Welcome to Litsy!

This was my November favourite. Set in a dystopian Africa, it is magical realism, and super intense in places. But I really enjoyed it and was glad to finally cross it off the tbr pile!

#12BooksOf2023

I didn't love this as much as I thought I would, but I did really like it, and it was entertaining. I feel like it could have been a bit shorter, and most of the side characters seemed unnecessary and underdeveloped. But I will read anything and everything written by Okorafor and no matter what, it's always refreshing to read a sci-fi/fantasy book with black characters that makes me feel like I'm in Wakanda 🖤🤎🖤🤎🖤

I guess I just don‘t get along with Nnedi Okorafor‘s writing style. Disappointing! Hopefully the 1 person waiting enjoys it more than I did.

I really enjoyed this fantasy, however there are some trigger warnings for this one.

Onyesonwu is an ewu, a child of violence (born from rape), with a Nuru father and Okeke mother. The Nuru believe they are superior and one of the tribes is beginning to commit genocide of the Okeke people (their slaves). As they begin to move towards the east, a prophecy comes to light. An Ewu sorceress can rewrite the great book.

#FoodAndLit #Nigeria

I'm pretty sure this is an author signature amongst the other notes. I found this book at my local goodwill and nabbed since she is an autobuy author for me. Had no idea it was potentially signed by her until I was reading over the other notes last night. Now I have questions about how/why it ended up in the goodwill though.

Enjoyed this book although I honestly didn‘t understand the ending. Love a badass heroine in post-apocalyptic Africa. #AuthorAMonth

Saturday night y‘all!

This was a very compelling story with interesting characters, set in post-apocalyptic Africa. It dealt with many issues such as genocide and FGM. At times it was almost formulaic, but then it would go off in another direction. The ending was a little…🤷🏻‍♀️

#authoramonth

I loved the start of this book. Although aspects were brutal (read the trigger warnings) I appreciated the world building and the ambitious scope of topics Okorafor tackles. However as the quest portion started things became more typical and the characters grew more annoying. Glad I finally read it, and I want to read more by the author, but this wasn‘t the five star read I anticipated.
#authoramonth #booked2023 #afrofuturismbook

This book is a lot. It‘s a futuristic, post-apocalyptic speculative fiction story set in Africa that deals with heavy, modern-times issues of genocide and widespread oppression of women, including weaponized rape, female genital mutilation, and abuse. It‘s also a coming-of-age story about a kick-ass heroine in a world with an interesting magical system and a lot of moving parts, and it‘s violent and upsetting as hell.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Another month has gone by and I still haven't caught up on posting about the books I've read on here! But I'm making a promise to myself, this week I'm cracking down on my laziness and getting it done!

In the meantime, just sharing the latest addition to my shelves: this was an unexpected gift from my guy tonight in celebration of the one year anniversary of moving in together.

#TBRPile 📚 “My life fell apart when I was sixteen.”

#julyjourneys #desert
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

4 chapters in and I am in awe of this book! I recently started reading Fantasy books and the worlds I have discovered are just beyond beautiful. With amazing world and character building. I am hooked and I need more of these kinds of books.

Wow. This novel is exceptionally violent and exceptionally beautiful. It portrays both the base, selfish, fearful parts of human nature and the strong, gentle, powerfully loving parts. There is occasionally a feeling of too much happening in a line (this, then this, then this), but it's like watching cloth being made, focusing on the stitches so closely that the finished fabric is a delightful surprise.

Audiocooking with the tagged book plus Golden Milk Granola, Roasted Garlic Hummus, and Savory Breakfast Muffins.

Granola recipe is here: https://minimalistbaker.com/golden-milk-granola/
Hummus is a variation on the one from Clean Food by Terry Walters.
Muffins are from the Abascal Way cookbook.

This month's audiobook pick. I love the narration so much, and the book is brilliant, too. I generally only get audiobooks of books I already know and love because I have auditory processing difficulties, and this is no exception.

Drinking some chocolate and finishing this complex book. This would be good for someone who is much more into fantasy and world building then I am. I got lost multiple times between time jumps and all of the people. Overall it was a bit too complex and much too dark for me.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Africa, Okorafor delivers the story in direct language through the voice of a flawed but resilient narrator, Onyesonwu, who grapples with nature, tradition, magic, history, companionship, community to ultimately learn why she was given the name she bears. I definitely recommend this book but with caution as many serious subjects are addressed including weaponized rape, genocide, racism, sexism, female genital mutilation.

I will say that I appreciate what the author of this book was trying to do and the things that she was trying to convey. I appreciate this book for the simple fantasy novel that it is but for the real world issues that this book touches on quite heavily, I felt it there just should have been more to it.

You can read my full review here:
https://sumisbooks.weebly.com/book-reviews/who-fears-death-by-nnedi-okorafor

I got no reading done yesterday ?
Starting the timer now.
Reading: "Who Fears Death" by Nnedi Okorafor

#24B4Monday @Andrew65 @jb72

“When I am not moving toward my fate, it comes to me.”

Nothing better than lazy Sunday reading time... and I highly recommend this book if you‘re interested in some quarantine escapism.

