Kenny Loves to Read

Heartwarming and heart-breaking, loved it!

Loved this so much!! Read this as a book club read and was not expecting it to be so steamy but it was also very sweet and I fell in love with Stella and Michael's bond. 

I love this book! I always expect cheesy and predictable storylines when I read romance but, although still fairly predictable (come on, we read these books because we do want a happy ending), I wasn't bored one bit as I read this. I found myself smiling along a lot, which is always a good thing. As a protagonist, Naomi is a good blend of strong and vulnerable, something I don't find in a lot of books in the same genre. I'm definitely filing the next books in the series in my TBR folder.

Wow, this one had me hooked all through. It's pretty grim and not for the faint hearted but very cleverly written. I didn't realise it was a part of a series so the ending threw me a little but it was still pretty good. Highly recommended for crime fiction fans.

I wish I could say I enjoyed this as much as the last book but, sadly, it just didn't keep the flame alive for me. I felt like I needed to keep reading just to get to the end, to see what became of the characters even though, once again, I didn't care too much about them. The end was a surprise as the book could very easily have been the conclusion of the series and I wonder if the twist was just to set the characters off on a new adventure. It's not a bad book, just a little confused and sometimes  excessive with all the new "abilities" we were introduced to. I'll probably read the next one but won't be as eager as I was before. 

This was a quick and easy read. I loved its contemporary setting and unabashed display of a Nigerian society I actually recognise. As much as I appreciate all the renowned African literature set in politically charged times or civil unrest, it was refreshing to read a thriller based in an upper middle class world where the main characters were allowed to just be themselves without too much external influence. The ending was fairly predictable but I wasn't disappointed.

There were elements I loved about this book, but an equal number of things that frustrated me. Let's start with the positives. The setting evoked a lot of nostalgia for me because I grew up in Enugu and holidayed in Nsukka, in the same university Kambili and Jaja stayed at, also roughly around the time the book was set. Adichie's description of the scenery and way of life was spot on and she perfectly captured the feelings I recall from back then. I always feel a sense of relief reading books where Nigerian culture and way of life is relayed so accurately, with no attempts to dumb down things for non African readers. Adichie never disappoints in that aspect (I highly recommend her other books for this reason and more). My frustration was with Kambili. I appreciate the fact that she was a shy and oppressed child who couldn't do much about her situation but, I just couldn't relate to her at all. She came across as weak, not just scared whilst her brother and cousins actually felt like they were real people who responded logically to the harsh realities of their lives. Everything was happening around her and she did very little to influence anything. Right up to the end, I kept waiting for her to use all the changes happening around her to snap out of her docile state but it never quite happened. I did, however, enjoy the story and how it unfolded, albeit at a pace that was too slow in places. A very emotive read.

I always find it difficult to like a story when I don't warm to the protagonist. In spite of all utterly horrible things that happened to Carys, I just couldn't bring myself to care if she came out on top at the end. Maybe it was because it always felt like she wasn't being completely honest even when the story was seen from her POV. Good premise and really good beginning with the surprise weekend away element but it fell a little flat for me when all the real mystery started to unfold. 

This had so much promise but, although I enjoyed some of it the way through, it was all so conveniently plotted that I didn't feel any real sense of conflict or satisfaction at the end. George Foss was also not a protagonist I was cheering on. I don't want to say too much or I'll spoil the plot but he came across as much too gullible and eager to please the one person he should have known not to trust. However, I really liked the way the story was told seamlessly across twenty years and the amount of detail in which some usually obscure scenes were described.

Not a particularly gripping read but Jende and Neni's story is one which will resonate with a lot of people, especially anyone torn between choosing from two incredibly hard decisions. I initially started off empathising with both characters but it got to a point where only Jende's POV moved me. I get why Neni did some of the things she felt she had to do but the desperation sometimes seemed unjustifiable given the possible consequences. Overall, a good story which comes together really well in the end but something felt lacking to me, I'm just not sure what.

Really enjoyed this instalment in the African Trilogy. It's set in a more "modern" scene than the others (1950s) which I could relate to better but it also flowed quite easily and was a fair bit shorter. And I like how it linked to the others but not in an overly dominating way.

This was a great read with a few unexpected twists which kept me turning the pages late at night. My only gripe was that the drip feeding of the political climate seemed forced and didn't add anything to the story. In fact, there was a particular scene which I'm convinced was introduced for shock value and yet it failed to hit the mark. I grew up in Nigeria in the 80s and 90s so recognised pretty much everything decribed and yet it all felt like an add on. Other than that, I loved the way the real story of Yejide and Akin unfolded and the raw honesty of the characters' emotions. Highly recommended.

Utterly pleased with this second installation in the crazy rich, fickle and idiotic people series. Once you get used to the ludicrously lavish and indulgent world the characters live in from the first book, it's so much easier to see and enjoy their lives as almost normal. Almost. There are still some things nobody can excuse. I particularly loved the way the older generation scrimped on basic things like hotel bottled water yet spurlged on the most ridiculous luxuries. And yes, I will be buying the next book. I need to see how things pan out for quite a few of the characters.

Another engrossing story from Achebe who very eloquently and fluidly relays the traditional rituals of the Igbos through the lives of his characters. I really enjoyed reading about Ezeulu and his large and colourful household. His love-hate relationship with the rest of the village(s) and his encounter with the British colonisers was very well played out. The end felt a bit rushed and abrupt though with everything sort of wrapped up in the last few pages (very much like in Things Fall Apart). Maybe this was just Achebe's writing style, but it left me feeling wanting, inspite of the overall great read. It's still a book I'd recommend, plus I definitely enjoyed reading all those beautifully rich Igbo words.

I have to admit, I was expecting this to be just another wishy washy chic lit with a catchy name and funny tagline (I've clearly read far too many), but 'Who's that girl' had me hooked from the first chapter until the very last word. It was witty and believable and I actually found I really liked the protagonist so I cared about what she was going through. Yes it was a tad bit predictable in soms areas but there is nothing new under the sun, as they say. It probably also helped that it was set in Nottingham, a city I studied at, so I enjoyed recognising so many of the places mentioned. Anyway, highly recommended.