As a lover of short story collections, Ghostroots by 'Pemi Aguda is now one of my favourite Brilliant, fresh, haunting, unsettling, un-put-down-able!
As a lover of short story collections, Ghostroots by 'Pemi Aguda is now one of my favourites. This collection is cohesive, haunting and I felt that every story I read was my favoruite, but not only that, but its like each story also got better and better. A stunning collection!
Set mostly in Lagos, Ghostroots is collection of 12 stories that explores very haunting topics in fresh and unsettling ways. I loved the story that started the collection- Manifest is about a girl who starts spiraling and her mother keeps mistaking her for her grandmother who is evil incarnate. Brilliant and unsettling, I still get goosebumps thinking about it. In Breastmilk we are taken into a family that is falling apart but they just had a baby so they must put things aside. There’s the story of young boys who keep disappearing in a community and they can’t seem to figure why they are dying.
Honestly, every single story is exceptional, and I need more people to read this collection. I finished reading this collection two weeks now and I can’t stop thinking about it. ...more
Deeply moving, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time… Ibeh is a new voice in Nigerian literature that I can’t wait to hear more from!
O Deeply moving, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time… Ibeh is a new voice in Nigerian literature that I can’t wait to hear more from!
Once I picked up this brilliant book, I could not put it down. In Blessings we are taken to Nigeria where we meet a family with two boys. Obiefuna is the first son for Anozie and Uzoamaka. He is a wonderful dancer, deeply sensitive not the boy that his vey pragmatic father hoped for. Their second son Ekene is a natural athlete, a boy’s boy and who the father hoped Obiefuna would become. While Obiefuna’s mom tries to shield him from the world and how brutal it can be. His father catches Obiefuna and a boy from a nearby village in a compromising situation and he sends him away to boarding school.
Being banished from his family and only home he’s ever known, Obiefuna must now integrate into a school with a rigid structure and boys who are waiting to devour newcomers. He must hide who he is to fit in, all while trying to figure out is identity. Back at home the family is in turmoil as the mother and father conflicted about the best way to raise their son. Is sending him away what was best? Or will it bring him to his ruin? Can the father live with his decision? Will the mother ever forgive the father for what he did to her son?
Blessings is told from the perspective of Obiefuna and his mother, Uzoamaka which gives us a deep understanding of how they both see the world and what is happening to them. I truly loved this book, it was tender, fresh, well-written and makes you care deeply for the characters and the choices they are faced with.
I want to say that this book is what I expected of An Ordinary Wonder but didn’t get. Blessings is a brilliant debut and I cant wait to read what the author writes next. ...more
The author really went “there” with this collection of eleven short stories. I am not going to lie, some of the storie Provocative, dark and jarring
The author really went “there” with this collection of eleven short stories. I am not going to lie, some of the stories I read I really thought, “a wah gwan yasso?!” However, I loved how the author was able to write something fresh, engaging, jarring and raw. After each story I had to put down the book and really think, “what did I just read and what does this mean?” …. In a good way of course.
The book explores themes of feminism, mother-daughter relationship, lonlieness, love, forgiveness and hope. I particularly loved the exploration of lonlieness because I feel like it is something we all experience but don't talk too much about.
I love that this is a debut collection because it means we get to hear more from this author! ...more
A true slice of life from Black-British Londoners navigating life…
In Shani Akilah’s debut novel For Such A Time As This we are introduced to Black A true slice of life from Black-British Londoners navigating life…
In Shani Akilah’s debut novel For Such A Time As This we are introduced to Black-British Millennial Londoners who are navigating the corporate world, heart-break, friendships, different societal pressures and relationships with the backdrop of then coming out of covid.
It is a collection of interconnected short stories where we meet characters, who are going through so much. The young girl who is the token Black girl at work, works hard to let her teammates care about diversity and is basically punished for it. The young guy who is going through a heartbreak and doesn’t know how to lean on his friends. These stories feel so real, and everyone I read I am reminded of a friend I know.
The stories are written with heart, it feels real and the characters are layered, you can’t help but to cheer for and grieve with them.
Great Expectation follows David, in his twenties and he recently started working for a Senator’s presidential campaign. We hear David’s thoughts on thGreat Expectation follows David, in his twenties and he recently started working for a Senator’s presidential campaign. We hear David’s thoughts on the Senator, the campaign and his feelings in general about what is happening around him.
