I’m probably mad

Over the weekend I had a great idea and inspired by Tamarin’s (I want a dodo!) Lost Book Club I decided that I would like to try and read all of the BBC Big Read books.

That’s 100 books… having excluded the ones I have already read it’s about 77 for me.

Am I going to do it? Yes. Am I slightly mad? Of course.

So here I go… the books I will have to read to complete the challenge:

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
26. Tess Of The D’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher

51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
75. Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
100. Midnight’s Children, Salman Rushdie 

City of Glass

The first mistake I made was thinking that this was the last book in the series.

Whoops.

Well she could have fooled you all, the whole series build up to the final battle between good and evil in this book.

Some new characters are introduced and we find out how bad Valentine really was.

There’s some fighting and unlike Twilight we are given a few moments of guts and gore.

I choose the view The Mortal Instruments as ending with this book, because honestly it was so nicely finished off that I can’t imagine where the story can go from here.

Maybe someone who has read the fourth book can tell me where it goes but it didn’t seem to have much more life in it.

However I enjoyed the series overall, it was something slightly refreshing from the other YA out there, but it is not an original story however enjoyable it may be.

Joanne Jowell Interview – Finding Sarah

I was extremely lucky to get an interview with Joanne Jowell, author of Finding Sarah, for my blog. I would like to thank everyone at Pan Macmillan and Joanne for their time and effort. Here’s the blurb of Finding Sarah first, and then the interview, enjoy.

Blurb:

Society turns a blind eye to people with eating disorders as they are often considered as merely seeking attention. This is extremely ignorant as it goes way beyond that,’ says Finding Sarah’s troubled but captivating protagonist, 26-year-old Sarah Picton. For more than nine years, Sarah has been purging her food in any place she can find: public toilets, plastic bags, coffee mugs. When she couldn’t satisfy her bulimic addiction, she restricted her diet to the point that she weighed only 41 kilograms, a weight better suited to a girl less than half her age. She has lost teeth and her gag reflex. She has lost her energy and her friends. She has come close to losing her life. But then she decided to do something about it. Sarah reveals her story in brutally honest detail to author Joanne Jowell, setting herself on a path of enlightenment for herself, her family and anyone who might hear her story. No holds are barred as Sarah describes the selfishness of the illness, the shame surrounding her condition, and the deceptive ends to which she will go to hide her addiction. Along the way, Joanne meets the players in this story, including Sarah’s mother, friends, ex-boyfriend and psychiatrist. And, of course, there is Sarah herself – cowed but not beaten, searching for herself even as the author does, sharing her life story so that she can reach out to the countless others who suffer in the shadow of addiction.

