Yinka Where Is Your Huzband Book Review

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!

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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*

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“Jo, every Black woman in Peckham is my aunty”

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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.

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“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”

— pg 284

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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

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?

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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.

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“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.”

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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

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*

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“The ring was perfect (but not the suffering)”

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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!”

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“‘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.”

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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

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.

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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!

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“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. ”

— Osayuki (pg 118)

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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

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?

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“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.”

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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.

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“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.”

— Celestial

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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?

My First Audiobook Experience

I finally did it. I completed my first audiobook. Considering I’m an audio addict and book lover you’d think that I would have jumped on the audiobook trend years ago. But I’m so old school, I’ve always appreciated picking up a book, holding it and turning the pages.

I’m still undecided if I’m going to make audiobooks a regular thing. I have so many questions… I mean are great audiobook experiences genre specific? What genres are audiobook gold? And what audiobooks should I abort the mission on?

My first time had to be special, so I listened to a novel by Toni Morrison. Toni Morrison was an American novelist, book editor and University professor. She was also the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Cue in her novel… Beloved. The book was narrated by her, which I thought was extra special because she’s no longer alive. That’s the beauty of audio, it’s timeless. Anyway, go hard or go home, so I needed to start strong with a literary legend. I can feel the magic in listening to an audiobook written by an author. They know the story, they know what parts to emphasize. Where you need to pause and take a breather. And I felt that with Toni’s narration. Plus her voice and tone matched the book really setting the tone.

10 +hours of the audio seemed like a big commitment though and still does. Even though it probably takes the same amount of time to read a book I definitely felt more aware of the time. I like to read at my own pace, and I’m generally a fast reader, so audiobooks take away that freedom from me. Also, I noticed my mind drifting to other thoughts as I was listening to the book. “What is for dinner?” “I know people with the name of the people mentioned in the book.” With a physical book, my mind is so focused on reading and mentally I’m in the book.

With audio, I flip in and out of concentration after 30 minutes, whereas I can read for hours. For example, I’m writing this post now and listening to an RnB playlist. I can hear the music in the background. But only when I pause typing does the music come to the front of my mind and I start singing the lyrics.

I enjoyed Toni Morrison’s Beloved but I don’t recommend it as the best book to start your audiobook experience with. The plot is supposed to set you into a sense of confusion, and it took me a while to settle into what was going on. I’d recommend something lighter like Michelle Obama’s Becoming. Hearing her narrate is surely only a bonus as her memoir book is a fully seasoned read. You can find my full review here of Becoming as a warm up.

Are you an audiobook fan? Should I give audiobooks another try?

Kingdom of Souls - The Last Witchdoctor

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.

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“The green-eyed serpent.” Grandmother says after a weary breath, “is said to be a symbol of demon magic.”

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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.

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“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.”

Forced Out

By Kevin Maxwell

Genre: Non-fiction

Publisher: Granta Books

Gifted*

Watch the Breakdown

Forced Out is a memoir/ exposé providing an insight into the day-to-day operations of the British Police Force. Told from the experiences of Kevin Maxwell, a mixed-race/Black gay man. Kevin Maxwell was raised in a working-class home in Liverpool with a clear vision of his future career. Regardless of other peoples views growing up he believed in the work of the Police and wanted to join. He followed through and in 2001 started working for the Force. That wasn’t before he received a phone call just before his start date delaying it. It came out years later, unknown to Kevin, that Manchester police had stalled his application because Merseyside Police had troubled his brother who was in the process of holding them accountable. His brother received damages but was never apologised to.

Kevin quickly learned that his expectations and reality of the Police Force were in two different parties. During his training a memo was put out telling the ‘ethnic’ intake to meet up for a photo shoot, it was for a media campaign to show the public the police were committed to equal opportunities. Kevin declined, but the racial divide was clear even from then. Throughout his years working for both Greater Manchester and London’s Metropolitan Police forces, Kevin was subjected to homophobia, transparent racism and outright prejudice, by the hands of the force. Resulting in significant mental health problems and eventually an employment tribunal, which took what little of him he had left.

This book questions to the core how an establishment with such clear prejudice and racism can really protect and serve the people? After all, this book shows that they don’t even respect the differences in ‘their own’.

