Stories and Book Talk

Tag: Books/Comics/Poetry Read

Books read , comics read, Poems read

  • Between Death and Heaven – Book Review

    Between Death and Heaven – Book Review

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    Exciting!

    This blog now has 100 posts!

    Apparently, I have had a hundred things to say. I can’t wait to reach 200 posts, but for today, I celebrate the small victories.

    And the Hundredth Post is…..

    A Book Review!

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    Between Death and Heaven

    by Annemarie Musawale

    What happens after we die? A vindictive ex-girlfriend (maybe, who knows?) is responsible for the death of happy lovers; Phil and Lillian. One minute they’re celebrating the possibility of a long life together, the next they’re contemplating eternity in the hospital where they die. Shenanigans ensue as they try to fit in with post-death society. What are the norms, who makes the rules, and who can they ask about being taken to the leader. Can they still love each other and remain lovers in this brave new non-world? These are just some of the questions that Phil and Lillian are confronted with. Oh, if only they’d appreciated contemplating their navels more when they were alive! Now there’s no choice; danger approaches, and they must be in with the right people before it comes…or else.

    Book Review

    Between Death and Heaven/ In The Shadow of the Styx is a paranormal novel tackling the afterlife.  Phil and Lillian find themselves in a new world when they end up in the hospital after having severe food poisoning. In this new world, they are ghosts without a clear path as to where they should go, who they should be, certainly what they were doesn’t matter so much anymore. 

    Lillian is eager to break through the barriers she and Phil face, and her courage sends them on a wild adventure to deliver an important message.  Well, it’s certainly a challenge, consider these two are dead, and therefore they are ghosts.  The use of cell phones, email, all manner of technology becomes obsolete. But not to worry, Musawale writes a great solution.  Plunging the reader into dramatic plots to obtain ingredients for spells, and witches who know it all.

    Between Death and Heaven has an innocent charm to it, even while tackling heavy issues like revenge and murder. The fact that the afterlife is unknown allows Musawale to take advantage of imagination and create a world that manages to captivate.

    The novel does introduce an array of characters, each one playing a role in Lillian and Phil’s adventure.  Each one with a mysterious background, or a legacy they can’t control or escape.  One thing’s for sure, the afterlife in Between Death and Heaven is not what you expect when you imagine death.

    My only complaint was that it took a bit of getting used to Lillian’s lingo.  I understand Musawale was staying true to Lillian’s roots, and after a while, reading got easier, and I expected it from Lillian.  This is an interesting complaint, as it really depends on the reader’s preference.  Lillian does turn out to be a strong, young woman who loved a man enough to make a dramatic change in her life.  I liked her for that, and her amusing perspective on people and life in general.

    Buy it here: Between Death and Heaven

    4.0 Stars

    About Annemarie Musawale:

    Her Blog

  • Fire by Dora Okeyo – Book Review

    Fire by Dora Okeyo – Book Review

    419OY5W4jgLFire

    by Dora Okeyo

    A boy is born in the land of Leo. As the sound of the cattle horn is heard, everyone in the Kingdom celebrates the birth of not only a boy, but the Crown Prince. His name is Ustawi.

    The hands that hold him foretell a prosperous future, but just like every dream has it’s valleys, so has Ustawi’s birth. One man has seen the evil that’s to befall the kingdom under the boy’s reign, his name is Ukweli. He is the Seer.

    Fire begins the story of the Prince’s life and as you read through a story rich in culture and customs you can only ask yourself, can the Seer fight the gods? Can he avert the impending doom that’s to come?

    Book Review

    Fire is a unique literature story, that focuses on East African folklore.  Ms. Okeyo names her characters using the Swahili language.  Each name, symbolizing what the character should be, what they could or should stand for.  For example Ukweli in Swahili means Truth.  I found this characterization quite insightful. 

    The story is quite simple, a Crown Prince is born into the land of Leo, the heir to his father’s throne, but instead of joy, the Seer, Ukweli is tormented by dreams of doom and darkness as he foresees the worst.  According to Ukweli, the land of Leo is going to face hard and dark times under the rule of Crown Prince Ustawi.  Tormented by this dreams, Ukweli goes on a journey hoping to find a solution, and on his journey, he finds more questions, and proof that Prince Ustawi’s reign will cause pain to the people of Leo.

    Ms. Okeyo paints a great folklore tale, weaving in East African’s own culture into her story.  You’re treated to scenes of palatial huts, cloaks made with animal skin, and elders in a circle, and that just made me smile.  The genre is a different approach for Ms. Okeyo, I’ve only read romance stories from her before, but this is different and she’s set herself apart with Fire.

    It did take me a lot longer to read.  You really need to settle down and get through each page to understand why Ukweli is moving from one place to another, and enduring so much torment.  This is not a complaint, more of a judgment of my own reading capabilities, I think.  I need to hone them, or something…^_^! It reminded me of reading a literature set book, you gotta keep your focus to understand what’s going on.  This is not your fast romantic tale, definitely requires undivided attention. Once you get going, Fire is a captivating read!

    Get a Copy today!

    About Dora Okeyo:

    I am a full time wanderer for now. You’ll find me within the pages of a book.  I have written some books, why don’t you read them and get a glimpse.

    Connect with Dora:

    Facebook: Dora Achieng Okeyo (like her page)

    Twitter: @herhar (Follow her)

    Her Books: Dora’s Books

  • Somewhere Else by Mathew Shenoda – Poetry Review

    Somewhere Else by Mathew Shenoda – Poetry Review

    somewhere elseSomewhere Else

    by Mathew Shenoda

    From the river Nile to the teeming streets of Cairo, from the indigenous, pre-Islamic Egyptian Coptic civilization to an America struggling with its fear of the Arab world, Shenoda’s poems recall the sacred traditions of an ancient, enduring culture as they widen the political conversation surrounding ethnicity, pan-Africanism and pan-Arabism. This notable collection spans generational, political and cultural divides, providing a nuanced perspective virtually unknown in the West.

    Publisher: Coffee House Press, Minneapolis

    Purchase Here: Somewhere Else on Amazon

    Favorite Poems from this Book:

    Excerpt of Somewhere Else

    ...
There will come a day when they say: 
who do you think you are 
and another day will come 
for you to tell. 

On that day the story will appear 
but do not tell of yourself 

tell the story of the staff that blossomed in the desert
or the one about your enemy’s greatest victory

tell the story of somewhere else...Read This Poem

    Excerpt of New Cairo

    …I stand on the balcony, staring

    Withdrawn from this poverty by a mere Generation,

    Then I remember

    Great Grandmother used to say:

    “If you throw salt away

    God will make you

    Pick it up

    One grain at a time

    with your eyelashes”

    Take a moment and just imagine what it would take to actually collect salt one grain at a time with your eyelashes.  Yes, there would be tears, what an impossible task, you’d say.  At first, I laughed at the idea of Great Grandmother’s statement, but then you think about it and it’s eye opening. If you’re desperate you’ll do it, right?  You’ll find a way to collect that salt with your eyes, but what a painful process that would be.  So, don’t throw away a good thing…hmm…

    Mathew Shenoda’s thought-provoking Poetry = Stunning, Effortless Truths

    Elly in Nairobi Thoughts

    Mathew Shenoda writes poetry with a deep love for heritage and culture.  There is always that sense of go back, think about where you come from, how it has shaped you, why you are this person today. I think this book reminds me to remember where am from and where I belong.  Where is home? What does that word mean really?

    Time changes, as it must, we all change, but even with change, stop and embrace what your past is, how you’ve gotten here.  What were your ancestors’ hopes, one day you’ll be the one they’ll call ancestor.

    What do you want them to think of you?

