Category: Books

Reading Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst

June 5th, 2023

I write book reviews through my feelings, and this is one way of admitting that I rarely go step by step exploring genre, themes, context, characters and places in my reviews. Instead I write about what I felt, related to, was intrigued by and since I haven’t been writing, reading books has become my solace.

I collect phrases, character descriptions, statements, places like I am collecting points. The result is an endless collection of notebooks which chronicle a journey of where I’ve been for the past year.

My latest trip is from Alan Furst’s Kingdom of Shadows. The story follows Nicolas Morath, a former Hungarian Calvary officer, and his escapades ranging from his assignments in Vienna, and the favor he did for his Uncle, Count Polanyi. He trades in conspiracy, and in his field, with his expertise, he knows not to take everything as it seems, especially not with Hitler edging Germany and other countries in Europe towards war.

In keeping with my collection, from this book I add two phrases to my notebook-and will say that it’s definitely worth those high reviews it’s gotten because this is espionage smoothly glossed over you cannot help but wonder who is wrong, who is right and the number of passports and identities Morath took on in his assignments.

“It had a life of its own, the war, like an immense rumor that wound its way through the newspapers, the cafes and markets. But somehow, in Polanyi’s voice, it was fact, and Morath, for the first time, believed it.”

“It was thunder that kept him awake, from a storm that never rained, yet never moved away.”

I hope your week goes well and I am still making my way back to writing, when I make it to the end, maybe there’ll be a book worth shouting to the world about.
May: Monthly Wrap Up

May 29th, 2023

We still have two days to the end of this month, but since I’m here I can’t just up and leave and wait for June to come bearing her awesomeness without sharing some key updates from May.

Reading: I got to read some books on Netgalley this month, and can’t wait to catch up on more books because I have exams in July and that would make the end of June a bit hectic for me to get anything done. So thus far, 45 down…138 to go!

I am currently loving Where the Waters Meet by Zhang Ling.

People: May is my Mom’s birthday month and she’s a straight up Gemini, so getting to sit down to lunch with her and have a laugh made this month awesome.

Work: A lot has happened and I am gearing up for an intensive June because there is room for new projects, new ideas and new direction in the way we work and it is exciting.

Entertainment: Look, this month there was no way I could go by without watching some K-Drama and top of that list has been these two that are soon coming to an end. There is Dr. Cha and The Good Bad Mother (which is described as comedy drama but there’s more heartbreak and pain and thirst for vengeance than there is laugh out loud moments)
Laura Fredricks, on How to Get Exactly what You Want.

May 16th, 2023
It’s difficult to ask for most things in life and I am in the field or business of asking- with every proposal I write, I know I am asking for something and hoping for everything. So adding this book to my Netgalley shelf was a definite yes-because I want to ask better questions, build relationships and get things done.

The three rules of asking: be prepared, be personal, be present.

There is a quiz on knowing which kind of person are you when asking and it’s easy statements to help you know what you lean towards the most and yours truly landed on “The Empathizer,” which means that when I ask, I internalize what I would think and feel if I were asked the same thing.

Laura Fredricks with a background in Law and Philanthropy shares her 5 laws of asking which are insightful. I will share the very first rule and look forward to you reading about the next four in detail in the book.

1.Know exactly what you want, with numbers and dates.
The number of times I’ve heard this at work, was enough for me to nod as I read because there is a huge difference in being very specific with data to back up any request or information and this ties in a lot with storytelling which is a key aspect in communication in my field of interest.

As she shares the five laws, Laura, encourages the reader to use them for daily asks and to also remember to reward yourself just for asking instead of focusing so much energy on getting a ‘yes,’ response.

For example:

What you need: To be heard

Not an ask: “I feel like every time I speak up, no one listens or understands what I am talking about.”

An ask: “I am about to share my top two ideas on this topic, I would appreciate it if you would let me know what you think about my two ideas right after I speak. Your feedback is invaluable.”

Some key take-aways from the book are:

(a). Every ask should be two sentences and one question: this will help you avoid over-asking or making it too confusing for the person to make a decision.

(b). When you ask for personal help, recognize, acknowledge and empathize with the person you are asking and explain why you need their help.

