Yinka Where Is Your Huzband Book Review
I took the book with me on holiday, I was in full relaxation mode, I had on my good-good sandals. And the book wasn’t bland, and I’m happy that the industry is making way for more rom-com fictions but that fully purposed book feeling just never came.
Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
Released: 2022
Genre: Romance Fiction
Watch the Breakdown
Yinka has a whole lot going on. We’re introduced to yinka at her little sister’s baby show. Firstly, she’s prematurely told family and friends that she’s about to get promoted in her banking-ish role. Even though she actually gets made redundant the following week. Her little sister is married, and expecting her first child, whilst she’s huz-band-less! Her mum and aunties have made it their business to include her name in their public prayers, because in their eyes she should have been married yesterday. Afterall… “Yinka where is your huzband?” I don’t remember Yinka ever saying that she didn’t want to find one, but you can’t buy-a-huzband these days.
Pressure can either make diamonds or make you start moving sideways. So desperate to not attend another wedding alone she sets up a plan using a business model to secure a date. Along the way she meets men, some newcomers and some known to her who provide their own types of stresses along the way. Yinka brings us into the world of a thirty-one year old South Londoner, all whilst remaining unemployed for what feels like forever.
The story includes family relationships, friendships, friendzone ships, and a couple of hard knocks along the way!
Heads swoosh in my direction and despite my attemps to avoid eye contact with my aunties, I can tell they’re grinning at me encouragingly. ‘Lord I pray that this year will be the year… that Yinka finds her husband!’ I inhale to stay calm. My time will come. I know it will.
*Taken straight from the book blurb*
“Jo, every Black woman in Peckham is my aunty”
Is that how you’re feeling yeah
Ahhh, you know what yeah, I really wanted to enjoy this book. Let me just set the scene. I took the book with me on holiday, I was in full relaxation mode, I had on my good-good sandals. And the book wasn’t bland, and I’m happy that the industry is making way for more rom-com fictions but that fully purposed book feeling just never came. The book cover was popping but the story was mediocre, even thought I felt it had the potential to really bang! The mix up, yeah there was the right amount of that. And I love reading about mix up, I can’t lie!
Some good subjects were touched upon, colourism, therapy, marriage pressure, etc but they felt very much on the surface. I felt that too many important issues were trying to be stuffed into the pot that it became a struggle for anything to stand out long term. I simply wanted more depth. I liken it to english exams where you get 2 points for listing things, and then an extra 5 points for the analysis. The analysis just never came.
I will say though, it’s a not a bad read and the beautiful cover alone is a reason to have it on your book shelf.
“I know that the same night Jon broke up with you, he told you he had developed feelings for me. But then you told him you were pregnant, so he had to marry you. And what did I do after finding out this information? I didn’t laugh in your face as you’re laughing at me now”
Favourite Character
All of the characters had energy and were really relatable. Cousin Ola annoyed me, but that annoyance was because I really believed in the character and that she was spreading bad energy.
Asides from the main character Yinka, I would say best friend Nana was my favourite character. I enjoyed her being in her own world and walking to her own beat. She was definitely 3D and I would like to see more characters like Nana having being main characters! Nana is an aspiring fashion designer , asexual and that that friend who stages interventions when enough is enough.
It Hit me When
Yinka blew up the whole spot and aired out her cousin Ola. Sometimes people want to poke the bear, and then they get upset when the bear bites. Word to Kelechi Okafor, “sometimes when people go low, go lower.” Limbo time! It gave me a Nollywood energy and that whole part had my full attention! Actually on full reflection the whole book gave me Nollywood vibes and my feedback above in That’s How You’re Feeling Yeah reflects that. I don’t watch Nollywood for the best quality sound or videography, but I know that I’ll get my dose of excitement and mix up!
Side note, I giggled when Yinka’s mum kept remixing her job role. She worked in a bank but wasn’t a banker! Mum’s really will hear what they want and run with the story. My mum kept telling her friend’s that I had completed a business degree… * I 100% did not * so then I kept having to have conversations with these peoples children about the subject and having to deflate them when I told them I had zero knowledge for them!
Length
394 pages including the acknowledgement. It was a good length because the story held a good pace and definitely didn’t feel dragged.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
The Deep Book Review
I visually jumbled together The Little Mermaid, the mer people in Pirates of the Caribbean and Avatar, melanated them up and then I could see the Warinju.
GENRE: FANTASY | WRITTEN BY: RIVERS SOLOMON | RELEASED: 2019
Watch the Breakdown
Way down in the deep blue sea is where the Wajinru exist harmoniously. The Wajinru are the descendants of African slaves, who were thrown overboard by slave owners whilst pregnant. Whilst, the women died, their babies adapted and were born with fins.
Because of the Warinju’s traumatic past everything stretching back to the creation of their people, war, trauma and inbetween is forgotten by everyone expect for one. The book is focused on Yetu, a Warinju historian who has the sole role of holding all the ancestors memories.
On a yearly basis on rememberance day she is able to offload the memories throughout the community providing others with knowledge from the past. The issue is this knowledge is slowly killing Yetu, because as the years have progressed she has increasingly struggled to distinguish between her present and her ancestors memories. During this annual rememberance, Yetu flees her community for land, as the Warinju are synced up having received the memories she holds. With no memories or burden Yetu aims to discover the land for herself and comes into contact with the two legged people, one in particular she builds a bond with.
Whilst she’s discovering life above the sea, can her fellow Warinju cope with all the memories they’ve been exposed to?
Is that how you’re feeling yeah
You know what, I really did enjoy the book. I really liked how a random conversation that I could have on any given day became a bigger thought and equalled a whole book. I’ve been saying Yooo, how much do we really know about what lies in the sea. Barely anything! I mean I’m not saying there really are Warinju people, but I like how the story came about.
The plot itself is not complicated, and it’s super effective. I visually jumbled together The Little Mermaid, the mer people in Pirates of the Caribbean and Avatar, melanated them up and then I could see the Warinju.
The thoughts and reflection this narrative drew up was really significant. This fantasy book, really highlighted for me the importance of being connected with your ancestry. And the strengths of memory and history, regardless of them being flattering or not. Also trauma. I talk about trauma quite often and I really connected with how this book explored trauma, and ways that people deal with theirs. Very strong and impactful. Not everyone wants to read a self help or mental health book and this book was able to go into the topic beautifully.
I also picked up on the elements of even though Yetu being described as a “she” there being fluid elements. For example the discussion of the Warinju people having both sexual organs.
My only annoyance was the confusion when a few chapters weren’t led by Yetu. They seemed out of the place and weren’t immediately clear, with several character names being brought in without a clear storyline. I came to understand them as random ancestral memories or events but I don’t think they complimented the flow of the story.
“All of these things had made Yetu. It wasn’t at all pretty, but it was hers. It it was a choice between the History and emptiness, maybe Yetu wanted the History. She’d always complained that the rememberings erased her, that Yetu didn’t exist because the ancestors took up too much space inside her.”
Favourite Character
Yetu was my favourite character. And she was also the main character. I didn’t have a strong connection to Yetu, but I appreciated her vulnerability.
It Hit me When
When I transferred a fictional fantasy book into real life. It kind of smacked me in the face as I thought about the dilemma. There’s a common phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’ right, and for near enough a whole year, these people live without any rememberance but most importantly any burden of the past.
I questioned what I would prefer. To be happy, but effectively empty, or to feel pain, suffering, and joy and grow resilient because of those memories.
Length
163 Pages long. The book isn’t big at all! The ending was super cute and although I didn’t feel the book/novella was long enough I appreciated the continuous flow throughout the story.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
YOUTUBE
I have a whole book discussion about The Deep on my Youtube. Click HERE to watch it
Imperfect Arrangements Book Review
I came for the marriages and stayed for the sister-bond friendship. This book gave me the giggles, the hyped-up “don’t make me take my hoops off” vibes, the side-eye “sis you need to chill out” views, and so much more.
Frances MensahWilliams
Released: 2020
Genre: Romance Fiction
*Gifted
Watch the Breakdown
In the sun-soaked capital of Ghana, three best friends struggle with the arrangements that define their relationships.
Ambitious Theresa has gambled everything to move with her husband Tyler from London to cosmpolitan Accra. But when shocking developments threaten their plans, they also expose the hidden cracks in her fairytale marriage.
Fesity Maku is desperate for professional recognition- and her dream wedding. But how long can she wait for her laid-back partner Nortey to stop dreaming up pointless projects and stand up to his family?
Churchgoing Lyla married Kwesi in haste. But while she battles her attraction to the mysterious Reuben, her husband has bitten off more than he can chew with his latest mistress.
Facing lies, betrayal, and shattered illusions, each couple must confront the truth of who they have become and the arrangements they have enabled. Against the backdrop of a shifting culture, each woman must decide what- and who- she is willing to sacrafice for the perfect marriage.
*Taken straight from the book blurb*
“The ring was perfect (but not the suffering)”
Is that how you’re feeling yeah
I came for the marriages and stayed for the sister-bond friendship. This book gave me the giggles, the hyped-up “don’t make me take my hoops off” vibes, the side-eye “sis you need to chill out” views, and so much more.
This book was on my shelf for months, and all now I’m asking myself why I let it sit there for that long, because from picking up the book to finishing it was a continuously smooth read. I wasn’t trying to put the book down to entertain anybody. I love a good passa-passa/ mix up and I got my perfect blend of cussins, drama and glow ups. (I don’t want it for my life, but I love it in a book, I really do)
When I first started reading the book it reminded me of The Returnees, which I’d read just before this one. They were similar in the sense that the children of the African diaspora had gone back to their motherlands in West Africa to pursue ventures. However, I quickly came to know that they were different. The characters in The Returnees were young adults in their twenties, whereas in this novel I felt 100% luxury aunty vibes!
I appreciated the richness and details about life in Accra, Ghana. Especially, when you’ve never been to the country of the location in any book, you want to feel like you’re there. I was in Accra for sure, complaining at times about the lack of air conditioning. I’m all the way here for the emerging books that show people leaving the places that many family members came to for a “better life” way back when. And I’ll say it with my chest, I like locations in Africa being put into novels as luxurious. The narrative is important!
When I realised that 6 characters were having their own chapters I thought it would be too much, but it didn’t make the story dry. And even though the book is about marriage, friendship is also a dominant theme throughout, so you hear more from the women.
The book really explored modern views of love and relationship status, particularly with the couple Theresa and Tyler, who moved from London and were adapting to Ghana. So, watching scenarios play out from different viewpoints was really juicy. Some of the clashes really made me pause and think about what went on. Marriage really seems stressful. Seriously, should there be 3 people in a marriage… you, me and your mum?
Full disclosure: I was rolling my eyes at the regular bar meetups that the men had, muttering “chale go home!”
“‘You know who I am, don’t you? You know I’m Kwesi’s girlfriend?’
Lyla looked down at the hand gripping her and absently noted the long red fingernails. How obvious, she thought dismissively, I’d have hoped my husband would have gone for a bit more class. She shook off the hand and raised a cool eyebrow.”
Favourite Character
The characters in the story were all very realistic and complex beings, a little too realistic, to the point that I started thinking of people I knew. Without a doubt though, Lyla was my favourite character. All the characters had their moments don’t get it twisted, but I was rooting for Lyla’s happiness and a happy ending for her. Even though this character was more in the background, I have to say I really liked Reuben. I can’t see anyone reading the book and not warming to Reuben.
Well, I can actually. The people that are cheaters and think they deserve hundreds of chances, but that’s not my business… unless you’re writing a book about it haha. Their whole situation reminded me of social media, and the burning question everyone has had for singer/songwriter Ciara ever since she married NFL player Russell Wilson. Everyone has been asking what the exact prayer was that Ciara recited when she asked for a man like Russel. Wow, now that I think about it Lyla’s husband really was the twin of rapper Future.
