Book Review: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Synopsis: Going to college in Nigeria during a time of political upheaval is, to say the least, difficult. There are strikes every other week and education is not necessarily a priority at the moment. Encouraged by family and her boyfriend, Ifemelu takes the chance to go America to finish her schooling. There, she starts anew, struggling through new experiences that she has never had to deal with in Nigeria. America is convoluted and messy and not the kind of place she thought it was going to be, and struggling to keep her head above water, she ends up cutting off those she cares about most, including her boyfriend Obinze. Eventually, she uses these new struggles and experiences to begin a blog that takes off faster than she could have anticipated. Meanwhile, Obinze, who can't get a visa to join Ifemelu in America, goes to England, where he has his own struggles. Eventually gaining himself a fortune back in Nigeria, he marries, but cannot stop thinking about Ifemelu. As the two work through their own personal difficulties and struggles, can they also work their way back to each other?

Review: This novel is so multi-faceted that I don't even know where to begin. From the love story, to the issues of mental health, to the most raw and truthful look at race in America today, this novel has something for everybody.

Like everything from Adichie, the writing is fluid and beautiful, keeping the pace and the tone at the perfect place throughout the novel. The way she weaved the past and the present together in this novel was perfection. The characters were the a realistic mix of strengths and flaws, making them so relatable.

Ifemelu's struggles in America were heartbreaking to read, but her triumphs were so inspirational. Her blog posts were perhaps my favorite pieces of the book, as they often showed an intensely real look at what its like to be a POC in America, both born here and immigrating here. The social commentary in this novel is enough to make you question the ways of society and feel the necessary need to get up and make a change.

The romance, though central to the story, took a back seat to all of the social commentary. This story, though it follows a young couple, their beginning, separation and eventual reunion, truly is so much more than a love story. It is about America, Nigeria, men, women, love, hate, sex, race, class, mental health, home, family, friends, and so much more. It covers such a wide range of topics, integrating and intersecting them in such a realistic way that it mirrors real life to a tee.

I highly recommend this novel to all of you. Anyone looking for a contemporary look at race in America should read this. Anyone wanting to read a book that will make them laugh and cry should read this. Anyone wanting to read a book that is capable of making them feel both hope and discomfort should read this. Really, everyone should read this.


Rating: 5 out of 5 Cups of Tea

How To Deal: Finding Time To Read While In College

How does one find time to read when there is so much going on in college? School, work, social life. Where in the world is there time to pick up and finish a book?

This is a serious problem I struggled with throughout my first year of college. It wasn't until my sophomore year that I really started being able to read what I saw as an adequate amount while attending college. The following are five things that I have done in order to make more time to read:

1) Have books to read.
When I went to college, I brought three boxes of books with me. This was perhaps the first thing that I did right when I went to college. I've gotten through only a small amount of the ones that I brought up to Seattle three years ago, but I had books to read. I didn't have to worry about going out to buy books if I didn't have the money or time. I had them with me. This year I only brought up a single box of books with me, and I have slowly been going through them. Having these books, even if there's only twenty instead of fifty of them, has let me finish one book and immediately start the next. What I'm getting at is, get a personal library. It's worth it.

2) Read books that interest you.
This may seem self-evident, but one doesn't usually get through, or at least get through quickly, the books that they dislike or find boring. It can even put them into a reading slump. This often happens to me, and for a long time I didn't allow myself to put down books I hated. Only in the last few years have I realized that sometimes putting down a book that is keeping me from actually wanting to read is worthwhile. Also, trying to buy or acquire books that only sound super interesting is a good idea. If when you get it you think, this may be good, I'll read it a few months after these next few, you probably will never read it. My advice: get the books that you want to stop everything else to read immediately.

3) Realize that reading for school counts as reading. 
For a while, I didn't think about my school books and my textbooks as actual reading. It was for school, I couldn't enjoy it, right? Wrong. Now, I've found that looking at school books as just regular books leads not only to me feeling like I'm reading more, but also makes homework more enjoyable.

4) Read before bed.
Making time to read before bed is so important. Not only is this a great way to relax before bed, but it is also the perfect time to get through the book you're reading. Setting aside twenty or thirty minutes every night makes all the difference. Little by little, page by page, night by night, you will make your way through the book you read before bed.

5) Read in the in-between times. 
This has probably been the biggest implementation for me since starting college. I used to be able to sit and read for hours, but now I just don't have the time to do that. When I do take more than thirty minutes to read for pleasure, I find myself feeling guilty and anxious about the other work I could be doing instead. Picking up a book in the few free minutes you have throughout the day, though, is the perfect way to get some serious reading done without feeling guilty. I read before classes, in between class and work, during my lunch break, during the few minutes I have before meetings. Sometimes I intentionally get to class early so that I have time to sit and read for a few minutes. Even though I only get through a few pages, it is a few pages closer to finishing the book.

Well, that's my advice for reading while in college. I hope you find it helpful!

Your Pemberley Reader,
Acacia

Top 5: Most Beautiful Series Covers

Today, we talk about beautiful books, more specifically, the beautiful covers that books wear. Here are my Top 5 favorite series covers:

5) Shades of London Series by Maureen Johnson

     

I love how ghostly these books are, espicially since the main subject of these books is ghosts. These books got a bit of a remake after the first book came out, and I am so happy they did. These covers are so much more beautiful and fitting to the series than the original covers. I think my favorite has got to be The Name of the Star, just because I love the blue-green they used.

4) Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi

 

These covers also got a HUGE makeover after the first book, and I couldn't be happier with them. Though the eye seems a little weird at first and doesn't necessarily go with the book, the season imagery and metaphors on each cover go beautifully with the contents of each book. Separately, I don't know if I love these, but together, they are absolutely stunning.

3) Stephanie Perkins's Books

  

Again, these covers were also redone. These were redone after the second one came out, and I had yet to read them. In all honesty, I probably never would have picked these up had it not been for the redesign. These beautiful covers hooked me and I needed them all instantly. They are each cute, but together on a shelf, just gorgeous. 

2) The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

I won't lie, I've only read the first of this series. I don't even own it, I got it from the library. After reading the first though, I think these covers are absolute perfection. Which sucks, because it's been announced that a redesign is happening. There was actually some controversy over this, because they weren't going to wait, but change them before the third one came out, but people disliked the new covers so much, that current fans convinced the publisher to wait off a bit. These covers will only be around a bit longer, replaced by far less beautiful, and far less fitting covers once the third book The Winner's Kiss comes out in paperback. Basically, I must get my hands on all of them in the coming months. 

1) Firebird Series by Claudia Gray

  

Let's just look at these for a few seconds. I mean, really look at them. They're beautiful, right? I think these are probably my favorite covers to ever exist. These covers are stunning and beautiful and magnificent and jaw-dropping and any other adjective I can think of to describe the way these make me feel. I mean, talk about aesthetically pleasing, right? Gah. I can't wait to have the completed set on my shelves.