(c). Knowing some essential facts about the person or organization you are asking matters a lot, because it would determine what frame of mind or season of alignment they are in relation to what you need.

Above all, I found this book very easy to read-I started it last night and was done by this morning-pausing to take notes and revising some of my own questions. It is the kind of book that I would recommend in one’s quest to improve how they ask and the type of questions they ask.

Figure out what type of Asker you are on the author’s page: here

Get the book: on Amazon today
My top 10 insights from When You’re Ready,This is How You Heal by Brianna Wiest

May 8th, 2023
I have been reading and highlighting sections and phrases from the book that’s come all the way from Kenya to Arusha with me, and it’s Brianna Wiest’s “When You’re Ready, This is How You Heal.“

This is a book that provides insights into healing, growth and it felt more like a way of approaching life experiences without regrets or disappointments, so you know I highlighted many phrases and some of those that I want to truly work on include the following-as taken directly from the book:
1. Start saying, “Thank you” for what you want as though it has already happened.
2. The only story that is ever going to matter is the one you tell yourself.
3. You do not need a lot of people to believe in your ability.
4. What nobody tells you is that it’s the attachment that hurts. It’s the expectation of what it should be or would be and by when.
5. The experiences we can’t release often still hold within them a lesson that has yet to be extracted.
6. You will have to start where you are.
7. Stop waiting for perfect circumstances.
8. A life of more is not one that always expands outward, it’s very often one that opens up inward.
9. The circumstances that existed when the relationship began can tell you so much about the relationship itself.
10. Heartbreak doesn’t happen with people who are wholly wrong for you. It happens with people who are just right enough to make you hope, but just wrong enough to prevent you from getting closer, or making it official.
When You’re Ready: This is How You Heal by Brianna Wiest

April 18th, 2023

“What if instead of thinking that your life was meant to unfold seamlessly, your realized that the courage it takes to keep opening doors, even if they all close, is part of the process?”

I am currently reading this book by Brianna Wiest.
Ten Take-Aways from Woman Evolve by Sarah Jakes Roberts

April 12th, 2023
My go-to sermon whenever I feel lost, hurt or unable to move on is Girl, Get Up by Sarah Jakes Roberts. So, when she released her book, Woman Evolve, I wanted to read it- to know more.

With this book, she focuses on the one woman in the Bible, who is accredited for the fall of man-and generally most unappreciated: EVE.

From the very first chapter of this book, I found myself, like the author, having a new perspective of Eve-of a woman who made a mistake, one so grave that a proclamation was made on her womb- and who had to pick up after the fall…and it happens whenever I make a mistake too, I ask myself “what next?”

In asking the question, “How do I grow from here?”, this book is encouraging in helping you face your fears, flaws and opportunities and all the while preserving your connection with God. So, here are my top ten take-aways from this awesome book:
1. Just because you’ve survived something doesn’t mean you didn’t experience damage.
2. What question haunts you?
3. It is not wise to compare or minimize our pain because it doesn’t feel significant compared to that of others.
4. Stop presenting your truth, feelings, and emotions and then dismissing them with “I don’t know.”
5. When what is ahead of you is greater than what is behind you, you can walk away from that which no longer serves.
6. Who will I have to become in order to pursue this opportunity? Does it lead me closer or further away from God?
7. You may be waiting on a harvest for all that you’ve sown, but you are God’s harvest and He won’t let you stay in the ground.
8. How does this new perspective change the way you engage in your world?
9. Where you are right now may not be connected to where you will land, but where you are right now will serve you when you get to where you are headed.
10. Don’t ever let someone make you feel so uncomfortable with your little in comparison to their ability that you cease to remember your little is more than enough for you.
There are phenomenal women in the Bible as there are men, and I find most of the stories interesting- like being swallowed by a fish, or getting fed by ravens or fleeing from the threats of a Queen and reading this was applying the lessons on growth, fear, and seeking purpose by getting to have a new perspective on Eve’s story.

The next book I’m reading is Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson.
5 Things I’d love to do in April

April 3rd, 2023
April is here. I’ve written more in March and it feels great working my way back into some form of consistency when it comes to writing.

