Tale of the Book

YOUNG AND BOOKED SERIES 1: EPISODE 3

(Left: Obe Keno, Right: Mr Uchenna)

I, Obe Keno, am so glad to welcome YOU to Episode 3 of the YOUNG AND BOOKED SERIES.

Here with me today, is our guest, (DRUMROLL PLEASE!) a very passionate Book Influencer/Publicist, Mr Uchenna Nnabugwu. And he is going to answer some pretty interesting questions for us, so please grab some popcorn/a friend if you can, stay tuned and ENJOY!.

Keno: (smiling brightly) Welcome to the YOUNG AND BOOKED Series Mr Uchenna, thank you for having this interview.

Mr Uchenna: (smiles) Thank you Keno, for having me as a guest on this amazing series, I love what you’re doing on this blog and to everyone reading this, THANK YOU.

Keno: Absolutely. Dear YOU reading this, your support on the YAB Series is a big part of WHY we keep going!. Now, to kick things off Mr Uchenna, I’ll start by spilling the first question we have for you today….. How did you get started with book influencing, what led to it?.

Mr Uchenna: I’ve always been a lover of books since my Primary School days. I just read what I could lay my hands on back then, without thinking too much about the genre.
Then in Dec 2019, I decided to take it to Instagram after discovering the Bookstagram community.

(*For those who’re unaware, Bookstagram is Instagram’s book lovers’ community where you just can’t share “too much” about books and you get to interact with other book lovers!.)

Keno: (nods) Interesting. The good old Primary School days lol!. Question 2, What does a typical day in your week as a Book Publicist look like?.

Mr Uchenna: (smiles) Well, a typical day in my week involves dealing with chores first because I live with my parents, and I’m the only child available. Then I do some reading. If I have content to create that day, I’d think of the type of content (concept), do my audio research, write out my ideas for the content, get my outfits ready if I have to change clothes, set my shooting equipment, my mirror which I use in viewing myself as I shoot most of the content myself.
When all set, I go-ahead to shoot my content which sometimes can take up to 2 hours, depending on the content type (like if it involves a lot more transition).
Then I edit my videos, write out the caption and finally the posting happens.

Keno: (shakes head in awe) Wow….. That is a lot. I mean, we see an interesting post on IG and don’t really think of the work that goes into creating it. Content creating is definitely not a piece of pie in any niche but judging from your Instagram posts you’re really killing it!. Which brings me to Question 3, What advice would you give to a Book Influencer/Publicist who’s just starting out?.

Mr Uchenna: (smiles) My advice would go like this: Be authentic. Do you. Don’t be afraid to show your true self as that would also contribute to you standing out from the crowd.
Also, don’t feel pressured to read ALL the books you see on bookstagram and define what “consistency” is for you.

Keno: (smiles and nods) That is such a good advice, Mr Uchenna. Question 4, What are your favorite tools for creating bookish content for social media?.

Mr Uchenna: They’re just four: my phone, my tripod, LED light and of course, the books!.

Keno: (smiles) Okay!. Question 5, What has been your greatest struggle as a book influencer/publicist in Nigeria?.

Mr Uchenna: My greatest struggle is getting access to books. And for creating content, NEPA is the struggle!. (*inserts crying emoji)

Keno: (laughs) We all can relate to the NEPA struggles in Nigeria!. It really terrible….. this brings me to Question 6, What keeps you going? Why haven’t you thrown in the towel despite these struggles?.

Mr Uchenna: (smiles) What has kept me going is simple: I love what I do.
This is why I tell people that when choosing a niche, you should go with something you are most interested in, something you would not easily get tired of.

(*niche: a comfortable or suitable position in life or employment)

Keno: True and important words. “Do what you love”. Question 7, What do you believe is the #1 key to succeeding as a book influencer?

Mr Uchenna: I believe the most important thing is this: Be your true self and put in the work!.

Keno: (nods) Great answer!. Question 8, Which person or people have most accelerated your growth?

