44 Books in 2022

It’s not a new year if I don’t give you a list of books I’ve read the year before.

TOP 5

Out of the 44 books I read, here are my top 5

A good name by Yejide Kilanko: Like many others, Eziafa got caught in the “Ämerican dream” propaganda. This led to him moving there.12 years later at 38 years old, he has no money and no wife. His family back home is on his neck for cash and a bride. He meets a Nigerian American with whom he shares strong feelings.Discussions with his mother shows that she does not approve of her. Due to the pressure, he decides to go back to Nigeria to pick a young Zina, who he thinks he can mold to his liking. He brings Zina to America and soon learns that one cannot just pick a wife and mold her. This is a Nigerian book that touches on topics like black tax, immigration, marriages as well as culture.

A Thousand Splend Suns by Khaled Hosseini: Everyone Loves Kite Runner by the same author. A Thousand Splendid Suns is just as good. It follows the story of two women, and how they ended up being co-wives to a man decades their senior. Mariam is married off to Rasheed at 15 years and Laila comes in years later as a second wife. The two Afghani women soon learn that the only way to weather the storm is to form a strong bond to help protect themselves. Each woman had a story that led up to them marrying Rasheed. Despite the choices made, they each learn to find comfort in these choices. The book depicts violence, war, hope, and abuse

A house without windows Nadia Hashimi: Another Aghan book on the list. This book shows the stories of women unjustly sent to prison in Afghanistan. The story mainly talks about Zeba, a housewife whose life was turned upside down when her husband was found dead in their compound. With no witness and a miscarriage of justice, she is sent to prison. While in prison, a young lawyer tries to free her in a case many say is a waste of time. While in prison, she’s plagued by the thought of her kid’s welfare, the mother who she cut from her life, and questions that even she can’t answer. How does a perfect wife turn into a cold-blooded murderer?

Death on the Nile Agatha Christie: A boat cruise along the Nile leaves one person dead with everyone onboard having a justified motive for wanting her dead. Linnet Doyle is on honeymoon in Egypt with her husband, who was once engaged to her best friend. Linnet Doyle is said to be rich, pretty, and the center of attention. She marries Simon,an unemployed nobody. Together, they travel the world for their honeymoon. In Egypt, they end up with the most sought-after detective, Hercule Poirot on vacation. This gives Linnet peace of mind knowing how her choices led her on a trip of unease. When a murder happens on board, Hercule gets to solving this murder to figure out who must have killed Linnet among the suspicious characters on board?

on writing by Stephen King: A legend in my books, Stephen King tells us about circumstances that led to some of his best sellers as well as some advice for writers finding their way in the writing world. From writing stories at a young age to having a newspaper and finally being the Stephen king he is. He is truthful about what he thinks makes one a good writer. He also let us into his state of mind when writing some of his books. I did a newsletter touching on this.

LEFT A MARK

All the ugly and wonderful things: Lolita but different. A dark childhood of a girl left to raise herself and exposed to how disturbing the world can be. Some people are stuck on how to feel about this. What do you think? disturbing?

Everything I never told you Celeste Ng: When death takes the favorite child, the siblings, cast aside, deal with the effects while the parents discover they never really knew their daughter. What matters the most is the truth about her death?

Asleep Banana Yoshimoto: Three women find peace in sleep. An enchanting sleep that connects them with those they’ve lost. A sleep that helps them make peace with the ghost of the dead.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi: The loss of a brother, a suicidal mother, and a girl left to deal with it. The torn family turns to religion and science for answers. Now taken back to the past, it’s a wonder how she got to where she is. Depression, racism, immigration, and grief are core themes.

THE REST

Black Ass by Igoni Barrett: Imagine waking up white in Nigeria and experiencing what it’s like to have that white privilege in a black country?

Atomic Habits by James Clear: “Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.”. How do we form these habits?

A Broken People’s Playlist Chimeka Garicks: In 12 stories, we explore what it means to love and to lose. To be betrayed and be forgiven. Most important of all, to find oneself despite how broken a person is

The death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi: A body shows up abandoned on the porch of his parents. In seeking the truth, she comes to accept her child.

The Sky is Falling by Sidney Sheldon: A whole family is wiped out in different unsuspecting accidents to hide a secret. Dana comes across information she should not have now she fights for her life.

