Back in October 2018, I wrote in my review of Africa Under the Prism, that reading was hardwork that required three main ingredients: hardwork, hardwork and discipline. That’s reading for you.
Since the days my late dad borrowed books from the British Council Library for us to read at home in turns, through to the other books he bought for us and those we borrowed from friends, reading has and continues to be a good ally.
I was pleasantly surprised that in a list of 100 top books of all time as published by the BBC, I had read about 20% of the books – this thrilled me because these were in fact books I read way back.
My reading attitude over the years could best be described as erratically sporadic – emphasis mine. It wasn’t until beginning 2018 that I set out to undertake a more organized reading schedule – one book, one month.
It undoubtedly got off to a rocky start, faltered along the way and had a strong finish. A fine blend of the hardcover and e-books read from my phone. And oh, I bought my first ever e-book this year, $3.5 ‘The Story of Us’ accidentally done reading it – a story for another day.
The rocky start to 2018 reading was when I decided to start by reading “Fire and Fury,” by Micheal Wolff, I failed. Pages in, I felt I couldn’t expect any less as a journalist in close proximity to covering the Trump presidency. I’d get back to it this year – all things being equal.
Below is a list format of how the reading year went down.
a. January: FIRE AND FURY by Michael Wolff – FAILED
b. February: HALF OF A YELLOW SUN by Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie – PASSED
c. March: February and April readings overlapped into this month.
d. April: TAIL OF THE BLUE BIRD by Nii Ayikwei Parks - PASSED
e. May: THIS CHILD WILL BE GREAT by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - PASSED
f. June: MY FATHER’S SONG (Papa Ayivi’s Song) by Efo Kodjo Mawugbe - PASSED
g. July: MY REFLECTIONS ON LIFE by Sheikh Ishak Ibrahim Nuamah - PASSED
h. August: GHANA MUST GO by Taiye Selase - FAILED
i. September: YARTELEY’S DREAM by Joseph Otu Larbi - PASSED
j. October: AFRICA UNDER THE PRISM by Hatje Cantz – PASSED
k. November: GHANA MUST GO by Taiye Selase - PASSED
l. December: BECOMING by Michelle Obama - PASSED
Other books read outside reading plan:
NO LONGER AT EASE – Chinua Achebe
THE STORY OF US – Hanna Ali
PIECE OF MY FART – Adjei Agyei Baah
Acknowledgements:
Shout out to friends that shared books, those ones are indeed invaluable. Nii Akrofi Smart-Abbey availed two books – April and June.
Boss lady, Judith Ewurama Kodjo, also availed February read and was an invaluable ally in the area of story analysis as posted on my blog.
Then there is Brigette Uzezi (Macron) who afforded me a weird read and page flipper in October – for the record, she has yet to come for her book.
A Whatsapp group I belong to also provided the Chinua Achebe piece and then the e-book of Michelle Obama came via a Turkish-based former boss, [h]editor Verr Narkk Kwabb.
Michelle’s book had been released barely weeks, it was a hot product at the time. I protested that such unofficial zipping around was injurious to authors and publishers (others not an Obama, maybe) – but I had it and I enjoyed breezing through it.
In part two of this piece, I delve into a planned 2019 reading itinerary. Bought three books and an e-book last year. Already placed copies for a Somali and two Ugandan writers for 2019 – sharing that next. Till then, get reading.
1 Jumadal Uulaa, 1440H = 06 January, 2019
Since the days my late dad borrowed books from the British Council Library for us to read at home in turns, through to the other books he bought for us and those we borrowed from friends, reading has and continues to be a good ally.
I was pleasantly surprised that in a list of 100 top books of all time as published by the BBC, I had read about 20% of the books – this thrilled me because these were in fact books I read way back.
My reading attitude over the years could best be described as erratically sporadic – emphasis mine. It wasn’t until beginning 2018 that I set out to undertake a more organized reading schedule – one book, one month.
It undoubtedly got off to a rocky start, faltered along the way and had a strong finish. A fine blend of the hardcover and e-books read from my phone. And oh, I bought my first ever e-book this year, $3.5 ‘The Story of Us’ accidentally done reading it – a story for another day.
The rocky start to 2018 reading was when I decided to start by reading “Fire and Fury,” by Micheal Wolff, I failed. Pages in, I felt I couldn’t expect any less as a journalist in close proximity to covering the Trump presidency. I’d get back to it this year – all things being equal.
Below is a list format of how the reading year went down.
a. January: FIRE AND FURY by Michael Wolff – FAILED
b. February: HALF OF A YELLOW SUN by Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie – PASSED
c. March: February and April readings overlapped into this month.
d. April: TAIL OF THE BLUE BIRD by Nii Ayikwei Parks - PASSED
e. May: THIS CHILD WILL BE GREAT by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - PASSED
f. June: MY FATHER’S SONG (Papa Ayivi’s Song) by Efo Kodjo Mawugbe - PASSED
g. July: MY REFLECTIONS ON LIFE by Sheikh Ishak Ibrahim Nuamah - PASSED
h. August: GHANA MUST GO by Taiye Selase - FAILED
i. September: YARTELEY’S DREAM by Joseph Otu Larbi - PASSED
j. October: AFRICA UNDER THE PRISM by Hatje Cantz – PASSED
k. November: GHANA MUST GO by Taiye Selase - PASSED
l. December: BECOMING by Michelle Obama - PASSED
Other books read outside reading plan:
NO LONGER AT EASE – Chinua Achebe
THE STORY OF US – Hanna Ali
PIECE OF MY FART – Adjei Agyei Baah
Acknowledgements:
Shout out to friends that shared books, those ones are indeed invaluable. Nii Akrofi Smart-Abbey availed two books – April and June.
Boss lady, Judith Ewurama Kodjo, also availed February read and was an invaluable ally in the area of story analysis as posted on my blog.
Then there is Brigette Uzezi (Macron) who afforded me a weird read and page flipper in October – for the record, she has yet to come for her book.
A Whatsapp group I belong to also provided the Chinua Achebe piece and then the e-book of Michelle Obama came via a Turkish-based former boss, [h]editor Verr Narkk Kwabb.
Michelle’s book had been released barely weeks, it was a hot product at the time. I protested that such unofficial zipping around was injurious to authors and publishers (others not an Obama, maybe) – but I had it and I enjoyed breezing through it.
In part two of this piece, I delve into a planned 2019 reading itinerary. Bought three books and an e-book last year. Already placed copies for a Somali and two Ugandan writers for 2019 – sharing that next. Till then, get reading.
1 Jumadal Uulaa, 1440H = 06 January, 2019
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