Honestly, this book felt like a stream of consciousness and not in a good way. I kept wondering, “how is this moving the plot along?” I was bored mid way through to be honest. ...more
Hilarious, heartwarming, sad, entertaining and un-put-down-able
Nwaubani is an excellent author who will take you on the most amazing adventure with Hilarious, heartwarming, sad, entertaining and un-put-down-able
Nwaubani is an excellent author who will take you on the most amazing adventure with characters you can't help but cheer for. In I Do Not Come To You By Chance we meet Kingsley who grew up in a family where education was to be the way, the truth and the light. He saw both his mother and father worked to get their education and they instilled in him the value and doors a degree would open for him. It is not until Kingsley graduated from University with a degree as an engineer, started apply for jobs in the oil and gas industry that he realized he was sold a dream. Fresh graduate with the world before him, Kingsley is now realizing that it is not the degree that will open doors, but it is his uncle who is the head of a 419 scam organization.
Kingsley decided that in order to provide for his family, he must rely on himself and not wait for hand outs. He joins his Uncle organization and became a full-time scammer. He sends people letters letting them know "I do not come to you by chance..." What happens when his luck wears thin?
I LOVED this book. As someone who gets a lot of these scam emails, I was a little funny seeing the other side. I loved that the author made it realistic, while not making us feel bad for the scammers. We get a nuanced look into the lives of characters who turn to scamming. A highly entertaining read....more
A must read collection that a writer who went too soon
I remember hearing about this collection from an Editor, they told me about Diane Evans, how s A must read collection that a writer who went too soon
I remember hearing about this collection from an Editor, they told me about Diane Evans, how she died having only published a few stories but this collection will feature stories never released to the public and I am so happy I got to read it.
The introduction was done by Tayari Jones who called this collection a capsule, its like getting a peak into what life was like in the 1960s in the South and I totally agree. In this collection Evans writes brilliantly about a period we may know about but in such a real and tender way.
This is what a collection of short stories should read like. Every story felt complete, and completely different. The characters were all well developed and felt so real that for days after reading the collection I could not shake them.
A thoroughly enjoyable read with an unforgettable cast of characters! An amazing debut novel from DK
We are taken to Ghana to a family meeting to di A thoroughly enjoyable read with an unforgettable cast of characters! An amazing debut novel from DK
We are taken to Ghana to a family meeting to dissolve a marriage, the marriage and divorce was done in absentia. What Napoleon Could Not Do opens with the families all stating whose fault it is that the divorce is happening. Jacob got married to Belinda in absentia with the hopes of getting a visa to move to America and live there. After being denied repeatedly, Belinda decides its best they divorce. Jacob met Belinda through his sister Nti who is currently living in America, married to a war veteran but is still without a green card.
Jacob is mad that he is still in Ghana struggling to get to America. Nti is enraged that America won’t give her what she wants- a green card, even though she’s done everything. Both are resentful of each other. With a death in the family, they must each decide how to move forward.
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the characters and how layered they are, the situation they all find themselves in. There are diverse characters, I especially loved Jacob, the father and Nti- they each offered so much to move the plot along.
I will say the section with Wilder threw me off and I really did not care to for his part of the story. I wish those pages were used to talk more about Nti or Jacob. I did want to hear more from Nti she seemed like the standout character for me. The one thing that stood out t me are the characters and how well crafted they were- they were believable and not your typical one dimensional cast.
A very engaging read that will live rent free in your head. ...more
Re-Read this book for BookOfCinz Book Club This is an exceptional read for book clubs, so many things to discuss.
What an interesting read! I am stil Re-Read this book for BookOfCinz Book Club This is an exceptional read for book clubs, so many things to discuss.
What an interesting read! I am still thinking about this days after finishing the book.
In Dominoes we meet Layla, British-Jamaican woman living in London. She’s got a Black Jamaican mother and a white father who she’s never met. Layla grew up with her Mom and her Grandfather with the company of her best friend Sera.
The book opens with Layla and Sera going to a house party. Layla meets Andy and finds out they share the same last name: McKinnon. They instantly hit it off, they fall in love hard and fast. They move in together, Andy is attentive, a great listener, he’s everything Layla wants in a partner and in no time he proposes and they start planning their wedding.
With 29 days to go til their wedding Sera shares her concerns about Layla marrying a white man who has her last name and is from a Scottish background. Could it be his forefathers were slave masters? Sera encourages Layla to research their past before committing to a marriage, because, “how are you going to marry a man whose family may have enslaved your family?”
For the first time in her life Layla spends time researching her history, asking about her family. She must know about her history and identity and what role Andy’s family may have played in the slave trade. She visits Jamaica with her family to learn more, while she loves Andy, she is not able to attend the wedding until the knows the “truth”….
This book really had my head spinning because… what you mean this is the premise of the book? You love a man but his generational wealth is from the slave trade?!!! I am not going to lie, I did have some moment where I went “mmmmm what is going on here?” I will say this book made me feel uncomfortable and I am sure it will give people that feeling as well. It is a really great read because it brings to the front questions we all need to answer and reckon with....more
A heartwarming, moving, and deeply affecting! If you are a music lover, you are going to love this one!
