In Becoming Nigerian: A Guide Elnathan John provides an affecting, unrestrained and satirical guide to the Nigerians you will meet at home and abroad, or on your way to hell and to heaven. It is a searing look at how power is performed, negotiated and abused in private and in public; in politics, business, religious institutions and in homes. From the exploration of religious hypocrisy to inequality in matters of the heart, the collection is a jab at Nigerian society and what it means to be a Nigerian. Beyond poking fun at the holders of power, it is a summons, a provocation and a call for introspection among all levels of society. As is often said in Nigeria, when you point with one finger, there are four others pointing back at you.
This engrossing read is a must-have for Nigerians on how to move beyond shame and arrogance, and for Non-Nigerians, a uniquely informative guide on how to accept their awe and envy of Nigerians. It is an invitation for everyone to embrace and rejoice in their inner Nigerian.
Review
Well, if you looking for a good laugh (assuming
you have a good sense of humor and don’t take everything personally), this book
right is your plug! I read this about a few of weeks ago almost in one sitting.
Where do I even start from with this book? It is safe to say the tables that were shattered
in this book are out of this world. As a Nigerian, I could totally relate with the book’s humour and satire.
I love the book’s simplicity and uncomfortable
hidden and explicit truths lurking in all its chapters.
I would admit that for me, some chapters had me
like “bleh” and there were some pages I couldn’t wait to turn faster but all in
all, it was a great and funny read.
Mind-blowingly shady and funny as hell, this is one unputdownable work of art you want to get as a Nigerian. And as a Non-Nigerian, well, that’s left for you to decide.
Published By: Kachifo Limited under Farafina
imprint (2014)
Release Date: 2012
Genre: Coming-Of-Age Fiction, Domestic Fiction
Format: Paperback
Length: 315 pages
Synposis
Spirited and intelligent, Morayo grows up surrounded by school friends and family in Ibadan. There is Eniayo, her adoring little sister- for whose sake their middle-class parents fight stigmatising superstition-and a large extended family of cousins and aunts who sometimes make Morayo’s home their own. A shameful secret force upon her by Bros T, her cousin, thrusts Morayo into a web of oppressive silence woven by the adults around her. Morayo must learn to fiercely protect herself and her sister as young women growing up in a complex and politically charged country.
Review
Mahn, where do I even start from?
This
amazing book tells the story of two female cousins who both experience child
sexual abuse. Morayo, the major protagonist, is repeatedly sexually assaulted
by a family member, while her older cousin, Aunty Morenike, is raped by a
trusted family friend which leads to a teenage pregnancy. The book
simultaneously follows the lives of these two women who are surrounded by other
major and minor characters whose combined presence give a glimpse into life
from the 70s to 2007 in Western Nigeria.
The
novel is also seen to explore and highlight themes such as patriarchy, sexual
superstition and cultural tradition while also demonstrating how family custom
and African traditions serve to strengthen, uplift and guide.
I
love how the author effortlessly transports readers through time as the novel
spans three decades- from Ibadan in the 1970s, through Morayo’s traumatic
adolescence, into her troubled twenties and thirties. I also fell in
love with the sisterly bond between the major Protagonist, Morayo and her
younger sister, Eniayo as it constantly reminded me of my relationship with my
sister.
I
must say that this book evoked so many emotions in me as I read. I cried,
laughed, got sober, angry, frustrated and threw the book away several times and
ran after it while it was mid-air. So many valuable lessons were hidden and
laid bare in the central themes of the book.
My
favourite quote from this book would have to be:
“We
do not abandon the business of living life because of what people will say
about us.”
I
love how easy this book was to read, the language flowed into each other and it
enabled me focus on using my imagination to vividly bring scenes to life
without concentrating on the use of difficult language. Beautiful story-telling,
unputdownable work, an emotional rollercoaster and a favourite for times to
come.
Verdict
Definitely a whooping 9.5/10 in my books!
P.S. If you are in Nigeria and looking for where to get a copy of this book, you can click here and order
Genre: Novel, Bildungsroman, Southern Gothic, Domestic Fiction, Legal Story
Format: Paperback
Length: 309 pages
Synposis
A lawyer’s advice is to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s classic novel-a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch.
Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 19302. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man’s struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.
Review
Okay, I must confess, I had mixed feelings about this book. I had mixed feelings because globally, the book is a huge success and is described as a classic and the works. BUT, I liked it but did not love it.
The book was actually chosen as our book of the month earlier in the year at The Readers’ Hub book so naturally, I had to read it. I however kept an open mind while I did.
While I deeply appreciated the author’s warm expression of deep and sensitive issues such as rape, racial injustice, racial inequality and gender roles inherent in the book as its central themes, I still found that I focused more on the difficult wordings and as such, it took me longer than normal to finish.
I did love and appreciate the way the author was able to write from the mind of a six-year old girl living in America in the 60s. In a way, as I read, I was able to intricately travel back to a time that never existed in my mind in much detail and imagine things I had probably never seen or heard of before. I was able to gain perspective on issues through the eyes of a young girl living in America in the 60s. I also appreciated the author’s expression of the healthy father-daughter relationship between the main character and her father from which valuable life lessons through out the book flowed.
All in all, I would say this book is at least a must-read for any book lover seeing as it is a global classic, but would I read it again? eeehhh….maybe not.
So I often get asked how I am able to balance reading and read books (not that I even read so many books compared to some bookmaniacs) while working my 9–5, which in reality could be more like 8:30 – 7pm (or even 8pm). Work can get so time consuming and energy draining that as soon as you get home, your brain seems to switch off itself so much so that all you want to do is eat and sleep.
For some reading (who live in the Famous Lagos or cities with loads of traffic), you find that it is really not when you have survived ten hours of traffic after a hectic day that you feel like coming back home to read, even if it is a book you love (this adulting this ehn…na wa).
Meanwhile, my sister is making jokes, but not making jokes at how crazy Lagos traffic can be. If you know, you know.
And so we find that with each passing day, we wake up groggily, subconsciously press the auto pilot button and proceed to work, spending the entire day doing what we may not necessarily love in a bid to make ends meet. Then we come home, eat, exist as a couch potato for some hours while lazily browsing through TV channels or movies/series on Netflix to watch something we have probably watched before until we drift off to sleep. The next day, repeat.
Then the weekend comes and we are so worn out and exhausted that we either sleep the entire weekend or for those of us that suffer from chronic FOMO, we find ourselves at events that we may not necessarily want to go to, scroll through social media so we do not get bored while there and then go home after uploading how “fun” it was.
It can be quite a rollercoaster.
In time, I have learned to adopt ways to balance reading while working my 9-5 and they have paid off amazingly. Now, I would be the first to admit that this not the easiest thing in the world to do. Really. In fact, sometimes, it is just plain tough. Sometimes, I see a book I would love to start or finish but I feel so exhausted on the inside from work to the point where I cannot even remember my name so I find myself shoving the book aside while telling myself “Abeg, it’s not bar finals, I cannot kill myself.”
Admittedly, it can get a little discouraging when you go on social media and see that people are reading a book a month, or even 3 books in a week while you struggle with that one book that sits on your shelf looking lonely and abandoned. And it is pretty easy to feel “Oh, these ones have time” but I promise, people are making it work and it is very possible for you to make it work as well. The question is “How bad do you want it?”
We all have 24 hours in a day and what you do with yours is pretty much up to you. So if you are earnestly seeking ways to develop a reading habit or just balance reading with your 9-5, here are some tips that I have adopted and continue to adopt that help me out.
Change your mindset
You cannot even begin to start reading anything or keep to track without developing a positive and determined mindset. The mind is so powerful that whatever you put it to, it can do! So stop telling yourself “I’m just too lazy” or “I do not have the time” or “I am always so tired” or “There is just no way I can read with this my job”. Some of us swear we have the hardest jobs on the planet and so we cannot get a word of a book in. BUT! It is possible to read and maintain that hectic job as long as you are determined. So the first step is to get rid of that negative mindset.
Create Time
When I ask people why they do not read even though they have a burning desire to do so, the number one reason I have heard literally countless times is “I do not have the time”. Plis dear, you had the time to just check your instagram or snapchat for 45 minutes. Yup, it was 45 minutes but you thought it was just 5 minutes. And no, satan had nothing to do with this one. So, you do not have time? Create the time! Even if it is 30 minutes a day, you can consciously carve it out of your busy schedule. After all, you carve out time for what you want to do.
