From the Bookaholics With Love...

“The six most important words: I admit I made a mistake. The five most important words: You did a good job. The four most important words: What is YOUR opinion? The three most important words: If you please. The two most important words: Thank You. The one most important word: We. The least important word: I.” -Author Unknown

This is a thank you note to all readers of Bookaholic for making 2009 a fabulous 'Bookaholic' year. Since we started in February 2009, we've had over 19,000 hits and 74 followers.Thank you for sticking with us from our very first post to this very post.

Thank you for taking time to read the interviews, despite their length. Thank you for glancing through some pieces that seemed to 'lose you' at some point. Thank you for taking part in our debates, that don't come so often. Thank you for trusting those links enough to visit; and for telling us when they were broken. Thank you for enduring with us when we made promises we couldn't keep. Thank you for showing us every single mistake that we made--it was an opportunity for a better post. Thank you for being there to tell us your opinion, for whom do we write if we don't know what you think? Every single comment on this blog is valued. Thank you for visiting despite all. Most importantly, thank you for allowing us focus on you even as we share our love for books.

As a new year beckons, is there anything you'd like to see on this blog? Do you have any suggestions to make Bookaholic a better haven for book lovers? Feel free to let us know. Happy 2010!

What's Hot Now...

This holiday is time to get away. Yes, away from work and everything that makes our lives monotonous. Well, before work (and life) resumes. Life is real good lazying around with a cold glass (of anything) and a good book. Or reading stuff online that make you chuckle (now that's away from all the comic relief about dear president and the failed suicide bomber!). That's what the holiday allows us. Here are some online literary magazines you can read even as you plan 2010.

While you enjoy Saraba, you can also read interesting articles the Maple Tree Literary Supplement here. It has an interesting response to Chimamanda's 'Danger of a Single Story' here.  African Writing Issue 8 also has real good pieces to last you this break. Well, that's what's hot right now. Enjoy!!!

NB: You can also check their submissions tab (on the websites) for info if you'd like to be part of these projects!

Here Comes Saraba IV...

Saraba Magazine has suceeded in making a name for itself in literary circles--issue after issue.  Here's Issue IV, please download a free copy of the electronic magazine from the website. You can also download previous issues and the new poetry chapbook (Of Rhythm and Reason with an Introduction by Niran Okewole).

And of course, Saraba Mag is fast becoming the budding writer's hub. You can consider submitting your pieces to them next year. They have their themes and deadlines all spelt out. The first issue would be in March and would focus on The Niger Delta (which we are so looking forward to!). The issue hopes to explore the crossroads between the arts and this much talked about place. Entries for unsolicited fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, creative essays, new journalism, reviews and interviews would close on January 31, 2010. Feel free to visit the website for more information on this.

Merry Christmas

We'll keep it short today!

Christmas for us at The Bookahlolic Blog is about sharing love which we believe is the reason for the season. God's ultimate expression of His love was sending Jesus to redeem us from sin.

So whether or not you got a new dress or book, we hope that you'll enjoy today by sharing love to everyone you meet. Even during one of the wars, the soldiers put down their guns and enjoyed a game of footie.

Want something bookish today? The story of the birth of Jesus recorded in the Bible.

Merry Christmas!

Books and Christmas

We recently came across an interview with several authors talking about the books and Christmas in O magazine. Here is our take.

Dad-an inspirational or self help book.

Mum-a little compact book on life and love.

Sister-Enid Blyton girls classic.

Brother-adventure book or comic strip.

Grandma-books on cooking, quilting, sewing and all manners of crafts.

Grandad-history, geography and science titles.

Friend-a joke book.

We hope this helps make your Christmas shopping a tad easier!

Books and Movies

Every now and again, don't you watch a great film and then find out it was adapted from a book?

You immediately rush out and get a copy of the book to fill in the gaps, answer niggling questions or find out how much is the Hollywood factor. Sometimes it is the other way round, you read the book and then go and see the movie. Many people become polarised on one side of the Books vs Movies debate, other times you are able to appreciate both for what they are. Here are a few books that have been turned into movies, let us know what you think about them and other titles that might tickle your fancy.

The Color Purple


The Notebook


Imitation of Life


Twilight


Romeo and Juliet

What better way to enjoy the festive season with a movie and its accompanying book?

What Matters Now...

We don't know if you've seen it yet. But here's a lovely e-book. There are so many things about it: creativity at its best, collection of the best of short pieces from different people and hey people, it's free. Enjoy some quotes from the book here:

"Art can’t happen without someone who seeks to make a difference. This is your art, it’s what you do. You touch people or projects and change them for the better." Seth Godin

"Until Fear is gone, (and realize he may never completely leave) make the decision to be courageous. The world needs your story in order to be complete.''Anne Jackson

"Dignity is more important than wealth. It’s going to be a long, long time before we can make everyone on earth wealthy, but we can help people find dignity this year (right now if we choose to)"Jacqueline Novogratz

"If not excellence, what?" Tom Peters

"Education has a ripple effect. One drop can initiate a cascade of possibility, each concentric circle gaining in size and traveling further. If you get education right, you get many things right: escape from poverty, better family health, and improved status of women. Educate a girl, and you educate her children and generations to follow" John Wood

"Storytelling is powerful. It helps us understand, make choices and can inspire us."Alisa Miller

Here's the link to What Matters Now.