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Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen ...
Brief Summary
Meet Bridget Jones—a 30-something Singleton who is certain she would have all the answers if she could:
a. lose 7 pounds
b. stop smoking
c. develop Inner Poise
"123 lbs. (how is it possible to put on 4 pounds in the middle of the night? Could flesh have somehow solidified becoming denser and heavier? Repulsive, horrifying notion), alcohol units 4 (excellent), cigarettes 21 (poor but will give up totally tomorrow), number of correct lottery numbers 2 (better, but nevertheless useless)..."
Bridget Jones' Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud daily chronicle of Bridget's permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement — a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and learn to program the VCR.
Over the course of the year, Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Through it all, Bridget will have you helpless with laughter, and — like millions of readers the world round — you'll find yourself shouting, "Bridget Jones is me!"
Decolonising the Mind: The Politics o...
Decolonising the Mind is a collection of essays about language and its constructive role in national culture, history, and identity.
The book, which advocates for linguistic decolonization, is one of Ngũgĩ’s best-known and most-cited non-fiction publications, helping to cement him as a pre-eminent voice theorizing the “language debate” in post-colonial studies.
Ngũgĩ describes the book as “a summary of some of the issues in which I have been passionately involved for the last twenty years of my practice in fiction, theatre, criticism, and in teaching of literature…” Decolonising the Mind is split into four essays: “The Language of African Literature,” “The Language of African Theatre,” “The Language of African Fiction,” and “The Quest for Relevance.”
Good Luck, Toni by Waithira Francis
Brief Summary
Toni is back Not as the naive, unsophisticated young girl we first met in My Name is Toni, but as a young mother, navigating a second marriage which does not escape the drama and love snares that seem to follow toni everywhere. Will her marriage survive or will it crumble like the first one?
A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen
A Don House is a three-act play written by Henrik Ibsen, the same author of the evergreen An Enemy of the People. It deals with the fate of a married woman — Nora Helmer — who lacks reasonable opportunities for self-fulfillment in a male-dominated world. The protagonist in the play, Nora had earlier on committed a forgery, in order to save the life of her authoritarian husband, Torvald Helmer.
And now she is being blackmailed and lives in fear of her husband finding out about her vice, and of the shame, such a revelation would bring to his career. When the truth comes out, Nora is shocked to learn where she really stands in her husband's esteem. To her husband, Nora is an amusing 'thing' to be petted, but unreliable.
To other people like Mrs Linden and Nils Krogstad, she is naive and spoiled. Nora symbolizes the status of the majority of women in this conservative patriarchal society, making the play as relevant today as it was, decades ago, in Norway.
Blossoms of the Savannah by H. R. Ole...
Brief Summary
Blossoms of the Savannah follows the lives of two young sisters on the verge of womanhood. Taiyo and Resian both become aware of the conflict between their personal dreams and their duty to the Nasila tradition and culture. H. R. Ole Kulet addresses the elusive concerns of female genital mutilation and early marriages among the Maa community of the Massai and captures the reader's imagination as he traces the girls' excruciatingly painful steps to victory.
God’s Bits of Wood by Ousmane S...
Brief Summary
In 1947 the workers on the Dakar-Niger Railway came out on strike. Throughout this novel, written from the workers' perspective, the community social tensions emerge, and increase as the strike lengthens
Ousmane Sembène envinces the color, passion, and tragedy of those formative years in the history of West Africa.
Sweet Pains by George Oduor
Brief Summary
Nadia had always wished to get an education and be somebody in life. When a stepmother she never met, Amala appeared with news of her going to the city, Nadia knew her dream had come to pass, for Amala promised just that. But Nadia did not know she was a victim of an avenge mission and human trafficking network led by Gael, her interesting mistress who turns out Nadia's greatest tormentor and mother of Kaso, the man she loves the most.
Mythos by Stephen Fry
Rediscover the thrills, grandeur, and unabashed fun of the Greek myths—stylishly retold by Stephen Fry. This legendary writer, actor, and comedian breathes new life into beloved tales.
From Persephone's pomegranate seeds to Prometheus's fire, from devious divine schemes to immortal love affairs, Fry draws out the humor and pathos in each story and reveals its relevance for our own time.
Illustrated throughout with classical art inspired by the myths, this gorgeous volume invites you to explore a captivating world, with a brilliant storyteller as your guide.
Abunuwasi by Gado Swahili Edition
Brief Summary
Full color comic book in Swahili. This 32-page book is a cartoon rendering of three traditional folk tales from the Swahili tradition of the East African coast. Abunuwasi is a character from the "trickster" tradition of African folklore: he finds ways to trick the greedy and the selfish and always wins, and every story has a moral. The stories are funny and clever and Tanzanians and Kenyans have grown up on them for generations.
The Agony of Rejection by Sarah Kihu
Growing up in a humble, well-respected family, Anita and her family seemed to have it all. This was the case until one dreadful autumn when everything changed. Illness and misery befell the family all at once, leaving them wounded and brokenhearted.
The family suffered from rejection and bullying that led to scary outcomes. The journey was tough and lonely. Could they ever recover from the hate they faced?
Although the family was suffering as a whole, Anita was hit especially hard; faced with depression, heartbreak, and addiction, she felt abandoned by those she trusted and loved and for a long time saw no end to her despair. Could she find the heart to forgive them and maybe even forgive herself? Would she ever find the true love that she yearned for, or was she destined for loneliness?
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…
In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.
Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.
And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.
Sooley by John Grisham
ONE MAN. ONE HOPE. ONCE CHANCE TO BECOME A LEGEND.