Audio books
For my traffic babies who spend alot of time in traffic, this might be a great option. Some people have to drive through seemingly endless hours of traffic at night and early hours of the morning just to get from and to work and in those moments, you cannot pick up a book to read so audio books are worth a try. Personally, I am yet to get into these but I recently tried the excerpt of a book in audio format and absolutely loved it. So you may want to try this while driving or sitting in the bus or taxi instead of spending hours scrolling through social media. There are currently loads of Audio book apps on Android and iOS such as Audible, Audio Books, Serial Box, Scribd, Google Play Books, Kobo Books, Voice Audiobook and so on.
Become one with the Book!
Lol. Yes, it is that deep (kidding…not). At every point in time, if possible, your current read should be with you. A book is always in my bag during the week in case I have to go for a meeting or an enquiry and I am told to wait for a while. If you find yourself in Court or waiting for any reason, pull out the book and read! It takes a whole lot of discipline to just sit still and read while waiting and not fall into the temptation of whipping out your phone to scroll furiously. Utilise lunch breaks at work, find somewhere quiet and read instead of pressing phone. Make the book your partner in crime and spouse until you finish it.
Set a daily reading goal
Everyday, set a daily reading goal of what you want to accomplish. It does not have to be that deep. Just tell yourself or write it down somewhere you would not forget…no matter how little at first. The most important thing is to take the first step. It might be a chapter, a page, fifty pages or even just a line! With time, these goals would get bigger.
Repeat “I am not a couch potato!”
You are not a couch potato so no need to exist as one. Your body is probably currently wired to come back from work and crash on the couch while scrolling though TV programmes, but you can replace this habit with a better one. Repeatedly tell yourself you are not a couch potato and back those words up with action by resisting the urge to collapse on the couch and watch TV. Remember, this is all about your mindset and determination.
Eliminate distractions
For those of us who are self-diagnosed cellphone addicts (if you are one and still in denial, then weh done, continu), we know how hard this can be. Like, you literally check your phone every 5 minutes or 1 minute and it can be tough to totally eliminate distractions but it is worth an attempt. I usually have downtime on my phone for three hours in the evening where my apps shut themselves down (even though I run back to turn them on) but at least I am able to get an hour or even if its 30 minutes in. You may turn off your phone, turn off the TV or have a separate reading room or reading corner in your room or house where you do not take your phone to. Remember, determination and discipline.
Join a BookClub/Have an accountability partner
The book club could be physical or online. In my opinion, a physical book club has more advantages. This has helped me immensely because even on days I do not feel like reading, I remember that there is an upcoming book club meet where I would not want to go and look like dodo soaked in water because I did not finish the book of the month. So even though it means staying up a bit late, I find that I have the motivation to continue.
Members of The Readers’ Hub Book Club
At the TRH last book club meet
You may also wish to have an accountability partner with whom you share your reading goals (obviously preferably someone with similar or bigger reading goals…or someone who even likes reading in the first place sef ). Don’t go and be disturbing people who are not interested in reading to listen to your oral book reviews.
Don’t do “copycata”
We all love books differently and have different reading paces or speeds. We also have different job descriptions and while jobs may be similar, they may not be the same as the next person so it really does not make much sense to negatively compare yourself to someone who seems to read 5 million books in a year. Dey your own lane and read your book small small. Even on days you do not feel like, read at least a page. It helps to boost your confidence in your self-discipline and abilities when you are able to beat your chest (like King Kong) and say you read a page of a book that day.
Also, only read what you love! Especially if you are just trying to develop a reading habit for the first time. This can be a bit tricky where you belong to a book club which might select a genre you do not necessarily like as the book of the month. BUT…keep an open mind and you may just enjoy it. Trust me, I am speaking from experience.
Leave work at work!
This could be tough to do but try it. Once you close from work, avoid taking work home so you are not deep into the night working on what can be worked on the next day. By all means, please meet your deadlines and do not get fired, but try as much as possible to create personal time for yourself.
