Welcome to new members!!... and introduction... if you want

[Vermicious Knids]

Marieke wrote: "Hey there Vermicious, no worries. The confusion stems from the fact that this thread began in 2008 when we were just getting started. I'm pretty sure the "book club" is what became our Tour d'Afriq..."

Thank you Marieke!

[Lulu]

Hi everyone! I've been in the group for a minute, but I don't think I've every said hello. lol. I hope to be more active in the coming year. :)

[Yolanda]

Hi everyone. I'm the author of The Seventh Sentinel, the second book in the urban fantasy series is called False Gods, and is set in Zimbabwe and South Africa. I live in Zimbabwe and escape to South Africa often as we have a house there. Less power cuts and water...yay and of course love South Africa.

[Marieke]

Hi Yolanda and welcome! I'm glad to see you also found our science fiction/fantasy thread :)

[Yolanda]

Thanks Marieke

[Angela]

Dear Readers,

I am a former journalist/ media manager, currently a publisher. I am excited to be a part of this group and to read your book recommendations on Africa.

I'd also like to introduce 'Child Witch Kinshasa' and 'Child Witch London' - a novel in two parts based in DR Congo and the UK. I believe that you might find the book interesting - faith is a central theme, which initiates a 'problem' for the protagonists, yet provides a solution to it.

The novel has received more than sixty '5 star' reviews from general readers - including many 'Africa hands' - and has been among the bestsellers on Amazon's African Literature shelf.

The novel is based on the author's experiences as a journalism trainer in DR Congo in 2002. I would be happy to provide free e-copies in exchange for honest reviews.

Disclosure: I am the publisher of this book and the author is my husband.

Thank you and happy reading,
Angela Nicoara

[Jean]

Hi,
Sorry that I am just introducing myself, however, I have already immersed myself in your book shelves.
My name is Jean and I enjoy all genres of books. I have read books by
African authors and books about the continent but this groups has everything so organized. I'm really looking forward to reading with the group.

[Raul]

Hello, my name is Raul. I was born in Burundi but I live in Nairobi, Kenya and I have lived here since I was two. It is actually unfortunate that besides the several African books I read in school, I haven't really read a lot of African books since. I guess I disregarded African literature for a while and I want so much to delve back into it again so I hope this group will help me with that. I'm not sure if this thread is still active, but hello everyone.

[Marieke]

Raul wrote: "Hello, my name is Raul. I was born in Burundi but I live in Nairobi, Kenya and I have lived here since I was two. It is actually unfortunate that besides the several African books I read in school,..."

Welcome Raul! Yes, this thread is definitely active, but i'm ashamed to see i missed a couple of newcomers just before you! A formal welcome to Angela and Jean as well! Although I have had the pleasure to interact with Jean in another thread--so glad you jumped right into a group read and discussion. :D

Raul, i really hope this group helps you reconnect with African literature. We are featuring Kenya this year; a nice coincidence for you on your journey to rediscover African authors. :)

[Shah]

Muphyn wrote: "Hello Alex, welcome to group!! :) (Hm, yes, old thread but glad you revived it! :) )

Hm, no master list as such as yet but that's a really brilliant idea - I'll see if I can't get one together on ..."

Alex wrote: "This thread is ooooooold, sorry to revive it, but I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Alex and I live in Boston. I like reading about Africa, and I'm psyched to find this group.

Is there a master li..."

Hello, my name is Shah, I'm from New York City. I had commented to myself that I would read about every country in Africa and the Caribbean. So, this group is right up my alley. Thank you for doing this!

But, I'm late to this group. So, I have a parallel question to Alex's request. Since, we've started this group with the letter "A" & we're now on Sudan, I've must've missed tons!!! Would you please list all the books that were read? Hope that's not asking for too much. And is there a location for all of their discussion threads? So, even though it's not mandated to read every book, I'd like to do my best to read the more appealing books.

[Marieke]

I can point you to these things tomorrow from a real computer, rather than my phone. And some of it needs to be updated but I will take care of that :D

[Shah]

Thank you. Appreciate the recollection.

[Marieke]

Don wrote: "Thank you. Appreciate the recollection."

