It’s a new month and I’ve been thinking, ‘what can I give my readers that would be worth the wait since my last post in October?’ Then it hit me like one of those light bulb moments: A Book Review. You see, a friend of mine started a Book Club on her blackberry network and the whole process of deciding on books to read reminded me of my love for reading. I started a Book club on Facebook called
Parchment Review earlier this year but for some reason (probably laziness); the club has been unable to function as I hoped. Besides, I’m supposed to be reading two books this month,
The Ruins by Scott Smith and
For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn. So I thought I’d share a bit of my library with you. Remember, readers are leaders. Hope you enjoy it!
1.
A little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul – a 64page mini-book designed exclusively for J.C. Penney (a chain of department stores in America). It is filled with excerpts from the New York Times best seller, Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul, written by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthrone and Marci Shimoff. Even though this book was published in the year 2000 by Blessings Unlimited, it is filled with heart warming stories of mother-child relationships and can be read in an hour. It’s so refreshingly positive; it is bound to leave you with a smile when you are done.
2.
A Simple Plan – this novel written by Scot Smith is one of my favourite books. It’s a spectacular thriller that shows how easy it is for good people to do bad things. This book is so cool that Stephen King endorsed it as ‘...the best suspense of the year’ in 1993. The rave reviews were so much that in 1998, it was made into a movie (bearing the same name). The story starts with a simple plan to conceal $4.4million but as time goes by, the plan gets complicated and the risk of exposure becomes the fuel that drives all the characters in the story. In other words, it shows just how dark the human heart will go to protect what is believed to be his/her property. It is definitely a good read.
3.
The Icarus Girl – As an African writer, I’m always on the prowl for other cool writers’ works. I got this book as a Christmas gift and when I was done reading it, I was glad I did. Helen Oyeyemi - the author – published this work of fiction in Great Britain in 2005, combining her knowledge of life abroad with her native roots in Nigeria. Its genre is a cross between fantasy and young adult as it tells the haunting tale of a weird eight year old, Jess, who encounters TillyTilly, a friend with mysterious origin, during one of her visits to her mother’s family home in Nigeria. Although the end leaves more to be desired, the relationship between both Jess and Tilly is sure to keep you glued till the end.
4.
Church Shift – a lovely non-fiction book written by Sunday Adelaja. After reading this book, I was left with a passion for my nation and a desire to see the will of God established in every sphere of my society. Amidst his true life story of his struggles in Nigerian and Europe, he also shares self-taught revolutionary methods gained from the revelation knowledge he gained from his fellowship with God. By combining his Masters in Journalism degree with his passion for the gospel, he’s been effective in communicating his side of the story about the Christian revolution that began in Kyiv, Ukraine since 2006 and how it enabled him build the ex-soviet republic’s first true megachurch. This book is a must read for all Nigerians who claim Christianity as their religion.
5.
The Housemaid – this indigenous story written by Amma Darko brings back fond memories. As an African, I grew up in superstitious environments that deemed old women as witches (for no apparent reason); we saw villagers as desperate people always seeking greener pastures and single rich business women as prostitutes. All these form the premise on which the characters thrived. The story which can be read in 24hours is so intriguing that you won’t want to stop till you’ve found the answer to the mysterious question: who killed that baby?
There are so many books/articles I read that I would love to share but one step at a time. If you would like my take on any book/subject matter, drop a comment here or tweet me (@annkite0) and who knows, I may just review it in my next book review post.