Is that how you’re feeling yeah

More than anything else I feel disappointment. I’ve had questionable experiences with the Police, read articles, and seen way too many videos that show how police discriminate certain groups of people, but to read so clear cut from an insider’s first-hand account how they treat their staff and intentionally target people is madness. I hate tick boxing exercises but HELLO!!! This is someone who could have really helped the force. A gay, black man, from the hood who signed up to the force off of his own back, and the results. STOP IT!

It takes it from potential paranoia, and cases being the exception to really acknowledging these things have been the norm not unrelated exceptions. More than anything it highlights popular belief, particularly in Black and Asian communities, that the police is institutionally racist and doesn’t serve the people. Big things said there, I know I know. Let me back my views up.

As a nation, Britain looks at America judging their police brutality and racism but you really don’t have to look ‘across the pond.’ This book was written before the murder of George Floyd in America. This is the police that was declared institutionally racist after the handling of the murder investigation of Stephen Lawrence in 1992. This year alone it’s gone public that a Black bank manager is suing the Metropolitan Police for racial discrimination and profiling after a 26-month investigation that saw charges of firearms, money laundering and terrorism rise and is dropped against him.

On a side note, I appreciated the information but found the writing tone of this book to be really bland. the exposé was informative, but the memoir was dry, there was no charisma to it. The information and insight that came from the book are the most important, so I can live without it being engaging.

It Hit me When

I realised that the Police job is a part sales gig. To learn that they have targets and league tables was a real shock to me. I’m all here wondering if they get a commission.

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“Being the best cop in the station no longer meant being the one who could talk someone down from the rooftop or comfort a family after the death of a young child. Now, the best cop was the one who made the most arrests, gave out the most traffic tickets, and produced the most paperwork.”

— Chapter Pride and Prejudice

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Call me naive but I certainly didn’t realise that there were quotas and targets to be met within departments.I found 2 things in particular to be chilling: Landing cards, Stop & Search procedures.

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“A young black person is walking or cycling along a high street when he is stopped by the police. The reasons for the stop don’t matter. The officer asks if he is known to the police. The young person says no. Because this is how he is programmed the officer doesn’t believe this. After the officer has made his checks, the young person is confirmed as ‘not known’ and sent on his way. The officer, not wanting a complaint, places the young person on the criminal intelligence database by recording the stop. Now we have a young person who is not a criminal, and has never been in trouble with the police, appearing on a criminal database. Two weeks pass, and the young person is walking along the same, or another street. Again, he is stopped, by different officers. He is again asked to account for his presence and if he is known to the police. He says no. Technically, he is right. But to the officers, he has lied. The database lists him as known.”

---

To have a target for Stop & Search/ Stop & Talk procedures is so dangerous. When it is was broken down in the book it hit me how the system is really affecting people. People are ending up with criminal records and being listed on the criminal database for no ethical or legal reason. They are being dragged into a system. And one potential wrong turn during these procedures can have major knock on effects.

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“In order to keep up their stop figures, my colleagues would attend the immigration desks, mainly when they were unstaffed, and take a handful of landing cards that had been filled in by passengers who had long gone. They would sift through the cards, looking for what they considered non-white names. These passengers would then be processed, using the information from the cards, and put onto a police database as if they had been stopped.”

— Chapter: Last-Ditch Attempt

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Imagine you enter England at Heathrow airport, you fill in your landing card as per the requirement and go about your day. To find out that peoples details are being used by the Police wrongly, to help them achieve their targets is mindblowing. The book talks about officers who have chilled in the booths in the airport all day, not even being bothered to do their jobs and then like clockwork towards the end of their shift going fishing for landing cards. C’mon this is clear behaviour of people who believe they are untouchable.

Seasoning Level

CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning

Length

332 pages, including the acknowledgement and notes. The book is way too long. The writing style isn’t engaging at all.

*Gifted by Granta Books

The Hate U Give

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.

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“‘Pac said Thug Life stood for ‘The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody”

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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.

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“They finally put a sheet over Khalil. He can’t breathe under it. I can’t breathe.”

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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

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“ Good-byes hurt the most when the other person’s already gone.”

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“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent?”

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Have you read this book? What are your views on it? Drop your comments below!