I’ll spill the tea if you’re not familiar… Ciara was engaged to Future, and they have a child together. I actually think his name is Future, as in named after his dad’s rap name. Yeah anyway… they split up after she accused him of cheating on her. She then released music with some shots fired at future, *inserts Ciara- I Bet.* Then she met Mr Russell Wilson and they are now married with 3 children. His reputation is squeaky clean, he’s handsome, and he’s always uplifting Ciara on the socials. Meanwhile Future is living way too much in the present with 6 children, by 6 women and ongoing child support cases.
It Hit me When
Hayyyy, it hit me when I realised that the side chick had overstepped her place to the point of no return. Sorry, but imagine your man… nope HUSBAND, having the nerve to cheat on you, and get his side chick pregnant. I’m not finished…. And then she turns up to your house to rub it in when you can’t get pregnant. HELLLL to the nooooo!
I also took away the reminder that marriage is not the finale. Marriage is the start of a life-long commitment. But I mean that sounds boring, so let’s focus on the side chick cheekiness.
Length
450 pages. Typing it now that sounds like a really long book, and when I initially picked it up I thought it was really thick, but is genuinely not boring. I finished the book over a weekend.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
The Returnees
The book opens in Osayuki’s house in Nigeria. She’s just given birth and family and friends are arriving for her baby’s naming ceremony. During the process of getting ready Osayuki watches TV, which is covering a news story of a British-Nigerian who has been found dead on the side of a road.
By Elizabeth Okoh
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Released: 2020
Genre: Fiction
*Gifted
Watch the Breakdown
The Returnees follows 3 individuals returning to Nigeria for 3 completely different reasons. Osayuki’s heartbreak in England drives her to relocate and take her career to the next level. In Lagos For Kian it’s the urge for motherland success in the Afrobeats genre, and his cousin’s highly exaggerated stories of his connections and the line-up of opportunities waiting for Kian. And Cynthia lands in Nigeria when the famous African parents favourite threat is actually carried out. She was sent back for a year to join the National Youth Service, as her father thought she was too sheltered and lazy.
The book opens with the end of the story, which is set in Osayuki’s house in Nigeria. She’s just given birth and family and friends are arriving for her baby’s naming ceremony. During the process of getting ready Osayuki watches TV, which is covering a news story of a British-Nigerian who has been found dead on the side of a road. The news triggers Osayuki, who can’t seem to enjoy her day with family and friends. The sauce spills, when she confesses to her good friend Cynthia, that she’s not sure if her husband is her child’s father of not. And just like that, the story rewinds all the way back to the beginning, which journeys through how each of the 3 characters were led to Nigeria.
The Returnees gives you an insight into Lagos and Abuja from various viewpoints, of those who have decided to return back to the motherland after living in England. A strong emphasis is put on the friendship of the female characters Osayuki and Cynthia, who are redefining what home is, and trying to find their footing as they jump between their clashing London and Lagos ways.
5 Words To Describe The Book
Dreams, adjustment, love, finnesse and assumptions.
Is that how you’re feeling yeah
This book was the perfect August read. I took it away with me on holiday and it just fit perfectly with the ‘suns out, funs out’ narrative I was riding on. It’s not my usual read. Or let me rephrase, it’s a lot lighter than the other books I’ve read recently. The book featured romance and new beginnings, which is what I like to read whilst on the beach.
I liked there being a different chapter for each character. They all came from a first-person narrative. However, I felt that Kian's chapters were the weakest. They were surface level and basic filler. Small talk dragged out for too long. Things would come up that I’d be interested in knowing more about, but it would be glazed over and then on to the next. The one thing I took away from his chapter was room for reflection. I didn’t care for Kian as a character but it made me think about the pressure people must feel to appear successful, keeping up pretences in the name of dignity.
Having Nigerian heritage and *peeps out* having never visited Nigeria before I especially loved being able to visualise the cities of Lagos and Abuja. The details of nightlife, Victoria Island, and the markets I really soaked up. I’ve come across a few people who have returned to Nigeria and are really winning out there so the book’s plot was timely and 100% filled a gap. It’s not hard to hear stories about people coming to England for better opportunities, but I’m proper happy that I’m being exposed to a rising number of stories of people from the African diaspora going back to their motherlands to live their best life. I’m all the way here for it.
Situations like Osayuki being quoted crazy high prices when wanting her hair done, because they could tell she wasn’t raised in Nigeria made me laugh, that would be me, hella stressed out. In Nigeria, they refer to those people as JJC (Johnny Just Come)
Ouuu, and the ending. It did sweet me. I genuinely didn’t expect that!
“She looked at my hair and then at me, from my head to my toes, and then offered a price. I almost doubled over but composed myself. If these women think I’m a JJC, then they’re mistaken. ”
Favourite Character
Cynthia was my favourite character. Her journey of feeling lost career-wise and then settling into a new environment made me build a real connection with her. I’m pretty sure if my dad had the opportunity to do so, I would have been sent to Nigeria to do the youth service too.
It Hit me When
When I started writing this review. Nigeria needs us to raise our voices right now! There are various #endsars protests around the world currently taking place documenting police brutality throughout Nigeria. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad has been around for more than 20 years. SARS incidents have included numerous human rights violations, Nigerian civilians being killed, money being demanded from them, civilians being tortured and more. Young Nigerians wanting change and a better life are being exploited by a system that should nourish and protect them. You find out during the book that a man’s body is found dead and it makes me think of those who have lost their lives because of SARS. Most recently the Lekki Gate massacre on 20th October 2020. Peaceful protests were taking place when the army ran up on protestors firing rounds. It was an execution where several people were killed and many injured, just for wanting a better life.
You can’t read this book in 2020 without acknowledging SARS.
Length
288 pages
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Will you be adding The Returnees to your To Be Read list?
An American Marriage
On a surface level, An American Marriage’s plot is nothing out of the ordinary, saying that I could just be desensitized to the narrative of families being torn about when black men, in particular, get sent to prison on elongated sentences, pleading their innocence. But when you dig down, it is really deep.
By Tayari Jones
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Released: 2018
Genre: Domestic Fiction
If you want to watch a video review of this book instead click here. I tried a thing… Let me know if you want more of these.
Watch the Breakdown
Roy and Celestial are just out of the honeymoon period. They’ve been married for about 18 months and live together in Atlanta. Roy is new money and on the come up as an executive, whereas Celestial, an artist, is already accustomed to the lifestyle. One weekend the two drive down to Roy’s hometown of Eloe, Louisiana to visit Roy’s parents. The visit always causes tension between the two as Celestial is sure that Roy’s mum doesn’t like her. Mums, is anyone good enough for their boys? Insisting on keeping the peace Roy books a hotel for him and his wife to stay in. As you can imagine Roy’s mum isn’t impressed, but he wants to get the perfect balance.
During a heated argument between Roy and Celestial in their hotel room, Roy shouts a safeword - their first date, and they take a 15 minute break. Roy heads out to fill their ice bucket and bumps into a woman who needs assistance. He helps her out to her room and returns to his wife. That simple gesture costs him his freedom as in the middle of the night the police boot down him and his wife’s hotel room and he is arrested for rape. Except he couldn’t have done it as he was with Celestial during the alleged timeframe.
Denied bail, it’s just the beginning of what turns into a conviction and a 12 year sentence issued to Roy after the law determines that he is guilty.
Suddenly their roles change and heartbreak takes different forms. Celestial has to battle through trying to further her career without the man who has been her rock and has believed in her the most, as well as supporting her husband through his grief. Their marriage becomes prison visits, letter writing and voucher top ups. The one person she has to support her through this time is her best friend Andre who she leans on, they are childhood friends. 2 years into Roy’s sentence Celestial decides this is no longer a marriage. She can be a friend, but she’s had longer away from her husband than with her husband at this point.
5 years into Roy’s sentence, his lawyer gets the conviction overturned and Roy is released from prison. He wants his old life back. And at the very least his wife, who hasn’t divorced him. How true are the vows “for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do us part” in a situation like this?
“It isn’t it is a fiction book but, that is what hit me. You only have to look at the stories of the Exonerated 5/ Central Park 5, who were wrongly convicted of attempted murder, rape, assault and robbery and served 6+ years each before getting their sentences overturned to know it’s not fictional to everyone.”
Is that how you’re feeling yeah
This is one of those books that you’ll easily ignore on the bookshelf. Between the title and the cover it doesn’t stand out and it didn’t gas me up at all. They both came across too simple. But… if you overlook this book you will be missing out majorly. I have my Instagram book community to thank for putting me on to this title. It kept coming up on my timeline so I decided 2 years later to pick it up. I devoured this book within a day. Once you pick up this book, putting it down is a struggle. You want to keep reading, you feel like you must keep going. And just when you think you’re on track with the story, something happens that stresses you out all over again.
On a surface level, An American Marriage’s plot is nothing out of the ordinary, saying that I could just be desensitized to the narrative of families being torn about when black men, in particular, get sent to prison on elongated sentences, pleading their innocence. But when you dig down, it is really deep. The way that the author Tayari carries the story is something really special though. She covered issues with race and the legal system in such an inclusive way. African American’s make up 33% of the prison population, meanwhile only 12% of the United States population. That don’t make sense! Whilst people will have different views on the why to those statistics, I’m going to swerve because I could write a whole post about that sentence alone…
An American Marriage is the sort of the book that I think everyone who reads will be able to relate to on some level. More then, anyone, it makes you really think about what marriage means to you.
At some parts, I was shouting and cussin at the book because I was so enraged and moved and I don’t see myself being the exception in this case. Very much the rule. Exploring the ripple effect of a conviction on the lives of those closest to the person convicted created really intimate moments and unforgettable insight.
I appreciated the book covering the ongoing story, chapter to chapter first hand from the perspectives of three characters: Roy who gets convicted of a crime. Celestial, Roy’s wife. And Andre, Celestial’s childhood friend and Roy’s University homeboy. If it had just been from one perspective it wouldn’t have made the impact it did on me. One perspective would have just created sympathy. The three took it to a different level, and really drove home that despite the love and good intentions time really does not wait for anyone.
Empowering is definitely not a word I would use to describe the book. Reflective would be the best word, afterall A man has had years of his life taken from him, and is dealt with blows on blow when he comes out on the other side. He’s come out of prison a broken man.
“Ours was a love story, the kind that’s not supposed to happen to black girls anymore. This was vintage romance made scarce after Dr. King, along with Negro-owned dress shops, drugstores, and cafeterias.”
Favourite Character
I didn’t have a definite favourite character. As the story played out there were times that I sided with a character’s views or actions, and then there were instances that I side eyed them and then had to pause the book and question how I would respond being in the situation. I will say though that I respected Roy Senior the most. He wasn’t a core character but his heart and values were in the right place, and boy did he love his wife. Grab the tissues… it made me reflect on how I think love like that doesn’t exist anymore. The man refused to let the funeral people fill his wife’s grave. After the funeral he shovelled it all himself, he felt it was his duty as a husband. You know them people who don’t speak too much, but when they do their presence is strong. That is Roy Senior.
Although, I didn’t have a favourite character I had a character that I proper disliked. Andre- I couldn’t take to him at all, and felt from the beginning he had the potential to be an opportunist. In my notes I’ve written “Andre: Nasty. Sneaky as fuck”
It Hit me When
Whilst I was at my cousin’s house shouting at the book, she asked me if the book was non-fiction. And it isn’t it is a fiction book but, that is what hit me. You only have to look at the stories of the Exonerated 5/ Central Park 5, who were wrongly convicted of attempted murder, rape, assault and robbery and served 6+ years each before getting their sentences overturned to know it’s not fictional to everyone. The film on Netflix, When You See Us on is based on the Central Park 5. I’m currently watching a Netflix series looking at the World’s toughest prisons and the host, Raphael Rowe, was sentenced to life with no parole after getting convicted in the UK of murder and robbery. After 12 years his conviction was overturned. WILDDDDD!
