BOOK OF THE WEEK: WAITING FOR MORNING by KAREN KINGSBURY

Waiting for Morning is the story of an angry, bereaved woman named Hannah Ryan, whose husband, Dr. Tom Ryan and first daughter, Alicia Ryan, were killed in a ghastly motor accident when a drunk driver rammed his truck into their vehicle. Driven by anger, Hannah turns to Attorney Matthew Bronzan to defend her in the case against the drunk driver, Brian Wesley.

Matthew Bronzan is all too happy to take the case as he envisages the possibility that a win could change California drunk driving laws forever. He however has to battle it out in court with Harold Finch, the defense attorney for Brian Wesley, who is notoriously referred to as “the drunk driver’s best friend.”

What follows afterward is a fascinating court case and an outcome that both parties could not have predicted, and between a painful betrayal and her second daughter’s brush with death, Hannah learns the true definition of prison and encounters afresh the only One who has the power to set a person free.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

I like it. I’m not particularly a fan of Karen Kingsbury because of the endless series she creates [I’m terrible with series be they books or movies], however, I must confess that this is one book I like.

The book is engrossing almost from start to finish and I found the court case riveting. One thing I love about the book as well is the fact that it’s not just entertaining but also educative. The effects of drunk driving became more real to me and I found myself empathizing with the victims in the book. And of course Karen spiced it up by adding a hint of romance to the book thus making the book more appealing to lovers of romance.

It is my belief that one characteristic of a good fiction novel, apart from entertaining readers, is the ability to leave readers thinking long after they have finished the book and Karen Kingsbury does that brilliantly with this book.  I heartily recommend the book to parents and teachers of teenagers; it makes for a good teaching tool about drunk driving and its effects and consequences.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: YOU'RE SUPPOSED to BE WEALTHY by CREFLO DOLLAR

Hello people.

Some months ago, I was browsing through the books in the business section of a bookstore when I saw a book titled Why We Want You to Be Rich by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki. I cringed inwardly when I read the title not only because it sounded smug and condescending, but also because it reminded me of WASSCE English essay writing. I could just imagine writing an essay on the topic:

Why We Want You to Be Rich.

We want you to be rich because:

1. It makes us feel good teaching you how to be rich

 2. We desire a redistribution of resources among the human specie

 3. Erm...erm..sorry, we've run out of reasons.

Needless to say, I did not buy the book.

Sometime later, I asked a friend to send me books to read and one of the books she sent me was You're Supposed to Be Wealthy by Dr. Creflo Dollar. At that point I thought: 'Great! After running from two businessmen who were trying to tell me why they wanted me to be rich, I end up with a pastor who’s probably pointing his fingers at me right now and saying 'You're Supposed to be Wealthy!''

This time, however, I read the book and was pleasantly surprised.

You’re Supposed to be Wealthy is a book written by Creflo Dollar and published by FaithWords; a division of Hachette Book Group. At the onset, Dr Creflo lays the groundwork by stating that wealth starts with a mindset and that one of the biggest hindrances to achieving true and lasting wealth is having an inaccurate picture of the meaning and purpose of prosperity.

In subsequent chapters, Creflo goes on to describe practical steps to building wealth, such as:

1.     Setting short, medium, and long term goals with regards to the accumulation of wealth.

2.     Taking inventory of one’s assets, liabilities, income and outflow.

3.     Having good knowledge of the basic accounts and opening the account that best meets your needs.

4.     Understanding the different money markets and making informed investments.

5.     Making plans for retirement.

In addition to these, Dr Dollar touches on other wealth building strategies, highlights the importance of estate planning and stresses on the necessity of getting at least one form of life insurance. He also challenges the popular notion that loan taking should be avoided and explains reasons why loan taking could sometimes be advantageous in wealth building. Finally, he educates readers on ways of building good credit and the basics of tax handling.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

I was blown away when I read the book. Readers may be aware that Creflo Dollar is a televangelist and personally, I am not particularly a fan of his so when I saw You’re Supposed to be Wealthy, I imagined that it would probably be a book on faith declaration and payment of tithes and firstfruits and seedfruits and all other fruits that some pastors are surprisingly able to come up with. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the book was not all about that.

