Readers' Top Ten - Mary Okeke Reviews

The Readers' Top Ten continues this week with Mary Okeke. One of the aims of this series is to introduce readers to the rich literature Africa has to offer.

 About Mary Okeke: Mary is a reader and book blogger, at Mary Okeke Reviews She reads wide but mostly review African books. She lives in Barcelona, Spain where she studied Anesthesiology, Pain-therapy and CPR during her post-graduate studies. On her blog, Mary says:
I take so much pleasure in reading books! Specifically, those written by African Writers.
It is based on this that Mary shares her Top Ten African Books with us below.
Note: I have linked some of the books to posts within ImageNations - where available. Note that my views and Mary's might not be the same and so must be read with that in mind.
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A novel beautifully written that insightfully deals with issues affecting us as African women. You give birth to children, but your children do not belong to you, they do not owe you for bringing them up, they are free human beings, when they grow up, they take decisions that best suit their living and not that of their parents. 

African classic, what can I say? More over he is a townsman. 

A novel I highly recommend to all people of African heritage. What is the meaning of being an African woman?

Another classic, even though it was only written in 2006. No matter the polemic she has been indulged in lately, she is just a novelist of a highly original kind.

Story of survival, how an African woman made it to the top, despite all her sufferings.

It perfectly expounded on the every day life of most people in my side of the country (Eastern part of Nigeria). Hilarious and realistic.

Ishmael Beah became my inspirational person right after reading this memoir.

I devoured this novel in a couple of days. You know Nana, I am a lover of African novels that deals on issues concerning us (African women).

No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
I am sorry I am in love with my townsman. Not just because he is my townsman but because he is just a genius of a novelist.

Another classic. Love, life, relationship change from one generation to another. Starting point to African literature.

My top ten varies from year to year. I am yet to work on my 2013 top ten, which will take place next year. Novels like Living, Loving and Lying Awake at Night by Sindiwe Magona, Born in the Big Rains by Fadumo Korn, Neighbours: the Story of a Murder by Lilia Momple, Diaries of a Dead African by Chuma Nwokolo might surely be included. However, for the time being above are my official top ten.

Comments

  1. Mary Okeke Reviews2 September 2013 at 10:36

    Thank you Nana!!!! I really appreciate!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous2 September 2013 at 16:13

    Love Mary's list. I'm been wanting to read Zenzele for the longest. I think this exercise will also reveal that we all don't love Things Fall Apart and that Achebe had other deserving books. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Reading Pleasure3 September 2013 at 16:55

    Great list. There are some that I have in common with Mary too. Surely it will be difficult to pin point my top ten from a long list but I will.

    ReplyDelete

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