A Place Called Hell

Ruqayyah: [00:00:00] Well, hello there. Welcome to reading with R and today, as I promised on the last episode, I have a sister shaped surprise. Drum roll please.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have with us. Hauwa Hala Nuraddeen, my sister and author extraordinaire on the streets. So, Because she is my sister and you know, because I'm also, I'm awesome and amazing and all, I am the first person that has the privilege of interviewing her about her book that came out a few days ago, A Place Called Hell.

So here she is. 

Hauwa Hala: Hi. It's so, it's so cool to be here. . 

Ruqayyah: Okay. Oh, and as we all know, she's the first guest on our podcast. We'll see how this goes. You know, if it goes well and you guys love it, we'll probably make it a [00:01:00] regular thing, having guests on the podcast. So, as I was saying, A Place Called Hell is the first book in the Abdul Malik Trilogy, The title of the book is...

Oh, how many times am I going to see it? Anyway, I'll say it again. A Place Called Hell. We will link the information on how to get the book, where to get it, how much it is. Don't worry, all of you can afford it. All of you have to buy one. And, uh, without further ado, let's get into it. So Hauwa, please introduce yourself.

Hauwa Hala: Uh, okay. Wow, this question is so annoying. , cuz I never know what to say, but, um, my name is Hauwa Hala Nuraddeen and, I guess I, I guess I wrote a book, , and that's why I'm here. But, um, I'm a student and, you know, it's always so funny when people find out I'm a science student [00:02:00] that writes, they always make such a big deal out of it, but it's like, I have hobbies, you know, I'm, I'm 18.

That's really cool for me. And the book got released on my birthday, which is something that I really like and I, I don't know what to say again. 

Ruqayyah: Oh, I actually wanted to spill that little tidbit about how it was released on her birthday. So anyway, every year on the 23rd, October, On the day that Hauwa became an adult, she turned 18 on the 23rd, A Place Called Hell gets a little bit older.

So it's like, awwwwn, the day she became an adult, she had her first baby . Okay, pretend that is not weird. 

Hauwa Hala: I never thought of it that way. I never, it never occurred to me. But no, I can't stop. You know, like 

Ruqayyah: It's valid, I guess 

Hauwa Hala: It is. 

Ruqayyah: So, um, to paint a picture for you guys, even though, uh, the, the image for this episode is going to be a cover of the book.

It is pink and it [00:03:00] is blue and we love it. We love it. So, so much. So let's get started on the questions. As we all know, your host extraordinaire has a huge issue with recording and talking about books without giving spoilers. But this time around we are not going to have any of that problem. So to give you an idea of what the book is like, I will read the blurb, 

Two Families, Two Lives, and an Invisible Girl.

Aala Abdulmalik is the girl that doesn't exist. As the Abdulmalik family's best kept secret, Aala has seen little more than the walls of her home and her hill. A wallflower shackled to the family that doesn't want her. Spending her days alone, steeped in loneliness. [00:04:00] However, this changes the night she meets Nassar Abiodun, a boy looking for an escape from the problems of his home.

When a series of events intertwine these lives and bring Aala's existence to the spotlight , what is to become of the girl who isn't supposed to exist? So, Hauwa Hala, 

Hauwa Hala: Yes ma'am. 

Ruqayyah: Let's start with the questions. What were your inspirations to write this book? 

Hauwa Hala: Wow, well, um, okay, so this is kind of like I just, I drew inspirations from a lot of places, but the main idea came.

As of on a very random Saturday, I remember cuz I was in the car with my dad and we were talking and my dad and I were pretty close. Like, we talk a lot about different topics. We have similar interests. So then I just had, you know, a what if not like, oh my God, what if I wasn't as close to my father? And that just, I that spiraled into what if, oh my God.

Imagine if [00:05:00] somebody's dad hated them. Spiraled into, imagine if somebody's entire family hated them, . And then I created a character whose entire family hated her because I could. Yeah. 

Ruqayyah: That's lovely. Okay, so this next question of mine is going to relate to something that you mentioned about being, um, A science student.

Um, yeah. What you said about being a science student. So, um, how did you discover that creative part of you? How did you realize that those ideas that you had in your head deserved to be turned into a book despite, you know, not being taught literary subjects or creative writing? 

Hauwa Hala: Well, I've always been a reader.

For as long as I can remember. I've read, I always read, I read a lots of books, and I think it gets to a point where you have so many book ideas and so many, oh what if this book [00:06:00] had ended this way? What if this thing was that way and then you just. I don't know. You just want to write for me. I think the catalyst was Wattpad .

Cuz I was super like heavy into Wattpad at that time and then I just, you know, I just wanted to try, so I wrote a chapter of this very cringe book that I deleted immediately and that just set it off for me. 