Mr Uchenna: Every reader I’ve connected with on the Bookstagram space has contributed to my growth. From @lipglossmaffia who recommended books and gave me some tips, to the many other readers I continue to meet along the way.

Keno: (smiles) The Bookstagram space is really quite supportive—bound by our love for books. Question 9, What is most rewarding for you about book influencing and what are your top 3 goals as a Book Influencer?.

Mr Uchenna: (smiles) Honestly, I’d say it’s rewarding being able to read more books and some of them become my favorites. And my top 3 goals as a Book Influencer are:
1-Promoting the reading culture.
2-Sometimes I try to pass the message that “Reading is not boring and can be fun” through my content.
3-Recommending books that deserve to be read by more people.

Keno: (nods) Those are worthy goals!. Question 10, What genre of books do you enjoy reading/publicizing?.

Mr Uchenna: I enjoy reading and publicizing books by Black Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC).

Keno: (nods slowly) Okay. That is interesting….. Question 11, How do you measure success as a book influencer?.

Mr Uchenna: Success is something personal and how we measure or define it is up to each individual.
As for me, I measure success through my reading growth, consistency and how well I passed the message about a book through my content.

Keno: (smiles) That sounds good….. Question 12, What can you 100% proudly boast of when it comes to your brand i.e the way you publicize books?.

Mr Uchenna: That’ll be this— I always come through with my content!.

Keno: (smiles and nods) And you came through with this interview!….It was really delightful having you with us, Mr Uchenna. Thank you for this interview and for being our guest on the YOUNG AND BOOKED Series.

Mr Uchenna: It was a pleasure to do this with you. Thanks for having me. Dear Readers, I would LOVE to connect with you on Instagram and YouTube.

Keno: Also, amazing readers, please follow our Instagram page @taleofthebook if you aren’t already doing so!.

Be your true self and put in the work!.
-Book Publicist Uchenna.

Please leave a comment if you enjoyed reading this or if you learnt something from the interview! And please SHARE with others. Sending you love as you do!♥️💐

Thank you for reading YOUNG AND BOOKED Series 1: Episode 3. You are AMAZING!. See you on the next Episode!.

*If this is your first time visiting this blog, please read more about the YOUNG AND BOOKED SERIES here…..

Join the TOTB Instagram community to get notified about new blog posts. Stay updated on exciting book recommendations/reviews!.

Take me to Instagram!.

3 Lessons I Picked From “THE SHACK” By William P. Young

Book Title: The Shack.
Author: William Paul Young.
Published: 2007
My Rating: 4.8/5.0⭐️. I don’t have easy words at hand to describe this book but I ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND IT!

Book Blurb (Summary): This book is actually about Mackenzie Allen Philips (the main character), whose six years old daughter, Missy, was kidnapped during a family vacation and evidence that she was brutally murdered by a serial killer was found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever.

“The Shack” is a book that is in one word: CONTROVERSIAL. People who have read it or watched the movie have so many different opinions of it. Some say it helps them understand the God(the Trinity) more, others say they understand why God did not stop some bad things from happening to them more, still others say it is blasphemous and against Biblical scripture/theology.

I won’t pretend to be 100% sure if any of these opinions are right or wrong, good or bad. But I DO know what this book opened up to me. The lessons I got from it. Rather than giving my usual review, I’ve decided to share some lessons I picked from it with you.

So here are the 3 lessons I learnt from Mack’s conversations with God. I hope and believe these will help you somehow…. as they have helped me:

1–GOD HAS NO FAVORITES—PERIOD!.

God’s favorite girl/boy….. I’ve heard people refer to themselves like that before and I wonder where they got the notion. It is better to refer to yourself as “God’s beloved” than as His Favorite. Because He does not have a fave dear!.

Many Christians and non-Christians alike (including me) have found themselves feeling like God has selected a person or persons as His favorites. When all you see (emphasis on ALL YOU SEE), is how perfect someone’s life seems to be going as opposed to your own supposedly messy life, it can seem like they’re God’s fave and you’re not. But THAT is false!. See Romans 2:11.