1. Joanne, your book Finding Sarah is about Sarah Picton, a young woman, having suffered from many different types of eating disorders. What made you decide that this was a story you wanted to help her tell?
   Sarah’s story was interesting to me both on a personal and professional level. Personally, like many women, I went through my own phase of extreme eating when I was in my late teens, and I was interested in exploring the food issues that so many people face in so many guises. Professionally, Sarah’s story was the ideal crossover of my two great passions: writing and psychology. I am fascinated by human beings and their issues; writing about these issues is a great way of gaining an intimate understanding of them, and it puts me in touch with fascinating characters. Writing biography, although immensely challenging and sometimes quite difficult when the subject is tough, is my ideal creative outlet.
2. This book touches on a subject that is definitely taboo, how did you feel writing this book? Especially having suffered from an eating disorder yourself.
   Although I did flirt with an eating disorder in that I lost a severe amount of weight and picked up some strange eating habits for a short period, I wouldn’t say that I technically suffered from a fully-fledged eating disorder. I managed to pull myself back from that dangerous brink – a fact which I write about in the introduction to Finding Sarah as I am fascinated by the fact that some people do go over that edge while others are able to resist.
   The subject of eating disorders is undoubtedly taboo. Bulimia in particular is a secretive illness which is all about deception and lies. I feel strongly that this subject is crying out for exposure. The shame and mystery surrounding eating disorders is part of what makes them such an insidious danger. We need to be talking about them, confronting them, dealing with them, rather than brushing them under the carpet and ignoring their growing hold on our already-overloaded younger generations.
3. While writing this book, how did you think your audience would accept it?
   I hoped that they would accept it with empathy and sensitivity. My concern is that the taboo which surrounds eating disorders closes people’s minds to the reality of what it is like to live with one, so I hoped that readers would approach Finding Sarah with an open mind, embracing its relevance in our modern world.
4. Have you had any feedback from your readers or the public, and if so what has the reception been of Finding Sarah?
   Readers have found the book to fascinating and insightful. Finding Sarah deals with a difficult subject, which isn’t necessarily light reading, but the format of the book and the various perspectives presented in the words of the characters themselves (e.g. Sarah, her mother, her brother, her friends, her romantic interests, her psychiatrist) make this a very readable story, even if a reader does not suffer from an eating disorder themselves. It is a useful format for grappling with a difficult issue, and readers have responded with great respect and support for Sarah’s bravery in telling her story.
   I have also found it interesting (and a bit frustrating) when people express reluctance to read the book for fear of confronting the challenging issues it deals with. Particularly for those who are personally affected by eating disorders, picking up a copy of Finding Sarah might be hard to do: almost like an admission to oneself of one’s own problems. To them I say: this book was written for you! Read it, find yourself or your friend/daughter/sister in it, and avail yourself of the practical and emotional resources it provides. This book tells the truth. We can all stand to read a bit of that.
5. Women who suffer from eating disorders are looked down upon in many societies as ‘looking for attention’. Do you think Finding Sarah will create a greater understanding of these disorders?
   I sincerely hope so. That was part of Sarah’s motivation for telling her story: to enlighten people and broaden their understanding of what it really means to live with an eating disorder. She tells her story, warts and all, in an incredibly engaging manner. Not only do we hear from Sarah, but we hear the perspectives of the various characters in her life who also live with an eating disorder by living with Sarah! This rounded picture gives anyone access to Sarah’s story – not only those who can identify with Sarah herself – and therefore, hopefully, sheds light on the mystery surrounding eating disorders.
6. I went to an all girls’ high school, and eating disorders were not really discussed but rather swept under the table. How bad are eating disorders in young adults? And are we doing enough to promote healthy lifestyles, especially in schools?
   As a broad statistic, we know that anorexia affects about 10% of the population, and bulimia affects about 30%!!! Of those sufferers, 3% of girls in high school are anorexic, but a whopping 80% of girls will diet at some point in adolescence. Eating disorders are on the rise, particularly in South Africa where changing cultural norms means that people previously unaffected by eating disorders are now starting to present with severe eating problems, especially bulimia. From my own bit of research amongst schools, there is a definite lack of eating disorder education. Yes, more is being done to promote healthy lifestyles, with some nutrition education and Life Skills/Orientation, but school counsellors do feel that it is not enough to halt the rampant spread of eating disorders. Effective prevention programmes are not yet in place, and this is something I am hoping Finding Sarah, and even Sarah Picton herself, can help motivate.
7. To end off, it seems that because this is such a taboo topic that people tend to ignore sufferers of eating disorders until it is too late. What can the public do to recognise eating disorders, and how do you tackle this issue with someone you care about?
   First and foremost, we need to communicate! We can’t shy away from the issue of eating disorders, as distasteful or embarrassing or difficult as they may be. Let’s take a leaf out of Sarah’s book (excuse the pun): she chose to open herself up and confront her problem head-on, rather than doing what she has done all her life which is to avoid difficult issues and channel them in a dysfunctional way.
   As teachers, parents, interested members of the public, we need to open our eyes to the subject, and have those conversations which may be difficult or uneasy. The more we talk, the less the taboo.
   We also need to educate ourselves: information is always our greatest asset. Read Finding Sarah and the many books that are out there, talk to the professionals, talk to the sufferers, learn learn learn.

   If someone you care about is battling with an eating disorder, open up to them and let them do the same with you. Treat them gently, yet firmly.  Inform yourself of what they are dealing with, and use the many resources available to advise you on how to help. Finding Sarah has a comprehensive list of eating disorder resources: rehabilitation programmes, support groups, online sources, recommended reading, input from healthcare professionals… If you are committed to your loved one, then you will commit to the effort it will take to help them. But understand that recovery is often long process. There is no quick fix, and the best support you can give your loved one is the patience to see them through the long haul.

Looking Forward – Pan Macmillan 2012

Today I went to the Pan Macmillan Adult Presentation having no idea what to expect, and not really sure if I’d even be able to find my way there, but after traversing the Gautrain and a bus I made it to their offices unscathed and in quite a pleasant mood.