Becoming

Michelle Obama

Genre: Autobiography

Publisher: Viking

The Truth, and nothing but the truth

All I knew about Michelle Obama when I picked up the book was that she was the wife of Barack Obama, the first Black President of the United States. The end. I had no interest or knowledge of her as an individual but knew that everyone seemed to be really hyped over this woman. I was indifferent but in the back of mind thought it could all be overrated, like I’ve found other gassed up books. I’ve also read complaints online that people have rated this book 5* because of who Michelle is, rather than her book being able to stand on her own. I’m not American, or majorly in politics. Yes I’m Black and I’d be lying if I said having Barack Obama in his position didn’t ignite black pride, but Michelle’s book hasn’t got an automatic 5*… Nah you got to earn this All-Purpose Seasoning stamp! I had the book on my bookshelf for well over 2 years before deciding to read it. Fast forward to Rona season, May 2020 and like many I found myself with more time on my hands so I reached for the book. Totally coincidental that Netflix announced Michelle Obama’s documentary was coming out whilst I was reading her book.

The breakdown

Becoming is Michelle Obama’s autobiography. It’s all about the life of Michelle Robinson who was born and raised in South Side Chicago. Raised in an apartment, above her Great Aunt who taught piano lessons, with her parents and older brother. Michelle opens up her life, with even the smallest details from her childhood, her family members teachings and her journey to university and further. The most famous further being from 2009-2017 when she was the First Lady of the United States. Michelle paints her story in her own words and colourful it is. Including her heartbreak- the death of her father who had MS but kept on going right to the very end. And her career as an attorney in the type of buildings she used to be mesmerised by as a kid. The book is split into three sections: Becoming Me, Becoming Us and Becoming More, giving you her reflections on everything up to now.

Is That How You’re Feeling Yeah

Honestly, I tried so hard to stay level headed but the more I read the more I got lost in the sauce. By chapter 2 I was captivated by the autobiography. Michelle’s story isn’t an “I was saved and luck put me on” type of autobiography. I’m a detail lover and this book was definitely extremely detailed and written in a way that kept me super engaged. An example of nothing being overlooked is Michelle writing about every job she ever had. Did she run through her CV? Yeah, and I was here for it because I was able to see an overview of her progress and upward journey. My thing is if you’re going to give me a story you need to give me the full story. I don’t want 50% or even 85%!

I loved how through reading about Michelle’s life she went from being a person behind the glass to someone so relatable and in my case a wise aunty-like figure. The more I read, the closer she got towards me. Yes, she became the “lady in the White House'“ but she was also Michelle who had been about that life when she thumped the girl from her neighbourhood in the face. The girl was constantly being stink to Michelle so she levelled up the game. She was Michelle who let her man, Barack Obama, know if he wasn’t going to get used to speaking to her on the phone during their long-distance relationship she’d find another man “who would listen”, and she was Michelle who alongside her studies created a side hustle looking after the children of the staff in her university.

Michelle hasn’t forgotten that she’s black! Hold up, let me break it down before you say duh! I find that with a lot of celebrities and high profile people as they get higher they become or maintain silence on issues like race. The mindset that if they made it big then things like race disappear and no longer matter, but not with Michelle. She’s made it clear throughout the book her journey as a black woman navigating spaces, the demographic struggles, and most importantly for me she hasn’t used it for pity or to throw shade. And as she has risen she has made efforts to put a sister on. Be it by helping to hire them, celebrating and sharing memories of those that nurtured her, providing mentor sessions, or giving talks in underserved communities.

No competition though, her upbringing was one of my favourite things to read about. How her love of music came from her Grandad Southside who loved jazz and bought her first record. How she had regular piano lessons with her Great-aunt who lived underneath her. I was especially interested in learning about the way that her parents raised her and her brother. She recounted so vividly the tools she learned from early, and the family vibes she breathed.

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“Even if we didn’t know the context, we were instructed to remember that context existed. Everyone on this earth, they’d tell us was carrying around an unseen history, and that alone deserved some tolerance.”

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It Hit Me When

When it became clear to me of the many sacrifices Michelle made in order for Barack to get to his goal and overall vision. The times throughout the book where it seems like she was very much a single mother keeping everything together. You can tell she loves her husband, but she’s also not naive and put him on a pedal stool. She has reflected on the occasions where she has pulled back. She really invested, supported and championed Barack’s vision.

