Tag: Nnedi Okorafor

Miscellaneous Thoughts37 Comments

2020 Progress Report

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It’s an understatement to say that 2020 was a weird year, I know. In my own working world we closed our libraries in March not knowing when we were going to reopen. We were redeployed to the phones, calling the elderly and vulnerable first, then contact tracing later on. Right now I’m working shifts in a testing centre. Each lockdown and reopening has me more and more worried that this may be the slow death of libraries. Reading has, therefore, been a very welcome escape, as it has been for so many of us. And while nearly all of my … Continue reading 2020 Progress Report

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Fun for Monday: The Opposites Tag

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Another Monday, another tag. This one I found over at Dreamlands Book Blog where Beatrice not only shows off some of her beautiful books (I particularly love her copy of the complete Sherlock Holmes stories, it’s just sooo pretty!), but also reminds me just how expensive books can be for a lot of readers, particularly outside of the UK/US. How cool would it be to set up an international book-swapping website?   For this challenge I have tried not to mention any books that I’ve already talked about at some point on my blog. Just for fun. Watch me drop … Continue reading Fun for Monday: The Opposites Tag

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Fun for Monday: My Life in Books Tag

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I’m not quite following the rules for this tag as set out by the literaryelephant because it was too hard to complete the sentences using only titles of books I’ve read this year, so I broadened it out to any books I’ve read. This was a lot of fun to do though, can I tempt anyone else to have a go?   In high school I was: one of the Redshirts i.e. no name and no speaking part     I will never be: Half a King … or half a queen either     People might be surprised that: … Continue reading Fun for Monday: My Life in Books Tag

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Fun for Monday: The Rainbow Tag

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A tag that originated with Le Book Chronicles and that I saw first over at Reading Every Night (a blog that has the loveliest header – since I’ve started noticing these things). I’ve gone for books that are on my TBR (because so many of our already-read-and-loved books are still in boxes), and where possible I’ve tried to pick books that I haven’t mentioned before so as not to bore anyone too much.   From my point of view what better way to spend my Sunday afternoon than rummaging through books? Although, obviously reading them would be a lot more … Continue reading Fun for Monday: The Rainbow Tag

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Unnatural Creatures edited by Neil Gaiman & Maria Dahvana Headley

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Yet again I haven’t quite read what I planned during Wyrd and Wonder month. In part, this is down to these being extraordinary times and my reading moods not being as predictable as they would normally be. Still, we roll with the punches, eh?   An interesting volume of sixteen short stories, the earliest first published back in 1885 and the most recent in 2013, Unnatural Creatures has been lurking next to the bed for the last two months as my antidote to not being able to get to sleep. Every time I’ve found myself unable to get comfortable or … Continue reading Unnatural Creatures edited by Neil Gaiman & Maria Dahvana Headley

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Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

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I remember being so excited when I first heard about Lagoon five years ago. I’d recently been reading about how skewed the Mercator world map is, so hearing about a book in which First Contact occurred in Lagos, Nigeria instead of London or New York was perfectly timed. And sure, it’s taken me five years to actually get around to it, but having read and loved Okorafor’s Binti novellas in the meantime, none of that excitement had dissipated when I finally started reading earlier this week. “They were confused, afraid and eager to see what would happen next. How would … Continue reading Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

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Fun for Monday: 6 Degrees of SFnal Separation

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Another Monday, another tag! (Tag? Meme? … Whatever). I first saw this one done in this deliciously SciFiMonth way by imyril of There’s Always Room for One More who took her cue from Kate of Books Are My Favourite and Best. Imyril made it look easy, but this took me most of the week to put together because, gosh darn it, I know that two books have themes in common, but all my brain can do for me is shout “both greeeeeeeen!” … which is, yeah, not useful. So while not as inspired as imyril’s list, for sure, here’s my … Continue reading Fun for Monday: 6 Degrees of SFnal Separation

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The Binti trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor

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I first heard of Nnedi Okorafor back in 2014 when I read about her novel Lagoon. I was hugely excited at the prospect of a book in which aliens landed in Africa and immediately added it to my list. I am ashamed to say I then did absolutely nothing about getting or reading it. When people started talking about the Binti novellas I didn’t even connect Okorafor with Lagoon at first. This dreadful inability to retain stuff frustrates me more than I can say. I want to know and read everything, but as a result I end up knowing and … Continue reading The Binti trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor