What to read during the holidays: CITYLIFE/ARTS’s selection of books to choose from

By Edward Tsumele CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

Well we know very well that for many of us reading during the year at best is erratic and at worst, there is simply no time to read books for pleasure as we are often busy trying to make means meet. It is Ok actually because we have to work to feed our families and also to grow the economy. This unfortunately also means that there is no time to check out what books are hot on the market. You again do not need to worry because CITYLIFE/ARTS in this edition is making your life much easier by recommending the books you need to consider for your reading needs during the holidays.

NON-FICTION

Health & Wellness Autoimmune Survival Guide by Malvina Bartmanski.

Published by Bookstorm.

Autoimmune conditions are on the rise, with more and more people, young and old, experiencing the frustrating and debilitating symptoms of conditions that seem to be difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat with conventional medicine alone. Trauma and prolonged stress disrupt healthy body-functioning and can trigger or exacerbate autoimmune and other similar conditions. Malvina approaches autoimmunity holistically to look for their roots in trauma and prolonged stress, and find ways to improve health and restore vitality. She draws on psychological, natural and ancient practices that have been shown to help those affected by autoimmune conditions to reduce their stress load, boost their body’s defences and re-establish internal balance. The book not only offers a range of helpful, practical solutions to those impacted by these conditions but more importantly it offers hope and understanding.

Big Bully: An epidemic of unkindness by Marion Scher. Published by Bookstorm

Based on interviews in schools, workplaces and homes, this book tells the story of an epidemic of unkindness, uncovering the stories of bullies all around us. The online environment has given bullies a much wider range of tools to use to abuse their targets. Marion Scher tracks the links between bullying and mental health issues. As Marion says: ‘I had to brace myself to hear the often heartbreaking and vicious stories from those who encountered torturous relationships. The big question I kept asking myself was, “How could you get involved with such a person?” But just who is that kind of person, and is it even possible to spot them?’ She calls on the advice of a range of experts to help make sense of the bullies and their victims.

2 COMRADES MARATHAN: 101 Years of Highlights and Heroes 1921 – 2022 by Tom Cottrell.

Published by Guide Books.

The Comrades Marathon has grown over the last century from a humble start when only a handful of runners finished to its current status as the world’s greatest ultra-marathon. This fascinating story tells the tale of its glories, its disappointments, its triumphs and tragedies, beginning with the early heroes, then covering the 1970s, when official permission was finally granted for women and people of colour to run, the 1980s and ninetimes winner Bruce Fordyce, democratic South Africa in the 1990s, the domination of the Russians in the early 2000s, and the ascent of black runners in the 2010s. It brings us right up to date with the last race run, in 2022, following the two-year closure as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Memoir

Dearest MaRiky: A Mother’s Journey through Grief, Trauma and Healing by Louisa Zondo.

Published by Jacana Media.

From the depths of despair to the heights of Mount Everest, Louisa Zondo’s journey through grief is a powerful testament to the human spirit. In her book, Dearest MaRiky: A Mother’s Journey through Grief, Trauma and Healing, Louisa tells the story of her life and the tragedy that threatened to break her. Twentyfive days after her son’s death by suicide, she embarked on an expedition to Mount Everest Base Camp, seeking solace and clarity amidst the mountains. Through a series of letters to her cherished son and much-loved music star, Riky Rick, Louisa confronts her grief head-on, delving into the trauma of her past and finding the words to express the pain of losing her son. But this is not just a story of loss. It is a story of resilience, of a mother’s unwavering love, and of a determination to honour her son’s legacy by caring for others, especially the youth of South Africa.

3 Business/Current Affairs

Lessons from Past Heroes: How the rejection of victimhood dogmas will save South Africa by Phumlani M. Majozi. Published by Tracey McDonald Publishers.