  • Immortal Blood- Book Review

    Immortal BloodImmortal Blood

    by Magen McMinimy

    A perfect night on the town turns out to be her worst nightmare. A date with a handsome man is the catalyst for events that she thought only happened in fairy tales. Thrust into a world of danger, Isabelle has no idea what is in store for her as the Light and Dark Fae fight over her future.

    Isabelle Moreno is a young woman working her way through life, finding little time for love and adventure. Until she agrees to a date with a mysterious stranger, only to find out the secrets this man holds are something she could have lived her entire life without knowing. The Dark Fae Luck Eater has found something enticing in Isabella’s humanity.

    Bain is an arrogant playboy and an Immortal Light Fae Warrior. He and his four brothers fight for the safety of the human race while remaining something of myth. After weeks of tracking the Dark Fae Luck Eater, Bain comes across yet another victim, in Isabelle.

    Bain has finally found his match in this feisty human as she fights against him and her ever growing attraction to the Immortal who is bound to protect her.

    Book Review:

    The story starts with Izzy going on a date with a handsome man named Zander.  This is her first date in a while, and she only agreed to it because her younger sister Marie urged Izzy to enjoy the last year of her twenties and put herself out there.

    She’s liking this Zander guy and agrees to a nightcap with him, so off they go.  In comes two warriors, Uriah and Bain, who are hot on Zander’s heels.  Apparently, Zander is a vicious thief who steals luck from successful women.  Why?  Because he is a leprechaun and therefore Fae…for a moment, my mind flashes back to Lost Girl and the bi-Succubus who rules that town…lol…back to Immortal Blood.  Poor Isabelle is saved by Bain and Uriah, but they were a tad late and she’s lost a lot of her luck.  She’s falling on her face, almost getting knocked by a truck, and generally her happy date has turned into a nightmare as Bain and Uriah unveil great huge wings, that leave her disbelieving.

    Now that Zander has her luck, Bain is tasked to protect Isabelle as Zander will want to come back for more. And because she refuses to leave with Bain, he is forced to stay at her house until she agrees to leave with him.   Bain is a spoiled brat, a playboy, and the most arrogant man Isabelle has ever met, and because of that, she makes it a point to be as stubborn as she can be, when he makes unreasonable demands.  The best part of this story is the dance between Bain and Isabelle.  He likes her because she stands up to him, she does her best to counter his arrogant ways, and grudgingly likes him as she gets to know him.

    I love the twist on the Fae world. I find the funny play on Vampires and Bain’s Immortal Warrior interesting.  The writer paints her own take of the magical world, giving it an identity that’s refreshing and at the same time familiar.  The plot is strong, and the characters lovable.  I had no problem reading through this in one sitting.  I’d recommend it to anyone who loves a good fantasy novel.

    I got this book from Amazon.

    Currently available on your Kindle: Here 

  • Poetry Week Ends – Recap

    Poetry Week Ends!

    I’m kind of sad about that because there are so many poems.  I found so many that I don’t think I could reach the end in the next five years.  There are a lot of poets from Kenya out there, quietly posting their work and talent on their blogs.  Which made me think that I should have a Blogs Week soon.

    Here’s  a Recap of the Poems I got to check out this week.

    Poetry Week Poems/ Lyrics

    1. Ask My Shoes by H_Art the Band.

    2. You Break My Heart by Nakitare

    3. I’m Not Yours to Fix by Namatsi Lukoye

    4. Obsession by Maureen

    5. Demons of Her Love by Njau Njeru

    6. Meditations of a Father by Salem Lorot

    I hope you had as much fun as I did.  Great Talent all round!

  • Poetry Week – Salem Lorot’s Meditations of a Father

    I found this poet through an interview on Poets United : Life of a Poet.  Salem Lorot’s interview was so candid, I just had to go check out his work.  This is his blog, he’s posted a lot of poems there, and I only chose one that spoke to me.  Maybe you might find more that interest you.  Here is Meditations of a Father.