God loves everyone EQUALLY. There is nothing you could do to make Him love you more or less. Let’s keep that in mind for the next time we feel God loves someone else more.

2–STOP TRYING SO HARD TO LIVE LIKE CHRIST AND LET HIM LIVE THROUGH YOU.

I know, I know. There are Bible verses about imitating Christ (eg: Ephesians 5:1). But we so often take this to mean we should be trying to be perfectly good like Christ was, on our own!. And who among us can do that?. (No hands?!. Lol just kidding a bit…. but this is serious….). Some may say living like Christ and letting Him live through you mean the same thing but I believe there’s a significant difference. We, in all our human imperfections, cannot even begin to UNDERSTAND what living like Christ means, talk more of ACTING it out.

Also, how can you live like a Person you don’t really know/understand/trust?.

But letting Christ live through you?. Well that throws off any lingering feeling that we can imitate Christ, be perfectly good on our own. And it opens the door to a deeper relationship than trying to imitate Him ever could. Because to let Him come alive and live through you, you’ll have to start by knowing Him, your knowledge grows your trust in Him, your trust makes it easier to surrender/submit to Him/His will, then Jesus gives you the power to be ONE with Him.

And if those aren’t fruits of a true relationship with Christ, I don’t know what is!. I once heard an interesting sentence from someone that said: “I can’t. He can. I will let Him”. That about sums it up!. Note: Letting Christ live through you is a process. To know Him is to love Him. Start by getting to know Him—through reading the Bible!.

3-GOD IS WITH YOU—EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL SO.

Sometimes life hits you hard and all you can see is your pain, you may lose sight of God and start “feeling“ like you’re alone. I know, I’ve experienced that.

It happens to the “best” of us.

There is so much pain in the world. So much evil. Why does God seem to do nothing about it?. Firstly, to answer that question, I believe God has already done EVERYTHING to save us from the pain/evil in the world through the sacrifice Jesus made. PERIOD!.

But I also know firsthand that sometimes when you’re in the thick of it, smack-dab in the middle of the pain/evil, you can’t quite see your way straight to the cross.

But the truth is, He is ALWAYS right there with you in the midst of all the pain and craziness life can throw at you. And when life gives you lemons, you can TRUST God to make lemonades, if you can surrender the lemons to Him!. God says it Himself in Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.

Extra: GOD IS GOOD—ALL THE TIME.

This should be self-explanatory. It is a popular phrase in the Church. We say it all the time. But we have to BELIEVE it and that belief comes from truly knowing and trusting God.

Jesus Himself said it in Mark 10:18: No one is good— except God alone.

A lot of our fears and struggles as Christians would fade away if we truly believe that God is good and so are His plans for us. No matter what happens!.

And that’s a wrap!. I hope and believe this helped you. Please share your thoughts in the comment section and SHARE this post with others!. Someone you know may need to see it!.

Sending you love as you do ❤️💐

Also if you have read “THE SHACK” or seen the movie adaptation of it, What were your thoughts?. Did you enjoy it? If you haven’t read it does this ‘tale of the book’ make you want to?.

Join the TOTB Instagram community to get notified about new blog posts. Stay updated on exciting book recommendations/reviews!.

TAKE ME TO INSTAGRAM!.

YOUNG AND BOOKED SERIES 1: EPISODE 2

(Left: Obe Keno, Right: Ms Toyin.)

With great delight I, Obe Keno, welcome YOU to Episode 2 of the YOUNG AND BOOKED SERIES.

Here with me today, is our lovely guest, (DRUMROLL PLEASE!) a very special Author, Ms Oluwatoyin Ajua Odunuyi. And she is going to answer some pretty interesting questions for us, so please grab some popcorn/a friend if you can, stay tuned and ENJOY!.

Keno: (smiling brightly) Welcome to the YOUNG AND BOOKED Series Ms Toyin, thank you for having this interview.