What can be learned from black South Africans who achieved success before South Africa became a democracy in 1994? What are the challenges they faced, and how did they overcome them? And, today, how have South Africans benefited from the country’s democratic system of governance? These are the questions Phumlani M. Majozi explores and attempts to answer in Lessons from Past Heroes.

Cookery

Made With Love by Xoliswa Ndoyiya. Recipes and Memories from Nelson Mandela’s Personal Chef. Published by Bookstorm.

Xoliswa Ndoyiya, Nelson Mandela’s personal chef for 22 years and now Chef de Tournant at Sanctuary Mandela, shares the dishes that Tata Madiba loved most in this gorgeous cookbook. It has fifty unique recipes, accompanied by Ndoyiya’s personal recollections and anecdotes of the time she spent with Madiba, his family, friends and colleagues, pay homage to Tata Madiba’s legacy through food, prepared and cooked with love.

4 Memoir

No Gold Without the Dragon Wisdom Teachings of a Quantum Healer by Heather Linn. Published by Sacred Dragon Publishing.

This is the story of one woman’s quest to answer her calling to walk the path of a healer. After an initiatory event at the age of 21, Heather goes through the fires of transformation to find herself and hone her healing gifts. As you follow her journey of awakening and transformation, you are drawn further into the intriguing world of energy and the day-to-day life of a contemporary healer. Woven into the narrative are healing case studies describing Heather’s work with clients, offering rare insight into how to work with quantum energy and initiate healing at a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level. And at the end every chapter, there are takeaway nuggets of Dragon’s Gold, offering deeper insight and guidance. This fascinating teaching memoir is a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration, and a transformation story for everyone seeking to live a more conscious, soul-infused life.

Off-Centre and Out of Focus: Growing up ‘coloured’ in South Africa by Nadia Kamies. Published by Fourthwall Books and ESI Press.

‘This beautifully written book arrives at a time when issues of race, belonging and what constitutes our true national identity seem to feature centrally in a range of public dialogues. Sometimes they appear in ways that threaten to further fragment our flailing democracy. Its arrival could not have been more timeous!’ – Bonita Bennett, Trustee and Research Associate of the District Six Museum, Cape Town Nadia Kamies has written a profound and moving meditation on what it meant to grow up ‘coloured’ in South Africa under apartheid. The photographs from family albums that gave rise to this project not only represent the aspirations of the families and community about whom Kamies is writing, but are also repositories of memories weighted equally with joy and sorrow.

5 Natural History/Conservation/Photography Remembering Leopards. Published by Remembering Wildlife.

Remembering Leopards is the eighth book in the celebrated series, which has so far raised approximately R24 million for conservation projects since it began in 2016. The aim of the creators is to make the most beautiful book ever seen on a species and to use that to raise awareness of the plight facing that animal and also funds to protect it. Each book is full of images generously donated by many of the world’s top wildlife photographers, with 93 contributing this year.

Business/Leadership

Servings of Self-Mastery Bite-sized pep talks to unlock greatness by Dr Alistair Mokoena. Published by Tracey McDonald Publishers.

Self-mastery is the pinnacle of self-effectiveness. It is the reset button that puts you back in control of your life and helps you make healthy choices in both your personal and business life. If you’ve ever experienced anxiety, loss, self-doubt, confusion, procrastination, helplessness, lack of self-control and impatience, then Servings of Self-Mastery is for you. With self-mastery you are able to coach yourself out of the negative mind-states that hold you back. This book will help you recognise the thoughts, feelings and beliefs that stand in your way of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fulfilment. It will equip you with the agency to reframe these barriers into positive energy that will catalyse and catapult you into action. With short, easy-to-digest pep talks, you may want to read this book from cover-to-cover or choose a specific chapter to read on those days when you need a little support and inspiration.

6 Business

The First Kudu – Building a tech start-up in Africa: stories and lessons from HouseME by Ben Shaw and Lorne Hallendorff. Published by Tracey McDonald Publishers.

