By Oriyomi Adebare-Anthony
2025 started with anticipation and excitement for many. Alongside the merriment were the to-be-expected ‘New Year Resolutions’, which individuals set to improve on different areas of their lives, from the momentous to the frivolous.
A definite 2025 resolution for most book lovers will be to read more books and a likely resultant challenge is deciding exactly what to read. The deluge of new releases makes this doubly difficult! Not to worry, the help you need is here.
In this article, we curate a list of fiction and non-fiction titles by Nigerian authors that all bibliophiles should have on their reading list for the rest of the year. Happy reading!
Riding the Storm: The Untold Story of Africa’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic by Toni Kan
In the heat of the devastating Coronavirus pandemic and its attendant global shutdown in 2020, Africa had two options: fold its hands and wait for help from international saviours, like it had always done, or roll up its sleeves and create its own solutions. Due to the courage of H. E. Cyril Ramaphosa, Strive Masiyiwa, Dr Vera Songwe, Dr John Nkengasong, and Professor Benedict Oramah, a new narrative emerged for Africa. Riding the Storm chronicles the daring feats of these heroes, from securing vaccines to complex negotiations, which eventually culminated in an inspiring story of resilience and determination.
The World Was in Our Hands: Voices from the Boko Haram Conflict by Chitra Nagarajan
Most Nigerians’ knowledge of the Boko Haram conflict is limited to the headlines and news report they read on TV. Little to nothing is known about the day-to-day experiences of the individuals caught in this terrifying ordeal and how the conflict has affected their life goals and ambitions. Nagarajan’s The World Was in Our Hands is a moving and vital collection of first-hand accounts of people living through the Boko Haram conflict. The collection provides an insight into the realities of those living through the conflict, making this an essential cultural archive.
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The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
Further cementing her place as a rom-com afficionado, Damilola Blackburn’s The Re-Write is a typical lovers-enemies-lovers story. It follows the story of Wale and Temi who meet in London, had a whirlwind romance and a major heartbreak. Fate brings the lovers together and what happens afterwards is best discovered by reading the book yourself.
Bitter Honey by Lola Akinmade Åkerström
If you love mother-daughter stories, Bitter Honey should be right up your alley. Spanning four decades and three continents, Bitter Honey is a story about a mother and daughter divided by long buried secrets, struggling to understand each other as they forge their own paths.
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A decade after her last work of fiction, Adichie returns with Dream Count, a novel that follows the stories of four women: Chiamaka, Omelogor, Zikora and Kadiatou. It is a trenchant reflection on the choices we make and those made for us, on daughters and mothers, on our interconnected world.
