to the people around him.

The author explores class, sexuality, alcoholism, substance abuse, domestic violence, love and poverty in an intimate, unflinchingly bleak and emotionally heartbreaking way during an Era when Margaret Thatcher’s policies have wrecked havoc on the economic status of Scotland & its people.

In the midst of interchangeable mugs of milk tea and lager laced with vodka, we follow these characters as they navigate desperately sad life conditions & hopeful dreams as we are left wondering how different their lives would have been under other circumstances. This books raised several stimulating questions for me;

•What kind of impact do oppressive systems have on human characters? •When is enough enough? •Why do we still believe in the claim of equal opportunities? •Just how rainy is it in Scotland?

Reading this book reminded me to move through life with more compassion because people are navigating a lot and also of just how complicated family and community can be.

And to those over 40 publishers who rejected this manuscript, ‘👀 I am judging you! (in the famous words of Luvvie).’

This author should write more book. He has a reader in me.

Of Women & Salt

by Gabriela Garcia

Across 5 separate generations starting in Camagüey, 1866 to present day Miami 2018, we follow 2 families (matriarchal) as they navigate relationships between each other & other people in their lives. The book moves through different time periods & whenever this is the case in a book, it takes a lot of effort to maintain a grip on the reader’s interest all throughout the various periods. I unfortunately felt like the author wasn’t able to do that for me. There were certain time periods & characters which had more depth & I felt more drawn to than others, so much that it read like a collection of short stories that the author was trying but failed to connect to each other.

I appreciated the historical journey into Cuba, learning more about the revolution led by Fidel Castro, the role that literature played in the uprising & motivation of workers, the highlighting of the often dangerous ‘migrant experience’ that includes weaponizing ICE against vulnerable people, classism even among migrants, colorism in the Latino community, exploration of substance & domestic abuse, & the US opioid & pain killer epidemic to name just but a few.

These were all themes that were touched on in this book that made me want to explore them even more. I sensed a ‘thread of salt’ that the author wove throughout the book, maybe a reminder of secrets & the trauma that is intergenerational & is passed down through motherhood but the ‘interweaving’ wasn’t just done well enough.

I really wanted to love this book more but they were just parts that didn’t wow me. Nevertheless I am now a bit more informed about Cuba & about the resilience of its people especially the women and know that the Bookclub discussion will just be equally interesting & eye opening. Something that I’m immensely looking forward to.

When We Were Sisters

by Fatimah Asghar

3 sisters grapple with life after losing both their parents while navigating existing in a home that doesn’t always feel like home. The author uses different types of prose in this lyrical, coming-of-age telling of loss, sisterhood, identity, trauma & navigating a motherless life.

Though the themes covered were traumatic, the main character’s seemingly ‘out of body narration’, which I feel like she needed to do just in order to survive, makes the reading experience less traumatic. And the author’s use of short paragraphs on certain pages which almost read like poetry was beautiful to read.

But the somewhat distance that the narrator exuded didn’t work to their favor for me as a reader because I felt kind of disconnected to them. They kept me at a distance & did not allow me in which I didn’t like. This is a review of my reading experience & absolutely not a negative on the book itself.

Beautiful prose, a fragmented, but still intimate storyline, great characters, but I missed a certain connection with the narrator. IT’S ME NOT THE BOOK‼️

I would recommend the book to anyone who is interested in reading about the bonds & structures of sisterhood, growing up Muslim in America from the perspective of a character navigating gender, being at home in their own body while also making themselves a home for her sisters, but most importantly it’s a book by a non-binary South-Asian American Muslim author.

Kin

by Tayari Jones

Tayari Jones take us on an emotionally charged journey in which we accompany 2 motherless girls; Annie & Venice, who are born and brought up in a rural town in Louisiana called Honeysuckle. Venice is brought up by a strict aunt who wishes for her to 1 day leave this small town, join college & live a better life while Annie on the other hand is raised by her grandmother, a woman who is exhausted of taking care of motherless children. And so it begins, these 2 peas in a pod, these 2 cradle friends who separate as each one of them embarks on a journey in search of a mother & in search for self.

This book is heavy laden with themes of obviously friendship, family, womanhood, racism, SA, elitism, surviving in a female body while trying to exist in a patriarchal world, grief, loss, love, and of course the true meaning of the word ‘KIN’.

This one was unputdownable for me and one that will stay with me for a very long time. I couldn’t help but think about how we roam this world, some with & some without mothers but somehow all of us having interactions with women who ‘mother’ us in one way or another. And also about having helpers along the way, people who stand for us & with us as we go through life (community).

I still get emotional as I type this, just wow😢! Tayari Jones can write 👏🏾.

Sula

by Toni Morrison

Everyone says that if you want a light read or a light introduction into Tony Morrison’s work then you should read SULA.

This story is about a friendship between two girls, one who is seen by the society as good and the other one who is shunned for how worldly ways. How come I have more questions than answers after I have to finished reading this book?

•Who exactly drew the parameters that define ‘good’ or ‘evil’ and what if they have it all mixed up in the opposite is true? •What if women are actually the ‘dominant sex‘ and the ‘leaders‘ and men are meant to ‘submit‘? •What if girlfriends are our soulmates and men/partners are just people to have fun with (Candice Bushnell)? •What if more women choose to live a more whimsical life, be more carefree, let go of all that is weighing us down or simply mirror men? •What if we look more into ourselves for answers than to the outside, spend more time on self reflection? •What if we decide to live, create, dance, paint, write with no care of who is watching us and put our pleasure first? •What if we make our own rules and paths instead of following the already existing ones that do us more harm than good? •What if when we find ‘the one‘, we actually lose ourselves in the process? •What if when we miss someone we are actually missing the person that we were before we met them? •What if we are living in an upside down world and this is actually hell (feels like it presently)?

This book should not be read alone. Read it in community. Discuss it. Pass it along. Maybe then we can find the answers! I am lucky to have read & discussed it in community with 2 Bookclubs.

The Manual for Good Wives

by Lola Jaye

This is a powerful historical fiction novel that blends the past & the present telling a deeply emotional story about identity, resilience & the long lasting effects of trauma across generations. This novel follows two main characters with intertwined timelines;

Temi, a Nigerian princess in the 19th century who is forced into an abusive marriage at 16 but who escapes with the love of her life to England to start a new life. Later she reinvents herself under the pseudonym, ‘Adeline Copplefield, a columnist writing advice pieces for women about how to be the perfect wife, kind of like Carrie Bradshaw of ‘Sex and the City’ but the opposite.

Landri on the other hand is a modern day descendant of Temi who is newly engaged & lives a fabulous life but is dealing with doubts about her own life choices.

If you are looking for a fast-paced plot & deep historical world-building then this is unfortunately not the book for you. This is more of a moving novel where we get to follow these 2 strong female leads as they uncover their lives in the search for identity and purpose.

A cute but impactful story that I enjoyed reading.

Universality

by Natasha Brown

This is a book that is sharp, uncomfortable, & slightly chaotic to be honest which in a weird way, makes it brilliant IMO.

This is a book that doesn’t like set out to be liked, is definitely not a comfort read & it doesn’t even try to guide you through the themes that it addresses. It kind of just drops you into this messy world of politics, class & language & then lets you take it from there.

This was my first encounter with Natasha Brown’s writing & hopefully not to my last because since finishing reading this one I have already read her other book THE ASSEMBLY thanks to the Bookclub that introduced me to her work.

The books starts off as a crime story with a bizarre incident involving a gold bar (the one pictured on the cover) before shifting into fragmented narratives. We are then introduced too multiple characters like a struggling journalist, a provocative columnist, wealthy elites, activists…

The book is less of a plot driven story & more of a study of perception, power & narrative control. ‘Universality’ IMO is a critical novel that exaggerates real world discourse, exposes contradictions & makes readers confront their own biases. The characters are self-serving, unreliable & sometimes hypocritical, which I think mirrors us as a society & this discomfort is what will either make you love or hate this book; I absolutely loved it.

Assembly

by Natasha Brown

I think that this book would have hit differently if I had read it back when it was published (2021), back when we were in the midst of the pandemic & also at the onset of the right wing wave, which has unfortunately only grown bigger every day since then.

Through an unnamed Black British protagonist who is of Caribbean heritage, the author gives us glimpses of day-to-day racism, micro aggression, class differences & the overall fatigue that a young woman experiences at her workplace, on the streets and even in her personal relationships while also dealing with her own personal struggles. But the author doesn’t only highlight this, she goes ahead to give historically focused ‘clapbacks‘ to such attacks which made reading this book very resourceful.

I would recommend it to someone who is trying to decipher the overarching feeling that most migrants have, that no matter how much they try to assimilate, they will never be ‘enough‘! But like I said at the beginning, great book just nothing new for me as an individual & this doesn’t take away from my overall love for her writing style, razor sharp & to the point.

Maame

by Jessica George

There’s really not much more that can be said about Jessica George’s epic debut that hasn’t been said before. This is a well written, well thought out book that is equal times entertaining, thought provoking , educative & inspiring. This is one of those books that I wish existed when I was in my 20’s but that I still appreciated reading in my 30’s & is surprisingly still just as good in my 40’s. I would equate it to a good bottle of wine that just gets better with time & one that every wine/book lover should have in their wine cellar/library

Maddie is a Ghanaian-British woman who is navigating a life that seems pre-destined as a caretaker, a role that she was given in lieu of her name ‘Maame’ which means ‘little mother’. Juggling her father’s declining health, her mother’s continuous absences, her brother’s nonchalance when it comes to lending them a hand, an unhealthy work environment & an increasingly resounding sadness that seems to engulf her, Maddie is the epitome of a tired Black woman, always giving until there’s not much left. A tale that we all unfortunately know so well but that we hope that with the rise of such literature we will see less of.

Dominion

by Addie E. Citchens

I might be on the minority with my review of this one, but this was a truly disappointing read for me & that hurts because this book had all the ingredients to make it a favorite read; Southern setting, Black family drama, church, power dynamics… like all of these together should’ve culminated into a 5 ⭐️ read but to me the characters didn’t feel fully developed, especially Wonderboy who we are told is special. I never actually felt his ‘specialeness’, neither in his actions nor his storyline.

And then the description of the South, it just didn’t feel alive. Like where was the description of food, the culture, the Black church, hats, outfits, the organ, the singing, the ushers, the church coming together after service. I just feel like it leaned heavily into the Black church cliches without adding anything new or memorable to it. When you pick out such big themes like Patriarchy, trauma, power, the Black church, religion & lump them all together with no proper exploration, it feels underwhelming & not well executed.

Honestly, I feel disappointed by the hype around this book & low-key think that some book reviewers are just gaslighting us. I mean it’s not a terrible book, it’s just not what it could have been.

Kingfisher

by Rozie Kelly

I read this as part of my ‘Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026’ reading challenge.

One word that I would use to describe the writing in this book would be ‘Tender‘. The author uses a small number of characters to create a world that is both realistic but also fantastical. Realistic because aren’t we all ‘drudging‘ through the days of our lives, caring & being cared for & fantastical in the openness in which the characters yearn for, seek & dispose of love.

My feelings or the thoughts that I had at the beginning of the book about the main character were totally different when I got to the end. I was there in the start when he felt young and obnoxious, I watched him love & be loved, care & be cared for & it broke my heart a bit when I got to the end & we had to part ways. I am happy for him & for what he has become, but I’m sad for myself because I won’t hear from him again (wipes away tears).

Such a soothing & tender read that reminded me that it is ok to be messy along the way, life is messy & that too is ok.

This one deserves to be on that list 🏆!

Flashlight

by Susan Choi

Let’s start with the basics, a flashlight is a portable hand-held electrical lamp that is used as a light source in places that are poorly lit, during power outages or when a portable light source is needed. The quality of the illumination depends a lot on the individual holding the flashlight, which means that the lighting quality is partial, unstable & often times directional, not to mention the presence of shadows.

To tie this back to the book, we meet 4 main characters who through flickering memory & trauma tell us a multigenerational story that span decades & continents. The quality or reliability of their memories is difficult to discern as the author uses fractured timelines & shifting perspectives to explore the characters life stories.

What starts with the mysterious disappearance of a father while on an evening walk with his daughter near a Japanese shoreline shifts into an unconventional historical novel that felt too ambitious IMO. I cannot deny the amazing prose & level of detail in the book that lent the characters’ loneliness & longing authenticity, but I felt overwhelmed by the book’s attempt to cover so much in terms of geography, time span, themes & history and this together with the non-linear structure made reading it more of a chore than an enjoyable experience.

A well written and researched book but one that I was happy to see come to an end thus ranking it at the bottom on my Women’s Prize For Fiction 2026 winner prediction.

John of John

by Douglas Stuart

A prodigal son decides to go back home after he has failed to make it on the outside world like he had hoped to. Home is an island (Western Isles of Scotland) where the weather & terrain is just as rocky and unsteady as the relationships he has with his loved ones. A father, a sheep farmer, weaver & the local religious leader, his grandmother, a woman who has been treated as an outsider all her life on the island that she calls home & her mother who abandoned him when he was just a child.

Just as the inhabitants of this island use “a loom to weave cloth, paying attention to the rhythm of the shafts the parking & tightness of the shafts…“ so does the author weave a devastatingly intimate story about life on this island. We meet unforgettable characters who exist on the precipice between being stuck & being comfortable as they explore what is love, community, duty, class, sexuality, honor; all encompassed under a deeply religious environment.

The description of the scenery is absolutely breathtaking, you can literally feel the wind in your face as you climb the boulders to have a look at the boats leaving or coming to the island, thinking about who is on them, who gets to leave & who decides to stay.

Nothing in this book felt rushed, every word English & Gaelic was exactly where it was supposed to be. Even the title of the book makes so much sense when you get to the end. A well woven story that made for a delightful read & an equally enjoyable buddyread that deserves to be on the Booker Prize 2026 longlist.

Co-Wives, Co-Widows

by Adrienne Yabouza, translated by Rachael McGill

It’s election day in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic when we meet Ndongo Passy & Grekpoubou, co-wives to Lidou, a middle-aged successful man who are portrayed as existing in this idyllic polygamous relationship dynamic. In about 128 pages, we are told a story of a sudden death that throws their picturesque life into disarray, pushing the 2 co-wives (now co-widows) to come together to fight for what is rightfully theirs. All this happens in the foreground of a game of political dancing chairs also referred to as ‘elections’, an occurrence that is often witnessed in several African countries.

This is a novella, very short & quite an easy read. Most of the reviews on this book include the fact that it is one of the only translated works of fiction out of the Central African Republic hence its popularity. The other source of praise is of how it tells an often rare depiction of harmony & unity in a polygamous setting, which was indeed a breath of fresh air to read. But that was it‼️

The story felt flat with very one dimensional characters. What others describe as a ‘healthy, sexually fulfilling marriage’ felt really one-sided for me, I saw women ‘performing’ to please a ‘provider’ character. I saw patriarchy dressed up as love with women in constant servitude from the beginning to the end of the book (I hated the ending, especially the introduction of that Fulani character). There was a slight sprinkling of social commentary on colonialism, language, governance & corruption which I enjoyed but there was just too little of that to hold on to.

I finished reading this book & I could not tell the author’s goal or aim with it. From what I have gathered online, she is inspired by stories that she heard around her so this might be one of them. Unfortunately, this kind of stories that Buchi Emecheta describes in her essay as ‘Feminism with a small f’ is not literature that I enjoy consuming. This was neither entertaining nor inspiring with an ending that completely nullified all the work that the co-wives/co-widows had initially put in (can you tell how mad I am about that Fulani character 😡)?

I’m sorry to everyone who loves this book but this just was not for me.

Ghana Must Go

by Taiye Selasi

From the point in which we are introduced to Dr. Kweku Sai (one of the main characters) at the beginning of the book who is having a heart attack & literally seeing his life unfold in front of his eyes, this book pulls you in. And as he takes us through his life story with all its highs and lows while introducing us to his family, we not only get to go on this exhilarating journey with him but also get a lesson in history where we (in this case ofq ‘I’) learnt so much about the time in 1983 when Nigeria expelled 2 million undocumented West African migrants, half of whom were from Ghana.

Apart from Kweku’s life, we get to know about his wife, Fola’s life & the effects that this expulsion had on her life, something that seeps into the lives of their 4 children.

I loved how each character had his/her own life experience even if the interacted with each other & had a shared beginning (the Sai Family). It also made me think a lot about the invisible thread that joins members of a family no matter where in this world they are located & how double-sided its effects can be (positive or negative).

I really enjoyed this book & was surprised that it was published over 10 years ago & yet when reading it, I felt like this could even be happening now. This might even end up on my favorite reads of the year. 💯 recommended.

A Spell of Good Things

by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

I had seen this book floating around on my Social Media feed towards the end of last year but since I had like 1000 other books on my #tbrlist, I ignored it. That is until I saw a copy of it at the ‘Copenhagen Main Library’ over the Christmas break when I was like, “Ok God, I hear you, I’m going to read it”. Also, it had been longlisted for the Booker Prize 2023 & that is always a sign of how good a book is.