Look, the reality is that it is pretty easy to get enveloped in the craziness that is work while things that you may genuinely love to do get pushed to the back (this is not to say you may not love your work). You may find that in 6 months, all you have done is work, work, work while having done nothing personal for yourself that you enjoy.
It is also pretty easy to blurt out “Oh, I do not have time” and think of all the reasons why you may not be able to read a book, but you will find that it takes just as much energy to actually create that time. Like I mentioned earlier, the question remains, “How bad do I want it?”
Take stock of how you spend your time on an average day. The time spent engaging in mindless and unproductive office chatter could be used to refresh your brain and boost your creativity when you pick up a book you love to read. The time spent scrolling through instagram/snapchat stories or Netflix could be spent on that book.
Not having time is not a good enough excuse. Create time!
I hope you found this helpful! Let me know what you think in the comments!
So when we selected this book as the book of the month of January 2019 at The Readers’ Hub book club which I belong to, I was quite excited to delve into it. Along the line, my excitement waned as I got into the first few pages of the book and I was like “ugh, not another self-help book masked as a fable for finding your dreams and blah blah” (Funny enough, I love self-help books and have loads of them. I think, as I shared at our book club meet, that we had read quite a number (okay, just two) the previous year and my subconscious was somewhat sick of them. I think that’s all it was.
Fastforward to the book club meet where we reviewed and discussed the book and I was blown away listening to people give accounts of the book, what the had learned and how they had/were currently giving the book some practical application. At the time, I had only gotten halfway so I promised myself that I would go back and finish up.
One of my best decisions ever.
The book is a story of a fictional character, Julian Mantle who is an amazing, supersmart, wealthy lawyer whose fast-paced lifestyle leads to him collapsing and having a heart attack in a packed court room. This heart attack opens his eyes to the fragility of life and he quits his job, travels to India to seek certain answers to life’s important questions.
The story is narrated by his somewhat mentee, John who has a mind blowing encounter with Julian after he has returned from India. Julian imparts all the knowledge he has gained from some Monks in India who he lives with for a while.
The major principles propounded in the book are:
This book is simply amazing and it seemed to have stoked a much-needed fire within me that I am super grateful for. So if you’re looking for that kick to start your life great in various aspects this year, this book is for you!
I was automatically drawn in by the title of this book when I came across it (I mean, who wouldn’t be?) for the first time sometime in November of 2018, I thought “hmmmm….what a juicy title. I need to get this book.” And get it I did!
As I shared in my blog post where I shared my reading goals for 2019 (you can read that here), through out this year, I hope to delve into books by African writers.
So as the title implies, the book is about a Nigerian nurse whose sister has a habit of killing her boyfriends. Lol. Surreal right? Well that’s basically what the book is about but with weird plot twists…I am trying not to give too much away (because I am nice…and because, well, that’s mean).
“I soaked up the blood with a towel and wrung it out in the sink. I repeated the motions until the floor was dry. Ayoola hovered, leaning on one foot and then the other. I ignored her impatience. It takes a whole lot longer to dispose of a body than to dispose of a soul.”
Now, I have mixed feelings about this book….mainly because the title incited some type of excitement inside me and I felt there would be a build up to some dramatic end. However, when I read and I felt that the overall plot was quite weak because at some point, I found it going in circles. I did love how short and fast-paced each chapter of the book is.
“Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer.” I whisper the words in case anyone were to pass Muhtar’s door. In case my words are to float through the two inches of wood and tickle the ears of a passerby. Aside from confiding n a comatose man, I take no risks. “Three,’ I repeat to myself.” Last night I couldn’t sleep, so I stopped counting backward and sat at my desk, turning on my laptop. I found myself typing serial killer into the Google search box at 3 a.m. There it was: three or more murders … serial killer.”
Now let’s talk about the end of the book and I am not trying to be dramatic (even I do not believe that), but (and I promise not to give away an spoilers)…I got to the end of the book and legit screamed “WHAT?!” because in my mind, I was like “….erm, nope, where’s the rest of my book??”. I shook the book thinking that some extra page would fall out and my mind immediately went to the book vendor who sold the book to me and I started crying in my head like “Oh! they have torn out a page from the book they sold me!” BECAUSE I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A BOOK WOULD END THAT WAY!
