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Cindy ✨ | Book Reviews

@lovereadingxo

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Namibian 🇳🇦
Saved by Grace. Eternal bookworm. Mood reader.
Read this year: 48 ✨ #CindyReads2026

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BOOK REVIEW ✨

If I had to describe Consuelo Roland’s ‘The Good Cemetery Guide’ in one word, it would be eccentric. But unfortunately not in a way that I enjoyed.

Introducing us to Anthony Loxton, a funeral director who took over the family business from his father, what works about this book is the setting. Kalk Bay comes vibrantly, brilliantly to life, and there’s so many layers to the location that it becomes a character all on its own.

What didn’t work for me is mostly… everything else. This book felt like a fever dream I just could not wake up from. By day, Anthony is a funeral director, and by night, he’s guitarist Tony The Fox who has a line of women waiting to sleep with him, but he also maybe kinda sorta sees the dead? And he definitely hears a voice also named Tony, but then the author switches in between calling the main character both Anthony and Tony, and eventually it becomes difficult to see where the lines even were amongst all the blur.

Meanwhile, the narrative flashes back and forth between Anthony as an adult and Anthony as a boy, creating a rambling rhythm that never really gets anywhere.

What I thought would be the climax or at least some sort of turning point happens when Lily, a woman Anthony had a one-night-stand with, arrives at his funeral parlour after dying in an accident. There are some very uncomfortable moments describing the corpse’s bush (yes, THAT bush) and while it would have made sense for the story to find direction from there on out, things instead begin to unravel in earnest.

There’s very little in the way of a clear plot, so many characters thrown into the mix and so much that happens that the book honestly just left me confused and exhausted. By the second half, it also becomes difficult to tell what’s real and what’s happening only in Anthony’s head. Sprinkle in some casual racism (because what’s Cape Town without racism?) and you have a book that had an interesting premise but left me with a headache, wondering “what on earth did I just read?!”

‘The Good Cemetery Guide’ is a strange, strange book, and while I can see how that would appeal to some readers, it just didn’t do it for me.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️ by @lovereadingxo

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6

9 months ago

Currently Reading / Proof of Life 🤭✨

Hi, friends! Happy 2026!

I’ve been quiet on here, but I’ve been slowly making my way through my TBR list. I’ve got so many books I need to get round to posting about, but I’ll be making the most of my last weekend of leave first! Excited to sink my teeth into this one by a Namibian author 🇳🇦❤️

“Everyone has secrets. His are deadly.”

CR: ‘Iniquity’ by my former colleague, @anne__ngl 🫶🏼

#CurrentlyReading #Iniquity #AnneHambuda #NamibianBookstagram #BookstagramAfrica by @lovereadingxo

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5

9 months ago

BOOK REVIEW ✨

From the first line of ‘Lightseekers’, Femi Kayode grabs you by the collar and forces you to pay attention.

“The October sun is as hot as the blood of the angry mob” and a brutal opening scene usher us into investigative psychologist Dr Philip Taiwo’s world, and the novel never really loosens its grip.

Three young men have been murdered and there’s video evidence showing just how it all went down, but what no one truly knows is why it happened. Philip is hired by one of the victims’ father to uncover the truth, and as he travels from Lagos to rural Okriki, we’re introduced to a protagonist and a setting that are as vivid as they are compelling.

‘Lightseekers’ is utterly engrossing, full of twists, turns, and revelations that keep shifting the ground under your feet. Kayode builds tension beautifully, but where the novel falters is in the personal threads. We are given glimpses of Philip’s personal troubles, but these moments feel more like empty set-ups than strands meaningfully woven through the narrative. When everything finally comes to a head, it works — I just wish the emotional groundwork had been richer along the way.

By the end, there are also too many characters to keep straight, and certain explanations land a little too neatly for a story this messy and human.

Another thing that frustrated me was Philip and Chika’s inability to talk things out, despite being together all the time. We’re told that they can’t speak about certain things because they always pull up to their destination right at that moment, as if two grown men can’t take five minutes to have a conversation in a parked car. It felt so unrealistic and bothered me all throughout the novel.

Despite these flaws, ‘Lightseekers’ more than delivers. It held my attention from start to finish, surprised me, and left me so keen to get right back into Philip’s world that I immediately bought the follow-up, ‘Gaslight’.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#Lightseekers #FemiKayode #BookReview #LetsRead #BookReviewer #AfricanBookstagram #CindyReads2025 #BookstagramAfrica #NigerianAuthors #ReadMore taken in BOOKSTA by @lovereadingxo

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10 months ago

TWO FOR THURSDAY ✨

You know a book has you HOOKED when you’re a third in and you rush to the bookstore on your lunch break to buy the next one in the series 😅 (True story! Ask the kind folks at @windhoek_bookden!)

