The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Adichie was one beautiful read albeit it took me a long time to finish, I just wasn’t serious with reading it.
In spite of that, I love Anything Chimamanda Adichie and yes I’m a bit late to reading this book but sue me😂!
This is a collection of short stories taking us through Nigeria to be specific and its different social beliefs on; Marriage, Childbirth, Women, School, Career, Foreign Lifestyle, Religion and so on.
I loved it because I could relate to almost all stories, it’s a thought provoking read, She as always has a way of presenting the History of Nigeria in her books which makes one read with a wistful sigh thinking of all we had and lost as Nigerians.
I graduated from The University of Nigeria so every time I read a story centred on it makes me smile😊, the last story was a bit weird though 🤔, in all it was an excellent read! 💖💖❤️❤️
Have you read Chimamanda’s books? What do you love about here works? “
I would certainly recommend this book to everyone!
“Desperate to understand where we had gone wrong, I went over everything that had happened since I’d stepped out of the bathroom less than twenty-four hours earlier, and when I remembered the panicked messages I’d left on his phone, I began to wonder if I was the one in the wrong. But I knew I wasn’t, I knew it was Jack’s fault, it was just that I was so tired I couldn’t work out why.”
Women are naturally made to be do-gooders, to be peace makers, to not cause trouble, to always close the divide which is one of the reasons I was pissed while reading this book. 😒
I’m not a psychological thriller fan but I’m trying to read across different genres this year with the help of the book club and its been an exciting experience!
Behind Closed Doors is a story about Grace, a 21st Century, 32 year old woman with a great job and her younger sister, Millie. Millie is the unplanned child of her parents who is disabled. As a loving elder sister, Grace has committed herself to the care of her sister and has told every man they are a package deal.
Grace lives a great life for a single woman and finally meets John, in less than 6 months, they are married and the real John is revealed.
This book was exciting to read, a page turner, you just need to know what would happen at the end. With these great points it still had a lot of holes, it was a bit predictable too, it was annoying at some point, I can tell you I became angry and irritated with Grace before I even hated John but at some point I had to accept there was nothing much she could do about her situation.
This book makes you crazy to reach the end, why does John follow Grace everywhere? Are they really so perfect? Is their marriage as beautiful as they claim?
A thrilling and fast read, would recommend it for everyone especially the psychological thriller lovers.
As always I have lessons to share from the bookclubs’ discussions!! What’s a book without lessons?🙃 Let’s go!
1. All that glitters ain’t gold people, look around, observe, listen to your instincts.
2. Do not be so much of a loner, have true friends who know when things aren’t okay with you, maintain healthy relationships.
3. Learn to be independent, especially women, yeah I said that🙄, do not fix your whole life on someone regardless of promises made, some people ain’t worth it. Protect yourself ladies, be smart and avoid being desperate the best you can!
4. As citizens in the world, I know the world is going sour, sadly, there’s no love but you can do your bit, help those in need, if someone is in trouble freaking help in the best way you can.
5. Marriage is a beautiful institution but it isn’t t your only source of happiness and fulfillment
“We’re all alive, but we don’t know why or what for; we’re all searching for happiness; we’re all leading lives that are different and yet the same. We three have been raised in good families, we have the opportunity to get an education and make something of ourselves. We have many reasons to hope for great happiness, but. . . we have to earn it. And that’s something you can’t achieve by taking the easy way out. Earning happiness means doing good and working, not speculating and being lazy. Laziness may look inviting, but only work gives you true satisfaction.”
This book was one of my bookclubs’ read for the month of March and it was a very enlightening read.
I had been hearing of the holocaust but have never looked it up, since I’m not really a history buff😏, cheers to broadening my reading horizon I finally read Anne’s Diary😊 and it’s my second classic read of the year!!
Anne’s Diary was very insightful and reading it was very intimate. I went through a lot of emotions, sadness, happiness, anger, hope(God so much hope), strength and so on.
I can’t imagine what Anne’s family and some friends who joined them felt while hiding in a place for almost 3 years, no sunlight, no going outside. It was a really crazy situation.
We were taken through Annes’ growth in the Annex from an immature girl to one filled with so much wisdom.
My favourites in the house were Mr. Frank, Anne and Margot I did not like the Van Daans although I had no issues with Peter, as for Dussel😒, such an annoying man.
Lessons I learnt from this book were:
1) Learn to have compassion for one another, those who helped the Franks’ and their friends were so selfless, imagine taking care of 8 persons for almost 3 years, their feeding, care including birthday gifts😅, despite the fear of been caught and nags like Mrs Van Daans and Dussel, they really were the best people.