Length
310 pages and wait for it…. It includes 15 book club questions. The questions featured are really thought provoking. For example: “You may have noticed that Tayari Jones does not specify the race of the woman who accuses Roy of rape. How did you picture this woman?”
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
my burning question
My scotch bonnet burning question would be to Celestial. What does marriage mean to you? I’ve read the book, and I soaked up her perspective and journey but I still struggle to truly knoe what marriage means to her. I mean this is a woman who knew that her husband didn’t commit the crime, so she wasn’t fighting the internal question of could he be guilty?
Kingdom of Souls - The Last Witchdoctor
The book is so refreshing. Partly because of the timing, and because it is just magical. How would I describe the book? Definitely intense, very intense…
By Rena Barron
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Released: 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Watch the Breakdown
This story is all about betrayal, love and adventure. Where myths and hear-say become reality or at least part of it. Magic is everywhere around Arrah, she can see it but she can’t use it. Arrah comes from a lineage of important witchdoctors on both sides of her family. Her father, the son of the Aatari tribe’s leader, even calls her ‘Little Priestess’ Which makes it all the more disappointing that she can’t channel what should be her birthright. She craves magic. And whilst lurking in the shadows, where she shouldn’t be, discovers that there is a way to call magic, but it comes at a proper cost. It takes years away from your life, literally.
Whilst visiting her family in the tribal area for the Blood Moon Festival, Arrah goes through a yearly ritual of tests with the Chieftain, her grandmother, to try and awaken her magic. She’s coming up to the age of sixteen, no one has ever come into magic naturally after that age. Even her grandmother breaking the ancestral ritual bringing Arrah into the magic circle doesn’t awaken it. One thing that does come out of that festival is a vision that her grandmother has, and the fact that there is a green-eyed serpent hovering around Arrah. A strong one that challenges her grandmother and brings fear to her.
When children start going missing from her town, Arrah makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to catch the child snatcher, by trading her years. Familiars keep appearing around her city. They are said to be the souls that got lost, where they appear death follows. Finding the child snatcher is just the beginning of Arrah’s worries though and the journey she sets out on is testing. The fate of the world is in her hands, and each time she uses magic she’s dying. Can she make things right before she runs out of time?
I don’t want to ruin the story. But I’ll say that when you insert green-eyed demons, cravens, orishas and a half-human half-demon into the mix the plot is popping.
“The green-eyed serpent.” Grandmother says after a weary breath, “is said to be a symbol of demon magic.”
Is that how you’re feeling yeah
The book is so refreshing. Partly because of the timing, and because it is just magical. The story is about magic but the plot, the content and the characters all added to the sparkle. How would I describe the book? Definitely intense, very intense, real dark, fascinating, and unpredictable. The book had me attention from start to finish, and one night I actually stayed up all night because finishing the book seemed more important than sleeping. (P.S: I like my sleep)
When I went to my bookcase I had one rule. I was not going to pick up a book about race or racism. That didn’t mean the book I picked up would be good though! Spoiler: this book is a full blown fireworks display litty! This is my first time reading Rena Barron and I connect with her writing.
I felt that there were quite a few characters but they all had a purpose. That’s usually my complaint, “why so many characters?” But the clear connection and bonds made even someone who wasn’t around for long like little Kofi make me feel emotion when he was killed. I enjoyed the other characters coming into their own more and more towards the end of the book. Because it’s a 3 part series, I’m hoping this is a set up to get to know them more.
The book was oozing in details. A lot of detail went into the characters physically, especially the 5 different tribes and their attributes. With all that detail, take away the fact that I can’t sew, I could definitely creatively direct the wardrobe for the cast if a movie were to be made. *Just throwing it out there*
I’m feeling sentimental but this is why I’m so big on diverse voices and authors. I was ready to rule out fantasy books. The few I’d read just didn’t do it for me. Even though the book is fantasy you can picture and clearly feel the inspiration from the African continent. I’d say in particular West Africa. The different tribes, calling on the ancestors for support when facing challanges and the overall spirituality throughout the book are uplifting and pay homage.
The Orisha’s/ God’s input were valuable. Every now and then there would be a dialogue, only a couple of pages, of them reflecting on things. I’d describe it as someone whispering in your ear a story whilst the main plot is brewing. I looked forward to those parts because I knew what was going on in the story, but the WHY element was sometimes unclear. The Orisha’s always knew why.
“The Aatiri do not walk or leap, for clouds of magic carry them. Grandmother’s silver locs coil on top of her head like a crown, and she wears half-dozen necklaces of teeth. The Aatiri are tall and lean with prominent cheekbones and wiry hair braided like mine. Their skin is as beautiful as the hour of ösana.”
Favourite Character
Arrah was my favourite character. She had so much depth to her and even though was scared she was always courageous. Arrah’s journey was really something. I think though that even if the children hadn’t disappeared she would have still found an excuse to call magic. Cravings and attachment really can be your downfall.
The bond between Arrah and her father made me love Arrah’s character even more, as a stand alone character he wasn’t special but how he loved and cherished her and knowing the love she had for him was everything.
It was a hard choice picking my favourite character in this book, because the characters all felt very real. They weren’t just names or faces. They had so much substance.
It Hit me When
When I read through my notes and thought about how the theme of love was explored throughout the book: The sacrifices people are willing to make for love. How those that claim to love you can hurt you the most. How love can make you blind. When the main character Arrah found out who was kidnapping the children, it was a heart stopping moment. Imagine thinking you know someone truly, then you find out the cruel things they are capable of doing.
Length
439 pages, which includes an interview right at the end with the author Rena Barron. It was the perfect length, and I saw on instagram that the sequel is coming out soon!
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
The big quote
“Blood rains down on the Kingdom. Puddles of it turn into lakes and lakes turn into raging rivers.”
The Hate U Give
Sometimes, you need to be shaken and woken up. It’s so triggering that 3 years after being published this book feels brand new and relevant to the past few weeks. I do like timeless books, but this feels like it’s timeless for the wrong reasons. This is not a knock on the author, it’s a burst of rage at society!
By Angie Thomas
Publisher: Walker Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
I read The Hate U Give one week before the murder of George Floyd. It’s been on my book shelf since 2017 but a month ago I decided that it was time to read it. If it was a week later, I doubt I would have picked up the book. If you’re a regular reader of my book reviews you’ll know that my book reviews are personal and involve reflections of my thoughts and feelings as well. Especially in the It Hit Me When section.
“‘Pac said Thug Life stood for ‘The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody”
Watch the Breakdown
The book is told through teenager Starr who is in the car with her best friend Khalil, who is unarmed, when he is murdered by the police in front of her eyes. It’s a real no play-play straight into the action sort of book. By chapter 2 Starr’s best friend has been killed and it really is the beginning of a spiral of events in her life taking place in and outside her community.
Starr already struggles with her juggling act. In her local neighbourhood, Garden heights, she is physically part of the majority, yet struggles to fit in. Meanwhile, at the private school she goes to out of ends, she is a minority and feels that she can’t be her true self. She fights an inner struggle dictated by the stereotypes and unsaid rules that exist in society. She can’t be too hood in front of her posh white friends, but on the other hand she’s not fully embraced in her community.
Someone always knows someone in the hood, and someone told someone something about Khalil’s struggles in the run up to his murder. The problem is the media are painting an ugly picture of who Khalil was, the city is rioting whilst they mourn another loss, and the kids at Starr’s posh school are using Khalil’s death as a cheap excuse to get out of school. All this is happening whilst Starr internally debates whether she should keep quiet about her being the witness to Khalil’s murder and let him go down as being another statistic in the cycle. She’s terrified. Terrified of the police, of the consequences in her area of saying what she knows about Khalil’s dealings, and of being known in her school as that girl who was friends with the lowlife the media made him out to be.
When a life is taken, we naturally focus on that person limiting their life and being to that incident and this book shatters all of that. It focuses on Starr who witnesses the murder, her family and their wider community as they adapt to this reality. It gives a real insight into Starr and Khalil’s family who have to come to terms with their loved one never coming back but also the opinions and justifications that people make up to excuse things like this.
“They finally put a sheet over Khalil. He can’t breathe under it. I can’t breathe.”
Is that how you’re feeling yeah
Angie Thomas’ writing style hooked me. This is the second book I’ve read of hers and she adopts the same easy flowing first-person narrative through the main character which keeps the whole story fresh and fully brings the details to life. The characters are consistent and lifelike which is very important, especially given a plot like this. Things that were mentioned felt true to their environment and didn’t feel forced. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the content in the book mirrored elements of the author’s life because of how authentic it was.
Don’t get it twisted, I really enjoyed the book, but I felt sad all throughout reading it. The activism moments made me smile, but all in all, it was a sad read. I get that reading is not all about feeling happy and empowered after though. Sometimes, you need to be shaken and woken up. It’s so triggering that 3 years after being published this book feels brand new and relevant to the past few weeks. I do like timeless books, but this feels like it’s timeless for the wrong reasons. This is not a knock on the author, it’s a burst of rage at society!
Ok, on a lighter tone back to how I’m feeling. I was fully down with the subtle living room conversations that made their way into the story. The concept of ‘selling out’ was explored in a couple of angles. One by Starr dating outside of her race and the internal conflict she faced as well as commentary from those around her who passed judgement on her. And also the debate her parents had about moving the family up out the hood to the suburbs. I’ve been in numerous conversations where the two have come up, and many have labelled someone as less black for dating a white person, or not as real as other black people for being middle class and living in different settings. You need to be there to see how tense these conversations get. Living in London and having friends with young children, the second point is a topic that comes up monthly. It boils down regularly to a thought of potential ‘diversity over safety’, but that’s a discussion for another day.
The activism part was electrifying. As a book aimed at young people and seeing how young people are helping to tear up the system and institutional stupidity, I loved it. The book helps give ownership to those coming up.
It Hit me When
It hit me when I really peeped how the media did their circus routine and how they portrayed the police officer and his statement. In one of the media interviews, the police officer who shot Khalil’s father was interviewed sharing stories about his son and highlighting how much he had been affected by the incident. The energy that comes into the system, of making someone a victim when they have taken a life is puzzling. Stepping outside of the book for a minute, the whole social media presence that I’ve seen online is maddd when it comes to murder. Specifically police brutality and the mishandling of Black people. I’ve seen disgusting comments from people on their keyboards writing about how a victims mother doesn’t look sad enough. I’ve only just noticed recently how much the media can really influence criminal investigations and it is really scary.
“One-Fifteen Sr. (The father of the officer who shot Khalil) talks about his son’s life before the shooting. How he was a good kid who never got into trouble, always wanted to help others. A lot like Khalil. But then he talks about the stuff One-Fifteen did that Khalil will never get to do, like go to college, get married, have a family.”
Length
438 pages. There’s also the Author’s notes that I strongly suggest you hit up and read plus the opening chapter of On The Come Up, Angie’s second book.
*Cough cough I’ve reviewed it. Right here*
Who should read it
The book is definitely a green light for teenagers, core reading material right about 2020. Especially, a good starting point for young people questioning senseless killings and police brutality. It brings more depth and experience into life in America for a young Black person, which I think all young people regardless of their background can learn about through the power of storytelling like this. The death toll is getting so ridiculous that people are becoming desensitised to it. But this book will fling the holy spirit in you making you feel and most importantly think.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
The big quotes
“ Good-byes hurt the most when the other person’s already gone.”
