Book Review: Oil, Politics, And Violence by Max Siollun

When I got this book, I was terrified. The two hundred and fifty-five pages, the title of the book (Oil, Politics, and Violence), and what seemed like a smaller than normal font that hugged the white pages, it all terrified me. When will I finish this book? The book wasn't about fictional characters with dynamic personalities. It wasn't a book with a plot full of suspense or drama. It was a book based on facts. Political facts. Nigerian political facts. Nigerian political facts on its military coups. Great. Could it get any worse?

But then I convinced myself that perhaps, I needed to read such a book. Maybe I needed to learn a bit about this beloved country of mine. Maybe I did need to know just a bit about the military coup culture. That's what I told myself. I don't know how much of it I believed, but I managed to convince myself that believed what I told myself.  And so, the reading the began.  

To say that this book is like nothing I have ever read would be a gross understatement. Everything I sought in a fiction novel - the drama, suspense, etc - were in this book, too. The only difference is that this was a true account. What was it, if not drama, when Mr. E. O. Oke shamelessly flung a chair during the Region House of Assembly meeting? And Mr. F. Ebubeduike, God bless him, followed suit by grabbing the speaker's mace AND trying to club the speaker with it. This was in 1962 (two years after our independence). Clearly, our problems started a long time ago.

In Nigeria, it turns out that the best way our leaders could think of dealing with a coup - whether it succeeded or failed - was to plan a counter coup. Yes, and look what mighty favor it has done us. Did you know that before the British people decided to "form" Nigeria, we (the people of Nigeria) couldn't be any more different from each other? We were a ticking time bomb, and I don't know if we have gone off yet. Culturally and religiously, we couldn't be more different. 

From the distrust among the Igbos, Yorubas, and Hausas for one another, it is evident that the issues we have today started a long, long time ago. But I did not know this prior to reading this book. For someone who almost did not give a hoot about Nigerian politics (or the coups that preceded it), this book has had quite an effect on me. It left me with a strange feeling of nostalgia, irritation, regret, anger, and enlightenment. I've even secretly pictured myself running for office! Sure, I'm pissed at the things that have happened, how they happened, why the happened, and the fact that they would have been avoided. But I now know more than I did. 

I'll sum it up: Max Siollun did an excellent job of delivering the happenings of Nigeria's infancy in my mind's eye and in my heart's head.  He has written the book in such a way that you cannot help but be flooded with some type of emotion, wishing and hoping that you were there because maybe, you would have made a difference. This book exposes our primitive thinking way(s). While we have evolved, started having better cell phone reception and Kentucky Fried Chicken in Lagos, we're still just that - primitive.

Get the book. Read it. You're going to love it.

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Book Review: A Heart To Mend by Myne Whitman

Edward, Edward, Edward. Edward is a character that a lot of women may have met (and probably disliked). He's a man who's got it all: money, looks, some fame --- and an icy cold heart toward love. But somewhere in that icy cold heart is a volcano of love, just waiting to erupt. So, maybe he'd rather fall in love without involving his emotions ... what gives? People don't just become this way. Edward did not just become this way. Somewhere along the line, something happened to him.

And Gladys, she's almost every woman: caring, loving, and in love with love. She doesn't mind going in, head first, but she has to know why she's going in, and who she's going to meet at the other end. Surprises are only good when they are good surprises.

Perhaps, there's a little bit of Edward and Gladys in each of us. I started this review thinking I was more of Edward. Now, I'm not so sure. I can't say the need to fall in love without actually falling in love does not reside somewhere within me. If only you could get that butterfly feeling, that oh-my-God-I-love-you feeling, and then, renege  to get-the-hell-out-of-my-life if it ever comes to that, it'd be so much easier. Edward does not really have an icy heart. He just wants to protect his heart from breaking. Ribs only protect the heart from physical damage, and there's a certain kind of power that a person has over you when you're in love with him or her. Edward doesn't want it. Gladys, however, is brave enough to face it.

Myne Whitman does a magnificent job of bringing the characters together. I stayed up on Friday night last week reading it. I wasn't going to stay up late because I had to wake up early for the show the next morning, and I kept saying, 'I'll just read one more page...' One more page got me to the end of the book, and I was in tears by then. A Heart To Mend is a book that captivates you from the beginning and dares you to put it down. I couldn't take the dare. It holds your attention and lures your senses and imaginations in, so all you want to do is read more, more, more. Not only did I enjoy the romance between Edward and Gladys, but I also learned a few things about business. 

