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aish_dols's reviews
92 reviews
Tomorrow Died Yesterday by Chimeka Garricks
5.0
"A courtroom is a place of innuendo, half-truths, smoke and mirrors, and sometimes, magic."
Tribalism. Law. Oil bunkering/Oil Spillage. Love. Kidnapping. Faith/Religion. Police/Soldier Brutality. PTSD from the Biafra war. The Nigerian Civil War. Rape. Murder. Info on Slave Trade. Now let us move to, Friendship, Infertility, Marriage, Prostitution, Corruption & Politics. Chimeka Garricks mixed all of this excellently in his debut book.
Doye, Tubo, Kaniye, and Amaibi are now men, their childhood friendship shivers but still binds them regardless of the paths they've taken. Doye, now a militant and the antihero in this story would put Amaibi, a University professor in freaking trouble thanks to the mixed race, Tubo, who is 'amoral' and carefree as long as he has his job at Imperial Oil Company. Amaibi would have to be defended by the humorous but attractive and intelligent Kaniye.
This book ticked all my boxes. My heart broke in many places. When I found out why Amaibi & Dise separated and their traumas I was extremely devastated at the incident that shook them! Chimeka wrote about the oil explosion that happened in the Niger Delta in Nigeria which took many lives and turned thoughts upside down. This would be one of the main triggers which made Doye, become a militant after losing his brother to the explosion, he would later suffer another loss thanks to the brutality of northern soldiers, this brewed his hate more for Oil Companies, the Hausas and Yorubas. He would fight for the people of Asiama even if he mostly fights for himself and what he has lost.
Kaniye is. . .damn! His defense skills, cooking skills, sense of humour and the fact that he had to defend Amaibi who got involved in a dirty 'Kidnapping an expatriate gone wrong' mess thanks to Doye, after he hadn't practised for years warmed me. Amaibi and Kaniye's lives are connected in many ways with the crazy intimidating Doye and annoyingly hilarious Tubo's. I liked the present and past revelation of their lives and history.
The courtroom cases were not boring in any freaking way. I love this book so hard. Don't be unjust by not reading it abeg.
Tribalism. Law. Oil bunkering/Oil Spillage. Love. Kidnapping. Faith/Religion. Police/Soldier Brutality. PTSD from the Biafra war. The Nigerian Civil War. Rape. Murder. Info on Slave Trade. Now let us move to, Friendship, Infertility, Marriage, Prostitution, Corruption & Politics. Chimeka Garricks mixed all of this excellently in his debut book.
Doye, Tubo, Kaniye, and Amaibi are now men, their childhood friendship shivers but still binds them regardless of the paths they've taken. Doye, now a militant and the antihero in this story would put Amaibi, a University professor in freaking trouble thanks to the mixed race, Tubo, who is 'amoral' and carefree as long as he has his job at Imperial Oil Company. Amaibi would have to be defended by the humorous but attractive and intelligent Kaniye.
This book ticked all my boxes. My heart broke in many places. When I found out why Amaibi & Dise separated and their traumas I was extremely devastated at the incident that shook them! Chimeka wrote about the oil explosion that happened in the Niger Delta in Nigeria which took many lives and turned thoughts upside down. This would be one of the main triggers which made Doye, become a militant after losing his brother to the explosion, he would later suffer another loss thanks to the brutality of northern soldiers, this brewed his hate more for Oil Companies, the Hausas and Yorubas. He would fight for the people of Asiama even if he mostly fights for himself and what he has lost.
Kaniye is. . .damn! His defense skills, cooking skills, sense of humour and the fact that he had to defend Amaibi who got involved in a dirty 'Kidnapping an expatriate gone wrong' mess thanks to Doye, after he hadn't practised for years warmed me. Amaibi and Kaniye's lives are connected in many ways with the crazy intimidating Doye and annoyingly hilarious Tubo's. I liked the present and past revelation of their lives and history.
The courtroom cases were not boring in any freaking way. I love this book so hard. Don't be unjust by not reading it abeg.
Paragons of the Qur'an by ابن قيم الجوزية
5.0
Paragons of the Qur'an is a wholesome light read that dissects so many parables in Quranic verses. In 22 chapters, the reader will understand certain analogies the Qur'an makes.