“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent?”
Have you read this book? What are your views on it? Drop your comments below!
The Nickel Boys
Yoo from the very jump I was in a daze. Before I even met the main character I’d visited a human cemetery. At this point, full disclosure I’m a sensitive soul. I couldn’t pick up the book for weeks after the main character Elwood received an A* beat down by the school staff. Even now weeks after finishing the book the word White House has a whole different meaning to me
Colson Whitehead
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Fleet
Watch the breakdown
This book is my first read from Colson Whitehead. One of his most popular book’s ‘The Underground Railroad’ is on my TBR list. He also won the Pulitzer Prize for it.
In 1960s Tallahassee, USA, being raised by his grandmother, a teenaged Elwood Curtis is a ‘stick to the book’ person. He has a part-time job, aspires to be better, is passionate about his future and believes strongly like his idol Dr Martin Luther King that he is "as good as anyone." One innocent mistake, however, ends his plans to enrol at an all blacks college and secures him a one-way ticket to Nickels reform school for boys. The sentence…to be confirmed, you have to earn your way out according to the rules. Living during Jim Crow law times, the school was segregated and to the outside world would educate and train inmates to become law-abiding and honest citizens.
To those in the inside, the reality was far from that. Those who did not conform to the unsaid rules were given lashes, sexually assaulted, or taken out back to never be seen again. On his second day at Nickel Elwood meets Turner. They form an unlikely friendship with the two looking at life from completely different angles. Elwood living by Martin Luther King’s “Throw us in jail, and we will still love you” and Turner believing in an eye for an eye and that Elwood is way too naive.
The book is split into three parts. Part 1 covers Elwood’s life leading up to his entrance to the Nickel reform school. Part 2 is daily life in Nickel with all its bumps and twists. And part 3 is mainly what life after Nickel looks like for one of the characters. Which character? You’ll find out…
“I am stuck here, but I’ll make the most of it, Elwood told himself, and make it brief. Everybody back home knew him as even, dependable— nickel would soon understand that about him, too.”
Is that how you’re feeling yeah?!
This is a really intense book. I’m talking have you on the edge and it’s not a thriller book. Even though a fiction novel, to the core it is inspired by a real place, Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, a reform school in Florida where horrific events took place. Boys were physically and sexually assaulted, with many unmarked graves being located in recent years.
Yoo from the very jump I was in a daze. Before I even met the main character I’d visited a human cemetery. At this point, full disclosure I’m a sensitive soul. I couldn’t pick up the book for weeks after the main character Elwood received an A* beat down by the school staff. Even now weeks after finishing the book the word White House has a whole different meaning to me. Every time I thought about picking up the book I felt so sad. The way that I felt you’d think that I had received them licks. On reflection, it had a lot to do with the fact that I had recently read a non-fiction memoir book of Lemn Sissay’s childhood and many of the topics overlapped. Especially how brutal some children were treated. Someone’s fiction is someone else’s reality!
I enjoyed reading the continuing inner struggle that Elwood faced as he tried to replicate and live by his hero, Martin Luther King’s values. On a personal level, my heart isn’t built like that I’m riding all the way out. But the way the book was set up with the opposing views of Elwood and Tuner it made me question my thoughts and where I stood on individual inequalities. For example, Elwood made a very bold/couragous/ stupid move, (depending on how you view it) that ultimately cost him his life. No matter how intense the book got, I was in tune and down for the ride. The book made me feel angry, frightened, helpless and also compassion, flicking through each emotion was a whole different story.
Part 3- Life after Nickel was the weakest part, I wouldn’t have missed it at all. I can see how it acted as a breather from the intensity and brutality of the story but felt irrelevant and jarring at times. I got enough from the prologue of the after-effects of Nickel and how peoples lives were never the same. I didn’t need the step by step walkthrough and it didn’t get any emotion from me at all.
“There was a weird thing to the acoustics where the fan covered the boy’s screams but right next to it you heard the staff instuctions perfectly: Hold on to the rail and don’t let go. Make a sound and you’ll get more. Shut your fucking mouth, nigger.”
Length
217 pages. That also includes a prologue, epilogue and afterword. I recommend reading the prologue again after you’ve finished the book, the words hit differently then. When I read it first I was just reading it to get into the book. Basically it was meaningless at that time, and felt like a passing news story. When you read it after, you feel the crunching of bones, the names bring up a face in your head, and emotion leaks from your body.
I’m someone who likes to understand how thoughts and feelings translate into art and creativity, and enjoyed Colson’s afterword. As a reader you are going to take what you want from a book, be it from your own life experience, triggers or preferences.
“To create the two heroes for The Nickel Boys, I borrowed from my own internal dilemma. The last two-and-a-half years have been a time of great division in America – these divisions and disputes have always been with us, but sometimes they’re closer to the surface”
It Hit me when
The whole book was emotional, but this particular incident stung for me. Okay, so there is an annual boxing match that gets everyone hype and gets a lot of attention. Staff and everyone get involved, ignoring the horrific surrounding of where everyone is it is something that many look forward to. On one occasion they even delayed someone’s ‘graduation’ because they wanted him to fight. The big finale is a white boy Vs a black boy and the black boys had won 15 years in a row, giving them a large sense of pride. This is the 1960s in America, where segregation is legal and black people are still found to be lynched by white people. Anyway, this year the favourite, Griff, is told by the prison staff to make sure he loses. Staff put major bets on the game. Griff if not the brightest bulb… Well, that’s being nice, his bulb just about works, but he’s a good fighter. After many blows to his head, dazed and confused he pushes through to win the match. All the black boys are gassed and extremely happy and he’s bawling. They think it’s because he’s so happy he won, but he knows where his story ends. The quote underneath really hit me.
“He was all of them in one black body that night in the ring, and all of them when the white men took him out back to those two iron rings. They came for Griff that night and he never returned. The story spread that he was too proud to take a dive. That he refused to kneel. And if it made the boy’s full better to believe that Griff escaped, broke away...”
Who Should Read It
If you want to understand the atmosphere in America in the 60s this will be good for you. Those interested in Civil Rights Movements and injustice come all the way to the front. Martin Luther King fans round up, round up. This is for sure a book club read because you will get some popping and in-depth conversations going. To be clear, if you’re looking for a light read, homie this is not the book for you.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
I’m going with mixed herbs. The jarring bits took away the all-purpose seasoning but the content was strong and made me feel so much.
Girl, Woman, Other
I’m doing up an Issa Rae on the “I’m rooting for everyone black” so when I saw that Bernardine Evaristo was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2019 I was involved and rooting for sure. When she won I was happy. *Peers out.. is it safe? I hadn’t actually read the book at the time *
Bernardine Evaristo
Genre: Women’s, LGBTQ Literature
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
Watch the breakdown
You’re introduced first to Amma, a struggling creative who after decades of being on the outside has her play, The Last Amazon of Dahomey commissioned by the National Theatre. The book begins with that, but it’s really the finale in what has been a long time coming for various of the women. 12 Black British woman’s lives are explored throughout the book leading them to the theatre to watch a new chapter begin. Some of the women have a direct connection with the others, and some very distant. How would you describe a Black woman? Would a Black woman’s experience be the same in the 50s, 80s, 90s, and even now? What are her traits? Her job? Who does she date? What is her bank balance saying? This fiction book covers the stories of Black women, with some including the known stereotypical thoughts but providing challenges and angles that make you look at the process of the painting and not just the finished picture. This book explores queer Black women and their communities, the widowed Black women and their journeys, the “stoosh” black woman who has had to work ten times as hard to get to her position, and many more.
“For the sisters & the sistas
& the sistahs & the sistren
& the women & the womxn
& the wimmin & the
womyn & our brethren &
our bredrin & our brothers
& our bruvs & our men & our mandem & the
LGBTQI+ members of the human family”
Is that how you’re feeling yeah?!
I channelled Issa Rae on the “I’m rooting for everyone black” so when I saw that Bernardine Evaristo was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2019 I was involved and rooting for her. When she won I was happy. *Peers out.. is it safe? I hadn’t actually read the book at the time * But she did it for the people dem! I’m writing this review after reading the book for the second time. 6 months apart.
Some won’t understand why I pledged such an allegiance. I’ll ask you to look back at how many Black women, let alone Black people have been longlisted or shortlisted in the past 50 years for this prize. Or even going deeper, how many books have you read where Black women have been the front, centre and left and aren’t labelled as a niche genre.
Bernardine has managed to smash down and incorporate a realistic version of the ever evolving different black women. She’s shown us individuals journeys, sprinkled in a variety of cultures and dashed them all in the English pot.
I learned about communities of people that aren’t in my circle and it served as a good reminder that yes I have the race element in common with Black women, but there are other categories and sections that I know completely nothing about.
I loved, loved, loved this book. Yes, there was a point that I started to lose focus. When too many names and characters come up it makes my head fuzz, and my one down point of the book is that it had too many characters. But, the characters felt real, some even a little too real and when it came round full circle it all made sense to me. Bernardine’s style of writing in this book is curly haired and flowing which I really appreciated. As a reader you’re not having to focus on full stops and perfect punctuation and it matched the content of the book.
Favourite Chapter
My favourite chapters were those that focused on the older women. They felt more gripping and detailed. Bummi’s chapter in particular I really loved. I’ve been a Yazz, I entered the wokeness, it’s a continuous journey to stay woke. And I’ve known a few too many LaTisha’s growing up but, seeing the world and experiencess through Hattie, Grace, Bummi and Winsome really pulled me all the way into the book. I try to break the cycle, but it’s so easy to label your mum and grandma, forgetting that they had a life before you and they also have a whole side of them that exists away from you. These characters reminded me of the different angles and behaviours that can happen at any age and made the characters so relatable. On the other hand, it also provided that extra context to understand why people think and act in a certain way. Bummi was a perfect example of this - I understood Bummi’s vision and dreams for her daughter in England on an emotional level because the chapter opened up Bummi’s childhood. Instead of seeing a parent pushing her dreams on to her child as a form of dictatorship, I saw a woman who would die for her child and genuinely wanted to see her shine.
“Carole, have I raised a fighter or a quitter?
you must return to the university and get
your degree by hook or by crook or I
cannot vouch for the consequences of my actions”
Character Wildness
If I could sum up my thoughts of some of the characters in a hashtag.
Winsome- #You did what now?
Penelope- #Ya average racist… next!
Amma - #Badass for life
Dominique - #You are stronger than your situation
Carole - #A rose grew from the concrete
Length
453 pages later and I can say with my chest that the book was a banger. Bernardine’s artistic ways are so magical.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
The maximum seasoning that marinated overnight for that extra sauciness. I definitely tasted some scotch bonnet in there and fresh cinammon.
Questions for the author
1. Will Amma ever move to America?
2. Is Shirley going to ease up on her students now that she finally got her gratitude?
3. Who is your favourite character and why?
The BIG quote
“While troublemaking on the periphery’s all well and good, we also have to make a difference inside the mainstream, we all pay taxes that fund these theatres, right? ”
To Lahore, With Love
Every chapter is named after and features a recipe, which sets the tone for the chapter. If you want to secure your bae then you’ll need some ‘commitment cake’, and if you’ve done someone wrong try out ‘Forgive-Me Bitter Gourd.’ If you’ve had your heart broken and you are feeling fragile try out the ‘Stay Strong Chicken Yakhni Soup.’