I really did my best to try & love this book but unfortunately, I was disappointed. The writing is impeccable, something that the writer is clearly good at as she weaves in the effects of wealth, power, love, politics & corruption in modern Nigeria, on the characters in the book. But the storyline just didn’t do it for me. We are introduced to the 2 main characters in the book who are living 2 totally different lives but from the get go, we already have a feeling that their lives will intertwine at one point in time. I feel like the writer took us on a never-ending ‘merry go round’ of life situations that became repetitive at some point. And finally, when the main characters actually do meet, everything just feels rushed.

The book could have been shorter in my opinion without the repetitive parts. It is the first book that we will be talking about in the bookclub @fundisanani so am looking forward to hearing the other ladies’ thoughts on it.

Have you read it & if yes, what are your thoughts on it?

Mr. Loverman

by Bernardine Evaristo

After reading ‘Girl, Woman Other’, I wanted to read more by her because I loved her writing & this book which was published back in 2013 was my pick. A male character written by a female author has never been done better. We meet Barrington Jedidiah Walker ‘Esq’, a 74 year old Antiguan man living in the UK who has been married to his wife Carmel for over 50 years but has been having an affair with Morris, his best friend for longer than that. Hate him or love him, ‘Barry’, the main character carries this book all through with his wit, prowess at the Queen’s language, chauvinism, storytelling skills, advice, misogynistic views, fashion sense & of course the undeniable fete of living a lie almost all his life.

Nevertheless, the other characters were also given strong storylines which I feel made this book complete, even though I would have just been contented with ‘Barry’ alone. I was happy-sad when I finished reading this book & was so glad when it was chosen as a Bookclub pick because it meant that I could read it again & meet ‘Barry’ again.

Pick it up if you can, ‘Barry’ is worth it, I promise!

So Long a Letter

by Mariama Bâ

Books IMO are like people, they show up in your life unexpectedly & leave a mark on you without even noticing it. How does a book detailing a letter written by one friend to another chronicling her life journey, heartbreaks, joys, successes, failures manage to bring up my utmost deepest emotions. This book had me crying, cursing out loud & snapping my fingers at some of Ramatoulaye’s words. A book that celebrates the strength of an African woman, how she carries herself with dignity & grace during the most difficult periods of her life, motherhood, mental health, the power of friendship, feminism, Africa’s political present & future….I could go on on!

This book, this birthday, this trip…a full circle moment for me.

How Beautiful We Were

by Imbolo Mbue

The book tells the story of a fictitious town (Kosawa) somewhere in Africa whose land, rivers & air has been taken over by an oil company (Pexton). The story as narrated by characters of different generations is nothing new, we all know & have experienced what happens to indigenous people’s lives & their existence when foreign companies working hand in hand with corrupt leaders decide to literally destroy them. This is my first time reading anything by this Author & to be completely honest, it took me time to get into the book. It was a @fundisanani May Bookclub pick & since May was a crazy month for me, I somehow never made time to read the book. But am glad that I took time after the Bookclub meeting to finish it at my own pace & give it all my attention. It was a good read even though I was disappointed not to see any big ‘David triumphs’ in a story that is hailed by Oprah Magazine as a ‘A David & Goliath story of our times’. At this moment in time when there are so many atrocities being perpetrated all over the world, I really needed a ‘successful David’ narrative, we all need it. This book didn’t provide that.

Sankofa

by Chibundu Onuzo

‘The concept of Sankofa derives from King Adinkera of the Akan people of West Africa. In Akan language, Sankofa is expressed as “so wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenki”. The translation of this African proverb in English language expresses “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot”. Sankofa teaches us the importance of learning from the past to build the future.’….diversity.ncsu.edu

This books introduces us to Anna, a Biracial woman who has recently separated from her husband, has a grown up daughter & while sorting through her just buried Mum’s belongings, comes across a student diary of her West African Father, a man who she never knew. We then follow Anna on her quest to find this long lost & only remaining parent of hers, a quest that she feels might change the course of her current life.

I felt cheated when I finished reading this book which IMO fails its grand title. I feel like when you have such a powerful title, then the storyline should match the energy that the title brings. We spent so much time hearing about Francis/Koffi’s student life which wasn’t really interesting & when Anna finally travels to Bamana, her trip is very ‘Safari-like’. It felt as if she was a tourist or at best a foreign guest of the former president & not a daughter finally home. Then there’s the whole prison storyline which felt really forced & unnecessary! And what was the reason why ‘Bamana’ is this fiction country, that is adjoined to ‘Segu’ (present day Mali’ & the characters names are Ghanaian? So confusing! Can you tell how annoyed this book made me feel? 😂

So so much potential that IMO was wasted. Let me just move on to the next book…

Lucy

by Jamaica Kincaid

I feel like this is somewhat of a sequel book to ‘Annie John’ but with slight variation in that, Lucy’s story begins when she arrives as an Au-pair in the US while Annie John’s story ended with her leaving Antigua for England.

This coming of age story follows the 18 year old Lucy as she begins her life in the US living & working for a white family with 4 girls. I was fascinated by her, how her mind worked & the fact that I never knew what she was going to say or do next. As she grapples with life in this new home, the weather, cultural differences, finding friendship, exploring her sexuality while also missing her home, Lucy brings up important themes that migrants deal with all over the globe. And we also get to see a young woman who is trying to find herself away from her other ‘titles’ as daughter & sister. I loved how ‘self-centered’ she was, always putting herself & her feelings first, something that we as women are not known or encouraged to do. Jamaica Kincaid has a way of creating characters who go against the norm in a world that pushes women to simply play along & am here for all of it. This is her second book that I have read & am looking forward to reading more of her work.

Have you read ‘Lucy’ or any of her other books?

The Death of Vivek Oji

by Akwaeke Emezi

This was a re-read for me & am glad that I didn’t review it the first time that I read it. That was back when it had just come out & there was a lot of noise (good) around it. So I appreciated it even more now when the ‘hype’ is over.

The book follows the life of the recently deceased ‘Vivek Oji’, his childhood, a backstory into his parents’ relationship before he was born, his friendships, his ‘coming into his’ sexuality, his demise & the effect of that on his loved ones.

I loved how simple the writing was, it made reading & following the storyline easy. I could also keep up with the characters & I appreciated the fact that the side characters were given side stories which weren’t too deep, that they would distract me from the main storyline.

I did not like ‘Osita’ at all. I kind of felt like I read more of him & his feelings than those of Vivek. He was giving ‘Main Character’ energy in a book that wasn’t about him. I also felt like he didn’t deserve the title ‘Bhai’ because he was never his brother’s keeper. Everyone in the book was ‘serving’ him & his feelings in a way & I agreed with Elizabeth’s judgement of his character. He got away with a lot. Anytime I got to his part, I was like, “Osita please get your own book!” 🙊

You can probably tell how ‘heated’ he got me 😂. And that, ladies, gentlemen & those who identify as either or neither, is what makes a great read.

I love a great debut book & would highly recommend this.

The Joys of Motherhood

by Buchi Emecheta

“God, when will you create a woman who will be fulfilled in herself, a full human being, not anybody’s appendage?”

A book first published in 1979 by a Nigerian author, scholar, wife (later divorced) & mother reveals a nuanced picture of motherhood that goes beyond the traditional narrative of joy & self-sacrifice that is shared in lots of cultures.

Right at the beginning of the book, we are introduced to Nnu Ego as she is literally running away from her life because fate has dealt her the worst hand possibly ever by taking away the one thing that gave her worth as a woman.

This book awakened in me a protectiveness for women & people born in female bodies that I never knew was lying dormant in me for so long. The ‘age-old’ conversation of idealizing ‘Motherhood’ as the pinnacle of female fulfillment is so needed in current times than ever especially in the current political & social climate. Motherhood is complex & not without its challenges so instead of forcing the never-ending harmful rhetorics on women, let us instead work on changing policies & perceptions sorrounding it as we seek to empower & stand in solidarity with women in whichever path in life they decide to take.

Blessings

by Chukwuebuka Ibeh

A coming of age story of a young man as he explores the complexities of love & identity in a society that refuses to acknowledge him. This is a debut book that is not only relevant but also necessary, as it provides a voice to those who are often silenced.

I absolutely loved the writing style & the way in which Obiefuna’s self-discovery journey is portrayed. And even when it was painful & we saw him living with the fear of rejection, violence & loss of loved ones, the author still managed to give us glimpses of joy in the MC’s life. There are joyful moments of connection & love despite the oppressive environment & we could not help but appreciate the importance of the close relationship that he had with his mother & later, how he found community & love in the ‘hidden queer community’ in Nigeria.

The book is just as great as its cover 😍.

We Were Girls Once

by Aiwanose Odafen

Nwakaego, Zina & Eriife are 3 young women who were pre-destined to be friends from the get go, in a friendship that was somewhat inherited from their mothers & grandmothers. This book follows their multi-generational life journey as they navigate life in modern Nigeria, UK & in the US with the Author switching between the 3 POVs.

The book was an easy read & I enjoyed how the author gave us a variety in African women’s lifestyles; a lawyer, an actress, a doctor turned politician’s wife, this held my interest throughout it all. I have to admit that I was more drawn to Ego’s story which I felt was the strongest of the 3, seeing also that it covers almost half of the book. Truthfully speaking I would have just been fine with her as the only storyline really. And I also loved how the author weaves in important themes like Racism in the US & UK, political instability in Nigeria & it’s effects on the economy & the day to day lives of its citizens, Abuse of power, violence against women, misogyny, cracks in educational, health & justice system in most African countries, power of social media in activism among others. I know that that sounds like a lot but mixed with the young women’s & their mothers’ narration of their day to day lives, it helped the book stay ‘palatable’ IMO.

It is a great pick for a Bookclub & am looking forward to the discussions that will come from it when we meet this afternoon. And I will probably pick up the prequel book ‘Tomorrow I become a Woman’ to read about the grandmothers’ stories.

Issa

by Mirrianne Mahn

We all remember back when we would be dolled up & ready to hit the town with friends for a fun night out. But just as you are about to leave the house, your Mom suddenly remembers this dream that she had about you the night before & how scared she is about your safety. Of course that was the end of your plans, no explanation, nothing but just the dream was all it took. Now imagine you are young , pregnant & unmarried & your Mom tells you that she has dreamt that harm may come to your unborn baby unless if you travel to Cameroon to take part in certain rituals to protect you from this sad outcome.

That is how Issa finds herself on a flight from her small town in Germany to Douala, Cameroon to not only appease her mother but also her ancestors. But what starts out as a non-commital journey for her turns into an exploration of her matriarchal family line, these women who came before her, the lives that they led, the lives that they touched, the people they loved & those who loved them. A journey into the colonial pursuit of Germany in Cameroon, patriarchy, feminism, the significance of family & friendships & the coming age of Issa as a young woman who is about to become a mother.

A debut book that deserves all the praise that it’s getting & one that is up there among our favorite reads of 2024.

A Woman Is No Man

by Etaf Rum

A country’s violent invasion & continued occupancy, the oppression of a people, loss, trauma that is passed down through generations, migration & the desperate need by a people to try & hold on to what they perceive as their culture is the short version of this heartbreaking yet necessary book.

The stories of Isra, Deya & Fareeda, 3 Palestinian women who are navigating life in a foreign land far away from home that they are to call home while living under the ever present & heavy hand of patriarchy. No single day passes that they are not reminded of their ‘place’ as women & of their value that is measured only by their ability to be wives & mothers (preferably to sons).

Etaf Rum tells of a tale that is not new to many Women of Color but she does it in a way that despite being heartbreaking, still feels fresh & gripping. This book is so much needed because it not only informs but also inspires. It reminded me of my own privilege & challenged me to do something worthwhile with it while also holding space for those that need it.

The Fishermen

by Chigozie Obioma

All these boys wanted to do was to fish, that’s all. But in a twisted way, fate decided to alter their lives in the most unpredictable manner, even though someone actually predicted their future.

A story on brotherhood, vengeance, fate, family, loss that ‘undid’ me & that will stay with me for a long long time.

PS; I listened to the audiobook which is incredible & ordered this copy online from a second hand bookshop. It turned out to be the screenplay to the book 😂.

All My Rage

by Sabaa Tahir

Am usually very wary of reviewing YA books because I believe that I am not their target audience. One one hand the parent in me comes out & I find myself ‘scolding’ the characters for not acting ‘responsibly’ while on the other hand, I feel like hugging them & telling them that life will get better with time. And that’s exactly how I felt while reading this book. 2 teenagers of Pakistani descent who find themselves in a small town in the middle of nowhere in the US where they have to deal not only with ‘teenage stuff’ but also racism, abuse, family trauma.

TW; this book was a really heavy & heartbreaking read. Those poor kids were dealing with so much. Go in prepared psychologically if you pick this up.

Intermezzo

by Sally Rooney

Totally worth the hype! Ivan & Peter are brothers who are grieving the loss of their father, in totally different ways. Peter, an accomplished Human Rights’ lawyer continues to juggle work & his personal life but inside, he is literally falling apart. Ivan on the other hand immerses himself in Chess as he tries to keep a routine going.

I loved the range of emotions that Sally Rooney’s characters showed, I loved being in their heads as their thoughts meandered & meandered page after page. I was mad at them for the way they treated the women in their lives, the blame games that they played, the Therapy that seemed completely not to be in their vocabulary but I still rooted for them to find their way back out of the depths of grief.

Signed,

an (almost) Sally Rooney Stan 🙋🏾‍♀️.

Dream Count

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Am going to keep this short & cute, (I lied 🤥🤭), anyone who decides to pick up anything written by CMA does so expecting to read her lyrical, impeccable, insightful, graceful & articulate writing & she delivered that in this book, IMO.

I was completely immersed in the stories of these 4 African women whose lives transverse different continents but significantly their lives in Nigeria, Guinea & the US. How she cleverly weaves in both the women’s deep roots in their respective cultures & the black experience in the US is a joy to read. The dating experiences with the ever present societal expectations on people to settle down in marriage & parenthood especially for women, was a real reflection of the current dating scenes & I loved how she emphasized just how ‘universal Dust is’, regardless of race, financial or economic status.

She also touched on post colonialism, corruption in African countries, Socialism (with quotes from Thomas Sankara), Marxism, mental health, maternal health, motherhood, mother-daughter relationships, FGM, 🌽 & it’s effects on men’s approach to **x, travel, racism, classism…like almost no stone was left unturned. You can tell that she had a lot of ideas in the 10year break that she took.

Unlike many people’s thoughts on Kadiatou’s storyline being the strongest, I personally wasn’t so enamored by it, probably because it was based on a true story & I just felt like it didn’t mesh well with the other fictional characters, but that’s just me.

All in all, it was an entertaining read, she delivered & remains a favorite author for me. If you enjoy her writing, then this book will be for you.

Against the Loveless World

by Susan Abulhawa

There’s a numbness to atrocities that most people develop as a reaction to the constant influx of terrible news. It feels like standing in a storm so long that you stop feeling the cold, your skin forgets to shiver.

I had a fear that that was the reason why I couldn’t put down this book, as devastating as the description of the characters’ lives under Israel occupation was. But now in hindsight, I see that it was the beauty of Susan Abulhawa’s writing that made me devour this book; the description of food, the sceneries, the soul of the Palestinian people, the dancing, the language, the land, the history…

But most of all, Nahr is a character who will stay with me for a long time. A woman who had an ordinary life, but who life pulled the extraordinary out of.

This book will unsettle you & stay with you. 💯 worth the hype!

The God of Good Looks

by Breanne McIvor

This book started for me on an underwhelming note & if not for the reasons that it was my #caribbeanpick & a #bookclubpick, I would have abandoned it earlier. The FMC(Bianca) made a mistake when she was younger (haven’t we all done that when we were young & foolish) by which she is dragged by everyone in this book, almost throughout the whole book. There are several ills occurring in this country but no, they all pale in comparison to Bianca’s indiscretion, that irked me & had me screaming as I was reading it…”Let’s move it along people, nothing to see here anymore!”

And the MMC, the so called ‘God of Good Looks’ who suddenly took over the book was such a poorly done character. His character was dove into but unfortunately not deeply enough (IMO) to warrant him being ‘bestowed’ upon the book’s title. He just didn’t resonate with me but mostly because I wasn’t given enough substance to get to know him better.

Also, the ‘revenge’ part which ironically ‘saved’ the book for me felt very Utopian & left me wondering just how ‘meek & mild’. Trinidadian politicians are. I wouldn’t try that kind of nonsense where I come from because let’s just say, people disappear 🫥 for the smallest reasons!

This book ultimately reminded me of my non-existent Make-up skills & proved that the author is indeed a makeup guru who is also knowledgeable about plants & flowers. I just wish that this vast knowledge in these subjects had also translated into the storyline. It unfortunately left me wishing for more which is never good.

