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"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."

~ Anton Chekhov

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"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

~ Dr. Suess

Archive | Reviews

Puleng Hopper Reviews The Gold Diggers by Sue Nyathi

Thirteen Cents

Star Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5 The Gold Diggers Sue Nyathi Pan Macmillan SA, May 2018 Online Price: R190       The Gold Diggers, published in 2018 by Pan Macmillan is Sue Nyathi’s second work of fiction. Her debut The Polygamist, was self-published in 2012. The narration follows the tumultuous journey, by river and road, of […]

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Nombulelo Moyo Reviews Illumination by Nthikeng Mohlele

Illumination

Star Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3/5 Illumination Nthikeng Mohlele Pan Macmillan SA, February 2019 Online Price: R277       The best thing about this book is that the author pays homage to both contemporary and old school musicians, particularly in the jazz genre in a manner that immortalises their contribution to the art fraternity. One cannot […]

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Puleng Hopper Reviews Thirteen Cents by K. Sello Duiker

Thirteen Cents

Star Rating: ★★★★☆ 4/5 Thirteen Cents K. Sello Duiker Kwela Books, July 2013 Online Price: R236       In the novel Thirteen Cents Duiker paints a vivid and heart wrenching picture of how, in post-apartheid South Africa, overt and covert marginalization still prevail. Racism, tribalism, exploitation, classism, corruption, crime, violence, violation, starvation, and displacement, […]

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Nomonde Ndwalaza Reviews Rumours by Mongane Wally Serote

Rumours

Star Rating: ★★★★☆ 4/5 Rumours Mongane Wally Serote Jacana Media, April 2013 Online Price: R226       Mongane Wally Serote’s Rumours explores a man’s journey to dig deep into himself in an effort to discover what it is that he already knows, but had somehow forgotten along the way. Serote uses South Africa’s post-apartheid […]

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Puleng Hopper Reviews This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga

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Star Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5 This Mournable Body Tsitsi Dangarembga Jacana Media, November 2018 Online Price: R246       This Mournable Body is the last of a trilogy that began with Nervous Conditions and was followed by The Book of Not. The reader should be privy to the contents of the first two books, especially […]

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Nancy Richards Reviews Intruders by Mohale Mashigo

Intruders

Star Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5 Intruders Mohale Mashigo Picador Africa, September 2018 Online Price: R166     If I didn’t know any different, I would say that Mohale Mashigo was one very sassy, savvy, sophisticated and stylish writer. Well I’m not wrong, she is indeed all of those things – but she’s also a sufferer. Anxiety […]

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Jennifer Crocker Reviews There Goes English Teacher by Karin Cronje

There Goes English Teacher

Star Rating: ★★★★☆ 4/5 There Goes English Teacher Karin Cronje Modjaji Books, October 2018 Online Price: R289     Karin Cronje makes the decision to go to South Korea to teach English, in what seems like an almost unconsidered manner. We meet her at the beginning of this wonderful memoir, in her son’s bathroom with […]

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Jenny’s Reads: Great Books for the Festive Season

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Finally, we’ve come face to face with whatever 2019 holds for us. It was only yesterday, it seems, that we were saying the same thing at the end of 2017. The one thing that is certain is that this year has been so tumultuous that nothing any of the sages and wannabe sages gave us […]

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Amogelang Mothapo Reviews Small Things by Nthikeng Mohlele

Small Things

Star Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3/5 Small Things Nthikeng Mohlele Jacana Media, May 2018 (new edition) Online Price: R206     Small Things: A novel about despair, love, and the elusive nature of inner happiness. This book starts off by introducing us to the anonymous narrator’s first unrequited love, Desiree. We get to experience the all-consuming love […]

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Jenny’s Reads: the Man Booker Prize plus festive season reads

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It’s come and it’s gone. Of course, I’m referring to the illustrious Booker Prize, often described as the world’s most important literary prize in the English language. It’s changed a great deal in the last few years. A decision was taken to allow the Americans in and nothing’s been the same since. They wiped the […]

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