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1.Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth : Wole Soyinka
His first novel after a hiatus of nearly 50 years, Soyinka, a Nigerian playwright, poet, essayist, and recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature and the first sub-Saharan African to be honoured in that category, presents us with a literary gem, one that we cannot wait to sink our teeth into.
According to Google Books, a towering figure in world literature, Wole Soyinka aims directly at the corridors of power as he warns against corruption both of high office and of the soul, with a dazzling lightness of touch and gleeful irreverence.
Much to Doctor Menka's horror, some cunning entrepreneur has decided to sell body parts from his hospital for use in ritualistic practices. Already at the end of his tether from the horrors he routinely sees in surgery, he shares this latest development with his oldest college friend, bon viveur, star engineer and Yoruba royal, Duyole Pitan-Payne, who has never before met a puzzle he couldn't solve. Neither realise how close the enemy is, nor how powerful.
Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth is at once a savagely witty whodunit, a scathing indictment of Nigeria's political elite, and a provocative call to arms from one of the country's most relentless political activists and an international literary giant.
"He is the best there is today, a poet and a thinker, who knows both how the world works and how the world should work" - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
We couldn't resist adding this book to our list, Soyinka has once again zapped the literary world and has captivated us and kept us in wait for yet another book, it should be a good one.
Purchase it here.
2. Joburg Noir: Niq Mhlongo
Mhlongo's Joburg Noir was featured on the Sunday Independent's February 28th issue, giving us a comprehensive look into this homage to the "City of Gold". A must read in many a book club, this book is a star on our list.
This collection of short stories, edited by Mhlongo and including stories from 22 uniquely South African authors, who have all had their humorous, sad, shocking experiences in the City of Gold is a literal gold mine, pun intended.
"Although Joburg Noir, recently chosen for the Humanities and Social Science (HSS) Awards 2021 long list in the Best Fiction: Edited Volume Category, had me reflecting on my earliest personal "Johusslerburg" experience, it is overall a great work of literature." - Malesela Maubane, Sunday Independent
You can purchase Joburg Noir here.
3. Behind Her Eyes: Sarah Pinborough
Ahem, we are ashamed to admit that this one comes straight from our Netflix watchlist. According to popular opinion, reading a book before watching its film or series adaptation is the best way to fully enjoy it without pulling your hair out when you read the book and realize how much was left out, altered, or modified to enhance the viewing experience. So at #3 is Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough, we think we'll push this one a bit until the memory of the haunting series has faded a bit.
The book was published in 2017, and feeling inspired by books like Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, the author, who already had a couple of horrors, sci-fi, and fantasy under her belt decided to delve deeper into a psychological thriller, and to those who have watched the show, we can already agree that it hit the mark, obliterated it with an annoyingly brilliant ending (#WTFthatending on Twitter).
If you have watched the series, we suggest getting a copy of the book here, who knows, you might uncover some clues to what the heck led to that ending.
4. The Guest List: Lucy Foley
What can we say, we're a glutton for punishment. After our previous choice, you'd think we would move to something lighter, but this choice was not entirely our own. A lot of the bookstagram accounts we follow were set alight by this Agatha Christie-like murder mystery novel by Lucy Foley.
The Guest List was on The New York Time's best thrillers of 2020 list and we think we know why. I mean what can go wrong at a picture perfect wedding? We cannot wait to find out.
"You are cordially invited to a wedding on a virtually uninhabited island off the coast of Ireland that will soon be made inaccessible because of a violent storm." - Sarah Lyall, The New York Times
It's not a party until someone dies right? You can purchase The Guest List here.
5. From Blood and Ash: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rated a whopping 4,4/5 on Goodreads, 4,8/5 on Barnes & Noble, and a 4,7/5 on Audible, this fantasy romance made our list purely because of the amazing reviews we've seen from many of our readers.
"Captivating and action-packed, From Blood and Ash is a sexy, addictive, and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa." - Publisher's Summary
Get From Blood and Ash We Will Rise here.
6. Margaret Atwood: Dearly
Author of the bestselling dystopian feminist novel The Handmaid's Tale amongst many, Atwood gives us her first collection of poetry in over a decade in Dearly. With themes of love and loss, this collection of poetry was unsurprisingly Book of the year, Observer, Financial Times, and also the Goodreads Best Books of 2020 in the poetry category (we're late to the party, we know).
"Dearly by Margaret Atwood is a poignant reflection on grief, mortality, and dementia." - Poppy Dillon, Marie Curie
7. The Power of Now: Eckhart Tolle
We wanted our list to have books of different genres, books that will scare us, make us fall in love, laugh, cry and even take self-inventory, find a corner and meditate. The Power of Now is a self help manual on how to live a peaceful and meaningful life. According to Goodreads, Tolle's clear writing, supportive voice, and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who's ever wondered what exactly "living in the now" means. We are so happy to have this as one of the books on our list and we can thank one of our readers Bertha for the recommendation, having read it multiple times herself.
Tolle packs a lot of information and inspirational ideas into The Power of Now (Topics include the source of Chi, enlightened relationships, creative use of the mind, impermanence, and the cycle of life). Thankfully, he's added markers that symbolise "break time". This is when readers should close the book and mull over what they just read.
"To understand the power of present, one should end the delusion of time from mind so as to think deeply at present." - Tripti Singh
Find out more about The Power of Now here.
8. A Million Little Pieces: James Frey
This one is a controversial one, which is why it is a must read for us. For readers with an exceptionally strong stomach and guile, A Million Little Pieces by James Frey is a bit older than the rest of the books on our list having been published in 2003.
Once at the top of Oprah's Book Club and kicked off just as quickly, what was portrayed as a truthful account of Frey's own experiences turned out to be a not so truthful account. In a New York Times article by Edward Wyatt, it turns out that Oprah Winfrey rebuked James Frey, the author of "A Million Little Pieces," on her television show for lying about his past and portraying the book as a truthful account of his life. But apart from this, the book remains a deep thought-provoking wonder accelerated by the drama around it.
"Intense, unpredictable, and instantly engaging, this is a story of drug and alcohol abuse and rehabilitation as it has never been told before." - Goodreads
Which books do you think deserve to be on our list? Please engage in our forum or on our social media pages and let us know. If you've read any of the books and would like to share a review with us please do so and we will share it on our social media platforms.
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