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At the ending of last year, I made a promise to myself to document the titles of all the books I would read in 2024. I also set a reading goal. My goal was to read 60 books before the end of August. Well, I was only able to read 59. Most of them were fiction written by Nigerian Authors. I spent last year reading books by foreign authors, so this year I decided to focus more on Nigerian literature written by newer authors with fresher perspectives. When you go through the list, you will see a sprinkle of foreign fiction. Sometimes, I just wanted to indulge in something else. Anyway, out of the 59 books I read, I would like to take you through 8 books that stood out and resonated with me.
NB: I’m not a book critic, neither do I know how to write comprehensive book reviews. I just love books cause they make me forget my worries. And they are good for the soul. I'm talking about these books because I genuinely liked them and I'm hoping some of you will check them out. Now, let's gooo!!!
Hehehe, this book is a personal favorite.😂 It's interesting, it's funny, and it has a wonderful plot twist. Baba Segi is a rich man with four wives and seven children. He is well-to-do, fulfilled in life and takes joy in his family. He decides to marry a new wife which is the fourth one, Bolanle. Bolanle is the only educated person among his retinue of wives and this inspires jealousy among the wives. Now, when Baba Segi is bothered or worried about something, his bowels tell him. So, when he wakes up with a stomach ache for another consecutive time, he decides to take action. His fourth wife has been unable to get pregnant and he is determined to find out why. The answer he eventually gets leaves him shocked and distraught. A movie adaptation of it would be a hit. I promise you, this book is worth your time. Very worth your time.
When I opened this book and started the first chapter, I was skeptical. It didn't really draw me in. But as a stubborn person that I am, I made a decision to thug my way through. And I didn't regret it. This book is sad and heart wrenching. I actually cried, like I could feel tears leaking down my eyes.😭 Let me give you a quote from the book,
“If the burden is too much and stays too long, even love bends, cracks, comes close to breaking and sometimes does break. But even when it's in a thousand pieces around your feet, that doesn't mean it's no longer love.” (This quote is permanently inked in my journal.)
It tells the story of a married couple who had a turbulent marriage due to childlessness. As it is wont in Nigeria, the blame was laid at the wife’s feet and her mother-in-law took her to prophets, herbalists, hospitals all in search for a child. Her husband was pushed into marrying a second wife. This coerced the wife into sleeping with her husband's brother. And all the children she had with him died due to sickle cell. She had another child but when she thought the child would die, she divorced her husband and left. The twist in this book too is kinda sick. So, I implore you to check it out. To tell the story, is to spoil it for you who might want to read it. Anyway, the ending of this story was happy, but the tale itself was a turbulent ride. Books that make me cry, I love it.
This is a story that is focused on the issues of oil bunkering and oil militancy in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. The Niger Delta Region produces most of Nigeria’s oil and has caused a lot of conflict and tension between the oil companies and ethnic minority groups who feel exploited. It shows this issues by narrating the tales of four friends who were born in the Niger Delta. Their names are Doughboy (Doye), Amaibi, Kaniye and Tubo. Doughboy who is the leader of a militant group kidnaps a white expatriate and this sets a chain of events into motion that reunites the four friends who were separated before. The book goes back and forth between past and present and tells the individual point of view of the characters. I love this book because I am from the Niger Delta region and it truly showed the issues that are going on there. Also, Kaniye is a ladies favorite. There was actually a Twitter space titled Wives of Kaniye.😂 And truly the character of Kaniye is yum. I enjoyed reading this book
This book has a high rank on my list because it was the first book that reintroduced me to Nigerian literature. Like I said, I was looking for books written by new Nigerian authors with fresher perspectives, so when I saw this book, I was willing to give it a try and it didn't disappoint. This book is based on love, romance and relationships. 10 engaged couples decide to take a marriage class before actually exchanging wedding vows. The marriage class is intended to help the couples go through their options before rushing into marriage. The writer made their individual stories realistic and gave each couple realistic endings. Are they truly compatible? Are there underlying reasons why they shouldn't get married? This book sheds light on real time issues going on amongst engaged couples and reasons why some people rush into marriage without thinking it through. This book is gripping and I found myself not wanting to drop it. It made me quite delusional, as I am a hopeful romantic and love enthusiast.😂 I highly recommend.
I naturally love reading tales set in Lagos. Lagos is a city of stories about mystery, danger, corruption, lust and even love. Though, while reading this book, I discovered that the book was not majorly about Lagos but about the characters. The book follows a band of characters who come together by chance while taking a journey to Lagos. An AWOL soldier, his loyal subordinate, a would-be radio presenter, a runaway wife, an optimistic girl and a wanted politician. Each of these characters have their future hopes and dreams, but they banded together because Lagos is a harsh place and it isn't easy on those who choose to go through life in Lagos alone. The ending of this book was not soothing for me. But I enjoyed the narration thoroughly because it was funny and it made me cackle in delight. It also opened my eyes to some issues in Nigeria.
I got this book recommendation on Twitter. People kept saying the plot twist was crazy and mind blowing. And I have to give it to the author, the plot twist was truly crazy. A woman is accused with the murder of her husband. She testified not guilty, saying it was a strange man who had killed him. After her trial, she goes silent and refuses to speak for years, so no one truly knows the truth as investigations by the police proved futile. She is sent to a psychiatric center and a psychologist tasks himself with getting the truth out of her. If you are in for a mind bending story, I highly recommend this to you.
Before this book, I had only read one book about Vampires which was Twilight. Twilight is a lovely book but it didn't really feed my imagination and it was too wrought with romance. So, when I saw this book and read the summary, I was drawn in. You just have to get past the first two chapters to really get into it. It is set in a dystopian world where the sun is weak, vampires rule and humans tremble. The protection of humans against the vampires are the Silversaints (children begot from breeding between vampires and humans). The book follows the life of a Silversaint named Gabriel De Leon who finds himself tasked with the responsibility of keeping the blood of the Holy Grail safe. The Holy Grail is the only person who can bring the reign of the vampires to an end. This book is full of humor, gore, some smut, romance, chivalry and love. I really really loved this series and I eagerly anticipate the third book.
I also got recommendations about this book from Twitter. This book tells the story of the estrangement between a mother and her twins. The mother believes she is responsible for her twin’s separation. It gives a look into their mother's past. The mother, Kambirinachi is an Ogbanje(a spirit) who has experienced so many past lives. But in this life, she decides to stay and this angers her spirit kin, so they torment her until she decides to find her way back to them. It also tells the individual stories of the twins and what truly separated them. I actually enjoyed Taye’s parts of the book. It is a sort of modern book sprinkled with a lot of traditional anecdotes. It is also slow burn and it is preferable to read it in small doses. I truly liked this book because the writing was vivid. It felt like I was actually in the book. The writer basically held the readers hands and walked them gradually through the realities of the characters. Very lovely book.
Complete list of all 59 books
If you came this far while reading this post, I'm glad. If you are a fan of African literature, I urge you to check out the books I listed. You might like them the way I did. Also, if you are a fan of psychological thriller, The Silent Patient is for you. If you are a fan of dystopian supernatural fiction, check out Empire of The Damned Series. Also, you can go through the pictures for the complete list of all 59 books I read.
Thank you for reading. Please, share your comments if you have read any of them or want to know my opinion on the other books. Let's talk about books!😊🤍
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