The four shortlisted Summer Reads this year all had highly original writing styles and structures, making each one of them a treat to read despite some serious themes, such as racism, trauma, and death. After an in-depth discussion on each of them, “The Promise” was voted Best Summer Read by a majority of readers. “The Promise” by Damon Galgut (South Africa) was chosen as Best … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2022 – The Promise
“The Woman Next Door” by Yewande Omotoso (South Africa) Review “The Woman Next Door” by Yewande Omotoso (South Africa) is set in modern-day Cape Town and is about the strained relationship between two elderly neighbours, one black and one white. Readers found this an easy story to get into, and to some extent it was a light relief compared to the other three. They liked … Continue reading The Woman Next Door
“Disgrace” by J.M. Coetzee (South Africa) Book Club Favourite of Season 12 Review Although readers found the protagonist highly unappealing and they had difficulty engaging with Lucy and some of the other secondary characters, they enjoyed the book very much, describing it as extremely well written and rich. They felt it was a story with many layers needing a number of readings to fully appreciate … Continue reading Disgrace
“Tsotsi” by Athol Fugard (South Africa) One of Nicola’s 100 Best Books for Inspiration in the 21st century! Book Club Favourite of Season 4 Synopsis and Review “Tsotsi”: a compelling story of redemption Tsotsi is an angry young gang leader in the South African township of Sophiatown. A man without a past, he exists only to kill and steal. But one night, in a moonlit … Continue reading Tsotsi
Members of the Summer Reading Group enjoyed the selection of books this year, though most did not manage to read all five (on average they read four)! They voted “The Harmony Silk Factory” by Tash Aw the Best Summer Read 2006. The story has three parts with three different narrators and members enjoyed the suspense the author manages to build up in the first two … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2006 – The Harmony Silk Factory
“I Write What I Like” by Steve Biko (South Africa) One of Nicola’s 100 Best Books for Inspiration in the 21st century! Synopsis On 12th September 1977, Steve Biko was murdered in his prison cell. He was only 31, but his vision and charisma – captured in this collection of his work – had already transformed the agenda of South African politics. This book covers … Continue reading I Write What I Like
Nicola's Book Club 