Are you wondering what books to read in 2014? There are a handful of titles that are sure to hold your attention once you turn the first page. A literary scholar, Arthur Anyaduba, provides
Connect Nigeria a list of books Nigerian readership should watch out for in 2014 in no particular order.
1. Aliko Mohammad Dangote – A Biography of the Richest Black Person In the World
Genre: Biography
Author: Moshood Ademola Fayewinmo and Margie Marie Neal
Number of pages: 520
Publisher/Publication Year: Strategic Book Publishing/2013
Short Description: Reviews on this book call it a compelling book about Dangote. The fact that Dangote is the richest African and black man in the world is a testament to the potentials of the African economy for investors interested in making legitimate money in the Nigerian economy. Aliko’s business success presents a window of opportunity for the Nigerian government to attract foreign investors into the Nigerian and African economies. Dangote has trumped long held assumptions, cultural archetypes and stereotypes to become known as a respected businessman, power broker and philanthropist. It is a readable book written in an easy and straight forward prose.
2. Foreign gods INC
Genre: Fiction
Author: Okey Ndibe
Number of pages: 336
Release Year: January 2014
Publisher: Soho Press
Short Description: The book tells the story of Ike, a new York-based Nigerian cab driver who sets out to steal the statue of an ancient war deity from his home village and sell it to a New York gallery. Ike’s plan is fueled by desperation. Despite a degree in economics from a major American college, his strong accent has barred him from the corporate world. Forced to eke out a living as a cab driver, he is unable out manage the emotional and material needs of a temperamental African American bride and a widowed mother demanding financial support. When he turns to gambling, his mounting losses compound his woes and so, he travels back to Nigeria to steal the statue, where he has to deal with old friends, family and a mounting conflict between those in the village who worship the deity and those who practice Christianity… Foreign gods INC is a brilliant work of fiction that illuminates our globally interconnected world like no other.
Wole Soyinka, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells of the writer and his work: “We clearly have a fresh talent at work here. It is quite a while since I sensed creative promise on this level.”
3. Love is Power or Something like that
Genre: Short story collection
Author: A. Igoni Barrett
Number of pages: 176
Publisher/Publication Year: Graywolf Press/2013
Short Description: “Here is a singular voice in African writing: urbane, unapologetic, as harsh as the truth, as tender as love, an old subject that A. Igoni Barrett refreshes by beaming the searing and precise light of his language into the darkest corners of its territory. A masterful accomplishment.” – Doreen Baingana, author of
Tropical Fish.
In the book’s wide-ranging stories, A. Igoni Barrett roams the streets with people from all stations of life. A man with acute halitosis navigates the chaos of the Lagos bus system. A minor policeman, full of the authority and corruption of his uniform, beats his wife. A family’s fortunes fall from love and wealth to infidelity and poverty as poor choices unfurl over three generations. With humor and tenderness, Barrett introduces us to an utterly modern Nigeria, where desire is a means to an end and love is a power as real as money.
4. Ghana Must Go
Genre: Fiction
Author: Taiye Selasi
Number of pages: 336
Publisher/Publication Year: Peguin Press HC/2013
Short Description: Moving with great elegance through time and place,
Ghana Must Go charts the Sais’ circuitous journey to one another. In the wake of Kweku’s death, his children gather in Ghana at their enigmatic mother’s new home. The eldest son and his wife; the mysterious, beautiful twins; the baby sister now a young woman; each carries secrets of his own. What is revealed in their coming together is the story of how they came apart: the hearts broken, the lies told, the crimes committed in the name of love. Splintered, alone, each navigates his pain, believing that what has been lost can never be recovered until, in Ghana, a new way forward, a new family, begins to emerge.
Ghana Must Go teaches that the truths we speak can heal the wounds we hide.
5. Soldiers of Fortune
Genre: Non-fiction
Author: Max Siollun
Number of Pages: 336
Publisher/Publication Year: Cassava Republic/2013
Short Description: This book is the story of Nigeria’s political journey between December 31, 1983 and August 27, 1993. It is a fast-paced and thrilling narrative of the major events of the Buhari and Babangida eras. The book draws on previously uncovered observations from interviews conducted with insiders (including a former member of the Brigade of Guards and Nigerian Airways personnel who witnessed the attempted kidnap of Umaru Dikko), to compile step-by-step dramatic reconstructions of disputed events and intrigues. Siollun’s fresh perspective challenges preconceived views to reveal the true story behind controversies of the period: the annulment of the June 12 election, the dubious execution of Mamman Vatsa, the foiled kidnapping of Umaru Dikko, the Orkar coup and the inconclusive case of the assassination of Dele Giwa.
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This article was first published on 24th December 2013
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Short Description: “Here is a singular voice in African writing: urbane, unapologetic, as harsh as the truth, as tender as love, an old subject that A. Igoni Barrett refreshes by beaming the searing and precise light of his language into the darkest corners of its territory. A masterful accomplishment.” – Doreen Baingana, author of Tropical Fish.
In the book’s wide-ranging stories, A. Igoni Barrett roams the streets with people from all stations of life. A man with acute halitosis navigates the chaos of the Lagos bus system. A minor policeman, full of the authority and corruption of his uniform, beats his wife. A family’s fortunes fall from love and wealth to infidelity and poverty as poor choices unfurl over three generations. With humor and tenderness, Barrett introduces us to an utterly modern Nigeria, where desire is a means to an end and love is a power as real as money.
4. Ghana Must Go
Genre: Fiction
Author: Taiye Selasi
Number of pages: 336
Publisher/Publication Year: Peguin Press HC/2013