What an immersive experience, I loved every m A heartwarming, moving, and deeply affecting! If you are a music lover, you are going to love this one!
What an immersive experience, I loved every moment of this book. Not only is it musical journey but you learn so much about Kenyan and Ethiopian history and culture. It is such a relevant piece of literary that saddles music and history in the most beautiful way. Did I mention it is HILAROUS!
In Unbury our Dead with Songs we meet a Kenyan Journalist, John Thandi Manfredi who is a disappointment to his social ladder climbing parents because he is writer for a trashy newspaper. One night he is a bar where we witnesses four musicians in a competition to perform the best Tizita. Overcome by the beauty of Tizita he decides to write a story following the four musicians—The Diva, The Corporal, the Taliban Man, and Miriam. The reporter follows them to Ethiopia to know more about their upbringing and what makes them a great Tizita singer. He learns more about himself and the craft of Tizita than he set out for.
This book is a gem and I enjoyed every moment of it! ...more
A beautiful book about ageing, friendship, grief and change. An unforgettable read
In The Woman Next Door we meet Hortensia James, a Black renowne A beautiful book about ageing, friendship, grief and change. An unforgettable read
In The Woman Next Door we meet Hortensia James, a Black renowned designer from Barbados whose lived all over the world and decided to make Cape Town her retirement city. She moves into a rich neighbourhood and immediately feels unwelcomed. Hortensia husband is in palliative care at home so she has a lot of free time on her hands. She decides to be a part of the neighbourhood committee where she meets her next door neighbour.
Marion Agostino is a white and has lived in Cape Town majority of her life. Recently widowed, she spends majority of her time with the neighbourhood committee, with her grandchild and her dog. Being the chairman of the neighbourhood watch may be Marion’s entire personality. That is until she finds out her dead husband left her for broke and she may lose everything she holds dear if she loses her house.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don’t know what it is about reading about older protagonist but I could not put this book down. The friendship was unlikely and I think it goes back to what makes this book so lovely. The author showed us the characters’ humanity. They were two miserable old ladies, but you felt for them in a genuine way. I really loved how everything played out.
This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more. Truly a beautiful book! ...more
For fans of The Girl With the Louding Voice or Dew Angels, a coming of age that will leave you cheering to the end
In Sweetness in the Skin we meet For fans of The Girl With the Louding Voice or Dew Angels, a coming of age that will leave you cheering to the end
In Sweetness in the Skin we meet thirteen year old Pumpkin Patterson who lives in a tiny home in the ghetto with her Grandmother, Mother and Aunty. Her Grandmother is a dressmaker whose main goal is to get them as far away from the ghetto as possible. Her Aunty Sophie works at the French embassy and takes very good care of her, they made a pack to leave for France as soon as Pumpkin passes her French exams. Pumpkin’s mother Paulette is hardly home, she is seen as the Black Sheep of the family, darker than Aunty Sophie and lives in her shadow. It is clear the grandmother treats each daughter differently and that’s been a sore point in their relationships.
Aside from her mother lashing out at her, Pumpkin is well taken care of, she attends a great high school, loves baking and taking French lessons. Her Aunty Sophie acts as her guardian and is generally the one who would show up for her. When her Aunty Sophie gets offered a job in France, Pumpkin is left alone, added to that, her grandmother suddenly passes away and she is left alone with her mother who she feels does not love her and doesn’t care about her well being.
Pumpkin must now figure out a way to get to her aunty in France without her mother knowing. Life changes so fast for Pumpkin and she is left with little resources and people in her corner. We see how she navigates all these changes even in the face of opposition.
If you loved THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE you will enjoy this book. They are all coming of age story with a protagonist you can’t help but cheer for.
While I did enjoy some parts of the book, I felt the plot was a bit amateurish, that themes were glossed over, and felt very one-dimensional or left unaddressed. There was little exploration of colorism in the family, classism and the mother-daughter relatationship. I felt the author rushed the ending and I was just peeved at she wrapped up Aunty Sophie’s character in 3 lines- little awareness was given there. Overall I felt the book lacked nuance, it felt like a book I’ve read before and was somewhat unoriginal in some parts.
If you like coming of age, maybe pick this one up....more
Within two pages of the book I was enraged and it didnt stop until the very end. I get that it is the nature for the topics covered but honestly, thisWithin two pages of the book I was enraged and it didnt stop until the very end. I get that it is the nature for the topics covered but honestly, this was heavy with a capital H. The book felt unreasonably long, at certain parts nothing really happened the author kept rehashing the same things.
The writing is great, I just needed it to be better edited....more
I am one of those persons who visibly cringe when I hear Africa being referred to as one thing, when it is so muThis is what I call required reading.
I am one of those persons who visibly cringe when I hear Africa being referred to as one thing, when it is so much more than that. I started reading this book during my 70 tour of the African continent and the insights that I got from that book made the experience even better.