Visit Myne Whitman's Blog | Visit Myne Whitman's website | Connect with Myne Whitman on Facebook | Follow Myne Whitman on Twitter | Buy an autographed copy of A Heart To Mend [directly from Myne Whitman] | Buy A Heart To Mend From The Publisher | Buy A Heart To Mend from Amazon | Buy A Heart To Mend from Amazon U.K | Buy A Heart To Mend from Amazon Canada | Buy A Heart To Mend from Barnes & Noble

To have your book, product, or service reviewed, contact me:

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Book Review: Feddie Girl by Nona David

Feddie Girl is a book set in U.S.A and Nigeria.  Anyone can read and enjoy this book, but if you went to school in Nigeria, then you really need to read this book.  If you went to a boarding school in Nigeria, you really, really need to read this book.  If you went to an all-girls federal government college in Nigeria, then don't even bother reading this review. Just go ahead and buy the book right now.

Although I did not attend a federal government college, I did attend an all-girls' college, and many of the practices are the same (with the exception of being called a Feddie Girl, of course).

Feddie Girl is about Carlotta Ikedi, a thirteen year old spoiled, half-caste teenager whose bad behavior landed her within the gates of FGGC Uddah. Carlotta was as clueless as you can imagine. On her first day in school, she promptly asked for some Diet Coke --- and extra ice.

Reading this book brought back a lot of memories from corporal punishments to morning duties to inspections to college-speak to verbally-abusive teachers, and to strict living - with lights out, rising bell, and mean 'witchy' prefects . If you went to college in Nigeria, you'd remember being told to "kneel down and fly your hands" You'd remember college-speak like "please, allow me," "please, spare me," and starting your sentences with "You girls..."

Feddie Girl reminded me of subjects I had long forgotten, like Integrated Science, Business Studies, Introductory Technology, Home Economics, and Agriculture. It reminded me of those times in class when there'd be no teacher, and somehow, a totally senseless argument would erupt, and before you know it, the entire class is throwing missiles at each other in the form of shoes, textbooks, and notebooks. And I was forced to remember the insults we used to haul at each other. I did not know the meaning then, and I still don't know the meaning: "You stupid, bombastic, jabajantic, nonsensical..." And, of course, in every class, there's always one 'Iroko tree,' a person who is noticeably taller than everyone else.

Feddie Girl is an entertaining, exciting, and engaging page-turner, full of unexpected twists and turns, several trips down memory lane, and lots and lots of humor. My only regret is that I did not read this sooner. The moment I started, I couldn't stop.

Buy Feddie Girl from the publisher | Buy Feddie Girl from Amazon | Become a fan of Feddie Girl on Facebook | Visit the author's blog 

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12 More Days...

Book Review: Baggage Claim by David E. Talbert.

I just got done reading this book, and I liked it. It's about Montana, a 35 year old flight attendant who set out on a mission to find a husband in thirty days. The reason for her desperate move was that she was the oldest in the family, everyone else was married except her youngest sister, the baby of the house who was twenty-one....but then she (the baby of the house) suddenly got engaged, so imagine Montana's predicament! To make it worse, her mother believed that a woman is not a woman until she is married with two kids.....and she should be married by the age of 25, by the way...... or else...... the manless curse follows! Read the book to find out how it played out.

So how many of us (blogger women) are twenty-five and over and not married? Should we go on the same journey to find a hubby in thirty days?

Oh, and this is the second book from this author I have read. The first one was Love On A Dotted Line, which was about a female lawyer who got so tired of being played by men that she came up with a plan for her next man: just as they were about to have sex, she had him sign a contract stating that if he cheated on her, he owed her a certain amount of money (can't remember the amount). Of course, the guy was thinking with his lil head at the time (but then again, when do men not think with their small heads), so he signed it. He ended up cheating on her and getting sued.

You'd have to read the book to know how it played out.

Well, I'm off to read another novel (check my side bar for more details). I'll be back to update soon.

Ciao.