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Book Review and Reflection: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Reading Time: 2 minutesBuy Book Here Introduction In preparation for Oyinkan Braithwaite’s follow-up book, Cursed Daughters (due for release in September 2025), to My Sister, the Serial Killer, I have decided to re-read My Sister, the Serial Killer and write a review about it this time. I’m glad I did, because it not only gave me a chance to reflect on it again, but also really looking forward to the new book as I was left wanting more of the story. Cursed Daughters seems to promise the “more” I’ve been seeking. Book Summary My Sister, the Serial Killer is Oyinkan Braithwaite’s debut novel, and it is as gripping as it…
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Book Review and Reflection of Living, Loving and Lying Awake at Night by Sindiwe Magona
Reading Time: 5 minutesPublished: 2003Genre: Short Story Collection / Literary Fiction Buy the book HERE Introduction Motherhood is a multitude of existence. When one becomes a mother, they cease to exist for themselves. The first chapter of Living, Loving and Lying Awake at Night reflects this. Mothers are charged with bringing life into the world, cultivating it, pruning it, watering it, and caring for it. Most mothers would do anything for their children’s well-being and survival. Sometimes, it means leaving them (physically) to be their mother, as one of the protagonists in this book emphasised. Book Summary and Reflections Living, Loving, and Lying Awake at Night is a collection of…
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Book Review and Reflection of We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
Reading Time: 4 minutesGenre: Coming of Age, FictionDate of Publication: 2013Get a copy HERE Introduction Another literary gem from Zimbabwe. Firstly, I adore the cover of the hard copy I received. We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo is striking from the very start. Chilling themes are revealed early on and continue to unfold throughout the book. The writing is excellent. NoViolet takes readers into a vivid world that feels almost tangible, with its incredible nuances threaded throughout. One may miss hidden meanings if they aren’t looking closely. For instance, in Chapter One, Darling, the protagonist, says: “We just walk nicely like Budapest is now our country too, like we…
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Book Review and Reflection: Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza
Reading Time: 3 minutesBook Published: 2006Buy the Book: HERE Introduction I have always had a keen interest in learning about the Rwandan Genocide, stemming from my undergraduate studies in law. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide, where nearly one million Tutsis were slaughtered in just 100 days, is a significant aspect of Rwanda’s history. My dissertation for my LLB honours degree focused on the human rights of women and children during this tragic time. However, most of my early research was based on official documents and academic papers. As my interest deepened, I grew a strong desire to learn about people’s lived experiences of the Genocide. Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza…
