Don’t buy books you think you should read. Don’t purchase books you think you should read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the easiest ways to lose interest in reading is choosing books because you think you ought to read them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is okay to purchase a challenging classic if it is deemed to be significant. You can get a serious biography because everyone says it is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then you read the first few chapters and you’re in trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reading becomes a chore. It’s okay to challenge books. But you don’t have to start reading with the hardest book on your shelf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, begin with curiosity. If you are a fashionista, read books on designers, fashion history and fashion photography. If you love to cook, gather cookbooks and culinary memoirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are interested in technology, check out technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your interests can be the basis of your library. If you like what you read, it is easier to complete a book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Give African Books a Bigger Space<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Your personal library should also introduce you to stories from your own continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a long time ago that it was simple to create a bookshelf that was filled with American and British writers. There are many more ways to hear African voices today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New publishers like Masobe Books, Cassava Republic, Quramo Publishing and Narrative Landscape Press are still introducing new voices to readers in Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contemporary African novels, memoirs, essays and poetry are available, as well as international titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can begin with known authors like Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Wole Soyinka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then check out the names you don’t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The perspectives and styles of Ay\u1ecd\u0300b\u00e1mi Ad\u00e9b\u00e1y\u1ecd\u0300, Akwaeke Emezi, Abi Dar\u00e9, Chigozie Obioma and Nnedi Okorafor are different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other writers to explore include Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and Namwali Serpell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
African literature is not limited to one genre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romance, fantasy, historical fiction, literary fiction, thrillers and more are available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s also fun to read stories that are familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You recognise the humour. You know what the references are. The streets, food, family life and daily life might seem more familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At times, that familiarity keeps a story with you longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYour Library Should Have More Than Novels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Some of the most interesting shelves are those that have entirely different topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biographies could be placed next to novels. Art books could be set next to travel guides. You could combine cookbooks with business books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your library can reflect every part of your personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a design enthusiast, then you should look at the architecture and interior design of Africa. If you like traveling, gather travel writing and destination books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If business interests you, investigate entrepreneurship, leadership and personal finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can even have books on topics you know little about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your bookshelf should not only demonstrate what you know, it should also demonstrate what you don’t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It should also demonstrate what you want to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You Do Not Need Hours to Become a Reader<\/h2>\n\n\n\n You might think you need to read for a few hours in a row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You do not. Begin with 10 pages before sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read a chapter during the wait for your flight. Read for 20 minutes at lunch. Have a book handy rather than your phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you spend hours in the Lagos traffic, consider an audiobook. There is also a book club available. Discussions about books can be a fun way to read and discover books you wouldn’t find on your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s not about reading a lot of books. The aim is to make reading a part of your everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let Your Library Grow With You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n The advantages of reading are apparent over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your concentration can improve as you spend more time with longer pieces of writing. You acquire words without effort. You are exposed to new ideas and viewpoints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You also start to learn about experiences beyond your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A book can introduce you to another culture, challenge an opinion or help you understand an emotion you could not previously describe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the best part of creating a personal library is seeing it evolve as you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you enjoy reading at age 25 might not be what you enjoy reading at age 40.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your career may change. Your interests can change. You might want to learn about parenting, history, investing, travel, or other topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some books will be forgotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Others will be old friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is possible to revisit the same novel every few years and find something new each time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A personal library should be more than beautiful shelves. Learn how to choose books you genuinely enjoy and turn reading into a lasting habit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":9176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[145],"tags":[249],"class_list":["post-9174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-lifestyle"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Creating-a-home-library.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9174"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9179,"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9174\/revisions\/9179"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isokovibe.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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