A Book Lover’s List for Happy Reading Part 2
The Smart Money Woman by Arese Ugwu
This book is for young African women who are trying to build their professional brands, invest in their future and essentially get their act right! I had never heard of it until I randomly came upon a pdf version on a Facebook group. I thought it would be one of those jargon-heavy books about investments, but that is definitely not what it is! The author expertly works in an entertaining story of the lives and trials of five women in Lagos, Nigeria, while also dropping gems about how to budget, select investment options, build a diversified portfolio and essentially be a boss lady! If you are a young adult like me who is trying to live that bougie life on a budget, then be sure to pick up this book and enjoy an educational read!
Born A Crime by Trevor Noah
Like everything Trevor does, this book is phenomenal! From the contents right to the story-telling, I have yet to read an autobiography more relatable and down-right hilarious! In this book, Trevor narrates the nature surrounding his birth and early years, his struggle with racial identity in South Africa, and his tipsy-turvy relationship with his mother. While reading the book, I honestly felt like I was having a casual conversation with Trevor in my apartment! The book is written in such an informal and conversational way that it does not take much work to vividly imagine Trevor as a child, as a teen navigating his identities, and as an adult repairing his relationship with the key women in his life. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who’d care to listen!
Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasie
For lovers of Chimamanda Adichie, I think you’d love this too! Although the story-telling is quite different from Adichie’s style, Taiye Selasie also has that incredible ability to carry readers through different emotions, and to ground them exactly where she needs them to be! To be honest, I found the beginning of this novel to be quite slow, but I wonder if the author purposefully did that to pace readers through the heavy and sometimes depressing story. To tell the story of a family torn apart by the sudden departure of the father/husband with such depth, intimacy and class is a skill, and Taiye’s got it! The development of the characters, as well as the development of the various sub-stories within the main plot were absolutely masterful! Definitely check out this book if you haven’t already!
An American Marriage
Y’all, this is a book that I’ve been struggling to put down! I pick it up, become anxious about finding out what happens next, and then anxious about finishing it too soon! It’s just a sweet, hot mess, but I’m loving it! I am only about four chapters in but damn, it’s an awesome story! It’s hard not to fall in love with the couple in this novel, who’s marriage is being tested at such an early stage by the husband’s wrongful incarceration! So many times, I’ve gone back to re-read the letters the couples write to each other, soaking in their words and feeling whatever, they were feeling in their letters! Because I just begun, I don’t have much to review but I can say for sure that this is going to be one of my favorite books this year!
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasie
Gosh, where do I even begin with this novel?? Let’s do a little exercise for this one. Close your eyes and imagine that you are on a beach, with your toes dug firmly into the sand. Then, a giant wave comes out of nowhere and pulls most of the sand from under your feet. Thankfully, you’re not swept off your feet so you try to bury your toes deeper. The big waves keep coming, yet you haven’t landed on your bum. Then, a baby wave makes its way to shore, and this is what pulls all of the sand from beneath and sends you falling right unto your back! That is exactly how I felt reading this novel. It’s truly incredible how Yaa Gyasie simultaneously presented multiple stories, weaving in and out with such ease and dexterity! You have to remain alert to remember how all these characters are related, as this is one messy family tree! In the end, it is the tiny wave of the surviving member of the scattered family that pulls the sand from underneath you, causing you to fall into the relief of her return home to Ghana. This book is also eye opening, in that is explores the sensitive topic of slave trading among various Ghanaian tribes I’d recommend it to any reader under the sun!