The presentation consisted of two parts, their South African books and their international list so without further ado I present some of the titles you can look forward to from Pan Macmillan in 2012:

South African Non-fiction

Two of the series stood out for me here:

Reverend Frank Chikane’s new book Seven Days in September (March 2012) will give the reader a front row seat to removal of Thabo Mbeki as South African president; it will shed light on what happened during those seven days in September 2008, the build-up to it and Mbeki’s legacy.

Chikane has been signed on for three titles with Pan and the book following Seven Days in September will be Things I Could Not Say to be released in September 2012. His other book No Life of My Own will be rereleased to coincide with Seven Days in September.

The other series I am really looking forward to is The Youngsters Series which will consist of a number of smaller, shorter format books focusing of topical issues for young people in South Africa, all the authors are under 35. The series’ editor is Mandy Weiner who wrote the runaway success Killing Kebble. Pan hopes to attract the youth market with these titles, and I think it looks like a fantastic series. Three titles from the series are set to be released in June 2012.

South African Fiction

Three titles from their RSA fiction presentation stood out for me, namely Entanglement, Sarah House and Redemption Song.

Entanglement (March 2012) by Steven Boykey Sidley is set in the USA, and looks at very sweeping themes in a dark, humourous way. I don’t have that many details but by the presentation I can tell the publishers are passionate about this one and I really look forward to it.

Sarah House (March 2012) is a title found in the ‘slush pile’ which looks to be as though it will be the literary highlight for South African fiction next year. It is written by Ifeanyi Ajaegbo, who is a man who works at an NGO in Nigeria helping victims of human trafficking and providing them with safe houses. The novel tells the story of Nita, ‘a young woman who is kidnapped and sold into a terrifying world of prostitution and human trafficking’. I think this is going to be an emotional but important read, especially considering what a huge problem human trafficking is in the world.

And finally for the South African list we have Redemption Song by Amanda Coetzee which follows Badger, from her first book Bad Blood, to Albania and explores traveller communities even further. This book can be read as a standalone, but it will surely win some new fans for Coetzee.

International Fiction

The Trylle Trilogy is coming to a bookstore near you, Amanda Hocking self-published and self-made millionaire has joined St. Martin’s Press and her Trylle Trilogy is set for release in 2012. And I can tell you the covers look absolutely beautiful, no more depressing black and red, or black and blue covers, these full colour covers come to life and I’m sure will bring a whole new following to Hocking’s story. I have already read Switched, but I am really looking forward to the edited, beautiful version. Also I look forward to her untitled Watersong series coming in September 2012.

Easy Money by Jens Lapidus is the other title coming in 2012, he is said to be the next big Scandinavian -English translation hit and US film rights have already been purchased. The first in a trilogy, this book takes the usual Scandinavian crime and throws it over and has sold more than 1 million copies in Sweden alone. Pan Macmillan gave me a proof copy to read, so I will post my review in the near future.

Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer (Book II in the Clifton Chronicles) is set for release in March 2012, the bigger new than this is that Mr. Archer MIGHT be coming on a South African tour to coincide with the release of this title.

Picador will be celebrating their 40^th birthday and are rejacketing some of their titles. I can tell you they look absolutely stunning and I can’t wait to get by book-nerd hands on them.

The Last Rhino by Lawrence Anthony, author of Elephant Whisperer, is releasing this new title in April 2012 which judging by Elephant Whisperer’s success will follow in its footsteps.

Tigers in Red Weather was described as ‘cocktails, jazz, and suppressed violence’. The book is something for fans of books like The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Carol Shaben’s Into the Abyss (August 2012) sounded like a bad joke when presented to us, a criminal hand-cuffed to a policeman, a politician and a pilot survive a plane crash. It’s a true-life adventure written by the politician’s daughter and I am really looking forward to it.

And lastly Peter F. Hamilton’s A Great North Road (October 2012) is being published and Pan have also signed him up for another three titles.

There were many more titles to look forward to but unfortunately you’d be reading forever if I wrote about them all.

The Bibliophile’s Other Addiction

Some time last week I found myself discussing bookmarks on twitter, and thus I discovered I’m not the only one with an obsession.  Thus I compiled a whole bunch of bookmarks from all over the world from actual readers and I’m going to post them here.

And here they are:

This bookmark belongs to Joey HiFi – designer of the award-winning cover for Zoo City. The bookmark was acquired at a Jonathan Barnbrook (type designer) exhibition in 2007, needless to say he takes good care of it as it has massive sentimental value.

Jennie Ivins is a mom, author, blogger and staff member at Fantasy Faction. She lives in New Jersey where she tweets pure awesomeness (@Autumn2May). She got her bookmark of etsy, and as you can see it’s pretty cool.

