Book Choice

Book Choice - September 2018

Andrew Marjoribanks, Wordsworth Books, gives us a bagful of the best in fiction and non-fiction. Peter Soal ponders Ramaphosa’s Turn by Ralph Mathekga who wonders whether Ramaphosa can pull South Africa out of our current quatmire. Yes, says Mathekga. Melvyn Minnaar finds happiness in his latest favourite novel Happiness by Aminatta Forma, while Vanessa Levenstein reviews two novels by lauded and applauded South African writers: Craig Higgonson’s The White House and Maya Fowler’s Patagonia – A Fugue. John Hanks, happiest holidaying in the vast spaces of the Karoo, finds a superproduction in Mitch Reardon’s Wild Karoo - A Journey Through History, Change and Revival in an ancient lan. Lesley Beaker, cautious about animal stories for children, praises Gareth Patterson’s beautiful Born to be Free, a true tale of three lion cubs. Cindy Moritz declares The Death of Truth a little gem written by Pulitzer prize-winner Michiko Kakutani, while balletomnane Sheila Chisholm is kept on her tippy-toes by the biography Davi

This happy hour Andrew Marjoribanks. Wordsworth Books, brings us a cosy collection of fine fireside reading, Lesley Beake, an author deeply involved with children’s literature, suggests a comic series by the Kwezi team that will hit the spot with young South African readers, and is stunned by Jess Bosworth Smith’s brave and marvellous The Straw Giant and the Crow. Ardent conservationist John Hanks dives deep into Living Shores by George and Margo Branch, a masterpiece on our marine ecosystem, he declares. Vanessa Levenstein chatted to British historical novelist Kate Furnival about her latest, her ninth, steamy romance The Betrayal: twin sisters in Paris 1938 on the cusp of war. Peter Soal suggests that Who Will Rule in 2019 by Jan-Jan Joubert is required reading for all who want to understand coalition politics. Mike Fitzjames, so cruelly in this cold weather, puts ice in our veins with three chilling thrillers, while I wiled away winter with a quartet of non-fiction crime books, not all of them new – Jonny

This cheerful hour Andrew Marjoribanks cheers us with great choices in Wordsworth Books fiction and non-fiction. And, for the first time, we review an app as John Hanks is cheerfully aflutter about Steve Woodhall’s Butterflies of South Africa. This beautiful and engaging app is also one of our Giveaways today. Vanessa Levenstein is cheered by her chat with Mick Herron about his dark, politically incorrect, poetic and hysterically funny, London Rules, the latest spy thriller in the Slough House series. Legal eagle, police reservist and writer Andrew Brown found William Boyd’s The Dreams of Bethan Mellmouth searingly clever – and humorous. Phillippa Cheifitz raises a cheer for Any Time Ile de Pain’s celebrity cook Liesi Mulder’s new cookbook from that famed café emporium in Knysna. Mike Fitjames, mean as ever, unsettles your nerves with three new thrillers, and Philip Todres takes on art mover and shaker Natalie Knight’s biography – The Big Picture – an Art-O-Biography. It’s both a personal memoir and an overvi

This happy hour Andrew Marjoribanks, with, as always, a bagful of the best in fiction and non-fiction from Wordsworth Books. Philip Todres talks to Jeremy Maggs, one of ENca’s brightest and best presenters, who says very nice things about FMR and whose book Compelling Conversations with 20 Successful South Africans is indeed compelling. Cindy Moritz holds her breath over AJ Finn’s The Woman in the Window, a psychological thriller for anyone who loved Gone Girl or Girl on the Train. Conservationist John Hanks flightily reviews Featherings – True Stories in Search of Birds edited by twitcher Vernon RL Head while Melvyn Minnaar rekindles his pleasure in Peter Carey in his 14th novel A Long Way from Home. Jay Heale has deserted us for the delights of Napier, author Lesley Beake, involved with reading, writing and children all her life, has stepped in with The Skin We Are In by storyteller Sindiwe Magona. Lesley is also the Director of Children’s Book Network: www.childrensbook.co.za. Peter Soal was most moved by

