Sigmundsdóttir compiles 20 short folktales about the Hidden People and translates them to English in this little collection. At the end of each tale, the author adds notes with her thoughts on the moral of the story or more context about when and why they came about. I really enjoyed this little book, and the best part was learning, through the author's commentary, about Iceland's culture, history, and customs.

In this tiny book, Shafak examines how the pandemic unveiled structural and systemic issues in our ways of life that were unsustainable from the get-go, even before the COVID crisis.

Rather than writing about what it does to the world or societies, Shafak focuses on what living in a constant state of anxiety does to us, people. She talks about the identity crisis we are all experiencing to a certain extent and about anger, apathy, and a shortage of knowledge and wisdom. She argues for the importance of being fearlessly optimistic and the role storytelling and books have in that endeavor.

She mixes personal anecdotes to political science theory, the words of poets and activists to empirical data, and creates a little manifesto for self-love, self-care, and changing the world - all under 100 tiny pages.

Keeping Hope Alive is the memoir of Dr. Hawa Abdi, Somalia's first female obstetrician, who, in the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in the 90s, transformed her family land into a refugee camp for internally displaced people housing up to 90 thousand people at its peak.

A must-read story about resilience against all odds, the role of women in peacebuilding, and the power each and every one of us has to create positive change in others' lives.

In 'Flatshare' by Beth O'Leary, a young woman looks for a place to live after breaking up with her toxic boyfriend and finds an unusual flatshare in which she never really sees her roommate, a young man. There is a lot of telling when the author could have shown instead. The book lacks diversity, too, though it doesn't try to fill in the gaps by tokenizing characters of color, which is somehow better? The story is pretty cute and has a happy, cheesy, and very predictable ending, which didn't fail to warm my heart.

This is the story of Rigoberta Menchú, an indigenous woman from Guatemala, where it is estimated that 60% of the population is indigenous. Between 1960 and 1996, Guatemala lived a violent Civil War, during which Maya peoples were targeted, attacked, and killed in masses - known as the Maya Genocide or the Silent Holocaust (1981-1983).

In this biography, Rigoberta Menchú tells her story, that of her people and indigenous communities in Guatemala in general. Today, Menchú is a renowned human rights and indigenous rights activist, and the laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize of 1992.

Although details of her experiences in this biography have been refuted, I strongly believe it is an important book by a voice not often heard in Latin America and around the globe. Indigenous communities are more often than not invisibilized, marginalized, and prejudiced against. To fight that and ensure equal rights, indigenous 'own voices' narratives are critical.

Although I think what this book represents is really important, it gets a little redundant and long-winded at times. Listening to it in audio format definitely helped. If you're looking for an audiobook to try, this can be a good option.

'Nervous Conditions' by Tsisi Dangaremba is a story told by a young woman called Tambudzai, starting from when she was just a young girl growing up in rural Zimbabwe.

With a unique style, 'Nervous Conditions' is deep dive into some of the most personal thoughts of the protagonist (borderline ruminations), showing us the confusion and dilemma between keeping one's customs and culture versus getting an education of western standards and having the opportunity for a "better" life.

Through the experiences of Tambudzai and that of her family members, namely other women who surround her, this book deals with themes including patriarchy, gender norms, post-colonialism, mental health, and acculturation.

'Nervous Conditions' has become one of my favorite books since I read it earlier this year.

I didn't particularly enjoy this book, and I think the lack of plot was the main reason why. I want to read other work by Jamaica Kincaid in the future, though.

"As Andorinhas" é um pequeno livro que agrupa três contos interligados que se desenrolam em Moçambique pré-colonial, colonial e pós-colonial.

A autora, Paulina Chiziane, que também é a primeira mulher a publicar um livro no país, usa humor e sarcasmo para suas críticas sociais de uma maneira muito criativa.

Um dos principais temas deste livro é a liberdade, ilustrada pela andorinha. Minha história favorita foi a última, sobre uma mulher que sonhava em ser uma jogadora de futebol profissional, mas a sociedade não a permitia ou aceitava. Depois de destacar a misoginia e o patriarcado nas duas histórias anteriores, Chiziane fechou o livro com chave de ouro, com um conto de fadas africano contemporâneo sobre uma mulher forte e livre - a águia.

"Becos da Memória" conta a história da vida de uma favela localizada na periferia de Belo Horizonte e se concentra nas diferentes gerações de pessoas que a habitaram ao longo dos anos.

"Becos da Memória" é uma obra-prima e um dos melhores livros que já li!