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I recently moved back to Lagos to start a role as an editorial intern at The Republic. After six relatively calm years in Ibadan, working towards a degree at the University of Ibadan, Oyo state, Lagos was jarring. The noise, the infinity of bodies, the ever-thinning air, and most frustrating of all, the traffic. That infamous Lagos traffic which I had been glad to be rid of in Ibadan! Now, because my job is a nine-to-five that requires me to be at the office in Lagos twice every week, I can no longer escape it. Morning and evening, two days a week, I have to sit in a passenger bus crawling through the gridlocked roads of Lagos—sometimes for hours!
As anyone who has ever commuted in Lagos knows, more than being immensely frustrating, Lagos traffic is also incredibly boring. Most people distract themselves with activities like scrolling through social media or catching up on their favourite Netflix series. For me, neither of these activities is quite intriguing enough to distract from the boredom of Lagos traffic. So far, only reading has helped. As soon as the engine starts and the bus begins to roll forward, I open my book and dive in, and seemingly in no time, I am at my destination.
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books that will help you survive the boredom of Lagos traffic. Whether a short story collection or a science fiction novella, the books on this list have intriguing plot structures that will immerse you into their worlds, transporting you far from the frustrating stop-and-go of Lagos traffic.
Read our recommendations below.

Ghostroots
Author: ’Pemi Aguda
Genre: Horror Fiction
Nigerian horror fiction writer, ’Pemi Aguda, delighted readers this year with the release of her short story collection, Ghostroots. Containing twelve mysterious short stories, this debut is set in a reimagined Lagos where ordinary daily activities, like visiting a market or having a conversation, take a supernatural turn. In each story, Aguda not only tantalizes with her delightful prose but also explores the ties which ordinary people have with their ancestral pasts, and how they struggle to break free. Full of suspense and unexpected turns, the stories in this collection will glue you to the page. Read an excerpt of this book here.

the memory of love
AUTHOR: Aminatta Forna
GENRE: fiction
It is often said that no one remains the same after experiencing war, that the ugly realities of war mark people forever. This is a point that British-Sierra Leonean writer, Aminatta Forna makes poignantly in her 2010 novel, The Memory of Love. Set in Sierra Leone just after the civil war that ended in 2002, the story weaves together the lives of several characters forever marked by the eleven-year war that left 99 per cent of the population with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
We meet Elias Cole, a retired history professor with memories of the early post-colonial years; and Kai, a young orthopaedic surgeon haunted by memories of the war. Both men are acquainted with a British-Sierra Leonean psychologist, Dr. Adrian Lockheart, who is suffering from his own war trauma. As the story unfolds, we learn more about the traumas each man suffers from, from the loss of love to the memory of betrayal, and how the love of one woman links the three men together.

manchester happened
AUTHOR: Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
GENRE: fiction
Ugandan author, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, first stormed the world with her 2014 novel, Kintu, which was released to wide acclaim. Manchester Happened is her follow-up to that highly successful debut. A collection of short stories, Manchester Happened is set in both Manchester, United Kingdom and Kampala, Uganda. It explores the experiences of Ugandan migrants in the United Kingdom and the realities of human relation, stressing the complexities of how human beings treat each other. Empathetical and occasionally funny, this book will pull you in and have you hooked.
Cassava Republic Press is proud to announce the launch of their inaugural $20,000 Global Black Women’s Non-Fiction Manuscript Prize dedicated to exceptional works by Black women. Deadline: 30th June 2024. Learn more here.

How to Read the Air
AUTHOR: Dinaw mengestu
GENRE: fiction
Ethiopian author Dinaw Mengestu’s second novel, How to Read the Air, follows the journey of a second-generation Ethiopian migrant in America, Jonas, as he attempts to make sense of his family’s history in the country.
Jonas’ parents escape war-torn Ethiopia to make a new life in America. 30 years later, after the father, Yosef’s, death, the son, Jonas, is now struggling at life. A listless, benumbed character, his passive attitude to life has cost him his job and a promising marriage. In the event, he embarks on a journey to Ethiopia to retrace his parents’ footsteps back to America, in a bid to understand the experiences that shaped them and, as a result, shaped him.

the shadow king
Author: Maaza Mengiste
Genre: Historical fiction
Ethiopian author, Maaza Mengiste, takes us all the way to 1935 in her widely acclaimed 2019 novel, The Shadow King. Set during the Italo-Ethiopian war, it follows the story of a young woman, Hirut, recently orphaned and working as a maid for a noble family. When war comes calling, she and other women refuse to sit at home caring for the wounded and burying the dead.
Determined to play a more active role in the events of the time, Hirut quickly steps in when the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie goes into exile. As the country begins to lose hope, she devises a plan to disguise a young man as the emperor, serving as his guard. This inspires other women to take up arms. Mengiste explores the nature of heroism, stressing on the often-overlooked contributions of women in conflict.

lagoon
AUTHOR: Nnedi okorafor
GENRE: Science fiction
If you have ever wondered why Hollywood alien movies are never set in Africa, you are not alone. In 2014, Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor did more than wonder; she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. The result is Lagoon, an African futurist novel that imagines an alien invasion of Lagos.
Suddenly one day, a massive alien spacecraft lands in a Lagos lagoon, an event that will change the city forever. Amid the chaos that follows, Adaora, a marine biologist; Anthony, a rapper; and Agu, a soldier, find their lives intertwined. Together, they navigate the shifting landscape of Lagos, encountering new powers and confronting social issues like gender and the impact of colonization.

Welcome to Lagos
AUTHOR: chibundu onuzo
GENRE: fiction
Welcome to Lagos is Nigerian-British author Chibundu Onuzo’s attempt to capture the chaos that is Lagos. It follows the lives of several characters as they transition from one life to another.
After receiving an impossible order, Nigerian soldier, Chike Ameobi, decides that he would rather retire than kill innocent people. He surrenders his badge and heads to Lagos, accompanied by a junior soldier, Yemi, who, motivated by Chike’s bold decision, also decides to quit the army. On their way to Lagos, both men meet several characters similarly escaping old lives. As the story unravels, these characters form a new platoon, headed by Chike. Together, they find themselves pulled into a political scandal in messy, unforgiving Lagos.