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aish_dols's reviews
92 reviews
Memoirs of a 'Lazy Korfa' by Tunmise Usikalu
5.0
It was intriguing and extremely nostalgic reading Tunmise Usikalu's 'Memoirs of a Lazy Korfa' as my orientation camp was in Kogi state (in 2018) and hers, in Kano(in 2004). Well, I could relate to a lot of things in the book.
Chude Jideonwo, in the foreword wrote that 'This generation doesn't document enough of its stories' and I agree. It's beautiful that the author has written her personal day to day experience in the NYSC Camp.
For non-Nigerians, who don't know, NYSC is National Youth Service Corps, a programme for Nigerian graduates (since 1973) that has been in place to help foster national unity regardless of tribe, or religion. So graduates are posted to all parts of the country – North, South, East and West and it can be hectic and frustrating leaving the comfort of your own state and home for this adventure, trust me!
Tunmise wrote of the drama from day one! Registration to queues, the quality of food in camp, the kit, the quick 'feelings' developed for the other gender (confined spaces syndrome), the parade, the Mami market, the swift friendships, the hostel palava, the soldiers and their extreme highs and shouts.
Do you know we have to wake up as early as 4:00am to get ready for parade? That we had to adjust to the sanitary conditions in camp? That we had to physically and mentally challenge ourselves? Tunmise documented these perfectly well and I was laughing a whole lot while reading!
The author didn't miss anything. The unruliness of graduates, their irresponsible acts (There were bars at Mami market & some did get drunk and even 'misbehaved', marital status or not). Does this happen every year? Tunmise also had issues because she was in a relationship outside camp and yet guys were professing their undying love for her. Please read this book to have a feel and more.
Chude Jideonwo, in the foreword wrote that 'This generation doesn't document enough of its stories' and I agree. It's beautiful that the author has written her personal day to day experience in the NYSC Camp.
For non-Nigerians, who don't know, NYSC is National Youth Service Corps, a programme for Nigerian graduates (since 1973) that has been in place to help foster national unity regardless of tribe, or religion. So graduates are posted to all parts of the country – North, South, East and West and it can be hectic and frustrating leaving the comfort of your own state and home for this adventure, trust me!
Tunmise wrote of the drama from day one! Registration to queues, the quality of food in camp, the kit, the quick 'feelings' developed for the other gender (confined spaces syndrome), the parade, the Mami market, the swift friendships, the hostel palava, the soldiers and their extreme highs and shouts.
Do you know we have to wake up as early as 4:00am to get ready for parade? That we had to adjust to the sanitary conditions in camp? That we had to physically and mentally challenge ourselves? Tunmise documented these perfectly well and I was laughing a whole lot while reading!
The author didn't miss anything. The unruliness of graduates, their irresponsible acts (There were bars at Mami market & some did get drunk and even 'misbehaved', marital status or not). Does this happen every year? Tunmise also had issues because she was in a relationship outside camp and yet guys were professing their undying love for her. Please read this book to have a feel and more.
windows by Jesutomisin Ipinmoye
5.0
Why did she have to bleach her skin? - that's the question most would ask (Me too) after seeing a lady who gives in to danger in the name of being light skinned. It's easy to ask and judge but I was taken aback after reading this character's experiences because she's dark skinned.
'Where are you? You've blended in with the darkness.'
Colourism is the main ingredient in 'Yellow Paw Paw', one of the short stories in 'WINDOWS' by Jesutomisin Ipinmoye @jesutomisin__ . It's serious as the light skinned ones get favoured over dark skinned ones. We complain about racism yet do something similar in a very silly way? Not cool.
The stories in Windows are told in different catchy narrative styles that would keep you intrigued. From the story of a young man who suffers from anxiety disorder but is in love with Mary, his wife and writes notes to express himself and feelings, the story of a girl with an unusual birth who wields the power of death, of Ilo, a man tested one too many times with the death of his loved ones, an abusive father who has extracted feelings from his children, a man battling cancer but refusing to undergo therapy until one night changes it all, a mother who carelessly sleeps with random men disregarding her son's feelings, to a Mystery story where the death of a Chief on his birthday is indeed weaved amongst many things. Several stories you wouldn't want to end. Very Nigerian. Very Original.