This book is truly a great way to get a more layered look at the continent- it’s history, the culture and how colonialism impacted the continent to this day. There is so much history, truth and insights is packed into this book. I was reading this book and nodding the entire time because there are so many things I do not know.
Why did it take me so long to read this amazing book?!
I have had this book on my list for a very long time and I am so happy I decided to finally re Why did it take me so long to read this amazing book?!
I have had this book on my list for a very long time and I am so happy I decided to finally read it. Welcome to Lagos is a book about humanity and bonds we form when we have no choice.
The book opens with an officer leaving the army because he no longer believes in the cause and he is tired of being haunted by the people he's murdered. He ends up leaving and taking another with him/ While on the journey to Lagos he meets a naive militant, a vulnerable young woman and a runaway middle-class wife. What happens next, well, let's just say, it was wild, entertaining and heart warming.
Felt like a book version of Top Boy…. But in an underwhelming way….
We are taken to Bris-tol where we meet this family who keeps on disintegrating. W Felt like a book version of Top Boy…. But in an underwhelming way….
We are taken to Bris-tol where we meet this family who keeps on disintegrating. We meet cousins who are into drugs but Sayon wants to make a clean break when things go wrong for him and he ends up getting blackmailed by his girlfriend’s dad. He tries his best to stay on the straight and narrow but he misses his family, his loyalty to his cousin and his inability to come clean to his girlfriend. One night everything comes clean which sends him spiraling.
What I loved most about the book was the exploration of religion and it means for each person. Honestly, this one felt long and unedited. I really wanted to love it but there was just something missing. I didn’t feel deeply for the characters and I think its because they all seem very one-dimensional. Will I read what the author writes next? Absolutely! ...more
We are taken to Costa Rica in the 1960s with the burning down of a banana factory. This fire has repercussions for generations to come and we find outWe are taken to Costa Rica in the 1960s with the burning down of a banana factory. This fire has repercussions for generations to come and we find out how through the multiple POVs.
Honestly, this one did not work for me. It felt tedious getting into it and once I did, I didnt feel deeply for the characters. What's more, there were too many characters that their backstory felt watered down. I finished the book with more questions than answers. ...more
A book that is centered on music, heritage and love…
Set in the 70s in London we meet Yamaye who is from Jamaican heritage. She goes out partying withA book that is centered on music, heritage and love…
Set in the 70s in London we meet Yamaye who is from Jamaican heritage. She goes out partying with her friends on a weekend to an underground club called The Crypt. They get to whine, and grind and meet other people, but also The Crypt is a way for them to let go of all things that holds them down and escape for a bit. During a night at The Crypt Yamaye meets Moose, a furniture maker from Jamaica and they fall madly and deeply in love. For them, their relationship is an escape, a safe space, a place for them to feel whole.
Unfortunately, they don’t get to live out their romance because of police brutality that sends Yamaye spiraling. Everything changes, Yamaye is heartbroken, she wants to help find justice in anyway. Added to that she must now come face to face with her history, her mother dying at a young age, her father not being entirely present, never really knowing where home is. Yamaye finds comfort in the wrong places and people and ends up paying the consequences.
I wanted to love this one so much, I was engrossed at the beginning! I felt that the book started very strong, it the music elements that I loved. It was explored so beautifully. I think Yamaye’s character development was very much on point and I liked her journey. The middle of the book DRAGGED and was too chaotic I wish that was edited down. Too much was going on. The ending of the book I loved, her being back in Jamaica was top tier.
Honestly, I think my heart just broke for the character who died and I ended up not wanting any part of the book after. Their romance was so tender. ...more
Prachi Gupta decided to write a deeply moving memoir about her Indian-American famil Moving, un-put-down-able, raw, trigging, exceptionally executed…
Prachi Gupta decided to write a deeply moving memoir about her Indian-American family that needs to be read widely. Prachi Gupta writes a memoir for immigrant children who are trying to understand their place in the world. She writes about growing up with the parents and her brother- her father wanted to be a doctor because that is what he thinks was expected of him. He married very young and took her mother from Indian to Canada and then the US. Growing up the father always made the decisions, where to live, what they would be and what was expected of everyone.
On the outside they seemed like the perfect family but Prachi takes us inside to show us the abuse, gaslighting, and hurt that happened at the hands of her family. This is not the book you expect from an Immigrant and I think that is what I loved most, Prachi really showed us what her world was like and how she was raised. She was so vulnerable in this memoir I felt like she was a friend I wanted to fight people for.
Her family is complex, there are so many issues at play and I think Prachi gave them grace (even when they didn’t deserve it!) in writing this book.
Honestly, this is for anyone with a family dynamic that is toxic and you are wondering how to navigate it all.
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