Ruqayyah: Oh yeah, I do remember reading it. On Wattpad . But then you never finished it? I started reading it.

Not that I read it, I started reading it. But then, because you know, I have a thing where I don't read books that are not complete on Wattpad . Because sometimes the authors flake like you did . So I was like, I'm not reading it until you finish it. 

Hauwa Hala: Yeah. 

Ruqayyah: So, um, yeah, that, that, that takes us to my next question.

How long did it take to complete the whole trilogy. 

Hauwa Hala: Oh, okay. Wow. Should I, I think, Okay. Well, okay. This is is divided [00:07:00] tech- officially. I started writing this book in 2017 and I didn't finish it until 2020, but in between 2017 to 2019 ending, when I started taking the writing seriously, it was just me writing whenever I felt like writing, but towards the end of 2019.

I really just wanted to finish the book. It was such a huge book. And so I started writing diligently and I finished it in a year between the ending of 2019. I remember I wrote the last chapter on seventh October, 2020. I never forget that date , because it was the first time I finished the book. I honestly thought I would never finish the book.

Ruqayyah: I think I remember that, but okay. Wait, wait, wait, wait. I think I remember you saying something about revisions or like when you started writing it offline, you changed it completely from the initial Wattpad version, right. 

Hauwa Hala: Yes, this book has gone through so many [00:08:00] changes. Honestly. The first, Wattpad version had so many plotholes.

It was so cringeeeee. Now that I think about it, it was so bad. I was so dramatic in that first draft that I scraped it and I started all the way from the beginning. And yeah, that was 2019. That was the og OG OG book. And that's not to count the edit that came when the book was going to be published cuz it was this huge book and then we agreed to divide it into three parts.

So I had to still edit something cuz I didn't want people to read the same thing that they had read on Wattpad . And then there were things that I wanted to add, things I wanted to fix. So like, this gave me the opportunity to do that. 

Ruqayyah: Mm mm Yeah. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. So, um, next, how would you describe your writer's block, if at all you had any?

Hauwa Hala: Oh, okay. So for me, when I feel the inspiration to write, it's kind of like the characters are in my head, like [00:09:00] 24/7 I keep imagining their reactions. I keep imagining everything. And then when I have writer's block, it's nothing. I don't even think about the book at all. 

Ruqayyah: Hmm hmm. Right, right. So, you know, talking about writer's block, I remember a piece of poetry you once wrote about writers' block

You know, a fun fact about our beloved author. She is not just a writer, she's also a poet. And, um, that's one thing I have to say about her books. You guys know me and my well written books ish. So, yeah, because she writes poetry, I think her writing style is distinct in that at times it is quite lyrical and poetic , 

Hauwa Hala: I feel so flattered.

Ruqayyah: No. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that's one thing I do love about it though. It gives this fanciful and, yeah, let me just say it. I always see it poetic prose.[00:10:00] 

So, let me go to the next question. Did you ever feel like stopping the writing? 

Hauwa Hala: Yes. A hundred times, a million times. Oh my God. Wow. Yes. I, I, I wanted to stop writing for a really long time, cuz. I don't know. You know, sometimes you have doubts as a writer and you're like, Oh, what's the point of writing this book anyway?

And you know, atimes when the writer's book would hit, I'm like, I should just abandon this book and start a new one, like, let's just let this one die. But I couldn't let it die. It, it wouldn't let me let it die, which was the main problem. But I think. When I got to the end, when I was really close to the end that I've never felt more like I needed to write than when I really wanted to finish the book.

The very . Is it ironic? I guess it's ironic. Part of me not wanting to write is that when I'm, when I was done, And it was [00:11:00] out in the world. I was like, I just want to take it all back and keep it to myself. Cause I don't want to know what people think. I just don't want to know what anybody think. I don't even like talking about this book to people.

Ruqayyah: Uh, well to be fair, a lot of authors feel that way towards their first book. I think I once heard someone say that if he could find every single copy of his first book, he would find it and burn it all. So yeah, you're not alone. So what would you say is your interesting writing, quirk? 

Hauwa Hala: Hmm. Okay. So, um, a huge chunk of the second book is pretty sad. Funny enough, I wrote most of those scenes in a very good mood. I write sad scenes when I'm happy , and I find it very sadistic cause why am I making people sad when I am fine. But yeah, I write sad scenes when I'm fine. 

Ruqayyah: Okay. [00:12:00] Um, What I want to ask is, okay, what was, since you mentioned that those were your most enjoyable scenes, right? So which were your most difficult scenes to write? Oh my God. Wait, wait, wait, wait. I got this. I can totally answer this one. The shmushy happy scenes.