Windows is an enjoyable book. A fantastic debut. I attached an excerpt from 'For Mary' because I really liked the way it was written. I've too many favourite stories in this book so I won't start listing. Go get it. It's available at rovingheights bookstore for Nigerian readers. /So glad I got an ARC.
'Where are you? You've blended in with the darkness.'
Colourism is the main ingredient in 'Yellow Paw Paw', one of the short stories in 'WINDOWS' by Jesutomisin Ipinmoye @jesutomisin__ . It's serious as the light skinned ones get favoured over dark skinned ones. We complain about racism yet do something similar in a very silly way? Not cool.
The stories in Windows are told in different catchy narrative styles that would keep you intrigued. From the story of a young man who suffers from anxiety disorder but is in love with Mary, his wife and writes notes to express himself and feelings, the story of a girl with an unusual birth who wields the power of death, of Ilo, a man tested one too many times with the death of his loved ones, an abusive father who has extracted feelings from his children, a man battling cancer but refusing to undergo therapy until one night changes it all, a mother who carelessly sleeps with random men disregarding her son's feelings, to a Mystery story where the death of a Chief on his birthday is indeed weaved amongst many things. Several stories you wouldn't want to end. Very Nigerian. Very Original.
Windows is an enjoyable book. A fantastic debut. I attached an excerpt from 'For Mary' because I really liked the way it was written. I've too many favourite stories in this book so I won't start listing. Go get it. It's available at rovingheights bookstore for Nigerian readers. /So glad I got an ARC.
Bird Summons by Leila Aboulela
4.0
'They underestimated their own importance and exaggerated their shortcomings. They inflated their problems and followed their egos, counselled each other but rejected what was right. Their quarrels taking up space, their connections weakening. And now they were far away, deep in the realm of consequence.'
Three immigrant women – Moni, Salma and Iman, will journey through the Scottish Islands to visit the grave of a revert in the Victorian Era, Lady Evelyn Cobbold (the first woman to go for the Holy pilgrimage to Mecca, who happens to be british and the daughter of the Earl of Dunmore//This is a fact//), to strengthen their faith & roots.
Iman, young and gorgeous/has a record of two past marriages/known to have possessive partners. Salma, the oldest/also the one willing to leave her four kids and husband for a parallel life with a man it could've worked out with & Moni, the richest but with a huge trial/has a son with cerebral palsy and the whole dilemma is rocking her young marriage – on their way to visit the grave, would face their own souls, desires and longings in what seems to be a fantasy aspect of the book.
The human journey, faith, spiritual guidance and destination in Bird Summons is defined using stories, fantasy, imagination and reality. There are etiquettes for visiting the grave in Islam and Salma sort of broke that in the mix of the fantasy aspect in the book, Salma ended up asking late Lady Evelyn for help next to her graveside, got some visions too by the bronze plaque of the gravestone. I didn't really feel that part. I get the grave visitation to reflect on the death and life of the individual and pray for them but the fantasy infusion was very thick (for me) at some point.
Above all, I drew several lessons from Bird Summons when it comes to human desires, temptations and how holding on to Him regardless of our own inclinations turns out better for us.
Three immigrant women – Moni, Salma and Iman, will journey through the Scottish Islands to visit the grave of a revert in the Victorian Era, Lady Evelyn Cobbold (the first woman to go for the Holy pilgrimage to Mecca, who happens to be british and the daughter of the Earl of Dunmore//This is a fact//), to strengthen their faith & roots.
Iman, young and gorgeous/has a record of two past marriages/known to have possessive partners. Salma, the oldest/also the one willing to leave her four kids and husband for a parallel life with a man it could've worked out with & Moni, the richest but with a huge trial/has a son with cerebral palsy and the whole dilemma is rocking her young marriage – on their way to visit the grave, would face their own souls, desires and longings in what seems to be a fantasy aspect of the book.
The human journey, faith, spiritual guidance and destination in Bird Summons is defined using stories, fantasy, imagination and reality. There are etiquettes for visiting the grave in Islam and Salma sort of broke that in the mix of the fantasy aspect in the book, Salma ended up asking late Lady Evelyn for help next to her graveside, got some visions too by the bronze plaque of the gravestone. I didn't really feel that part. I get the grave visitation to reflect on the death and life of the individual and pray for them but the fantasy infusion was very thick (for me) at some point.
