WHAT I'M READING V. 51

1. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I read this one for book club, and I delighted in the discovery of its pages - the writing and story. I'm halfway through the year, and I've declared it as my favorite fiction read of the year. It encompasses the nuances of being African but not African-American in the U.S., as well as what it is to make a home in a new country while you carry around your home country around in your heart, and then going back after many years. It felt so fresh and relevant, all the while being part of an age-old story of home and identity. 

2. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I loved Americanah so much, that I ran to find another book by Adichie.  This one was the next one available on audiobook, and I gobbled it up.  It took a little bit for me to get immersed into the world of Nigeria during the Civil War in the 1960s and 70s, but once I did, I was so deeply appreciate of the vivid world she revealed to us through these complex characters. Her writing is so immediate and lush throughout this, describing both the country and characters. 

3. Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose by Flannery O'Connor

I was introduced to O'Connor in high school English classes and over the years, each time I encountered one of her stories, I found my appreciation for them growing.  That arc culminated in this collection of essays which I absolutely loved, and floored me for its wit and wisdom about writing. I underline all over this book and it's a one I will revisit. 

4. Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor

I did not realize O'Connor had written novels until I read her collection of essays, and I quickly went to go find one of them. This one was available and similar to her short stories, it was haunting and cinematic. The characters in this book struggle with belief, freedom, isolation and it all hints or hopes at redemption.  Like her short stories, it leaves one with a tangle of knots that you must work out, a kind of mirror into your own soul and moral makeup, as well as the way you regard people in light of your beliefs.