Hauwa Hala: Yes, it's, It's very funny because I love happy books and I read romance all the time. When it was time for me to write those happy scenes, it was so hard. That's actually what I'm struggling with in my current work in progress, cuz I'm at the happy part. It's so hard to write happy things sometimes, cuz all I want to do is make their life sad, you know?

Then put it all back together again. 

Ruqayyah: Somebody has a little God complex . Okay. Okay. So did you encounter any problems while getting the book published? 

Hauwa Hala: Hmm. No, not really. It was a very smooth process. I hardly did anything apart from [00:13:00] the final editing process. 

Ruqayyah: Hmm. Yeah. Yeah. So shout out to Paul. Hauwa Hala Nuraddeen's publisher.

And, um, lastly, before we go into the excerpt reading, which y'all know is my favorite, except this time we are going to put the author on the spot and have her read it. Can you explain the dedication of the book? 

Hauwa Hala: Oh, okay. So the book is dedicated to my parents, which is a given. I have to thank my parents for everything. They've been very supportive of my writing. Which is not normal for Nigerian writers cuz a lot of my friends don't have that support from their parents. Now for their dedication reads for Umma and Abba for a lot of reasons, but mostly for everything ever. The inspiration and all the support JazakumulLahu khairan. And to Safia Elhillo, whose Alien Suite made my words flow. So for my parents, my mom hates my [00:14:00] book title cuz she's like, Why hell? Why can't I you something else? Why do I have to put hell? You know? It makes me laugh all the time. 

Ruqayyah: Oh my God, I think this reminds me of initially the reason for the title because you were obsessed with Hades, right?

Hauwa Hala: Yes. 

Ruqayyah: And Hades is the king of hell. So hell had to come in. 

Hauwa Hala: It had to, it had to. I couldn't. I couldn't just, I had to, I had to represent, and for my dad because, well, I got the original idea from him. Like if it hadn't been for that Saturday in the car, I don't think this book would've ever happened. 

Ruqayyah: Awwwn 

Hauwa Hala: And for Safia Elhillo, I, I am, I think I'm still obsessed with Alien Suite, it's this medley of a bunch of her poems and she recites it so well, her voice has, beautiful quality to it. I would listen to Alien Sweet on repeat throughout 2019 and most of 2020. I really loved it and it shows in my writing. 

Ruqayyah: I think I [00:15:00] actually asked you guys to go listen to Alien Suite on my last episode of Slammed, right? Oh, I made you listen to Aliens. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. That's lovely. Alhamdulillah for that, Alhamdulillah for poetry.

So guys, if you didn't listen to me last time, I said go read. Oh, not read. Go listen to Alien Suite when we did the Slammed episode. Please go listen to it now. 

Hauwa Hala: I just thought of another writer's quirk. That's completely, it's unrelated, but I write in colors. I use very bold colors when I'm writing. My background could be this neon orange 

Ruqayyah: I remember, 

Hauwa Hala: And then my words would be like dark navy blue. I don't like it black and white cuz it just makes me feel more echhh, The colors help. 

Ruqayyah: So now finally to the excerpt that she's going to read out. Remember guys, we talk about books here. We fangirl over books. You can catch us once every month. And [00:16:00] if you want to be a guest on this podcast, since I said.

This has gone smoothly, so we are totally making it a thing now In Sha Allah. So just send me a DM on Twitter @anchoredbywords with the title of the book that you want us to discuss, and then we will iron out the details now buy Hauwa Hala's book, the link is in the description. And now over to her, she will read an excerpt for us.

Hauwa Hala: Okay, so this is the epilogue. I love this. This is my favorite chapter in the book. Epilogue. Ruination. The wind stilled. 

And the curtain stopped their dance. The door remained silent as he opened it. His footsteps echoing in every corner as he stepped into the house, the door creaked as the wind picked up again, drawing it closer to the frame of the door before it shut it with the bang, she gasped awake.

The bang had frightened her out of sleep, terrified [00:17:00] her even. The doors in her house never made any noise and neither did her son. Who was in his room blissfully asleep. Her heart beat in trepidation, in anticipation, fear, excitement. Her mind raced with possibilities, igniting a flicker of hope in her heart.

He walked deeper into the house, dropping his jacket and briefcase on the couch, slipping off his shoes by the little alcove near the stairs in sock covered feet. He tiptoed up the stairs, his hand sliding on the banister as he got closer to her.

She threw the covers off of her, her feet brushing against the cold tile floor before she set them down firmly on the floor. The chill causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. 

Ruqayyah: Whew. I have goosebumps on my skin. Thank you very much for that. Hauwa Hala Nuraddeen, it was lovely having you. 

Hauwa Hala: It [00:18:00] was a pleasure being here. And I just want to add that we wrote the My about the author together. 