The First Kudu tells the story of HouseME, a rental technology company founded in South Africa that grew to 34 employees and 50 000 registered users, processing hundreds of millions of rands each year. The company won awards, raised several rounds of funding and was sought after by competitors. The narrative invites you to journey through the chaos with the young team and unpacks in gritty detail what goes into building a tech start-up – with stories of fun and failure honestly told in equal measure. It was exciting. It was excellent. And then … it was dead. Ben Shaw (former CEO) and Lorne Hallendorff (former COO) provide a whirlwind tour of what goes into building a start-up at the southern tip of Africa and what they would do differently, were they to do it again.

Business/Leadership

The Future of Leadership is Collegiality by Mike Teke.

Published by Tracey McDonald Publishers.

Mike Teke believes that ‘young leaders emulate and mimic experienced leaders – whether the habits they are copying are right or not so right. This happens because young leaders search for ways and means to be recognised, advance in their careers, or be seen as impressive leaders.’ He discusses concepts such as collegiality, fraternisation, ingratiation and self-respect, and illustrates his ideas with examples of South African and world leaders. On his own journey towards becoming a powerful leader, it was inculcated in him that one had to be ‘tough and ruthless’ in their approach to leading. However, times have moved on and the game has changed! To be effective and deliver consistently in business, Mike has realised that collegiality is the way of the future. ‘There is no need to scream at others, bang tables or use foul language!’ He believes that collegiality works everywhere – as long as one is willing to lead effectively.

7 Business/Mentorship

The Mentoring Roadmap by Catherine Hodgson. Published by Staging Post.

Mentoring is not just a fad or a “nice to have”; it is a “musthave” for any organization that wants to survive. If an organization does not offer a mentoring program in the future, it may find it more difficult to grow, attract the right talent, create and maintain a positive company culture, improve minority representation at management and board level, retain key employees and keep them engaged, fill its leadership pipeline, and develop its employees to fulfil their learning needs. Now more than ever younger generations are attracted to organizations that are interested in their development and wellbeing. It is not only about the pay; it is about how much the organization is perceived to care about their employees in every way. This book will provide a comprehensive roadmap for your mentoring journey. Having a structure around your mentoring journey will help you and your mentor or mentee get more out of your mentoring relationship. It can be used in organizations or by individuals, whether you are the mentor or mentee. It is an indispensable guide to those wanting to get ahead in life, in business and in their personal lives.

Relationships/Self-help

Uncomplicated Love: A step-by-step guide for building a thriving relationship by Shelley Lewin. Published by Staging Post.

Are you tired of feeling stuck and unsure in your love life? Have you been searching for answers on how to improve your relationship but haven’t found anything that works? Whether you are struggling with attracting the wrong partners, feeling unsure about investing more in your current relationship, or simply seeking to strengthen your connection with your partner, Uncomplicated Love is the definitive resource to help you move forward with confidence. This book is your ultimate guide to navigating the complex landscape of love and building a thriving partnership with your significant other.

8 Current Affairs

RamApocalypse Now by Zapiro 2023 Annual.

Published by Jacana Media.

RamApocalypse .Now is the 28th annual collection from South Africa’s legendary cartoonist, Zapiro. And it’s set to be yet another bestseller as his awardwinning cartoons continues to uncannily reflect the wild ride of life in this country. RamApocalypse Now captures history in a unique way and is a brilliant gift for anyone wanting to laugh and cry about the past 12 months. ‘For a cartoonist South Africa is the gift that keeps on giving,’ Zapiro says. ‘It’s been another crazy year with more ANC shenanigans, never-ending loadshedding, Zuma Stalingradding, Cyril’s Putin butt-kissing, Juju grandstanding and Steenhuisen moonshotting. We also had the deputy president thinking his VIP officers were taking a leak when they were brutally beating up citizens on the side of the highway plus Joburg having even more mayors than potholes and Bree Street exploding!’ The rest of the world is not much better Zapiro reckons: Trump’s having more court time than Djokovic, the UK changes prime ministers like nappies and the Ukraine war is now a fixture and so is Zanu PF’s election theft just across our border.

