The (Unnamed) Book Club: The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

I always start these things with an apology - Book reviews aren't something I do well, I think. I'm more likely to tell you how a book made me feel, or think rather than a discourse on style and structure. So bear with me.

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives was gruesome to read. Not gruesome like Stephen King, James Patterson, or (gag) V.C. Andrews, more emotionally heart wrenching.

It started out well. We (the members of the book club) were clear on who to hate - Baba Segi and his first three wives. Feelings for Wife no. 4, Bolanle, swung between annoyance and sympathy. Then new information came to light. Gasp! And swung us all into emotional turmoil. I can't tell you more (spoilers!) but I can tell you that nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, is as it seems.

The best part of the book - the writing. Sometimes, it was the only thing that kept some of us reading. Lola Shoneyin's storytelling is very Old World. It brings to mind a wizened grandmother sitting to tell her gathered descendants a cautionary tale. I loved it, even though it hurt to read it.

Next month (in two days), is Chick Lit month, and we pick up Sophie Kinsella's Can you keep a secret? Watch this space.

Happy New Year!

Hey! Hey! Hey! It's 2013.

Welcome to the New Year.

I didn't put up a post earlier because I was not so compelled, and also because I was recovering from crossing over. Normally, it takes me a day of sleeping it off, but with a toddler who we shall call SuperGoo, well, let's just say I'm still sleepy.

Anyway, it's the New Year. And as a good citizen of Earth, I should have plans and goals. Well, gosh darn it, I do!

This is the year of my 300 Book Reading Challenge. Ridiculous, I know, but if it were feasible like a 52 Book Reading Challenge, then I wouldn't be interested. I'm one of those 'dream the impossible dream' people. A recipe for heartache, I tell you, but ooh what a rush. So far, I have finished one book - Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I enjoyed it. It was a delightful romp with angels, demons, switched babies, and what I consider, a very cheeky premise.

I'm in the middle of Francine Prose's How to Read Like A Writer, and have just read the first seven chapters of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin for The (Unnamed) Book Club. Expect an update on that soon.

Writing goals? Well, The Plan was to improve my craft while writing six short stories from January to June, and then write Good Intentions from July to December. But, then, I read Good Omens which made me dream up a totally unrelated idea that haunts me. So, the six short stories have been given the bump for Good Intentions, then I will write The Other Story from July to December. I hear you! Foolhardy. Sigh. I'm an all or nothing sort of girl.

Oh Lord, let it not be nothing.

On the Writing for Hire front, things are still kinda up in the air, but I would very much like to work only for the first six months of the year, then use the remaining months to focus on Writing for Myself. At least, that was the plan when I was doing the Six Short Stories and A Novel thing. Now...errr...

On the Weight Loss Goal, I would like to lose 10kg but 5kg would not be bad. I would like to go down two dress sizes, but one would be satisfactory. What's the plan? Well, I thought I would Zumba, Skip, Swim and do some Yoga. You know, slow and steady type of thing. However, Papa Goo got me the Insanity Workout DVD. Yay!

No. Not really.

Sigh. So we'll see.

Ah, well, Happy New Year!