TO BE READ BOOKS OF 2024 & chief editor's letter.

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Welcome to the new year! And more...

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"It's something I'm sure we've all heard a thousand times over: new year, new resolutions. But here's an interesting one I heard around the close of last year. "It's a new year, so resist the urge to rush into accomplishing things with all your strength. take them one by one. Prioritize rest and sleep, and work from a place of rest, not to the point of exhaustion." I will be honest; this is more of a takeaway from the many videos I saw as the year 2023 closed out into 2024 than a word from a single soul.

Before I begin my epistle, I and everyone from the Revel magazine team would like to wish you a prosperous, blessed, and fruitful year ahead, no matter how late (as this letter is coming to you in March).

I started out with the talk of a new year's resolution because it's a craze that is very much a part of the human experience. It has something to do with new beginnings and how our lives feel anew because the day is new too. And how we want to make do with the "new opportunities" a new year seems to present. The act of putting out resolutions as the year begins and whether or not one should be participating in them isn't something I'm going to argue about because I'm a big proponent of work because what is the human experience without working? But I'm also a big proponent of rest and conditioning one's mindset to find a balanced middle ground between the two. I often wonder why we take work so seriously and push rest to the back.

With that being said, I urge you to take rest seriously this year. There will always be an endless list of things to be done. And unfortunately, there will be unpleasant events like war and evils done to humanity. There will be some good things too, like snow and rain, and birthdays. But all these will pass you by and, dare I say, happen to you as one who is a piece in life's puzzle instead of a sojourner on the way home. Your days will all bleed into one uneventful day if we refuse to set aside time to rest and deeply reflect on single days that turn into several months and then multiple years.

As always, my inbox is open for casual chats, inquiries, and more. Reach me via angeldesmondc@gmail.com. I love you loads, community!

Yours Truly,

Angel Desmond."

TO BE READ LIST OF 2024

BY THE EDITOR

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

It was January 1st a couple of weeks ago, and as is the fashion of the world, a lot of energy and buzz is in the air—even now in March—with regards to plans, goals, and fulfilling them. Some are planning on taking over the world this year; some are strategically chasing the million-dollar mark; others may just want to learn to ride a bike this year; and in all these cases, the revel magazine can't really be of much help to you. Nevertheless, if your choice is a 'simpler' goal, like reading more this year, especially at an undisturbed pace by the metrics of the girls and boys over at X with their reading goal of many, many numbers, we believe you have come to the right place.

“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.” ― Victor Hugo

This year, we chose rest as the theme of the To Be Read list for 2024. The books, however, are not necessarily on the subject of rest but on the act of resting and pacing oneself through the mundane but exciting task of reading for enlightenment and entertainment. There are 11 books comprised in this list, and they were chosen with the intention that the members of our community read not just to stack numbers of books in memory with no retention or recollection of them, but for us all to take our time to dive into each book one at a time, to explore and learn about worlds and narratives unknown and unfamiliar, and to have nothing short of a pleasant experience.

“Reading is escape and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real.” ― Nora Ephron

The books on this list are divided into three categories. Fiction, Creative non-fiction, and Autobiography. So, without further ado, let's get into it!

FICTION:

In the category of fiction, we present;

• Tomorrow died yesterday by Chimeka Garricks. (4.48/5 ratings)

Book description: Its 2004 Port Harcourt, Nigeria at the height of the kidnap of oil workers in the Niger delta, a kidnapping goes awry and four lives are reconnected. Douye aka Doughboy the career militant responsible for the crime. Amaibi the gentle university professor / ecarrior accused. Kaniye the lawyer turned restaurateur who tries to get him off and Tubo an amoral oil company executive. Against a backdrop of corrupt practises, failed systems and injustice, these four friends tell the story of oil in a region and its effects on local communities and the Nigerian larger society...

• Born on a Tuesday by Elnathan John. (4.07/5 ratings)

Book description: In far northwestern Nigeria, Dantala lives among a gang of street boys who sleep under a kuka tree. During the election, the boys are paid by the Small Party to cause trouble. When their attempt to burn down the opposition’s local headquarters ends in disaster, Dantala must run for his life, leaving his best friend behind. He makes his way to a mosque that provides him with food, shelter, and guidance. With his quick aptitude and modest nature, Dantala becomes a favored apprentice to the mosque’s sheikh. Before long, he is faced with a terrible conflict of loyalties, as one of the sheikh’s closest advisors begins to raise his own radical movement. When bloodshed erupts in the city around him, Dantala must decide what kind of Muslim—and what kind of man—he wants to be. Told in Dantala’s naïve, searching voice, this astonishing debut explores the ways in which young men are seduced by religious fundamentalism and violence.

