Every month I'll be writing reviews for 2 published-for-purchase and 1 published-for-free stories. If you would like your chance for a book of yours or you know an author with a particular work of theirs worth reading you can send me an email at caterina.efe@gmail.com with 'Book Club Suggestions' in the subject heading, and in the email you should detail the book name, one sentence why it should feature on the Book Club and where it can be purchased, or if it's made free, where it can be read.
Please be reminded that there is no guarantee that the book will be featured but if it is, you'll be notified via email within four weeks.
SEPTEMBER'S LITERARY HARVESY hand-picked by Caterina Efé
TITLE: The Godfather
AUTHOR: Mario Puzo
EFÉ'S 2 CENTS:
For a story that Mario Puzo only
wrote to make money this 1969 classic gangster novel vibrates with
depth. Set in the 1940s just at the end of WW2, it centres around the
reserved Micheal Corleone a decorated soldier who's father - the
Godfather wants to make into the next Don and drama unfolds from
there on duh, duh, duh...
The novel covers so many facets
of life both socially, economically and politically and the story to
me is all about survival. Surviving in an ever money-hungry
capitalist world, surviving as an immigrant working towards having a
fresh start on new soil but also wanting to preserve the culture and
traditions of home, surviving to keep hold of one's justifications of
the righteousness in the bad that those close to us do and surviving
to fight the ever corrupt institutions who are supposed to govern and
be after our best interests.
I adored reading the book as
much as I enjoyed watching the film and its sequels. Obviously a
book on the subject of a mafioso man will include much violence, but
there is something in the way that Puzo writes that doesn't glorify
the violence but sort of gives it some level of class, that can
convince the reader that the act is just and necessary.
It took me a few days to read
the book because my eyes were just magnetised to the words on the
page. The writing style is very simple and unpretentious and I think
that Puzo is not credited enough for creating this masterpiece that
has had unprecedented influence in today's popular culture.
WHERE TO BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON (click on link) http://amzn.to/2bTvMPj
MORE INFORMATION ON THE AUTHOR: 
TITLE: The War of Art
AUTHOR: Steven Pressfield
EFÉ'S 2 CENTS:
The 'War of Art' primarily
focuses on writers but relates to artists of other disciplines or
anyone for that matter working towards achieving a goal and how one
should be aware and must combat against this oppressive force called
Resistance.
I'm not really much of a reader
of self-help books but I have never felt so akin to a book in this
genre before. The book is simply timeless and I just love the no
bullshit tone in which Pressfield writes as it cuts right straight to
the point and what you take from it is priceless.
One would think that living in a
time of technology, improved medical care, freedom of speech and
luxury of free education, means that we have no excuse to settle down
and churn out masterpieces at ease without constraints. I would be
the first one to admit that, as an artist, with so many ideas that
are just waiting to be executed, I struggle with Resistance daily. In
uncomplicated words Pressfield explains how to navigate through those
situations and to keep your eye on the prize.
He also highlights that whenever
you seek to do great things there is always going to be resistance
from yourself, family, friends, and other uncontrollable
circumstances... but you should read the book because what I am
saying to you only scratches the surface.
WHERE TO BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON (click on link) http://amzn.to/2c0nnFC
MORE INFORMATION ON THE AUTHOR: 
TITLE: Preordained
AUTHOR: Ada Eche
EFÉ'S 2 CENTS:
I
cannot sing enough praises for this story! The story is about a
prostitute who, by fate, attends a party where she meets the man who
saved her from a bin when she was a baby and she also gains the
interest of the governor's son who will stop at nothing to get what
he wants and what he wants is Nwanyieze, the prostitute.
Ooh,
honestly, I have completely and utterly fallen in love with this
story and if anyone knows anything about me is that I have a great
affinity for any story that has redemption as its underlying theme.
The
beautiful thing that Ada, the author, does is to openly and
objectively write the complexities of a vulnerable character who
doubts her worth because of the immoral nature of her job but is too
prideful (typical Nigerian!) to not still have values and boundaries
to not totally debase herself. For this reason, the reader is drawn
to be compassionate and is unable to judge Nwanyieze as it highlights
the tragic situation that is ever so prevalent in so many parts of
the world where girls (and boys) find that they do not have a choice
due to the cards that they have been dealt with in life.
From the picture-perfect
descriptions of several locations in Lagos, to the well-developed
humane characters who are fully fallible yet endearing, to the
gripping plotline that pulls at the emotions of readers – this is
an all-consuming book and a virtual page-turner. What else could you
want? Read and be consumed by the tale of the King's wife –
Nwanyieze.
WHERE TO READ THE BOOK:
Wattpad (click on link) www.wattpad.com/story/72953667-preordained-projectnigeria-wattys2016
MORE INFORMATION ON THE AUTHOR: www.wattpad.com/user/Ada_Eze1
APRIL'S LITERARY HARVESY hand-picked by Caterina Efé
TITLE: The Coldest Winter
AUTHOR: Sister Souljah
EFÉ'S 2 CENTS:
The story is about a girl called
Winter, the daughter of a wealthy drug-dealing father and how her and
her family's life changes after she turns sixteen – and that's
putting it plainly.
This is the only “urban book”
I've read in over five years. The reason for this is because I feel
other books that would fall into this genre are just a repetition of
the themes covered in this book and this may be a highly biased
opinion but whatever - 'The Coldest Winter' is the best story in the
genre. Usually when I attempt to read 'urban' books, I get turned off
by the fact that the writing is soulless and narrow.