By Hina Belitz
Genre: Religious Fiction
Publisher: Headline Review
*Gifted*
Watch the Breakdown
Addy Mayford has always struggled with her identity. Brought up in a household of stories, food and faith by her Irish mother and Pakistani Nana, she feels constantly torn between the two sides of her upbringing. Since the death of her father, she's found contentment cooking delicious recipes from his home city of Lahore, despite the protestations of her mother that being a chef is no career for a young woman. It's only with the love of her gorgeous husband, Gabe, that she's truly found happiness. (Taken from publishers)
Plot twist, about as quickly as you can read the paragraph above Addy’s life flips from Instagram perfect to WTF. The book is broken down into 3 parts: before, the day, and after. The happiness Addy thought she’d found gets crushed when she suspects her husband is cheating on her. And then he decides to leave, saying that he needs space.
Millions of tears and plenty of Stay Strong Chicken Yakhni soups later Nana makes an executive decision that Addy needs to go to Lahore. Addy travels to Lahore to escape her bitter new reality in London alongside her best friend, and Nana (who invited herself along.) During her trip she discovers herself and a real love for her father’s land, but also discovers an extended family secret that knocks her breathless and changes her life as she knows it.
Side note: (I know, I know R Kelly is blacklisted) but… the prologue of this book reminds me of his ‘Trapped in the Closet’ Chapter 1-12 music videos that had everyone gripped for ages.
Is that how you’re feeling yeah
I’m feeling like the book absolutely banged. Point, blank period, I really loved this book. It takes you on a journey of identity searching, mixed heritage exploration and food galore. Yes, yes and yes. Major excitement as I report that the story was engaging right from the beginning to the end.
At first, the lack of patience in me didn’t want to hear about England, I wanted to skip right to Pakistan. But once all the saucy details and flavours started emerging, it was crystal clear why it was important to dedicate time to the before section in England.
I particularly like that Addy, the main character is of mixed heritage and how that is explored throughout. It’s one thing being from a different heritage from the country you live in and trying to find the perfect balance there, but there are extra layers in Addy’s case. It’s interesting to read about the difference in culture, language, religion and how Addy navigates them.
I was lying on a beach in Grand Turks, but really I was in the hustle and bustle of the markets in Lahore because everything I read felt so rich and vivid that I was immediately transported there.
Every chapter is named after and features a recipe, which sets the tone for the chapter. If you want to secure your bae then you’ll need some ‘commitment cake’, and if you’ve done someone wrong try out ‘Forgive-Me Bitter Gourd.’ If you’ve had your heartbroken and you are feeling fragile try out the ‘Stay Strong Chicken Yakhni Soup.’
“Stay Strong Chicken Yakhni Soup
For patience and constancy, leading to inner strength take:
1 onion, sliced
1 big, black cardamom
4cm/2in cinnamon stick
...
The artistry: to extract the essence of things, less being at times so much more.”
It Hit me when
When I learned the big family secret in Lahore. It’s mad how something can be right in front of you but you’re oblivious to it. I think the reasoning behind it hit me more than the actual lie. (No spoilers ‘round here… you have to read the book and leave a comment when you know)
Nana’s quotes have left me thinking and reflecting outside of the book on faith and my general outlook on life and how I deal with scenarios. I love a book that makes me take away something to think about. Another thing I took away is a serious reminder, that you cannot rely on your happiness to come from someone.
characters
My favourite character: Oooh this was a tough one. I really identified with and loved Addy but I’ve got to go with Nana. Everyone needs a Nana like Addy’s. I already have one which is probably why she is my favourite character. She doesn’t understand boundaries and shows Addy so much love in her own way. Especially through the love language of food.
Addy’s best friend hmm something didn’t sit well with me about her. When Addy was crying, she started crying, and then upgraded it to being hysterical. To the point that Addy had to help her out. Them things there don’t add up. She seemed shady and untrustworthy.
“I have been transformed, just as the ingredients in my recipes are, into something better. My disparate parts melded. How ironic that I had to journey thousands of miles from home to find my way back to myself.”
Length
272 pages. Perfect length, nothing felt rushed or too dragged out at any point of the book.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
All-purpose seasoning. The perfect mixture of culture, laughter, eye-rolling and surprise. I green light this book.
The Big Quote
“Nothing that hits you was ever going to miss you. Nothing that misses you was ever going to hit you.”
*Gifted by Headline Review. Thanks for sending me the perfect holiday book Alara.
Happy Publication Day, the book is not available to buy!
Frizzy
A Cry To War
The book caught my attention at the beginning and then just as quickly as it caught it, it was gone because of some random 50 shades of grey scene that hit me out of nowhere. The sex scene was real graphic, and considering how lengthy the book blurb is definitely needed a ‘hey FYI’ warning
By E.O. Odiase
&
K.N Pumpuni
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Publisher: Ghagerian
*Gifted
Watch the breakdown
In 1267A whilst ruling the Mombaka Kingdom in peace, King Ewuare’s mind is far from being at peace. A father of 5, with 2 wives he has a lingering emotion. His father was killed in the previous war a generation ago and he can’t seem to move forward without getting revenge. After sleeping underneath an ancient tree in efforts to get clarity from the God’s, Ewuare makes his decision.
He chooses to avenge his father’s death, by sending his second son Mandisa, next in line to rule the kingdom, to kill the son of King Jabbar. King Jabbar killed Ewuare’s father and he wants his son’s life in return. The assassination is successful, but not everyone has the same vision to get Mandisa home safely back to the Mombaka kingdom and a series of things happen resulting in a death and a near death of another. One young man’s journey ends and another one’s has just begun as he navigates the other kingdoms faced with slavery, beasts and heartbreak whilst trying to find his way home totally unaware of the pending war.
Meha, the second wife of King Ewuare has her own agenda about their future and is plotting hardcore. Oh yeah she’s also having an affair with someone very close to home. The revenge, of the revenge attack bounces back around pretty fast and war breaks out. Meanwhile, in the Agbon mountains men are unaware of the sorcery and supernatural forces which are planning their ultimate end.
“What kind of a King am I? One that hides from revenging the death of his father or a king who chooses to forget the past, to maintain peace.”
Is that how you're feeling yeah?!
Let me two-step in with the positives first. I did enjoy learning about Thirteenth century West Africa, and appreciated how no attention to detail was left out when describing some events and locations. One event in particular I felt like I was really there. The Royal wedding of King Ewuare’s daughter, I attended, wearing my cloth of course.
The book caught my attention at the beginning and then just as quickly as it caught it, it was gone because of some random 50 shades of grey scene that hit me out of nowhere. The sex scene was real graphic, and considering how lengthy the book blurb is definitely needed a ‘hey FYI’ warning or some sort of notice that sex would be such a large part of the book. All of the sex scenes were very vivid, and were given more presence and commitment than war itself. Which undermines the book title.
Within the beginning two chapters, yoo a lot of characters and names came up. From the get go, too many names and characters were mentioned, and this continued throughout the book. It weren’t relevant to mention them all and it made things too fuzzy.
A large reason why the book didn’t bang was that the author’s tried to cover so many topics that some parts were overlooked or kept to an absolute minimum. One part to note is Kamunde, King Ewuare’s first son. The concept is fire, but as a reader the book needed more time to explain as it covers sorcery and supernatural behaviour but it was left way too late to leave an impact.
It Hit Me When
It hit me right by the end when it became clear King Ewuare’s fate and expiry date. The physical element of death isn’t what got me. It was that big realisation that came to me and I just said ‘raaar the need for revenge can really be the death of you.’ How one decision that is yours can really trigger a series of events with the results being totally out of your control.
Favourite Character
Eweka was my favourite character hands down. Throughout the story and the various things he’s dealt with he has proven to himself how much of a survivor he is, adapting to even the most harsh environments. Slavery, betrayal, heartbreak and he’s still standing! I stand by a strong man.
Kwame was a close second favourite. His kind heart and wisdom was admirable. I was sad with how ruthless King Jabbar was when dealing with Kwame and his wife. Turns out Hangman really is a real thing!
Length
316 pages. I didn’t like the ending, it ended on a cliffhanger. The book didn’t seem ready to end as there was too much left unexplained.
Seasoning level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Salty. The book flowed and the main plot was engaging but there were too many sex parts that felt out of touch with the book, especially with the language used for them. Saying that though, I would give the sequel a try. I feel like the book has potential, but potential is also just a fancy word! It needs to get rid of some ingredients, freshen up the seasoning, and then marinate in the fridge again.
The BIG Quote
“We may be from different Kingdoms, different customs and different religions, but today we stand as brothers, as equals with a common goal!”
Frizzy
Exquisite Cadavers
The first thing I did was google what Cadaver meant. If you don’t know what it means don’t front it out. A cadaver is a dead human body that is used for science purposes, so medical students would study and dissect cadavers.
By Meena Kandasamy
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Atlantic Books
*Gifted*
Karim and Maya:
[x] share a home
[x] worry about money
[x] binge-watch films
[x] argue all the time
Watch the Breakdown
Maya and Karim are married, and wrapping themselves in their own love codes, whilst navigating life in London. The book switches between both characters perspectives giving you a deep insight into their minds. Karim who is Tunisian is studying film making and is trying to make his own vision of art rather than being confined to his funders idea of what an Arab should create. Maya works for a newspaper, has a chain-smoking habit and is a bundle of emotions, with undealt with childhood abandonment emotions that leak into her relationship with Karim repeating their pattern of tension and avoidance.
Alongside this arching story, the author is also navigating life in London, filling in the foot/side notes.
“In a conversation between forms, fictions and truths, Exquisite Cadavers is a novel about a young couple navigating love in London, and a literary hall of mirrors about an author navigating the inspirations behind her work.”
Is that how you’re feeling yeah
The first thing I did was google what Cadaver meant. If you don’t know what it means don’t front it out. A cadaver is a dead human body that is used for science purposes, so medical students would study and dissect cadavers.
The preface section (right at the beginning of the book) had my attention, and then as when I went into the first chapter I found the layout confusing, as there were two central things going on and I drifted. As the book progressed I really appreciated the side notes and getting the chance to learn about the author’s mind-set and creative process whilst making the book. It wasn’t long before I was more interested in Meena’s side notes, and reading the story as a supplement to that and not the other way around. I really liked the breakdown of what guided Meena to make the characters behave and think how they did.
It reminded me of an exercise I used to do and thoroughly enjoyed. Effectively I’d sit at a table with 4-5 other people. Each of us would write a sentence and then pass our paper around continuing each other’s stories adding our own perspective to what had been written above.
It was also interesting to see as things unravelled in Meena’s life how it translated into the story. As much as the novel was fiction, Meena wanted her and her female character Maya to have some common ground, something to bond them so made Maya pregnant like herself.
The writing style of the book was very free form and innovative, but the story itself just didn’t reel me in. In between reading the story I kept stopping to look in a dictionary for the meaning of words. *Side note: I extended my vocabulary, but I was already struggling to stay engaged so it did no favours*
“I cannot relate to her if I do not share anything with her. So, I end up making her pregnant.”
I have a personal connection with Tunisia and that is the main reason why I wanted to read the book. The last ten pages built up the visuals for me - I could smell the smoke and taste the harissa, but as quick as the visual came the story just ended.
It Hit me when
Right at the end of the book when Maya came home to Karim not being there. She knew straight away that somehting wasn’t right, and then she received a text from Karim. It was clear that Karim was the most stable and consistent thing in Maya’s life and probably had been for a while. Plus, she’d just found out that she was pregnant and hadn’t had the chance to tell him yet. With the reoccurring theme of abandonment that Maya has had Meena really captured Maya’s panic and vulnerability.
“Had to leave to Tunis urgently. Cannot tell you more atm, please take care, my love. Will call soonest, bisous.”
