Book Lovers with Wairimu

Who is Wairimu? I am that River Road girl who will sell you maize even if you don’t have the grinders. I write in my journal daily and on my blog site monthly. I am a bird girl who finds any excuse to drink hot Cocoa and eat Omena.

Why do you read?

I read to travel and to discover. Reading is like treasure hunting for me. I have been to Nigeria, Japan, Jerusalem, and  Rome. I have been in a science lab experimenting with animals and chemicals without ever leaving my bed.

I read to take a vacation for my mind as Dave Barry would have it.

Tell us about your reading journey

As a primary school pupil, books were hard to come by. I had a classmate who did not give a hoot about books but she had plenty of them. That led me to read: Rapunzel, Cinderella and all the fairy love stories of the yesteryears. 

When I joined high school, I struggled with set books, but I loved my literature and fasihi lessons. Our teachers would select people to read out loud and I loved that.
 

In 2018, I joined an internship program at my church and one of the requirements was to read a book every month. The first book I read was Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline. I discovered the world of books and found it fascinating. I became a book lover by stocking my library and reading up to five books a month.

What are you currently reading?

Lust and the City: A Guide On Sexual Purity by Ernest Wamboye, it is a guide book for people struggling with lust. The book calls humanity out of the vortex of sex, money, beauty, pleasure, morality, fantasy, entertainment, justice, revenge, education, human approval, and all manner of things that we use to feel ‘whole’ and into a place where humans can get satisfaction in their creator alone.

The Gospel Comes With a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield. The book is about how she got converted from atheism and the LGBTQ community into Christianity. She uses her story to encourage people to open up their homes to be a place where people with questions can come and struggle without judgement and practice radically ordinary hospitality in this post-Christian world.

Roseanne M. White’s A Soft Breath of Wind, a sequel to A Stray Drop of Blood, a novel dating back to the Pax Romana era.

What genres do you love? 

I love Christian theology and literature, Roman-era novels, historical fiction and African literature. I also enjoy delving into Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, biographies and autobiographies and allegories.

Favourite book (s) and why?

I enjoyed reading Kristen Britain’s The Green Rider series. She is vivid. Her imagination as she is describing all those events that happened in the 7-book series had me for months.

Hank Hanegraaff’s The Last Disciple Series is one of my favourite Roman-era novels. He is so good at telling this story that he had me smelling dust in Jerusalem. He gives an accurate historical story of Emperor Nero’s time.

Francine Rivers’ Mark of a Lion Series is another favourite from the Roman Era.

I have read Mark Rutland’s Streams of Mercy more than once and I keep it close for when I want to go back to it. 

Gay Girl Good God by Jackie Hill Perry is one of my favourite autobiographies. She is honest about her struggle with rape, father wounds, lesbianism, and how she meets God. She is also a poet and hip hop artist and she brings that into her writing, which makes it one of those books I would read any time of the day.

Who are your favourite authors and why?

I don’t pass any book by Philip Yancey. He is so poignant about the pains we go through in this life. At the same time pointing readers to Christ for the ultimate healing of all the pains, we experience in this side of eternity.

C.S. Lewis is one of those writers who write in Oxford English and who I enjoy reading it. Chronicles of Narnia is a children’s book series that he writes to 12-year-olds and I, in my late 20s, decided to read the series annually. He is that good.

I read everything Jackie Hill Perry writes, from tweets to books. She is simply brilliant.

Francine Rivers tells stories just the way I like them told. She has done a good job in encouraging my faith.

Ann Voskamp, I discovered her words and fell in love. She writes like a poet. Reading Rosaria Butterfield is like reading Mrs. Voskamp’s best friend.

What are your reading habits?
I buy hard copy books that I can smell, the older the book is the better.
I plan my reading by deciding what to read every month and get a journal and a pen if need be. I write down the chapters I am to read and write them on a little card that keeps me on track.
I get my books from anywhere they are sold. I have become a fan of reading eBooks and that keeps me going with the books that I can’t find a hard copy for.

On my Whatsapp, I have two book groups. I get many recommendations and a chance to see what books others are reading. I also read and review books with friends and we discuss the books.
I read to wake up and I cannot fall asleep without reading. I read when I am bored, when I am down, when I feel like it and when I don’t feel like it. I have incorporated reading into my daily schedule. I never move on to the next book until I finish my current one.
I journal my thoughts about the books I am reading. I have discovered that to be a huge help in the retention of what I am reading.

What reading tips would you give other book lovers?

Discover your world of books. There are many genres out there. Frank Zappa was right,” there are so many books but so little time”. But, it is never too late to begin exploring.

Self-help books, don't do it for me. They may do it for you. Find your niche, find books you will enjoy, and don’t stop at the last full stop. ABOUT THE SERIES Book Lovers is where lovers of books share their reading stories, current reads and favourites, reading habits and tips, and everything books. ABOUT WACERA KIEHA Wacera Kieha is a multimedia and lifestyle brand based in Nairobi, Kenya. We create content that is entertaining, informative, and inspirational. Book Lover - Wairimu Editor & Producer - Wacera Kieha Photo c/o of Wairimu