Just finished my #CaribbeanPick & #BookClubRead and… whew, I’ve got thoughts! From an underwhelming start to a wild ride of misplaced blame, undercooked characters, and a too-tidy revenge plot—this one tested my patience. If you’ve read it, I need to know: Did we read the same book?!

Crooked Seeds

by Karen Jennings

I finished reading this book against all odds & I had to force myself not to Dnf it because it’s a Bookclub read which I try to give my best (big emphasis on the word ‘Try’). There’s unfortunately nothing positive that I can say about this book (oh…maybe that it was on the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist).

I understand that this book is meant to be character-driven but it seems like we spend 3/4 of the book being told about Deidre, the protagonist who is selfish, bitter & manipulative. One thing that the author knows how to do is to write a terrible character. I felt little empathy towards Deidre, an amputee who is battling to come to terms with her family’s past as it plays out in South Africa. And in the background of this is a country suffering from a severe drought, resulting in water rations, homelessness, rampant fires, and corrupt government practices.

And then as you get to the last 1/4 of the book something actually happens, this thing that was supposed to be a major part of the book’s plot. And no sooner do you begin getting engrossed in the story than it ends😠! The pacing just wasn’t right IMO, I wished for less of Deidre & more plot. I wish that we had spent less time on her & more on what was promised to us as this ‘unearthing’ (literally & figuratively) of her family’s secrets, it just felt very lacking. I felt cheated at the end of this book & I am side-eyeing anyone who heaps praise on it! Yes, I mean you 🫵🏾 (choosers of the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist).

Sooley

by John Grisham

I think that I read my last John Grisham novel when I was in High School, back when we used to refer to them as ‘storybooks’. They were highly sought after & I remember that we used to literally have a ‘mental queue ‘ for who was to read the book next. But since we had pretty slim pickings for such books, I can’t decide if I truly enjoyed reading his books because of his great writing or it was because we didn’t have much to compare him with.

Well, reading ‘Sooley’ cleared all that up. This book had me shedding tears in the middle of broad daylight 😭. Samuel Sooleymon (Suleiman in my head) is a young talent who finds himself swooped from his home in South Sudan to the US to play college basketball. As he is pursuing his dream of making it big, back home a civil war erupts that unfortunately destroys his family’s lives.

John Grisham skillfully takes us on this emotional rollercoaster that had me shouting “Sooley, Sooley 🔊 ” whenever he was on the basketball court aiming for a 3-pointer (I know a thing or two about the game 😉) before shattering my heart to pieces whenever he took me back to South Sudan. And as if that wasn’t enough, he threw in a plot twist that I did not see coming that had me boohooing like a child 😭.

The book is not perfect, far from it. I mean, the ‘refugee storyline’ has been done to death & it sometimes felt uncomfortable to read (cue Chimamanda’s single story TED talk) & there were some storylines that read like they came straight out of a movie. But what did I expect, this is in fact a work of fiction.

Still, I have to give John Grisham his props for taking a teenage me from the courtroom to the basketball court in a riveting manner. I came into this book with low expectations & he managed to exceed them. It takes balls 🏀 🏀 (see what I did there 😉) to venture out of your ‘comfort zone’ especially as a seasoned writer & in this case, the risk paid off.

I can’t wait to discuss this one with the @Hangout cafe soon.

The Emperor of Gladness

by Ocean Vuong

An unusual friendship develops between a young Asian man & an old woman after their somewhat unplanned meeting at a bridge. All this takes place in East Gladness, a small town in Connecticut where nothing ever happens & which everyone has to leave in order to experience more in life.

After reading Ocean Vuong’s previous book which simply blew me away, I am surprised but also not really surprised that he’s written another masterpiece. How is he able to weave the abhorrent social state that the US finds itself in with its citizens grappling with high living costs, unemployment, drug abuse, racism, wars (within & without its borders), food security, old age care…all this into the lives of these characters who are simply trying to survive without it turning into ‘trauma 🌽 ’ is simply genius.

The characters in this book are people who are pushed to live on the margins while also being part of the working class whose labour is exploited by the ruling class. And yet this is no hero story with an inspiring revolutionary streak, no! Because not everyone gets to break free & move out to make it big in another city. This is a book about the ones who stay behind, whose ‘wings remain broken’ & how they go through life ‘wingless’ but in community. This book will stay with me for a long time.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

by Onyi Nwabineli

This book is needed, but importantly was needed ages ago!

Anuri is a young adult, trying to get to know herself better & on a more personal level while navigating life after years of living in the limelight, a life that her influencer stepmother had curated, chronicled & monetized.

I loved the concept of this because of how current & needed the subject matter is. We live in an era where these machines/systems encourage us to turn everything into moneytisable content, nothing is sacred anymore; not our joys & most definitely not our pain/fears/tears. It’s just gobbling it all up, “Give me more…”!

That & the potrayal of the chosen family that Anuri had through her friendships were the highlights in this book for me.

Everything else felt ‘beige’ & a bit far fetched IMO. It just lacked the depth that I feel like the book’s subject matter deserved or maybe, I am not the book’s target audience (a younger version of me would have eaten this one up).

All in all, it made for a great discussion bookclub book that I enjoyed being part of.

There Are Rivers in the Sky

by Elif Shafak

This was unfortunately one of my disappointing reads of 2025 😔. Have you ever found yourself reading a book & flipping through the rest of it in the hopes that it gets better? That was me with this one. I love Elif Shafak, I love how her mind works, I love the time & research that she puts in that you can see in her books or when you listen to her speak. But this one just didn’t hit the right spot for me unfortunately.

In this book, we are introduced to the mystery of water & its power to hold memories & how it connects us all beyond the borders of time, geography & identity. And she does it so well by taking us on a historical & geographical journey that goes way beyond a known time to a present, from ancient Mesopotamia to London. I was fascinated by how a single raindrop connects the world & that of the 3 main characters in the book.

I really enjoy Elif Shafak writing style, how she meanders in between timelines & characters but IMO she went a bit overboard with this one. There was just too much going on & yet everything was not that captivating that I lost interest in the book at 20%, even though I pushed on hoping for some miracle. There was even a whole character who added absolutely nothing to the book & made this book unnecessarily long. This book should have been shorter with more streamlined ideas.

Sometimes, less is actually more!

The Mercy Step

by Marcia Hutchinson

Nobody writes a coming of age story like a Caribbean author!!! And this one proved why I am often intrigued by such books. I love the way in which authors use child narrators to explore heavy societal themes by blending an autobiographical element with lyrical prose & a somewhat psychological depth.

This books is set in 1960’s Bradford where we meet Mercy, a young child trying to exist in a world that is far too big for her small body. Mercy in an authentic & unflinching voice tells us of her extremely close (almost obsessive) attachment that she has to her mother who she unfortunately has to share not only with her father & siblings but also with the church. This obsession starts even before she is born as we meet her while still in her mother’s womb, a safe space that she is angry to have been pushed out of (the description of her birth story is excellent).

What drew me to Mercy the most was her introspective, confessional tone that felt both personal but also universal. She was not only speaking for herself, but for me, for many of us. In her or through her words, readers are able to relate to her because she is able to express her anger, longing & rebellion, emotions that many of us are neither able nor allowed to show or express.

There are so many important themes that are addressed & critiqued in this book; Patriarchy & the tentacles that it has on our lives, self abandonment within relationships, gender inequality, DV, Racism, Christianity, community, Sexual violence, religious psychosis, education, books, libraries, access to 3rd spaces, class systems, mental health struggles, grief, loss, poverty; all this encompassed with life in the diaspora.

Despite all the above named themes that are heavy, I still found myself laughing while reading this book. In my language we say ‘Lak chogo’ which loosely translates to ‘finding strength and hope amidst adversity’ which I believe the author phrases as ‘If you don’t laugh you will cry’. This book reminded me that life persists and offers joy even after sorrow, despite pain life continues….this was an absolute joy to read!

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

by Ocean Vuong

I have this habit of researching an author before or during the time when am reading their work. So, you’ll find me scouring the depths of the Internet hours on end getting lost in articles, podcast interviews & YouTube videos of authors talking about what they have written.

”I would hope that readers approach the book, read it, and not necessarily take anything away, not possess anything, but perhaps just more of themselves. If they could see more of themselves in the book and they can carry that and participate in more parts of their lives than before…”Ocean Vuong in a interview that I found on YouTube talking about this book.

This book is a letter written by a son to his mother who cannot read & through this letter ‘Little Dog’, the writer is on a self-discovery journey about himself but also about his family whose life journey starts in Vietnam to America as they build a new life in their new country. Ocean Vuong is a poet who writes beautifully & after watching his interview, I felt like he had given me permission to simply enjoy reading his book without seeking to understand every single word that he wrote. Believe me, the struggle was real 😆! There were parts where I could follow the storyline but there were also parts that were so metaphorically written that they made me scratch my head as I tried to figure out their deep meanings. But then, I reminded myself that this is a letter between a son & his mother & I have my place outside of the circle where all am ‘expected’ to do is to spectate, not understand, learn from, compare myself to, be inspired by or relate to….I am here just to spectate & maybe even enjoy. And that’s what I did.

Thank you Lilly for recommending this book to me.

Historical Fiction (26)

Afterlives

by Abdulrazak Gurnah

‘Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero’…This African proverb aptly describes my thoughts about this book. A rare find in my local library that took me over a month to finish reading. I have to admit that the book started off very slow for me, there were mentions of names & lineage in families & I couldn’t figure out whose life the author was now describing, the father or the son. But when I got to the part where the Germans ‘entered into the chat’, I was hooked.

The book describes not only the German occupancy of Tanzania in the early 1900’s but also the invasion by other colonial powers; Arabs, Portuguese, British, French after they divided up Africa like a piece of cake amongst themselves. It was refreshing to read about all these from the point of view of the fictitious characters in this book who are local Tanzanians. And even though the book details the trail of terror that colonialism left on the inhabitants of the countries that they wrongly occupied, it also gives us a glimpse of the day to day activities that the community had. Details like how they celebrated Idd, how the women met after finishing their household chores & what they talked about, how the men met in the evening & sat at the porch to hold ‘Baraza’…these details were my favorite.

This for me should be how history books need to be written, for us & by us.

The Havoc of Choice

by Wanjiru Koinange

This fictional book follows the life of Kavata, the daughter of a prominent but also corrupt politician in Kenya as she navigates first, her student life, then partnership, career & motherhood while trying to carve a life outside of her father’s shadow.

The book is set in December 2007 when Kenya had it’s General Elections & the PEV (Post Election Violence) that erupted thereafter. Through Kavata, her family & the various characters that she comes into contact with in the book, the writer describes the harrowing experiences that wrecked the whole country at this time. IMO, in as detailed as the experiences were told in the book, I felt like I was reading a compilation of newspaper articles. The story was told in a very ‘surface level’ way without going deep into the emotional effects that the PEV had on these characters. I wish that the author had concentrated on just one character, like Kavata for example, & delved deeper into her story (the trauma & the healing) which would have given me as a reader more time to form a connection with her. But instead, I was torn between so many different characters & all that they were going through which in the end made me feel less emotionally connected with any at all.

This book had so much potential but it fell short of it, unfortunately for me.

The Island of Missing Trees

by Elif Shafak

Trees are silent witnesses in this world & finally we get to read a book where the main character is a ‘Ficus Carica’, commonly known as the edible fig.

This book tells us not only of a love story between 2 teenagers who belong to opposite sides of a divided Cyprus, but also the heartbreak that comes with conflicts & wars. Hearts are broken, lives lost, homes destroyed, neighbors divided, families separated, forced migration but nobody ever thinks about the trauma & memories that are passed down from one generation to the next, not only in humans but also in plants & animals. And in a unique way, using interesting storylines, the author was able to mend my heart after breaking it in several instances in the book 😀.

This is her second book that I have read & at this rate, I might just end up picking up all of them because she does not disappoint.

Smallie

by Eden McKenzie-Goddard

This is what it means when your past life‘s ghosts follow you! Lucinda, a young woman from Barbados arrives in England aboard a ship in 1961 to reunite with her lover, but a series of twists & turns of events disrupt the life that she had imagined for herself.

Decades later we meet her & her descendants fighting to prevent her deportation out of England. As the clock ticks her children comb through her past life to prove that England is indeed her home & that she deserves to stay.

Lucinda’s part of the book, especially the narration of her childhood & coming of age story back in Barbados was a joy to read. Even the relationships that she built when she moved to Southampton felt meaningful, but unfortunately all these failed to translate into her current life (2017) & especially in her children’s character traits.

The compassionate Lucinda of the 1960s disappeared & in her place was a woman whose character felt devoid of warmth, passion, connectedness, especially with her children. The ‘husk’ that was Lucinda and her life in present time brought down the book’s appeal to me unfortunately.

Lucinda deserved more in the book, but also in reality as a representative of the hundreds of Commonwealth citizens, many of whom belonged to ‘Windrush’ generation who are wrongly detained, deported & denied legal rights. This book’s idea was ambitious but the execution failed it IMO.

The Women

by Kristin Hannah

At this point in my reading life, I now know to keep a box of tissues next to me whenever I pick up a Kristin Hannah book (yes, I am a big cry baby 😭).

This is one book that I simultaneously wanted to finish reading but at the same time also wanted to savor forever, & I remember the moment that I read the final page and closed the book, my world felt very uninviting and blah 😑!

The story follows Frankie McGrath, a young nursing student who impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam war. What starts as a naive decision in response to a traumatic family loss quickly turns into something life altering. Through Frankie we see the brutal realities of war, not from the battlefield in the traditional sense but from the hospital tents where we see her and her colleagues fighting to rescue the lives of the injured. Kristin Hannah spares us no details as as she meticulously describes these scenes where survival & loss happen side-by-side every single day. If you’ve read any of her other books then you can expect the same immersive & emotional writing in this one too. She pulls you into the character’s inner world where you find yourself deeply walking with Frankie from 17 to her 40s & experiencing every bit of her fear, hope heartbreak & growth.

What I appreciated the most about this book is how it shines a light on the perspective that is often overlooked, the women who served in Vietnam, their courage, trauma & sacrifices, but also the lack of recognition when they return home. The silence and denial that they face & even their own reactions to their own lives making this such a powerful story.

This book is heavy and it doesn’t shy away from themes like trauma, addiction or the long-term effects of war with some parts being intense & even overwhelming but that’s what makes it such an impactful read, especially now. And to have a fully 360 view of the Vietnam war I would recommend that you read similar works of fiction by Vietnamese authors that are just as impactful as this one.

Keeper of Lost Children

by Sadeqa Johnson

This is a historical fictional book that addresses the lesser known and often not talked about chapter of World War II. It traces the generation of biracial kids that were born from ‘unions’ between Black American soldiers stationed in the late 1940s in Germany and local German women.

Many of these children were placed in orphanages due to societal stigma and because the unions in which they were born were deemed ‘unlawful’ at that time. So we follow 3 storylines in this book across 3 different timelines.

Even though this part of history is very important & the story itself was meaningful, the book to me lacked an emotional depth. The storyline wasn’t really strong & every plot just followed this expected linear direction. I was unfortunately not intrigued, surprised nor fascinated by it. Everything just felt clean, sanitized, well put-together and lacked a ‘punch’ that I often expect from historical fiction. This book was more of a palate cleanser than an intriguing read for me which is sad because many people are raving about it.

My luck seems to be down when it comes to hyped books recently so I am treading these ‘Book-streets’ very carefully!

Celestial Bodies

by Jokha Alharthi, translated by Marilyn Booth

This was my first time reading an Omani author‘s work, which was very exciting. The book follows multiple generations of a family in Oman, exploring themes of tradition, change & women’s roles in society. In a mixture inner thoughts & narrations that follow their own logic, as a reader you are forced to trace a somewhat straight line from imagination to reality. I’m not going to lie, the beginning was not easy; names, family tree, different timelines & perspectives…If it wasn’t that it was a Bookclub pick & that I could share my frustrations with the other members & got explanations & tips, I genuinely don’t think I would’ve gotten through it. But once it clicked, it clicked & the Bookclub discussion was chef‚s kiss. I loved how the author used this book to give us an overview history of Oman, a country that underwent a swift development after the discovery of oil, but it is also a country that has a dark past with it having descendants of enslaved people who are captured from regions like East Africa during the slave trade period. Urbanization also plays a major role in the book with the characters moving to Muscat, a highly advanced city that boasts of all amenities & rivals other international cities. But still, there is the heavy hold that culture has on its people, with the female characters in the book used to illustrate their challenges, victories & joys as they navigate a world caught between tradition & modernity.

It is a wedding read, but one that requires a lot of patience.

Passing

by Nella Larsen

‘Passing’ is a term that has been used primarily in the United States to describe a black or brown person or of multiracial ancestry who assimilated into the white majority to escape the legal and social conventions of racial segregation and discrimination. (Source…Wikipedia). And this is the main theme of this book where we are introduced to 2 black women, Clare & Irene who grew up together but lost touch & met later in life at ‘Drayton’ an exclusive hotel in Chicago that had a strict ‘Only White people allowed’ policy. Obviously, the 2 women were ‘passing’ but by reading the book, we learn of the psychological burdens that come with choosing this lifestyle & the constant fear that one of the women has to live under that her secret might one day become known.