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“Our decision to let Barack’s career proceed as it had - to give him the freedom to shape and pursue his dreams - led me to tamp down my own efforts at work. Almost deliberately, I’d numbed myself somewhat to my ambition, stepping back in moments I’d usually step forward.”

---

On a lighter note it also hit me when I realised Michelle had vivid nightmares like me. No joke, sometimes I wake up at 3 in the morning sweating, grab my phone or notepad and write out the horror I’ve experienced and then I pass out again. In her nightmare that she has written about the Secret Service have arranged a surprise for her family at the White House. In their garden there are 4 big cats: a lion, tiger, panther and cheetah. The staff assured Michelle that they were sedated and could be pet and as soon as the family went to touch them the animals started chasing the family. Listen, I don’t live that kind of lifestyle and she didn’t make it clear it was a dream at first so my jaw was hanging thinking about how crazy the situation must have been. Then she mic drops at the end that it was a nightmare and I was mad flustered, because I really thought it was real. Michelle had mt there. She’s funny, for sure!

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“I saw the panther’s eyes tracking us, the tiger’s ears flattening just a little. Then, without warning, the cheetah shot out from the shade with blinding speed, rocketing right at us. I panicked, grabbing Sasha by the hand, sprinting with her back up the lawn to the house, trusting that Barack and Malia were doing the same.”

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Spill the tea!

Barack baited Michelle into arguing with him about marriage at the dinner table before he proposed. He didn’t believe in marriage but for Michelle it was important. It was an ongoing argument they had and he wanted one last argument knowing full well the waiter was on his way with the engagement ring that he was going to propose with!

Who Should Read It

I think the book is universal, everyone needs a copy on their book shelf. I would especially recommend it to anyone who is questioning what they bring to the table because of their early beginnings though. And young black girls, of course, Michelle Obama is a role model to many but especially to young black girls.

Seasoning Level

CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning

Big Quote

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“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously towards a better self. The journey doesn’t end.”

— Michelle Obama

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Have you read the book? Do you agree with me or do you think it’s overrated?

The Greater Freedom: Life As A Middle Eastern Woman Outside The Stereotypes

Alya Mooro

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publisher: Little a

Watch The Breakdown

The Greater Freedom- Life As A Middle Eastern Woman Outside The Stereotypes, is part memoir and part social exploration into the Middle Eastern society. Written by an Egyptian-born and London raised journalist. Let’s keep it all the way a hundred the Middle Eastern society gets a lot of news coverage on topics such as terrorism, extremism and oppression. Voice’s like Alya’s are powerful in ripping up stereotypes and making you challenge even yourself on unconscious prejudice thoughts.

Taboo subjects are covered and addressed throughout the book, with chapter titles breaking down the topic: When you learn how you’re supposed to look, When you’re supposed to be with an Arab, and When you’re not supposed to like sex. You get insider thoughts, feelings and experiences of a culture that like others is coloured in stereotypes. A real honest and personal account of the author’s experiences, and through research and loads of interviews, those of various other Middle Eastern women navigating their way through this thing we call life.

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“Alya Mooro grew up between two cultures and felt a pull from both. Where could she turn for advice and inspiration when it seemed there was nobody else like her? Today, Mooro is determined to explore and explode the myth that she must identify either as ‘Western’ or as one of almost 400 million other ‘Arabs’ across the Middle East.”

— Book Blurb

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Is that how you’re feeling yeah

This book was an easy and flowing read and I enjoyed the book. You could get away with calling it an autobiography, as, at the heart of the book, it’s about the author’s experiences. Keep that in your mind, if not it’s easy to think that some narratives have been completely overlooked.

The book is simplistic in the way that someone who has no Middle Eastern friends can learn and on the other end someone with a lot of Middle Eastern friends can feel at home in the book and still pick up some things.

The chapter breakdown itself is a good talking point starter. The content is written in a way that speaks to those who connect through experiences, those who need to see facts and figures and also the bibliography kings and queens out there. It’s clear that it’s written by someone who works in the media world, not good or bad, but an observation.

