To begin with…
All the Books I read in 2020
- Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. (will always remember “Princeton in the summer smelled of nothing” & “Ceiling can I come in?” Asides, this book showed Adichie’s strength and solidified her presence as a dynamic storyteller.)
- Jimmy’s Blues and other poems, James Baldwin. (second poetry collection I’ve ever read, and I love James Baldwin’s fierceness with lines)
- Beloved, Toni Morrison. (Toni Morrison is a god. that’s all. that’s the gist.)
- The Neuroscientist who lost her mind, Barbara. K Lipska.
- Between the world and me, Ta-Nehisi Coates (brilliant book, really, but struggled to get through it.)
- Known and Strange Things, Teju Cole (I have a huge crush on prof. Cole, incredibly brilliant man, and his views from these essays were astute.)
- Joys of Motherhood, Buchi Emecheta (first book I read this year. remember feeling so much bitterness, biting my lips intermittently in anger.)
- We won’t fade into darkness, Tj Benson (a second reading because I so much love Tj’s writing.)
- Zikora, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (I have Ebuka Ibeh to thank for bullying me into reading this book. hate that I got to read it this year when I did. one book I see myself returning to in the future)
- Freshwater, Akwaeke Emezi.
- The Fishermen, Chigozie Obioma. (“Egrets, egrets give me one one finger” 😭— nobody I know really said this. A really wonderful tale.)
- One day I’ll write about this place, Binyavanga Wainaina. (I still miss Binya, but utterly glad his legacy will always live with us. He was a truly brave human who shared himself and his gift with the world. A line I’ll forever remember from this book: “I want to move and watch and not stop..” It was what Binya did in his lifetime. It is what I want to do in mine. Great book.)
Had an unwritten goal of 50 books this year. It was a reach, considering I didn’t even read this much books in ’19. Had so many books I did not finish this year. And by God, 2020 has been one hell of a year; I was in panic mode for the half of it, doubled by my having to return home as a result of the universities staff union strike and the lockdown.
I might not have read all the books I wanted to read this year because I’m still struggling so much to become acquainted with longer art forms, but I did read tons of short stories and essays on the web, so much I can’t even begin to put down all of them here, but I’ll highlight a list of twenty I really liked.
- Good Boy, Eloghosa Osunde. (even though I’ll say this listing is in no particular order, Eloghosa’s story would have to occupy the prime spot before any other story, not sorry. Jesus, but this was one story I read and kept screaming even after the final stop. I’ve read it so many times than I can count.)
- 24, Alhaji Williams Street, Pemi Aguda. (She snapped with this story. Period.)
- The Ache of Longing, Chukwuebuka Ibeh. (I’ll say it countless times; Ebuka is a miracle quietly unraveling.)
- The Giver of nicknames, Remy Ngamije.
- I love you but I’ve Chosen Darkness, Claire Vaye Watkins.
- The Year of the Sun, Esther Ify Okonkwo.
- Train Songs, Erin McReynolds.
- The Crane Wife, CJ Hauser.
- A House Full of Spirits, Ope Adedeji. (Ope gave us so many gems this year, and I’d include all the stories she published this year in this list but then…)
- This Little Light of Mine, Troy Onyango.
- When a Mother Renounces Motherhood, Innocent Chizaram Ilo. (Would pay whatever it’d cost to live in Inno’s head. I love love his weird.)
- Femimo, Akwaeke Emezi. (another story I actually screamed through.)
- The Falling Man, Tom Junod.
- Hall Silicon, Michelle Enehiwealu Iruobe.
- The Ghost of Nina Simone; or the Remains of an Existence Spiraling Towards the Nadir, Troy Onyango.
- Becoming the Baby Girl, Adachioma Ezeano.
- A Natural History of Briefly Gorgeous Vegetables, Adams Adeosun.
- The Lady with the Dog, Anton Chekhov.
- The Outing, James Baldwin.
- What to do when your Daughter Brings Home a Mami Wata, Chikodili Emelumadu.
More recently, I read Howard M-B Maximus’s Fusion on Lolwe’s second issue and thoroughly loved it, among several other stories I read this year and loved.
Was 2020 a tough year? Absolutely. Without questions. There were days I wanted it all to end. Days I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, screaming, wanting to claw my eyes out because of all the horrors I’d witnessed. Days breathing was a chore I didn’t want to do but had to. Days I wanted to jump off the knife’s edge, days I was incredibly sad — sadness clawing its way out of my throat, sitting heavily on my shoulder. I expended so much fucking energy this year in manifesting joy; sometimes failing at it, sometimes getting crumbs on my table. I’m grateful it’ll be behind me few hours from now. Really grateful I’m here.
But this wasn’t an entirely all negative year. I had quite beautiful moments, too. I fell in love twice this year. Amazing humans I must say. Cherished every single moment spent, got the high of being in love with someone. God! I was so in love and I was smothered with love. This year I had the generosity of friends and unexpected kindness of strangers to keep me sane through all this. I had literature, too. I had music; Hozier, Roddy Ricch, Saint JHN, Wizkid, Beyonce, Burna, Naira Marley, Fireboy…etc. I am particularly grateful to be ending this year on a positive note, with friends and family. I am grateful that the stories I wrote this year found homes, and mostly for having won the Kreative Diadem short fiction prize.
2021 will be better. Will make more sense. Will be more bright. I’m very excited. I’m spending new year’s eve in Church with my mom and will be probably screaming “2021 here I come..” Not the ideal way I’d have wanted, but I’m not ready yet to be homeless.
In advance, people, Happy New Year!
