Becoming

Rating: 5/5

Category: Nonfiction, Biography

Synopsis

I absolutely loved this book. It’s just what I needed to gain some perspective on my own life and get to know someone I truly did not know much about. Becoming is a nonfictional story that reflects on where Michelle Obama came from in Chicago, Illinois, and how she got to this point today where we as a society know her as the Michelle Obama. In this book she is candid, raw, blunt, funny, and (most importantly) genuine.

What’s There to Like

If you’re still skeptical or on-the-fence, I encourage you to take a chance with this book. I’m not too much of a nonfiction reader, so even I was hesitant to pick this up. But it’s easy to read and become engrossed in. And Michelle really doesn’t go too far into the politics that are difficult to avoid surrounding her husband. She focuses a lot on the emotional aspects of everything that’s happened in her life and reflects on issues in a very empathetic way.

Also, I loved how much I learned about the White House. Michelle was wonderfully descriptive with how mostly everything functioned (obviously, I’m sure there were details she wasn’t allowed to bring up for the sake of security). For example, each new presidential family elected into the White House is budgeted a $100,000 to decorate their living quarters the way they like. And the presidential family is not allowed to accept clothing for free from designers – they are allowed to accept the clothes as a rental, and then donate them to the National Archive. Otherwise, all clothing is purchased from the family’s own funds.

What Didn’t Work

Quite honestly, I can’t really think of anything that didn’t work – and I usually find something. If anything, I’d say it’s sad she’s not ever going to run for president. But after reading this, I totally understand. She will continue to make a difference regardless!

Conclusion

Read this book! Michelle Obama is thoughtful, funny, and won’t let you down.

Americanah

Rating: 4/5

Category: Fiction

Synopsis

What a great read to begin this blog with. Americanah (by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) is about a young woman, Ifemelu, who leaves military-ruled Nigeria for the United States in hopes of getting her life started on the right track. But Ifemelu’s perceived glitz and glamor of American life comes to a startling halt when she realizes her academic success won’t take her as far as she thought it would, mainly because she has to confront what it means to be black in America. Full of determination, heartache, perseverance, and regret, Americanah is a tantalizingly heartwarming novel that will be sure to keep you wanting more.

What’s There to Like

Ifemelu is a great character to follow. She has a lot of personalities traits that I related with: thoughtful, questioning, resilient, and even self-deprecating. She’s not perfect! Ifemelu felt like a real person to me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she is a small reflection of Adichie herself.

As books should be written, Adichie keeps you guessing on where the storyline will go. It was thoughtful the way the book was laid out, by switching back and forth between present and past. And the book kept an air of uncertainty with Ifemelu’s choices, making the read feel precarious and potentially devastating at times. But ultimately, Americanah remained a humorous read! I particularly loved the moments when Ifemelu’s blog posts were presented at specific points in the book – it brought out the comedy and the thought-provoking conversations in otherwise bleak situations.

What Didn’t Work

Obinze (Ifemelu’s childhood love interest) really didn’t interest me much. He actually felt rather flat. This confused and slightly disappointed me, because based off the summary on my book copy (Anchor Books 2013), I expected both characters to be equally compelling and fiery, written about just as much as the counterpart. But instead, I felt almost uncaring for Obinze. Was this the intent in comparison with Ifemelu? I don’t believe so.

Conclusion

Read this book! It will make you laugh, cry, and ponder over the societal cultures of the world (the bad and the small rays of good). Adichie’s novel warmed my heart and fired up my soul. I believe it will do the same for you.