The month I found myself starting with a reading list of 11 physical books to read. Clearly my next couple months have been sorted out. I am used to reading while on transit started some while back when my commute to and from work was close to two and half hours, rather than complain and indulge on online chatter profile stalking and all other manner of utter online social media shenanigans. Book always at hand has become synonymous with my persona, could be it is my way of avoiding idle conversation created by boredom in traffic. Happened to attend training, in the course of the two day worth of training. My instructor noticed my read then, definitely it intrigued her and it started our conversation long story short the next day she brought me 5 books.

My picks and read for march, not really related at all. I prefer alternating between genres fiction, history, biography et cetera.

1. Making Cents

Money, wealth and richness very different things, elicits very many debates. As you might have intuitively guessed yes this is a book about wealth through money. Get your house in order, plan organize your finances at the different levels.

1. Change your perception of what money easy, erase the learnings of your former child growing where money was not talked about. Be deliberate in your speech about money either to yourself or to others. Accept that this can both be grown or lost.

2. Write down your assets and liabilities look at the difference are you at a profit that is surplus or at a loss with negative amount. It is a matter of being truthful to yourself and admitting and jotting down all this what you have in terms of physical assets am not including things like phones here or TV and liabilities here being loans and expenses. Do not be worried when the figures shock you that takes us to the next step.

3. Budget: One before you budget, track your expenses write down your expenses each time you pay or spend money be diligent in this. I have been tracking every cent I spend for now 5 years in a simple excel sheet I use. For one or two months do your tally. Step one is done you know your expenses, next now is skimming to check through which are these that are very high. Gives you all the idea what is a want and what is a need. Now take your time to create the need list of what is necessary expenses you need eliminate want, check what can be reduced. Include payments of loans, including and not limited to those friends or relative sorted you out from a fix. FYI write all this done the amount have the expense and budget side by side.

4. Investment: We look at places you can increase your income here is where, I do not have a lot of input because there are so many investment vehicles. What I can tell you is do your research on the investment and again ask ask ask. Though Waceke did not include this at investment personally I include it here any extra source of income from your hobbies side hustle.

5. Giving: Share this knowledge, share this wealth, teach. Learn to have a surplus mentality by giving, this eradicates the poverty mentality where you believe you have little and not enough to share.

Finally practice the above all the time, lest it becomes something you read and forgot.

2. Dance Dance Dance

Fiction

Murakami(The author) has a way with words, descriptiveness detailed and visionary. Taking you to the place and time he intended you to see.

Meet the Japanese man, who is a writer. Just recently divorced, parted way with his business partner. Goes to seek and find himself or is it. Decides to go for vacation at Dolphine hotel in another prefecture, unbeknownst to him this creates a entangled web of dynamics.

A mix of the supernatural and unexplained connections with this hotel even when he his back to Tokyo. He meets the hotel receptionist, Yuki the teenager with celebrity parents but she is disconnected with the world, Kiki a call girl, Golinda his former high school classmate his profession an actor and Mei another call girl. All this connected to him as explained in the lacquer-black room from the sheep-man.

How can he be able to decipher this quagmire? Seems like death was following people he meets, what is his connection.

Intrigue page and head turner, twists beautifully merged intertwined.

3. Americanah

Fiction

Tells of the story of Ifemelu Nigerian lady, her story from being raised up in Nigeria all the way to going to Princeton for her study. Trechous sajourners in life trying to make something of herself, with the life happening. The ups and down her love Obinze who they never end up being together. Nigeria with the various regime changes between the 1970’s and 2000’s. Aspiration of a growing nation the belief, hoping for prosperous future. Education from abroad being valued and parents doing anything to ensure their kids get such. Talk about race in the USA from a Non-American Black someone raised from outside America. The assumptions, pitfalls and twists. Obinzes story of trying to make a living in the UK, only for him to be deported. Becoming successful in Nigeria but doubting himself because of how the it was achieved. The life of nouveau riche verse the oligarchs. Life, love and living.

4. One Day I will write about this place

Memoir

The title still today is the best I have seen so far. It elicits excitement about this place, I believe everyone has a place. From Binyavanga’s life, always aloof in his own world told with is awesome penmanship. Poetically written. Raised in Nakuru, studying in Nairobi, taking to complete his degree in South Africa. Tracing his roots in Uganda border to Rwanda. Being odd and making the odds out of it by becoming 2002 Cain Prize winner for African writing.