No problem! Here is the first link, for our stops A-L, but you will see I need to fill in the last entry (Liberia) and I'm pretty sure I need to update the second part of this list, so I will post that link later.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Shah]

You're awesome‼️ thank you so much

[Zanna]

Thanks Marieke I am grateful for some catching up too - I have a copy of The Radiance of the King that's been starting at me for a while

[Jenny]

Once again, thanks Marieka! Do you have any idea what a wonderful resource you are!?! I, too, am pretty new to the group, and I so appreciate all the resources you provide.

[Marieke]

Jenny wrote: "Once again, thanks Marieka! Do you have any idea what a wonderful resource you are!?! I, too, am pretty new to the group, and I so appreciate all the resources you provide."

Thank you so much! Although a shoutout to Muphyn is in order (who is ensconced in life and hasn't been active here for quite some time) for being the originator of the organization here and setting the foundation for it to become a resource.

[Marieke]

A reminder to anyone new or "new" who is keen to read any of our past Tour selections, we have always kept discussion threads open on purpose. do feel free to revive them at any time!

[Marieke]

I went into the A-L list to update Liberia and have started adding links to the discussions for each book. It might take me a few days to get all caught up, but i think it will be a great resource when i'm done! yay, resources!

[Zanna]

<3<3 I must remember to keep checking if I'm reading a book that might have been discussed here so I can find the old threads!

[Moushine]

Hi everyone,

My name is Mouhsine from Morocco. I love to travel, read, and write. Unfortunately, the only African country I visited so far is Egypt. I took an "African writers" class at American University in DC a couple decades ago. So far, I read great african novels from Mali, Rwanda, and Somalia.

[Marieke]

Moushine wrote: "Hi everyone,

My name is Mouhsine from Morocco. I love to travel, read, and write. Unfortunately, the only African country I visited so far is Egypt. I took an "African writers" class at American U..."

Welcome Moushine! Egypt is also the only African country I have visited. :)

[Lucy]

Hello, I'm a Kenya born author of Dislocation, which was published in July 2016. It describes my early years living between East Africa and Scotland. It is being well received on Amazon.uk, but I would love some more reviews on Goodreads. Lucy Lang.

[Lucy]

I was sorry to miss the devotion to booksabout Tanzania in the summer, as my book was published in July 2016. My book is entitled Dislocation, a memoir largely set in 60s Tanzania during my chaotic but happy childhood. It is a short but powerful read I have been told. My reviews on amazon have been great, but slow on Goodreads. Although I received a fabulous review from the best selling author, Janet Macleod Trotter.

[Belinda]

Hi, my name is Belinda Tagoe, and I'm a rising senior from Mercer University of Macon, GA. I just joined today. Although I was born in Lawrenceville, GA (about 30 min north of Atlanta), my parents are from Ghana, hence my last name. So, you could say that I'm a first-generation immigrant. Ghana's a big part of my upbringing!

[Anetq, Tour Operator & Guide]

Belinda wrote: "Hi, my name is Belinda Tagoe, and I'm a rising senior from Mercer University of Macon, GA. I just joined today. Although I was born in Lawrenceville, GA (about 30 min north of Atlanta), my parents ..."

Welcome to the group! Hope you'll join us for some reading :)

[Diane , Head Librarian]

Belinda wrote: "Hi, my name is Belinda Tagoe, and I'm a rising senior from Mercer University of Macon, GA. I just joined today. Although I was born in Lawrenceville, GA (about 30 min north of Atlanta), my parents ..."

Hi, Belinda! Welcome to the group! We are neighbors - I also live in GA, north of the ATL. There are lots of wonderful books by Ghanaian authors. Happy to have you here with us!

[Jennifer]

Hello folks, Chief Chatterbox (love that! A novel title, no?) and fellow lovers of Africa -

Another group newbie here! My name is Jennifer Bakody. I'm a Canadian living in Paris who has worked in Africa but nowhere near enough if you ask me. I have a real soft spot for the Congo - and so, like so many of us here, I had to spill some of that love onto the page! If you know, have heard of, or would like to hear of the Congolese radio network Radio Okapi, may I humbly recommend my new book, Radio Okapi Kindu. For marketing purposes I've been saying "because war is not the Congo's singular story" but with all the great titles everyone has listed here, I suspect you all know that. :)

Thank you to the group's moderators. Thanks as well to everyone whose input went into the list above A-L. Time now for me to get reading for a fast catch up - see I'm late to the party!

