Five books for when you get away for a while

There is a reason why books continue to be my friends and I never tire of them. There are certain times in one’s life when you need your own company and take a break from all the audiovisual noise around. The sound of an annoyingly screeching generator, the sound of hooting cars, the gritty voice of the lady beside you at a public function, the loud man on the phone at a private party or simply the noise of water dripping in the bath while you wait for the plumber. This happens every once in a while when your schedule has been doubly crazy and you are flying between time zones and three cities in two different countries. I have recently been ultra-busy and travelling around a bit and when I finally got into a quiet hotel room this week in Monrovia, Liberia, I was grateful for my peace and quiet in the company of my magazines and books. I have gazed at the walls and at the deeply mesmerizing pool through my hotel window after my mission in Monrovia and just chilled out. I have walked out barefoot in my own right, happy in my favorite sport of nothingness. I have been fulfilled with our mission to address media executives, media practitioners and politicians to avoid hate speech and organize the coverage of the Liberian 2017 election professionally to make it credible and violence free. This exciting mission in the company of Professor Oshita, Director General of the peace institute and fellow media experts from Ghana was organized by ECOWAS. In between this frenetic schedule, I find myself in the presence of the Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at an award ceremony in her honor, where Nigeria’s former Defense minister, Prince Kayode was the guest speaker. I am here at this event on the invitation of the Special representative of the ECOWAS commission in Liberia,Ambassador Ajisomo, who is fully in attendance. High moments in Liberia.

But now at another level of my trip I sit in my hotel room and enjoy the delicious pleasure of my books and magazines. Let us share.

1) The boy behind the curtain by award winning Australian writer Tim Winton. This is a collection of Essays that reads as a memoir, autobiographical pieces on the growing up years of one of Australia’s most prized writers. A book that further examines the complex growing up years of boys and the intriguing discourse on masculinity and the importance of paying attention to that child who does not talk much. He adds for effect in an interview that because a person is quiet does not mean that they do not have strong views or something to say. The descriptive power of Winston, the envy of most writers, is in his depiction of the  Australian landscape and nature. Add this quote from a most talented man who is also intriguing and you know already why this book has to be one of my finest on a day I am alone with myself. “Imagination is the fundamental virtue of civilization. If people can’t imagine, then they cannot live an ethical life.” Bull’s eye!

2) A new author is always special to meet and read, so I run into Ernest at the airport in Abuja and he has written a motivational book, his first book. I request and receive a copy which he is excited to avail me of. I understand the feeling. When I wrote my first book, I wanted everyone to share in my joy and I talked about my book endlessly.  A first book is always something to be proud of. I have travelled through airports carrying The potent force of sponsorship, a book by Omo-Ojo Ernest Ivie in which he defines sponsorship as someone divinely placed in a position to provide you a platform for the journey of your success. Ernest posits that a sponsor is different from a mentor and more often than not, your mentor is not necessarily the one who will sponsor you or may not even have the capacity. He adds that at mentoring level, your mentor’s job is done. Using the story of his life, Ernest interests us all on sponsorship, mentoring, destiny and spirituality. I read it in a snap. All young people should read this book. It’s very inspiring.

3) ArundathiRoy, author of “The God of small things” has again received our attention with her newest book “The ministry of utmost happiness.” As with its Booker prize fore-runner, it’s the lusciousness of her writing, her way with words that does it for me. The God of small things blew us all away. This one will do same if not more. Grab a copy. The words will transport you.

4) Reader’s Digest is a perfect read for when you are by yourself. All the features and columnists are so heartwarming that if I get a copy of Readers Digest that I have not read prior, it would be brand new to me no matter how old the edition is. Readers Digest is never dated for me and I can read it again and again. The regular pieces like Laughter the best Medicine and Quotable quotes leave me content like a warm summer day.

5) I have dived into my National Geographic magazine on Blue Zones, the science of living longer which tells us which foods are healthier and translate to longevity. It also tells us what parts of the globe are inhabited by the world’s oldest people. The magazine not only tells us what the diet of these elderly persons are, it also tells us their lifestyle, how Spartan they are, how contentment plays a role and how family, community and food have defined them. 

This edition is a collector’s item.