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#AfricanLiterature
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JackHowley5
The voice | Gabriel Okara

Great story to teach children about the power of their inner conscious

quote
JackHowley5
The voice | Gabriel Okara

“There is a voice inside of you that whispers all day long, I feel that this is right for me, I know that this is wrong.”

review
JackHowley5
The voice | Gabriel Okara
Pickpick

This poem is about a narrator who listens to the voice inside their head and decides to follow it. This poem teaches the great lesson that kids should listen to their inner voice and trust their instincts

review
Adventures_of_a_French_Reader
Houseboy | Ferdinand Oyono
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Pickpick

3/5
Written in 1956, it's a novel about the life of a houseboy under colonialism.
From the first pages we learn the tragic end of the houseboy, then we get to read his diary: how he came to be a houseboy, his daily life, etc.
Segregation, hypocrisy, racism, black/white relationships are the main themes.
It's a level B1 read in French, some words/phrases may be difficult for a non-native.

review
Bookwomble
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Pickpick

It's Amos Tutuola so it's bonkers! 🤪
While all of the novels I've read by Tutuola are episodic, this one is actually a collection of short stories, folklore retellings with a bit less of the darkly macabre & horror that inhabits his other works, which isn't to say people don't get eaten, bits chopped off them or get transformed into creepy-crawlies.
Perhaps familiarity affects my perception: I found these marginally less interesting but still 3½⭐

quote
Bookwomble
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“If we continue to pay "bad" for "bad", bad will never finish on earth.”

I guess Tutuola's thought is a reframing of "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind." It's from a tale that channels a similar vibe to the Judgement of Solomon story, though the wisdom lies not with the king in this version.

blurb
Bookwomble
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And now for something completely different...

A short volume of Amos Tutuola's stories drawn from Nigerian Yoruba folklore 🇳🇬

review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Almost a year after the first case, Dr Philip Taiwo is asked by his sister to investigate the disappearance of a pastor's wife.

As with the first book, this is not an action-packed pacy thriller, it's a slow build look at the moral decay that can hide below the polished surface. The storyline deals with the 'mega-churches', racism, corruption & the proverbial 'wolves in sheep's clothing'. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf It didn't grab the attention initially like the first book, but the main story was interesting, alongside other peripheral storylines involving the family. The reader even gets to briefly see the catalyst for the family's return to Nigeria from the US in a short flashback. Although the slow pace may not be to everyone's taste, I think this is a series which could keep developing & I'm happy to spend more time with Dr Taiwo & his family. 13mo
OutsmartYourShelf TWs: violence, death, torture, mention of suicide, sexual assault, racism.

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC/Raven Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5502337985

Read 8th-10th Nov 2023
13mo
33 likes2 comments
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shawnmooney
The Concubine | Elechi Amadi
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https://youtu.be/lDu_cUSDY44?si=5xJvd9v4dAGN4U9K

A playlist of all episodes in the Bite-sized Book Chat series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU-61cZp1pQdBH5V0Zb9q-2ujl4PY8nhf

Chat #1: with Freddie from Malaysia

The Concubine by Elechi Amadi

Chat #2: with Christie from New Brunswick
Christie‘s blog: https://theludicreader.com
@TheLudicReader

Zennor In Darkness by Helen Dunmore

shawnmooney Chat #3: with Mpush (Mphuthumi Ntabeni) from Cape Town (born in the Eastern Cape)

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Read Mpush‘s full review: https://www.litnet.co.za/yellowface-by-rf-kuang-a-book-review/

Chat #4: with Sarah-Hope from near Santa Cruz

The Ghost Theatre by Mat Osman

1y
TheLudicReader Fabulous! 1y
LeahBergen Yay! @TheLudicReader ❤️❤️ 1y
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 1y
26 likes4 comments
review
psalva
A Grain of Wheat | Ngugi wa Thiong'o
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Pickpick

Started this after seeing a discussion video on @shawnmooney ‘s BookTube channel about the author. It explores the complexities and nuances of human struggle for survival, contemplates morality in a world corrupted by colonialism, and asks, “What does it mean to be free?” A book which does not seek to provide easy answers. I took many notes and underlined a lot. Destined to be a top read of the year for me.

shawnmooney Best news I‘ve heard all day! I can‘t wait to try this one myself! 1y
18 likes1 comment