[Diane , Head Librarian]

Jennifer wrote: "Hello folks, Chief Chatterbox (love that! A novel title, no?) and fellow lovers of Africa -

Another group newbie here! My name is Jennifer Bakody. I'm a Canadian living in Paris who has worked in ..."

Hello, Jennifer! Welcome to the group! I wish you much success with your new book.

[Jennifer]

Thanks so much, Diane, lovely for you to say and nice to meet you. Am just going on air now here in Paris at Radio France Internationale's English-language service to sing my Congolese friends' praises! Meanwhile ordered book 'A' last night. Will catch up yet!!!

[Anetq, Tour Operator & Guide]

Jennifer wrote: "Meanwhile ordered book 'A' last night. Will catch up yet!!! "

Welcome to the group! Why not join us for end end of the alphabet first? (I haven't been here for the beginning either!)
When we finish in Zimbabwe this year, we are going to read more, possibly by regions, so other chances will come too :)

[Jennifer]

Good thinking! My new alphabet will jump from A to T.

[Hadejah]

Hello readers,

I am Hadejah. I grew up in West Africa, but I actually live in Paris. I have read a lot of african books in my childhood.

Since, i am going back in Mali soon (where i really come from), i am trying to re-visit my classics and discover new authors.

Can't wait to really start the adventure with you all. I still don't know all the rules of your group and how you do the Tour, but i am so excited.

What a genius idea !

[Anetq, Tour Operator & Guide]

Welcome Hadejah! The Tour is just an excuse to read books from all over Africa - so join us in reading anything you're interested in :)

[Diane , Head Librarian]

Hadejah wrote: "Hello readers,

I am Hadejah. I grew up in West Africa, but I actually live in Paris. I have read a lot of african books in my childhood.

Since, i am going back in Mali soon (where i really come..."

Hello, Hadejah! Welcome to the group!

[ＱＵＥＥＮ]

I loved Black Mamba Boy!

[Dominic]

Hello Everyone, It looks very interesting group to join.

Thanks,

[Dominic]

Hello Everyone, It looks very interesting group to join.

Thanks,

[Diane , Head Librarian]

Dominic wrote: "Hello Everyone, It looks very interesting group to join.

Thanks,"

Hi, Dominic! Welcome to the group!

[ＱＵＥＥＮ]

what about me? ;P

[Jacqueline]

Hi I am new to the group. Looking forward to sharing

[Anetq, Tour Operator & Guide]

Welcome all - great to have more people joining us :) Please join one of the group reads - or wherever you like! We also have a new Short Story read starting off!

[Diane , Head Librarian]

Welcome to the group, Queen and Jacqueline!

[[deleted user]]

The Life and Times of Michael K by JM Coetzee. Anyone read it?

[Sheila]

David wrote: "The Life and Times of Michael K by JM Coetzee. Anyone read it?"

David, Many years ago. It was amongst the pivotel African books I read and it also introduced me to the author who became one of my favorites worldwide. If you read Life and Times first, please then go onto the read Disgrace which is a tremendous novel for which he also won the Booker (one of only a few authors to ever win 2 Bookers). His Foe is very different, giving a unique twist to the Daniel Defoe Crusoe story and I'd also recommend it. Enjoy your reading

[[deleted user]]

Thank you Stella. Read everything Coetzee wrote, sometimes several times over. I didn't like Foe, didn't particularly like the Elizabeth Costello narratives either but read them with appreciation. His works based in S.A are for me the abiding standard. He surprised me with 'Diary of a Bad Year' which again was utterly masterful. Bless him in his sunset days down in Oz :)

[Hadiyo]

Hi everyone,

I'm Nimo. I just published my first book.

[Diane , Head Librarian]

Hadiyo wrote: "Hi everyone,

I'm Nimo. I just published my first book."

Hi, Nimo! Welcome to the group. I wish you much success with your book.

[Anetq, Tour Operator & Guide]

Bonanno.A wrote: "Hello everyone, i would like to be part of this group."
Hi Bonnanno - you're more than welcome to join the group if you'd like to discuss African literature - but please stop leaving the same spammy message on all our threads.

[Mika]

Hello,
my name is Mika. Having lived in Egypt for a while has brought Africa closer to me. I'm a reader and a writer, and I work currently on a series of novels set for the most part in Africa, dealing with issues that are plaquing this continent in particular. Here in this group, I hope to find inspiration, reading suggestions or even the one or other expert whose brain I can pick.