The subject
matter of illicit drugs and crime is already a 'dirty' topic that
already bring strong negative connotations in anyone's mind, but what
Sister Souljah succeeds in doing is to inject human qualities that
will resonate in the reader's heart well after one has finished
reading it. Yes, you may not like the protagonist, Winter a lot of
the time and yes she may do certain acts that may dub her young, dumb
and foolish but Sister Souljah writes her in such a way you find
yourself empathising with her and realise it's just about a girl
trying to find herself in a lost world.
It took me less than a
twenty-four hours to finish the book, and I can be a pretty slow
reader, so this is proof of how attached I was to the storyline. Do
not miss out on this literary gem.
WHERE TO BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON (click on link) http://amzn.to/1RZERNX
MORE INFO ON THE AUTHOR:
![]({"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bqPN1hOLL._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg":[334,499],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bqPN1hOLL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg":[232,346]})
TITLE: Post Office
AUTHOR: Charles Bukowski
EFÉ
'S 2 CENTS:
Oh! Bukowski! The love of my
life! Reading the Post Office was like having an epiphany. This is
just a story of Bukowski narrating his time as a postman, through the
character of Henry Chinaski. You might think, “Oh that shit must be
boring,” but I say you'll be missing out on the time of your life
if you don't read it.
I tend to lean towards stream of
consciousness stories, because I love the feeling of knowing what's
going on in someone's brain. Though the cynicism and
borderline apathetic tones may seem pretty anti-climatic for
literature lovers, the whole essence is finding the extraordinary in
the ordinary, mundane aspects of life as Bukowski surely does with
his dry humour.
And when you finish reading this
book, don't you dare not read his poems, they are what is so rare to
find in modern art – a strong voice.
WHERE TO BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON (click on link) http://amzn.to/1MMthtu
MORE INFORMATION ON THE AUTHOR: 
TITLE: Do You Remember?
AUTHOR: Penny Hawking
EFÉ'S 2 CENTS:
Where do I even start with this
story? It's the apple of my eye, the Nutella to my toast, the jerk
seasoning to my chicken. In the words of Kanye West, this book is a
“living, breathing changing creative expression.” Penny's story
is a tale about a couple trying to salvage their marriage after the
woman suffers amnesia due to a car accident.
I love stories like this because
the reader will be forced to empathise with both characters, each of
them having made mistakes that have both negatively affected their
marriage. And I like how it shows that it's not just one whose at
fault, whilst the other one is just an innocent flower who just got
trampled on by their disloyal partner- there is zero superficiality
in this book. It hits you raw and leaves you gasping for more.
I'm in
love most with the dialogue because on a more analytical view, the
reader sees that the relationship is suffering from some major
communication problems by what they say and what they choose not to
say. And the old adage comes to mind – communication is key.
And the fundamental truth that
Penny continuously hammers into the reader's head is this – you get
out, what you put in to your relationship.
WHERE TO READ THE BOOK:
Valent Chamber (click on link) valentchamber.com/viewstory.php?sid=1659
MORE INFORMATION ON THE AUTHOR:
MARCH'S
LITERARY HARVEST hand-picked by Caterina Efé
TITLE:
Messy Spirituality
AUTHOR:
Michael Yaconelli
EFÉ'S 2 CENTS:
Aided
by anecdotes from his church members and his own shortcomings,
Yaconelli renewed my faith in the unmatchable grace of God. He
demonstrates that no matter who you look up to as your Christian
mentor i.e. pastor, youth counsellor, parents etc everyone at some
point in their life struggles with the feeling of not being worthy
Christians.
I
was able to finish this book within two weeks, but this book can be
easily read in one sitting. What I especially like about this book is
the simplistic language used to make it easy to seep into one's mind.
For me it has become a book of lifetime spiritual encouragement, and
if you want that too you can purchase the book for a next-to-nothing
price when you buy a used version (and even though mine was a used
version, it looked brand new to me).
WHERE
TO BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON
(click on link) amzn.to/240QXjg
MORE
INFORMATION ON THE AUTHOR:
TITLE:
Lover's Dance
AUTHOR:
K. Carr
EFÉ'S
2 CENTS:
Even
though I'm not the greatest advocate for romance novels,"Lovers'
Dance", a story about two star-crossed lovers really got me all
mushy. Carr's command in the use of imagery is just exceptional and
it is constant from start to finish.
For
anyone looking for a well engineered story, please read this one. The
story is mainly set in London, so for anyone who hasn't visted the
English capital, you will be having the ultimate tour guide. From
visual to kinaesthetic to gustatory imagery, you'd feel like you've
been teleported into the world of the characters. The protaginist's
pain becomes your pain, their pleasure becomes your pleasure and for
this reason the reader becomes a sensory board for the characters as
Carr makes it so effortless for the readers to FEEL EVERYTHING.
WHERE
TO BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON
(click on link) http://amzn.to/1QbqZ29
MORE
INFORMATION ON THE AUTHOR:
TITLE:
Hit Record
AUTHOR:
Mathy C.
EFÉ'S
2 CENTS:
Depression
is something that people often find embarrassing to talk about
because it makes them vulnerable just like the protagonist in "Hit
Record", who uses a video camera, at the suggestion of her
friend, as a therapeutic tool to vent her emotions, and from then on
the story unfolds.
The
quirky layout of the story, a hybrid of script and prose form,
enhances the reader's experience, ironically, it almost gives a more
intimate look into the protagonist's state of mind, as opposed to
when she was off camera. Mathy, writes the pains of suffering from
depression so elegantly but simply that makes it an enjoyable read,
one that the reader can still empathise with the protagonist.
Another
win for the story is that it delves into a different culture, as it's
set in South Africa and it shows that depression can be suffered by
anyone of any nationality, though it's something not expressed in
Africa as a continent.
WHERE
TO READ THE BOOK:
Wattpad
(click on link) www.wattpad.com/story/36166029-hit-record
MORE
INFORMATION ON THE AUTHOR:
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