Ruqayyah: I remember that part. Oh, and in case you guys didn't know, let me blow my own trumpet a little. I edited the book. Yes, yes, yes. So I think that's why I know a lot about the process of the book, and we want to give a shout out to our little sister who crafted the questions because we have too much ADHD to come up with the questions ourselves. So a shout out to Janah. Thank you for the questions and I will see you next time guys.

So don't forget, send in your suggestions. If you want to collaborate, send them in and do not forget to buy our author's book, Tales From Hell. Oh wait, that's the name of the trilogy, A Place Called Hell. It's the name of book one and I will see you next time guys. Fi AmanilLah. I leave you in the keeping of [00:19:00] God.

Bye!

Link for Book Purchase:

https://pabpub.com/books/294?prints

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Well, hello there. Welcome to another episode of reading with R. I am Ruqayyah Nabage your host extraordinaire, podcaster extraordinaire, reader extra-ordinaire people. So on this podcast, we review books, we fan girl over books. That's what we do. So if you're interested in that type of thing, tune in every month for a new episode, if you have a particular book you want me to review. Send me an email at ruqayyah.nabage@ayambalitcast.com, or you could send me a DM to any of my social media platforms, or ayambalitcast's platform. And a website is available to listen on all podcasting platforms. So without further ado, today's episode ladies and gentlemen drum roll- it is home going by Yaa Gyasi.

This book is written by a Ghanaian. Um, I think she's Ghanaian American, not too sure. I didn't do a lot of research into the author, but the book is amazing. You know, I saw it quite a lot before I read it. And then, um, surprise, surprise. I found out that my husband had a copy, so it was a particularly enjoyable read for me because I was able to read it in hard copy.

So the book is about two sisters. Yeah. Two sisters that were born from the same mother, but had different fathers whose lives turned out to be completely different from one another. So we followed the individual stories of those sisters and their descendants, through the years. So it's like, um, the first sister, um, uh, I have the book here with me.

So for reference purposes. So I don't mix up anybody's name. The first sister is Effia. Yeah. And the other is Ese. So what happened was the woman, her name was Maame, she was a slave. To a man. That was how she bought her first daughter. After she gave birth to the daughter, she ran away and set everything on fire.

Then she was found by a different man in a totally different town who married her. And she had a second daughter Ese. So technically, no, not really technically, literally both sisters never knew that the other existed. So we go through the lives of both sisters, we go through the lives of their children, their children's children like several generations down the line.

And the interesting thing is that one family, the first sister, her whole life and her generation, they stay in Ghana while the other is sold into slavery. And which takes her to America. Slavery, plantations and all of that. It's a very interesting journey. And, um, we will see how it's like parallels yeah?

What could have been. It's now that I'm talking about it. I remember this, um, movie that I've been seeing on Netflix about how one, I didn't actually watch the movie. I saw the trailer it's like parallel lives. What could have been. So this book is literally showing us what could have beens in the life of the two sisters, how they could share the same mother, but live such different lives.

How, like they have the same blood, but how, like the children, their descendants live such completely different lives. And you know, the ones in Ghana, obviously it's a lot easier for them to keep track of their lineage. But somehow, even though like they have power and stuff and they're still in their homeland, they still lose themselves.

They still lose that ancestry, their bloodline, they don't know their lineage due to, you know, circumstances. That I will not divulge because I want you to read the book and find out by yourself and then the other sister. The one in America, she loses, they lose their own lineage to, at a point it cuts off.

They don't know where they come from. I think the author probably did it deliberately. I think it was around the same generation that they both lost touch. And interestingly enough, there are some ancestor like descendants sorry not ancestors descendants that see Maame, the woman that all began with in their dreams and stuff.

And of course people call her crazy and all of that. It's really beautiful. Um, and, uh, it's just, it's amazing. It's, it's a feat of beautiful writing and the story is just magical and it explores so many things, racism, slavery, lot of heavy stuff, but she still manages to make it beautiful, to take you along. One thing I particularly love about the book is even though it has so many different characters, we meet so many different people. Every per-, every single character's story manages to shine through.

 Even though like we just get an excerpt from their life, we just get an overview in just one chapter. So the way the book is written again is that, um, we, we alternate between the two sisters' descendants. One chapter is Effia. Next chapter is Ese next chapter is Effia's son

Chapter after that Ese's daughter and so forth, we keep going back and forth, back and forth. So each chapter is one person, but. They still stay with you. All these different individuals have their different lives. They all stay with you. They all resonate, and they all have their special stories. You feel them, you fall in love with these characters and when you move on to the next chapter, you don't just forget them and carry on.