    Meditations of a Father by Salem Lorot

    Son, when I admonished you to curve a path for yourself

    To create wonderful vistas of a world unexplored—

    Beautiful, magnificent—

    Was my voice harsh?

     

    When I urged you to grow up to be a man of great learning

    Learned in poetry, science, law, theology, philosophy, geology

    Did I intimidate you, son?

    Did you not grab the earnestness of my plea?

     

    Son,  when I walk around and see you dull

    Caged by the stifling thoughts of here and now

    Do you think me happy

    When I know that your mind can soar the skies

    Wrestling with the ideas of man and the earth?

     

    Am I too harsh to you, Son,

    When in my unguarded moments of anger

    I tell you that your dreams are too great

    To be traded with the present sorrows and want?

     

    When I lead you into the night

    And point to you the majesty of the skies

    Do you mistake me for a senile old man?

    When I show you which stars shine brightest

    Prodding you to take those stars to your sleep

    Do I test your patience, son?

     

    When I wake you up at dawn

    So that we can watch the sunrise

    Do you see me as a mean father?

    Do you doubt  my sanity when I weep

    Just by witnessing the birth of a new day?

     

    Son, when I speak a lot about the flowers,

    The stars, the moon, the oceans, the butterflies,

    The rocky mountains, the sand dunes

    Do you sometimes secretly wish

    I would just stop and talk ‘normally’?

     

    Son, am I harsh, when I let you in into the greatest secrets of the universe?

    Do I bore you, Son?

    Poetry Week Thoughts

    This poem reminds me of my mother when I was growing up and now.  No matter what age I am, I always find myself seeking my mum out to see what she thinks of a certain situation.  If it’s too disturbing, I ask her, “Why would this happen, why would they do that?” Of course she might not know why, but I feel I have to ask that question because she’s my mother.  And the reason why I’ll ask her these questions even now is because she was always the person who knew the most when I was growing up.  She’d have the answer when I asked the questions.  Strange isn’t it.

    Having that perspective of my own mother, I wonder just as Salem does in this  poem; if I was to get my own child, would I be able to become this person to him/her?  This assuring person with all the answers, would I fill that position easily or would I end up a bore, a nag, or seem annoying?  Which makes me wonder now, did my mother have the same questions when she had me and I started asking her questions?

    This poem is very thought provoking isn’t it?  I love that it makes me wonder, as Salem does in his thoughts.

     

     

  • Poetry Week – Njau Njeru’s Demons of Her Love

    I found this poem on the Kenya Poets Lounge Group on Facebook. It is written by Njau Njeru.  The only way to connect with him is through his facebook.  So, if you like the poem, and want to send him an encouraging word, please send him a message on  facebook or on the Poem link given below.

    DEMONS OF HER LOVE by Njau Njeru

    Forgive me love,
    i wandered off to strange tits and
    thighs and i lost my way home.
    Your memories haunt me, broken
    promises like dark shadows in my
    soul.
    today don’t fight me please, let me
    say my piece, hear me out, i’m done
    lying through my
    teeth.
    YOU and ME, we spoke of hopes and
    dreams and what the world needs,
    in bed we spoke of kids, you wanted
    sons I wanted daughters,
    we agreed on three but had a fight
    over naming.
    sometimes she cried, asked her
    why she said she loved me so
    much it was all scary for her.
    she said our story would have a
    fairy tale
    ending,
    our stars would align, you and me
    would die old as dirt deep in love
    like a bleeding fool i had to spoil a
    good thing,
    the forbidden fruit dangling on my
    face and
    i chunked it,
    wandered off to strange lips and
    hips never to find a way home.
    bent you out of shape, tears to
    headaches
    nights on end,
    you shut the world outside your
    heart like an iron box on your rib
    cage
    my mistake like a stake through
    my heart, I broke into a drinking
    binge to feel numb.
    you avoided me across the entire
    digital and virtual spectrum,
    the pain never stops, friends say
    your tears
    still fall,
    today i mend fences, on bended
    knee and
    awkward social graces, i make my
    plea
    you have to know demons of your
    love hang on my heart like bats,
    in a purgatory of pain, your name a
    hound of your spawn that plagues
    me.
    its a long shot but if you ever take
    me back,
    I‘ll love you till I‘m dry, start from
    scratch and work my way up
    sweet and dark love no one heals
    from.
    why won’t you look me in the
    eyes, your lips they tremble
    say something love …anything.