I recently started on @femikayode_author’s Lightseekers and I’ve been enjoying it so much! It follows Dr Philip Taiwo, an investigative psychologist who is called to a remote town in Nigeria to uncover the truth behind the public torture and murder of three university students. As he navigates the chaos, politics, and conspiracies surrounding the case, he realises the killings are far more complex than they first appeared.

In the follow-up, Gaslight, Philip returns to investigate the disappearance of Sade Dawodu, a case that spirals into a web of church secrecy, political pressure, and corruption after her influential husband is arrested for her presumed murder.

Suffice it to say I have PLANS this weekend! 🤭

🙋🏻‍♀️ Who is your favourite African author? Which of their books should I read first? Let’s chat! ❤️

#TwoForThursday #Lightseekers #Gaslight #ReadMore #FemiKayode #NigerianAuthors #AfricanAuthors #Read #BookstagramAfrica #AfricanBookstagram #LetsRead by @lovereadingxo

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10 months ago

DECEMBER HOPEFULS ✨

Another month, another opportunity to actually stick to my TBR list 🤭

While I only read three books last month, all three of them came off my November Hopefuls list, so I’m… HOPEFUL I’ll stick to this one too. (That was terrible, I’m so sorry 😂)

Most of these titles have been “recycled” from previous months’ Hopefuls lists, with two new contenders in the mix as well.

While it’s not all White Christmas and cozy vibes on this side of the world, December makes me want to read two things: 1) Romance and 2) Anything that’ll keep me hooked! I expect these books to deliver on both, and I’m really excited to see what kind of dent I can make in this list.

🙋🏻‍♀️ What are you looking forward to reading this month? Does the weather determine the kind of books you reach for? Let’s chat! ❤️

#DecemberHopefuls #MonthlyHopefuls #TBR #TBRList #AfricanBookstagram #BookstagramAfrica #ReadMore taken in BOOKSTA by @lovereadingxo

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10

a year ago

CURRENTLY READING ✨

It only took me three months but I’m finally getting round to this one, and when I tell you it has me GLUED?!

That first page??? @femikayode_author, sir?! I AM NOT OKAY!!!

Will I continue to read it regardless? Of course 😅

🙋🏻‍♀️ Have you read ‘Lightseekers’? Am I going to be destroyed - yes or absolutely?

#CurrentlyReading #Lightseekers #FemiKayode taken in BOOKSTA by @lovereadingxo

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a year ago

BOOK REVIEW ✨

📝 I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A big thank you to hibiscus press and the author.

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I did just that with Jessica Carmichael’s ‘The Full Picture’. I took one look at the warm tones (and a glance at the blurb, I’m not a psychopath) and I requested it immediately.

What I conveniently overlooked, though, is that it is a YA novel. Reader, I am NOT a YA girlie. Suffice it to say that I was on the back foot from the jump, but I was determined to make the most of it.

The novel follows Robyn Carter, a first-year university student travelling from Canada to Accra, Ghana, to reconnect with her roots and learn more about her mother, who passed away 10 years earlier. It deals with grief, self-discovery, budding romance, friendship, and difficult family dynamics, and I really enjoyed how Carmichael weaved those layers into the story.

There is a love triangle too – Robyn falls for both Kelvin, the charming golden boy, and Osei, the boy next door, and has to sift through a lot of feelings about what she wants vs what she ‘should’ want.

I enjoyed the photography angle and the setting, and loved seeing Ghana through Robyn’s eyes, but I kept wanting more. More texture, more flavour, more of an experience. ‘The Full Picture’ has all the right ingredients, but never quite hits boiling point for me.

I didn’t fully connect with the characters, which may be due to their age, and found myself constantly waiting for that moment, that emotional turning point that hooks you to a story… but it never came.

With that being said, ‘The Full Picture’ is a sweet, sincere coming-of-age story that makes some interesting points, and readers who enjoy YA will likely get far more from it than I did.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheFullPicture #JessicaCarmichael #ARC #ARCReview #BookReview #BookReviewer #CindyReads2025 #AfricanBookstagram #BookstagramAfrica #ReadMore #SouthAfricanBookstagrammer #WomenWhoRead taken in BOOKSTA by @lovereadingxo

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a year ago

BOOK SHOP BROWSING ✨

I usually avoid malls around Black Friday but I had to run some errands this morning and I couldn’t help but pop into @exclusivebookssnamibia 💕

Here are a few titles that are part of their 30% off sale, plus some others that caught my eye. I didn’t bring any of them home with me today (my credit card wept with joy, I’m sure) but I hope to spoil myself with a few for Christmas.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Which one would you be most tempted to bring home? Have you read any of these? Let’s chat! ❤️