You- you live with them. You take them with you in a way it could be seen as, um, a collection of short stories. Because of like how different their lives are, but like, yeah, maybe a fun collection of short stories since they all have a connecting thread, but like every character is different. Honestly, she did a wonderful job, which is why I want you to go buy the book and read.

Attached to this episode is an Amazon link. It's an affiliate link. So if you want to help support this podcast, please purchase the book through that link. I may get a small commission through no additional cost to you. And again, I will reiterate please people. If you have a book you want me to talk about, send in your suggestions, send in your comments.

I would love to hear your thoughts. If, um, you have anything bookish you want to talk about this channel, this podcast, it is here for you. Ayambalitcast as a whole. It is here for you, to cater to all your literary needs. Be it books. I'm here for your reading, with R. Be it poetry. Our poetry doctor is here for you.

Be it. Life advice. The Rave by Micheal is here for you. Be it children books, Namse is here for you, interviews with poets, Aisha's there for you. People. We have got it all here at Ayamba. So back to Homegoing. The, the title itself is really catchy, you know, because the usual is homecoming. Yeah. But here it's called homegoing because for each of the characters, I feel like in a way. They are going home a home that they never actually knew they are going, they all the characters throughout the book are searching for a way home. They want to have a homegoing a home they do not know. And again, as always, uh, I got a lot of history education from this book, you know, even though it's fiction.

If you are going to write about historical events, you can't warp those. It has to be true. You have to write it as it was, then build your fictional stories around the facts. So it is in a lot of these type of books that I actually got a lot of my education in history. You know, I learned a lot more about slavery, slave trade, the dynamics of the, the, um, tribes, communities, kingdoms in Ghana.

I didn't know that there was Fanteland and all these different, vibrant cultures existing all in Ghana before I just thought, you know, um, we, we are generally told that yeah, Nigeria is the country that has the most different ethnic groups. So I just glossed over it in my head in my mind that of course Ghana won't have as many.

But it is so much more and I didn't know how slave trade was for them. So I learned a lot about that here. As I was saying that I get a lot of my history education from books as a science student, I didn't have history as a subject. So World War I, World War II, I all learned about them from books, Nigerian civil war Americanah did that.

So, honestly, for me, novels are a lot more than just entertaining, they're education. They are moving, they are a teleportation device people. So please read more books, read literary fiction. It's amazing. So again, thank you guys so much for listening. Tune in please. Next month to listen to our next episode, you can listen to all our podcasts on any podcast site.

Be it Spotify, Audible, iTunes, Google Podcasts. Anything you want, don't forget to comment. Send me your opinions. Send me books you want me to talk about. And don't forget to purchase the book through my Amazon affiliate link. And this time around at the end of this episode, I am not going to give a list of books to vote on.

Even though if you have suggestions, please send them. I will schedule them for another month. Next month, I have a sister shaped surprise for you. October. It's a book that hasn't been released yet, but you can pre-order. So I am going to have the author over to talk about her book next month, the book drops next month.

That's why we're going to talk about it in next month's episode. So see you then guys. Stay lovely and amazing. Bye bye. Fi AmanilLah, I leave you in the keeping of God. Bye guys.

Amazon Link:

https://amzn.to/3BbPf5m

On this episode of Reading with R, Ruqayyah reviews the book Slammed by Colleen Hoover. The novel propelled her into the world of poetry, particularly slam poetry. Listen to the show to find out how?

The views and opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily reflect that of Ayamba LitCast. Enjoy the show!

Intro

Well, hello there. Welcome back to another episode of Reading with R. It's your girl Ruqayyah, in your speakers every month, talking about books with you, her favourite thing to do. You can catch us on our website, Ayamba LitCast website, or Spotify or iTunes or Apple Podcast or Audible. Anything that is your favourite podcast listening app, whether just search Reading with R, or you could search Ayamba LitCast and listen to our other amazing shows as well.

So, on today's episode, it is a Colleen Hoover special. Yes, Colleen Hoover, ladies and gentlemen. I think it's very apt that I start my very first Colleen Hoover review with my first ever Colleen Hoover book that I read. Which, coincidentally, was also her debut novel, 'Slammed.'

Slam Poetry

So as the name implies, 'Slammed,' your heart will literally get slammed into when you read that book. Like, practically all Colleen Hoover books are like that. But, no, that's not why it's named 'Slammed'. It's named 'Slammed' because there's a lot of slam poetry in it. So, a funny story. That book was my introduction to slam poetry, spoken poetry as a whole.

I had never heard of spoken poetry before. So, when I read that book and I saw that you could perform poetry, I was intrigued because you know, as your typical student in my junior classes, my lower-level classes. We had poetry as part of our English and it was all William Wordsworth, Shakespeare, you know. No shade to those guys, but like, you know how they go.