I’m not a newbie to the Arab world. I spend a lot of my time out in Tunisia with close friends who at this point have become family, so I wasn’t shocked by some of the examples that came up because I’d been shocked years ago when I first learned about them. For the most part, I’ve adjusted to them. Don’t get it twisted though, some I don’t agree with, and many I have questioned which has resulted in really interesting conversations with friends. We don’t do this enough, asking questions. I don’t know if it’s out of fear, being too “British”, or maybe being bland and not inquisitive, I don’t know… but I think it’s important to ask questions.

In this 2019-2020 “funny tolerance” world, Alya could have thrown out all the amazing things about being Arab and her experiences, playing it safe and ending it there but she didn’t. She was real, raw and nothing was held back. I truly got the good, the bad and the ugly and ultimately that’s what was memorable! This book is all about learning about a culture and society from an insider - Not someone who had dipped into it, a scholar, or an observer. A real, this is and has been my life narrative. Her efforts are admirable and as Toni Morrison famously said: “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”

One thing I did take away from the book is how liberal my close friend’s family are compared to many Arab families, similar to the author Alya’s immediate family.

It hit me when

One of the women interviewed talked about authority and how until you were married you were under the authority of your father. And then when you got married, you were effectively swapping your father’s rules to the rules of your husband and it left me with chills. I’m not naive, this is not a Middle Eastern specific issue, but to read how often more than not this was the case threw up all types of red flags in my vision.

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“Ultimately, my dad allowing me to be myself is what allows me to be myself. That is a humbling realisation. That even where I am free to live by my life by my own rules, it was still a man - still my father - who was the gatekeeper to my freedom.”

— Alya Mooro

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3 Interesting Facts From the Book

• In Egypt, if a man has sex with a prostitute and gets caught, the woman is put on trial and the man has to testify against her. The woman is then imprisoned.

• Divorced mothers in Jordan are not allowed to remarry and must be judged to be trustworthy and ‘able to perform their duties’

• In Saudi Arabia, women throwing parties to celebrate divorces are on the rise.
  
  
  

True stories

One topic that came up constantly throughout the book is the power and hold of opinions of those in the community. The judgement and fear of it. Since our friendship started back in 2012/2013 I’ve always invited my homegirl Rah to visit England as a holiday and stay with me. She always said “inshallah” but I realised over time that it probably wasn’t going to happen.

In about 2015/2016 her parents greenlit the trip, and to be honest, it was all a bit of a blur. One conversation I always remember though was Rah telling me that her parents hadn’t mentioned the trip to family or friends, as opinions from the family would put a stop to her coming. And there was me jumping back and forth between Tunisia and England without any parental consent or input.

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“Friends are like extended family and you always feel welcome in their houses and their parents are so generous”

— Sondos

The above quote reminded me of a memory. Summer 2016 I had been invited to a wedding in Tunisia. I sorted out my outfits in England and then flew to Tunisia. As soon as Rah and her mum picked me up Rah’s mum was on a mission to get to the tailors. I wanted to catch a nap, but I got dragged along for the outing. Rah was getting some moderations to a dress, and I was just trying to stay awake. Anyway, Mumma signals for me to go to the tailor and I’m baffled.

Turns out Mumma had bought me, Rah and her sister Rym matching material in different colours to get dresses custom made for the wedding. For her “3 daughters,” she said. Yoo, I felt so loved. There are countless times I’ve been made to feel like a family member out in Tunisia.

Seasoning Level

CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning

Big Quote

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“To be free, we first have to be able to name our constraints and the ways we are held back from exploring our identities and from expressing our truest selves”

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Before you open this book take out your phone or a notebook and write down what comes to your mind when you think of Arab women. It’s not a test or a trick, it’s just for you. Then read the book and come back to your initial thoughts, and reflect on them.

The Nickel Boys

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…

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“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.”

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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.

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“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.”

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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.

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“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”

— Colson Whitehead (Afterword)

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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.

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“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...”

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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

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.

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“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”

— Bernardine Evaristo

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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.

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“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”

— Bummi

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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

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“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? ”

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Back to Black

By Kehinde Andrews

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publisher: Zed Books

*Gifted*



Watch the Breakdown

This book is a real home schooling, exploring the history of black radical politics, and breaking down how things such as Marxism tie in with the Black Panther Party. Plus it breaks down the differences between things such as narrow and cultural nationalism and pan-Africanism. The book gives a real in-depth exploration and critique of movements in the UK and US throughout the 21st century and aims to provide a blueprint to make a significant change.

