Welcome to The Reading Nook, where I share my reading journey and discuss books and bookish stuff. If you’re not interested in this segment of the newsletter, you can toggle off these emails in your account settings.
I’m delighted to introduce the ‘Interview with a reader’ series to The Reading Nook! Every now and then, I’ll get a reader to answer a bunch of book and reading-related questions to get a peek into their reading tastes, beliefs, etc.
Today, my friend Blessing (
) is our first guest. We learn about her relationship with reading, her favourite and avoided genres, her thoughts on DNFing and judging a book by its cover, and more. There’s also a this or that section, and the interview closes with Blessing giving advice to struggling readers. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did.
✿ Let’s start here:
Tell us a bit about yourself. What’s your name? Where do you live? What do you spend your time doing? Do you like the things you spend your time on? Include anything else you’d like to add.
My name is Blessing Maraizu. I live in Accra, Ghana, but I am from The Gambia. I am in Ghana for uni. That area of my life is almost coming to an end very soon, as I am in my final year (I am excited and anxious in equal measure about my next steps in life, as you can imagine). I spend my time reading, writing, and watching movies. I also love going out on odd adventures with my friends. I love your question about whether I like the things I spend my time on. I find that many of us don’t actually like the way we spend our time. Most of the time, it is because we have to spend time on other things like work and making money, just so we can make ends meet. I hate that for us. But yeah, at this point in my life, I do enjoy the things I spend my time on. I am very grateful for that because I know it’s a privilege. It is one of the great joys of my life that I enjoy my hobbies as thoroughly as I do.
When and why did you start reading?
I can’t remember when I started reading because I have always had a book in my hands. I was going through my baby pictures the last time I was home and was astounded to find a great many picture books featuring alongside me on the floor. My parents were quite book-mad! I am an only child, so I was left to my devices from a young age. Growing up, we had no TV. My only source of entertainment was from books, and boy, did I embrace that! I fell into the world of imagination so deeply that my head was often in the clouds...dreaming, wishing, for a world that wasn’t mine, a world where things happened.
I was very talkative and rambunctious in toddlerhood; legend has it that the only time I would go silent was when a book was shoved into my hands. I imagine my parents did that quite often, just to get me to shut up. My mother believed in reading with an almost-religious fervency. She read to me since I was in the womb and placed a book in my hands immediately I was able to grasp one. My mother used to drive me to the National Library in Banjul every Saturday to pick out two children’s books for the week ahead. Oftentimes, I would finish the books before we got home. She would buy Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl books in bulk for me anytime she travelled to Europe. C.S. Lewis’ tomes came later, too. Harry Potter was a no-no–my mum being a conservative evangelical. But she loved to read, and she made me read. I’m a lifelong reader and cannot imagine a life without books. The worst year of my life remains the year I only read five books, and I hope to never repeat that.
How do you find the time to read? Do you have a reading routine?
I have no fixed routine. Reading is a compulsion for me. Ironically, my parents now believe that I read too much. This is because I’d rather read than work or do chores. They’ve created a little monster! Like Pandora Sykes wrote in her essay, But how do you read so much?, I am able to read the way I do because I ignore other pressing matters. Here is an example for you: I read in between exam papers to de-stress. To me, that is the height of my dependence on reading.
Do you have favourite genres?
My favourite genres have to be Literary Fiction and Historical Romance. I also love essay collections. There’s something about these genres that satisfies my soul. They scratch a spiritual itch for me, I think. This is because they perfectly capture the human experience, the excitement and angst of our tenured existence. My favourite feeling in the world is curling up with a perfect book from one of these genres. To me, that feeling is a glimpse of heaven.
Favourite books?
I have a lot of favourite books, so I am going to talk about my favourite reads of the year so far. I’ll have to say my favourite books of the year so far are: Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe, The Wedding People by Allison Espach, Portrait of A Scotsman by Evie Dunmore, The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis, How To Be A Person In The World by Heather Havrilesky and The Education of a British-Protected Child by Chinua Achebe.
Favourite authors?
In quick succession and no particular order: Coco Mellors, Dolly Alderton, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chinua Achebe, Tessa Afshar, Sherry Thomas, Lisa Kleypas, C.S. Lewis & Heather Havrilesky. I’m pretty sure I am forgetting some people, but these are the people that come to mind.
Do you have any genres, books, or authors you avoid?
Anything Colleen Hoover writes can and will miss me! I hate most contemporary romance novels. I don’t get Sci-Fi. I wish I did, all the cool kids get it. But I don’t.
What book has been on your TBR the longest, and why haven’t you read it?
The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee. It’s about three women expats living in Hong Kong, all going through difficult times in their lives. It’s been on my list for a year now. I’ll get to reading it one of these days. I expect I will enjoy it. It’s right up my alley. Also, Stoner by John Williams and Long-Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Anker.