9 Zondo at your Fingertips: The Definitive Guide to the Zondo Report by Paul Holden. Published by Jacana Media.

The Zondo Commission: 400 days of hearings. Over 300 witnesses called. 3171 summonses issued. Transcripts running to 75,069 pages. 1,731,106 pages of documentary evidence submitted in public hearings. 8,655,530 pages printed for public hearings purposes. One petabyte of data, equal to 1,000 terabytes, or 1,000,000 gigabytes, collected and retained by the Commission. 19 Volumes of findings totalling 4,750 pages. R57 billion spent on Gupta related contracts. R16 billion scored by the Guptas in kickbacks and dodgy deals. The cost to the country: immense. The damage: ongoing. The Zondo Commission’s reports and findings are fundamental to understanding South Africa’s past and future – but their length and intensity may leave them largely unread. Paul Holden unpacks the Commission’s findings, condensing its narratives and demystifying legal language to make the Commission’s work accessible to all. Holden is well placed to do this as he gave detailed evidence to the Commission on the hard evidence of State Capture – when, where and how the money flowed, and how much it all cost the people of South Africa.

10 FICTION

Battlefield Earth A Saga of the Year 3000 by L. Ron Hubbard. Published by Galaxy Press.

Battlefield Earth is a swashbuckling science fiction saga of adventure, daring and courage, when man is an endangered species and the future survival of what’s left of the human race is at stake. In the year 3000 AD, man has been savagely ruled for a thousand years by a spaceplundering race of nine-foot tall, gas breathing conquerors from the planet Psychlo. One of the Psychlos, the villainous Terl, enslaves a man-creature and forces him to mine Earth gold. Terl’s plan: to teleport the gold to Psychlo, where he can then return wealthy beyond the dreams of avarice. The slave emerges in the form of Jonnie Goodboy Tyler, a member of the dwindling community of only 35,000 human survivors. However, Jonnie has plans other than to make Terl wealthy—namely, to free mankind from alien tyranny—and cause the ultimate destruction of the Psychlo invaders. But is Jonnie’s fight to save humanity from these gigantic and technologically superior monsters a losing battle? Or will humans regain the Earth once more?

Children of the Storm by Cav Barry. Published by Chalk Creation.

Children of the Storm tells the story of a young man, Twelve, living in a perpetually rainy town. He is poor; an orphan that spends his days as a runner, clearing the debris left in the wake of the pummelling storms. When a supernatural light explodes uncontrollably from his own hands, with deadly consequences, Twelve is labelled a murderer but is rescued from certain death by a stranger. He embarks on a journey of discovery, leading him to both love and war. He has to make decisions that affect not only his life but the future too. A century later, reclusive translator, Callah, receives Twelve’s leather-bound diary and finishes the quest that he had started. They are linked through time by their responsibility to uncover the true beginnings of the Spire empire and the order of the Marshals.

11 The Girl in the Water A novel by Joseph Howse. Publihsed by Nummist Media.

The Girl in the Water is the story of a multi-ethnic group of young friends, coming of age in Estonia and Ukraine in the last days of the Soviet Union. Their lives are shaped by an Afghan war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the collapse and legacy of a suffocating society. The novel examines life and choice in the aftermath of trauma and has garnered praise as both a lifelike family drama and a literary statement in the tradition of the Russian classics. “Joseph Howse evokes the literary styles of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky… The author has composed a book like Tchaikovsky would a symphony; tight, disciplined, yet bubbling with unspoken passion and near-magical allegory.” – Rob Errera, IndieReader Winner of the 2023 Independent Press Award for Literary Fiction Winner of the 2023 IPPY Awards Bronze Medal for Best Regional eBook (Fiction) Finalist in the 2022 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards for Multicultural Fiction Finalist in the 17th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards for New Fiction

The Final Lap by Ian Laxton. Published by Guide Book Publications.