Yup, because the end seemed rather abrupt and left things hanging for me. I did not really know what to make of that.
All in all, I thought the book was a semi-enjoyable read but quite anti-climatic with a weirdly disappointing ending.
I did not intend that this would be my first read for 2019 but to say it blew my mind away (so much so that this is an onion typing this blog post right now) would be an understatement. Like. Wow.
If you cannot stomach the ideal concept of feminism (not the random, silly ideas being propounded by ignorant persons on social media or the ones being propagated by feminism extremists about cooking in the kitchen or pounding yam or fixing a car tire), then I suggest you stop reading. You know what? I actually suggest you keep reading…why not actually have an open mind into this seemingly dangerous word because that is basically what this book is about.
You’re still reading? Okay great.
So the book is actually a response letter Chimamanda wrote to her friend who sought her advice on raising her (the friend’s) daughter as a feminist…of course with some edits. Chimamanda is presumed to be an expert authority on the feminism topic so I guess that’s why she was consulted by her friend.
These two are must-reads but I’m only sharing my thoughts on “Dear Ijeawele”
While she may be considered a somewhat expert in the field of feminism, I would conclude from this read that some of Chimamanda’s views, in my opinion, are somewhat far-stretched.
That being said, it is safe to say that the book was thoroughly thought-provoking. All through, I would read certain paragraphs that would make me cringe internally as I tried to reconcile their truth with my mind’s subconscious and desperate clutch at what I have been conditioned to believe all my life as a female.
It is a tough one to chew on you know? Having to face a truth that goes against everything you have ever thought and desperately cling on to. I guess this is why Chimamanda is loathed by a lot of women… and men as well, globally. Yes, loathed.
So, yeah, I agreed with some parts…most of it actually…but some other parts, I was like…nehhh.
For example, Ahn ahn, aunty Chimmy, na wa. I disagreed with this statement to a large extent. Chivalry originally had nothing to do with women. Rather, the Age of Chivalry, which is commonly thought dead by most people (hence the common saying “chivalry is not dead after all”), promulgated certain ideals such as a soldier’s ethos, knightly piety, and courtly manners (emphasis on courtly manners) all conspire to establish a notion of honour and nobility. Even with its evolution in the 20th century, chivalry was never premised upon female weakness and to expressly state the contrary as has done by Chimamanda would, in my opinion negatively stretch the ideals of chivalry to an end that was never contemplated, just by wanting to show courteous manners or simply being nice and polite.
And this is a good time to birefly give my take on her “opening the door for a woman connotes that she is weak” talk. I personally do not think there is anything wrong with a man opening a door for a lady or anyone at all neither do I feel weak when I allow a man do that for me. I am pretty sure the average man does not go around thinking in his head “oh let me get that door for her, poor weak thing”. It’s more about being courteous or just simply being doing something nice for another person.
“The etymology of the word “chivalry” has become as lost and confused as “feminism,” and perhaps this is why the two seem to be perpetually at odds with one another. But at its core, chivalry can be described as the intersection of ideal knightly qualities, including but not limited to courtesy, generosity, valor and of course, an ability to take up arms. While not all of these characteristics are as applicable today as they were in days of yore, these are the same basic principles that should guide all human behaviour, regardless of gender.” ~ Emma Watson
Sooooo….funny enough, a few years ago, I would have aligned myself with Chimamanda on this point, but in the past couple of years, I have come to realize that while it is very much on point to teach the girl child that marriage is not the ultimate goal in life, nor is it the ultimate achievement or all a girl should aspire to be, it is okay for anyone to aspire to anything they want. I have met some women who aspire to be amazing wives and mothers to children. That is what they truly want. And you know what? If getting married is an achievement for them, then so be it. My thought on this is: allow people be what they want, aspire to what they want to or just set whatever they want to as achievements. A
Hahahaha. I can totally relate to this. Growing up, I was in love with trains and trucks. I never owned a barbie doll. My sister did but I was never interested in any of them. I was what society has termed a “tom-boy”. I would go out and play football with the boys getting dirty and rolling up and down in the sand. Or I would play football in the house, break something and immediately go to lay down peacefully beside my obedient peaceful sleeping sister and wish that in that moment, I was her. Then I would weep silently at the doom that was to come.