Length
104 pages including acknowledgement, but I thought it was too short. It ended as I’d started to get into it, in particular Karim’s journey to Tunisia.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
I can’t see myself remembering this book, there was nothing substantially seasoned about it, I would, however, be open to reading some of Meena Kandasamy’s other titles.
*Gifted by Atlantic Books. The book’s release date is the 7th November 2019.
Tell Me Your Secret
The book cover itself would make me want to read this book. And then the blurb, c' mon it's perfect marketing. My nosy levels are immediately on 100. There's a secret that I don't know about... and I really want to know!
By Dorothy Koomson
Genre: Psychological Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Headline Review
The book cover itself would make me want to read this book. And then the blurb, c' mon it's perfect marketing. My nosy levels are immediately on 100. There's a secret that I don't know about... and I really want to know!
Tell Me Your Secret is the fifteenth book written by the award-winning author Dorothy Koomson. I've read 11 of Dorothy's books and was excited to read this one because her books feel familiar. Let me be clear, familiar in the sense of her writing style throughout the books. Her thriller books especially have always remained unpredictable and that is one of the reasons why I always happily jump headfirst into Dorothy Koomson's novels.
“I was disappointed with Pieta’s character. Imagine overcoming so much and finally stepping out of your shell and then entertaining your school bully.”
Watch the breakdown
The book kicks off with a mini introduction known as a prologue. It drags you straight into a creepy opening, with someone being told whilst blindfolded that they need to keep their eyes closed for 48 hours to remain alive, no matter what is done to them. A nod is required to begin the weekend.
Detective Inspector Jody Foster has temporarily relocated to Brighton to lead an investigation into a criminal known as The Blindfolder, who has resurfaced and is now killing his past victims. Jody is personally invested in this case because fifteen years ago, she was told by the first victim about this crime and her judgements blurred her from bringing the Blindfolder to justice.
Meanwhile, in the same city lives, Pieta Rawlings, a deputy editor at a regional News company who has not told anyone that ten years ago she was also kidnapped by a man who nicknamed himself The Blindfolder. She went through the 48-hour ritual and believed that after that weekend the worst was over. When she realises that The Blindfolder has now resurfaced and is now hunting down one-by-one his past victims, she naturally wants to escape and uproot her life. Except it's not just her anymore that she would be uprooting.
The women's lives overlap when the latest victim approaches the police wanting her story to be broadcast nationally. She chooses to sell her exclusive story to the news company that Pieta works for. Pieta's bully of a boss is on the chase for the "big win" and puts Pieta forward to win the story bid and to interview the victim for the company. Pieta's boss has gone all out and even hired a photographer, who happens to go way back with Pieta. Detective Inspector Jody Foster is in charge of the victim's safety, and whilst watching interactions between Pieta and the latest victim, realises that Pieta is also one of The Blindfolders past victims.
Pieta has something that gives Jody a fresh chance to finally close this case but she's not so willing to potentially expose herself in the process.
Is that how you're feeling yeah?!
I read this emotional thriller in 2 days straight, and it made everything else going on around me feel like a complete blur. This type of book will make you feel on edge and definitely amplifies paranoia. Now that I've digested it I'm sitting here realising that the story plot is a lot. It is really quite sadistic. I've always wondered how Dorothy comes up with such original and equally creepy storylines. A quick google search told me that she has a degree in psychology... (Google be telling you everyone's business hayyy!)
Both of the women, Pieta and Jody, are strangers to each other but are grabbing on to a big secret separately that is connected. It makes me think on a deep level about self-preservation and how when you have a burden you can easily feel disconnected and that no one else is or has gone through our chain of thoughts. What can I say I'm a deep thinker.
I was disappointed with Pieta's character. Imagine overcoming so much and finally stepping out of your shell and then entertaining your school bully. It proper wound me up, especially because that relationship went from being little mentions here and there to a large part of the storyline. You know when you see one of the girls go back to that ex-partner that she'd spent 2 hours on the phone to you last week crying about? It was that type of disappointment... like really?
When the story unravels, in the end, it’s too shallow. I was expecting a big explanation, maybe something to mind boggle me and make me dig hard and find empathy. The book was electrifying throughout so I didn't feel that I'd wasted a read but I sighed at how stupidly simple the big explanation was.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Overall the story is juicy and the crime aspect is so on point that it is chilling. If you want a book that combines crime and a thriller you will not be disappointed. But the lack of depth in the characters and their behaviour watered the seasoning down for me.
The BIG Quote
"My fingers are curled to hide the shaking and my eyes are wide open to stop the memories that creep in whenever it's dark."
Frizzy
One Year Later
One family member didn't get the memo that they weren't on the invite list, and as the holiday kicks off it becomes clear that the holiday repair dream is far from the reality. Something is definitely off on the island, and someone from the family is hiding a big secret.
By Sanjida Kay
Genre: Psychological Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Corvus
*Gifted*
The breakdown
The death of Amy's daughter, Ruby-Mae, has left family members shell-like and consumed with grief. Ruby-Mae died at the age of three in a preventable accident. The one year anniversary of her death is fast approaching so the family decide to book a last-minute trip to an island in Italy, hoping a getaway will reduce the pain of their loss and rectify slippery relationships.
One family member didn't get the memo that they weren't on the invite list, and as the holiday kicks off it becomes clear that the holiday repair dream is far from the reality. Something is definitely off on the island, and someone from the family is hiding a big secret.
Will everyone make it off the island? And can the fragile family deal with another blow?
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Is that how you're feeling yeah!?
It took me a long time to get into this book, for the first quarter of the book-length I was disengaged and tempted to put it down. But… I'm glad I didn't because once the story warmed up it gripped me like I was on a rollercoaster and I didn't want to get off.
Sanjida tricked me on so many occasions. I had my thinking hat securely on and on so many occasions I was dead sure that I'd solved a mystery or question and then BOOM the story would flip and I was back to square one mad puzzled. That's how I like my thrillers, unpredictable and various steps ahead of me. I can't say too much of how I'm feeling because there's so much I want to say but can't because I don't want to spoil anything ahhh!
It hit me when
It hit me when I took a step back from the book and really processed what was going on and how fragile the family was. Also, it made me realise how tense and on edge I felt whilst reading the book because of the disturbing layers. Yoo lies can be the undoing of a lot of things but lies within the family that's some real deep madness.
Favourite Character
I didn't form a massive attachment to any of the characters, but I found Nick's chapters to be really engaging. An interesting dynamic that Nick was the youngest of his siblings and very much the family glue that simmered down many situations.
Length
327 pages, including acknowledgement and book club questions. Keep a note pad, and don't be put off by the quiet part at the beginning.
Big quote
"There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in times of misery."
Gifted by Atlantic Books*
Frizzy
Lot
You learn about the different pockets of Houston through a drug delivery man and his young sidekick, a Pimp who breaks his numero uno house rule by contracting HIV, a ride or die teenage baseball team, and a night of adventure with a sighting of the chupacabra, a mythical creature.
By Bryan Washington
Genre: Short Stories, LGBT Literature
Publisher: Atlantic Books
*Gifted*
The Breakdown
'Lot' is jigsaw pieces coming together in the form of stories exploring a community in the city of Houston. It is really hard to believe that this is the author’s first book and that this book is actually fiction.
The first introduction into the community is through the eyes of a young man, Black on his mum's side and Latin on his dad's, who throughout the book directs readers around the city whilst at the same time trying to find his place within his community.
From his and his families experiences you learn about the division between minorities, the scars of broken family ties, and the ongoing fight to not be defeated. The community naturally have a voice too, and this is told through various individuals.
You learn about the different pockets of Houston through a drug delivery man and his young sidekick, a Pimp who breaks his numero uno house rule by contracting HIV, a ride or die teenage baseball team, and a night of adventure with a sighting of the chupacabra, a mythical creature.
Favourite story
'Alief' is my favourite chapter, it's really powerful in showing how your community shares your indiscretions, pain, jokes and burdens. If I had to rename this title I would call it "chatty patty in full effect". Neighbours really do be in up in your business for real. As a reader you become one of the nosy neighbours, wanting to know how it ends but at the same time holding your breath because you aren't sure how things will play out.
So the gossip is that Paul's woman, Aja, is having an affair with James who also lives in their apartment duplex (In the UK it's a block of flats... small-small difference). But yeah... everyone knows about it except for Paul. Don't be surprised if you start crying at the end of the chapter. I cried for Paul. In the Black community part of being successful is to do better than the generation before you did, to take a step further and Paul ended his journey just like his mother.
It Hit Me When
When the main storyteller admits his sexual preference being men, in confidence to his older brother, who then responds by punching him in the face. Reading that made me feel like I'd been completely blind-sighted and punched as well. It's always hard when those closest to you refuse to accept you for who you are.
Is That How You're Feeling Yeah!?
This book makes you drip in compassion. It's well written and demands your attention right from the start. But most importantly doesn't drop the ball. I smell tick boxing activities from a mile away but can we just pause. We are reading about a young Black and Latin male in the US, who likes males amongst an array of other diverse stories. C'mon, Bryan did that!
The book feels very authentic and gives transparent and unrestricted access to a community that many would never know about, combining the good, the bad and the ugly. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that the author is from the city and has really tapped into realistic, unforgettable and compelling characters. Being from the UK, media coverage about people who fall into these demographics in the US often comes across as judgemental and one-sided and it's refreshing being introduced to these people from a completely different angle.
I love it when books swing into dual languages so I was smiling whilst writing out various Spanish words in my notebook to later translate. A lot of them are cuss words, but you never know when they might come in handy!
Now and again you come across a book that you didn't know you needed, but will never forget! In 2019 this is for sure the book that has done that for me.
Before this book the only Houston reference I had in my mind was Beyonce. But now I'm happy to say when I hear Houston I'll think of the stories that came from this city and the banging author and writer that is Mr Bryan Washington.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
The Big Quote
"Your eyes will show you what they want to, or whatever they think you should see."
*Book gifted by Atlantic Books
Frizzy
The Brighton Mermaid
This book is a madness where do I even begin? Two teenagers, Nell and Jude, are on their way home from a party, after sneaking out of their houses, when they find the body of a young woman. They really want to believe she's sleeping but she's definitely not. Well, she's sleeping but she's never going to wake up.
By Dorothy Koomson
Genre: Crime Fiction
Publisher: Headline Review
Watch the Breakdown
This book is a madness where do I even begin? Two teenagers, Nell and Jude, are on their way home from a party, after sneaking out of their houses, when they find the body of a young woman. They really want to believe she's sleeping but she's definitely not. Well, she's sleeping but she's never going to wake up. No one comes to identify the woman so she becomes known as the Brighton Mermaid. Meanwhile other bodies are washing-up around different shores making people think they have a serial killer running riot.
Nell and Jude both struggle to cope with their discovery, and more so the aftermath of it. Then 3 weeks later out of nowhere, Jude, who has starting dressing like the dead woman, vanishes. Nell's dad then gets accused off being a murderer and also being linked to Jude's disappearance, which cuts deep for each of the family members, in particular Macy, Nell's younger sister. Legally and mostly illegally their family are pursued by the police for years, with one officer holding a very strong grudge that turns him into a full-blown stalker.
25 years later, as the Brighton Mermaid anniversary is approaching, Nell quits her long term job, after being backed up into a nasty corner by a certain stalker, to find out who murdered the Brighton Mermaid, and also to discover what happened to her best friend Jude.
As Jude gets closer to finding out all the pieces to the Brighton Mermaid murder puzzle people helping her get closer to solving the mystery start getting physically attacked, including herself.
