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Watership Down – Richard Adams
R170.00This stirring tale of courage and survival against the odds has become one of the best-loved animal adventures of all time. ‘We’ve got to go away before it’s too late.’ Fiver could sense danger. Something terrible was going to happen to the warren – he felt sure of it.
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We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves – Karen Joy Fowler
R185.00It is impossible to do real justice to this Man Booker 2014 shortlisted title, but I will try: Rosemary is the 22-year-old narrator and her story takes place in a series of flashbacks in her life. We learn that she has been devastated by the disappearance of Fern, who she felt was her twin sister, and then her older brother who also vanished. Rosemary prolongs her studies while she considers her direction in life. Her emotional journey is an enthralling combination of psychological thriller, scientific theory and coming-of-age story. It is funny, sad, disturbing and revelatory, and it explores family togetherness, disruption and reconciliation in a quietly intelligent and utterly beguiling way. If there is one book you read this week, month or year: this is it!
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Web – Naomi Meyer
R250.00Sophia se verhaal is elke vrou s’n, so ook haar verhouding met haar man, haar huiswerker, haar vriendin-werkgewer, die boemelaar, en die ma’s by die kleuterskool. As ma van twee jong kinders, met ‘n wankelende huwelik en ‘n werk by ‘n sukkelende klein besigheid, sukkel Sophia om al die balle in die lug te hou.
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Weeping Waters – Karin Brynard
R220.00This is the translation of the very successful Afrikaans book, Plaasmoord, and what a great thriller it is! Detective Albertus Beeselaar, beleaguered by his own demons, has been transferred to a small town in the Kalahari from Jo’burg’s Murder and Robbery Squad. The book opens with the horrific murder of artist Freddie Swarts and her adopted daughter on their farm. There has been a spate of stock thefts and a couple of related murders already and neighbouring farmers are afraid and hostile in increasingly difficult circumstances. This is further fuelled by land-ownership issues. Freddie’s journalist sister arrives to try and understand the reason behind her senseless murder, and Beselaar flails around in a situation where everyone is a suspect. Brynard steadily builds the tension in this intelligent and well-plotted story. I only hope there is going to a translation of Onse Vaders too…
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Weerklink van ’n wanklank – Pieter-Dirk Uys
R280.00Hierdie boek, gelyknamig aan Uys se mees onlangse verhoogstuk, is die beroemde komediant/politieke kommentator se derde memoire. Hierin vertel hy van sy grootwordjare – wat hy as ’n “wanklank” bestempel – en die mense en faktore wat sy karakter help vorm het.