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Year of Ravens: A Novel of Boudica's Rebellion | Ruth Downie, Eliza Knight, Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Simon Turney, Russell Whitfield, Vicky Alvear
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April wrap-up: I finished two books for March #foodandlit #Ireland, then read four books for April #Rwanda (still working on my fifth). I read one book for #authoramonth Kate Quinn (still reading two more), and one book I finished from last month‘s author Leigh Bardugo. And I read Keeping House as an impulse read.

I tagged my favorite book of the month, but it was a close call.

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Texreader
Sister Deborah | Scholastique Mukasonga
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Pickpick

Deborah is a mystic who helps a young girl heal her weak body. Grown up, the girl, now a professor in the USA, goes back to #Rwanda to learn Deborah‘s fate. I struggled to follow this story. There is so much more to it, but I couldn‘t follow who was who, when things were happening, etc. I blame it almost entirely on the fact that I listened to it. I sometimes wish narrators would tell us when a new section is started, even just a longer pause. ⬇️

Texreader Or maybe it was written to be hard to follow, or it‘s the fault of the translator. Now I‘m reading the author‘s short stories, which are so good. So I don‘t think the author intentionally set out to confuse readers. So, warning to the wise: read the ebook or physical book. Take a pass on the audio. #foodandlit 11h
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Texreader
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Pickpick

This is #Rwanda President Paul Kagame‘s story through 2008 (he‘s still president today). A young Tutsi refugee from the violence by the Hutus even back in the 1950s, he fought in Uganda, secretly training to become a rebel soldier to try to return to Rwanda. As he built a secret army, the genocide in 1994 occurred. He was able to dismantle the Hutu government and would eventually be elected president. He assembled a Hutu/Tutsi government, and ⬇️

Texreader has managed to keep internal peace albeit sometimes with an iron fist. The astonishing history is that France helped the Hutus, providing weapons to them DURING the genocide. The United Nations and the USA had been warned emphatically about what was coming and then knew when it happened. AND DID NOTHING to stop what they called an internal tribal dispute. The author lays down the blame thickly, by name, to everyone who turned a blind eye. He ⬇️ 12h
Texreader Identifies how many opportunities the world had, even with minor assistance, to prevent the million+ dying agonizing brutal deaths and rapes. Kagame is a hero in a sense—Rwanda in 2008 became an Asian Tiger economy-wise. But I wonder how his government has managed since. Given his stern personality and years in office, I can‘t fathom that he hasn‘t turned dictatorial. Highly recommended but it needs an update. #foodandlit (edited) 12h
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Texreader
Igifu | Scholastique Mukasonga
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So appropriate this last day of April reading about how precious milk is in #Rwanda for #foodandlit. For example, from the BBC: “Unique to Rwanda, milk bars reflect a little-known truth about how intrinsic cows and milk are to Rwandan culture.” I‘ve truly discovered that in this month‘s books. @Catsandbooks

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Liz_M
All Your Children, Scattered | Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse
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Not a bad #BookSpinBingo month. I finished the tagged for #FoodandLit, #Rwanda. The Book Censor's Library was my #DoubleSpin and also fits #OffMyShelf - #InvolvesBooks; The Colour and Dance on the Volcano were for #192025; Indigenous Pacific Islander anthology worked for #FictionalTraveler and was my #BookSpin. There are a couple of #1001Books, and several for a global reading project.

Most importantly, I have two bingos!

Suet624 Nice! 16h
Ruthiella Bingo! 🤩 13h
23 likes2 comments
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Texreader
Igifu | Scholastique Mukasonga
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I‘m squeezing in one more book for April for #foodandlit #Rwanda @Catsandbooks

TheBookHippie I‘ve enjoyed her books so very much! 2d
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Texreader
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Pickpick

An absolutely charming book! Tanzanian Angel bakes beautiful unique amazing cakes in Kigali, #Rwanda, there with her professor husband teaching in the university. Each customer has a story and Angel learns a lot and shares a lot, and solves a problem here and there. She learns how the neighborhood prostitute got that job 😢 and how the local ladies handle female mutilation. Angel solves marital woes and so much more. She reminds me of Mma ⬇️

Texreader Ramotswe from the No. 1 Detective Agency down in #Botswana. If Angel were the main character in a series I‘d read all her books. Finally, this is post-genocide, and it‘s a reflection of how far the country has come for the peace to be secure for such a lovely novel to exist without reference to Hutus or Tutsis. A great read I would have missed but for #foodandlit. Highly recommended. 3d
Cortg Awesome! Glad you found a good read! 3d
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Texreader
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I‘ve been reading rather than writing reviews! So… coming soon, a raft of reviews!

CSeydel I‘ve had A Thousand Hills on my TBR for years - will look forward to your review! 3d
BooksandCoffee4Me Baking Cakes is my next read — looking forward to it! 3d
Texreader @BooksandCoffee4Me It‘s so good! I just posted my review 3d
48 likes3 comments
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Texreader
Sister Deborah | Scholastique Mukasonga
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This is the next audiobook I‘ve started today for #foodandlit #Rwanda @Catsandbooks

TheBookHippie I really enjoyed it. 4d
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review
Butterfinger
An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography | Paul Rusesabagina, Tom Zoellner
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Pickpick

A humble man remains decent during a civil war in his beloved country. He doesn't shy from the atrocities he witnesses. He also still has lingering anger toward UN for taking so long to get involved and being hesitant in calling the atrocities a genocide. Even though he lives in Belgium, his heart remains in Rwanda, and he continues to be afraid for its future, of another genocide. A MUST READ. #FoodandLit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

TheBookHippie I agree A must read. 1w
Butterfinger @TheBookHippie it's a good thing that Litsy has a maximum number of characters. So many things on my heart tonight. The radio. Mob mentality. #NeverAgain being overused and turning into a lie. It's just horrid. You and I teach empathy through literature and it is just plain decency. Where does it go? I also liked how he said in the end, don't blame it on animal instincts (thats too easy)-it's a vicious cycle of hate and vengeance. 1w
Catsandbooks 💔🇷🇼 1w
TheBookHippie @Butterfinger I agree with all of it. I often say what day did compassion die? Why is it me me me. It‘s a vicious cycle of hatred, vengeance and fear. It‘s a sickness. I continue to throw goodness out and teach empathy praying the long arch of justice will line up with it. I just want to scream most days. 1w
38 likes4 comments