books

I don’t know how it happened but we have not visited the library for a long long time, certainly not this year.  I guess homework is largely to blame, Fjord has a ridiculous amount of homework in Gr 1 and the afternoons fly by.  He has been nagging me to return to the library, yesterday we rushed to get homework ... Read More »

I will aways choose quality over quantity and the recipe book ‘500 Cupcakes’ is a perfect example.  I would rather have 5 excellent cupcake recipes than 500 which are below par.  Most of the recipes are very variations of the same.  This would be acceptable if the recipes were great, but judging from the 2 which I have tried I ... Read More »

What pisses me off about James Joyce’s Ulysses is that it makes me feel dumbassthick.  For 13 years it has stuck its tongue out at me from the ‘Top 100 books of the century’ list.  Having now thrice tried to pagewade Ulysses I wave a white flag, roll over in defeat.  This time committed to reach pg 50, at times ... Read More »

  Two weeks ago my children’s picture book ‘Snuffles and the Cloud People‘ was released on the Amazon platform.  I was relieved that the culmination of years of work had finally made it to this point.  I was excited to send this infant child of mine out into the world.  If one swallow doesn’t make a summer, 5 sales certainly ... Read More »

I’m very excited to share that after years of work, countless edits and tons of enthusiasm my Children’s picture book ‘Snuffles and the Cloud People’ is at last available for sale in digital format on Amazon.   I would never have dreamed that under 1000 words could be reworked so many times.  My Mum who is an award winning artist and ... Read More »

Over the past year I have read many books by South African authors.  It helps belonging to a book club.  All of these books have make me feel very proudly South African.  Deon Meyer is brilliant.  Redi Tlhabi’s book ‘Endings and Beginnings‘ was one of the most moving books I’ve read.  Yesterday I finished reading ‘The Shining Girls’ by Lauren ... Read More »

I listen to Redi Tlhabi almost every day on radio 702, when her book ‘Endings and Beginnings’ came out I bought it for our book club.  At first I left it for others to read then brought it home a week ago.  I stalled starting it for a few days, although I enjoy autobiographical works they can be a bit ... Read More »

“There is a need for media and education campaigns to educate citizens about the benefits of patriotism, because the love for one’s country is crucial in national development.” I heard about the book “Why Africa Fails” when Jenny Crwys Williams interviewed the author Elly Twineyo-Kamugisha on her book show.  Normally I do not read non-fiction but I was interested in ... Read More »

I rather like to take a creative prompt when exploring a new place, it gives a different perspective.  In New York I spent a day walking to find Clinton Street to get a feel of the place mentioned in the Leonard Cohen song ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ in the line “The music on Clinton St, all through the evening”.  I must ... Read More »

Generally I have a clear conscience.  I gave up work and financial independence to be a stay at home Mum, my time is generally spent being a constructive parent and wife.  Deon Meyer messes up this picture of selfless domesticity.  This week reading ‘The Heart of the Hunter” (my 3rd Deon Meyer), the children were plonked in front of the ... Read More »