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“Black radicalism is one of the most optimistic politics that exists. While recognising the totality of oppression that Black people face, it refuses to lose faith that the problem of racism can be solved.”

— Kehinde Andrews (Liberal Radicalism chapter)

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Is that how you’re feeling yeah

Back To Black is a real blunt, taking no prisoners, educational book. Did I enjoy reading it? Hmm, as a kid I didn’t enjoy having to eat an orange when I wanted to yam down a pack of Chewit sweets but it was beneficial and I’m thankful I did. If you finish this book and haven’t come out with notes and research points then you haven’t read it properly. I had so many notes that I lost some. Seriously I was a mess, running around with pieces of paper.

This book is without doubt an uncompromising and very in-depth look over black movements and politics throughout the 21st century. When reading it it’s very clear how well structured it is and researched. Forreal forreal I think it’ll go over a lot of peoples heads though. Many people like to hear how things can change but do they really want to be in the work, hmm not overly! As Kehinde mentioned, to achieve a whole override of the system, it’ll require bold sacrafices from many and that is where the eyebrows start dancing and people say “hmm, yeah about that.”

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“History suggests that once people are doing better they are less likely to revolt against a system they are making gains in”

— Kehinde Andrews (Black survival chapter)

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Kehinde’s book reminds me of my pups and his advice (that I’ve never directly asked for)… It’s always right and nessecary but it takes a while for me to absorb the full power of the message.

I will say though, since I’ve read this book I’ve found myself more able to engage in political conversations and I’ve been recommending the book to people without even trying to, so it’s clearly unconciously left a mark on me. Because it’s written in a very academic tone, if you’re not a big time reader or academic I can see it being a struggle to read the whole book, even though you could very well share the same views.

It was real interesting to read from a critical point of view the ideas and movements of key black figures like Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X.

A niggling thought... I’m like Frizzy don’t say it, dont be petty, but here it goes. The book is about black people and black radicalism so I feel conflicted as to why I’m seeing Russell Brand's quote and opinion of the book featured on the cover. Full honesty, though I did first hear about Kehinde Andrew on Russell Brand's podcast. A friend recommended I listen to that specfic episode.

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“The Field Negro is authentic because they embrace the politics of revolution, whilst the House Negro ‘is out of his mind’ because they are committed to the system that is oppressing them.”

— Kehinde Andrews (Blackness chapter)

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It Hit me when

The whole book hits me. I have learned new things in every chapter, or at the very minimum deepened my understanding of certain topics.

The topic of respectability politics stands out. It’s the notion of black people needing to act in a certain way. A good example would be Rosa Parks Vs Claudette Colvin. Everyone knows Rosa Parks, but how many people know of Claudette?

Nine months before Rosa, fifteen year old Claudette refused to give up her seat for a white person, but was pregnant. She was “too much the stereotype” to be seen as the first or fully supported by her peers.

This happens so often in the workplace up to now. I’ve been in situations and witnessed others being told that they can’t be too loud, too opinionated or showcase any of the stereotypes that follow black people. You’re expected to act deserving that you’re in mainstream/white spaces.

Length

331 pages and that includes the bibliography/ source notes and also index pages. It took me 2 months to read the book. Inna real life, I had to read pages, then re-read them and then sip on my peppermint tea to digest.

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“There was little pretence of equality in the West; until 1965 it was legal to discriminate on grounds of race in Britain.”

— Kehinde Andrews

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Seasoning Level

All purpose seasoned. This book is really mentally stimulating, them rewarding big brain workouts there. I’ve got a lot of time for Kehinde Andrews. He’s unapologetic, he loves his people and is committed to enlightening us. He wants to see black people in a better place.

The Big Quote

“We can only judge our success by how far we have improved the condition of the black nation. Calling yourself an African, wearing Kente cloth and celebrating Kwanzaa is a lifestyle choice not an achievement”

— Kehinde Andrews (Cultural Nationalism Chapter)

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*Gifted by Zed Books in partnership with Black British Bloggers

To Lahore, With Love

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.

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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.’

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“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.”

— Chapter 9

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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.

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“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.”

— Addy Mayford

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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

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.

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“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.”

— King Ewuare

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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

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“We may be from different Kingdoms, different customs and different religions, but today we stand as brothers, as equals with a common goal!”