• The mechanics of Yenagoa by Michael Afenfia. (3.85/5 ratings)

Book description: Ebinimi, star mechanic of Kalakala Street, is a man with a hapless knack for getting in and out of trouble. Some of his troubles are self-inflicted: like his recurring entanglements in love triangles; and his unauthorised joyriding of a customer’s car which sets off a chain of dire events involving drugs, crooked politicians, and assassins. Other troubles are caused by the panorama of characters in his life, like: his sister and her dysfunctional domestic situation; the three other mechanics he employs; and the money-loving preacher who has all but taken over his home.

• Get a life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. (3.81/5 ratings)

Book description: Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with six directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamourous family’s mansion. The next items?

• Enjoy a drunken night out.
• Ride a motorcycle.
• Go camping.
• Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
• Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
• And... do something bad.

But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job...

CREATIVE NON-FICTION/SELF-HELP:

Within the creative non-fiction/self-help genre, we present;

• The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. (4.1/5 ratings)

Book synopsis: Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientist know her as HeLa. She was a poor southern tobacco farmer who farmer who worked the same land as her enslaved ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. the first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. if you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they'd weigh more than 50 million metric tons as much as a hundred empire state buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses and the atom bombs effects; helped lead to important advances like vitro fertilization, cloning, gene mapping and have been bought and sold by the billions...

• I know why the caged birds sing by Maya Angelou. (4.29/5 ratings)

Book description: Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.

• The power of habits by Charles Duhigg. (4.13/5 rating)

Book description: In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distill vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation...

• Ego is the enemy by Ryan Holiday. (4.14/5 rating)

Book description: The Ego is the Enemy draws on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy to history. We meet fascinating figures like Howard Hughes, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt, all of whom reached the highest levels of power and success by conquering their own egos. Their strategies and tactics can be ours as well...

AUTOBIOGRAPHY/HISTORY:

• We will be heard by Bud Schultz, Ruth Schultz, David Cole (afterword). (4.67/5 ratings)

Book description: Freedom of expression, a fundamental right in any democracy, has often been denied to Americans whose beliefs challenge the status quo. We Will Be Heard features over 90 stirring portraits and first-person accounts of Americans targeted for speaking out against government policies and actions. America's complex history of dissent has been made by both well-known and lesser-known individuals, such as Fred Korematsu, former Japanese internment-camp detainee, who campaigned for prisoner rights at Guantanamo; Stokely Carmichael, who fought for African American civil rights; and Janet Nocek, who resisted the FBI's controversial attempt to subpoena library records. At a time when constitutional rights have become one of the most hotly debated issues in the United States, We Will Be Heard reveals the remarkable courage and tenacity of more than 90 individuals who refused to be silenced.

• A History of Nigeria by Toyin Falola and Matthew M. Heaton. (4.5/5 ratings)

Book description: Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and the world's eighth largest oil producer, but its success has been undermined in recent decades by ethnic and religious conflict, political instability, rampant official corruption and an ailing economy. Toyin Falola, a leading historian intimately acquainted with the region, and Matthew Heaton, who has worked extensively on African science and culture, combine their expertise to explain the context to Nigeria's recent troubles through an exploration of its pre-colonial and colonial past, and its journey from independence to statehood. By examining key themes such as colonialism, religion, slavery, nationalism and the economy, the authors show how Nigeria's history has been swayed by the vicissitudes of the world around it, and how Nigerians have adapted to meet these challenges. This book offers a unique portrayal of a resilient people living in a country with immense, but unrealized, potential.

• An Anthropology of African Christianity by Isabel Apawo Phiri, Dietrich Werer, Chammah Kaunda and Kennedy Owino. (4.5/5 ratings)

Book description: By the beginning of the twenty-first century, Christianity in Africa has taken shape and established roots in all areas of African reality. It has come to stay. Therefore we welcome Christianity afresh in Africa, where it has arrived to continue the ancient and vibrant Christianity in Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is appropriate that the Anthology of African Christianity presents, in valuable detail, this new reality that describes its African landscape in totality.

We hope you enjoy reading these books! 

If you would like to be a part of our group discussion on these books, follow us Instagram and X (@therevelmagazine) and send a message of request to get an invite to join!

Declaimer: Please note that these books were selected after careful consideration (some considered factors included the vast number of books available and the limited time there is to read them all, as well as wanting to share books that were enjoyable and educational), and while there will be many more book recommendations on our Instagram page, do not be concerned that we are forcing you to read more than you'd want to—this is just our usual practice of sharing book recommendations related to the themes of our weekly articles.