I had one pair of brown kito sandals that I was madly obsessed with and could not understand why I had to wear dresses to church or sit with my legs closed because I was a girl. Oh, how I wished I was a boy! For the longest time, I struggled with the idea that I was a girl.
I cannot count how many times I get asked “You watch football?” Or “You watch sports?” or “You play game?”which is always followed up with a “Oh, your boyfriend likes sports, that’s why right?” as if it is almost impossible that a female might actually be interested in sports. Like sports is not for human beings in general. Oh well, societal conditioning. Some ladies even go “Why should I watch football? Do I look like a man?” And I’m like….Again, societal conditioning.
Even the pink is for girls, blue is for boys…who came up with that though?
Excerpts of the book
Excerpts of the book
So yeah, while I respectfully and strongly disagree with some of Chimamanda’s views as expressed in the book, I can conclude that I loved the book to a very large extent. It is eye-opening, thought provoking and simply an interesting read. One can tell that Chimamanda’s mind is truly revolutionary, fresh and very much a force to be reckoned with.
I would recommend this to anyone anyday.
Overall score: 8/10
P.S. Feminism is basically an ideal that propounds the social, economic personal and political equality of sexes. This includes seeking to establish educational and professional opportunities for women that are equal to those for men. (Just in case you’re one of those that say “feminist but you cannot change a car tyre by yourself” or “feminist, but you are coming home to cook in the kitchen” or “feminist, but you expect him to pay for the dinner even though he asked you out” ) Lol, mahn!
P.S.S You do not have to take everything that a person says. You can actually welcome ideas with an open and willing mind, filtering the information by certain factors only you resonate with. Sometimes, we get tempted to shut everything out that a person says or expresses because it’s not something we ordinarily resonate with. We need to learn to be open to hearing other people’s views sometimes.
Feminism is not meant to be a barrier to either gender. Rather, it is meant to establish a sense of mutual understanding and respect that will allow for the entirety of humanity to operate at its best. Inequality of the sexes is not only a woman’s issue because it hurts men the world over as well. Our economy, our infrastructure, our very livelihoods suffer when men and women are not afforded the same opportunities. ~ Emma Watson
Who has read? What did you think of the book? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments!!
Hello, my name is Rachel and I suffer from a little bit of Tsundoku (okay, maybe not a little bit). No, I do not need any saving or cure as I am perfectly content enjoying this…illness or whatever it is. Oh, if you’re wondering what that strange Japanese word above is, kindly see below.
“Even when reading is impossible, the presence of books acquired produces such an ecstasy that the buying of more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching towards infinity … we cherish books even if unread, their mere presence exudes comfort, their ready access reassurance.” ~A. Edward Newton
LOL. This quote totally defines how I feel. “The soul reaching towards infinity?” Yup.
I have always loved books a little more than normal since I was a kid and now I cannot imagine a phase in my life or a month where I don’t have a book I’m reading. This would have been perfectly normal if I did not love the smell of new books in a weird way. Funny thing is, I think I have this demon that opens my wallet anytime I happen to accidentally fall into a bookshop or wander brainlessly into a store where books are being sold.
So how this demon works is that I miraculously find a new book when I have at least 50 others that I have not read and it becomes so appealing that I just have to buy the book (if not the world as we know it would come to an end), which would be kept for another day. Sometimes, when the demon is feeling alive and well, I end up buying four or five at once! I have tried to put an end to this demon, but my village people have been winning the battles; but oh! *re-ties wrapper*, they shall not win the war! *stares at the heavens hopelessly, sinks to the ground in sadness and chomps on a donut*
*inserts quote about doing whatever makes you happy in life because that’s the only thing that matters blah blah blah
Okay, so for 2018, I had a goal to read at least one book a month for the year. It started off really great, but with the craziness at work and other demanding deadlines, it became really tasking to focus on one book and see it through till the end. I was however able to see my goal through to the end (also with the help of The Readers’ Hub Book Club) and that is one little victory I am super proud of.