— King Ewuare

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Frizzy

My Name Is Why

By Lemn Sissay

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publisher: Canongate

*Gifted*



Watch the Breakdown

My Name is Why is a memoir that explores author Lemn Sissay’s experience of spending his childhood in the British care system. Bulked up with Lemn’s childhood worth of social services documents you get to read first hand the dealings of an institutional care system and also open up yourself to question such as what is the meaning of home and family?

At the age of 17 Lemn Sissay was given his birth certificate and found out that only name and identity he had known his life, ‘Norman Greenwood’ wasn’t actually his birth name. (As a teenager he tattooed the initials N.G on his hand.) At birth he had been named Lemn Sissay, by his mother who was Ethiopian. He then discovered that his mother had been pleading for him to be returned to her after social services took him away from her when they were living in a home for unmarried women.

Lemn spent his whole childhood in the care system, initially with a foster family for the first 11 years, and then was ejected into a foster homes for the last 6 years after his relationship with the the only family he ever knew broke down.

It sounds like the plot of a thriller movie but it’s real life. It’s his real experience.

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“I work in rain said the storm
Thunder broke his heart
I woke in light said dawn
And spun the sun in the dark”

— Lemn Sissay

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Is that how you’re feeling yeah

Memoirs are supposed to be personal and you’re supposed to learn from them. So tick tick, but Lemn’s memoir is that bit more special because he puts his signature all over the book. I mean he’s not just a writer but also a poet who has a way of raising the perfect mixture of emotion out of you; some annoyance, disappointment, but not to the point that you want to put the book down and stop being curious to know more about his life. This writing thing is his speciality, and I’m especially a fan of each chapter starting with a short poem. The memoir flows throughout.

When I read this book I felt like it was a major release. For anyone who has gone through the care system, on one hand it could be triggering, but the greater good is that things have been said and shown that should warrant a look into the current care system and clear failings.

I feel like I just want to have a really quick word with the family that fostered Lemn though to be able to move forward, around the corner. Especially that Mrs Greenwood! She really vexxed me! How are you going to promise someone a forever home and then throw them out when you’re over it. I think how that played out was cruel.

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“She says Norman is a naughty boy, and that she sometimes thinks he is ‘amoral’. ”

— Social worker report after talking to Norman/Lemn's foster mum

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It Hit me when

Two things throughout the memoir really hit me. The first was reading reports from social workers interactions with people who should have been nurturing Lemn. Grown-ass people that were moving absolutely out of this world and should have known better from a professional commitment but also on a deeper moral level.

The second was when I read about Lemn’s time in his final placement before he went to live independently. It was in a facility called Woodend, a remand centre- he should have never of been there. The letters written in response to a post Lemn had written about Woodend were hard to read with people sharing their own personal experiences of their time there.

I met Lemn Sissay at a charity event in 2017. Whispers this* I had no clue who he was at this time*, but I remember being captivated by his keynote speech about a project he was so fond of. I remember his passion when he discussed The Gold from the Stone Foundation which he had set up, and hosts Christmas dinners around the UK for care leavers. Bringing people together so they don’t feel alone over the holidays.

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“Spoke to Mr Graves several times on the phone and eventually visited the school. He felt that Norman’s successes were too many for Chris to cope with. Went on to talk about another placement for Norman- without any consideration of how the boy might feel. I put it to him that it was the only home the boy had known.”

— social worker report after speaking to Lemn's headteacher

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Length

193 pages. It was the perfect length, because I wasn’t waiting for it to finish. Neither did I feel like I’d been finessed and missed out on information.

Seasoning Level

CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning

The book was all-purpose seasoned. A definite read. Lemn Sissay MBE, yes put some respeck on his name and add them last 3 letters. Lemn Sissay is an award-winning writer, poet, playwright, artist and broadcaster. As much as you read this book and are in shock (or not) at how this young black child was dragged through a problematic system and feel angry at the injustices he has faced, you can’t help but smile when you realise who this man grew up to be. Stories like Lemn’s show the strength of resilience, and why believing in your sauce is so important.

The Big Quote

“‘I do this job because I love children.’ In all my time in the children’s home they never said, ‘I’m in this job because I love you’. I was becoming invisible.”