Going into the book, I had a preconceived negative judgement on their life choices but the further I read, the more sympathetic I became. To have to deny the skin you exist in in order to live life in your own terms is utterly heartbreaking. When I read on the author of this book who is of mixed race descent & who also struggled a lot trying to exist in both worlds where her parents were from, I kind of understood the melancholic mood in this book & the sad ending too😢…

Thank you @Bukola for bringing this small but powerful book into my radar.

Things Fall Apart

by Chinua Achebe

I read this book 20 years ago & it is still just as good now as then. It was part of the English coursework in High school & I had older siblings from whom I ‘borrowed’ it. I still remember reading about Okwonkwo & his wrestling prowess all across the 9 villages around Umofia, his ruling of his household with an iron fist, the oracle & its demands for sacrifices from the people, the invasion by the Colonialists (who first came disguised as missionaries) & the subsequent effects of this on the lives of the people of Igboland.

But reading this book now, I see the heavy hand of patriarchy that was considered ‘normal’ back then, the African culture which was just as oppressive on women, children & individuals that were considered weak as well as the exploitation done by the colonialists who were at first welcome & give space to practice their religion.

This book was, is & will always be a classic that should be read by everyone. Thank you @blacklore for bringing it back to me.

The Third Life of Grange Copeland

by Alice Walker

How can a book first published in 1970 exploring generational trauma, systemic oppression & the complex dynamics of existing as a black person in America still feel so fresh, like it was written today? It’s a sad reality that we are still facing the exact same issues globally as people of color.

We are introduced to Grange Copeland, a poor black farmer in the South in a story that spans 3 generations which is divided into 3 parts; his life as an oppressed black man, his life as an absentee father after abandoning his family & later his life as a man seeking redemption in his later years.

What stood out for me the most in this book was the role of gender within the context of racial oppression. It is the women in this book; Margaret, Mem, Josie, Ruth who suffer the most from the men’s frustrations & failures. It’s not enough that they too suffer in a racist society, there is an additional layer from within their own black community. The men who should be protecting instead take out their frustrations on their women through threats, intimidation & acts of violence.

This book was recommended by angela of @Chezalphabooks when I visited her in Dakar & she said that every woman should read this book. I 💯 agree with her & thank her for introducing it to me.

Efuru

by Flora Nwapa

Who would have thought that a book published back in 1966 & hailed as one of the first novels written by a Nigerian woman which explored the pervasive influence of patriarchy in African society could still ring true in our current lives.

Set in a traditional Igbo society we follow Efuru as she attempts to navigate, challenge, and sometimes succumb to the pressures of Patriarchy while also calling for the recognition of a woman’s worth beyond the narrow confines of marriage and motherhood. To me this makes Efuru a significant feminist text in African literature that I absolutely enjoyed & would highly recommend.

I have a whole YouTube video where I go deeper into the book as part of a series that I am doing on the portrayal of Patriarchy in African literature. And I am always looking for recommendations on more books so feel free to share some with me.

Second-Class Citizen

by Buchi Emecheta

I don’t want to jinx myself but I would like to believe that Buchi saved me from my recent reading slump 🙌🏾. Adah & her seemingly life-long fight against Patriarchy, Sexism, Racial Oppression, Misogyny & everything else that life threw at her makes reading this book on one hand traumatic but on the other hand empowering in some way. Born in an age & society where boys were valued more than girls, she beats all odds to excel in school & enter the career world. But her plan to live in a happy union with Francis turns into a string of disasters that follow her as she migrated from Nigeria to build a new life in the UK.

Francis is one if not the worst Book husbands that I have ever read. And to think that this story is based on Buchi Emecheta’s real life experience makes my blood boil even more. How she withstood living with him for those years while raising his 5 children without committing a capital crime is beyond my comprehension.

This book held my interest from the first to the last page. I was mad & ready to fight for & with Adah, had compassion for her & her life situation but was also entertained & laughed at her funny anecdotes. Another masterpiece IMO by one of my favorite authors ever & one that I highly recommend.

Dust Child

by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

When wars & military invasions are written about in history books, the information that is given significance is who won & who lost the war. There is very little if any documentation on the emotional trauma that such wars have on the people existing in these places. This book gives names & faces to the ‘collateral damage’ that the Vietnam war left in its trail as we see the characters grappling with the decisions that they made or were made that continue to impact their lives. A story of abandonment, trauma, love, grief, forgiveness & redemption & one that is much needed especially now in the current time that we find ourselves in.

James

by Percival Everett

Satire at its finest, a thought-provoking book that but mixed with humor, adventure & lessons. Percival Everett keeps you entertained while also reminding you of history & how some of these things are still happening right now. I am currently reading ‘THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN’ & I keep wanting to tell Huck to hush 🤫 & let Jim tell me his POV 😂.

Pachinko

by Min Jin Lee

You know that saying about women & tea bags? Well, the women in this book were IMO living in a Hot geyser 💦. The situations that life threw at them & the constant pivoting that they had to make at each & every turn is simply admirable, heartbreaking but so so admirable.

This mindblowing story set in Korea & Japan that spans over 8 decades is a page turner that is filled with so much history while also delving into themes that are still very current.

A Mouth Full of Salt

by Reem Gaafar

“The Nile was a trap that attracted, ensnared & buried all at once. It took as much as it gave them & more”

A small farming village in North Sudan wakes up one morning to the news that a little boy has drowned in the Nile River. Soon after, animals die of a mysterious illness & the date gardens catch fire & burn to the ground. There is a rumor that all this is the doing of a sorceress who lives at the foot of the mountain.

I really enjoyed reading & discussing this book with the @Fundisani Bookclub because it explores Sudan’s culture, women’s experiences & the connection between tradition & change.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in exploring the late colonial period to the early years of Sudanese independence. And if you are like me who is into books where characters especially women are continuously fighting against societal constraints while in the pursuit of their personal aspirations then this book is for you.

Nervous Conditions

by Tsitsi Dangarembga

‘Reducing’ this book to ‘a coming of age story’ of a young girl growing up in rural Zimbabwe & her fight for her place in a patriarchal & colonized country will be doing it an injustice IMO.

I discovered this gem thanks to a bookish friend (Mahi) who recommended it as I was on a quest for African feminist literature that center Patriarchy. After reading her substack post titled ‘A few points on anti-imperialist readings of African feminist fiction’, I felt challenged to look deeper beneath the ‘patriarchy surface’ & ‘read between the lines’ in this book & these are some of the thoughts that crept up;

•What if Mama Tambu’s (I cannot for the love of me figure out her name) bitter words & wailing over her loss(es) symbolize the loss that Africa suffers when its resources (both human & non-human) are taken away/extracted? •What if the lack of solidarity by the women in the kitchen as a result of generations of threat, assault & neglect symbolizes a continent torn apart by colonialism where countries retreat into solitude instead of joining together to initiate an offensive (Panafricanism)? •What if on Pg.206 where it says ‘There was no black psychiatrist’ is an ode to Frantz Fanon who was a black psychiatrist whose research focused on the role of wider culture in individual illness, & the importance of family & community in treatment? And the book’s title which is borrowed/inspired by ‘The condition of native is a nervous condition’ from an introduction to Fanon’s book THE WRETCHED OF THE EARTH must mean something. •Also, is there a connection between Nyasha’s breakdown & Fanon’s words in chapter 6 of his book ‘BLACK SKIN WHITE MASKS’ titled ‘The Black Man & Psychopathology’ where he addresses the psychological effects of racism & the occurrence of mental illness among Black people…or am I reaching!!!

On a lighter note; my favorite character is Lucia especially the ‘ear situation’ 🤭. I just love how real she was, she acted on her ‘appetites’, spoke her mind, went for what she wanted but also held space for community by caring for her sister & family whenever the need arose.

All in all, a profound, enlightening & thought provoking book that I absolutely loved & would highly recommend.

If Beale Street Could Talk

by James Baldwin

A celebration of black love in the midst of a racist America. Set in Harlem, the story follows 2 young lovers, Tish & Fonny who were childhood friends & are now in love & engaged. Unfortunately, their future together is threatened when Fonny is arrested which leaves Trish & her family distraught as they attempt to get him out of prison.

This was my first ever read by Baldwin & I was not disappointed. A quick read that kept me intrigued from cover to cover as I experienced each & every emotion with the characters. I also couldn’t help but sympathize with Trish who is suddenly ‘adorned with a Superwoman cape‘ & is now expected to go against the big & bad villain that is systemic & structural racism in America all by herself.

What is heartbreaking is that not much has changed now as these deeply entrenched practices that condone & perpetuate widespread unfair treatment of Black & people of color still goes on, but am happy to see more & more Black women ‘burning their capes’ in this seemingly unsuccessful battle & for that I am grateful.

Kindred

by Octavia E. Butler

‘I lost an arm on my last trip home. My left arm’ …this sentence right here is how Octavia Butler got me into this book, hook, line & sinker!

Dana, a 26 year old modern Black woman is pulled violently from her home in California & transported back to the antebellum South where she is expected to save Rufus’ life, the white son of an plantation owner.

We are brought face to face with the harsh realities of lives for the enslaved people. The author does not spare us any details as she gruesomely narrates the historical racism & violence that Black people had to endure back then (& still do now)! But underneath this, she introduces us to complex & interesting characters who she uses to challenge the enduring myth that oppressed people are complacent in their own oppression. In these characters, we observe what may seem to many as submission but is in fact a nuanced form of resistance, rooted in the need to stay alive in a world designed to crush rebellion.

For a fictional novel, ‘Kindred’ feels ‘unfortunately’ real & is a book that can be dissected paragraph by paragraph just because of how dense & complex the writing is. What a wonderful way to discover a new favorite author & a surprisingly positive ‘new genre’ reading experience.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

by Zora Neale Hurston

I am probably ‘singing to the choir’ when I say how good this book is.

The book’s rural Southern setting, the use of dialect & folkloric storytelling makes reading it a challenge for some (I listened to the audiobook first then read the physical copy), but IMO these are what made the book feel more authentic to the Harlem Renaissance period in which it was written/based on.

Janie Crawford is a Black woman living in the South in the 1930’s who has always known that there was ‘more life out there’ & makes it her purpose to find it. And that she does as she narrates to us her childhood under the watchful eye of her grandmother, her being married off & the eventual next 2 marriages that led her to a life full of bloom, & daisies, & blossoms, & seeds, & music…

But it’s not all ‘sunshine & rainbows’ in this search for love, the author shows us how Janie’s quest was constantly challenged by the intense pressures of racism, sexism & even colorism within her own community.

To me, Janie‘s story wasn’t about marriage/love, it was about finding the one person who helps you find your own voice. And sometimes, this person ends up not being physical there to see you blossom & experience this newly found love of self & that is also the beauty of life & that too is the beauty of life🌺 🌸 🌼 . Give me this instead of 100 self-help books on ‘finding your true self’ any day!

The First Ladies

by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

This book reminded me of why I love reading Historical Fiction. Like out of nowhere, I am immersed into a part of History that I never knew of before & had absolutely no interest in & suddenly I am googling facts & reading all these articles about (Hallo ‘Boston Marriages’).

In this book, we are immersed into the unlikely friendship & partnership between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt & civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune, a relationship that changed the course of History.

One is of course the The First Lady of America who despite holding this powerful position, we find out also had very little power because she was still existing in a truly patriarchal system. On the other hand, Mary McLeod Bethune, the child of formerly enslaved parents who rises above her circumstances to not only become a successful business owner, school founder, community leader & civil rights activist also has to deal with the challenges, but on top of that bear the brunt of living under a white supremacist system. But together, these 2 women become a force to reckon with.

This book not only gave me historical facts but it also reminded me of how important community is (in whichever form that takes), because we do not all have the same access to spaces, information or finances. And sometimes it’s not about our differences but about our common interests, that’s what we need to focus more energy on.

I am also in awe of how cohesive the writing in this book was, a true ode to collaboration. If I didn’t know that it was written by 2 authors I wouldn’t have been able to tell from just reading it just because of how good the writing flowed. This is another proof of the power of collaboration, we can come up with such masterpieces if we only come together. This book, girls’ education, female empowerment, safe spaces, true friendships, revolutions, changing systems, bringing down empires…all masterpieces that can/will happen because of collaborations.

Dust

by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor

A review of this book that appeared in the New York Times back in 2014 by Taiye Selasie says, “Only the reader who truly loves books, books full to brimming with imagery, will appreciate the magic Owuor has made of the classic nation-at-war novel.

The book starts off in the streets of Nairobi, 2007, where we meet a young man running for his life before he is gunned down. In his last living moments, we catch a glimpse of Odidi Oganda’s life as snippets flash through his almost closing eyes. Then we join a family in mourning, a family made up of a father who is as scarred both physically and emotionallyas the 50-year-old Kenyan Republic (this book was released in 2014 as Kenya was celebrating its 50th Jubilee), daughter who has just returned to Kenya and is keen to connect with her home and her family, an AK-47 wielding mother, and a herdsman of few words.

We (both the readers and the book’s characters) are taken on a discovery journey where we not only get acquainted with each other, but also with Kenya’s complicated history as we unearth deeply buried memories of colonial violence, the killing sprees of the Mau Mau uprising, several political assassinations, corruption…But all this happens in the background of a family just seeking to find out why their beloved son had to die.

This is one of the most challenging books that I have ever read. One that is definitely not for a lazy reader and needs an investment of time and concentration. But the blend of raw, honest, emotional, historical and dense storytelling makes it a worthy read.

There are points when I had to actually read it out loud because the mixture of poetry and fragmented sentences were making absolutely no sense. But I had come too far to give up and was seriously invested in the storyline that I too wanted my questions answered, just like the characters. And to be honest, there is just too much Kenyan history that remains buried, too many voices that have been silenced, too many people turned into dust, too many books collecting dust that made reading this book feel like an act of poetic justice.

Pg 274, “Odd. No one would emerge to ask after men who had been erased. It was as if they had never been born. Kenya’s official languages; English, Kiswahili and Silence, but there was also memory.”

No This was a truly, truly remarkable and memorable book.

Harlem Rhapsody

by Victoria Christopher Murray

‘She walked so that others could run. A truly inspirational read to end my 2025 reading year’

There’s a difference between how you want to be remembered when you’re no longer here and how you get to be remembered. That’s the feeling or thought that will linger in my head and in my heart long after finishing reading this book which was a truly inspirational read.

Jessie Redmond Fauset starts out her career as a high school teacher in Washington, D.C., before moving to Harlem for a dream job as a literary editor of ‘The Crisis’, Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois’ ‘literary baby’.

This book is fictional, but it in a fascinating way paints the picture of a woman who is described by the famous Langston Hughes as a ‘literary midwife’ during the Harlem Renaissance. A black woman who shaped a generation of literary legends, literally (pun intended), ran this big magazine, wrote a book that thoughtfully delved into the black middle class. All this while in a secret relationship with one of the most important civil rights activists in African American history.

I too had to fight my judgmental inclinations when it came to this relationship, just because I knew that Jessie deserved better. But I had to put my feelings aside and remember the fact that who am I to judge a black talented and brilliant woman who had enough hurdles to jump over and who still went ahead and earned her place as the epicenter of the Harlem Renaissance. This book was not only enlightening but also riveting to the last page.

Paradise Once

by Olive Senior

A historical fictional novel about the Taino people, their lives and rituals before they were literally wiped off the face of the world by colonizers. If not for this book being picked out as a book club read, I would have never known about this important part of the Caribbean history.

The author does an amazing job describing the lives and everyday rituals of this indigenous group that existed in what is now known as Cuba. As we are introduced to the fictional village of Maima, we see a people living normal lives, trading, farming, having their own governing system, their own spiritual beliefs, ceremonies, food before one day, the world is turned upside down by invaders, in this case, Spanish forces. From there, we follow four young people who have been chosen to help restore their people as they are sent on this secret mission.

I felt each and every feeling that the characters experience in this book. Every joy, every pain, every moment of panic, I was there. I gasped, I gagged, I prayed, I believed. I shouted as if it would change anything, not because I thought that I could rewrite this part of history, but because I did not want to believe that this is every Indigenous group’s path.

Reading this book reminded me of how important it is for people or communities that exist on the margins to tell their own stories, to document them, to tell them to the younger generations because clearly we might just one day be wiped out of the face of the earth by groups that are historically opressional and exploitative. But it also reminded me that sometimes to exist is actually the only way to resist. Truthfully speaking, this book left me feeling a bit hopeless & wondering, “When will this end, if ever!”