Backed up with hadiths (prophetic teachings) and diverse scholarly opinions, Imam Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah, was able to explain a lot and educate us on a lot. The Qur'an's original language is Arabic and for we, non Arabic speakers, there are translations into English and other languages but just like how diverse and rich Yoruba is, for example, no matter the English translation, you'll still not get the roots of the language.
So, the author did a fine job of expanding and broadening the parables to enlighten us and make us open our minds and brains into how deep the Holy Qur'an is. I feel this is an essential read for everyone who wants to understand how Quranic parables work. Some examples of analogies in verses which were broken down are:
1.) The Likeness of the Polytheist with the Spider's Home.
2.) Negation of a Proposition Due to the Negation of its reason.
3.) Backbiting & Tearing of the flesh.
4.) Fire & Water – I found this one so engaging! The book talked about the light and darkness that the two elements possess and how powerful and significant they are in comparison to the light and darkness of the soul.
Anyway, I highly recommend this.
Backed up with hadiths (prophetic teachings) and diverse scholarly opinions, Imam Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah, was able to explain a lot and educate us on a lot. The Qur'an's original language is Arabic and for we, non Arabic speakers, there are translations into English and other languages but just like how diverse and rich Yoruba is, for example, no matter the English translation, you'll still not get the roots of the language.
So, the author did a fine job of expanding and broadening the parables to enlighten us and make us open our minds and brains into how deep the Holy Qur'an is. I feel this is an essential read for everyone who wants to understand how Quranic parables work. Some examples of analogies in verses which were broken down are:
1.) The Likeness of the Polytheist with the Spider's Home.
2.) Negation of a Proposition Due to the Negation of its reason.
3.) Backbiting & Tearing of the flesh.
4.) Fire & Water – I found this one so engaging! The book talked about the light and darkness that the two elements possess and how powerful and significant they are in comparison to the light and darkness of the soul.
Anyway, I highly recommend this.
Poetic Nikaah by Ibrahim Olalere
4.0
In a Jebba home where tribal crisis (The Yoruba - Fulani crisi ) has left its mark, Bilaal (Yoruba lad) grew to be a troubled man burdened with the task of being the one to save his family from abject poverty, helping his mother through her sickness and weighed down by his own demons. He questions his shaking faith as he deals with the fact that his father too, has been absent due to his arrest (for being an OPC terrorist member) for what seems like an eternity.
Aneezah Cisse (Hausa-Fulani lady), a vivacious bubbly young woman, with her own trials will cross paths with Bilaal, but Bilaal, with his emotional switches, shivering faith, unpreparedness, will suffer uncertainties and the author will take the reader on wavy waters with the characters which made me not see a lot coming even with my guessing dexterity.
Poetic Nikkah is told in switching points of views where Bilaal, Anisa or anyone else took up the narration depending on the chapter, that gave me a lot of insight to each character's thoughts. I like the Islamic infusion and the way the author wrote of the challenges of being in love as a young Muslim. The book deserves a read really.
We don't document our stories enough and reading stories by writers from home (who take the effort to) is a way to promote our literature. Ibrahim has documented a lot about religion, politics, war, tribalism, and love. Poetic Nikkah is a novel I enjoyed.
Available on @Okadabooks
Aneezah Cisse (Hausa-Fulani lady), a vivacious bubbly young woman, with her own trials will cross paths with Bilaal, but Bilaal, with his emotional switches, shivering faith, unpreparedness, will suffer uncertainties and the author will take the reader on wavy waters with the characters which made me not see a lot coming even with my guessing dexterity.
Poetic Nikkah is told in switching points of views where Bilaal, Anisa or anyone else took up the narration depending on the chapter, that gave me a lot of insight to each character's thoughts. I like the Islamic infusion and the way the author wrote of the challenges of being in love as a young Muslim. The book deserves a read really.
We don't document our stories enough and reading stories by writers from home (who take the effort to) is a way to promote our literature. Ibrahim has documented a lot about religion, politics, war, tribalism, and love. Poetic Nikkah is a novel I enjoyed.
Available on @Okadabooks