Above all, I drew several lessons from Bird Summons when it comes to human desires, temptations and how holding on to Him regardless of our own inclinations turns out better for us.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
3.0
I'll be quick. What is Dark Places about? Seven year old Libby is the only one who survives a family massacre and Ben, her older brother is jailed for killing his entire family. Many years have passed and the truth keeps evolving. It turns out Ben might be innocent but who killed an innocent mother and her two daughters? Libby would try to find this whole truth out as there's nothing as burdening as not knowing something that keeps your mind scattered.
Perhaps I should've started my Gillian Flynn journey with 'Gone Girl'. I've read reviews and feel I would've liked that better. Dark Places is 421 pages and slow paced. I'm all for the rush, the fast paced thrillers and the ones that make me curious till the end. Although you won't guess correctly who the murderer was in this book (trust me, ya won't.), which makes it well written, I once made a good guess at one point in time which was part of the entire murder. P. S. The book also includes a lot that addresses the Satanic Cult Hysteria that was popular in the U.S. then in the 80s. (All these parts were too much really).
'The truly frightening flaw in humanity is our capacity for cruelty - we all have it.' – Dark Places//Gillian Flynn.
Perhaps I should've started my Gillian Flynn journey with 'Gone Girl'. I've read reviews and feel I would've liked that better. Dark Places is 421 pages and slow paced. I'm all for the rush, the fast paced thrillers and the ones that make me curious till the end. Although you won't guess correctly who the murderer was in this book (trust me, ya won't.), which makes it well written, I once made a good guess at one point in time which was part of the entire murder. P. S. The book also includes a lot that addresses the Satanic Cult Hysteria that was popular in the U.S. then in the 80s. (All these parts were too much really).
'The truly frightening flaw in humanity is our capacity for cruelty - we all have it.' – Dark Places//Gillian Flynn.
Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola
4.0
"Time and love are intertwined, they are both measures of life, they are the two clocks. And for love to operate as it should, it is imperative that the timing should be right."
From Mythical Love tales/Folktales, the author retold most stories and wove three new tales. The mythical tales are sourced from Nigeria, Persia, Greece, Ghana, Mali, The Gambia & Southern Mauritania, Lesotho, Egypt, China and Mesopotamia. The story collection is one that describes love in a light that makes one optimistic about it. The stories buried the misogyny the previous tales had and dare I say, I prefer the retellings. Some of my favourite stories in this book are Osun/Naleli/Siya/Thisbe/Tiara & Alagomeji. I feel like if you've been beaten down and need a mood lift/you've lost hope in love/just need to be reminded of how powerful you are as a woman and how love can be all bliss and wonders when you find the right one – Love In Colour, is that drug for you.
From Mythical Love tales/Folktales, the author retold most stories and wove three new tales. The mythical tales are sourced from Nigeria, Persia, Greece, Ghana, Mali, The Gambia & Southern Mauritania, Lesotho, Egypt, China and Mesopotamia. The story collection is one that describes love in a light that makes one optimistic about it. The stories buried the misogyny the previous tales had and dare I say, I prefer the retellings. Some of my favourite stories in this book are Osun/Naleli/Siya/Thisbe/Tiara & Alagomeji. I feel like if you've been beaten down and need a mood lift/you've lost hope in love/just need to be reminded of how powerful you are as a woman and how love can be all bliss and wonders when you find the right one – Love In Colour, is that drug for you.
House Of Ezyron by Princess Izuagba
4.0
Speculative fiction & The Fantasy genre by Nigerian authors is a lane few explore but I just have to say this is daring.
House of Ezyron starts with a visit to the museum. Annabelle, the main protagonist, and her friends, Zoe, Mara, Zina, and Mark are excited about the school excursion until they learn about the Waziri tribe who used to worship a deity named Ezyron but are now extinct. During the excursion, strange things begin to surface because Annabelle dared to learn more and this is where everything unravels. Secrets from Annabelle's family and their debt to this strange Ezyron pose as a threat to her existence, that of her friends and family. A deadly quest is needed to seal the evil Ezyron and Annabelle begins to learn more about her late mother and even more about herself and the power she wields//It was fast paced and the unpredictable parts were more than the predictions. I think Princess Izuagba's imagination is wild, which is good for this kind of genre and knowing she's eighteen and wrote this is quite impressive. If you like fantasy and speculative fiction, this is fine to read to escape into another world.