Ms Toyin: (smiles) Thank you Keno, for having me as a guest on this amazing series, I’m a big fan of what you’re doing on this blog and to everyone reading this, THANK YOU.

Keno: Yes, thank you readers. Your support on the YAB Series means so much. Alright, to kick things off Ms Toyin, I’ll begin by asking the first question we have for you today….. What do you think “success” means for an author?.

Ms Toyin: Some think it’s monetary value, and honestly, money is nice, but I think it’s based on the reception of your book. I believe the main point of writing is for someone to enjoy your book and understand the message you are trying to pass across. For me, if anyone understands my book and I change the world through my books, I feel successful. I want to connect to my readers through my words. It’s success to me.

Keno: (nods)I like the sound of that!. Success is more than money. Question 2, How many books have you published so far?.

Ms Toyin: (smiles) I have 14 published right now. I hope to have written 30 books written before I clock 29. That’s my 5-year plan. Hopefully if laziness doesn’t take over.

Keno: (nods) 14 books published!. That’s a lot. Question 3, When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?.

Ms Toyin: So, when I was younger, I used to make up all of these scenarios in my head. I started from creating little graphics on Microsoft PowerPoint and giving them little dialogues. Then afterwards, when I got into JS1, I started making little write-ups—stories of little maids getting involved with the boss of the house. Cliché? I know, but it just made me happy, exploring my imagination. I was just a very bored kid, I really had nothing to do except make up scenarios and cause trouble. Then I grew in my craft, writing stories in multiple school notebooks. It got me in trouble with my teachers, but please who cares?. That’s when I realized that I really wanted to write stories for the rest of my life.

Keno: (astonished) Am I the only one who was surprised by the maids/bosses thing(readers that got you too right!). Anyways, I love how you’re real with us, Ms Toyin. Question 4, I hear many Authors say having to do research for a book is quite difficult for them. What part of writing a book is the most difficult for you?.

Ms Toyin: (scrunches up her face) Yeah, research is annoying because I have to get information about all that I am writing about, especially if it is something that I don’t really know much or care much about. I would have to say “writing” itself is quite difficult. I care about the process but sometimes it can be so frustrating (especially with writer’s block). I also have to deal with Imposter Syndrome….Sometimes I wish there was an application that could write for me!. Despite the struggles, I do want to write full-time. I know it’s not practical especially in this wonderful Country we live in. But I want to live a life where I just stay at home writing and of course, being a “yummy mummy” when that time comes.Writing is just amazing. Putting the words in my head into a document… it’s mindblowing, for real.

Keno: (laughs) A writing application that could read your mind and then write for you, huh!. Wouldn’t that be nice?!. (fellow writers can relate). And I think it’s great that you want to write books full-time. Question 5, Do you prefer to write fiction or non-fiction?.

Ms Toyin: (shrugs) Fiction is MUCH better, please. Non-fiction is quite hard for me. People who write non-fiction books are very talented.

Keno: Okay (we salute you non-fiction writers!) Question 6, As an Author, what advice would you give to aspiring authors in general?

Ms Toyin: Great question. To aspiring authors I’d say this: DON’T GIVE UP. No matter what. It’s one thing for your parents to support you and also your friends, but there is something called “self-support”. You need to support yourself and continue to keep the dream running. Don’t let people say “How are you doing to do it?”. Don’t let other doubts freak you out. Support and believe in yourself. Also, don’t let that little voice in your head ruin you. Because the devil comes up with words of inadequacy, don’t BELIEVE what he says.

Keno: Lovely advice. Question 7, Of all the books you have written, do you have a favorite? If yes, which is your fave?.

Ms Toyin: Oh my God. I don’t have one favorite. But I do have three that I can choose from— “QUIETUS” which is on death sentence. A topic that I really struggled to write about. “ALL FOR MY BEAUTIFUL ODD BOY”, because I put so much effort into creating it and finally, “YOURS, ALWAYS” – its a romance novel. I am a romantic at heart. I love romance novels and I love writing them, despite the stress attached to it.