    Poetry Week Thoughts:

    I chose to share this poem because I love how raw it is.  There is no moment the poet minces words, instead he just lets it flow, stating his pain clearly, and the regret in his words makes the poem shine.  I love it when poems are written this way, because the emotion packed in the words paints such a clear picture, it’s easy to understand what the poet is saying.  Great Job Mr. Njeru.

     

  • Poetry Week – Maureen’s Obsession

    Poetry Floweth! 

    Here’s another poem that’s crossed my desk.  This one is by a fabulous lady who is an emerging entrepreneur.  Her name is Maureen and you can visit her blog to learn more about the struggle that is sustaining a business in Nairobi. She has great insight on how to face some of those struggles you meet when you’re running a business, or starting one, or even ending one.  Give it a check,  here’s the Blog.

    Obsession by Maureen

    It’s got me tripping,

    Think I’m slipping,

    This fixation,

    So totally distracting,

    No Relaxation,

    Crazy how I’m reacting,

    It’s all consuming,

    I’m shaking,

    So uncontrollable,

    I’ve tried resuming,

    But that seems unattainable,

    It’s officially a mania,

    My complete obsession,

    Pales in contrast to Lawrence of Arabia,

    It now has full Possession.

     

    Poetry Week Thoughts:

    This poem can describe anything you’re crazy about in life.  Be it books, writing in my case, love, business, a sport, your family, a vice,…the list goes on.  Is there something in your life that you just can’t stop?  This poem makes me think of that thing.

  • Poetry Week – Namatsi Lukoye’s I’m Not Yours to Fix

    Today, this blog features, Namatsi Lukoye.  She’s a poet, writer and performs Spoken Word.

    Here’s Namatsi Lukoye  by Namatsi:

    I would love to call myself a fashion designer but I guess that name is reserved for people who know exactly what they are doing in that profession like Angie (my mum). I am an all round artist; I do basically anything I put my hands and heads on. That said I am an extremely talented copy cat… I can make anything that has a fabric and a stitch on it if I put my mind on it. I am also a spoken word poet and a writer, which gives me a split personality because when it comes to poetry… I write deep and recite with emotion. As for writing, I have had the honor of interviewing some of the highest achievers in my country.

    I’m Not Yours to Fix by Namatsi Lukoye

    There is nothing as terrible as living in a circle,
    when all you want is a dark corner that you can comfortably hide and cry in
    How do you live as an open book when every reader is a critic
    Watching your every step and even when they don’t say it
    You feel it…. the judgement in the eyes as they scroll one word to the next

    (a feel of what’s coming in :- All that I am – Namatsi)

    I am trapped in this circle;
    What i really want well the heavens lied about it
    So I am lost somewhere in paradise… confused
    It is not as it was told…
    The rivers are not clear… pure blood
    The gates are not golden… iced tears
    There is no music… Choir master rebelled!
    And I miss everything,
    Everything I once hated
    Everything that I once believed in…
    Even the silence between us
    I miss the stench of our rotting corpses…
    Even the worms crawling on top of us… I miss it all

    I wish I should have listened to the voice inside… I am not yours to fix
    I am not a mix that you need to solve with your tricks
    Learn this… I am not yours to study or to feel sorry for
    My life is not your politics, don’t pray for me or hope that I will change
    Words floating to the sky don’t have a thing on me! That’s not my cage
    I am not yours to worry about… so let me die in this drought
    Tasteless sorry french kisses you give, what do you know about being a friend!
    I stopped trying and learning how to pretend… am not good at it
    Let’s be enemies, let’s kill these dark melodies
    DIE! DIE! DIE!
    I am not here for you to try correct
    Let my pride be the end of me… because I will not listen to you
    Let me live as I please, love as I want, and if the result is to burn… then let me burn
    BURN! BURN! BURN!
    Till the sky cries and the earth sings
    Let me go to a road of finding me alone
    I miss me every aspect of me! Even the drama queen who held a knife!

