Black Sunday | 
pickBlack Sunday is a well-written novel about how twin sisters, separated because of familial financial distress, take control of their lives. The characters are dynamic and distinctive, but I never felt invested in them. Nor did I feel motivated to read. 3.5⭐️s
so-soA family in Lagos is struggling and starts to fragment. Black Sunday follows the four kids as they become adults and we see the different directions they take. I love the premise and liked the storylines, but I just didn‘t find the writing engaging at all. I actually restarted it after 2.5 chapters, as it just wasn‘t sticking, but that didn‘t help.
#ReadingAfrica2022 #Nigeria
Yes, the fractured narrative can be frustrating, but such a great match to the brokenness of characters, seeking love in the wrong places, longing, always reverting back to childhood. Trying so hard to lift themselves up, to find joy & peace, in unhealthy ways. Rooted shame & sadness & fear of abandonment. Sensuality, lyrical language. Then humor: “If you accidentally dropped a baby in this room, the only real risk would be carpet burn.”
pickNarration jumps between four siblings in Lagos, raised by grandmother when parents leave for work opportunities. Blithe, assured, funny, persistent tone gives way when this fractured family finally cracks. Beautiful observations & street scenes. Broken structure & jumping narrative underscores scattered misunderstandings. Twin connection & resentment, abandonment, class, gender, religion, sexuality, tradition, family, ghosts. Blunt & real. 2020
so-soVery on brand of me to wish we‘d only had the female POVs w/o the male ones, but it‘s true. The brothers‘ chapters weren‘t as interesting to me & didn‘t add much to the story, which clearly belongs to the sisters. Emotionally harrowing, nuanced look at connection & estrangement, poverty, corruption caused by power or the lack of it. Ending was good but jarring. Struggled w/it being multi-POV *and* time-jumping. But a promising debut novel. 3/5 ⭐️
In the end, our mother was just the first to leave. My family unraveled rapidly, in messy loose knots, hastening away from one another, shamefaced and lonesome, injured solitary animals in a happy world.
Decided to go for one of my #BookSpin books next, because why not? This sounds like it will probably crush my soul, but that‘s a good thing when it comes to books. #NowReading
pickI finished this a couple of weeks ago but due a big event I haven't posted. This book was sad, the characters struggle the whole book with various tragedies. I usually don't go for sad books but it was really well written.
pickI think the fact that I kept on posting things from this book demonstrates how much I loved it. I read it within a couple of hours, another credit. Overall a beautiful family saga. The way the tone and voice changed with each character was so beautiful. I have read other similar books but the way Abraham was able to slip in and out of different voices and tones was masterful. #blitsy #blacklitsy
The right question Is why is the storyteller telling me this story.
?IT‘S A HUGE NEW BOOK DAY!? Here are some of today‘s new books! There are more out today that I am excited about but don‘t have physical copies to photograph, including The King of Crows, Belle Révolte, Remembered, What Is Time to a Pig?, Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc, 18 Tiny Deaths, Deathless Divide, and Everyday Angel. What are you excited to read? ?❤️?
Last week‘s haul was a doozy. I was very stressed at work so I ordered quite a few books from Book Outlet, went to the Strand over the weekend, and my fave local CT bookstore. 🤓📚📚📚📚📚
pickA great debut novel set in Nigeria. I love to read stories where I can immerse myself in a life I had never imagined. Alternating narrators between siblings, I related most to Bibike. While her life, hometown, & upbringing are so different from my own, there are also so many similarities in the way we think and feel. This realization makes me feel very connected to all women around the world, no matter our circumstances.
Releasing on 2/04!