Keno: Haha!. There is no genre quite like Romance. Question 8, As a young Author in Nigeria, what has been your greatest struggle and your greatest joy?.

Ms Toyin: My greatest struggle would have to be getting myself out there. I am not an influencer and I don’t have many followers so it is really hard reaching my target audience and getting people to read my book. I really don’t enjoy marketing. It’s annoying and frustrating. Marketing a book is hard, extremely hard. My greatest joy would have to be finishing a book. The joy of starting and finishing something is amazing. No one knows the silent battles one fights to bring up a masterpiece. I am grateful for writing because it has helped me with some skills. I am an excellent time manager and I am also disciplined. I’ve been writing for over 10 years now and I make sure I track my progress. I’ve made it a personal rule to write 1000 words a day. At first, I thought it was hard, but now, it’s easy to me. I sit down within the hours of 10-12 and write. It is a beautiful thing to be good at something and also to love it.

Keno: Interesting…..Question 9, Despite the struggles you face, why do you keep on writing books?.

Ms Toyin: The stories! Oh my God. I get so many stories in my head. I cannot help it. I need to write them all down. I feel it’s like haunting me if I don’t. I have given myself the duty to write all of the things I hold dear. I can’t escape it.

Keno: (nods) Wow, now THAT’S passion!. Question 10, Can you explain why you think your latest book, “All For My Beautiful Odd Boy” would beneficial to anyone who reads it in a sentence or two? And what was the reason you wrote this book?.

Ms Toyin: (smiles big) Of course. “ALL FOR MY BEAUTIFUL ODD BOY” is centered on a rural family who battles an issue—their son’s health. The reason why I wrote this book was because I wanted to write a fiction book based on autism, which is my way of increasing awareness in the world. I have an autistic brother and he has improved a lot since his diagnosis….I think about the past and how my family had to deal with misconceptions of ASD. We, like the family in the book, were not very aware. And there are families out there who don’t know what is going on with their family member and are subjecting the autistic child to various weird things…..This was not per se a personal project, I just wanted to write more on autism. There is also a theme about marriage analyzed in this book that was also written to showcase the love that parents feel for their neurodivergent children, just like the love my parents have for my little brother.

Keno: (nods slowly) If I’m to be perfectly honest, I do not know much about autism although I have come across a few autistic people. Your book sounds like it will be educational for me and others like me……It was wonderful having you with us, Ms Toyin. Thank you for this interview and for being our guest on the YOUNG AND BOOKED Series.

Ms Toyin: (smiles big) It was such a pleasure to do this with you. Thanks for having me. Dear Readers, I would LOVE to connect with you on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keno: Also, amazing readers, Ms Toyin’s book “ALL FOR MY BEAUTIFUL ODD BOY” may contain value that you or someone you know needs…. You can also check out her other books: “YOURS, ALWAYS” and “QUIETUS”. Please follow our Instagram page @taleofthebook if you aren’t already doing so!.

For me, if anyone understands my book and I change the world through my books, I feel successful. I want to connect to my readers through my words. It’s success to me.
-Author Toyin

Please leave a comment if you enjoyed reading this or if you learnt something from the interview! And please SHARE with others. Sending you love as you do!♥️💐

Thank you for reading YOUNG AND BOOKED Series 1: Episode 2. You are AMAZING!. See you on the next Episode!.

*If this is your first time visiting this blog, please read more about the YOUNG AND BOOKED SERIES here…..

Join the TOTB Instagram community to get notified about new blog posts. Stay updated on exciting book recommendations/reviews!.

TAKE ME TO INSTAGRAM!.

YOUNG AND BOOKED SERIES 1: EPISODE 1

(Left: Obe Keno, Right: Ms Oyindasola.)

It is with great pleasure that I, Obe Keno, welcome YOU to Episode 1 of the YOUNG AND BOOKED SERIES.