ONE MAN
Seventeen-year-old Samuel Sooleyman comes from a village in South Sudan, a war-torn country where one third of the population is a refugee. His great love is basketball: his prodigious leap and lightning speed make him an exceptional player. And it may also bring him his big chance: he has been noticed by a coach taking a youth team to the United States.
ONE HOPE
If he gets through the tournament, Samuel's life will change beyond recognition. But it's the longest of long shots. His talent is raw and uncoached. There are hundreds of better-known players ahead of him. And he must leave his family behind, at least at the beginning.
ONE CHANCE
As American success beckons, devastating news reaches Samuel from home. Caught between his dream and the nightmare unfolding thousands of miles away, 'Sooley', as he's nicknamed by his classmates, must make hard choices about his future. This quiet, dedicated boy must do what no other player has achieved in the history of his chosen game: become a legend in twelve short months.
How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
So begins Imbolo Mbue’s powerful second novel, How Beautiful We Were. Set in the fictional African village of Kosawa, it tells the story of a people living in fear amidst environmental degradation wrought by an American oil company.
Pipeline spills have rendered farmlands infertile. Children are dying from drinking toxic water. Promises of clean-up and financial reparations to the villagers are made—and ignored. The country’s government, led by a brazen dictator, exists to serve its own interest. Left with few choices, the people of Kosawa decide to fight back. Their struggle would last for decades and come at a steep price.
Told through the perspective of a generation of children and the family of a girl named Thula who grows up to become a revolutionary, How Beautiful We Were is a masterful exploration of what happens when the reckless drive for profit, coupled with the ghost of colonialism, comes up against one community’s determination to hold onto its ancestral land and a young woman’s willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of her people’s freedom.
When Rain Clouds Gather by Bessie Head
Diary of a Clueless Farmer by Karen N...
Brief Summary
Discontented with the daily hustle of city life, twenty-eight-year-old Rosalyn Chege completely goes off the grid and buys a farm in the rustic village of Mukuyu in a bid to slow down and find her life’s purpose. The naive Rosalyn erroneously assumes that the village folk are a warm-hearted lot, unadulterated by the world’s vices unlike their city counterparts.
The quirky and sometimes laughable characters such as the alcohol imbibing farmhand Njaramba or the envious teacher Millicent Mwendwa often prove her wrong.Rosalyn quickly finds out that life in the village is anything but tranquil and undisturbed. In between playing midwife, a brief teaching and getting shot in the leg by a new found arch-rival, Rosalyn often finds hers hands full with everything but farming.
The dashing Dr Ezra Mchana, Mukuyu’s self proclaimed most eligible bachelor has his eyes set on Rosalyn. Their riveting romance is often faced with turbulent challenges but eventually love conquers all and after much soul searching, loss and triumph, Rosalyn finally finds her place not just in Mukuyu but in the world as a whole. Written in journal form, Diary Of A Clueless Farmer is a quintessential Kenyan story. The characters are a true reflection of Kenya’s society and its current trends. It is a classic story, laced with satire and good-natured humor where good triumphs and evil fails. It is a story of family, faith and hope.
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Brief Summary
Lydia Quixano Pérez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable.
Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy—two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.
Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia—trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?
Lagos Noir by Chris Abani
Brief Summary
West Africa enters the Noir Series arena, meticulously edited by one of Nigeria’s best-known authors.
Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.
Brand-new stories by: Chris Abani, Nnedi Okorafor, E.C. Osondu, Jude Dibia, Chika Unigwe, A. Igoni Barrett, Sarah Ladipo Manyika, Adebola Rayo, Onyinye Ihezukwu, Uche Okonkwo, Wale Lawal, ‘Pemi Aguda, and Leye Adenle.
The Smart Money Woman by Arese Ugwu
Meet Zuri. She’s living a fabulous life. Great car, gorgeous apartment, well paid job.
Meet Zuri. Broken down car, an apartment she cant afford, a job she’s about to lose.
What’s a broke girl to do?
With her best friends Tami (the flighty fashion designer), Lara (the tough oil and gas executive), Adesuwa (the conservative lawyer), and Ladun (the fabulous housewife), Zuri grows a little, learns a lot and navigates her way to making better financial decisions and building wealth.
This book tackles, debt, spending, the consumerist culture of the African middle class, the fear and misconceptions surrounding money and the lack of it, love, friendships, cultural and societal pressures and the roles they play in success. With each chapter comes a Smart Money Lesson, there to help you work your way up the financial ladder.
A Legacy of Spies by John le Carré
Brief Summary
Peter Guillam, staunch colleague and disciple of George Smiley of the British Secret Service, otherwise known as the Circus, is living out his old age on the family farmstead on the south coast of Brittany when a letter from his old Service summons him to London. The reason? His Cold War past has come back to claim him.
Intelligence operations that were once the toast of secret London, and involved such characters as Alec Leamas, Jim Prideaux, George Smiley and Peter Guillam himself, are to be scrutinized by a generation with no memory of the Cold War and no patience with its justifications.
Interweaving past with present so that each may tell its own intense story, John le Carré has spun a single plot as ingenious and thrilling as the two predecessors on which it looks back: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. In a story resonating with tension, humor and moral ambivalence, le Carré and his narrator Peter Guillam present the reader with a legacy of unforgettable characters old and new.
Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski
Brief Summary
In what is widely hailed as the best of his many novels, Charles Bukowski details the long, lonely years of his own hardscrabble youth in the raw voice of alter ego Henry Chinaski. From a harrowingly cheerless childhood in Germany through acne-riddled high school years and his adolescent discoveries of alcohol, women, and the Los Angeles Public Library's collection of D. H. Lawrence, "Ham on Rye" offers a crude, brutal, and savagely funny portrait of an outcast's coming-of-age during the desperate days of the Great Depression.