It’s the first Monday of the month, so it’s BOOK CHOICE on Fine Music Radio 101.3 - I‘m Gorry Bowes Taylor: This happy hour Andrew Marjoribanks, Wordsworth Bools, brings you an inspiring bagful of the best in fiction and non-fiction. John Hanks finds cardinal imperatives and some omissions in James Clarke’s Overkill – The race to save Africa’s wildlife, while Phillippa Cheifitz finds gorgeous food for the gluten-intolerant in Jenny Kay’s The South African Gluten-free Cookbook, and more munhies in Olami, Nirit Saban’s gluten-free cookbook. Melvyn Minnaar finds Dictatorland. The Men Who Stole Africa by Paul Kenyon a fast and his most super engaging read in recent times, while Mike Fitzjames, cruel as ever, hopes to crack our minds with three dead dangerous thrillers. Vanessa Levenstein suggests that while most university students are juggling their part-time jobs and studying, Evan Spiegel had bigger plans, as she reviews How to turn down a billion dollars – The Snapchat story by Billy Gallagher. Finally Paul

This sunny hour: Andrew Marjoribanks, Wordsworth Books, brings a bagful of the best in fiction and non-fiction. Beveley Roos Muller finds 'Head Case' by Ross Armstrong unforgettable, an absolute one-off; smart, cheeky, with the oddest and most original detective character. John Hanks takes a trip down the 'River of Gold – Narratives and exploration of the Great Limpopo' by Peter Norton, Mike Gardiner and Clive Walker much, much more than Kipling’s ‘great, grey, green, greasy Limpopo all set about with fever trees’. Philip Todres talks to Sylvia Brunders who has just published 'Parading Respectability – The cultural and moral aesthetics of the Christmas Bands Movement in the Western Cape'. Vanessa Levenstein loved Clare Robertson’s 'Under Glass', and do bear in mind that Clare is the winner of the 2014 Sunday Times Fiction Prize. And the good news is that Under Glass is one of our prizes today. Melvyn Minnaar talks delightedly to poet Karin Schimke about her inspiring new book 'Navigate' and Cindy Moritz much

This happy hour Andrew Marjoribanks, Wordsworth Books gives a bundle of the best in fiction and non-fiction. Melvyn Minnaar chats to Rehana Rossouw about New Times with her exquisite verve and trademark attention to language. Beverley Roos Muller maintains that (Sir) Salman Rushdie’s new novel The Golden House is one of Rushdie’s greatest works, a marvellous literary accomplishment. Vanessa Levenstein suggests that “Waiting for Godot” is Samuel Beckett’s timeless masterpiece, brought to life in Jo Baker’s A Country Road, a tree . Peter Soal lingered long over Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years by Nelson Mandela and Mandla Langa. Sheila Chisholm is kept on her toes by My Dancing Life: Spanish and Ballet Across Three Continents, Marina Gruit’s frank and funny autobiography. Phillippa Cheifitz slips into the kitchen with Butter & Love Boerekow by Anna Carolina Albert, and Curry – Stories and Recipes from across South Africa by Ishay Govender-Ypma. Mike Fitzjames, cruel as ever, stiffens our spines with

Welcome to BOOK CHOICE on the first Monday of the month and to a bright, bookish New Year! I’m Andrew Marjoribanks, Wordsworth Books with a big bundle of good books on which to spend your book vouchers. Beverley Roos Muller finds Chris Barnard as beautiful and brilliant as she remembers him in Heartbreaker: Christiaan Barnard and the first heart transplant by James Brent Styan. Philip Todres is gobsmacked by Ballenesque, the long-awaited restrospective from one of the world’s most important photographers – Roger Ballon, who, for the first time, reveals his compelling and particular vision. Vanessa Levenstein loved Dear World – A Syrian Girl’s story of War and plea for peace by Bana Alabed. John Hanks holds Sir David Attenboroough in high esteem and thus was pleased to read David Attenborough – Adventures of a young Naturalist. The Zoo Quest Expeditions. Mike Fitzjames, mean as always, shreds our nerves with truly good new crime novels. We chat to Lyndall Gordon about Outsiders – Five Women Writers Who Changed

Andrew Marjoribanks, Wordsworth Books has pleasant present ideas in fiction and non-fiction. Even the politically well-connected Peter Soal is gobsmacked by the strong stuff we thought we knew – but didn’t - in The President’s Keepers by Jacques Pauw. Beverley Roos Muller is thunderstruck by The Third Reef by SJ Naude, while Jay Heale suggests that surely one of his book selections would make the ideal Christmas present, and Cindy Moritz was inflamed by Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ing. Philip Todres chats to Anne Emslie as she leads us on a guided tour through the rooms of the Owl House in Nieu Bethseda and along the paths of the sculpture garden in Anne’s exquisite book: A Journey Through the Owl House. A tour, too, from John Hanks as he travels through The Garden Route guide: The Definitive Guide to the Garden Route. Which was wonderfully proclaimed the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve in June this year by UNESCO. And Melvyn Minnaar takes a trip to ancient Greece for his holiday reading in two boo