With me here today, is our very first guest/interviewee on this series, (DRUMROLL PLEASE!) the spectacular Author, Ms Oyindasola Asiwaju-dada. And she is going to answer some very interesting questions for us, so please grab some popcorn if you can, stay tuned and ENJOY!.

Keno: (smiling brightly) Welcome to the YOUNG AND BOOKED Series Ms Oyindasola, thank you for having this interview. Alright, to kick things off, I’ll begin by asking the first question we have for you today….. What is something you can proudly boast of and I mean 100% when it comes to your books?.

Ms Oyindasola: (smiles) Before I answer that, I want to say thank you Keno, for inviting me as a guest on the YAB series, I really love what you’re doing on this blog and to everyone reading this, I say THANK YOU. Now to answer your question, when it comes to my books, something I can boast of would be how authentic, raw and unfiltered my works are; they are literal rollercoasters and I try to make them as realistic as possible. I feel like each book is a new way for me to express my creativity— to talk about things dear to my heart. Each one is relatable and directed towards someone out there in the world who needs a reminder, a reassurance that they are not alone— even in fiction books.

Keno: (gives a little salute) WOW!. Your books sound awesome!. Question 2, As a young author in Nigeria, what has been your biggest struggle?.

Ms Oyindasola: My biggest struggle as a young author in Nigeria is being able to consistently promote my works and build an audience, as well as you know, secure freelancing jobs as an author, a creative writer, yeah. Because authors are underrated, writers are even worse off. I’m trying to change that narrative too and it’s not easy.

Keno: (nods) I can imagine. Despite these struggles, why do you keep on writing, why haven’t you thrown in the towel and you know, moved on to something else?.

Ms Oyindasola: (laughs a little) I continue writing because I know that if change will happen anytime soon, it has to begin with someone. Hopefully, that person is me.

Keno: (smiles) Amazing. I reckon we’re on the same path when it comes to that. Question 4, As a published author, what advice would you give to a writer working on their first book, and to aspiring authors in general?.

Ms Oyindasola: Nice question. To aspiring authors, I would say take your time, don’t be in a hurry to “make it” or to “be a published author“. The world waiting for your work is vast and you can lose everything with a single foul mistake. Slow and steady makes the process. Don’t be worried about not having a lot of readers or getting bad criticisms. Focus on working on yourself, your skills. Lastly, keep writing. Just keep at it. I have been writing for eleven years and I’ve only gotten better and better.

Keno: Great advice and woah, eleven years is a long time. Question 5, How long did it take you to complete your first book?.

Ms Oyindasola: (smiles big) My first signed book ”ARAMIDE”, took me about five (5) months to write and edit. It has about 300,000 words and I had to make it work between TWO final exams, so yeah, it was hectic.

Keno: Wow, you sure are hardworking!. Question 6, When did you first fall in love with writing and why did you write your first book?.

Ms Oyindasola: Well, I uncovered my passion for writing at age seven. By then, I had already written my first book. I wrote my first book titled “STEPMOTHER” because of the many stories I’d heard about step-moms as a child. I wrote it at age seven but it was never published as I lost the draft in the same year.

Keno: Aw sorry, that must have hurt. Question 7, Reading your book blurbs and some chapters in your books, I have noticed that your characters tend to have some serious mental health issues; like in “FIRECRACKER”, the main character Danielle Dawns is a drug addict who also suffers from depression/anxiety. And in “ARAMIDE”, the main character Aramide was raped by her uncle and repeatedly physically abused by her significant other, Dayo…. which of course means she struggled mentally. Why do you tend to focus on mental health issues in your books?.

Ms Oyindasola: (nods & smiles) Mental health issues are prevailing and the more they spring up, the quicker we sweep them under the rug. The majority of my characters are portrayed as struggling mentally, to show that—yeah people go through these things—it’s real, it’s not just in their heads and to show that it’s not a death sentence either; there is HOPE (which is the best part). In “ARAMIDE”, we read how she transitions from a rape and domestic abuse victim, to a successful woman and a mother who is capable of loving both herself and her daughter. Daniel Dawns in “FIRECRACKER” also goes through a series of issues, Not to leave any spoilers (haha!), but in summary, I try to make people understand through my books that mental health issues do exist. I show them the ugly parts and how the blur clears up too.