While Creflo does touch on these things at certain points in the book, he concentrates more of his time and energy teaching readers practical, ethical, ways of building wealth and maintaining a good reputation financially. 

 The only snag is that non-American readers may find it difficult understanding some terminologies especially when one gets to the chapters on handling taxes and credit rating. Creflo Dollar tries his best, however, to describe the terms in simple language and even lists resources for further reading at the end of the book for interested readers. I must say that the book is a very sensible one and every second spent reading the book is well worth it.

So, the next time you’re out looking for a business book, do remember; titles may not be as important as we make them out to be. 

BOOK OF THE WEEK: LALIBELA'S WISE MAN BY MATSHONA DHLIWAYO

Hello people.

The more books I read, the more I am convinced that there is truth in the saying ‘Do not judge a book by its cover.’ Some books with beautiful covers have such badly written content that at the end of the day, the only thing worth remembering about the book is its cover. Some books, on the other hand, have less than appealing covers but such rich content that the reader cannot easily forget them.

Lalibela’s Wise Man belongs to the latter category. The first time I saw the book, I must confess that my interest was not piqued. First, the title did not sound very appealing and then the book cover itself did not help matters; it looked like it would be a book on African history - which is good if that’s what you’re interested in.

Anyway, I read the book and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. 

Lalibela’s Wise Man is the story of a young man named Christian who, in the beginning, was being groomed to take over his father’s business empire. Christian receives a shocker, however, when his father passes away unexpectedly and his will is read: he was left with nothing but an instruction to visit the wise old man of Lalibela. Dazed and confused, Christian leaves America and sets out for Lalibela, Ethiopia, where he encounters the wise old man, learns some lessons and discovers a secret that will leave him changed forever.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

I like it. Initially, I found it difficult to start reading the book due to its unappealing book cover but once I started reading I got hooked.

The story is well paced and there’s hardly a dull moment in-between. Starting from Christian’s journey to Ethiopia as well as his encounter with the monks, the tale is quirky and one can’t help but smile at some of Christian’s experiences. At some point the writer struggles between showing and telling, but fortunately he wins the battle and allows readers to get into the characters unhindered.

I also like the fact that the book is very well edited. One can scarcely find an error in the book and this makes for enjoyable reading as well as the possibility of recommending or buying it for people, especially teens and young adults, without a moment’s hesitation.

The only issue I have with the book is that the ending seems to have been a bit rushed. One image that sprang to mind when reading Lalibela’s Wise Man was that of chickens following a farmer as he left a trail of seeds for them on the ground. In Lalibela’s Wise Man, the author leaves enough information in each chapter to keep readers hooked and eager to read the next chapter; in fact at a point, you’re literally begging; 'please break the suspense and let’s know the purpose of each exercise that Christian was put through.'

The end, however, was a bit disappointing, almost like eagerly anticipating a meal only to finally eat and not be very satisfied with the food. Although filled with sage advice, I wish the advice was spread out, maybe at the end of each exercise rather than everything being left for the end. It just seemed a bit too easy.

After all is said and done, however, Lalibela’s Wise Man is definitely a book worth reading and Matshona; an author to watch out for. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matshona Dhliwayo was born in Zimbabwe but is presently based in Canada. His books include:

His books can be gotten on Amazon and from any major bookshop.

BOOK REVIEW: DESTITUTIO QUOD REMISSIO by BRETT ARMSTRONG

Hello people.

The first time I saw the book Destitutio Quod Remissio, two things struck me immediately. First, the title of the book. I thought at first that the book was written in Spanish or one of those exotic languages and I wondered how on earth I was supposed to read a book written in a language I did not understand. 

The second thing that struck me was the cover of the book. The average book cover can be summed up in one of three words: beautiful, terrible, or just plain. There are very few books with evocative book covers, and Destitutio Quod Remissio happens to be one of them. 

As it turned out, I was wrong on two counts. First, the book title happens to be Latin and not Spanish, second, the book is actually written in English language, notwithstanding its Latin title. Needless to say, I was relieved.

Destitutio Quod Remissio is the story of a wealthy Roman senator, Marcus Servius, who arrives home one day to find his house burned down, his wife missing, and himself a target for would-be murderers. 

