Today, I’m sharing 5 SIMPLY AMAZING books by African writers that you should – MUST read in your lifetime!
These books are so so good that I plan to re-read them this year even though I have read them before and I am so so jealous of you if you get to read them for the first time this year. They are funny, entertaining, plot twist-filled, lessons-filled, exciting reads!
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
Click on the video below to watch and thank me later!
Title: Ogadinma
Author: Ukamaka Olisakwe
Published By: Masobe
Release Date: 2020
Genre: Coming-of-age, Fiction
Format: Paperback
Length: 260 pages
Synopsis
Ukamaka Olisakwe’s heart-wrenching novel tells the story of the naive and trusting Ogadinma as she battles against Nigeria’s deeply-ingrained patriarchal systems in the 1980s, a time of coups, food shortages and religious extremism.
After a rape and unwanted pregnancy leave her exiled from her family in Kano, thwarting her plans to go to university, she is sent to her aunt’s in Lagos and pressure into marriage with an older man.
As their whirlwind romance descends into abuse and indignity, Ogadinma is forced to channel all of her independence and resourcefulness into finding her voice and strength in the face of abuse and cultural expectations.
Review
I thought that this book was a beautiful read and would definitely recommend if you’re looking to read a nice Nigerian fiction.
Watch my full review on this book by clicking on the video below:
Title: Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Author: Talia Hibbert
Published By: Avon, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, New York
Release Date: 2019
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Format: Paperback
Length: 369 pages
Synopsis
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family’s mansion. The next items?
• Enjoy a drunken night out.
• Ride a motorcycle.
• Go camping.
• Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
• Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
• And… do something bad.
But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.
Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.
But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…
-goodreads
Review
Once in a while you need a “feel-good” romcom novel in your life and this BOOK IS IT!
If you’ve watched some of my videos on my YouTube channel, you know at some point, I felt as though I had outgrown this romance genre of a thing, but trust me, I’m realizing that romance books once in a while never did anyone bad abeg. The genre is there for a reason. 🥺
I absolutely loved this easy-to-read book.I think I finished it in about 2 sittings and loved reading it. If you’re looking for something light, feathery and guaranteed to make you smile at the end, then this is the pick for you. Enjoyable character development, likeable characters and love story and interesting plot.
A very commendable effort in my books from the author.
Watch my full review on this lovely book by clicking on the video below:
Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published By:
Release Date: 2017
Genre: Fiction
Format: Paperback
Length: 385 pages
Synopsis
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life.
When she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress.
But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
Review
Thankful for the The Readers Hub book club because this book had been sitting on my shelf for close to three years and I hadn’t picked it up! (for whatever reason best known to me). We read it as our book of the month of March and I totally enjoyed it!
March was a very slow reading month for me with work stress and falling physically ill, so this was the only book I finished, but boy it was like reading 50 books in one! I loved Evelyn’s character, the love between Harry and Evelyn, the development of all the major and minor characters, the subtle but profound lessons dished out by Evelyn, the few shocking plot twists (we don’t do spoilers here, not to worry) and the chronological arrangement of the book. I also loved and appreciated the writing style of the book; straightforward and easy to understand! Such a page turner!
While I loved the book in huge parts, I had a few reservations though but I captured those in my review on my YouTube channel. Watch my full review on this lovely book by clicking on the video below:
Title: The Mountains Sing
Author: Nguyen Phan Que Mai
Published By: Oneworld Publications
Release Date: 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Hardback
Length: 339 pages
Synopsis
With the epic sweep of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing and the lyrical beauty of Vaddey Ratner’s In the Shadow of the Banyan, The Mountains Sing tells an enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan, who was born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform as the Communist government rose in the North. Years later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents and uncles head off down the Hồ Chí Minh Trail to fight in a conflict that tore not just her beloved country, but her family apart.
Vivid, gripping, and steeped in the language and traditions of Việt Nam, The Mountains Sing brings to life the human costs of this conflict from the point of view of the Vietnamese people themselves, while showing us the true power of kindness and hope.
Review
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Beautiful.
This was a lovely, heartbreaking historical fiction book. Totally enjoyed! It was an emotional rollercoaster indeed. Such a beautiful read and beautiful story.
Watch my full review on this lovely book by clicking on the video below 👇🏽
Title: Tomorrow Died Yesterday
Author: Chimeka Garricks
Published By: Paperworth Books Limited
Release Date: 2010
Genre: Fiction
Format: Paperback
Length: 292 pages
It’s 2004 Port Harcourt at the height of the kidnap of oil workers in the Niger Delta, a kidnapping goes awry and four lives are reconnected. Done (aka Doughboy) the career militant responsible for the crime. Amaibi the gentle university professor / eco – warrior accused. Kaniye the lawyer themed restauranteur who tries to get him off and Tubo an amoral oil company executive.