The Parlour Wife

by Foluso Agbaje

Kehinde is at almost 18 years old an ardent journaler who has her sights set on becoming a writer for a known newspaper in Lagos, Nigeria just at the onset of the World War II in 1939. But her life circumstances change when she finds herself married off as the third wife to a rich man who is also a colonial collaborator. And just as she is resigning herself to this ‘Trad-wife’ kind of life, an opportunity arises which might not only lead her to the forefront of the fight for women’s rights against the British, but also give her a chance at her own freedom.

This book is overflowing with situations where Patriarchy and Misogyny intersect that will have you (had me) growling in anger, with varied perpetrators like the colonial government, certain male members of the community and even women who I referred to ‘fondly’ as ‘Patriachy Princesses’.

Reading this book unearthed for me parts of the Nigerian history that I knew nothing about which is one of the pluses of reading historical fiction. My Google search tab just increased tenfold thanks to this book.

I found the book’s pacing in the first 100 pages to be slow, but it picked up pace later. There was an array of side characters who added flavor to the main storyline but were not overwhelming. I appreciated the positive betrayal of female friendships, which proved to play a big role not only in Kehinde’s survival but also in her resistance and her pursuit of freedom.

Despite the aforementioned positives I felt left down by the IMO author’s attempt to sell me this book as historical fiction (& please feel free to correct me If I have categorized it wrongly). I wanted her to dig deeper into the history, especially since she mentioned the rabbit hole that she went into while researching about life in Lagos during this time. Those priceless conversations that she had with her paternal grandparents, I needed more of them in here; tell me more about the food rationing, the recruitment of young men to join the war, their training, who were the members of the private Lagos racecourse, how were the newspapers used both by the British as propaganda but also by the locals during their fight against colonialists. And no, she didn’t need to go deep into everything but just pick out 2/3 themes and fully flush them out.

And last, but definitely not least, I found Kehinde as the main character very ‘lacking’ for someone who is sold to us as a fighter. I found her ‘fighting skills’ to be pretty subpar in the way in which at every single juncture of her life, there was someone either urging her or leading her, and she was somehow fighting her own self-esteem issues more than the external forces in almost the whole duration of the book.

I longed for a more innately thoughtful and strategic character but what I got was a ‘lukewarm’ one who relied a lot on ‘damsel in distress’ antics which ended up portraying her more as a parlour wife, even when she was literally & figuratively ‘outside of the parlour’.

Personally, I gravitate more towards strong and self assured characters in whom the fighting spirit can be seen even at a tender age & whose character development is a joy to witness/ read. This book unfortunately lacked that and what further exacerbated my disappointment was the anti-climatic ‘hallmark movie’ like ending that felt just too cheesy. This one will not rate high on my favorite reads list but I am sure that the book club discussion (this was a Bookclub pick) will be lit 🔥 and I am definitely looking forward to it.

Taiwan Travelogue

by Yang Shuang-zi, translated by Lin King

Any historical fiction novel that sends me on a ‘Googling spree’ is a winner in my eyes/shelves.

‘Taiwan Travelogue’ follows a fictional Japanese writer on a visit to Taiwan in 1938 back when it was still a Japanese colony & her budding relationship with her Taiwanese translator, & all this is explored through food, yes food (also fondly referred to as my middle name).

This is the first book by a Taiwanese author or set in Taiwan that I’ve ever read, & I found myself completely engrossed in the rich history & cuisine of this island. The politics, the language, the description of the weather & atmosphere, the modes of transportation, the class relations, the underlying tensions between Mainlanders & Islanders & did I mention food? Strike all the above & start with food.

The ‘Anthony Bourdain’ train somehow missed me, but IMO, maybe this book is how he explored the world. The richness in the descriptions of the different types of food, the textures, the pairings, the preparation, the history, the origins, the spices; it all reminded me of the Netflix series ‘High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America’ which was based on a book with the same title by Jessica B. Harris, an American culinary historian.

Alas, how can I ramble on without mentioning the incredibly layered relationship between the two main characters which to me can only be aptly defined by the saying that goes ‘The quickest/easiest way to get to someone’s heart is through their stomach’. I still cannot get over how the author managed to intertwine the culinary exploration with this friendship/relationship in such a tender way in which none overpowered the other. Everything was just so perfectly balanced. And even the angle of self reflection that the book takes at a certain point managed to not only surprise me but to also challenge me to examine the ways that I myself consume cultures that are not mine. And let us not forget about the pedestal that interpretation and language was put on in this book 👏🏾.

This one deserves all the accolades and even more; an absolutely scrumptious read.

PS/ DO NOT READ THIS BOOK WHILE HUNGRY ‼️

Romance & Relationships (15)

Before I Let Go

by Kennedy Ryan

Finally, a love story that reminded of my belief in love as I found myself fully immersed into it. Navigating a romantic relationship after loss is something that is rarely talked about, in books & also in real life. And I feel like the writer skillfully & in an empathetic way told us this story of a couple who believed in a love that would last forever but had their lives & love unfortunately shattered by a series of tragedies. We not only get to see them work through their own traumas but we also see the importance of Therapy, strong family bonds & friendships as needed in the restoration of their relationship.

February is IMO the month of Love & am so glad that I had this book to crown it ❤️.

Seven Days in June

by Tia Williams

🚨 Unpopular opinion ahead 🚨

2 troubled teenegers meet & form a bond (unhealthy IMO) but what is portrayed in this book as ‘falling in love’. I cannot figure out exactly how long Eve (Genevieve) & Shane ‘dated’ (if you can even call it that) but during this ‘TW’ drug induced haze, they got to know each other better 🚩. Something happens, authorities are involved & they are separated 🚩.

They meet later in life when they are both accomplished authors of fantasy series of books where the main characters in their books are inspired by each other 🚩. Somehow, they & everyone around them is convinced that they are meant to be & should pick up their relationship from where they left it off, & one of their biggest supporters is Eve’s teenage daughter who is a self-proclaimed therapist/coach 🚩. Shane seems to still be fighting his old demons while Eve is under pressure to deliver another bestselling book even though she can’t seem to be able to write anymore, since her last book was based on her toxic ex 🚩. Can someone please tell me how to ignore all the 🚩🚩🚩🚩 above & believe the happy ending of this book? Are we supposed to ignore the emotional instability & co-dependency that is exhibited by the main characters? Am simply scared that this ‘happy-ending’ might just not last. And yes, I know that this is fiction 😆.

Conclusion; there needed to be a deeper journey into self-work & healing for the main characters before they met up again, everything just felt so rushed. This wasn’t a great read for me, unfortunately.

All you lovely Fans of this book, please share your thoughts, am I being a pessimist (hater)🙈?

Cursed Daughters

by Oyinkan Braithwaite

The premise of this book is a family living under a curse (a very misogynistic curse) that hangs over several generations of the women within varied timelines. We meet these women as they navigate their love lives with the ever lingering presence of this curse which fulfils itself by hindering them from going for what they want.

This was an easy read & despite the many characters and several timelines, the flow of the story was pretty easy to follow. And predictably where women are concerned, they experienced Patriarchy, Misogyny, self abandonment, absentee fathers, superstitions…these are just a few of the themes that I encountered in this book.

I enjoy when my fiction stories are layered, I like it when a sentence stops me in my tracks & I have to put down the book & consider my life choices. I did not experience that in this book. What you see written in the synopsis of the book is exactly what you get inside. I think that this book is well received because it is a light read, something for someone looking to just dip in a tip of their foot into African literature. A fun and easy read. That’s it, like a casual no-strings attached affair, nothing more. Like a ‘I‘m here for a good time & not a long time’ kind of book.

But I want more. I need more & so this unfortunately wasn’t the book for me.

The Marriage Monitoring Aunties Association

by Ola Awonubi

We meet Sade a Nigerian-British woman of a mature age, almost 50 who is single, childless & successful in her career, but something that weighs heavily on her mind is her inability or unsuccessful bid to be married with children. And what makes it even worse is the constant pressure that is placed on her as a Christian woman by not only her family members but also by the members of her church community.

I was very irritated by this book because of the stereotypical way in which it portrayed single Black women. The characters were stereotypical & not well flushed out, & that made me not feel connected to any one of them. The title is also misleading IMO because they were not enough Aunties ‘meddling’ in her life as I had expected. The romance part was also pretty lukewarm, I found that love interest to be completely forgettable & I was unfortunately not impressed by the ending.

Unfortunately, I am not the right audience for this book & only read it because of a Bookclub.

Heart the Lover

by Lily King

To truly appreciate the beauty of this book one has to be a true ‘lover‘ of literature and not like ‘normal‘ literature, but the kind that is taught in writing classes in colleges & schools of higher learning. Classics like Compleat Angler (1653), Finnegans Wake (1924), The Confessions of St Augustine (AD 397 & 400), The Magic Mountain (1924)…& this list goes on and on all throughout the book.

I as a reader who has neither read these books nor have the interest to, felt left out because these books made such a big impact on the characters & their development, the way they related to each other, their confessions of love, their pain, forgiveness, feelings of loneliness, how they dealt with grief, that I could unfortunately not be a part of. It felt like I was watching a film of a love story in a foreign language that I could not understand, one that came without subtitles.

But I appreciate how the author used the love triangle with the 3 main characters to cleverly portray how friendships & relationships don’t happen in enclosed spaces. The people around us are affected as they also play a big role in the paths that our lives take. We are all intertwined in a way & there will be pain in order for us to grow & to bend in sometimes different directions.

I cried a lot while reading this book, but that’s something I am going to need to explore privately‼️

Is this a book that I will remember or think about five years from now? I highly doubt that. But it still is one of the most touching & thoughtful books that I have read so far this year.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

by Tia Williams

What happens when a free spirited daughter of a well-off Funeral home owner decides to follow her dream of starting her own flower shop & moves to New York to make this dream a reality? Of course she runs into this *TDH & mysterious musician & what follows is not your typical whirlwind of Romance but a connection that is not only magical but also heartwarming. We are taken on a historical journey that spans the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s accompanied by mentions of music, fashion, art & the activism in those times. With themes of Magical realism, Voodoo, leap year magic, friendship across generations…this book has something for everyone.

And for someone who grew up reading & getting lost in the depths of ‘Mills & Boon’ books, such a Romance novel is a needed & so much appreciated breath of fresh of air #blacklove 😉

*Tall Dark & Handsome

American Royalty

by Tracey Livesay

If you need a fluffy book when you just want to escape this ‘Ghetto’ that we are living in called earth, then I would recommend you listen 🎧 to this book. A British prince invites unbeknownst to him, a black & super talented & of course sexy female rapper to perform at a concert set up by the Royal family to honor the late Crown Prince & hopefully repair the family’s bad image in the public’s eye. Yes, a disaster just waiting to happen right!

Truth be told, this isn’t a book that you reach for to learn anything, this is just for pure entertainment & escape. From the royal family’s antics, the prince’s IMO ridiculous attempt to live a ‘regular’ life as a Lecturer, the obvious unattainable happily ever after ending for such a relationship, there was no shortage of ‘cringey’ moments in the book. But I am here for the spicy scenes, Duchess’ (the female MC) entrepreneurial acumen & of course the Fashion 👗.

If you feel like escaping these ‘book of Revelation’ times that we are living in, then get this audiobook as narrated by my fave ‘Wesleigh Siobhan’.

PS/ In my head, Duchess is ‘Tiwa Savage’!

Only for the Week

by Natasha Bishop

Janelle & Rome decide to have a ‘situationship’ while in Tulum for Janelle’s sister’s wedding, who is getting married to Janelle’s ex-boyfriend (I know 🙄, messy messy messy). But only for a week until they go back to their respective lives. That was the initial plan.

I needed a ‘palate cleanser’ after reading 2 heavy-themed books back to back & this was perfect. In as much as the premise of the book sounds kitschy, the author saves it by creating great conversations between the characters who all act decent (all except Janelle’s Mum & Sister) who I was side-eyeing all throughout the book. And the spicy 🌶️ bits are done well, in a very demure & very mindful way 🤭.

It was the light read that I needed, simple, fun & and easy, perfect for the Summer & the cover with brown skinned girl (insert Beyoncé’s song 🎶) rounded it all up nicely. And of course I created a music playlist with the titles mentioned in the book & have them currently on Replay. I will most definitely revisit this author’s other works when I need a ‘brain-break‘.

Happy Place

by Emily Henry

A group of friends meet at their yearly summer vacation house & have to grapple with the fact that they themselves & their relationships have changed over the years. And the 2 main characters ‘Wyn & Harriet’ are forced to ‘fake date’ & pretend during the length of their stay that they are this happy couple while hiding from their friends the fact that they broke up their engagement & haven’t spoken to each other in a long time.

A book hailed as one of the best romance books of 2023 was unfortunately a fail for me. Apart from the cute cover, I have very few if any positive things to say about this book. First of all, where was the chemistry between the 2 main characters? These 2 were meant to be walking down the aisle soon but were unable to hold any meaningful conversation. They kept on speaking in weird ‘one liners’ which IMO led to the miscommunication that was the cause of their break up. Harriet gave me ‘pick-meisha’ vibes the way she kept on praising Wyn’s looks & just how she never felt worthy of his love nor attention. Girl, you are in Medical School, fix that crown 👑 on your head & walk straight away from that man.

And the friendship, what kind of friends does one have that they are uncomfortable to tell that they have broken off an engagement? ‘Show me your friends & I’ll tell you who you are!’ Not only that but we also hear how Emily was struggling in Medical school & in her relationship with her family while Wyn was dealing with the loss in his family & no one noticed this? No one at all?

Am so mad at this book 😡, it simply failed to give me what it promised. And as am reading all the flowery reviews that other readers are giving it, am just sitting here wondering if we read the same book 🤔!

‘Disappointed’ is putting it lightly.

Curvy Girl Summer

by Danielle Allen

If you spend time online then you have probably seen a video clip of individuals popping balloons as a sign of rejecting a relationship proposition. And of course most of these clips are performed/acted. But just imagine this being the reality of a curvy Black woman out there in the current dating world.

Aaliyah is soon turning 30 & is determined to have a significant other in time for her big birthday celebration. And even as a beautiful & confident curvy Black women with a good head on her shoulders, she cannot escape the misogyny, fatphobia, lies & fetishization that comes with online dating. But with the help of good friends, discernment & an unexpected love interest, she is able to examine her life & come face to face with some personal issues that she needed to resolve in her life.

A spicy 🌶️ but also wholesome read that warmed my heart & kept me entertained all through.

Icebreaker

by Hannah Grace

🚨 Incoming unpopular opinion; Booktok ruined this book for me. Yes, why was there such a hullabaloo about this book? 2 college students who are members of the college’s ice skating & ice hockey team meet, they don’t like each other at first & surprise surprise, they end up developing feelings for each other. That’s it! Nothing more.

I went in expecting a mindblowing romance book that would make my toes curl but instead was met by a lackluster plot & average characters.

I wish that the author had explored more into the (TW🚨)….Eating Disorder storyline but it was just touched on here & there & without depth. Am just disappointed by this book 😔 !

Changes

by Ama Ata Aidoo

Esi is a successful and educated woman, doing well in her career & seems to have it all. A husband & child to ‘complete it all’. But she finds herself unfulfilled in her marriage to Oko, a man who expects her to fulfill her traditional roles as a wife and mother while also respecting her career ambitions.

She longs for independence and struggles with the traditional expectations of women’s roles in marriage. This leads her to make the bold decision to enter into a second marriage as a 2nd wife, ultimately redefining her own understanding of self and sacrifice.

I went into this book expecting a Love Story but ended up reflecting on my own cultural contexts, what my thoughts are on the internal and external conflicts that women face as they navigate the intersection of tradition and modernity. This book offers a critique of the limitations placed on women everywhere & IMO defines Feminism without actually naming it.

We All Live Here

by Jojo Moyes

‘You never know what someone is going through. Be kind. Always.‘ …that saying is encompassed in this book. We meet Lila, a 40something year old woman as she navigates the complexities of post-divorce life. After her mother’s passing and her husband’s departure, Lila finds herself caring for her grieving stepfather, managing her daughters‘ needs, and confronting the reappearance of her estranged father. As her ex-husband’s new partner announces a pregnancy, Lila must balance these relationships while maintaining her own identity.

This novel’s strength lies in its rich character development and the authentic portrayal of family life. These are the real lives of people walking around on this earth, juggling love, finance, parenting, divorce and all the messiness that comes with familial relationships. I felt like an invisible part of Lila’s family, stressed by their IMO ridiculous decisions, laughed at the funny experiences, almost cried with them for the losses & disappointments, hoped & prayed for the reconciliations & cringed at the embarrassing moments. My favorite character was Lila’s mom whose presence was felt even more in her absence as when she was alive. That for me is #lifegoals! Actually, when I think about it more, I had 2 favorite characters. I also liked Celie, the teenage daughter, maybe because she reminds me of my own daughter (moms of teenagers, let’s please all meet here in solidarity ✊🏾)! Jojo Moyes‘ writing is inviting & captivating, entertaining & stay with you for a long time & is one of the reasons why I read everything that she writes.

