Exclusive Books Recommends invites you to read with all your senses, and indulge in the imaginative worlds of famed storytellers, sparkling debuts and new perspectives.
In his first novel since winning the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature, Abdulrazak Gurnah returns with Theft, the coming of age story of three young people in Tanzania. Karim, Fauzia and Badar must navigate the onslaught of change, ambition and what it means to take your fate into your own hands.
Antjie Krog also returns with Blood’s Inner Rhyme, a masterpiece of auto-fiction combining memories, letters and history through tracing her relationship with her mother, writer Dot Serfontein. Also available in Afrikaans, the novel promises a moving reflection on ageing, cultural heritage and mother-daughter relationships.
For anyone looking for the perfect book club read, Emily Henry delivers that in Great Big Beautiful Life. Writers Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson are tasked with competing for the chance to write the memoir of once-famed, now-reclused socialite Margaret Ives. With six months to write a compelling draft each, Alice and Hayden’s own story starts to tangle as they grow closer as they spend more time together.
Push the limit in Unsolicited, a thrilling debut from Andrea Shaw, with twists and turns sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. We meet Fatima Matthews, a quick-witted and sharp-eyed detective juggling a murder case, a plagiarism scandal and the chaos of menopause. Detective Matthews must face her frailties as the threats escalate and the chance to redeem herself starts to slip away.
Their non-fiction selection for May is a combination of topical reads for anyone wary of AI, inspiring stories for much-loved figures and reflective reads for rainy days. Find comfort with Sameer Rawjee in the growing integration of AI in our daily lives in Taking the Anxiety out of AI, a helpful guide outlining the co-existence of human talent and the power of technology.
Oprah’s Book Club pick The Tell by Amy Griffin is a heartfelt memoir exploring memory, trauma and the healing power of time. Prompted by Griffin’s 10-year-old daughter wishing to close the distance between them, Griffin is propelled to confront what she spent her life running from.
Feel inspired by the journey of the greatest Formula One driver of all time in the definitive biography of Lewis Hamilton, Sir Lewis by Michael E Sawyer. From karting on local tracks to becoming a seven-time world champion, this biography examines the legacy of an icon on and off the grid.
Markus Zusak brings a poignant, funny and disarmingly honest memoir of family, love and companionship in Three Wild Dogs and the Truth. Zusak shares the story of his family’s adoption of three wily rescue dogs and the madness, hilarity and inseparable relationships that ensued.
Discover the history of the SA film industry in Hollywood on the Veld by Ted Botha. Secretive millionaire IW Schlesinger had ambitions to rival Hollywood from a film studio in Killarney. This is the never-before-told story of the rise and fall of the strangest, most unique empire ever.
Article provided by Helen Holyoake on behalf of Exclusive Books