— chapter 16

*Gifted by Canongate Books

Frizzy

Exquisite 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.

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“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.”

— Atlantic Books Press Release

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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*

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“I cannot relate to her if I do not share anything with her. So, I end up making her pregnant.”

— Meena Kandasamy

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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.

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“Had to leave to Tunis urgently. Cannot tell you more atm, please take care, my love. Will call soonest, bisous.”

— Karim's text to Maya

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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.

The Ungrateful Refugee

By Dina Nayeri

Book Review Genre: Non-fiction

Publisher: Canongate

What is it like to be a refugee? It is a question many of us do not give much thought, yet there are more than 25 million refugees in the world. To be a refugee is to grapple with your place in society, attempting to reconcile the life you have known with a new, unfamiliar home. All this while bearing the burden of gratitude in your host nation: the expectation that you should be forever thankful for the space you have been allowed. *Taken directly from the book* 

Watch The Breakdown

Part memoir, part reconstruction, this non-fiction book serves as a compassionate and unforgettable reminder that refugees are more than a statistic and number. Dina brings in her own personal experiences of having to leave her homeland of Iran at the age of 8, as well as combining stories of others who have become refugees and asylum seekers in the recent years.

You discover the stories of those who were thriving in their careers whilst in their home countries and now cannot work. Those who are determind to stay close to their cultural identity and do so through food. And those who cannot bring themselves to go into the harrowing levels of details the authorities demand when presenting cases for seeking asylum.

Through these real-life stories, it forces the reader to explore their conscious opinions about refugees and challenge the fear-mongering and anti-immigrant positions that many countries have adopted. This book is really important. You need to read it.

Seasoning Level

CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning

Chapters Overview

The book is well structured and breaks the insights it gives into the lives of refugees into five core parts. 

Part 1 covers in vivid details the action and risky process of escaping and leaving a country. You get a real sense of life for people in their homelands before and whilst they had to make life-saving and changing decisions.

Part 2 details the process of waiting and being allocated camps and temporary facilities. Dina visits one of the temporary accommodation that she was placed in recounting her experience there and the stories of daily life within those walls.

Part 3 explores the asylum process -The rejection letters and the asylum grantings that effectively helped many to reset their lives. A major topic of interest in this chapter is learning through various people's experience, as well as professionals, how the truth is interpreted and understood in different countries.

Part 4 is all about assimilation, and the expectations and assumptions of becoming the nation that adopted you.

Part 5 is titled cultural repatriation. It ends the book showing the different ways within the author's family, that cultural identity and belonging can show itself.

All the content of the book hit me really hard. But, the discussion between Dina and her baba/dad right at the end of the book caught me off guard. I found myself being really judgemental and feeling heated at his request for Dina to help her half-sister, who wanted to become an unaccompanied minor and refugee. Other than me thinking it was irresponsible and risky, I also felt that he had undermined and belittled the experience that Dina, her mum and brother had gone through.

 At first when reading the book I was sure that certain parts I'd read before elsewhere and felt frustrated, and then it hit me. I'd read Dina's previous book 'Refuge' and the bits that I felt were repetitive were from the 'Refuge' book and in fact details are taken from her life.

I usually write notes as I read through a book, but I couldn't bring myself to when reading this book. This book will forever stay on my bookshelf, no swapsies or lending out for real. I had to close the book and pick another activity to do many times because the raw details of what many had gone through stirred up so many emotions for me. If it could do that for me, a reader, imagine what it felt like for those who were going through it. 

Length

370 pages. It's not a book that you can read really quickly. It gives you a feeling of heartache so you have to slow down and really digest everything. 

Big Quote

"Why do we ask the desperate to strip away their dignity for the price of our help?"

My name is not refugee Podcast Episode

After being so moved by the book I called a family meeting and asked my mum and Ga'mama if we could talk about their experiences as refugees in the 80s coming to the UK. It also happened to be World Refugee Day and I've written about it. My Ga'mama was initially uncomfortable about recording, and thought she couldn't add much to the conversation, but warmed up and wouldn't stop talking after. You can listen to the discussion here

Frizzy

Tell Me Your Secret

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.

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“I was disappointed with Pieta’s character. Imagine overcoming so much and finally stepping out of your shell and then entertaining your school bully.”

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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