Unwrap literary magic this Christmas with a wishlist from beloved authors and bookstagrammers. Discover Slikour: The Life of a Hip Hop Pioneer, Feed My Tribe for the foodies, and the soul-stirring Man's Search for Meaning. Dive into quirky tales like Buried Treasure and explore South African landscapes in Place. Find heartwarming stories in Each Mortal Thing and Happy Place, and indulge in swoon-worthy romance with A Long Time Coming." Experience fresh takes on Greek myths with Girl, Goddess, Queen and embark on a dark fantasy adventure in the Plated Prisoner Series. Finally, get hooked on the gripping world of sports in Carrie Soto is Back. Gift literary joy this holiday season!
Slikour: The Life of a Hip Hop Pioneer
by Siya Metane
“I was in my late twenties when a hip hop group called Skwatta Camp exploded into the music scene. Their album Mkhukhu Funkshen had a massive hit, ‘Umoya’, which I loved then, and continue to cherish till this day. One of the group members was a tall guy named Siya ‘Silkour’ Metane.
I appreciated Siya’s book – Slikour: The Life of a Hip Hop Pioneer – because, amongst other things, it takes us behind the scenes of not only of his life but of the music industry at large. It is – to an extent – easy to make it the first time around; your tenaciousness is tested when you lose everything but still come back against all odds. This is a book of tenacity and the triumph of the human spirit.”
Sihle Khumalo, author of Milk the Beloved Country
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY | Extract: Slikour by Siya Metane
by Mmule Setati
“As a modern man, I am consistently in the kitchen – amongst other things – frying an egg and/or making coffee. My wife, on the other hand, is a proper foodie who has passion not just for cuisine but for hosting friends and family. Mmule Setati’s book, Feed My Tribe, ticks all the delicious boxes. It has an A - Z of recipes that cater to everyone from beginners, like me, to gastronomes and connoisseurs. Mmule makes cooking easy, enjoyable and fun. My biggest take away from Feed My Tribe is: a great home-cooked meal does not have to break the bank.”
Sihle Khumalo, author of Milk the Beloved Country
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY | Recipes: Feed my Tribe by Mmule Setati
by Haruki Murakami
“This was my first Murakami. I was travelling on an island somewhere and found K left behind by another traveller who, like me, has the bad habit of dog-earing pages. This book is a little unsettling, but fascinating and contains one of the best cats in known literature, Mr Kawamura (rivalled perhaps only by Behemoth from that famous Bulgakov novel). The plot is not easy to explain. I will simply say that I read it in two days, cocooned inside a hammock.”
Sven Axelrad, author of Buried Treasure
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY | Extract: Milk the Beloved Country by Sihle Khumalo
by Viktor Frankl
Sven Axelrad, author of Buried Treasure
by Sven Axelrad
“Buried Treasure, a debut novel from a Durban-based accountant who is covered in tattoos and claims to read 65 books a year, is every bit as quirky as one might expect. Most of the characters in it are dead but not buried and cannot find rest until they can retrieve their names, which have got lost owing to the bad eyesight of the gravedigger and cemetery superintendent, old Mateus. Hilarious and oddly moving, this novel makes one want more.”
Michiel Heyns, author of Each Mortal Thing
Place: South African Literary Journeys
by Justin Fox
Michiel Heyns, author of Each Mortal Thing
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY | Extract: Each Mortal Thing by Michiel Heyns
by Karen Dudley
“As I turn the luscious pages of Onwards, I hear Karen Dudley’s voice cajoling me off the couch. Go and make something gorgeous with deeply roasted sesame seeds! It’s impossible to read her latest offering without salivating. Onwards is crammed with tenderly constructed recipes, and tells her story from COVID devastation to joy and purpose. Who but Karen would instruct the reader: ‘Immediately use your squasher sheet to press down on the poor, unsuspecting baby potatoes’?”
Jane van der Riet, author of How to Hide Inside a Three
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY | Recipes: Onwards by Karen Dudley
by Michiel Heyns
Jane van der Riet, author of How to Hide Inside a Three
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY | Extract: How to Hide Inside a Three by Jane van der Riet
by Emily Henry
“While Emily Henry already has four books under her name, I only picked them up this year! And now I’m in love with the way she writes about love. Her characters are witty and just so charming. Book Lovers takes the number one spot for me, with Happy Place following behind.”
Zahra Moosa, @flowergirlbooks
“I don’t think words do much justice to this emotion-evoking read. This is one of my top books of 2023 and an easy five-star read. This book is passion, heartbreak, friendship, second chances, pain and love. It is not your typical fluffy rom com, which makes it that much more relatable. Happy Place is a story that’s filled to the brim with the kind of love you can only dream of, but with the dose of reality that life can be hard, and love takes work. I was emotionally invested from the get-go, not only with the love story, but the story of friendship, growing up and growing apart. The banter was perfect, the heartbreak was real, and the love was great. This is the kind of story that will have you staring into space after you turn the last page, taking it all in, really being present with a story. I am so happy that I got to go on this journey.”
Claire Nolan, @betweenthecovers_cj
“If you love second chance romance, fake dating and found family then this book is for you! Emily Henry has a beautiful way with words that will have you experiencing every emotion that the characters are going through. Happy Place is so much more than just a romance; it focuses on friendship, and family and how the decisions we make can impact our lives and the people around us.”
Monique Nagel, @abooklovingleo
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY | Extract: Happy Place by Emily Henry
by Meghan Quinn
“Honestly, Meghan Quinn has fast become an auto-buy author for me. If you are looking for some swoon-worthy romance, you need to buy her books. A Long Time Coming, which is book three in the Cane Brothers series, is one of my all-time favourite books by her. Breaker Cane is a top tier book boyfriend and the friends-to-lovers trope in this book will have you smiling non-stop. Honestly, this trope, when done this well, is just supreme!”
Sascha Rosa, @wickedly.bookish
“This is the third book in a series that follows three brothers – each book focusing on a different brother. A Long Time Coming contained one of my favourite romance tropes – friends-to-lovers – which made it an immediate hit with me. The characters are hilarious and this had me, a generally neutral person, kicking my feet and blushing at the more steamy scenes. This book and its two predecessors would make a swoon-worthy gift to the hopeless romantic in your life.”
Lizbe Coetzee, @liztheliterary
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Lizbe Coetzee, @liztheliterary
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY | Extract: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
by Bea Fitzgerald
“I loved everything about this book. It’s a unique and fresh take on the Greek myths of Hades and Persephone. The author does a great job at evoking emotion from the reader and finding comfort and strength from the book’s characters. From worldbuilding to character development, it's brilliant. It would make a great gift for lovers of Greek Mythology especially, but is also a great introduction to readers who are new to the genre. Girl, Goddess, Queen is officially my favourite Hades and Persephone retelling and my top read of the year.”
Rozanne van Zyl, @rozanne_visagie
Monique Nagel, @abooklovingleo
by Raven Kennedy
Candice Spammer, @paperbacksandpurrs
by Richelle Mead
Lizbe Coetzee, @liztheliterary
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