Keno: (wipes imaginary tear & smiles big) I love that. I’m all for mental health awareness!. You are doing such an important thing with your books. Question 8, Did you ever include your personal experiences in any of your books?.

Ms Oyindasola: (nods) Yes, I included personal experiences in my debut teenage paranormal novel “NARROW”. Narrow simply mirrors the bullying I went through in high school. Some events in the book did not happen to me, but most of it, concerning the bullying, gaslighting and a lot more happened. At the time, I needed a way to express myself and you know—writing about it seemed like the best option. That was how “NARROW” was born.

Keno: WOW, I guess writing about it was quite therapeutic for you. Question 9, Have you ever written under a pseudonym (a different name)?. Why or why not?.

Ms Oyindasola: I do write under a pseudonym for Creative Writing Companies and I used to have a pseudonym on social media because I wasn’t confident back then, and I just wanted to vent and express myself without you know, being judged and all that.

Keno: (nods) I’m sure a lot of us can relate to that last sentence. And now, the last question, Can you tell us in a sentence or two, why you think your latest book, “DEAR YOU”, which is now available for preorder would be beneficial for teens and young adults?.

Ms Oyindasola: (smiles big) Of course. “DEAR YOU”, is my message to teens and young adults reminding them that there is more to life than dopamine filled social media, the thrills and ambitions that social media instills us. It has answers to questions they have suppressed for so long and I know, because I have been there and the writings in this book helped me cope, I believe it will help them too.

Keno: Page-turner alert!. That sounds like a book I and many others should read……It was delightful to have you with us, Ms Oyindasola. Thank you for this interview and for being our first ever guest on the YOUNG AND BOOKED Series.

Ms Oyindasola: (thumbs up & smiles) It was a pleasure to do this with you. Thanks for having me. Dear Readers, I would LOVE to connect with you on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Keno: Also, amazing readers, Ms Oyindasola’s book “DEAR YOU” might just be what you need at this point…. You can also check out her FREE books: “ARAMIDE” and “FIRECRACKER”. Please follow our Instagram page @taleofthebook if you aren’t already doing so!.

Please leave a comment if you enjoyed reading this or if you learnt something from the interview! And please SHARE with others. Sending you love as you do❤️💐

Thank you for reading YOUNG AND BOOKED Series 1: Episode 1. You are AMAZING!. See you on the next Episode!.

*If this is your first time visiting this blog, please read more about the YOUNG AND BOOKED SERIES here…..

Join the TOTB Instagram community to get notified about new blog posts. Stay updated on exciting book recommendations/reviews!.

TAKE ME TO INSTAGRAM!.

A NEW THING.

A warm welcome to you. Today, I will be introducing a new part of the TOTB blog. I hope that you’ll love it as much as I do.

Please follow me, I will let the cat out of the bag in a minute. But before I do that, let me start by saying this:

I think the Book industry is quite under-hyped in Nigeria. I mean compared to other industries in entertainment/education like the Music industry, Television industry etc…..

As you probably already know, I love books. I cannot count the many wonderful ways books have helped make me a better person.

So of course, I want to be one of the people who publicize and popularize the Book industry in Nigeria and I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to do that on this blog.

Stay with me, I decided there is no better way to do that, than by bringing YOU, my amazing blog audience into the lives of the PEOPLE that make up the book industry.

Yes, I am talking about the Authors, the Publishers, the Book Marketers, the Book Designers, the Book Editors, the Book Bloggers/Reviewers/Promoters and even the Readers, the Book Lovers!.

So I introduce to you today, DRUMROLLLL🥁…

The “YOUNG AND BOOKED” series. Through this series on my blog, I will bring this delightful concept to life, with God’s and your help. Join me on this exciting ride.

