Books
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Becoming – Michelle Obama
For me becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end. I finally finished this book, a whole year into it being gifted to me and the tears, laughter, eye rolls and pleasant surprises have been wonderful, confusing and a major reality check. There are nights I read until 4:00 am in the morning without a hint of sleep, there were times that it was too heavy, the tears wouldn’t stop flowing in how personal Michelle Obama’s story is. I loved this book because it…
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Slay Health – A Guide to Vaginal Health by Lilian Jebet
Synopsis Few women have the courage to talk about vaginal hygiene like Lilian Jebet does in this book. Talking to girls entering adolescence on what to expect and how to manage the new developments is key in ensuring wholesome growth and development of confident women. Lilian believes that there is everything to be proud of being a woman, and taking control of one’s vaginal health brings a special kind of beauty and esteem. Meeting Lilian and learning she’s authored a book while still in her twenties inspires me. Her book is a guide to vaginal health something I wish I could buy for my teenage self because the information in…
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Small Country – Gael Faye
On the Saturday Nation of April 18th 2020, the work of Onyango Olual in his article, Morality in art: Just where should artists draw the line? caught my eye where he wrote; Art can teach, warn, instill values, entertain and diffuse tensions, all at the same time… Art is not arbitrary, neither is it time bound Art is holistic and provocative while still reductive and detached. Which is how I felt about Small Country. I came across this read from my book club (joined after one rejection or an unseen request last year, a Direct Message this year and a long-adjective filled email later) that focuses on African Literature, my new…
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Letters: Mothers & Daughters
A few weeks ago, specifically on the 7th of March 2020, I had the pleasure of attending my first book launch, featuring the compiled works of amazing women put together by Susan Wakhungu-Githuku. The launch was an opportunity for families to come together and celebrate the amazing relationship that exists between mothers and daughters. It definitely wasn’t a usual get together, I mean Kenyans love a good party and everyone dressed the part. The theme, Ascot High Tea. The books are a two part series, part one is: A Letter to My Mother from Your Daughter and part two is: A Letter to My Daughter from Your Mother. I’m passionate…
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And Then Life Happens – Auma Obama
Auma Obama’s memoir is underrated. I don’t think we know what we’re missing by not reading the book. (Okay now I have) I get the feeling that this book gets passed as the book by Obama’s sister and everyone has the vibe that it’ll talk about Obama from cover to cover. The more thrilling part is that Auma let’s you believe it’s a book about her brother. As if to mock you and say, yes this book is everything you imagined it would be. She opens the book with an all about Barry story in full regalia with even the Clintons. You need to be patient enough to know that…
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Mukami Kimathi Mau Mau Freedom Fighter by Wairimu Nderitu
Being the wife of a Freedom Fighter may look like a walk in the park where your husband’s name seemingly opens all doors for you and make things right. This book however shows how in about 65 years our freedom fighters are still not well documented historically. It corrects the belief that women stayed home as men went to the forest to fight. Women also fought, Mukami having been one of them and her fight was not just in the war but in keeping her husband’s name alive. Don’t get me wrong, I can already feel you rolling your eyes thinking this is another feminist manifesto that you don’t approve.…
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Book Duka – The African Bookstore
I like books. I like some more than others. I like the feeling you get when you’re excited to turn the page but still have to finish reading the current one. I like reading and being smart. 2019 was supposed to be a chilled year for me where I don’t get a demanding job for the first few months. Where I just take a break and breath. I’m terrible at taking breaks. I’m just as bad at procrastinating as I am at taking breaks. When I wrote the Scramble and Partition for Africa article I needed to do a lot of fact checking. Part of me feels like even…
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How to use Goodreads and a review of Eat, Pray, Love.
Happy New Year! We’re five days in. It’s the time of the year when our resolutions are still on track, we haven’t eaten fries yet, we don’t have a craving for a cold soda and we feel refreshed going for a morning run. I’m here to help you achieve the next resolution on your list. You’ve probably seen your friends boost about how they only read 21 out of 54 books and they feel distraught at how ‘lazy’ they were at reading. You’ve already signed up to Goodreads but have no idea how it works; but this year you’ve decided you will know how it works. Coming this far into…
