Every year, an overwhelming number of books get released. The reader’s dilemma is that even though we wish we could read them all, we can only realistically get through a fraction of them.
That doesn’t mean we can’t try, though. And in that trying, these are the ones that stood out enough to make this list.
Here is a list of Nigerian books that told the most important stories, equally penned in unforgettable ways.
10. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
The Death of the Author is a book within a book about Zelu, a disabled Nigerian-American writer whose sci-fi novel about robots in post-apocalyptic Nigeria becomes a massive hit. As Zelu navigates stardom, she’s offered experimental robotic exoskeletons that could allow her to walk again, a decision that puts her at odds with her family who view the technology as unnatural.
What I love most is how bold the storytelling is. I wouldn’t have imagined a Nigerian sci-fi novel, but Nnedi Okorafor pulled it off and did it so well. It is one of those books that you can’t put down. If you love stories about stories and don’t mind your brain working overtime, you’ll enjoy it.
Shop Death of the Author on Amazon.
9. Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
After the phenomenon that was My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan came back with this multigenerational saga about the Falodun women and the curse that makes them unlucky in love. When Monife dies, and her cousin, Ebun, gives birth to a daughter who looks exactly like Monife, everyone believes in reincarnation. Is the curse real or is it a self-fulfilling prophecy?
In Cursed Daughters, Braithwaite gives us incredibly complex and layered characters. This complexity shows up in how she explores the curse. At first, it feels like a dark cloud hanging over the Falodun women, but soon you’re wondering if it’s simply generational trauma. Ultimately, the book is a worthy follow-up that proves she’s not a one-hit wonder.
Shop Cursed Daughters on Amazon.
8. Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola
Kiki Banjo hosts a relationship advice podcast, but her own love life is in shambles. Three years after their devastating breakup, she’s forced to face her ex, Malakai at her best friend’s wedding where—surprise!—he’s the best man.
Babalola writes romance stories that tug at your heartstrings. The banter feels natural, and she isn’t afraid to turn up the heat. Fans of her other books will enjoy this new entry.
7. The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
Temi is a struggling romance writer. Wale is her ex who dumped her to go on a reality dating show. Now she’s been hired to ghostwrite his memoir. It’s basically an enemies-to-lovers plot but make it “lovers-to-exes-to-enemies”.
Lizzie knows how to write characters who feel real. The cultural references are not cringe and watching Temi and Wale navigate their mess is entertaining. As someone who is wary of reading books that use internet slang, I appreciated how carefully she handles it.
6. A Forever Kind of Love by Adesuwa Nwokedi
Twenty years after Ogonna broke Nonso’s heart, they reconnect and he falls for her all over again. But just as he’s ready to commit after years of emotional guardedness, history threatens to repeat itself.
Fundamentally, it’s a love story about two stubborn characters. It is no news that Nwokedi writes romance that is very Nigerian but tender. And A Forever Kind of Love does not fall short. Moreover, this is part of her Malomo High Reunion series, so there’s that comforting feel for OG followers of the series.
Shop A Forever Kind of Love on Amazon.
5. Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson
This debut fantasy drops you into the Kingdom of Oru where everyone can harness the power of the sun,except L’ore. When her best friend Alawani faces a deadly trial, she discovers she has forbidden ice and shadow magic instead.
The world-building in this novel is one of the best I have come across in a while. The magic system is even more impressive. Anson’s writing draws you in and doesn’t let you leave. That said, it is a phenomenal debut with twists that will have your jaw on the floor. It establishes Anson as a fantasy writer to watch out for.
Shop First Born of the Sun on Amazon.
4. This Motherless Land by Nikki May
After losing her mother and brother in a tragic accident, nine-year-old Funke is sent from Nigeria to live with her white British relatives in England. Her aunt is racist and awful, but her cousin Liv becomes the colour in her cloudy life. This Mansfield Park retelling spans decades as Funke (now Kate) and Liv navigate love, loss, friendship and the question of where they truly belong.
Nikki May deeply immerses you in the character of Funke. She writes with such emotional depth that’ll leave you crying, laughing, and screaming in anger—sometimes all in the same chapter. It is as if you are living in her head. You also get to view the other characters through her sensibilities.
Shop This Motherless Land on Amazon.
3. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Chiamaka is a travel writer stuck in quarantine reflecting on her failed relationships. Her best friend Zikora is a lawyer dealing with heartbreak and single motherhood. Omelogor is a depressed graduate student. And Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper, faces an unthinkable crisis. Set during COVID-19, this book asks: what does it mean to choose yourself?
When an author of Adichie’s caliber makes a literary comeback, it is almost certain, it will be a hit. After 12 years without a novel, she came back swinging with prose that’s both beautiful and incisive. Dream Count is proof that Chimamanda is still a socially relevant feminist voice. At its core, the novel is less about these four women and their individual lives and more about the broader social world they inhabit and how it affects them.
2. Necessary Fiction by Eloghosa Osunde
This novel-in-stories follows a group of queer Nigerians in Lagos as they build chosen families and survive in a society that refuses to see them. From artists to actors to everyday people just trying to live authentically, Osunde captures the beauty and pain of carving out space for yourself when the world wants you to disappear.
Eloghosa Osunde is a writer’s writer. The prose is stunning and the way she masterfully crafts sentences is different levels of beautiful. The characters are so well-fleshed out, you’ll feel like you know them. It is truly a necessary piece of fiction.
Shop Necessary Fiction on Amazon.
1. Madam Sosostris & the Festival for Broken Hearted by Ben Okri
There are tons of music and literary festivals to attend in real life. In this masterpiece, Ben Okri writes one that I wish existed in Lagos: a festival for the broken-hearted. Twenty years after her first husband left, Viv hosts a festival for the broken-hearted in a magical forest in France. She invites the famous fortune-teller Madame Sosostris (yes, from T.S Eliot’s famous poem, The Waste Land) to help heal everyone’s romantic wounds. But when plans go awry, two couples are forced to confront the masks they wear and the truths they’ve been avoiding.
This book is what happens when a Booker Prize winner decides to write about love. It reads like a modern fable with the magical realism that makes Okri OKRI. He doesn’t hesitate to give a nod to literary giants like T.S Elliot, taking us on a deep dive into the philosophical.
Shop Madam Sosostris & the Festival for Broken Hearted on Amazon.