By all means, feel free to reach out to me if YOU OR ANYONE that you know are in any category listed above and would be interested in being a participant!.

Episode 1 of the YOUNG AND BOOKED Series will be LIVE on the blog on Tuesday, the 19th of April. We will be having a very PHENOMENAL Author as our first ever guest/interviewee on this series!.

Follow @taleofthebook on Instagram to know who this special Author is before everyone else does on Tuesday!.

The “Booked” in Young and Booked simply means a person who works in the Book Industry and/or is a book lover!.

See more about the YOUNG AND BOOKED series or reach me here…..Let us, together, bring out the beauty of the Book Industry!.

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Even if you are not a fan of books in general, you never can tell…. someone you know might just be VERY INTERESTED in this. Why don’t you help they and I out?.

Sending you love as you do ♥️🎊

Yours truly,

Keno✍️.

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Keno Reviews “WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS” by Adichie Chimamanda.

Book Title: We Should All Be Feminists.
Author: Adichie Chimamanda Ngozi.
Published: 2014.
My Rating: 4.5/5.0. A short, warm and interesting essay on Feminism. Easy to digest. (I RECOMMEND!).

Before reading “We Should All Be Feminists”, I had never really given much thought to actively supporting feminism or being a feminist although I agreed with and acknowledged the usefulness of some of its theories that I had heard of.

According to Wikipedia.
*That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?.*

Like any other human organization, I believe the Feminist Movement has made its own share of mistakes like taking things too far/discriminating against males.

My closest male friend told me how he got a wrong idea about feminism from his female lecturer (supposedly a feminist).

In his words “she didn’t like guys at all, including the male lecturers”. She made a habit of putting her male students down while favoring the females in the name of feminism. This kind of behavior only adds to the problem.

However, feminism has also done much over the years to right the wrongs when it comes to gender discrimination and it is a worthwhile cause.

From Britain Suffragettes in the early 1900s (fighting for Women’s right to vote) to today’s Feminists, this is a fight that has lasted over a century.

I read two historical fiction books recently… one was set in the 1800s, the other in the 1900s and the discrimination against females was glaringly clear.

How is it that centuries later although much better than it was years ago, this problem persists?.

In Nigeria today, many females in high positions in the society are suspected to have “slept their way up the ladder of success”. Some females with excellent degrees face the same suppositions. While their male counterparts are seen to be hardworking, smart and capable of their achievements.

Very ambitious females who are uninterested in marriage are seen as unusual or even to be (to put it bluntly), “wasting their time”. Rich and successful ones are seen as intimidating and some still believe a woman’s sole purpose is home-making and childbearing.

And these are just a few of the many limiting/stifling mentalities that a lot of people (both males & females) in Nigeria have.

Not all men/women discriminate against females and sometimes it is done unconsciously; out of ignorance. This is why any medium that creates awareness on the subject should always be welcome.

“WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS” is one of such mediums. A call to wake up from our ignorance and treat both genders as equally as possible. The author also talks about how both genders are raised and the importance of unlearning some things we have accepted as normal.

This book is a worthwhile peek into some discriminations against females and even into some draining expectations placed on males in Nigeria. It also touches other parts of the world briefly. And I am glad I read it because it opened my eyes to quite a lot.

As a Christian, I believe we live in a fallen world and gender discrimination is one of the many products of that. And that feminism/being feminists cannot solve all the gender discrimination issues in the world. I believe the solution is found in Christ only.

Having said that, and maybe even BECAUSE of that, I believe we (BOTH males and females) can do our best not to be part of the problem, but to be part of the solution.

Lastly, in our bid to be part of the solution, we can also do our best not to ADD to it by taking things too far or discriminating against males.

Do you agree with this post?. Have you read this book?. Did you enjoy it?. What are your thoughts and/or experiences regarding feminism?. . If you haven’t read it does this ‘tale of the book’ make you want to?. Please feel free to share with us in the comment section. I’m looking forward to it!.

Yours truly,

Keno✍️.

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