Reel

by Kennedy Ryan

Black romance books have been enjoying a popularity resurgence in the last couple of years as a result of the rise in demand for such books being driven by the #WeNeedDiverseRomance movement & the power of self-publishing for Black authors. And with Authors like Kennedy Ryan writing their hearts out in their books, I am all here for it 🤌🏾.

If you are not a romance reader, I kindly request you to keep on reading this review & recommend this book to your bookish friends who do read Romance books because I know that they will love it.

Neevah Saint is a talented actress who one night finally gets a spotlight shone on her by none other than Canon Holt, a famous film director who is talented, fascinating & FINE! Suddenly, we find ourselves in the film world where we see Neevah & Canon working hard to bring alive the story of a forgotten Black actress during the 1920‘s while also fighting the overwhelming but also forbidden attraction between them. But oh no, that’s not all that goes on in the book, we get to see these 2 people struggling with their own traumas, health issues & insecurities while giving their all to their dream careers.

What I love about Kennedy Ryan is how she weaves in important themes into her books & does it in such a sensitive manner. We can see ourselves in the characters dealing with the same kind of s*** that we deal with daily while still holding space for that special someone(s) in our hearts & in our lives & I truly appreciate the diverse stories and experiences that she & other Black authors offer.

I felt like I was literally ‘behind the scenes’ in a Hollywood studio but I was also in Paris with Dessie Blue singing my heart out while experiencing the deepest heartbreak. As a hopeless romantic, this book made me ‘feel all the feels’ & Miss Ryan’s books are slowly becoming ‘automatic buys’ for me.

Sweet Heat

by Bolu Babalola

Your girl is back 🙌🏾 (& by that I mean me out of a reading slump, Bolu Babalola with this fun romance & Kiki with her witty words).

I was deeply engrossed in this book for 2 days, Kiki & Malaki kept me up all night & I ended up going to bed in the morning at 4 am 🫣! Yes, that’s how much I lapped this book up. Like a thirsty dog or like someone lost somewhere on a desert, when they finally reach an oasis. Yes, that was me!

I enjoyed it even much more than the sequel because the characters were now older and I could relate a little bit more with what they were going through. Also the writing showed that the author has matured in the way in which she handled the characters and the various themes that were brought up in the book like career paths, finances, racism & microaggressions in the creative world. I loved the pop culture references, I enjoyed the deep conversations that the characters had, there was less teenage/ young adult banter that was the case in the 1st book. I loved that they were like now ‘official adults‘ and were dealing with ‘adult stuff‘ like bills & family dynamics which made the book feel more relevant. I also loved the references to Nigeria that she included especially through Music like Fela Kuti & the live band sessions. I appreciated hearing from the parents, especially Kiki’s Mom’s perspective on her life & career choices, that was very refreshing.

I loved that the friendships were still there, but they were not too much in focus, the main focus was on Kiki and Malaki who were the reason why I picked the book up. I think in the first book the friends played a much bigger role in the ‘world building‘ which is expected because the book was set in University but this was now focused more on the couple.

Is this book a must-read? Not really IMO because I am not the biggest fan of ‘spinning the block’ when it comes to relationships but it will hold a special place in my heart because it brought me back from a ‘bookless state’.

Fantasy, Science Fiction & Thrillers (10)

Yesteryear

by Caro Claire Burke

You know that saying, ‼️“Don’t let your boyfriend keep you from finding your husband“‼️, that’s what came to my mind when I finish reading this book. Everyone around me both online & IRL was surprised that I was reading it. “Why would you want to read that?“, they asked. And don’t get me started on what seems like a barrage of negative reviews that my peers who have read it have ended up giving it.

Despite all these, I wanted to form my own opinion so I patiently waited in line for my turn at the library (70th position) & when it was finally in my hands, I devoured it.

I think that the book needs no introduction; Natalie is a Trad-wife & online content creator who shares everything (well not exactly everything) about her seemingly perfect life with her thousands of followers. But one day she wakes up, finds herself in the 1800s & suddenly her pretend life has become real. I encountered some flatness around page 50 but then the plot picked up & boy oh boy, what a ride that was. I sincerely tried to avoid any form of social contact so that I could just be left alone to read. I remember rushing home & kicking my feet with glee when I could finally pick it up again. Maybe it’s because I enjoy long deep dive videos & podcasts about the Trad-wife phenomenon & how it intersects with religious fanatism, Christian nationalism, warped gender roles, gender binary, control of women’s bodies, family vloggers, exposure of children online, crunchy moms, preppers, anti-vaxxers, social media algorithms & how all these life choices or arguments are used to not only try to control humanity but to also create capital for a ‘chosen‘ few.

This was a paella dish where my curiosity, interest & tinfoil hat met to deliver a wonderful reading experience. Also, I did not go into this book expecting it to dissect the trad-wife phenomena, that’s what sociologists, therapists & researchers are for.

I went into it looking for entertainment & was not disappointed & was reminded that that’s what why I read, to be entertained. And for once, I’m glad that I didn’t let others people’s reviews affect my book choice.

A Guardian & a Thief

by Megha Majumdar

This is described as a near future literary novel set in a climate ravaged Kolkata where 2 families seeking to protect their children must battle each other.

My qualms with this book include;

1. The writing is completely subpar & simply not intellectually stimulating. It felt like reading a class project/essay where the author believed that using different forms of figurative language would make the book more colorful & distract from its rather mediocre storyline but that failed terribly. 2. The underlying goals to bring out very important things like climate change, immigration, class differences were so in your face that they left me with no room to draw my own conclusion. Yes I know that 1+1=2 but at least let me/allow me to draw my own conclusion. ‘Subtle’ is not a word that can be used to describe the writing in this book. 3. Let me not start on the characters who felt hollow & two dimensional. None of them peaked my interest & remained as lackluster in the end as in the beginning of the book. 4. The plot twist if you can even call it that at the end felt so completely juvenile that I (not a writer) wouldn’t even put young adults through that. In conclusion, this was a complete waste of time that I would advise you not to pick up. A friend suggested that the book be renamed as ‘A thief of time’!

Maru

by Bessie Head

This book almost made it to my DNF list! Maybe it’s because of the writing style, there were so many different ones, from magical realism to a love story & then to a ‘Utopian’ style then back to sayings & satire & humor & then day to day conversations & suddenly more deep reflection…I could not keep up.

The subject of this book ‘Racism & the conclusion that the language of oppression is universal’ is one that is very important. As someone who encountered this & who had to flee her home country because of Apartheid, Bessie Head uses this book to describe the cracks in the African society post colonialism & hopes to inspire a life where Africans can coexist without the divides of race, gender, prejudice, violence & abuse.

I can appreciate the great writer that she is & the importance of this book as part of the ‘African Writers Series’ but I can also say that this was not an easy read. I only finished it so that I could have something to talk about in the Bookclub discussion.

Conclusion:- Read at your own peril!

Things They Lost

by Okwiri Oduor

‘Her shinbones were made of paper. Different people’s shinbones were made of different things. Some people’s shinbones were made of bamboo flutes, and some people’s shinbones were made of lemongrass stalks. She knew that her shinbones were made of paper because she knew the story of herself. Back in the Yonder Days, she was wriggling in the sky, and then her mama looked up with her eyes, and her mama said, Please-please-I-need-you.’

Ayosa is a 12 year old girl living in the fictitious town of Mapeli whose mother keeps on leaving her behind. I haven’t read a book written in such a beautiful & flowery prose since ‘One Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous’ by Ocean Vuong, that’s what I can compare Okwiri Oduor’s writing to. The book uses IMO magical realism to tell the stories of mothers & daughters, intergenerational memory & trauma, friendship & community care. She does so well by weaving in Kenyan folklore while also throwing jabs at colonialism, patriarchy & Christianity.

Notwithstanding the above praises, I unfortunately did not enjoy reading this book. Can something be too good that it then turns bad 🤔! There was just too much going that I felt like I could not connect to any of the characters. And her use of repetition simply went over my head, at several points of the book I just couldn’t take it anymore & had to take long breaks in between reading.

The author is beyond talented, she is IMO very gifted & I will definitely read all her work but this book just wasn’t for me, unfortunately.

Have you had similar mixed feelings about a book? If yes, please share how you felt.

Burn Down, Rise Up

by Vincent Tirado

Described as a ‘Stranger Things meets Get Out’ Sapphic Horror, I still don’t understand what made me pick this one up.

1. I don’t Read nor watch horrors 2. I have no idea what ‘Stranger Things’ or ‘Get Out’ is all about. 3. YA is one of my least favorite genres.

This book unfortunately had no chance with me, I found the characters to be self-centered (in hindsight, what do I expect from teenagers), the slum landlord was meant to be this powerful & terrible being but his defeat came a bit too easy for me. This books wasn’t just for me, unfortunately.

Children of Blood and Bone

by Tomi Adeyemi

This book ALMOST turned me into a Fantasy book reader. I don’t know how the author did it but she transported me right into the midst of the characters, I was there with them, cheering them on, screaming at the top of my lungs to warn them, mourning with them, tugging at their hands to hold them back from harm & swooning with them at the prospect of love.

My Sister, the Serial Killer

by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Set in Lagos, Nigeria, the story follows Korede, a nurse who is calm & whose role in the whole book is to clean up her younger sister Ayoola’s messes, literally & figuratively.

I get the appeal to the book, it is a short thriller that uses satire to address important themes such as patriarchy, GBV, corruption & also critiques pretty privilege. This gives it a ‘freshness’ that is very much appreciated in African literature, with the dark humor landing really well especially with a younger audience (Booktok).

I read it for the first time back in 2020, I didn’t enjoy it but that was a crazy time, so I put that on the isolation & the emotional toll that the Pandemic had on all of us. Rereading it now & I can confidently point out that I personally need my thrillers to be a bit more complex. Give me a complex crime, complicated characters, detailed police investigations, heart-stopping plot twists, keep me on the edge of my seat (this is what happens when you watch too many episodes of Criminal Minds)….

I needed more & unfortunately couldn’t find it in this book, TWICE! And that ending 😳!

All in all, it is an easy read that will make for great Bookclub discussion.

The Bandit Queens

by Parini Shroff

I can only describe this book as a Trojan horse that is sold as the story of a ‘self-made’ widow living in a remote village in India who is enjoying her ‘freedom’ & who is not only being judged by other women but now suddenly, her ‘husband disposal’ services are now being seeked by the same women. But in the process of reading it, we discover inside this ‘horse’ an exploration of womanhood, friendship, social injustices mashed up with second chances in a thrilling, adventurous, comedic & immensely enjoyable read.

How beautifully critic of societal injustices especially on women by patriarchal societies has been well packaged in this book & the amazing things that happen when women come together (business loans, removal of nose rings 🤭…)

Critical, hu morous & captivating is how best I can describe this book. If you’re into bold stories that blend sharp wit with serious truths, The Bandit Queens needs to be on your reading list.

I Who Have Never Known Men

by Jacqueline Harpman, translated by Ros Schwartz

This book left me breathless! How can such a ‘simple’ plot awaken so much emotion in me, leaving me in awe of its beautiful prose as told by one of the most amazing narrators that I have ever experienced. ‘The Child’ (the narrator) is obviously young, inexperienced, blunt, foolish, direct, aloof but she is also at the same time kind, loyal, creative, inquisitive, intelligent, thoughtful, observant & strong, all qualities that make the narration amazing.

This internet sensation of a book about a group of 40 women who find themselves suddenly freed from the cage in which they have been held for as long as they can remember is truly worth the hype IMO. This book could have been set 100 years ago or 100 years in the future but it still feels so real in a dystopian way. Reading it left me feeling scared, scared & breathless!

And a book that evokes such an emotion in me is one that deserves to be recommended.

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

by Shehan Karunatilaka

There’s a saying in my local language that says, “I will rest when am dead”. This book totally negates that saying. First of all, If you manage to get through the first 50 pages of reading it (I struggled), then you are in for a confusing but exhilarating ride. This book had me googling 1000 words that even ‘Big Brother’ (cough cough Google) is probably confused at what my interests are; Sri Lanka’s history, flags of different countries, Ola Leaf, the African god ‘Mbombo’ who vomited the world…

We are introduced to Maali Almeida, ‘Photographer. Gambler. Slut’ (his words, not mine), a closeted gay man who finds himself dead & embarks on a quest to find out how he died & who killed him. From the bureaucracy involved that he encounters as he tries to figure out how to navigate the life after death in the ‘in-between world’, his past life & the loved ones that he has left behind, the ghosts & demons roaming the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s politics, the brutality & killings that take place everyday, the different Government agencies involved (local & foreign), this book declares no rest for the dead in an enthralling way. I totally get why it won the @Bookerprize 2022. And the ending is 👌🏾 (insert the ‘Salt Bae’ GIF). I would 💯 recommend this book if you enjoy challenging books that have a touch of history in them.

Nonfiction & Essays (15)

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century

by edited by Alice Wong

A much-needed anthology that brings together essays in different forms from disabled people, and especially from those who have been under represented in media and popular culture. If I had read this book back in 2020 when it was published, I would’ve been shocked by the contributors’ vulnerability to honestly portray what disability looks and feels like mainly because of my own folly & closed-upness when it came to disability.

But literature, organizing & even social media has really showed me how broad the spectrum of disability is (both visible & invisible) and through listening and learning from disabled people, I now know that any fight against any form of oppressive system must include disabled people. This book is necessary, foundational & a must-read in our fight for disability justice. #CripLit

Radical Justice: Building the World We Need

by Nani Jansen Reventlow

What’s that saying again ‘Good things come in small packages’, that sums up this book. It’s compact, precise but also explorative in not only defining the conundrum that we currently find ourselves in, how we got here in the first place & how we will be able to get out (Worldmaking).

Existing in the world right now feels like living in a house full of cracked walls & all we seem to be doing is filling up the cracks while not realizing that the ground that the house was built on is a swamp & the house is sinking with all of us in it (excluding the technocrats who have bunkers…allegedly).

Also, what is this current sentiment that questioning oppressive systems is now being referred to as being radical? Then it’s only fair that each one of us starts acting now because as afore mentioned 👆🏾, the house is sinking.

‘Each of us can and must act. And we each need to find our own way of doing so without waiting for a hero to lead the way or until we have a perfect plan’

Again, the house is sinking and this is the handbook to help us find a way out. A handbook that I did not know I needed but I’m glad exists.

It’s Not About the Burqa

by edited by Mariam Khan

‘Contrary to what we are presented with there is no one type of Muslim woman. There are millions of us occupying our own spaces, changing our own words in our own small ways, contributing to what we believe to be a greater good.’…Afia Ahmed

This is a collection of essay with topics ranging from the hijab, queer identity, love divorce, marriage, feminism, sex, laws about marriage, community and simply existing as a Muslim woman in a racist country.

It is to me an appeal to everyone who takes on these very lazy stereotypical and often misogynistic and Islamophobic approach when it comes to Muslim women, talking about them instead of listening to them.

Even those of us who claim to be feminists often tend to unknowingly or unconsciously echo and reproduce White Feminist perspectives that disapprove of the key elements of Muslim female identity, because it believes that they can only exist in two boxes (they are either oppressed or submissive). This book is a reminder to all of us who do not belong to this community to simply shut the F*** up and instead create rooms and safe spaces for them to exist and just listen, just listen.

The Big Conservation Lie: The Untold Story of Wildlife Conservation in Kenya

by John Mbaria & Mordecai Ogada

Most of us grow up believing conservation to be simply about protecting wildlife and preserving nature, but after reading this book, listening to Dr. Mordecai Ogada’s musings and having a conversation with him on the podcast (shameless plug) 😉, I realize that there’s another side to the story that we are often not privy to & a lot takes place behind the curtains.

The 2 authors of this book are John Mbaria who is a trained spatial planner & an award winning investigative journalist & Dr. Mordecai Ogada who is a carnival ecologist. Both argue that many conservation systems in Africa are still shaped by colonial thinking. According to them local and indigenous African communities are too often left out of important decisions about the land and wildlife that they’ve lived alongside for generations.

One argument that really stood out for me is their claim that leadership within some conservancies and wildlife organizations can involve conflicts of interest where the same networks of organizations, donors & decision makers hold significant influence of conservation policies. They also argued that indigenous African knowledge & voices are frequently overlooked or dismissed in favor of outside expertise.

Another fascinating idea that the authors explore is the difference in how natural resources are viewed. They suggest that many African communities traditionally harvested only what they needed from nature, while European conservation and economic systems developed in response to seasonal climate that encouraged storing and accumulating resources. The authors argue that these different histories continue to shape conservation policies up to today.

Whether you agree with every argument in this book or not, it’s a perspective that truly made me question my thinking. I found this book to be eye-opening, challenging & full of questions that deserve discussions & that could make for a great conversation starter.

If you enjoy reading books that make you rethink what you know or what you thought you knew I definitely recommend this.

Sister Outsider

by Audre Lorde

How does one review such a masterpiece without realizing one’s own inadequate vocabulary or sense of unrefined literary wording!

