Kusoma Kwingi
One of my favorite things about KBW is the ability to learn from each other's experiences and insights. I've come across a couple of bloggers e.g spicebear talking about their favorite reads and I do plan to follow up on some of the books that have been mentioned. Reading for leisure has always been a passion of mine. Admittedly in Kenya I would try to get a hold of as many novels as I could. In primo I ravaged through Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox, Aesop's Fables, Beano, Tin Tin, Asterix and Obelix, including comic books on Lwanda Magere, Mundu Mugo, Nyakio the beautiful, Famous Five, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sweet Dreams, Sweet Valley High, Danielle Steele and Sidney Sheldon. The list is endless. I never caught onto Mills and Boon although a lot of my girlfriends did. Somewhere around undergrad I lost touch with reading ya kujienjoy lakini I picked up again. I have tried to focus on reading more books by African authors (lazima tujisupport). That said, I thought I would share some interesting reads that I've thoroughly enjoyed fiction and non-fiction:
1) Kwani? (I have all 3 and cannot wait for the next)
2) Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail - Malika Oufkir
3) A is for Ancestors - A selection of works from the Caine Prize for African Writing BTW there is a great story by Andiah Kisia on living abroad. Check it out.
4) Books from the African Writer's Series (Most favorite was "The Concubine" by Elechi Amadi though there are many others that I like from that series)
6) Desert Flower - Waris Dirie (Talk about survival)
7) Kill Me Quick- Meja Mwangi (A classic)
8) Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found - Suketu Mehta (more maonis by Kenyan Pundit)
9) Writing Still New Stories from Zimbabwe (Not yet finished but so far so good)
10) So Long A Letter - Mariama Ba (Talk about lack of women's rights - loved every single bit)
These are just a few and I will continue to share as I come across more. Kwa hivyo nduguzanguni feel free to hit me up and share books that you have come across and are of value to you. I'm open to ideas.
Flashback: Fasihi was easily my least favorite 8-4-4 subject. So my smart self decided that I would only thoroughly study a few books namely "Shamba la Wanyama" and "Visiki". The rest, "Amezidi" and "Kisima cha Giningi" were browsed over lightly (lightly being an overstatement). Shock on me when I found that the Visiki question was a nash for me! So, I chose to answer a question from one of my non-fav books. All I can say is ni Mungu tu! Somehow I managed. And what was up with those shairis that had the konkest swa on the planet?
1) Kwani? (I have all 3 and cannot wait for the next)
2) Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail - Malika Oufkir
3) A is for Ancestors - A selection of works from the Caine Prize for African Writing BTW there is a great story by Andiah Kisia on living abroad. Check it out.
4) Books from the African Writer's Series (Most favorite was "The Concubine" by Elechi Amadi though there are many others that I like from that series)
6) Desert Flower - Waris Dirie (Talk about survival)
7) Kill Me Quick- Meja Mwangi (A classic)
8) Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found - Suketu Mehta (more maonis by Kenyan Pundit)
9) Writing Still New Stories from Zimbabwe (Not yet finished but so far so good)
10) So Long A Letter - Mariama Ba (Talk about lack of women's rights - loved every single bit)
These are just a few and I will continue to share as I come across more. Kwa hivyo nduguzanguni feel free to hit me up and share books that you have come across and are of value to you. I'm open to ideas.
Flashback: Fasihi was easily my least favorite 8-4-4 subject. So my smart self decided that I would only thoroughly study a few books namely "Shamba la Wanyama" and "Visiki". The rest, "Amezidi" and "Kisima cha Giningi" were browsed over lightly (lightly being an overstatement). Shock on me when I found that the Visiki question was a nash for me! So, I chose to answer a question from one of my non-fav books. All I can say is ni Mungu tu! Somehow I managed. And what was up with those shairis that had the konkest swa on the planet?
posted by Kabinti at 9:35 PM
13 Comments:
mills and boons and harlequinn books are the spanish soap operas of literature - that's why i pendad them so much!
that's an interesting selection you have got there, i'll be sure to check some of them out. especially a is for ancestors, i've head alot about it.
So Long a Letter by the late Mariama Ba is one of my faverite books of all time.
Great list, Kabinti.
Wah, msichana! I have sareed the listing of the "old skool" books..Nyakio the Beautiful? Beano? I guess you forgot to add the Moses series (Moses, he of Mukibi's School for the Sons of African Gentlemen, somewhere in UG..)...
I was pretty good at Fasihi and Lit in high school and the interest bounced thereafter for pretty much till after uni (I question why, I guess there were too many other avenues of enlightment to be explored :-)
Great list, will look up some of the books, esp. the Kwani? Series. I'm currently reading Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life and Desert Flower (Waris Dirie)
Just saw Desert Flower on your list! Blame it on blogpostacommentcitement!
Mad survival, I tell ya! Its almost surreal that all that drama actually happened to Waris!
Simply written, extremely powerful...
@Spice - lol at spanish soaps. I think my favs will remain wild rose and no one but you. After those, I hardly had the patience. A is for ancestors is great too so when you can read it and tell me what you think.
@ Mshairi - Sad, I didn't know she passed away. She did an incredible job depicting women's lives in extremely patriarchal societies. Thanks for stopping bye.
@ Migz - kwa kweli I forgot the Moses series (Itchy fingers and the lot :o)). Plus the school had such a gisty name for a broken down institution. I loved those books by Barbara Kimenye. In fact i think I re-read two of the Moses series books this past Jan. I will definitely highlight them on the next list. Props for kumbushaing me. BTW, I need to read Waris' second book I can't remember the name right now lakini I hope it's as good as the last one. I will definitely check out Che's book. Have you watched the movie " The Motorcycle Diaries"? It focuses on a younger Che. LMAO at blogpostacommentcitement!
Ahsante kwa kunitembelea. Nice blog u have here. Regards, Jesse.
well hongera sana kwa kazi hii. bila shaka nimeipenda
kila la kheli na endelea vyema...
ukipata muda karibu kwangu www.rodgerz.blogspot.com
upumzike na habari za michezo...kwa kiswahili lugha bora kabisa duniani
Hey gal thats lovely rediscovering the African Literature which is sawa..
@Migz the Moses with a snake series my bro has them..
Lovely weekend
Thanks to private school my swa sanifu is crap!But since I came to stato I must also say that my reading has really eroded coz at one time I used to read like 3 books a week but now I do like one a month!Damn the life here!But anyhow there is so much to learn here on kbw!
Pole everyone! Been procrastinating on these replies
@ Jesse- thank you v much
@ Rodgerz - asante ndugu
@ Nakeel - thanks girl, if you come across any interesting reads let me know :o)
@ labelle- i will definitely check that one out!
@ aco - I was in the same position once lakini somehow i managed to get back to reading. Hopefully you will be able to do the same too!
"The Motorcycle Diaries" is what made me that more interested in knowing more about Che as it left me with mob questions, mainly trying to connect where the movie left us and who he became.
Kabints, Waris has 2 other books in the "Desert" series: Desert Dawn and Desert Children..havent checked them out, but soon hope to.
The Moses series was too deadly! Was in Kampala past Xmas and I remember (must have been somewhere down Tusker lane...) asking a Ugandan if Mukibi's School for the Sons of African Gentlemen actually existed!
haha - had forgotten about 'Brer Rabbit' ... that was eons ago!
I enjoy Maya Angelou's writings.
@ migz - and what was the response? coz i would really like to visit "the institute" if it really was/is there
@ mama mia - memories are made of this :o)
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