Queen Nzinga M’Bandi

In the 17^th century, Queen Nzinga M’Bandi ruled for 40 years as the leader of N’Dongo and Matamba, also serving as Luanda’s Governor for three years, representing the Portuguese.[1]Known as the resilient leader of the Mbundu people, the monarch who fought against the Portuguese spread of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in Central Africa. She had to fight the slave traders to serve her country. Nzinga is an example of the leaders of local regions who did not deliberately sell their people into the Transatlantic Slave Trade.She frequently dressed as a man.

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Changed Curtains (An Acrostic Poem)

Chagrin highlighted your heightened voice 

Hinged on blundering insults my way.
A girl I figured you never knew prior to June 30th.
Nevertheless every fool would know  when that  displeasure veiled in mockery,
Glistening with anger is directed their way.
Erroneous thought I; What have I
Done to them but alas I understand. I
Changed my curtains. I
Usurped their privilege of watching through my windows. I
Rigged one of
Their sources of sorcery
Angering them enough to hail insults my way.
Idiotic thinking on their part but at least I
Notified another neighbor of their crafty, disgusting practice. Now they
Sneer and hiss like the serpent in Eden.

For Lee

See how the eagle soar so high in flight, a majestic sight for all in the heavens and soil beneath? One day I will release that toil in my heart with such ease and not with a sigh.The way I allowed you to slip into my blood like vicious lustful red blood cells was anemic danger. For one who hardly drinks I was ready to sip on our conversations which were always so red winery deep.You fed an insatiable hunger that hang like a parasitic creature sucking more and more. I love that feeling of comfort I felt around you which especially came from an intellectual simulation which surrounds my passion. Just like Jojo “I am a sucker for a guy with a beautiful mind,” the mind you dutifully pluck under layers of protection. Yet I saw it and so began my journey into heartbreak. I am bait to you, reeling your line at convenient times to keep me netted.

*unfinished* *affected*

Top 5 Wednesday/ Books From Before You Joined

Hello Wednesday people,  another Top 5 Wednesday  going back in time with

August 23rd: Books from Before You Joined ________
— These are some of your favorite books from before you joined the online book community, whether that be booktube, goodreads, blogs, bookstagram, twitter, tumblr, etc.

I celebrated my 5 year anniversary this year on WordPress in February and Goodreads in August. I stumbled upon Booktube sometime after or around the time I was introduced to Goodreads and blogging. My taste has not evolve drastically since I thrust myself into the social book world but I must admit that there are many books that I read because of networking. So here are the books and genre that I love before book world expanded beyond the physical library.

Let us dive into it:

Top 5 Wednesday: Series That Got Better

Via etsy.com

 

Welcome to the end of the best Top 5 Wednesday month  for 2017; I have enjoyed reading and writing posts with increase joy and it  is bittersweet coming down this book ride. Today we are keeping it positive with:

July 26th: Series That Got Better
— We’ve talked about series that went downhill with each book, but talk about series that are worth pushing through the first (or first few…) books to get to the good stuff!

I am not normally a series reading girl, I prefer stand alone because I like knowing the end now. However, the times that I do engage in a series read it does not end well . Surprisingly the series that got better were the ones I read as a child/ teenager.

Let us dive into it:

 

Sweet Valley High
Hardy Boys
Malory Towers
Nancy Drew
The Boxcar Children

 

Hope you enjoy this week’s Top 5 Wednesday

Jane Austen: An Altered View

             

In the period December 2016 to July 2017, I reread all the completed novels of my favourite author Jane Austen (here after dubbed JA). Last year I created a reading challenge, designating each month for a particular theme. I choose December for Jane Austen books because her birthday would be on the 16th, a day I call Jane Austen Day. As you can tell from my July date in my opening, I could not complete my JA challenge in the assigned month thus I continued until Sense and Sensibility ushered the curtains on my JA journey. It is important to note that during my sensuous readathon, I noticed the growth of the Bicentenary Celebrations of JA’s death. I immediately drifted into that ‘huh mode’; Why the joy for the death of the author who gave us the plots and twists that we love?

It took a while to sink in but eventually I had to make myself understand that when many are creating workshops, parties, museum tours, lectures, tea parties, book clubs and all the other fascinating endeavours, people are celebrating JA and her novels.  I have seen an increase in the number of news articles specifically for JA separate from the usual JA dedications. It means that more persons learn of the author’s writings and setting time aside to reread not one novel but her entire collection. It is admirable and I am ecstatic that every time I social media (yes I made it a verb), there is an increase traffic in quiz, blog posts. JA writings are here to stay and I am happy to do my part in keeping her stories alive!

Top 5 Wednesday: Books That Aren’t Set In/ Inspired By The Western World

Hello book people, it is another Top 5 Wednesday and today we are talking about diversity in books in relation to scene, meaning:

July 19th: Books That Aren’t Set In/Inspired By The Western World
–I know this is a long title, but I couldn’t figure out how else to word it and still get the point across. Talk about books that are set outside of the Western World (so outside of North America and Western Europe) or if they are SFF, books that aren’t inspired by those places (so no medieval setting fantasy!)

Let is dive into it:

1.Ebola K: Book 1 by Bobby Adair
This thriller was one of my best reads in 2015 set mostly  in remote East African village of Kapchorwa. It is  about the spread of Ebola and the possible use of the deadly disease as biological warfare.

Jane Austen celebrated with first statue in hometown – CNN.com

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/18/europe/jane-austen-statue-unveiled-bicentenary/index.html?sr=fbCNN071817jane-austen-statue-unveiled-bicentenary1039AMStory

Top 5 Wednesday: Children’s Books

Hello book people, it is another Top 5 Wednesday and today we are going down the memory lane with:

July 12th: Children’s Books
–This can include Middle Grade (but try to recommend more than just Harry Potter and Percy Jackson!) Feel free to talk about your childhood faves or more recent reads.

Let is dive into it:

1. Cinderella

It is probably one of my favourite fairytale story  because of the storyline of a girl rescued from the clutches of hardship.  I remember feeling comfort in the story creating that make-believe story that my Cinderella  ending would come one day, in that my dreams would come true. I love a Cinderella trope especially in films and it is because of the reading the fairy tale so many times. It gave me hope that better things will come some day.

6 Feeds Jane Austen Fans Need to Follow Right Now – Verily

https://verilymag.com/2017/07/jane-austen-social-media-feeds-modern-mr-darcy-republic-of-pemberley-200th-anniversary-072017