Someone is hell-bent on the truth not coming out, seeming to know all her next steps and her paranoia increases. As independent as Nell is, she also has some eye candy assisting her.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Favourite Character
My favourite character from the book is Macy/Macenna. She's really sensitive, vulnerable and extremely impulsive and I just want to give her a big hug (& I don't even like hugging people.) She has OCD and anxiety issues which developed as a result of the aftermath of the murder. She was about 11 years old when the murder of the Brighton Mermaid happened and she's also been holding in a major secret for nearly 25 years which has clearly taken a massive toll on her.
She has random outbursts that I honestly really get. When her paranoia gets too high she imagines the worse scenarios, which then make her switch on others. An example being when she forced her partner and sister to sit in a room and discuss their issues with each other. Then days later she's having sex with her partner and she stops midway.
“You practically jumped on me when she left. Are you doing it because of her? Because of Nell?”
It hit me when
It hit me right at end, there were little bits throughout the book that my mind thought was weird or out of place and all questions that I'd had were then answered towards the end when all the dot-to-dots were completed. When Nell and Macy's dad was strict about so much, in particular sleepovers it reminded me of my upbringing. For whatever reason if there was a man in the house I wanted to stay in, especially if it wasn't my friend's father, my dad was not involved. Chances are I wouldn't be attending! *I can't say too much more without giving too much away*
That how you're feeling yeah!
I've read so many of Dorothy's books and expected big things from this one. I'm also really used to her writing style which I find really effective, having females as main characters and using different chapters to go back and forth between 2 periods of time. There is so much going on and lots of layers in this book, but everything slots in like a jigsaw piece. Every raw emotion, every gasp is so deliberate and lasts longer than the moment it triggers you. I read half the book in one sitting and when it got to the evening and the sun went down I felt scared. No that's an understatement I was shook-eth. Every little sound set me off. I just kept thinking of the dead woman washed up on the beach in Brighton, remembering her curly afro and tattooes. I'm dramatic but stick with me... I'm sitting in bed, hearing voices outside thinking, ahhhh that could be me in the River Thames next.
The book casually covers important themes such as police brutality, prejudice and White privilege. Let's be clear you need a life vest on when reading this because this book will grab you by two hands and pull you right into the sea, basically like a mermaid would. It's not going give you loads of funny moments, but there's so many other moments you'll get that are more rewarding. Saying that though there is one part that will make you chuckle. Nell kicks the guy she is dating out of her flat and he asks if he can call her.
“Nell: Of course
Zach’s His face brightens and relaxes in relief
Nell: I’m not going to answer, but feel free to call as many times as you like
FX: Door slamming in Zach’s face”
I thought that was so jokes, and I really needed that moment to be able to exhale everything else that had been happening. I always looked forward to little interactions between Nell and Macy, I wanted to lock them in a room and keep them there until they dealt with their issues because their relationship throughout the book is super intense and they clearly walked on eggshells around each other.
Length
429 plus teasers for past books. I read the book in 24 hours because once I opened the book I struggled to put it down. The pace was perfect and the drama kicked off from the beginning.
The big quote
"Every time I blinked I saw her: the untroubled face, the motionless body, the detail of her tattoo. Every time I breathed I realised that the woman with the Brighton Mermaid tattoo wasn't going to do that ever again."
Questions for the author
1. Will Nell and Jude ever be reunited?
2. Will Nell eventually make one of the 2 men her boyfriend?
3. What inspired this book? It's so spooky and calculated.
Frizzy
Celestial Bodies
Khawla asked for a divorce. Ok you need some context. She waited for years and years for her cousin, they'd been promised marriage to each other when they were younger. Anyway he'd gone to Canada on a scholarship and basically ditched his studies and never returned to Oman after.
By Jokha Alharthi
Translated by Marilyn Booth
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Sandstone Press
*Gifted*
Watch the breakdown
Celestial Bodies is a book about the past and ongoing changes happening in Oman. These are explored mainly through the lives of three sisters back in their village of al-Awafi. The three are very different individuals. The eldest sister Mayya marries after experiencing heartbreak. The second sister Asma, a lover of books marries out of a sense of duty. And the youngest sister Khawla, stands her ground and refuses various marriage requests choosing to wait for her cousin to return from Canada to marry her. Through the interactions of the sisters with their family and wider community you get an insight into the traditions and cultural beliefs shaping the society which until the 1970s was a slave-owning one.
It hit me when
Khawla asked for a divorce. Ok, you need some context. She waited for years and years for her cousin, they'd been promised marriage to each other when they were younger. Anyway, he'd gone to Canada on a scholarship and basically ditched his studies and never returned to Oman after. He eventually returned to Oman and married Khawla for financial gain. She had him, but she never really had him, and then ten plus years later when he decided he was ready. BAM... she checked out!
Mannnn, a woman has emotionally checked out before she verbally tells you. She put up with a lot and stayed around for so long, even to the point that family members thought she was insane.
Favourite Character
Abdallah was my favourite character. In the midst of there being so many other characters, I looked forward to his chapters. He gave off a real warmth viewing everyone as equal, including slaves. I also felt sorry for him, he loved his wife so much and she just never showed any affection towards him.
Is that how you’re feeling yeah?!
The book is a good insight into a community going through a transition and I managed to get a peek into that. Certain parts I really enjoyed reading. Khawla's journey, and even though the section was short, Maryam and the Judge's marriage, it felt magical. The storytelling was the strongest when the chapters were stand-alone focusing solely on a specific character, cousin Marwan's story is one of them. Someone brought up, with effectively his life already planned for him on the back of a dream his mother had.
The rest of the book felt scattered and all over the place, and it overshadowed in my opinion what could have been a really strong novel. There were so many names and characters coming up and then never being mentioned again. Also, there was no clear order as to how and when these characters appeared so it became really busy. For example, a character like Zarifa would be discussed, then next her death would be covered, and then in the following chapter, a story would continue with Zarifa in it. And then later details of her death would appear again. It was just too confusing.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Somewhere between salty and CO2. I'm usually so thirsty for little details and answers, but by the time I got to the end of the book I was so drained trying to keep up that I didn't even care about what had really happened to Abdallah's mum, and that is really rare for that to happen to me.
*This book was gifted by Sandstone Press.
Frizzy
Dune Song
There is something really colourful and poetic about the book, which considering the story, shouldn’t work but it does and it's so beautiful. The book is really raw yet mellow. Issues such as human trafficking appear in the book and I imagined the story would be typically action-packed and abrupt
By Anissa M. Bouziane
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Sandstone Press
*Gifted*
Watch the breakdown
Everything changes for Jeehan Nathaar, after witnessing the collapse of the World Trade Centre. Her American identity gets brutally shattered causing Jeehan to retreat from New York back to her birthplace. Thousands of miles away in Morocco, with fresh friendly faces, Jeehan cannot escape her memories of the 9/11 attacks and gets tangled in a different type of atrocity.
Chapter by chapter the setting shifts between the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York and the desert in the south of Morocco. From the minute Jeehan enters Morocco she is on a journey; her vision is blurry but as time goes on it gets clearer and clearer. And it’s after a burial ceremony in the dunes that Jeehan eventually starts to rebuild herself up from Ground zero.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Is that how you’re feeling yeah?!
There is something really colourful and poetic about the book, which considering the story, shouldn’t work but it does and it's so beautiful. The book is really raw yet mellow. Issues such as human trafficking appear in the book and I imagined the story would be typically action-packed and abrupt because of the emphasis on that topic but it's honestly nothing like that at all.
The descriptions used in this book are so vivid, even after finishing the book I can still picture the minute Jeehan enters the arrivals lounge in the Moroccan airport, with her yellow suitcase and gets her foot bashed by the cart of an impatient passenger.
I love the Arabic language and am in awe with how the author used French and Arabic words throughout the book.
It hit me when
I really felt Jeehan’s pain as she explored the newly formed conflict between her Muslim-Arab and American identities. It made me feel really sad that they now had a brand-new meaning because of the actions of some individuals. The same people she had worked alongside, and been friends with now approached her as the other, the protagonist, the enemy and it felt so unsettling to read.
“Why do Muslims, or Arabs, or whatever… why do you hate us so much?”
It's frightening how the notion of home can be flipped upside down so rapidly. The people that knew Jeehan and saw her on a daily basis turned on her in the US so quickly, yet on the other hand, the strangers she met in Morocco took her in and extended their kindness just as quickly.
It reminded me of an interview I recorded with a school friend for a radio feature I was doing years ago. She openly spoke about her pain of having to endure prejudice and Islamophobic comments because she passed as white. She was a British born Moroccan and didn’t wear a hijab which made others feel comfortable to reel out nasty comments about Muslim people and it really knocked her.
Favourite character
Fareed is my favourite character. I quickly realised that I preferred the Moroccan characters in this book, because I connected with them and was really invested in them.
Even in the harshest of times, Fareed gives you a sense of hope. Because of some of the activities he is involved with it's hard to remember that he is actually just a child. But then I remember his interactions with Jeehan, and his excitement in his Hawaiian shirt and it really drives home his age and it's easy to picture Fareed as a little brother; good-hearted but naive.
Length
357 pages. The book went at a really good pace making me feel really at peace with the finishing. It felt like the author was holding my hand and slowly walking me to the end. It really was the ending I hoped for.
Questions for the author
1.What did you title Jeehan’s article?
2.Where does Jeehan eventually make her base as home?
3.Does Mr yellow suit ever face prosecution?
The BIG quote
“She comes to you heavy with the weight of the world.”
*This book was gifted by Sandstone Press.
Frizzy
On The Come Up
Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. No ifs, buts or maybes she’s determined to be in the top 5. The problem is she’s finding it really hard to get her come up, whilst juggling staying in a school that has already decided who she is.
By Angie Thomas
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Walker Books
On the Come Up is written by Angie Thomas, the best-selling author of ‘The Hate U Give’ which is also now a very successful film. So, you might be comparing this book to her first one. I’ve never read ‘The Hate U Give’ or watched the movie so I’m literally a blank canvas. Other than the hype of the film I wasn’t familiar with Angie Thomas and the hype rarely mentions the author and usually the cast. Ok, I’m pushing it in this case only Amandla Stenberg was mentioned. Plus, I don’t buy into the hype because I’ve watched films that have been highly gassed up and I’ve been everything but impressed with them so yeah… neutral face.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Watch the breakdown
The book is about a sixteen-year-old Bri who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. No ifs, buts or maybes she’s determined to be in the top 5. The problem is she’s finding it really hard to get her come up, whilst juggling staying in a school that has already decided who she is, and staying at home with next to nothing in the fridge because her mum has hit hard times. Her mum loses her job and is finding it near impossible to get a new one. What can I say this book is all about Bri and you can't help but become Bri when you get lost in this book. Bri reminds us of a sad reality that many young black people are existing in a society that has labelled them and put limitations on them from the jump. But also, that you are stronger than your current circumstances, no matter how hard it can be to believe that.
Plus no sixteen-year-old is fully complete without their ride or die, friends. Enter… Sonny and Malik, they’ve been friends from the womb days. We get to know Sonny and Malik's business but we're not all up in it doing the most... Ok well, we want to be in Sonny's business but he only drip feeds the information in small doses. You only have to read more into the book to know that there is a conscious person in Bri's mind stuck inside the mess. Is Bri impulsive, sure, but she's also someone who reflects later on her actions. You can feel her discomfort when the kids around the garden are mimicking her bars, knowing that her lyrics could influence a generation in the wrong way.
The Come up is the overall goal, and I was led to believe that Bri wanted to come up as a rapper but she is actually looking for way more than that. She wants her relationship with her mum to come up she can replace the continuous nightmares and flashbacks she has of harsher times. And she wants to be known of her own back and not come up as someone’s daughter but a boss in her own right.