And then our teacher was like, "Oh, we're doing the romantics." And in my head, I'm like, "Whaaat!? Are you sure this is an appropriate curriculum?" You know, teaching little kids, romance and lo and behold, I found out that apparently, romance meant love of nature. And I'm like, I can't believe how the world has evolved and what it has turned into these days.

But anyway, back then when I was taking Shakespeare awards, William awards with all those, oldies, I convinced myself that I wasn't a poetry fan. That was what I told myself because it was so hard to understand. I didn't really get that you could just take only some of the figures of speech and do what you wanted with them.

I thought poetry had to be complicated and just weird and just something I didn't get. So, reading Slammed, I could say opened up a whole new world to me because from there I found modern poetry, I started listening to spoken word poetry on YouTube and I was opened up to a whole new world. And I was like, I can't believe I used to say I don't like poetry, so yeah. Thank you, Colleen Hoover, you did that.

You know, not just the world of spoken word poetry, Colleen Hoover, and the fandom has just been an amazing space. You know, recently I even saw a lady on Book Tok. She makes these mini books. You guys have to check that out. I think it's @TVandJohn on TikTok. She makes mini books, it's so cute. Honestly, she makes all these mini books and then she fills a jar with them. It's like her TBR or maybe books she has read.

Anyway, it's a cool hobby. I've been saying I want to do that, but I haven't gotten around to it. I'll do that inshaallah. I know maybe we could do a mini-Reading with R library. You know, with mini books of all the books that we have reviewed. And, you know, if anybody wants to give me free books as well, I'm down for that. So, back to Colleen Hoover - Slammed.

The best part about this is that. I read Slammed quite a while ago, but the main idea or like the shape of the story is in my head. Fortunately for everyone involved, I don't remember so much as to spoil it for everyone. So, like all Colleen Hoover books, it was a very real book. It was very heartrending. There was a happy ending, but it's like reality. The writing was so real. The emotions were so real. It wasn't just your typical cliche. And that's in the debut novel ladies and gentlemen.

So, it's this girl. She's new in town. She moves in. Her next-door neighbour, he recognizes that she's having some hardship adjusting to her new life. So, he takes her to this slam poetry presentation-ish performance. And it was beautiful. She was hooked from the beginning. And another thing is that every chapter, I think, included an excerpt of lyrics from the Avett Brothers. It's a band that Colleen Hoover and all her kids are into. Don't ask me how I knew that.

Don't ask me how I know that her kids are also into the Avett Brothers as well. But unfortunately, unlike slam poetry, that didn't catch. I tried listening to the Avett Brothers and I realised that I prefer reading their lyrics to listening to their music. I don't know. Maybe I didn't try hard enough, but it didn't catch on. And then they formed a friendship and there was a lot of stuff involved and it was a beautiful book, really.

Real Advice

There's a lot of real-life advice in there. The main actor, the guy that helps her settle in. He lives with his brother, and she also lives with her brother and her mom. So, the first time she was going out with the guy, her mom gave her a really, really, really, good piece of advice. Yeah. She said that she should ask herself three things, every single time she is going out with a man.

The questions are as follows.

1.    "Does he treat you with respect at all times?"

2.    "If he is still the same person that he is today in twenty years’ time, would you still be with him?"

3.    "Does he inspire you to be a better person?"

Just a moment for that to settle in.

I kid you not, I literally had different versions of those questions asked to me in a premarital course that I went through. These are so, so, so important. Because respect, yeah. Lots of people say that even when the love is not there, blah, blah, blah, respect is going to be what is holding the marriage together. I strongly believe in that.

If a person does not respect you today, the first day he meets you, the first day you go out with him. He's not going to respect you five years from now. He's not going to respect you ten years from now. It's that lack of respect that will lead him to do so many terrible things that will eventually lead to the ruin of the relationship.

But ladies and gentlemen, before you say I'm being partial, it goes both ways. Honestly, all of this advice, they go both ways. If she doesn't respect you, I don't think it'll go anywhere. Number two, if they are the same person, very, very, very, very, very important Maryam Lemu said a different version of this.

She's like, if you're going into a relationship to change someone, then don't do it. Because, what if they don't change? What if they are still that same person that they are. That is very important. If they are still the same person, they are 20 years from now. Layken's mother's question.

And the third one, do they inspire you to be a better version of yourself? That is to show you that despite how important that second point is, that we should still be open to personal growth. We should be open to becoming better people. Okay, Reading with R has taken a very deep and philosophical turn today, but oh, well. Back to a lighter note.

