In this weekly reading vlog, I’m taking you through a very real, very hectic start to the week—new workstation setup, better lighting (because the sun behind me was not doing me any favors), and my reading plans that I’m actually sticking to. The main focus is Stay With Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ (my book club read), and I’m listening to it on YouTube while I work because I needed to finish in time for our discussion. I also share my excitement about continuing Chloe Gong’s series (I rated the previous book around a 4.25) because those plot twists had me like… what? I also get into what’s been hitting me hardest in Stay With Me: the pressure on women to have children “as soon as possible,” the way blame automatically lands on the wife, and how nobody seems interested in checking the husband. The story’s polygamy dynamics, family pressure, and the toll on the main character’s mental and physical health are honestly upsetting—because it’s the kind of situation we’ve heard about so many times in our cultures. And because my vlogs are never just books, I’m also running errands (Dis-Chem + Woolies), showing you what I picked up, and cooking chicken biryani (my favorite method from a South African chef’s video) with some green veg—Brussels sprouts in the air fryer, brown rice on the stove, and me trying to do it all while work is work-ing.