    Mimi siwako wa kukosoa, kufunza wala kujaribu kuunda (**I’m not yours to correct, to teach, or to fix)
    Usikose usingizi shida zangu ukijifanya watatua (**Don’t lose sleep pretending you’re fixing my problems)
    I know that I am fragile but aren’t we all… so when I break into pieces
    Stay away, I have elements of the devil himself I could cut you… or worse I could kill you!
    And anyway, how you gonna help me with a knife in your hand
    A log in your eye? And the rejoicing smile you do when you turn away!
    I see you… beneath all your eeeish… I feel you
    I am not yours to fix… I am not yours to fix! And never yours to save
    Poetry has always done that, don’t try compete

    This voice you killed… I want it back
    I am tired of this space… of the light
    I am not a defined script, I make my own way in this journey heading to death,
    Death, that kind cruel friend who smiles at us all and takes us to rest,
    Why is she misunderstood?
    I am not afraid of her…
    Anyway, till trees grow downwards and waterfalls make love to the sky
    In times of misty doubt and clear joys,
    I am on a trip to find me… and I don’t need your sympathy

    **ellyinnairobi: translation

    Poetry Week Thoughts:

    There is nothing as terrible as living in a circle,
    when all you want is a dark corner that you can comfortably hide and cry in
    How do you live as an open book when every reader is a critic
    Watching your every step and even when they don’t say it
    You feel it…. the judgement in the eyes as they scroll one word to the next

    There have been days when I feel like this, facing the world, your family and friends, your community, everyone has something to say about how you’re living, what you’re doing, what you say, and it can get heavy, burden you until you feel the best thing to do is runaway.  When I read this poem, it really spoke to me and the way Namatsi ends it, “>…I’m on a trip to find me...” that right there is the beauty of life and the goal we must all work toward if we’re to find happiness.

  • Poetry Week – Nakitare’s You Break My Heart

    Poetry Week continues….

    Today, we take a look at a poem by a man named Sammy Nakitare. I visited his blog through a page on Facebook, and found this lovely post.  Visit Sammy’s Blog and show him some love.  He has great talent with words.

     

     

    You Break My Heart by Sammy Nakitare

    You can make the clouds rain

    You can send the sun away

    Ain’t there a thing big for you?

    At least you claim to know it all

    Or so you say you’re my other god

    You speak tiny truths snake

    And I blindly believe all you say

    You break my heart,

    With all your lying.

     

    You break my heart,

    You leave me frying

    You literally placed my life in a pan

    Hot on fire toasting at your mercy

    And you care not about my cries

    I burn in rags as you wow in wealth

    Cursed by the vote I cast

    You break my heart

    you leave me crying

     

    Dreams so big than the skies can screen

    Tears well my eyes thinking about’em

    You break my heart

    With all your dreaming

    Yet I can never be where you are

    Seems designed just for few

    Who never cease to speak of trying

    You break my heart

    With all your trying

     

    You piled power to make souls fight

    Got great tide pulled to your side

    You hypnotize the masses

    With wise witty slogans

    Wicked mathematician

    You confuse numbers to your favor

    Mister politician!

    You break my heart

    You leave me dying.

     

    Poetry Week Thoughts:

    These are powerful words put together to portray the status quo between the citizen and their leader.  Words given by the politicians are powerful and crashing at the same time. They can force the end, bring about change, or just plain unrest among the citizens who put all their faith in the politician.  It is a dangerous cycle, and I love this poem for putting it in such a profound manner.