Some of the amazing must-read books I read in 2018 include The Four Agreements, The Alchemist, The Richest Man in Babylon, Born a Crime, Elon Musk (a biography), The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Emotional Intelligence, The Greatest Salesman in the World, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and The Rules of Life. I posted some reviews on the blog which you can read here I’ll also be doing reviews on each of the books I read as I go along, so help me God.
Soooo…what are my reading goals for 2019? I am glad you asked.
First of, I hope to be more disciplined in my reading (I have cancelled my Netflix subscription as a first step since I spend a lot of time on that…I was however able to watch Bird Box before my membership was cancelled…yeah, you should see that) and more committed as well.
Also, I hope to read at least 30 books in 2019. With some discipline, hard work and determination as well as consistency, I believe I will be able to accomplish this. I am fully aware that some days would be crazier than the rest and that some days would not be as encouraging as the others but I am willing to work hard towards my goal. I love reading, I love the information I get from some of these books as well as the opportunity to be able to enter an alternate universe and exist there for the duration of my reading.
I have also found that my interest in books by African writers has peaked incredibly. Well, this is a huge advantage of being part of a book club. You are forced out of your comfort zone and get exposed to genres that you would not ordinarily find yourself reading or picking up at a book store. Now, I’m hooked(Meanwhile I am almost done reading this book and I love it! A simply great read!)
So for 2019 (assuming the demon does not creep up again…which I know it would, but I’m not particularly worried about), some of what I would be reading in my #30For2019 are:
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini
We should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat
Bitter Leaf by Chioma Okereke
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie
The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
My Sister the Serial Killer by Onyinkan Braithwaite
A tale of two cities by Charles Dickens
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Whatever amazing book selections we have at The Readers’ Hub Book Club
I have found that coupling consistent reading with working a 9-5 (which in reality is like 8:30-7) can be quite daunting, but I am one of those who believe that as long as you put your mind to it, there is simply nothing that cannot be done. If you’d like to be more consistent in your reading, some common suggestions are:
Set a daily page goal; perhaps 10 or 15 pages? Or for an hour or thirty minutes? Depending on your speed. Just be consistent
Be realistic; don’t go and say you’re reading 100 books in 2019 when you know you may not have the time or you have not even started reading an article a year, not to talk of one book a year.
Quit early; don’t die ontop boring book biko. Move on to a book you will enjoy.
Get rid of distractions; you can put your phone on airplane mode or turn it off while you read your daily page goal.
Join a bookclub; this can help with accountability and exposing you to new interesting genres. Oh, and if there are no book clubs where you are, start one! You’d be surprised at the number of people that would be on board with the idea.
Make the process enjoyable;isss not everybody that likes reading, figure out what you like, isss not by force. But reading is of great advantage.
Change your mindset: All the steps above would be meaningless unless you change your negative mindset that you do not have enough time or it’s not easy or you cannot do it. Think about all the time you spend on social media or Netflix or just lazying around. If you really are determined, you can do it. You can create time. You can read as much as you put your mind to! All you need to do, as with every other goal, is to decide and then ACT!
I hope you’re able to smash those reading goals you have set for yourself this year!
Was this helpful? What are your reading goals for 2019? What would you be reading? Have you read any of the books I listed above? I would love to hear from you in the comments!
So I know I always say this about the books I read but, I’ll just start by saying….THE GREATEST SALESMAN IN THE WORLD BY OG MANDINO IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING UPLIFTING AND LIFE CHANGING BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!!!
I mean, I was absolutely mind blown by how amazing a little book of less than 150 pages could be (sometimes I just think to myself in wonder at the awesomeness that can be found within the front and back pages of a book). When we first selected the book at The Readers’ Hub Book Club’s Maiden Meet (you can learn more about that here), I was a little skeptical because the title of the book gave me the impression that the book might just apply to salesmen…but boy was I wrong!
So jumping right into it, the book was written by Og Mandino and published first in 1968. It has 18 amazing chapters and the author basically shares ten principles from ten scrolls which he believes are the keys to philosophy, success and happiness. Although the book is set in ancient times and was written in 1968, it presents so many lessons and principles which are applicable to us now…oh, and it’s not just for salesmen or people interested in selling goods or products. Any individual can learn so so much from this book.
