Welcome to My Life in Books, a weekly series where readers, authors and content creators tell how books have shaped them over the years.
Bill Muganda is a Kenyan from Nairobi who romanticizes his everyday life by disappearing into one or two books, taking photos for a living and living with two cats. You can follow him on Instagram here.
What is your first memory of reading?
I was in elementary school when my classmate brought a huge picture book of the Lion King, and I was fascinated by it. Everyone wanted to have it up to a waiting list. I vaguely remember hiding it under my desk when it was my turn to read it during a math class; I’ve been searching for that special feeling ever since.
Do you have a favorite book from your childhood?
I had this damaged copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and finished it by rereading it.
Do you have a favorite book from school?
Our program did not include any exciting books or classics that I would call my favorites, but I enjoyed the Entre de Ngugi wa Thiong ‘o river
How often do you read?
I would say every day, and it has changed over time. I am glad that it is part of my routine and keeps me healthy.
What are you reading right now?
I dived in and out of the notes of a local son of James Baldwin. Also Perplexity by Richard Powers and Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Is there a book you’ve always wanted to read but haven’t read yet?
Virginia Woolf’s Waves, I’m in the process of going through some of her fictions right now.
Is there a book that you would recommend to almost everyone?
Mr. Loverman by Bernadine Evaristo
Which book doesn’t live up to its hype?
Sally Rodney’s Beautiful World where are You was easy to cross, but unforgettable
Do you have a favorite character from literature?
Mrs. Ramsey At The Lighthouse.
Is there a book you read often?
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
Do you have a favorite author?
Currently Virginia Woolf, but that could change from day to day.
Do you have a favorite classic?
I was addicted to Hugo’s Wretches last year and I still can’t believe how entertaining it was.
