Natu Shimike ~ Kalaba

Another week, another book review! This one comes from a deeper place, a shelf in my past. My mom bought The Dark Power Collection by Bill Myers when I was in primary school, but I wasn’t a reader yet. They just waited. Patiently. It wasn’t until my teenage years that I finally picked them up and they didn’t just change my reading habits. They changed me. Seeking them out again as an adult felt like a pilgrimage. A longing to return to a time when my faith burned hot, like a scorching sun. I wouldn’t be honest if I said these books didn’t shape my early walk with Christ. They carved into my understanding of faith, discernment, and spiritual awareness during my most formative years as a young believer. This review focuses only on the first book: The Society . I’ll give The Deceived and The Spell their own space in the coming weeks, because each one deserves to breathe. The Society centers on Becca, a teenage girl who moves from South America to North America after a profound family l...

  Another week, another book review! After being completely obsessed with Zikora in 2024, I read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ’s short story over and over until the pages felt like my own memories. I was beyond excited for the full-length novel. I counted down the days. I refreshed my preorder like a ritual. This wasn't just a new book; it was a return to a world that had already cracked me open. And at first, it cracked me open in a different way. I’ll be honest, I struggled. Adichie’s voice is unmistakable, always powerful, but she refuses to repeat herself. I came in holding the rhythm of Zikora, and this was a new rhythm. It took a minute for my heart to sync with it. But once I let go of what I thought this story should be, I realized something important: I wasn't just reading a book. I was being invited to listen. Dream Count follows four women: Chiamaka (Zikora’s best friend), Zikora herself, Omelogor (Chiamaka’s cousin), and Kadiatou (Chiamaka’s help). Their lives brus...

  Another week, another book review! Happy 2026, fellow readers! We're starting the year on a high note with one of my favorite novels. I'm not going to lie, I was hesitant to review this book. It has so many layers, and keeping it spoiler-free feels impossible. But I'll try my best to give you the five-star review this true gem deserves. Reading  Tomorrow I Become a Woman  by  Aiwanose Odafen  was like being pulled into a world where love, culture, tragedy, and courage collide. Sounds familiar? Well, this might be most people's reality. From the start, I was swept up in the innocence and intensity of first love, the overwhelming feeling of giving your whole heart for the very first time. But intertwined with that sweetness was the ache of regret: the pain of looking back and wondering what life might have been. That tension between personal desire and what everyone else expects broke something inside me as I read. Set during the  Nigerian Civil War ...