Long time, no blog! (more on that at the end of the blog post)
I never thought I’d ever make a blog post on books written by my own friends. Since 2014, I’ve been blogging about books written by Black authors I either have para-social relationships with online, or who are acquaintances. This year, three of my Ghanaian friends published their debuts, and I couldn’t be more proud of them!
#ReadGhanaian🇬🇭
The Kelewele Connection by Kwatemaa Tweneboah
Synopsis
What starts out as a quick trip to the kelewele joint on campus, leads two kelewele lovers to discover a connection like no other.
Afriyie just wanted to get some kelewele to munch while she enjoyed a movie in her room but is disappointed when she doesn’t get the exact kind she loves. Her disappointment turns into a pleasant impromptu ‘date’ with the guy who offers to share the last bit of kelewele he bought.
Nana Yaw never shares his kelewele. Never. So when he catches himself offering to do just that with the cute girl he’s been spying for the past few weeks, he knows this is a connection he cannot ignore.
They don’t have much time till Afriyie has to go back to resume her studies in Edinburgh but the connection they share is too strong to ignore. Will their brief time together be all they have or will their instant spark turn into something long-lasting?
One of my favorite and smartest bookish friends – Abena Kwatemaa Karikari, (or better known as @BookwormInGH on her Bookstagram and Booktube channel) wrote a book with one of her good friends – Nana Adwoa Tweneboah Amponsah-Mensah. Their joint pen name is Kwatemaa Tweneboah. These two friends love reading and writing romance and also co-host a bookish romance podcast called 2 Hearts In A Pod.
Even though Abena and Nana Adwoa separately have their work published in a number of anthologies, The Kelewele Connection is their debut self-published novel under their joint pen name. Not only will readers of romance love this book, but I have a feeling food lovers (especially plantain/kelewele lovers) will enjoying reading this novel as well!
Kwatemaa Tweneboah (Nana Adwoa on the left & Abena Kwatemaa on the right) on a panel at Pa Gya! discussing their debut, in October
The book cover is very endearing – the natural hair, the skin tones of the characters and even the bowl of spiced plantain. I’m sure Kwatemaa Tweneboah have more books up their sleeve, waiting to be published. In fact, they have a Christmas novelette in the works called A Kelewele Christmas! Stay tuned!
A story about God, a spear and an angel’s thirst for unruly power.
Not forgetting, the return of Earth’s greatest saviour.
Head to the first page and I’ll meet you inside.
I normally do not review or highlight religious novels – mostly because I know people of ALL religions read this book blog. No discrimination here. But I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight God’s Spear by my good friend, Jeffrey Bones. I had the privilege of reading the book back in April of this year, when it was in its final editing stages.
Jeffrey Bones at his book launch in September
Without giving away any spoilers, God’s Spear is a 60 page graphic novel that follows an angel’s quest for power via a spear. I enjoyed the dialogue between the characters, as well as the gradual rise of suspense towards the end. The writing is pretty descriptive, which allows readers to use their imagination to visualize the text and interpret the storyline through their own understanding.
God’s Spear is suitable for readers of all ages; readers who appreciate animation would especially love the illustrations in the book! As with any graphic novel, the illustrations pleasantly augment the reading experience, as we actually get a glimpse into Jeffrey Bones’ (and the illustrator’s) vision for the characters we experience.
Purchase God’s Spear by contacting Jeffrey Bones for a copy
No One Dies Yet by Kobby Ben Ben
Synopsis
A genre-breaking novel from a powerful new African voice.
2019. The Year of the Return. It has been exactly 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America. Ghana has now opened its doors to Black diasporans, encouraging them to return and get to know the land of their ancestors.
Elton, Vincent, and Scott arrive from America to visit preserved sites from the transatlantic slave route, and to explore the country’s underground queer scene. Their activities are narrated by their two combative guides: Kobby, their guide to Accra’s privileged circles; and Nana, the voice of tradition and religious principle.
The pair’s tense relationship sets the tone for what becomes a shocking and unsettling tale of murder that is at times funny, at times erotic, yet always outspoken and iconoclast.
Last but not least, No One Dies Yet was published in August via Europa Editions. This book has been featured in so many of my ‘New Books to Anticipate‘ posts, so we are all elated that it’s finally out in the world! It will be published in the US in February of 2024.
No One Does Yet is a big book (over 380 pages) that’s basically the embodiment of Kobby’s complex, inspiring mind. Trust and believe that as soon as I finish this book, the review will be up. From my discussions with Kobby on the inspiration behind the book, one of the ideas behind the novel is slightly akin to an article another friend of mine wrote during Ghana’s Year of Return celebrations, in 2020.
Me and Kobby with an ARC of his book, back in January
African Book Addict will be 10 years old in 2024! Time flies. I plan on setting up a series of posts and (maybe) events to celebrate the 10 years. Stay tuned (and keep your fingers crossed because [traditional] blogging is quite challenging nowadays).
African Book Addict! 