ms_tiahmarie's reviews
1089 reviews

As I grow older I realise that Flag, while charming and quirky, is actually very political and feminist.

The time it took me to finish the book is a poor reflection of said book. THE OLYMPICS ARE ON! I hardly watch TV, but for this, I have made an exception. Poor book.

Nwaubani has written a very engaging book that reads quickly (if you actually pick it up!). I enjoyed it immensely and have passed it on to the Husband saying, 'Good book. You'd like it. Go read.'

I realise writing about 419 scams has become over done. But I think this author was one of the first to tackle the subjects before everyone jumped 'on trend.' Just took me a wee while to get my hands on a copy.

Heavy. Makes one wonder how much a human psyche can endure without breaking. It was not that I enjoyed the first more, but that the first one had so much more hope. While the ending is supposedly one of peace, what the third illustrates is how awful even the 'right' side of the conflict can be. The lies, the PR packaging - it hits close to the bone, which is perhaps Suzanne Collins' aim. The sheer awfulness, including the blood lust 'vote' at the end leaves a huge sense of disappoint even if one can empathise why people are acting as they do. So sad.

Could make an entire course out of the ending alone. So much to discuss. The ending weighs heavily.

The two stories tell so much about perspective, reliance / relationships and inter fumblings of the 'getting through life.' Shield's is quietly powerful. Taken the mundane and seemingly non-trendy 'blah' every day aspects of life and making vivid pictures and statements without being obvious.

He doesn't take the reader to where the story 'should go' or tell the tale in any way a writer would be 'taught' at school. Instead the book reads as if chasing butterflies with a pin. Not a book to read at a fast pace.

A story of survival in an area largely forgotten. One should read it for the story, not the prose - although there are some wonderful lines from time to time. An important book that should be read.

I loved the heck out of this book. So much that I wish most (all? Yes, maybe all) women read this book. Even if not everyone agrees with it (or some aspects) what brilliant discussions could be had.

Aaaaannnnnnnnnnd she is my new bff because she can't spell and is a writer and I can't spell and write. So there you go.

Fabulous. My ribs may now be cracked, but otherwise, I'm fine. Honest. Who needs ribs anyway?

This collection surpasses the standard: first time I did it. There is the first time a person hears the words 'You're pregnant,' being told 'you're infertile, to a woman's first time in a war zone, the first sexual assault, and yes, the first time a young girl fumbles around trying to have sex with her young man. The stories range from touching, to funny, to heartbreaking to downright horrifying.

Such a breadth of stories paints a far broader portrait than would be possible if Jen Thorpe only selected essays from South Africa's tiny population of writers. With such an eclectic mix, the collection valiantly strives to provide an honest example of 'the woman's first experience'. However, having a story to tell does not make one a storyteller. Thus it is the stories written by established writers, like Sarah Britten, that truly stand out.