Verdict

Slammed is really good. That's just what I'm going to say. It's really good. It's set in a small town. For a lot of us readers of books, romance books, just YA general. We're used to reading books set in America, small town America. Honestly, I feel like a person that grew up in a small town, America, because of the amount of novels that I have read, set in small towns. The whole boy, next door. Oh, a new girl moves to town. I love that. It's a bit nostalgic in a way, because a lot of the books that I read as a teenager and later on, they featured things like that.

On that, that is that ladies and gentlemen, I will allow you to go and experience Layken, Will and slam poetry and the Avett Brothers. And if you haven't already, discover Colleen Hoover on your own. Also, I want you guys to do something for me.

Enjoy Poetry

Go to YouTube. Listen to some spoken word poetry. Listen to slam poetry. Get your heart slammed. Let me give you some recommendations. Rudy Francisco people, Emi Mahmoud people. Safia Elhillo. I could go on and on. Oh, and our very own Hauwa Saleh, Poetry Doctor. She has a show on Ayamba LitCast where she recites poetry. So even if you have a poem, like, and you would like to have it recited, send it over to the Poetry Doctor and she has got your back.

So, after that, we have a bit of a surprise coming up for the next episodes. Make sure you stay tuned next month to listen to our next episode. It's going to be huge. And in November, I have another Colleen Hoover shaped surprise. So, for avid fans of Colleen Hoover, me saying, I have a November shaped Colleen Hoover surprise, they have guessed it. If you guess it, send me an email at ruqayyah.nabage@ayambalitcast.com with your guesses, thoughts, topics, and books you want reviewed. All shoot them to my inbox.

That was too long. My Twitter handle @anchoredbywords, no space. Or even easier, go to our website, www.ayambalitcast.com and type up your comment. I hope you enjoyed yourselves. I enjoyed myself as usual, and I leave you in the keeping of the almighty translated in Arabic to be fi amanillah.

In this episode, Ruqayyah lets her inner fangirl out as she reviews the book Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough. Find out what she thinks.

Sleepless

Well, hello there. Welcome back to another episode of Reading with R. Another month, another episode. It's your girl Ruqayyah over here. So, for our new listeners, you're welcome, welcome, welcome. Reading with R is a review show where we review a book that we like. Ugh, at this point, I feel like I need to stop saying review, more of fangirl really. That's all I do with these books every month. So I'm Ruqayyah and I fangirl over books, once a month, every month, inshaallah.

So at the end of each episode, I give three books where you get to choose the one that you want. Just send over the title to my email, ruqayyahnabage@gmail.com. Make sure you spell it the same way the title of the podcast is spelt. Oh, not the title of the podcast. Sorry. My name underneath the title of the podcast. R U Q A Y Y A H, ruqayyahnabage@gmail.com or, even easier, send it over to my Twitter handle @anchoredbywords. Okay, so let's jump into it. This month, we're reviewing, drumroll please, Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough.

Okay! Okay! Okay! I have to give a very big warning at the start of this episode. This book is a psychological thriller people, and I kid you not, you will feel as if you are going crazy at the same time as the heroine. This woman is crazy talented. Yeah, she is very, very talented. A book of hers that I have read before is "Behind Her Eyes". In fact, Behind Her Eyes is being turned into a TV show. So Insomnia is her new book. It was recommended to me by a friend of mine. Shoutout to Umaymah. She inspired this and I finished the book in less than two days, I think. It was so crazy. Like the title, leads you to believe the book is about this lady that has insomnia and she starts going completely cuckoo

It's a psychological thriller, yeah. So obviously the grip of it is the weight, the anticipation, while reading, where you're doubting everything. And, one of the best things I find about psychological thrillers are unreliable narrators. Yeah, mostly because it's the main character who is the one that is going crazy or who is the one that the things are happening to, is the one that is narrating the story.

So you have this skewed narrative where just, you don't even know if what you're reading is real, if it's what is actually happening. So the fact that you know that the book you're reading is a psychological thriller, you will have that going on in your mind when you are reading. Even if the author does nothing to assert that view or opinion. So it's this woman that has her husband and her kids and her mom before she went crazy before her 40th birthday. She had insomnia. The lady also gets insomnia some weeks before her 40th birthday, and she just starts panicking that she's going to go crazy like her mom. What her mom did when she turned crazy was this big mystery that we'll find out along the way when you read the book, because, you know, even though I am fine going over the book, you should still give it a read.

We basically have a front row seat to the unravelling of her mind. The becoming of her madness through insomnia. I know scientists really hammer on the fact that we need to sleep well. And in this generation we tend to not give it that much importance, you know, living the night, our life still waking up early to make it to our jobs. So on a slightly more serious note, please get some sleep loves. Get some sleep, and if you can't sleep, see a doctor. Sleep is important, have healthy, sleeping schedules and in order not to be a hypocrite inshaallah I'll try and clean up my own sleep schedule. So yeah, on that note sleep well, please do. Not sleeping can lead to a lot of things, not just madness or something like that.

