Welcome to our first episode of "Not Another Book Podcast". 
This week, BooksandRhymes, bookshy and Postcolonialchild discuss their overhyped books and underrated writers to look out for and Postcolonialchild drops the mic on Chinua Achebe and African literature.




Key takeaways:


Are some African writers being overhyped ?


Overhype vs quality of writing?


How literature festivals contribute to the hype


Who is behind the hype of some these overrated writers?


The contribution of the school curriculum to hyping the western canons of literature


Overrated white writers that we are ready to say "Boy Bye"


 


Overrated books:


From Postcolonial Child


Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi: debut novel beginning in 18th century Ghana, and following the descendants of two half sisters until present day.


Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue: debut novel following the lives of two very different families living and working in New York during the 28 financial crisis – one’s an immigrant family from Cameroon and the other a wealthy American family.




From bookshy


Twilight Series by Stephanie Myers: Bella. Vampires. Edward. More Vampires. The Cullens. Werwolves. Jacob. More Vampires. Vulturi.


From BooksandRhymes:


White Tears by Hari Kunzru: A trust fund hipster and a suburban nobody united by a love of music.




Underrated books we recommended:


From BooksandRhymes:


What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah: strange and wonderful debut short story collection with stories centred on the lives of women and girls, parents and children, lovers and friends – all told with elements of the fantastical. 


Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi: debut YA fantasy in a world of magic and danger inspired by West Africa and the African Diaspora.


From bookshy


A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar: fantasy fiction following the son of a merchant making his way for the first time to the distant land of Olondria.


The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson: every time Molly bleeds, a new version of her is born. A horror novella with a twist.


Speak Gigantular by Irenosen Okojie: a weird and wonderful debut short story collection. There are tales of suicide and ghosts haunting the London underground; twin sisters, impersonation, and inner demons coming to life; deadly foot fetishes and more.


From Postcolonial Child


Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: an epic historical novel following characters from Korea who eventually migrate to Japan.


Confessions of a Lioness by Mia Cuoto: a dark, poetic mystery about the women of Kulumani and the lionesses that hunt them - through two interwoven diaries.




Other books mentioned in the episode - in order of appearance:


Idu by Flora Nwapa
Foreign Gods, Inc. by Okey Ndibe
Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon
No Place to Call Home by J J Bola
Small Island by Andrea Levy 
50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
William Shakespeare – in general
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar
London, Cape Town Joburg by Zukiswa Wanner 
Reflecting Rogue: Inside the Mind of a Feminist by Pumla Dineo Gqola
Butterfly Fish by Irenosen Okojie


Tweet us @@NABookPodcast  with the hashtag #NotAnotherBook your thoughts about our first episode, the books we mentioned and more importantly your wild reactions Postcolonialchild mic drop.


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