Pornokitsch also sent me a picture of his, they run a great fantasy and sci-fi blog.

Tamarin, a friend from varsity uses this “emo” magnetic bookmark. ‘Tis quite nice.

Marius, my partner is crime and fellow publisher uses tarot cards for bookmarks, the magician being his favourite.

K.J. Mulder fellow blogger is a fan of The Book Depository. As you may tell.

Lauren Smith, also a book blogger, uses these wonderful bookmarks. From the left is a fabric one, moleskin and her boyfriend’s.

And these are her’s from Book Mooch:

The penultimate bookmarks belong to Kelly, also a book blogger and publisher. The first one is an engraved bookmark with 50 books to read before you die. Second one shows two international bookmarks namely Australian and Egyptian. And lastly a Harry Potter bookmark.

 

 

And finally my bookmarks. From left: A penguin bookmark made of wood I got for my birthday a couple of years ago. A bejeweled bookmark that hooks onto your book (my favourite). A magnetic bookmark from the Kruger National Park with a leopard cub on it. The Immortals bookmark I got for the first books I reviewed for Pan Macmillan. A bookmark I got when I finished my degree last year, it says ‘I studied BIS Publishing and all I got was this lousy bookmark.’ The last one is a calendar of book-themed bookmarks which I intend on having framed.

Plagiarism, young grasshopper.

So recently there has been a much discussion about the fact that HarperCollins designed a cover very similar to a self-published author’s without permission to use her artwork. Now I know that book covers sometimes end up looking quite similar, just think of the trend started by the Twilight Saga designs, but this to me is just too close to call a “trend” and although other books in the genre have the same sort of designs, should HarperCollins change their design? I think so! They should also apologise to L.K. Rigel for infringement of her and her designers copyright. I would expect more from a big publisher. But on the other hand it has given L.K. Rigel a lot of publicity, but still it’s not right. And what does Alex Flinn think of this mess?

L.K. Rigel’s design, it’s really pretty!

And HarperCollins design:

 

Water for Elephants

Upon hearing the movie was to be released I decided I was going to read the book before I watched the movie. Also at the time the book was only $5 on kindle, so it wasn’t going to break the piggy-bank. Water for Elephants isn’t the sort of book I usually read, romance, history, circus… well it just seemed like a good combination. Plus I have always been fascinated by The Great Depression which is when this book takes place.

Before I continue with my review here is the blurb:

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

So Water for Elephants for me is about a boy becoming a man and learning to love. Having lost his parents and being thrown into an unknown world entirely by coincidence it is either do or die for Jacob Jankowski. But the book is not only about the young Jacob but alternates with the boring, sterile and confined world of the retirement home Jacob lives in while he narrates the story of his youth. You feel sorry for the old Jacob in that the excitement of his youth has come to this. His life is dictated by nurses, he has to deal with other older people in the retirement home and he longs for food that actually tastes like food. Gruen ties together the present and past with this beautiful story about the adventures of the young Jacob and the longing for excitement by the older, retired Jacob. The characters are well constructed with the antagonist being well-rounded and the reader can understand that the man is not purely evil but it is something that goes far deeper. Marlena is what I imagine an unhappy wife in the 1920s to be like, the modern day woman might shout out, ‘leave him’ but where was she to go? Her husband and the circus were everything; she is a much stronger character than I think a lot of people give her credit for. And her growth can be seen as reflected by the star of the book, Rosie the elephant. The other characters are also enjoyable and well-rounded and add their parts to the story.

This book feels like a last will and testament of Jacob Jankowski, having lost his wife and his children are also old and have their own families to worry about he is again alone in the world. His message is clear, ‘life is the greatest show on earth’ and therefore shouldn’t be lived worrying about the daily problems but rather focussing on the bigger things in life and fighting for your beliefs.

P.S. I also recommend the movie starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz (who gives an amazing performance), beautifully filmed it is definitely worth watching.

Waiting on Wednesday

I see a lot of my fellow book bloggers are doing a “Waiting on Wednesday” post today, in which they share books they are waiting to be released, thus I will share mine.

I am REALLY looking forward to Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. I have been a fan on the Dexter series and books since 2008, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better. I’m completely obsessed with Dexter Morgan serial killer/father/blood splatter analyst.

So with both season 6 of the popular TV series and the book coming out in October, it looks good to me.

Here is the cover and the blurb.