A family tragedy during her teenage years in South Africa motivates Abby Dennison, a highly talented track runner, to become the world number one over fifteen hundred metres. An ambitious meeting director in London arranges a mile race in the London Olympic Stadium with the goal of breaking the world record. Abby and the other top-ranked athletes are invited to compete and she has to prepare for the biggest race of her life: the goal is winning and breaking the record. This is the real world of elite track athletics, where sporting brilliance is no guarantee of success, where races are run on a knife-edge and a dark underbelly exists alongside fame, fortune, accolades, and records. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat as Abby competes in a world where the competition comes from more than the other runners in the race and where potential sabotage and even stalking threaten to derail her career. Ultimately, Abby must ask herself: IS WINNING ENOUGH?

12 Unlabelled by Sthandiwe Langa. Published by Reach Publishers.

Unlabelled is a coming-of-age story. A young girl grapples with her sexuality and religious beliefs. She often feels confused and guilty. She tries to date men but her heart is not really in it. She feels like she does not really fit into the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual and more) community either. Will she ever find love and self-acceptance?

W is for Witness by Karen Lazar. Published by Quartz Press.

Karen Lazar’s compact new novel, W is for Witness (Quartz Press 2023), is a mischievous hybrid of intertext, cyberstalker, contemporary social critique and a touch of Wordle. An unusual narrative team splice together their lively viewpoints in pursuit of a word at the heart of a suburb, whilst keeping a beady eye on the whereabouts of the author herself. Praise for the Book ‘I read this wonderful contemporary satire with increasing glee. The writing is witty, the literary playfulness deft, the exhortation to look and listen constant. The narrative team’s depiction is infectiously exuberant, whilst the failures of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood in which the story and its keyword unfold are painfully familiar. This unique tale makes possible a spirited but sceptical claim: she who is tired of Linden is tired of life.’ Michael Titlestad (Professor of English, Wits University Johannesburg)

13 When the Filter Fades by Janine Jellars. Published by Tracey McDonald Publishers.

There’s a hierarchy to fame – from the Real Celebs who sell their skills as actors and singers, to the Professionally Pretty (the garnish to any occasion), the Hashtag Hustlers, who range from influencers to the social media savvy, to the Hopeless Hangers-On. Everyone has their place in the ecosystem, and knowing your place in that hierarchy is half the fame game won. For three young women in Joburg, the new age of internet celebrity presents them with obstacles, opportunities, opulence and a chance at fame, fortune and fierce fashion. Lin Through sheer ambition and force of will, Lin has rebranded her entire existence. She’s shrugged off her past to fully embrace a new identity: Linfluencer, the high-end influencer whose Outfits Of The Day are obsessively followed by every budding fashionista with a blossoming social media addiction.

Lebo Then there’s Lebo, who has only ever known a life of fame – real fame – as the former child prodigy behind TV phenomenon Sedi Star. Everyone grew up watching her every move, but now, as she’s grown up, the work, roles and offers have evaporated. But her penchant for scandal, controversy and social media squabbles have kept her in the headlines. Mbali And finally there’s South Africa’s reigning Queen of Gossip: Mbali. The entertainment site she runs with an iron fist is known for breaking the hottest news – and the odd celebrity career. With the Hashtag Hustle threatening her media empire, how will she continue to keep her readers enthralled? As Lin, Lebo and Mbali jostle to take their places in the fame hierarchy, their ambitions, aspirations and agendas collide. Their wins and woes not only affect one another but can mean that they either individually rise or collectively crumble. Will Lin’s past threaten her future? Will Lebo’s (self-)sabotage prevent her return to the top? Will Mbali’s reign as the Queen of Gossip continue – or reach a dead end? The choices they make can balance or break their entire ecosystem.