2) Parents and future parents should learn to be in touch with their children, do not pick favorites, teach your children all they need to know in subtle tones in order for them not to learn it from others and be misled. Connect with your children at all times.
3) Read! Read! Read!! These families in hiding used reading as their greatest companions, they learnt new languages just to keep themselves busy.
4) Finally war is never good, I remember 2 years ago I think, in Nigeria, The Biafrans were trying to fight for separation, especially the young ones, this would have led to a lot of deaths and loss, we have never lived through war, it’s a horrible experience.. That’s all for now😅😅, you can tell I liked this book right?
Here are some thought provoking quotes for you:
“Those who don’t know will have to find out by experience that “a quiet conscience gives you strength!””
Yass!! 🤩🤩
“In the book Soldiers on the Home Front I was greatly struck by the fact that in childbirth alone, women commonly suffer more pain, illness and misery than any war hero ever does. And what’s her reward for enduring all that pain? She gets pushed aside when she’s disfigured by birth, her children soon leave, her beauty is gone. Women, who struggle and suffer pain to ensure the con- tinuation of the human race, make much tougher and more courageous soldiers than all those big-mouthed freedom-fighting heroes put together!”
Oops😬 What do you think?!
“It sounded so cold when he said he didn’t need any friends. Oh, he’s so wrong! I don’t think he means it. He clings to his masculinity, his solitude and his feigned indif- ference so he can maintain his role, so he’ll never, ever have to show his feelings.”
Now why do men always do this?
“Mrs. van D. and Dussel continued their harangue: “You know way too much about things you’re not supposed to. You’ve been brought up all wrong. Later on, when you’re older, you won’t be able to enjoy anything anymore. You’ll say, ‘Oh, I read that twenty years ago in some book.’ You’d better hurry if you want to catch a husband or fall in love, since everything is bound to be a disappointment to you. You already know all there is to know in theory. But in practice? That’s another story!”
Huh! 🙄🙄 I don’t get this, is it wrong to know things?
Byeeee See you soon!! Don’t forget to hit the follow and share buttons!!
“He laugh. Who you think you is? he say. You can’t curse nobody. Look at you. You black, you pore, you ugly, you a woman. Goddam, he say, you nothing at all.”
The Color Purple, take a deep breath, I love this book!! Do you know why? It is a calm story, I don’t usually read calm stories but I loved this!
This is my third classic read for the year and I’m proud of myself 😏.
The color purple portrays Celie, a young lady, who is raped by her supposed father, loses her mum and is sent off to marry another man. We are taken through Celie’s life written as letters to God, Celie’s growth, her strength and will to survive.
Celie’s sister Nettie leaves home as well to explore the world and we are also taken through her life experiences.
This story is a story of love, hope and how two sisters eventually come together after their different life journeys in a world filled with travails, taking us through their love life, children and friends they meet along the way.
The color purple is seen to signify hope and appreciation for all the things God has given us, I really loved the take of some characters in this book on the theme ‘religion’.
Themes that were also expressed in this book were Feminism, Rape, Illiteracy, Masculinity, Motherhood, Sexism, Friendship, Gender as well as Family love.
We see the relationship five different women have with themselves and the men in their lives, we see how each woman grows based on experiences they pass through as the story unravels.
The craziness expressed by some of the characters too were funny, but in all there were lots of lessons to be learnt. You would definitely want to read this book!! This was the bookclubs read for the month of May and we definitely had a good time with it.
One question I have for you today is:
Do you actually share God? “
Here are some quotes I really loved:
“You making your living, Celie, she say. Girl, you on your way.
-Shug Avery
Get you friends that support you always! ❤️❤️💞
“Here’s the thing, say Shug. The thing I believe. God is inside you and inside everybody else. You come into the world with God. But only them that search for it inside find it. And sometimes it just manifest itself even if you not looking, or don’t know what you looking for. Trouble do it for most folks, I think. Sorrow, lord. Feeling like shit.”
“You telling me God love you, and you ain’t never done nothing for him? I mean, not go to church, sing in the choir, feed the preacher and all like that? – Celie
But if God love me, Celie, I don’t have to do all that. Unless I want to. There’s a lot of other things I can do that I speck God likes. Like what? I ast. Oh, she say. I can lay back and just admire stuff. Be happy. Have a good time. Well, this sound like blasphemy sure nuff.”
-Shug Avery
This message is really a beautiful one, you don’t have to do all this to be God’s child, you know, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t perform these acts but they aren’t the deciding factors.