House of Ezyron starts with a visit to the museum. Annabelle, the main protagonist, and her friends, Zoe, Mara, Zina, and Mark are excited about the school excursion until they learn about the Waziri tribe who used to worship a deity named Ezyron but are now extinct. During the excursion, strange things begin to surface because Annabelle dared to learn more and this is where everything unravels. Secrets from Annabelle's family and their debt to this strange Ezyron pose as a threat to her existence, that of her friends and family. A deadly quest is needed to seal the evil Ezyron and Annabelle begins to learn more about her late mother and even more about herself and the power she wields//It was fast paced and the unpredictable parts were more than the predictions. I think Princess Izuagba's imagination is wild, which is good for this kind of genre and knowing she's eighteen and wrote this is quite impressive. If you like fantasy and speculative fiction, this is fine to read to escape into another world.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4.0
There are two sides to every story, and then, there's the truth, unfiltered.
Amy & Nick are in love, get married, prove to us that marriage isn't a fairytale but Amy's just gone, missing on the day of their fifth wedding anniversary and nobody knows why/how. The search for Amy digs up several secrets about both characters. I couldn't trust either of them. Gillian's portrayal of Amy & Nick's minds in writing is a work of fine art.
Can I say that the mind of a woman is such a workshop for intellectual positivity and negativity? It can be so dark, can be so bright, can be anything. I'd say Nick has always been questionable, so this was an intense ride. Don't even guess what's going to happen nor how it would end. It would stun you. Read and let your head spin.
Amy & Nick are in love, get married, prove to us that marriage isn't a fairytale but Amy's just gone, missing on the day of their fifth wedding anniversary and nobody knows why/how. The search for Amy digs up several secrets about both characters. I couldn't trust either of them. Gillian's portrayal of Amy & Nick's minds in writing is a work of fine art.
Can I say that the mind of a woman is such a workshop for intellectual positivity and negativity? It can be so dark, can be so bright, can be anything. I'd say Nick has always been questionable, so this was an intense ride. Don't even guess what's going to happen nor how it would end. It would stun you. Read and let your head spin.
Layla by Colleen Hoover
3.0
Well...
I've read Verity, It Ends With Us, Regretting You & Ugly Love. I've love for all those books, different types of love for them. Although Verity is a kind of psychological thriller that just shocks you, it had a way of making me fall more in love with Colleen. I'm going to read all CoHo's works anyway. I mean I had to search for Tarryn Fisher and read The Wives after I realized she was Colleen's bestie.
About Layla.
Paranormal + Romance. I respect Colleen for mixing anything at all with romance. She's a writer who explores and her result comes out well. In as much as I enjoyed Layla, at several points in the middle of the book, I felt like I was in a spin and this really made me want to just get to the end of the book already. I was getting impatient and Leeds can be such an annoying, back and forth narrator. He stretched a lot of things.
Layla was brilliant anyway. The twists. The otherworldliness. The extraterrestrial feel to it. I liked it. It's nothing like I've ever read before.
I've read Verity, It Ends With Us, Regretting You & Ugly Love. I've love for all those books, different types of love for them. Although Verity is a kind of psychological thriller that just shocks you, it had a way of making me fall more in love with Colleen. I'm going to read all CoHo's works anyway. I mean I had to search for Tarryn Fisher and read The Wives after I realized she was Colleen's bestie.
About Layla.
Paranormal + Romance. I respect Colleen for mixing anything at all with romance. She's a writer who explores and her result comes out well. In as much as I enjoyed Layla, at several points in the middle of the book, I felt like I was in a spin and this really made me want to just get to the end of the book already. I was getting impatient and Leeds can be such an annoying, back and forth narrator. He stretched a lot of things.
Layla was brilliant anyway. The twists. The otherworldliness. The extraterrestrial feel to it. I liked it. It's nothing like I've ever read before.