Back to the book. Our heroine is scared of going crazy, like her own mother did when she turned 40 years old. So we go through how her own mom went crazy through flashbacks, what she did to her and her sister. And then as we are witnessing the effect of the insomnia on her own mind, we keep getting flashbacks as to how that same insomnia ruined her mother's life. She goes, does research and basically, strange things start happening around her. She loses fractions of time because she falls asleep in the most random of places, at work, sitting in her car, outside the supermarket. So she can't really trust herself because after she comes out of that reverie after losing that time, she can't recall what has happened.

So things happen. She doesn't even know if it's her doing those things. Her husband starts to accuse her. Her marriage starts failing. Interestingly enough, there's a dynamic in that book that I don't see a lot. Her and her husband, she's a lawyer, her husband is the stay at home dad. You know, I don't think I've even seen any of that in any book. So they have issues in their marriage. Things start unravelling. She finds out her daughter is having an affair with this really old dude. And it's just crazy. Then her son also starts getting nightmares. It is crazy, and of course, you will never see the end coming. You will never see the end coming. Sarah Pinborough, that woman is amazing. She is crazy talented. She is crazy, crazy talented. She'll have you glued to your seats. To the edge of your seats. In fact, till the end of the book. On that note, I will leave you with a reminder to go and read her other book Behind Her Eyes or watch the series if you are not a reader, and you just want to come hear me fangirl about books instead of reading the books by yourself. So again, I remind you that you can listen to Reading With R and other Ayamba LitCast podcasts on Red Circle, the Ayamba LitCast website or any of your favourite podcast streaming apps - iTunes, Spotify, Audible, you will find us there, in your speakers, every month, inshaallah.

Next Month’s Book

Now, our picks for next month. As promised in the last episode, all our picks are going to be Colleen Hoover novels because that woman deserves to be stand, and she's amazing period. Argue with your keyboard or your phone speaker in this case.

So, our picks are,

1. Slammed by Colleen Hoover. Her very first book. Her debut novel.
2. Confess by Colleen Hoover and
3. November 9 by Colleen Hoover.

Oh my God, I feel like adding just one more.

1. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, because it's such a big book at this time in the Bookstagram - BookTok space.

So, send me your picks. Send your picks into my Twitter DM @anchoredbywords. No space, no underscores, no full stops. Or, send them to my email, ruqayyahnabage@gmail.com. R U Q A Y Y A H. I can't wait to see your picks and your thoughts. Have an amazing day people.

Bye.

In this episode, Ruqayyah reviews yet another book about twins — Ghana must go by Taiye Selasi. The author’s Nigerian and Ghanian heritage is evident in its pages as she weaves a tale about family and all forms of love. Find out what Ruqayyah has to say about one of the best written books she’s ever read.

Here is next month's selection of books; 

1. Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough
2. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
3. Verity by Colleen Hoover

To vote, simply state the title of your pick in the comments and the book with the most hits wins.

See you in a couple of weeks!

In this episode of Reading With R, Ruqayyah reviews Brit Bennett’s novel, The Vanishing Half. Join her as she delves into the world of two twins in a tale about colorism.

Be sure to vote for next month’s book from the list below.

1. Ghana Must Go - Selasi, Taiye
2. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
3. Take Me Apart by Sara Sligar

Reading With R returns in this second season with a review of Francesca Ekwuyasi’s book, Butter, Honey, Pig, Bread. It is the story of a mother and her twin daughters, spanning across three continents. Listen to the show to find out what Ruqayya thinks.

Also, don’t forget to make your pick for next month’s book to be reviewed.

In this episode, Ruqayyah reviews a book by Tiffany Haddish. For the first time, she explores a nonfiction. And boy, did she love it?

Please enjoy!

Join Ruqqayah as she shares her love for the book The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by Victoria E. Schwab. The genre-defying tale took her breath away and might just do the same to you when you hear about it.

It's another good one.

Join Ruqqayah as she reviews Sofia Khan is NOT Obliged by Ayisha Malik. This time she gets deep into it and if you've got a thing for spoilers, tread lightly.

Enjoy!

Join Ruqqayah as she reviews the book Daughters who walk this Path by Yejide Kilanko. She deliberates on issues of abuse and shares her insight into the main themes of the story.

This episode, we join Ruqqayah as she reviews the book Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo. She explores the narrative and discusses the social theme.

Join Ruqayyah as she discusses the book Season of Crimson Blossoms by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim

Your host, Ruqayyah Nabage, introduces her podcast and tells us how she intends to entertain us with exciting book reviews.

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