“To stay alive, I say. What else? Course some folks eat cause food taste good to ’em. Then some is gluttons. They love to feel they mouth work.”
I felt attacked while reading this passage😂😂😅 because I’m such a foodie😏
Set in an African country, Nigeria, Akin and Yejide married for four years, without a child, live through experiences to get their one chance at happiness, but external and internal influence do not allow this hope to come to pass.
Ayobami is a budding writer, who spins a web so beautiful, encompassing so many themes, weaved into an easy to understand pattern. She has a way with words that challenges you to think and act right.
I heard about this book for a while and finally got to read it but nothing prepared me for the level of emotions I felt while reading. I went from anger, to angst, love, sacrifice, happiness, sadness, guilt, grief and hope so strong, I felt it all.
Themes explored in this book include infertility, tradition, family, lies, motherhood, pregnancy, health, arrogance of men, ego as well as the joys of womanhood(sarcasm intended😏). I loved how much health as a theme was really expressed, we are taken through three different scenarios, such an enlightening book.
We ask questions like : Why did Akin and Yejide pass through these experiences?
Why are they childless?
Did they deserve this?
How do we express grief? Is there a fixed amount of time to grieve your loved ones?
All these and more are answered in this intriguing, thought provoking, fast paced read, I finished it in half a day.
This book was The Readers Hut Book Club May read and we certainly had fun discussing this enlightening read.
Some lessons learnt: 1) In every relationship we should learn to be honest and open with our partners. Before marriage tell each other your flaws, inadequacies and all that, trust me lying or hiding things causes a whole lot of stress.
2) In your typical African home there will always be interference from family and friends, PROTECT your spouse, yeah I said that. Do not allow your family to run your home, that doesn’t mean you should alienate them but let’s endeavor to set boundaries🤗
3) Do not be an Island, you must not have many friends but you can have some dear friends, your sounding boards, your advicers(I’m here for you though😂😂)
Group Hug!!
You can tell I loved this book right?! It was a really good one!
Some quotes that spoke to me were these:
“It was as if nobody would miss her. No one was sorry that Olamide had died. They were sorry that I had lost a child, not that she had died. It was as though, because she had spent so little time in the world, it did not really matter that she was gone – she did not really matter. One would think we had lost a dog that was dear to our hearts.”
-Yejide
“I was not angry with my brother any more; already I was realising that all the rage had been an affectation. Something I’d reached for to use as a defence against shame. Anger is easier than shame.”
-Akin
“I closed my eyes when she suckled at my breast, careful not to make eye contact with her. I had the washerwoman come in every other day to wash the baby things. I was not strong enough to love when I could lose again, so I held her loosely, with little hope, sure that somehow she too would manage to slip from my grasp.”
-Yejide
Finally, think about this: can love be enough to combat marital issues?
It would take me years to figure out that life doesn’t get easier simply because it gets more glamorous. But you couldn’t have told me that when I was fourteen” -Evelyn Hugo
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a novel written by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
This was my best novel of 2019. After reading this book I couldn’t put my thoughts into words.
This book tells the story of an award winning actress Evelyn Hugo who in the course of her career married 7 Husbands. At 79 years of age she decides to tell her story to a budding news writer, a story which every news house has wanted but she never told.
How did Evelyn Hugo become a world famous actress?Who was her ultimate lover?
We are taken through Evelyns’ fight from poverty to stardom, her love life, her experiences with her different Husbands, life as a popular starlet and finally secrets which have burdened her all the years of her life. We experience Evelyns’ growth to maturity, how choices she made affected her and how we can learn from her experiences.
Was she as superficial as people said she was?Why did she choose Monique to tell her story?
Was Evelyn happy?Is wealth and riches all its cut out to be? Who is Evelyn Hugo?Why did she commit suicide? Questions, questions, questions
Suspense people!!
Such a thrilling read, mysteries to uncover, guilts to assuage, you do not want to miss reading this.
This story is heart and gut wrenching, beautifully written with a lot of lessons to learn.
I really love Taylor Reids’ style of writing, she gives you life’s lessons in easy to learn ways using practical examples.I do not want to give away any spoilers but you should definitely read this book and any other Taylor Reids book.
When you write the ending, Monique, tell everyone that it is the people I miss. Tell everyone that I got it wrong. That I chose the wrong things most of the time”.
I’m moved to tears when I remember how touching this book was for me, let this last words of Evelyn be a motivation for you to read this book.
I gave this book a five star rating, it was way worth it!
If you could meet and interview one celebrity at the end of their life, who would it be? What would you ask them?
The Readers Hut 