The Teller of Secrets by Bisi Adjapon: Despite keeping secret the sex lives of others, Esi is confused when she gets berated for doing the same. This leads her down a different road growing up when navigating sexuality as well as herself

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney: Growing up comes with the need for stability and healthier relationships. Frances and Bobbi learn this when Bobbi gets involved with an older married guy.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Oliven: The need to die brings two people together. They make the world a bit better for the other and push the other to live…But for how long?

The Paris Apartment Lucy Foley: Jess moves to Paris to stay with her brother but he’s missing. Something odd about his neighbors keeps her searching.

The Outsider Stephen King:

What happens when you are the culprit to a crime but you were not even in the same city when the crime took place? evidence places you at two locations at the same time. How?

The Institute by Stephen king: A family is murdered and a kid missing. He takes up at a building with other kids and is told he has a special talent. How does one escape an institute that no one has ever escaped from?

Misery by Stephen King: When Annie Wilkins saves an author from an accident, she keeps him captive till he writes a book for her.

You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi: How do you move on from a relationship only to end up in the most unconventional one? Feyi has decisions to make but are they the right one?

An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine: Alone with her books, Aaliya finds love in translation. As she ages, she soon opens up to more than just her books She finds comfort in those around her.

Before I go to Sleep SJ Watson: Christine wakes up every day with no memory. One morning she finds her diary and discovers every morning, she re-discovers she’s living a lie. A dangerous one but she is never awake long enough to do something about it.

Tomorrow I become a Woman by Aiwanose Odafeni: How do you fight a society that supports your abuser, puts you down for infertility, and demands that you risk your life because one child is not enough. How do these three friends deal with a love turned sour, and a marriage that imprisons them.

The Art of war Sun Tzu: Twenty-Five Hundred years ago, Sun Tzu wrote this classic book of military strategy based on Chinese warfare and military thought

The Perfect Child Lucinda Berry: Having a child seems like the best for a couple till they realised how damaged she is. Can she be helped before she pushes them to the edge?

It Ends With Us Colleen Hoover: Lily discovers love again when she meets Ryle. Despite the abuse, she stays till she can’t no more. Soon she reconnects with her first love.

Dele weds Destiny Tomi Obaro: Three friends now others, reunite for the wedding of one of theirs. Going down memory lane, they also learn to reconnect with their children and be better friends to one another.

The Best of Friends Lucinda Berry: Three children hang out. One is dead. One unresponsive. One refuses to talk. Their mothers are best friends. Friendships are tested as each one tries to get justice for their kids while secrets are exposed.

The Hive Scarlett Brade: Charlottes has killed her ex-boyfriend and his partner on her Instagram live. Is she yet another jealous ex or is there something more sinister going on?

Honey and spice Bolu Babalola: A fake relationship now real, and an unlikely bond is formed. Kiki opens her heart and Malakai commits

Notes on Grief Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks about what it meant to lose her father during the pandemic.

It Starts with us. Colleen Hoover: picking up from it ends with us, it focuses on Lily and Atlas.

If He had been with me Laura Nowlin: “I wasn’t with Finn on that August night. But I should’ve been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it’s not important. They do not know there is another story.”

Ogadinma by Ukamaka Olisakwe: “After a rape and unwanted pregnancy leave her exiled from her family in Kano, thwarting her plans to go to university, she is sent to her aunt’s in Lagos and pressured into a marriage with an older man”

The Perfect Marriage Jeneva Rose : Would you defend your husband if he was accused of killing his mistress? Sarah Morgan did just that.

How it feels to float Helena Fox: Biz knows how to float. She also knows how to keep her thoughts to herself till she can’t tell what’s real anymore.

10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World by Elif Shafak: Tequila is killed and dumped in a dumpster. For the remaining 10 minutes, 38 seconds she is alive, her memories play in her head.

The Secret lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Hilyaw Explores the raw and tender places where black women and girls dare to follow their desires and pursue a momentary reprieve from being good”

The sex lives of African Women Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah: A conversation starter like Three Women but centering the experiences of women of color: a mellifluous chorus celebrating the liberation, individuality, and joy of African women’s multifaceted sexuality