In this short psychological fiction, which became a best-seller in Colombia, Quintana tells us the story of Damaris and her dog Chirli.

Quintana's writing is straight to the point but not rushed. In just over 100 pages, she tells the story of Damaris gracefully. I read the french translation, which is also beautifully crafted.

I enjoyed the historical analysis of European witch-hunts and how it shaped today's social order. But how the term "feminism" is used in a non-inclusive and non-intersectional way. Federici's thesis here also revolves around comparing the 16th-century European witch-hunts to what she considers current hunts in different countries in Africa. However, she mentions in passing that African scholars disagree with such a comparison but never goes into the why. It doesn't sit right with me that she bases her complete analysis of a foreign reality to her by brushing off local opinions, which she didn't already agree with from the get-go. Finally, She concludes her theory by antagonizing youth and elders in a very harmful way. This generational profiling and stereotyping ultimately contribute to the violence she claims to want to eradicate.

Now and again, we come across a book that we struggle to have words for. The Mountains Sing is that book for me. Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, it moved me to every direction of my emotional range!

The story alternates between the present (1970s Vietnam) through Huong's eyes and her grandmother's past. The Mountains Sing is a deep read with a delicate embrace. It's a powerful and important story that needs to be told to prevent humanity from making the same mistakes again and again.

This is the first time I'm speechless after finishing a book. I think my lack of words speaks more about the book than I ever could. (So feel free to stop reading now as long as you get the message: A MUST-READ!)

The Girl Who Smiled Beads is the memoir of 32-year-old Clemantine Wamariya, who, during the Rwandan genocide in 1994, escaped death by fleeing her grandmother's house with her older sister Claire in the middle of the night. For the subsequent seven years, the two sisters survived in refugee camps and moved across borders in Southeast and South Africa without knowing whether their family was dead or alive. And seven years later, they migrated to the US on a special refugee visa and started to heal.

Although dealing with such a harsh and sad story, this book is above-all about unconditional love, sisterhood, the strength of the human spirit, unbelievable resilience, and the unwavering will to live.

Makumbi creates an epic multigenerational saga, which revolves around a curse in the Kintu clan. The characters are complex, and we get to learn different sides of them little by little. More than once, my opinion about a character shifted 180 degrees as the story progressed. Makumbi is a master at character building.

The book, which is set between the 1700s and 2004, also unravels Uganda's history as the backdrop. As I did not know much about the country's history, and Kintu was my first read from Uganda, I appreciated learning so much.

"Vincent" is a comic book that focuses on Vincent Van Gogh's life from when he moved to a town in the south of France called Arles until the moment of his death. It elaborates on his mental health issues, illustrated with beautiful and colorful drawings by Barbara Stok.

This is the story of Salie, who lives in France, and her little brother Madické, living in their home village at the Island of Niodior in Senegal, who dreams of migrating to France to be a famous soccer player.
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A central part of this book is Eurocentrism. Most of the story takes place in this tiny village in Senegal, with diversions from the author to tell the tales of other inhabitants of the island, but somehow "France" is always present. The solution to all problems, the unattainable ideal.

In her debut, Diome gets inspired by her own life growing up in Niodior and her path through migration to France. Her unraveling of life on the island, local customs, beliefs, culture, and social hardships, opportunities, and constraints, are all beautifully explored, and the text is marvelously drafted.

'Fairest' is the memoir of Filipinx-American Meredith Talusan. In this beautiful autobiography, Talusan explores her life, leading up to her decision to undergo sex reassignment surgery. It is a beautifully crafted, honest, and raw analysis of her life, touching upon themes of gender identity, sexual orientation, racism, colorism, ableism, classism, and much more. I read it months ago and still think about it!

This graphic novel is the first in a series by Ivorian author Marguerite Abouet, telling the story of a neighborhood in Abidjan called Yopougon (baptized Yop City by the local youth, aiming to make it sound more like the cool neighborhoods in Hollywood movies).

This first one focuses on three best friend teenage girls (Aya, Bintou, and Adjoua) as they navigate their lives, relationships, and the place they occupy in the world as young women in the 70s. It's a coming-of-age story that showed me personally how no matter where we are in the world, some experiences are the same everywhere. And this feeling always warms my heart.
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The main objective of this book, according to the author, is to counter the mainstream western narrative selling Africa through the lenses of poverty and underdevelopment. And it does so beautifully while addressing issues such as sexism, gender norms, financial inequalities, and much more.

'Cockfight' is one of the best books I read this year. It is a collection of short stories narrating from different perspectives what happens inside the privacy of the home. And it's perfection. In 13 tales, Ampuero performs the unburial of the darkest, deepest secrets kept between four walls. Often troubling, at times disgusting, and always uncomfortable, these stories force the reader to look at life at home from the perspective of what lies behind the peaceful safe-haven it's often described as.

I read it months ago, but I still constantly think about it and recommend it to everyone I come across.