Favourite character
Aunty Pooh is one of my favourite characters. I really liked that this hood, dope slanging road girl roadgal (we all know she is not a child) was her niece's ultimate cheerleader. That side of Aunty Pooh, makes me feel that everyone needs an Aunty Pooh.
“I let Aunt Pooh hear some rhymes I wrote, she gets so hype over them that she tells me to rap them for her friends. Trust, if you’re whack, a gangbanger will be the first to let you know.”
But she's such a complex character, I wanted to grab her by her shoulders and yell "the streets don't love you" when she left Bri to do her studio session without her because she had to buss shots/ sell drugs. A character like Aunty Pooh really questions my default idea that someone is either good or bad.
Every character in the novel was equally important though really bringing out Bri's character exploring how she navigates each relationship. The relationship between Bri and her older brother Trey is of an unbreakable sibling bond, and I felt very vulnerable to Bri and her mother Jay's relationship, which is slowly being rebuilt throughout the book.
It hit me when
It was confirmed that Aunty Pooh sold drugs. I found myself really questioning how someone could be so actively involved in the drug game when their older sister was at the other end of it at a point in time clearly struggling. I found myself being really judgemental and questioning her ethics. What was her thinking behind it? Growing up in my environment it wasn’t hard to have friends who were selling drugs, and I’ve never known anyone close to me hooked on drugs. I had a friend whose mum was addicted to class A drugs and she was in my circle but I suppose I never drew the connection to how it might have made her feel to be stuck between the two.
The inner struggle of Bri being in a position that made her have to question if she would be broke with dignity, or be a rich sell out really spoke out to me. This issue of integrity is not reserved for a certain age group and was a running theme throughout the book.
Is that how you’re feeling yeah?!
The whole tone of the book reflects life in Bri's surroundings. Sometimes bitter and sad, but also packed with a whole lot of twists and fun times to get you through. From experience when people talk about hard times in their childhood and past experiences it's not to evoke pity or get a response it's just about being real and for many people, it wasn't a "tough" or "heartbreaking" time because it was all they knew. I could relate to that with Bri on so many levels. Yeah, her upbringing had times she wouldn't have handpicked but she's using it as fuel to paint her own picture choosing rap as her art form.
Listen, there are certain parts of this book that are going to have you leaning over on your side bussin up because what you are reading is so damn funny.
“But I guess Curtis is cute in the same way that rodents are weirdly adorable? You know how you’ll see a baby mouse and will be like ‘Aw, cute! Until that bitch is raiding your cabinet, eating the Halloween candy you hid from your little sisters?”
Imagine this is someone's potential boyfriend being talking about. I'm telling you now this is why you don't ask your friends advice about a potential lovers appearance until you are sure, no make that double sure, that you like them. Comments like these are why people get immediately walked into the friend zone.
My favourite thing about the book is how Bri takes words used to characterise her in a negative manner and she moulds them into lyrics and making them her own. You may call her a "hoodlum" or "aggressive" and she's using them in her rap content. The term comes up in the dictionary right next to black women, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt. Aggression has such a ring to it when really the better-suited words to describe someone would be inquisitive or confident. There seem to be clear factors that decide what side you fall on.
You know when people say "There is beauty in the struggle" but you're in a house with 4 different layers of clothing and eating corn beef and rice for the third night in a row. Finding this beauty is harder than finding Wally! The book is a great reminder that there's generally a long process before the actual come up. You don’t think it’s weird that people suddenly go from being one slice of bread and egg left in the fridge broke, too stupid rich with millions?
Storytime
I think people sharing their come up journey is so important! My home girl went to an event recently, specifically because someone she really looked up to in her field was on a panel. And when the person was asked about their journey they pretty much said they stumbled into the industry and boom they are doing so well now. The person completely missed out the part where they had went to University to study the subject for however long, spending how many thousands of pounds on a course, and that they were mentored by industry people for a portion of time after. Why lie? “Why you always lying, oh oh my garwsh.”
The middle part always gets left out though and it honestly jars me so this book helped fill that void for me.
Length
435 pages. It took a little while for me to get into the book. But once I got into it, at chapter 3, it had my full attention. Any little questions that popped up in my mind about a situation were later answered. For example why Curtis lived with her grandmother. I'm proper nosy and the author really catered to that!
Who should read it
This book is for young adults. I can see the older generation not being able to move past the fact that Bri calls her mum “Jay.” and spend their time annoyed at little things like Bri’s relationship with her mum and overlook so much of the bulk of the book. Also if you’re into rap music but not too interested in reading books this is the perfect pulling factor.
Favourite quotes
“Petty doesn’t discriminate.”
“Not that Jay doesn't love the Lord, but she gets extra Christian at church. Like her Aunt Gina and Aunt 'Chele weren't just twerking to bounce music last night in our living room.”
Questions for the author
1.Readers know Bri’s top 5 rappers, was it one of them who reached out to her at the end for a collab? And which one? (C’ mon I need to know)
2.How long is Aunty Pooh looking at inside?
3.Can I get a script of Jay and Grandma’s ground-breaking discussion? (asking for a friend I know a couple people who could use it)
Now that the book is finished I want to do some digging and find Angie Thomas’ SoundCloud account because I know she's got some good bars.
Frizzy
Queenie
Queenie Jenkins has just broken up, gone on a break, from her long-term boyfriend Tom. He called for the break, not her! It’s the sort where you are single, single-ish for 3 months. Feeling vulnerable Queenie seeks temporary love from men in all different directions, who all bring baggage with them, (none of which seems to include condoms)
Candice Carty-Williams
Genre: Modern Fiction
Publisher: Trapeze
Can I just start off by saying the book cover actually bangs. My favourite cover ever. When I saw the braids, 2-2 baby hair and the big earrings I knew it would be my type of book. My big hoops starting clanging because they were so excited. You know like that!!
Queenie is author Candice Carty-William’s first novel. Don’t get it twisted though; being a new author doesn’t compromise the high quality and freshness of the story. Candice gifts us with the main character Queenie, who shows you the honest lows of trying to navigate dating as a black woman. The novel leads you on a journey that makes you see how hard times can impact your mental health. Sex, drama and friendship are the staples that hold this novel together.
This is not even a book, it just sounds like me and the girl dem sugar meeting up and filling each other in on our lives at one point or another. From the texts to the language used it'll make you feel super familiar with the author and the characters from the offset. The book is hilarious, frustrating, engaging and relatable!
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Watch the breakdown
Queenie Jenkins has just broken up, gone on a break, from her long-term boyfriend Tom. He called for the break, not her! It’s the sort where you are single, single-ish for 3 months. Feeling vulnerable Queenie seeks temporary love from men in all different directions, who all bring baggage with them, (none of which seems to include condoms) that throws Queenie even further from the path she’s trying to get back on to. Meanwhile, she’s trying to hold on to her job working for a newspaper, with a boss who doesn’t seem to care about the ideas that Queenie is trying to write about.
A mentally very fragile Queenie has a strong support system with friends who are all very different but rally together to be as supportive as they can be. One can’t keep up with slang terms, and another is trying to finesse men in her spare time, but they make the funniest text group chats. Her grandmother, a strong Jamaican woman, gives her lots of affection in the form of absolute tough love. *Insert the saying* “you can pick your friends but not your family.”
Throwback moments appear in the book giving us access to Queenie’s relationship with Tom, pre-break of course. Why is there always that one person in the family that you shouldn’t let be around others?
Did I mention that you get to meet Queenie at the same time that a speculum does?
Favourite character
All of the characters are multidimensional and realistic. Queenie is the sister that you love with all your heart, but can’t stand at times because she does things that are so self-sabotaging and impulsive and you know that you’ll be the one clearing it up.
But hands down Kyazike definitely is my favourite. She reminds me so much of myself. Chapter 4 gives you the opportunity to really get to know Kyazike. Pronounced Chess-Keh. No, not Jessica with a C or K, she’ll get mad if you try to simplify her name in that way and you don’t want that type of problem. She’s out here living her best life with no shame. She is a major ride or die. Kyazike even texts like I do. Below is a typical Kyazike quote.
“So I must have been serving some any woman who’s counting out her pennies, and I look in the queue behind her and the buffest guy ever is standing there waiting”
In chapter 22 when Queenie and her grandmother are talking about Queenie getting therapy. Her grandmother switched the whole conversation and made it about her invalidating Queenie’s current situation.
It felt really raw to read because I know the situation very well. Be it a difference in a generation or cultural differences, but the mindset that I've been very much raised with is that you don’t “air your dirty laundry out” so you should suffer in silence and get on with it.
Is that how you’re feeling yeah?!
Be prepared to go through a range of emotions throughout the book. I cried when Queenie’s mental health deteriorated, I was on level 100 with my empathy and then cried again because it made me think about my own mental health which was really poor. I was disgusted and found myself shouting at the book when Tom didn’t support Queenie when his Uncle was openly racist towards her. And I laughed so hard when Queenie’s homegirl Kyazike explained the shamble of a date she’d been on. It's mad because one second I was crying because a section of the book would be sensitive and painful and then a page later I’d be screaming out loud with laughter.
Once I opened this book I couldn't put it down because I felt so invested and into the story. Being completely real I forgot on multiple occasions that it was fiction because it was so relatable and merged completely with everyday issues. Coming from London, born and raised, where the book is set I’ve noticed gentrification in places like Brixton. Too many times I've had to link up with my homegirl to cut her weave tracks out or get mine taken out. Also, the episodes of intense panic attacks that Queenie suffered made my chest tighten.
There is this woman in her 20s really trying to be on her grind and work on her career, whilst holding on to that and just about everything else by the tiniest thread ever. Her role in the media sector, trying to push for more diversity and pitch certain stories from her community really resonated with me. And what is mad is many people will read it and think it just adds to the book but many of us know it’s straight facts and actually far from fiction.
Understand my struggle. I read for hours in the dark using my phone as a torch because my light didn’t work but I couldn’t bring myself to put the book down and go to sleep. This is the first fiction book that I have read that mirrors my environment and terminology.
Length
392 pages including acknowledgements and credits. I wanted the book to be longer though, I became proper attached and I was not ready for it to be over. Also, I thought some sections could have been explored more, and I was left with the impression that some of the parts were a little rushed.
Who should read it
All the girlies. I would say in particular late teenagers to late thirties. I’d prefer my mum not to read it because I’d like to avoid the long list of questions that would come during and certainly after the book. Plus she has a habit of rinsing out new words she had learned so I don’t want her screaming “fam” or my “ting” at me constantly until she learns new phrases!
But especially those that need to learn or refresh London street slang, the book is a reflection of the times so you’ve got a while before the words become old and unusable. Ooh and someone who just wants to read something completely fresh. This book is unlike any fictional one I’ve read before.
Green light or oh no
Definitely green light, yes yes and yes. Buy the book, at the very least you have a unique book cover. I would recommend using the book as a gift. Buy it for your sister, your home girl's baby shower. Your bestie's birthday!
If you want a book that talks about sex it's a winner. But not just the fairytale sex, the deeper level. Greenlight it because it includes seasoning and well-marinated friendships, unapologetic grandparents, wastemen, and a woman trying to hold on to her shit.
Fun fact
I named my first car Queenie, except I decided to be extra and spell it as Q-W-E-E-N-I-E! Myself and Qweenie had a bond like no other.
Questions for the author
1. How soon can I get a Queenie sequel?
2. Do Tom and his new girl last?
3. What character do you see yourself more as and why?
The BIG quote
“I feel a bit like for a while I have been carrying ten balls of wool. And one ball fell, so I dropped another to catch it, but still didn’t catch it. Then two more started to unravel, and in trying to save those I lost another one. Do you know what I mean?”
Are you a fan of the book 'Queenie'? And what are your thoughts on Queenie as a character?