Filled with questions about his wife’s disappearance and the identity of the man who betrayed him, Marcus embarks on a journey to find Benjamin Truvias, a former employee of his whom he believes has the answers to many of his questions. He gets more than he bargained for, however, and in his quest to find answers, he must come to terms with the fact that people, and things, are not always as they seem to be.

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

Hmm...

First, I must say I love the storyline. It’s a beautiful book that engages the readers from the get-go. However, if you’re not too big on descriptions, you may find the first few chapters a bit difficult to read. I personally wish Brett Armstrong had spent a bit more time describing Marcus’ past life as a senator and less time on the actual journey but hey, anyone who loves descriptions will not have a problem with this.

I also love the various surprises lined throughout the book.  As one gets past the middle of the book, surprises upon surprises await the reader, and many of them you don’t see coming. In fact it becomes very difficult to put the book down as you get to the end.

Another selling point of the book is the fact that it gives readers a glimpse into the Roman Empire as it was in the past and aptly describes life as it was for Christians then. The drawback here, though, is that the author sometimes tells instead of shows which distracts the reader from the book’s narrative.

All in all, though, I must say that the book is quite entertaining and if one can get past the drawn-out descriptions of the first few chapters, one will find that the book was definitely worth reading. Readers who enjoyed Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series will definitely like this book.

About the Author:

Brett Armstrong

Brett Armstrong's first book, Destitutio Quod Remissio, won the 2014 CrossBooks Writing Contest. Historical Novel Society called the book a 'solid, meaty work.'

 In addition to Destitutio Quod Remissio, Brett has written a fantasy tale called Daymoon. More information can be found on his website; www.brettarmstrong.net

BOOK OF THE WEEK: THE SMART MONEY WOMAN BY ARESE UGWU

Hello people.

The average African woman, influenced in part by romance novels as well as by culture, grows up with the belief that her financial stability is dependent on her husband. I used to think this way until my husband was involved in a terrible accident that he couldn't have survived but for the grace of God. The incident shook me (then pregnant for our first child) at the time as I wondered how I would have coped if tragedy struck; however, I soon shrugged it off saying: 'God forbid; I can never be a widow at this stage of my life.'

Within the past six months, however, two women I am well acquainted with lost their husbands and as I commiserated with them, I was forced to ask myself: 'if the unexpected happens now; are you prepared for it?'

This week's blog post is a review of Arese Ugwu's book, The Smart Money Woman. Written in a unique and compelling format, Arese in the book motivates women to take responsibility for their financial future by cultivating a savings and investment culture, rather than depending on their better halves for financial stability.
 
The Smart Money Woman tells the story of Zuri, a twenty eight year old returnee from abroad who earns a good income and who appears to be successful, until the day she realizes that she is over her head in debt. To make matters worse, she is in danger of being evicted from her serviced apartment in the upscale Lekki Phase One if her rent is not paid as at when due.

In desperation, Zuri begins to take stock of her assets and at that point encounters another shocker: her ‘assets’ consist of Chanel bags, Gucci shoes and the like. She has no concrete possessions that can be described as assets. What follows afterwards is an intriguing and charming tale that will leave readers wanting more long after they have finished reading the book.

Arese Ugwu

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

I love it. When the book first came out I wondered what all the fuss about the book was. After reading it, I knew why.

Some members of my family happen to be accountants and every once in a while I get lectures on money management and the like [and end up dozing off during many of the lectures; sorry bro.] However, Arese in this book has taken what would ordinarily have been a terribly boring lecture on money management and spun a tale around it such that the reader is inspired to take responsibility for their financial future.

Another thing I love about the book is its street credibility. Arese herself is also a returnee; however, the way she infuses some common Nigerian slangs into the dialogue of the main characters makes the book highly entertaining and believable. Rather than boring readers with stuffy grammar, Arese tries to keep the tale light even as she delivers hard punches on money management to the readers.

I think the only minus of the book is that it is not perfectly edited. There are about a couple of instances where some words are missing and the reader is left trying to fill in the gaps; but in spite of these I must say that the book is definitely worth having; and worth keeping. Hopefully, Arese will write other entertaining books like this in the future that will help people, especially women, become more financially savvy and prepared for whatever the future holds.