#ExclusiveBooks #BookBrowsing #WomenWhoRead #Bookstagram #Booksta #Bookish #GirlsWhoRead #AfricanBookstagram #BookstagramAfrica #ReadMore taken in Exclusive Books Namibia by @lovereadingxo

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a year ago

REVIEW DUMP ✨

What’s better than one book review? 10, of course! 💃🏻

I love making these simply because I get to reread my old reviews. I love that I’ve documented my love for reading in this way (shout out to @goodreads 🥰)

Here’s another mixed bag - some recent reads and a few older titles.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Which review surprised you the most? Have you read any of these? Let’s chat! ❤️

#ReviewDump #BookReview #BookReviewer #ReadMore #AfricanBookstagram #BookstagramAfrica #LetsRead by @lovereadingxo

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a year ago

EASY SUNDAY ✨

Hello, friends. Happy Sunday ❤️

I’ve been a little absent from here this weekend, so I thought I’d check in with a life/reading update.

I spent most of the day yesterday trawling through clothing shops at the mall, looking for a dress for our work year-end function. It’s a James Bond themed night and as we all know, Bond girls are VERY sexy. But here’s the thing… if there’s one word I’d never use to describe my wardrobe, it’s sexy. I’m a comfortable/semi modest girl through and through. See my problem? 😅

Funnily enough, I ended up going for the very first dress I tried on, and I even bought some “heels” (basically kitten heels 😂 I’m 1.78m/5”10, gimme a break!) to go with it. I’m not a fan of theme parties, but I’m looking forward to ending off the year with a little something different 💣💥

I’ve spent most of today in my own little bubble. I’m going through something personal and even though I knew it would likely end up this way, I’m still feeling a little fragile. So my phone’s been on DND, candles have been lit, and I’ve been getting lost in a fictional world to…escape reality for a bit.

Speaking of reading, I’m still making my way through ‘The Art of Us’ by Jules Cohen. It’s taking me a lot longer than I would have liked, but I’m enjoying the steamy 🌶️🌶️🌶️ small-town romance vibes. I have an ARC that I’m contemplating not giving feedback on because I didn’t realise it was a YA, and I’m hoping to make a sizable dent in my #10BeforeTheEnd list sometime soon.

🙋🏻‍♀️ How are you doing today? Any fun plans to end off the weekend? What do you do when you’re feeling a little fragile? Let’s chat! ❤️

#SundayAfternoon #Bookstagram #Booksta #Bookish #AfricanBookstagram #BookstagramAfrica #LifeUpdate taken in BOOKSTA by @lovereadingxo

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a year ago

TWO FOR THURSDAY ✨

The greatest to ever do it. Pen game godly. A literary giant. When it comes to my favourite authors, Roxane Gay will forever hold the top spot.

Vastly different, these two books were transformative for me in a way that I’ll never be able to replicate, and while I’ve reread them, I don’t think anything will ever match the magic of the first time I read them.

A collection of 21 short stories, ‘Difficult Women’ is the kind of anthology you can come back to again and again, and discover new things every time.

Roxane is a master of her craft, and the stories in ‘Difficult Women’ are beautiful and unsettling, familiar and strange, delicious and revolting.

Stand-out stories for me include North Country (a forever fave), Break All The Way Down and I Am a Knife.

‘Hunger’, on the other hand, is a memoir in which Roxane delves into many difficult topics, and does so with such skill and finesse. I think it’s a must-read for everyone, but specifically for fat black and brown women.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Have you read anything by Roxane Gay? Who is your all-time favourite author? Let’s chat! ❤️

#TwoForThursday #RoxaneGay #DifficultWomen #Hunger #AfricanBookstagram #BookstagramAfrica #NamibianBookstagram #SouthAfricanBookstagrammer taken in BOOKSTA by @lovereadingxo

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a year ago

ONE-STAR REVIEWS OF BOOKS I LOVED ✨

There’s nothing quite as humbling as reading a terrible review of a book you are obsessed with 🤣

I love seeing these kinds of posts, because it’s a reminder that reading is subjective. Does it hurt my feelings a little when someone doesn’t love a book I do? Yes. But it also helps me look at things from a new perspective.

We can’t all be alike and you can’t please everyone, but at least we can giggle together. Right?!

🙋🏻‍♀️ Do you read reviews that contain opinions that differ from your own? Do negative reviews sway you from reading a book? Let’s chat! ❤️

#OneStarReviews #Bookstagram #Goodreads #Read #AfricanBookstagram #BookstagramAfrica #LetsRead by @lovereadingxo

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11

a year ago