Dexter Morgan is not your average serial killer. He enjoys his day job as a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department . . . but he lives for his nighttime hobby of hunting other killers. Dexter is therefore not pleased to discover that someone is shadowing him, observing him, and copying his methods. Dexter is not one to tolerate displeasure . . . in fact, he has a knack for extricating himself from trouble in his own pleasurable way. Like the previous five best-selling novels in the Dexter series, Double Dexter showcases the witty, macabre originality that has propelled Jeff Lindsay to international success. Double Dexter is raucously entertaining, full of smart suspense and dark laughs.

And the awesome trailer for season 6:

Killing Kebble (Guest Review by Johann Pollard)

Guest Review by Johann Pollard

The shortened blurb:  In September 2005 one of South Africa’s most prominent mining magnates and businessmen Brett Kebble was killed on a quiet suburban street in Johannesburg. The top-level investigation into the case that followed was a tipping point for democratic South Africa, exposing the corrupt relationship between the country’s Chief of Police and Interpol President Jackie Selebi and suave Mafioso Glenn Agliotti. A lawless Johannesburg underbelly was revealed – dominated by drug lords, steroid-filled bouncers, an international smuggling syndicate, a shady security unit moonlighting for the police and sinister self-serving sleuths abusing state agencies.

This book is a true story, or at least based on the truth as lived by or agreed to by the killers of Brett Kebble.

Let’s get the basics out of the way. This is a book about bad guys. Kebble, Agliotti, Mikey, Nigel, Fazel, Selebi. All of them are Bad Guys. Hell, some of the police and Scorpions in the book come off as less than clean. Drugs, murder, embezzlement, assault, bribery, corruption, and incompetence. It’s all there in their gloriously gory details.

Most of what happens in here sounds like it is a plot for a movie. Millions stolen by the CEO of a few respected companies, huge drug busts a shoot-out or two, deals with the Police, infighting at the authorities. Planting and missing evidence, drive by assassinations. It is insane. It sounds like the screenplay of Bad Boys 3.

The story itself is surprisingly thorough, at least the back story of the shooters. Starting at the old rave clubs in the nineties up to the end of the trial. It’s a nice touch, since it adds some humanity to some unlikeable characters.

The story takes some time to absorb. It takes a bit of concentration. I won’t recommend this as easy Sunday afternoon reading. You have to remember who’s who, otherwise details will be missed.

Mandy Wiener as a first time writer did quite well. Each of the characters in the book has their own unique voice, their own presence in the book. She does not come to too many conclusions on her own accord; she allows the people tell their story. And the flow in the book works quite well.

I think each and every South African should read this book. Just to open your eyes to what is happening underneath our noses. You’ll be shocked.

Some stories are so stupid and insane to make up. This is one of them. A brilliant book.

Killing Kebble is available at all good book stores as well as on Kindle and other eBook formats. 

The Magnificent Book Sale

One thing I cannot keep myself away from is a book sale. I absolutely love a book sale. The chance to buy more books and ones the bookshop may not always have in stock, especially art books, is just too much temptation for me.

Last night was the preview of the Exclusive Books’ (a book store chain) Winter Sale. Of course being as obsessive as I am I had already arranged to go to the sale with my dearly loved boyfriend who actually can resist a book sale but when I told him Exclusive Books would have a selection of graphic novels on sale he was very willing to accompany me. I was quite surprised as to how busy it was, but there was enough room for everyone to waddle about and a fantastic selection of books. Some of the coffee table and reference books I would have loved were Oscar Wilde’s Letters and a beautiful illustrated edition of Sherlock Holmes’ stories. Alas my bank account could not agree with those prices even though they were marked down already. However we did find a book of World War II posters which is fantastic and the Discworld Graphic Novels.

So what does my book-haul look like? I managed to get five books for under R400 ($57). Hoorah! These are the books I got and you can look forward to reviews f them in the future:

Shadows – Amy Meredith

Gods Behaving Badly – Marie Phillips

The Widows of Eastwick – John Updike (I’ve been wanting this since it came out! Much excitement!)

The Beatrice Letters – Lemony Snicket (This joins my collection of A Series of Unfortunate Events, which I am obsessive over).

And lastly, I bought my mom Cry Wolf by Tami Hoag, I hope to read one of her books sometime in the future as I have heard her books are very good.

So if you have an Exclusive Books nearby to you remember to go on down and scrounge around for some of their amazing deals, there is not a genre of book that is not present on the sale’s tables and the sale’s prices are very good.