What’s a genre outside your comfort zone you’d like to explore?
Two genres: Crime Fiction and Fantasy. I’d like to read The Thursday Murder Club Series by Richard Osman one of these days. I also really want in on the Fourth Wing hype. I feel left out!
What type of books do you wish you enjoyed but don’t?
Science Fiction for sure.
If your taste in books were a person, how would you describe them? How do they dress? What do they do? What restaurants do they frequent?
Ouuuuuuu, I love this! My taste in books is an overeducated black woman who lives alone in a Melbourne apartment. She loves wearing long, flowy skirts with tight tops. She also loves floral patterns. For some reason, her glasses always match her outfits. She’s always taking outfit of the day selfies for her thirty followers on Instagram. She loves posting her latest reads on Instagram stories. She thinks she’s cooler than she really is. She’s getting her third masters in some niche area in International Relations. She’s addicted to drinking tea. She hates going out to dinner, but you can always find her in a café having hot chocolate and croissants. She’s been to all the brunch places in the entire city, and takes recommending them very seriously.
Do you have a book that you’d like to rewrite its ending?
None that I can think of now. Sometimes I finish a book and wish it ended differently, but then I tell myself “well, you’re not the writer” and just put it out of my mind. That’s why none comes to mind.
What was the last book you read that elicited strong emotions?
Definitely Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. I read that book and thought: what a life-affirming book! Margo’s my age, and the cards life has dealt her would make anyone crumble. But she doesn’t. She’s spunky and funny and determined to make a way for herself and her son. Michelle Andrews of the Shameless Podcast once said that “the world does not happen to you, you happen to it.” I really gravitate towards that message. I think The Wedding People by Allison Espach also made me feel that way. I love characters that rage against the dying of the light, characters who are brave and courageous even when they don’t want to be. Both books are also laugh-out-loud funny too, which means a lot to me.
What book have you recommended the most, and which would you like to recommend now?
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. Perfect book. 10/10 no notes. I worship at Coco Mellors’ altar.
Where do you get reading recommendations from?
Jack Edward’s YouTube channel, The Happy Noisemaker Book Club, and the Shameless Book Club. The trinity of great recommendations.
What are you currently reading? How’s it going?
I’m currently re-reading Lisa Kleypas’ catalogue because I am studying for exams, and Historical Romances are a great escape read for me. Nothing too serious.
✿ What are your thoughts on:
Judging a book by its cover?
Anyone who says they do not judge a book by its cover is a liar!!!!! It’s a hill I am willing to die on.
Setting reading goals?
I love setting reading goals. I set reading goals for myself. I love anything that incentivises people to read. If this helps, why not?
Recording the number of books you read?
I know this is shallow, but I record the number of books I read, and I take great joy in it.
Reading multiple books at once?
Maybe others can, but I cannot. I like to give things my full attention.
Marking books as DNF (did not finish)?
Love it. Reading should be fun. If you aren’t enjoying a book, why force yourself to finish it?
Rereading books?
There is nothing I love more than rereading books. I think I have reread Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas fifty times now. I wish I were joking.
Reading accessories?
They’re cute and all, but the only one I use is a bookmark. I don’t see much need for the rest.
✿ This or that:
Mood reading/ sticking to a strict TBR (to be read) list
Mood Reading.
Reading in silence/ reading with music
Reading in silence.
E-books/ physical books/ audiobooks
Physical Books.
Hardcover/ paperback
Paperbacks. Maybe it’s because I am too broke to buy a hardback book lolll.
Goodreads/ Storygraph
None? I use none. I’m trying to get into StoryGraph, though.
Annotating & highlighting/ fresh pages
Annotating. C’mon now. Underline those words!! It's a magic on its own.
Bookmarks/ folding pages
Bookmarks.
Reading challenges & buddy reading/ lone wolf reader
Lone wolf reader. Because I always default when it comes to group reading.
Library/ used books/ brand new books
Can I say all? I really endorse going to libraries and buying used books, though. It’s very sustainable, and we need to keep libraries open.
✿ What advice would you give to someone:
Struggling to find their taste in books?
Read one book from every genre to find out what you like.
Trying to get out of a reading slump?
Read a short story or something that has been widely recommended.
Trying to read more?
Make out more time to read. You have to be intentional about it in the beginning. Then, it’d become a habit.
A note from Blessing: I have a newsletter called SUNDAY AFTERNOONS on Substack, where I write personal essays and observations about culture. I think it’s a well-considered newsletter, if I do say so myself, so please subscribe if you like.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. What are your thoughts? Do you resonate or disagree with anything Blessing said? Would you like to answer some of these questions?
Ouuu I love this, I'm definitely going to read Margo's got money
The Collen hover comment😅, I thought it was just me that doesn't read her work😭