Hence, this is not a review because I (IMO) lack the expertise for that so let’s just call this a ‘Book recommendation’. Get this book…mic drop 🎤!

But, one of the chapters that really spoke to me was ‘EYE TO EYE: BLACK WOMEN, HATRED, AND ANGER’. I wrote ‘Flo, I am judging you’ in my notes because it reminded me of every situation where my anger has come up whenever I have observed another black woman’s words or deeds & critically or negatively deemed her as embarrassing or giving the collective ‘us’ as black women a bad rap. Is it because she is living & walking in her ‘truth’ & I am simply jealous that I am not allowed/allowing myself to do the same? 🤔 This book will follow me along my journey of ‘Self-reflection’ or better put my ‘Reflective-struggle’.

Thank you @mypocbookshelf for bringing this book up in the podcast episode where you interviewed ‘Dr. Marion Kraft’. My bookshelf is slowly morphing into yours (or is it the other way round 🤔…😝).

You Are a Badass

by Jen Sincero

Once in a while, I pick up a self-help book, especially at the beginning of the year when I am vision boarding & writing down my goals for the year. Halfway through reading this book I realized that there’s nothing new that she was telling me. Maybe her method of delivery is different (use of curse words) but there is nothing in here that I haven’t heard before on a free Podcast or on a YouTube video. Save your coins & time on this one.

Decolonizing Wellness

by Dalia Kinsley

Another book that unfortunately wasn’t for me. This was a Bookclub pick & so I ‘had to’ read it which clearly says a lot about my reading experience. As a 40 year old black woman, there was really nothing new that I got from it that I haven’t read in articles, other books or got from YouTube videos. I know that it is an amazing book for the right audience, a younger person who still has a lot to discover about life & that hasn’t been me in a long time.

Invisible: Stories from Kenya’s Queer Community

by Kevin Mwachiro

A collection of Kenyan stories from a community that ‘feels invisible’, stories that have been hidden & vaulted in hearts & minds that we now get to read. It is heartbreaking that in 2024, such stories are still being told in secrecy as the storytellers fear for their safety & lives. This makes this book feel even more important & appreciated.

Africa Is Not a Country: Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa

by Dipo Faloyin

A witty but also insightful exploitation of the monolithic view of Africa that many people especially from the west still hold. By using wit and humor, Dipo Faloyin reminds anyone who is looking to expand their understanding of Africa and its people not to lump the 54 diverse countries of Africa into a single, homogeneous entity but to approach Africa with curiosity and respect, to look beyond the headlines, and to understand the complexity and diversity of a continent that has far too often been reduced to a set of oversimplified narratives.

Truly an essential read especially in the current times that we find ourselves in.

Women’s Liberation & the African Freedom Struggle

by Thomas Sankara

A manifesto, a powerful & insightful book by a revolutionary leader of Burkina Faso whose vision remains an inspiring model for integrating women’s right into the broader struggle for freedom & equality.

In his speech delivered to several thousand women on International Women’s Day, March 8, 1987, Thomas Sankara reiterated that the liberation of women is inextricably linked to the overall liberation of Africa. Which means that Women’s freedom needs to be at the forefront & this can only be achieved when there is full participation of women in all aspects of society, political, social & economic.

Truly, a leader who was years ahead of his time & whose work we still need to continue.

The History of the World in 6 Plagues: How Contagion, Class & Captivity Shaped Us from Cholera to COVID-19

by Edna Bonhomme

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book, only that I found the title intriguing but I remember praying that it wouldn’t be too scientific & ‘dry’ for a non-science person like me. And boy oh boy was I in for a lovely surprise. I could not put this book down & when I did, I was talking to everyone around me about what I had just read. “Did you know that…? Can you believe that…? Just imagine that…” yes, that was me 🙋🏾‍♀️ & I could tell that they were sick of me (no pun intended).

The book talks about the 6 most common plagues/epidemics that have been recorded in history but in a very reflective way, a not so subtle reminder that as we look for answers when epidemics occur, there is so much to learn from those that are that have occurred in our past. But the author also focuses on just how people living on the margins are affected the most during such occurrences. The ‘expansion’ of laboratories & unchecked tests on Africans that is happening now goes way back to the early 1900’s with ‘Medicine Heroes’ like Robert Koch running amok in their research trials. As a Kenyan, we have a ‘history’ with a certain Foundation that keeps on doing reproductive health trials on our people without proper checks & it infuriates me that our government is still allowing this to happen.

I experienced a wide range of emotions while reading this book from rage to awe to sadness to solidarity…And my list of books to read just increased thanks to the author’s amazing recommendations. Oh, & the chapter about Virginia Woolf was just so poignant!

This was indeed an amazing read that I would highly recommend.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

by Omar El Akkad

This book that is erroneously claimed to have been inspired by a viral tweet had actually already been a ‘Work-in-progress’ until its title that was suggested by an editor landed on the Twitter streets.

As the title suggests, the author clearly states all throughout the book that there will be many people in the future who will claim how much they had been against the ‘live-streamed’ genocide in Gaza when it is all in the past just as much as those who claimed to have been against Apartheid in South Africa.

The author dissects the ‘moral space’ within which the West exists & operates as an Egyptian immigrant who has lived in Qatar, Canada & the US. And IMO, in as much as he claims not to advice or tell anyone what to do, he subconsciously challenges us to practice small acts of resistance both inwardly & outwardly because ‘every derailment of normalcy matters when what’s becoming normal is a genocide.’ He goes ahead to quote Rasha Abdulahi, a Palestinian author who writes, ‘Wherever you are, whatever sand you can throw on the years of genocide, do it now. If it’s a handful, throw it. If it’s ba fingernail full, scrape it out & throw it. Get in the way however you can’!

This book is a jarringly powerful & emotionally appeal to humanity to simply be ‘human’!

Bad Indians Bookclub

by Patty Krawec

This is a manual & step by step guide on how to become a Bad Indian. A Bad Indian in this case is a collective term that encompasses those who are against capitalism & nationalistic priorities, reads intentionally, radically & in community, is in community with other marginalized people whose stories were pushed aside & written on top of by the dominant society, thinks beyond political categories, is no longer seeking inclusion in a house that is on fire, is on the losing end of national hierarchy, refuses to confront myths of conquest by creating their own & instead finding belonging in the connections between themselves, confronts Kyriachy, protects the Trans & Queer community, is interested in collective care instead of self care, refuses to put white people in their central focus & most importantly ALWAYS CARRIES A BOOK!

But the author doesn’t just stop at giving us this profound definition, she also gives us a long & detailed list of books by Indigenous authors & by authors who through their writing are changing the world. Reading this book reminded me that books change us as we engage, wrestle & argue with them & of how the power of book clubs & reading groups lie not just in who we read but in who we read with, and why.

I do hope that wherever you are, you identify as a fellow member of the Bad Indians Bookclub.

Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People

by Imani Perry

In her acknowledgement, Imani Perry asks us to treat this book as a guide for readers on a journey of discovery in the search for greater details and nuance. Just like when a quilter collects bits and pieces of discarded and worn fabric for a project, and by using a thread they literally thread or sew these pieces together to come up with a beautiful end result, Imani Perry uses the color blue to quilt together a story of Black people, humans who in her own words she describes as people who despite everything that has been done to them are still here, living even after death.

This book is dense and filled with so much historical references that were new and surprising to me, from the little blue Tiffany jewelry box to Kwame Nkrumah’s vintage blue Cadillac that he rode in during his presidential inauguration in 1960.

This is a small book that is a reminder on how we should look into the past, learn from it in order to change the present and claim the future. Now imagine theses stories beautifully wrapped in a blue satin ribbon 🧵, pretty right? That’s what this book is IMO.

Stimmen aus der Stille

by Yahya Ekhou

Mit diesem Buch gibt Yahya Ekhou den ‘Stimmlosen’ eine Stimme. Es handelt sich um eine Sammlung von Geschichten, erzählt von Mauretanischen Frauen aus einem Land in Westafrika, in dem ein System moderner Sklaverei weiterhin aktiv ist. Zugleich gehört dieses Land nicht zur englischsprachigen Welt, was dazu geführt hat, dass es sprachlich und politisch vom breiteren afrikanischen Diskurs isoliert ist.

Diese Frauen berichten davon, wie es ist, als Mädchen geboren und in einer Gemeinschaft aufgezogen zu werden, umgeben von Farben, Essen, Literatur, Familie und Musik bis sie ein Alter erreichen, in dem sie erkennen, dass die Dinge für sie und für die Frauen um sie herum anders sind.

Dieses Buch hat mir eine Welt eröffnet, der ich zuvor gegenüber blind war; wie es ist, als Frau in einer Gesellschaft zu leben, in der die brutale Realität der Sklaverei für viele weiterhin unsichtbar bleibt. Wie es ist, in einer Welt zu leben, in der ein dauerhaftes Schweigen über der Bevölkerung eines Landes liegt (den Haratine), von denen viele noch immer in einer Form von Abhängigkeit leben.

Eine Welt, in der Mädchen und Frauen sogar die Autonomie über ihren eigenen Körper verweigert wird, weil sie nicht einfach als Menschen, sondern als Eigentum betrachtet werden. Eine Welt, in der der Schulbesuch für Mädchen und Frauen keineswegs selbstverständlich ist. Eine Welt, die gleichgültig weiterläuft und in der Widerstand ein Traum ist, der selten die Jugend überlebt und wenn er wahrgenommen wird bestraft und verboten wird. All dies unter der Scharia, einer Form der Ordnung, in der Gesetz und Staat untrennbar miteinander verbunden sind.

Diese Geschichten erinnern uns nicht nur an ein historisches Unrecht, sondern an eine gegenwärtige und systemische Krise, die von Schweigen, Leugnung und institutioneller Mitverantwortung verdeckt ist und nur durch kontinuierliches akademisches, journalistisches und politisches Engagement überwunden werden kann. Diese Stimmen müssen nicht nur gehört, sondern auch verstärkt und in Handeln umgesetzt werden. Lasst uns diese Geschichten lesen bis Veränderung kommt.

ENGLISH

With this book Yahya Ekhou gives the ‘voiceless’ a voice. This is a collection of stories as told by Mauritanian women, a country in West Africa with an active system of modern-day slavery, a country that is not part of the English-speaking world which has led to it being linguistically and politically isolated from broader African discourse.

These women tell us about being girls who are born & raised in community, growing up sorrounded by colour, foods, literature, family, music until they reach an age where they realize that things are different for them & for the women around them.

This book opened up a world for me that I have been oblivious to, how it is for a woman existing in a society where the brutal reality of slavery still remains invisible to many. How it is to live in a world where a persistent & deafening silence haunts a country’s population (the Haratine) many of whom still live under a sort of servitude. A world where girls & women are being denied even the autonomy of their own bodies as they are viewed not simply as humans but as property.

A world where attending school as a girl/woman is not a given. A world that moves on with indifference & where resistance is a dream that rarely survives adolescence & if sensed, is punished & forbidden. All of this under Sharia law, a governance where law and state were inseparable.

These stories remind us not only of a historical injustice, but a current and systemic crisis, shrouded in silence, denial, and institutional complicity that can only be dismantled through continuous academic, journalistic, and policy-driven engagement. These voices need to not only be heard but to also be amplified and acted upon. Let’s read these stories until a change comes.

Memoirs & Autobiography (13)

The Woman in Me

by Britney Spears

I feel like I am one of the last people to read this book after making its rounds all over Social Media. Non-fiction books & especially Memoirs are not exactly my cup of tea, maybe because I want books to transport me to an imaginary world & reading about someone’s real life experiences are just the opposite of that.

Whenever I pick up a memoir, I don’t really expect to be wowed by the author‘s literary process, it’s more about hearing them owning their own story & that is exactly what Britney did in this book. As someone who grew up in the 90’s with Britney Spears’ songs as part of the soundtrack of my life, I remember gobbling up every single story that was written about her in the gossip columns. When she spoke about the ‘All denim looks’ that she & Justin wore to that Award show, I knew exactly what she was talking, the image was imprinted in my mind.

IMO, apart from the horrendous details about the conservatorship that her family put her under & her life during that time, there wasn’t much new that she added to what I knew of her story. But am glad that she got to tell it on her own terms & also in her own time. Also, Justin Timberlake is 🤮 IMO.

Have you read this book & what are your thoughts on it? Are Justin songs still on your playlist 🫣?

How to Say Babylon

by Safiya Sinclair

Safiya Sinclair takes us on a journey of her life, born to parents who adhered to the strict lifestyle of a Rastafari Sect. Together with her sisters, she navigates this life that is controlled by their volatile reggae musician father who believes that he is to protect his family from ‘Babylon’, the western world full of immorality. But what her father doesn’t anticipate is how Safiya, a naturally talented writer & poet will grow to take that that was used to confine & silence her & transform it into her path to freedom.

This memoir reminded me of a cocoon that is meant to protect a larvae before it transforms into a butterfly, which is somehow 2 sided because as it protects, it also confines & restricts movement!

I really enjoyed reading this book & was lucky enough to be attend the @bookofcinz Bookclub meeting where the Author @safiyasinclair was part of the discussion.

Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter

by J. Nozipo Maraire

A daughter is leaving home (Zimbabwe) to study at Harvard & her mother writes her a letter offering advice; what she herself has gone through, stories that the daughter did not know about her family members & close friends, Zimbabwe‘s colonial history, her hopes for the future & what the daughter should expect while living in the US.

First & foremost, why didn’t my mother write me such a letter? Why did she send me out into this big bad world so unprepared and have me wonder around like a headless chicken trying to make sense of everything?

My feelings aside, this book felt like a love letter from Africa (Motherland) to her children spread all over the world. She doesn’t present herself as all-knowing & instead uses history & past experiences to teach & prepare us for what we have/will encounter. She doesn’t mince her words while correcting wrongdoers, but she also lets them know that her door is always open if and when they decide to come back home. She is forgiving, is a visionary, wise, is a fighter, an archiver, a revolutionary, a nurturer who promises to always be with her children no matter which corner of the world they decide to settle in.

We are all Zenzele & this letter is for all of us‼️

If My Skin Could Talk

by Brigitte Lunguieki Malungo

What is the first thing that someone sees when they come into contact with you? For the majority of us BIPOC people living in a country where we are the minority, it is our skin color, there’s no denying that. The ‘safest’ place that I know & have created is my home, this for me is one of the few spaces where I never have to think about the color of my skin, here within these walls, am just Flo!

This book narrates how it is to exist outside of such ‘safe spaces’. How we try to navigate them while still being true to ourselves which can be exhausting. I have a feeling that we’ve been doing this for so long that it has become a routine but this book goes to show that existing in our skin is actually work, it’s like something we ‘sign in & sign off’ from but unfortunately there’s no compensation for us.

Thank you @Bridgitte for putting our feelings into words & thank you too for sending me a digital copy of your book for review purposes.

Birth of a Dream Weaver

by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Prologue

‘I entered Makerere University College in July 1958, subject of a British Crown Colony, and left in March 1964, citizen of an independent African state. Between subject and citizen, a writer was born. This is the story of how the herdsboy, child laborer, and high school dreamer in ‘Dreams in a Time of War’ and ‘In the House of the Interpreter’ became a weaver of dreams.’

This book is a history packed memoir of one of the leading writers & scholars at work in the world today. An artist with words who uses his pen to weave a story of liberation throughout Africa, a coming together of history in a journal form that not only enlightens but also entertains. This is a must read for anyone who is interested in African literature & the impact that it made in the fight against colonialism.

Frau Müller, Die Migrantin

by Evelyn Waithira

Evelyn is a fellow Kenyan & someone who has become sort of an Internet friend over the last couple of years. I believe that I first came across her content online & was drawn to it because it was my first time to see someone who looks like me talk about the ‘loneliness epidemic’ that many migrants are experiencing here in Germany. It’s something we talk about in our family & friendship circles but never online. Maybe because we were raised not to put our business out there in public for all & sundry or maybe because of the fear of judgment by those back home who will not understand that loneliness even exists in these ‘lands of milk & honey’.

But in her newly published book, Evelyn who is a trained, certified & practicing Psychologist, not only digs into this loneliness but she also shares about her own experiences of life as an immigrant facing racism, the constant longing to belong, loss & finding new relationships, partnership, motherhood, the hurdles that arise in work environments, language barriers… I could go on & on about all the things that are in this book that I found relatable but let me save that for a future Podcast interview that I hope to do with her soon.

Evelyn, thank you for sharing your(our) story with the world & for making me(us) feel seen. Asante sana!

Educated

by Tara Westover

This is one memoir that I would have never picked out on my own & that would have been a great loss (thank God for Bookclubs).

Finding Me

by Viola Davis

This memoir can be described in several words but to me, it was raw, unflinching & deeply inspiring as we follow Viola’s journey from extreme poverty growing up in Rhode Island, overcoming childhood trauma to becoming an EGOT winning actress, wife & mother.