This month, there’s a mantra I’d love to work on that in the past two weeks has reduced my anxiety at work and got me sleeping better and it was shared by RM of BTS (I’m Army) and he said when it comes to wanting to get everything done and done to perfection there is always the chance of getting lost in the frustration when things don’t go as you plan, so he said to calm himself and appreciate his effort he says “Done is perfect,” if a task gets done, that’s perfect.

Bich Tran via http://www.pexels.com

So in the spirit of doing my best and getting things done this month, here are five things I’d love to do this month:
1. Read these two books: Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson and Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
2. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables to improve my iron and vitamin c levels.
3. Sleep.
4. Work out ( I am taking to wall pilates and that seems more relaxing for me and I can do the exercises via the BetterMe app for seven minutes in the morning and the evening)
5. Travel, at least one road trip.
I find myself yearning to engage in everything that means I’m healthy physically and psychologically- and it could be the change I need this month to propel me into the coming days.

Until then, I’ll still say it- if there’s a kdrama you could watch right now on Netflix it is Divorce Attorney Shin.
Updates on reading, life…and other stories

March 27th, 2023
I woke up to a splendid morning, changed the sheets, pillow covers and got to drink some hot instant coffee, and then there was a blackout.

On Reading: This week involves travel and I get to be in my element so I can’t wait to get on the road, but something’s been bugging me, more like this not so subtle reminder that I ought to read more and it’s this yellow basket right beside my bed. I’ve got over ten books that I bought and I am yet to read. I haven’t even started the final book in The Broken Earth Series because I am saving it for the road trip.

What do you do when:
1. You buy more books than you can read
2. You buy more stationery than you can use to write
3. You enjoy doing activities 1&2 ?
If you have an answer, please let me know what has worked or is working for you because clearly I need an intervention or some sort of control.

On Life: I have been resting over the weekend, got to wash and braid my hair, watched the k-drama “Still 17” and now I’m catching up on yesterday’s episode of Divorce Attorney Shin (this is my favorite…lately).

I find myself stepping into new territories, almost more like walking into spaces and experiences that scare me or seem way above me- and I like this feeling, this courage…this hope, so wherever it leads me, let me just add that it got me loving Statistics and Policy Research, so let’s see where this mind and energy takes me this week.

Have a great week ahead wherever you are.
Two quotes from my favorite trilogy

March 22nd, 2023

I am in awe of the kind of world that N.K.Jemisin builds and The Inheritance Trilogy was a treat looking into the gods and mortals and a whole lot of history in between, but I’ve always wanted to read The Broken Earth Trilogy.

I was sad when I tried to get it from Amazon, but realized the shipping costs to Kenya would be twice the cost of the books. Fast forward to February and a colleague gifted me the whole set- so this right here is a post with two memorable quotes from the second book ( The Obelisk Gate) that I noted down.

Put people in a cage and they will devote themselves to escaping it, not cooperating with those who caged them.

But just because you can’t see or understand a thing doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you.
The Woman that Self Destructs…for all the right reasons.

March 16th, 2023

Call me Catherine. I’m your husband’s mistress. You probably know about me or are aware that there is someone like me lurking around your husband, taking his attention, affection and money. Yes, I am.

Do not hate me because I can do that much for you.

What I want is that you listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. This may take a while but if there is anything mistresses have is the audacity to speak up because we already know what crime we commit and who our accomplices are.

The one thing no one tells you about being a mistress is that you are an option. You are easier to make and cancel plans with. You know you always come second to whatever the man wishes because you came into his life after some sort of stability. You learn how to appear and disappear and it makes for such comic relief when your emotions are not involved.

This is why I turned down his proposal. I am content with being an option because now I know that he too has always been an option. However, times are hard and I know your eldest son just sat his KCSE exams and you are all waiting for that portal to open up so he can select some tertiary institutions. It must be hard trying to attend to everyone in such times, which is why I am interested in you- see, there are days when I have been right before you but you’ve never known how or why, and in a world of acquaintances I learned pretty early to make friends with those who may hurl stones at me.

You could put a bullet through my brain and I would gladly accept it, because there is something about you that even your husband does not know, but I do.