Against a backdrop of corrupt practices, failed systems and injustice, these four friends tell the story of oil in a region and its effects on local communities and the Nigerian larger society.
DEBUT NOVEL WHATTTT??
This book was purely exceptional and I totally enjoyed it! I thought it was a great effort from the author especially as a debut novel.
I loved the deep exploration of the characters through the writing style of first person narrative as told from the four major characters. The author found a way to endear the characters into the hearts of readers no matter w villainous their characters may appear to be.
I also loved the fact that deep themes which are prevalent in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria were explored in depth. Such themes like corruption, violence, oil bunkering, gas flaring and the effect of such on native communities within that region.
As a lawyer and legal practitioner, I absolutely loved Kaniye’a character and the legal thriller aspect of this book. Whoa!
Watch the full review on this lovely book by clicking the link below:
Title: The Mechanics of Yenagoa
Author: Michael Afenfia
Published By: Masobe Books
Release Date: June 2020
Genre: Fiction
Format: Paperback
Length: 303 pages
Ebinimi, are mechanic of Kalakala street, is a man with a hapless knack for getting in and out of trouble. Some of his troubles are self-inflicted : like his recurring entanglements in love triangles; and his unauthorised joyriding of a customer’s car which sets off a chain of fire evened a involving drugs, crooked politicians and assassins. Other troubles are caused by the panorama of characters in his life, like: his sister and her dysfunctional domestic situation; the three other mechanics he employs; and the money- loving preacher who has all but taken over his home.
The story is fast-paced with surprising twists and a captivating plot- a Dickenesque page -turner. This is Ebinimi’s story but it is about a lot more than him. It is an exploration of the dynamics between working-class people as they undertake a colorful tour of Yenagoa, one of Nigeria’s lesser known cities, while using humor, sex and music as coping mechanisms for the everyday struggle. It is a modern classic tale of small lives navigating a big city.
I absolutely loved this hilarious book! While reading, I had a great laugh and a great many gasps too at the plot twists! I loved the way the plot just flowed and how easy it was to read.
I also loved the fact that this book is set in Yenagoa which is not a common setting in books set in Nigeria and I absolutely love the Niger Delta pidgin in the book!
The end of this book shock me well, I no go lie! But I loved the ending! Arghhh!
Check out my full review on this book and my rating of it by clicking the link below:
Title: Homegoing
Author: Yaa Gyasi
Published By: Penguin Random House UK
Release Date: 2016
Genre: Historical fiction, saga, novel
Format: Paperback
Length: 300 pages
Effia and Esi: two sisters with two very different destinies. One sold into slavery; one a slave trader’a wife. The consequences of their fate reverberate through the generations that follow: from the Gold Coast of Africa to the plantations of Mississippi; from the Missionary schools of Ghana to the dive Bars of Harlem. Spanning continents and generations, Yaa Gyasi has written a miraculous novel – an intense heartbreaking story of one family and, through their lives, the story of Africa itself.
A miraculous novel indeed!
I absolutely enjoyed this book and it stoked the fire in me to read more historical fiction and non-fiction which I’ve always loved!
The plot of this book easily flowed and told heart breaking stories of the characters. I like to think of the entire book as a collection of short stories which although are independent are intertwined by family.
I also loved the fact that each of the chapters were written in third person narrative but centering on each character. It was easy to understand and written according to the time it was set it.
The author did a phenomenal job with research on the Ghanaian history and explored deep themes in this work cutting across racism, discrimination, the trans Atlantic slave trade and domestic slave trade.
The prints in the paperback I bought are tiny and admittedly, some patience is required to read and finish this book. It’s not one of those books you can just start and drop intending to pick up in a couple of weeks. I advice that you read it all at once.
To see my verdict on this book, watch my full book review on the book my clicking on the link below:
I share my experience on how I balance reading with a full time job and booktubing. I also share valuable tips that could help you cultivate a reading habit even with a rigorous 9-5 and how to read more while working a 9-5.
Okay I’m super excited about this. Can you tell?
I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing Bassey Ikpi, the author of the beautiful book, I’m Telling The Truth But I’m Lying and loved every second of it! I had previously done a book review of the book (which you can watch here) and the author commented on my youtube channel saying we could do a Q n A. Needless to say, I almost fainted from pure excitement!
From her book to mental health issues to Bassey’s journey with Bipolar II and Anxiety to Motherhood and mental health awareness in Nigeria, we had an amazing time discussing the book! Bassey was so open, real and honest in answering my questions!
I’m Telling The Truth But I’m Lying is such an amazing book that I recommend for every Nigerian, mental health advocate, Nigerians with mental health issues and everyone dealing with Biplolar II and/or anxiety.
You can watch the full interview by clicking on the video below.
Rachel Eyo 