1. WHO FEARS DEATH by Nnedi Okorafor
2. ⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️
3. Try to #readharder by listening to more audiobooks, and also listen to more memoir.
#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

Sun👏🏼day👏🏼 Fun👏🏼day👏🏼

First read of 2020. I can‘t wait to see all that this year has in store, and the new decade feels like a fresh start! 🎉

#TeamSlaughter #scarathlon
@Clwojick
#ChillingPhotoChallenge #death

Day 2 of the #Fallisbooked photo challenge by @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks and @OriginalCyn620

#OrangeCover 🍊🧡 - I complemented this beautiful book cover with my Philip K Dick inspired “Iron Maiden” shirt since Eddie‘s coat has a bit of an orange tint to it. Plus, Iron Maiden seems like a good soundtrack for Halloween month! 🎃

#FallIsBooked Day 1: At the top of my #OctoberTBR are my #ScreamsByMail titles that I am crossing my fingers will reach me soon. Thank you to my #HorrorPostalBookClub group for being ever so patient as I go through an international move and changes in residence. We also just launched our new reading theme on witches, dryads, priestesses, goddesses. Suggested titles are most welcome!!

By no means an easy read, but an important one and I really liked it! I really enjoyed the classic fantasy narrative with the addition of timely and critical themes. I loved the ending!

Library haul, and library book sale. I do NOT have a problem.

I'm torn! The setting was awesome and the main character was kick-ass. But it was a tad to graphic even for me. And the use of magic didn't always make sense - there were places where it wasn't used when it should have been, and places where it was too conveniently powerful.
Giving it a Pick anyway, I was invested in all the characters regardless of my issues with the plot. And the setting really was super cool and unique.

#LetsTravelJuly #Africa

A post apocalyptic African fantasy novel (with trigger warnings all over it).

I liked it well enough though. Even as gritty and hard to read as some of it was.

This was also my first Nnedi Okorafor novel. 😁

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@OriginalCyn620

Pre-work book date. Top is mine, bottom is my boyfriend‘s book. Work soon though.

Yesterday was my birthday. A couple of friends gave me these gifts. Both were already on my TBR list but they didn‘t know that.
#Yay!

Hiding in an aisle for some #24in48 reading before work. My favorite book I‘ve been reading.

#24in48 check-in. I actually had another 36 minutes on the clock at least, but one a tradition I...screwed up the timer. I was using TimeCamp too, so that shouldn‘t have happened. Whatever. If I make 2-4 hours I‘ll be happy. Very busy day though.

A great story set in a tough world, not too different from our own. I would have preferred more focus on the magic instead of the personal relationships. This was better written than the Binti trilogy.

1/5⭐ The beginning w/ Onye trying to fit into society was decent. By the middle I was so lost in how the world works that I disconnected completely. The magic system isn't explained. New abilities appear only when convenient to the plot but underused in mitigating obstacles later. Onye is combative & despicable. Characters bounced instantly between anger & laughter. The relationships & plot, especially in the end, were incomprehensible. #bookemon

An excellent story. A grand adventure, lots of action,some quite disturbing. Wow📚😍💗

I am really into this book. A really great read. Yes,it had disturbing parts,but it is very interesting.
Well,I finished Who Fears Death. Wow,I loved it. What an incredible story. Excellent . A grand ending

Like: the setting, the world and magic building, Okorafor‘s writing

Dislike: too long, I struggled with being focused on the audio narration

Don‘t get me wrong, it is a good book! It just didn‘t work too well on audio for me 🤷‍♀️

#CliFi #Booked2019

#BookMail Pt11 I ordered this book as my #CliFi entry for #Booked2019 over 3 weeks ago from Booktopia.Took it‘s time getting here from the other side of Sydney! I love Booktopia,they have a great selection, even have signed books a lot & the prices are ok for Australia,but the last six orders I‘ve had to prompt them with messages & emails to send books that are flagged as allocated to my order.Don‘t know what‘s going on at their warehouse🤷🏻‍♀️

This is a tough book; a coming of age story, but its main themes are genocide, weaponized rape, genital mutilation, systemic abuse and oppression of women. This heavy dose of reality is interwoven with stories of friendship, love, family, growing up and learning; and blended with the mysticism and spirit world of West Africa. The book takes place both in the deserts of Africa and the magical world of powerful sorcerers and wise women. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Going to put the phone in airplane mode and read as much of this as I can today. Featuring my older lady friend, Arya. #CatsofLitsy

“We all are born with burdens. Some of us more than others.”

I debated whether I should make this a Pick or not, but I decided that the good outweighed the bad. Onye is Ewu, a child of rape, and instead of being treated with compassion, everyone around her hates that she exists. A child born from violence, can only be violent being their theory. I loved the worldbuilding and the stories from the Great Book. However, her "friends" weren't great.

"She is my hope."

@collegecatlady - I have received your list and was very excited! Your reading is much more contemporary than mine, so I had to research pretty much all titles, as I have not read them yet. I have picked these to read from your
list in January. I have read several from Nnedi Okorafor, and loved her books. The Enchanter looks like a pre-cursor to Lolita, which I found a piece of genius, so I am looking forward to it!
#NewYearWhoDis @monalyisha

I was almost scared to start on this book. Got interested in it because Nnedi posted about how her original publishers tried to whitewash the cover, and so I picked it up when I found it at a book fest. Heavy stuff, bluntly stated in a way that most books don't do or else leave as backdrop from the proper story, and established within an incredible piece of speculative fiction.