Photo Source: Pinterest
In my mini review, I would carefully resist the urge to go in depth into the plot or the story line of the book. The book does present interesting characters and an interesting plot. In fact, the end of the book had me saying “WOW!…WOW!…WOW!” I was literally jumping out of my bed when I finished reading the book, so plot wise, you’re good to go.
The scrolls presented in the thick of the plot of the book are:
Scroll I – I will Form Good Habits and Become their Slave
Scroll II – I will Greet Each Day With Love In My Heart
Photo Source: Pinterest
Scroll III – I will Persist Until I Succeed
Photo Source: Pinterest
Scroll IV – I am Nature’s Greatest Miracle
Scroll V – I will Live Each Day as if it Were My Last
Scroll VI – I will be Master of My Emotions
Photo Source:Devcom Wallpaper Photo Collections
Scroll VII – I will Laugh at The World
Scroll VIII – I will Multiply My Value Every Day
Scroll IX – I will Act Now
Photo Source: Pinterest
Scroll X – I will Pray to God for Guidance
As much as I would want to, I cannot share what I learned from all of the scrolls and principles but I can share a little on two that really touched me that I shared at the monthly book club meet. They are: I am Nature’s Greatest Miracle and I will Act Now.
On “I am Nature’s Greatest Miracle”, I was reminded that I am special and unique in my own way. I was also reminded that I need not waste so much efforts and vain attempts at trying to be what I am not or trying to compare myself to who I am not. We all have out strengths, weaknesses, potentials and different character flaws. It was also really refreshing to be reminded that I was conceived in love and am on earth for a particular and special purpose and that i was not here by mistake. I was urged from the book to not just sit back, relax and pat myself on the back for today or yesterday’s accomplishments, but instead to work hard for tomorrow. I was reminded that of 7 billion people on the planet, there is no one exactly like me.
On “I Will Act Now”, my take home from the book was that some times in life we get so excited about the new things we learn or the visions, dreams and goals we have but then fear or procrastination creeps in and then what seemed like we would start on that dream or vision in 2 days seems to be taking a year to start. A year goes by in a blink and five in two blinks (obviously not literally, but you get what I mean). The scroll emphasised acting now and not being prone to procrastination or fear. It also emphasised the fact that “Action is the food and drink which will nourish my success”. I share some of my favourite quotes from the scroll below:
“Henceforth, I will remember the lesson of the firefly who gives off its light only when it is on the wing, only when it is in action. I will become a firefly and even in the day my glow will be seen in spite of the sun. Let others be as butterflies who preen their wings yet depend on the charity of a flower for life. I will be as the firefly and my light will brighten the world.”
“Only action determines my value in the market place and to multiply my value I will multiply my actions. I will walk where the failure fears to walk. I will work when the failure seeks rest. I will talk when the failure remains silent. I will call on ten who can buy my goods while the failure makes grand plans to call on one. I will say it is done before the failure says it is too late.”
“Success will not wait. If I delay she will become betrothed to another and lost to me forever. This is the time. This is the place. I am the man.”
It was an absolutely amazing time discussing and hearing others discuss their views, perspectives and take homes from the book at The Readers’ Hub Monthly Book Club Meet yesterday, Almost everyone loved the book and couldn’t wait to start putting all that was learned into practice.
Some of the Members of the The Readers’ Hub Book at the monthly meet for the Month of September
If you’re an avid book reader but feel you have issues with reading such as reading commitments or “no time” or maybe you’re concerned about certain books being too long, then this is the perfect book for you. Really! Depending on the size of the book you buy (some are in larger sizes or bigger print than the others), the pages of the book are roughly about 111-120 pages. Basically, if you chose to dedicate 3-4 hours on a weekend, you could finish the book.
If you’re a hard copy baby like me, go out there and grab yourself a copy! Trust me, you would not regret in the least bit! It’s available in book stores all over. If on the other hand, you can do with reading a soft copy, I have attached one here (the download should start automatically once you click on the link) for you. Thank me later.
I recommend this amazing and life-changing book a million times over!
Rachel Eyo 