Nobody can dispute the vulnerability that she shows in this book, holding nothing back & being brutally honest about her childhood. One thing that her life experiences reminded me of was a quote by Will Smith where he said that, “You can’t achieve your way out of Trauma“.

The whole time I was listening to Viola’s incredible resilience & her fight to not be defined by her circumstances, all I could think about was how maybe, just maybe Ambition is nothing but a Trauma response. Are we all (Viola included) using ambition as a way to regain a sense of mastery & predictability in life?

This book has opened a Pandora’s box for me & I am evaluating a lot of my life choices….and I see myself rereading it over & over again. What a Life! What a Testimony!

I’m Glad My Mom Died

by Jennette McCurdy

Disclaimer: All feelings expressed in this review are purely & exclusively about the book and not about the author’s lived experience.

Jennette McCurdy writes a heartbreaking memoir about growing up as a child star who was manipulated and exploited by almost every adult in her life, especially her mother, leading to struggles with eating disorders and addiction.

I didn’t know much about Jennette or her past in the entertainment industry before picking this up, but I saw it making the rounds as one of the most talked about celebrity memoirs. However, I have to say, I beg to differ. While her story is undeniably tragic, I found the narration quite choppy and emotionally distant. It’s a memoir, yet it felt oddly impersonal, an oxymoron considering I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jennette herself.

I’m not a mental health expert, but it almost felt like she needed to create a sense of distance from her story just to be able to tell it. My heart breaks for what she endured, but I didn’t feel as emotionally pulled in by her storytelling as I had hoped.

If I had to describe this book in three words, they’d be Choppy, Removed & Dissociative. By the end, I still didn’t feel like I truly knew who Jennette was, and for me, that connection is what makes a memoir powerful.

A heartbreaking story, but ultimately a disappointing read for me.

Assata: An Autobiography

by Assata Shakur

In the foreword of this book, Angela Davis describes Assata Shakur as a compassionate human being with an unwavering commitment to justice that transcends easily across racial & ethnic lines, in & out of prisons & across oceans & time.

Her words remind us that it is only for the sake of those without hope that hope is given to us. Assata Shakur was an American political activist, revolutionary & fugitive who was a member of the Black Panther Party, & later the Black Liberation Army in 1976. She was arrested at the New Jersey Turnpike in 1975 & sentenced to prison from where she escaped in 1976, becoming a fugitive for 45 years until her death in 2025.

I was surprised by how timeless this book felt. It read like it could have been written now. And as much as that sounds like a compliment it is infact sad because it means that not much has changed. The struggle of Black people & generally people who belong to marginalized communities still remains the same.

Reading this book led me to discover a compassionate person whose commitment to justice was unwavering. She says that every community that is concerned with its own freedom has to be concerned about other people’s freedom as well. Each time one of imperialism’s tentacles is cut off, we are closer to liberation. Imperialism is an international system of exploitation & we need to be internationalists to defeat it.

This is still a banned book & ironically she talks about the schools that we go to being a reflection of that society that created them. Nobody is going to give you education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going to teach you your true heroes, if they know that that knowledge will help set you free.

‘If you sit in s*** for too long it stops smelling’…She reminds that it is necessary to remind ourselves that we are being oppressed. People get used to anything. The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it grows. After a while, people just think oppression is the normal state of things. But to become free you have to be acutely aware of being a slave. This book is a must-read for everyone.

One Day I Will Write About This Place

by Binyavanga Wainaina

A jumbled up coming of age story/memoir by one of Africa’s most prolific writers. Here is a man who was not afraid nor embarrassed to share with the world his life journey; how he lived inside his dreams, often stumbled, stood, fell again but never stopped dream.

‘Jumbled up’ is exactly how I felt while I was reading this memoir; there were parts where he drew me into his life, his childhood, travels, struggles, joys, relationships but there were also times where he lost me, one minute he would be describing scenes in New York along the Hudson river & then suddenly he would declare that he was going to vote for Raila, even though he didn’t particularly like him…Huh 🤷🏾‍♀️!

But what a beautiful mind. He took me on a historical & political journey of Kenya & Africa, spitting facts that were absolutely unnecessary but that I still appreciated. His hometown of Nakuru, a town in Kenya that is rarely featured in literature & that is to many only know as that town where you stop to take a break while on your way between Nairobi & Kisumu. But in this book, Nakuru plays a large role in shaping who he became.

His relationship with his parents & siblings, how fascinating it was to ‘witness’ gentle-parenting in practice in the 1970s/1980s. How somehow his parents saw/recognized how gifted he was & how they moulded him & his creativity. And also how all of this forged his activism, his courage to speak up against untruths, to say no to opportunities that required an unbecoming potrayal of Africa, his dedication to his love for writing, his willingness to share his wins for the advancement of African literature & his unwavering love for community wherever he was, even while fighting the demons that wanted him isolated.

This is a beautifully chaotic memoir that requires the reader to take their time while reading it & that should be treated with care & tenderness. Care & tenderness that I hope that Binyawanga Wainaina experienced while he was still here!

Das können wir uns nicht leisten

by Miriam Davoudvandi

Es braucht unglaublich viel Selbstreflexion & Verletzlichkeit, um sich selbst & die eigene Geschichte so offen zu zeigen. Vor allem, wenn es darum geht, wie es ist, in Deutschland “arm” aufzuwachsen. Wobei ich glaube, dass Armut & die Erfahrungen, die damit einhergehen, etwas sind, das Menschen auf der ganzen Welt miteinander verbindet.

Auf eine zutiefst persönliche, reflektierte, intime, humorvolle & gleichzeitig sehr nachdenkliche Art nimmt uns Miriam Davoudvandi mit in ihre Geschichte. Sie erzählt schonungslos offen von ihrer Geburt & ihren ersten Lebensjahren in Rumänien, vom Umzug nach Deutschland & davon, wie es war, in einer süddeutschen Kleinstadt unter finanziell prekären Verhältnissen aufzuwachsen.

Ich habe dieses Buch unglaublich gerne gelesen. Nicht nur, weil ich so viele ihrer Erfahrungen aus meiner eigenen Kindheit kenne und mich darin wiedergefunden habe (sich mit mehreren Menschen einen winzigen Wohnraum teilen zu müssen, ist nicht gemütlich. Es ist einfach nur unfassbar erdrückend), sondern auch, weil ich mittlerweile selbst auf der anderen Seite stehe: als Elternteil, das in diesen wirtschaftlich unsicheren Zeiten versucht, Kinder großzuziehen.

Armut ist wie ein Muttermal, das man einfach nicht loswird. Sie ist immer da. Sie zieht sich durch jeden einzelnen Bereich deines Lebens. Von Geburt an. Durch deine Beziehungen, dein Aussehen, deine psychische Gesundheit und die Art und Weise, wie du dich in der Welt bewegst und welchen Platz du dir darin überhaupt zutraust. Und selbst wenn du es irgendwann schaffst, sozial “aufzusteigen” & die Klasse zu wechseln, in die du hineingeboren wurdest, bleibt die Armut ein Teil von dir. Tief verankert. Auch wenn sie von außen vielleicht längst nicht mehr sichtbar ist.

Was ich an diesem Buch besonders liebe, ist, wie zugänglich es geschrieben ist. Und wie konsequent die Autorin jede Gelegenheit nutzt, um uns Leser*innen daran zu erinnern, dass Armut ein strukturelles Problem ist und kein individuelles Versagen. Niemand ist selbst schuld daran, arm zu sein. Und niemand sollte sich allein aus der Armut herauskämpfen müssen. (Bitte verabschiedet euch endlich von dieser ganzen “Rich Dad Poor Dad” Mentalität ‼️)

Denn wirkliche Veränderung entsteht nicht dadurch, dass wir Menschen immer wieder erzählen, sie müssten sich einfach nur mehr anstrengen.

Sie entsteht durch politische Entscheidungen, durch Gemeinschaft, durch Solidarität & vor allem durch mehr Empathie füreinander.

Wangarĩ Muta Maathai’s Memoir

by Wangarĩ Muta Maathai

The late ‘Wangarĩ Muta Maathai’ requires no introduction but still, reading her Memoir was such a profound experience for me. What a woman, a leader, a fighter, a giver, a visionary, a movement, an inspiration, a better human than most people around her (she showed so much grace to everyone who opposed her)….

As inspiring as her story is I couldn’t help but feel like she was never vindicated enough for all the BS that she had to endure in her fight against corruption, land grabbing, environmental extortion, abuse of power, political persecution, patriarchy….And it breaks my heart to see some of the leaders & institutions that she fought against still holding offices & being given platforms. This memoir put me in this weird place where I am grateful for Activism but am also wondering how lasting the effects of Activism are 🤔! These vices are just like the tentacles of octopuses 🐙, you cut one & a new one grows to replace it (that might be a myth, but it applies here as an analogy).

Thank you to everyone who does this work, we appreciate you.

Short Stories & Poetry (8)

Diaspora Baby

by Ana Lucão

A soft & intimate exploration of life as an Afrodiasporic person living in Germany that feels both grounding & light at the same time. Through short & long prose that oscillate between the author’s multiple languages we are taken on a journey that exalts love, sisterhood, food, friendship, relationships, kin, heartache, dark skin curls, regions & nature.

I couldn’t help but feel envious of the authors attachment or perceived oneness with water, a medium that features heavily in her poems as it meanders its way throughout. I also thought a lot about the meaning of ‘Home’. I wonder if being at home in your own self should actually be the main goal because then you would be at home wherever you are. And maybe by achieving this status you can finally end this never-ending search for this place called ‘Home’.

A collection has left me with much to ponder about 🤔.

Heart Lamp

by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi

12 short stories that are deeply feminist that awakened in me a desire to explore more translated fiction, especially by authors other than male & translated from languages other than the ‘big 6’.

In a language that is rich & vibrant in the tradition of oral storytelling, the author uses female characters to critique patriarchy while shining a light on the society’s often hypocritical traditional & religious practices from early marriages, polygamy, financial, physical & mental abuse, family abandonment, to religiously led misogyny, abuse of power & classism. We witness an awakening of the society’s downtrodden be it single mothers or members of the lower caste as they slowly dissent or rebel against their oppressors, first inwardly then finally outwardly in sometimes explosive manners.

I was appalled, annoyed, disgusted, & heartbroken by the injustice that the girls, women & children in the stories experienced, but I was also proud of them for not only surviving, but also for rebelling against such societal rot.

We need such critical literature. We need such brave authors. We need such talented translators…not only need to tell such stories but to also inspire revolt among the oppressed among us.

Black Girl Call Home

by Jasmine Mans

Black girls are not a monolith! We are exhausted of our constant portrayal in a negative light by being subjected to unfair & untrue stereotypes. We are diverse & this book reminds us to celebrate our individualism. But even as we do this, the writing pulls us together like the way a mother warmly embraces a child that has come back home. We are different but we love, ache, hurt & bleed the same. I saw myself in almost every poem, when I was getting my hair done, when I fell in love, when I had my heart broken, when I broke someone’s heart, when I dealt with loss, my feelings about my body & other people’s feelings about my body, my motherhood journey, the fear that I have as I exist in this female body, Sandra Bland, Serena Williams, Michelle Obama…

@Jasminemars, thank you for seeing us!

Drinking from Graveyard Wells

by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu

Short stories are meant to introduce you to an author & to evoke a particular emotion or mood in you & this book did just that. It introduced me to an amazing Zimbabwean author, the stories of her people (past & present) but also to the concept of ‘Afrofuturism’, a vast ocean that I have just ‘tapped my toe into’. As a ‘Sarungana’, she tells us stories of the women in her country whose contribution to the fight against colonialism were never mentioned, what one has to give up in exchange of citizenship in a foreign country, the expectations of parents that their children shall always be ‘the head & not the tail’ (to mean only first place is accepted), how women have no ownership of their bodies even after death, the concept of time (now & before)…

We are also reminded in this book of themes that we are grappling with currently like patriarchy, violence against women, racism, exploitation of humans & of the environment, corruption, white supremacy, financial exploitation & many more. ‘Lest we forget’ that the generation before us forged through the same & maybe even the one after us will have to too (hopefully not)!

This book is both a reminder & a lesson for the future (Zamani & Sasa) that I enjoyed reading.

Things We Do Not Tell the People We Love

by Huma Qureshi

This was a @fundisanani Bookclub pick for April & an introduction to an author who is completely new to me. It is a collection of 10 short stories where the main characters in each story is a South East Asian woman, though that is not explicitly mentioned in the book. As the women go through life dealing with loss of loved ones (both born & unborn), struggles with new motherhood, romantic relationships, interracial relationships, strained mother-daughter relationships, friendships…the one thing that they all have in common is their ‘unwillingness’ to say out loud what they are thinking. Raise your hand if you struggle with this too 🙋🏾‍♀️!

I don’t know if this is something that is expected of us in the society where most women go out of their way to keep their feelings in, in order to maintain peace. Or even how we are encouraged to ‘be the bigger person’ during disagreements. Something that brought nothing but heartache to every woman in this book.

I found the stories to be heartbreaking & they made me wonder who exactly gains when we keep things to ourselves, definitely not us!

For Such a Time as This

by Shani Akilah

If you are looking for a collection of short stories that feels contemporary & wholesome then this is it. This debut book depicts an array of young & black British millennials navigating life during & the pandemic as they juggle work, love, family, health & the social situations that they find themselves in. I also loved that she included a character dealing with chronic pain, Yes for representation!

The only part that I didn’t feel the need for was the last bit where she brought all the characters together, but that’s just a ‘me thing’. I prefer to keep my short stories’ characters separate 🙈.

All in all, this was an easy read that I really enjoyed.

A Kind of Madness

by Uche Okonkwo

A refreshing collection of short stories based in Nigeria that feels like a breathe of fresh air in a muffled room. The stories are simple & short but they still tug at your heart when you are done reading them. To me, these stories are a reminder that everyone is out here looking for something, approval from a distant parent, a quiet mind, an escape from financial struggles, a community…and looking from the outside, we might be hasty in judging this search as a kind of madness, but aren’t we all ‘mad’ on this quest for the unknown?

Let me sit down & make a list of my ‘madness’!

Manchester Happened

by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

With wit, humor and a cast of endearingly human (and some four-legged) characters, JNM writes stories that are both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. A soulful exploration of themes like colonialism, immigration & the immigrant experience, parenting, racism, culture, family, friendship, heartbreak, grief…but yet somehow, this book never feels heavy handed. It feels personal. JNM’s writing is so immersive, so real, that you feel like you’re one of the characters, not just the humans, I even saw myself in the dog. Every experience is rendered with such tenderness & empathy.

And one of the many gems in this book is her unwavering belief in the power of community. Whether her characters are in the UK or back home in farmiliar Uganda, there’s always a thread of togetherness running through their lives, a reminder that home isn’t just a place, but a group of people who will show up for you, especially in the worst of times.

These stories will stay with me & even though it is a work of fiction, they felt very real, like a record of migrant experiences from all over the world. And maybe that’s the magic of this book, it convinces you that these lives are not so different from our own. Another masterfully written book from her that I highly recommend.

Children’s Books & Graphic Novels (2)

When Stars Are Scattered

by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

If you have ever interacted with children, you know that ‘patience’ or ‘waiting’ is not exactly high up on their list of abilities. So, now imagine a young Somali boy (Omar) finds himself together with his younger brother displaced from what they know as home, separated from their mother & are now living (more like existing) in Daadab, one of Africa’s largest refugee camp. In this camp, everyone is waiting to either go back home when the war ends or move to start a new life in another country.

This graphic novel is the perfect mix of heartbreak & hope, as Omar shares with us his life experiences as they wait for their fate to be decided. I loved how the boys were able to gain a sense of family even in this difficult living situation & they still found some little joy in their lives. This book was a real eye-opener to the plight of underage refugees who just like stars, are scattered everywhere.

Sulwe

by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison

This book unexpectedly took me back to my childhood. I grew up in a family where everyone was dark skinned. Because of that, skin tone was never something we talked about. There was no favoritism based on how we looked. If anything, praise or criticism was based on performance, how well you did in school, how you behaved, how hard you worked. Our value was never tied to our appearance. So for a long time, I thought that was just how the world worked.

But as I grew older, I started to notice something different outside my house. I saw friends who were lighter skinned receive more attention, more praise, more privileges. They were validated more, especially by men. They were described as the most beautiful, celebrated in songs, media and in everyday conversations. And slowly I began to understand colorism.

Sulwe helped me to put language to that realization. It shows how early these messages start and how deeply they can shape a child’s sense of self. It reminds us that colorism isn’t always taught directly. It’s absorbed through what we see, who is celebrated and who is left questioning their worth. That’s why books like Sulwe matter, children deserve stories that affirm them before the world teaches them to doubt themselves. They deserve to see beauty reflected in skin that looks like theirs. And they deserve language to understand that the problem was never them, it was the system.

Reading Sulwe didn’t just feel like reading a children’s book. It felt like a reminder of why representation, especially in children’s literature, is not optional. It’s necessary. Let’s be intentional about the books that we put in children’s hands.