SA reads discussion

2014 is nearly at an end, so tell us which book was your best read of 2014 and anything else you want to tell us about your reading year.

My top South African book for 2014 was , Martinique Stilwell's account of her family's circumnavigation of the globe in the 1970's. It was part of a wonderful trio of coming of age books that I read this year dealing with the resilience of children and growing up in the 1960's and 1970's in South Africa. and being the other two great books.

My New Year's Resolution was to read and I doubt if I would have achieved it without the group read this year. I'm grateful to everybody who shared their thoughts and insights and made it such an interesting read. If you can find it, If This Be Treason: Helen Joseph's Dramatic Account of the Treason Trial, the Longest in South Africa's History and One of the Strangest Trials of the 20th Century, added much to my understanding of the conditions of the Treason Trialists.

My favourite book cover of the year was , followed closely by . was one of my best crime reads of the year with such an interesting setting. I still smile every time I see a Daily Sun headline with the word Tokoloshe in it! I also enjoyed meeting Inspector Kibu in and am looking forward to more of his adventures.

In the bigger world, I am glad that I finally read which I loved.

Carolien wrote: "My top South African book for 2014 was , Martinique Stilwell's account of her family's circumnavigation of the globe in the 1970's. It w..."

Congrats on a wonderfully varied reading year!...and for remaining proudly (South) African in the process.

There were quite a lot of other books as well. I have always loved good thrillers and Daniel Silva is my current first choice - The English Assassin did not disappoint.

I also read my first Bernard Cornwell,The Last Kingdom, and have loads of good reads to come from him as far as I can see.

At the other end of the scale, I finished the last of the Falco series, Nemesis, and it was like saying goodbye to an old friend. I love that series and have been reading it for years.

I adored Love, Ruby Lavender and Each Little Bird that Sings. For some reason I ended up reading quite a few books set in the American south this year. I've also become a huge Kate DiCamillo fan during the year.

I've also discovered the joy of audio books to make my daily commute more pleasurable. I had a fascinating time listening to Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking and One Summer: America, 1927.

The biggest challenge for myself next year will be to try and read 20% of my books by authors who do not hail from USA/Canada/Britain/Africa. (And to read five Afrikaans books by five different authors - suggestions welcome).

My five-star books of 2014 are:
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
A River Runs Through It by Craig Sheffer

A River Runs Through It is beautiful. Interesting selection, Buck.

Carolien wrote: "A River Runs Through It is beautiful. Interesting selection, Buck."

Yes, it is.

Two of those are rereads; none of them is new. Ted Chiang is a new favorite author of mine; he is not prolific. Ursula K Le Guin is an old favorite author.

Carolien wrote: "The biggest challenge for myself next year will be to try and read 20% of my books by authors who do not hail from USA/Canada/Britain/Africa. (And to read five Afrikaans books by five different authors "

My challenge is to read some by SA authors and get back into this group.

Buck wrote: "Carolien wrote: "A River Runs Through It is beautiful. Interesting selection, Buck."

Yes, it is.

Two of those are rereads; none of them is new. Ted Chiang is a new favorite autho..."I looked at his profile. Looks like an interesting writer.

Would love to hear more from you in the group next year!

Buck wrote: "Carolien wrote: "The biggest challenge for myself next year will be to try and read 20% of my books by authors who do not hail from USA/Canada/Britain/Africa. (And to read five Afrikaans books by f..."

Nice to hear that, Buck. You're distinctive voice has been missed!

The Seventh Moon

My favourite for 2014 is The Seventh Moon by Marius Gabriel. We were at high school together in Durban. He went on to become a famous author - I only found that out a few months ago when he made contact with me. He now lives in Cairo.
Of course I wanted to read something he'd written, and chose The Seventh Moon. It's a beautifully written thriller!

Going straight to my TBR list. That looks very good.

Incredible collection Carolien!

Buck it would be great to see you more, also an interesting list. Have you read Le Guin's Earth Sea Trilogy?

John, I'm waiting for your sequel. Have added to my TBR list too.

So I am to finish my 250 book challenge by next Wednesday. Still 10 to go...

My favorites this year were: Tess of the D'Urbervilles, The Thirteenth Tale, Leaving Time and A Red Flower: A Story.

I'm glad we read Long Walk to Freedom, it means so much to me to have shared the journey with you all.

I was bitterly disappointed by On the Road, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale and Gone with the Wind.

And the book I'm the most proud of finishing (twice) was Lishman's Organic Psychiatry: A Textbook of Neuropsychiatry, it has now been repurposed as a door stop.

Lisa wrote: "Have you read Le Guin's Earth Sea Trilogy?"

I've read only the first one. I have loved some by Le Guin and disliked others. Wizard of Earthsea is somewhere in the middle.

Lisa wrote: "So I am to finish my 250 book challenge by next Wednesday. Still 10 to go...

My favorites this year were: Tess of the D'Urbervilles, The Thirteenth Tale, [book:Leaving Ti..."

Ha. An amazing year, Lisa! You all make me feel so illiterate. Do I get points for writing in place of reading?
I like that word "repurposed" - will use it soon.

Lisa wrote: "Incredible collection Carolien!

Buck it would be great to see you more, also an interesting list. Have you read Le Guin's Earth Sea Trilogy?

John, I'm waiting for your sequel. Have added to my T..."

Book two of the trilogy is coming along famously, Lisa. Thank you for asking.
I'm on chapter 39 of a probable 65, and I promise you an exciting read. You won't believe what York, Boxer, Jan etc get up to - they've taken me by surprise! I'm so looking forward to sharing their new adventures with all of you (if I get the vote!).

Lisa wrote: "I was bitterly disappointed by On the Road, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale and Gone with the Wind."

I knew you hadn't liked One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Interesting that it was a favorite of mine. I understand your disappointment with On the Road and Moby dick, though I didn't hate them. I grew up in Atlanta where everybody but I read Gone with the Wind. I managed to avoid the Clark Gable movie for many years but I still haven't read the book. I have no interest in it whatsoever.

John wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Incredible collection Carolien!

Buck it would be great to see you more, also an interesting list. Have you read Le Guin's Earth Sea Trilogy?

John, I'm waiting for your sequel. Have..."

Proposed release date? We will have to make a plan.

Buck wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I was bitterly disappointed by On the Road, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale and Gone with the Wind."

I knew you hadn't liked One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest..."

I think it's after 8 years in Mental Health. OFOCN is still the only image that most people believe. There hasn't been a positive light alternative that caught on as much. They are out there, but not known. when I complained about it in 50 books, I received a great deal of hate mail...

GWTW was a debacle! How that won a Pulitzer I will never know. Don't even bother.

Hate mail? really? I'm astonished!

Lol, moderate a group Buck, your inbox becomes very interesting...
Have also received some lovely mails too.

I saw A River Runs Through It years ago, enjoyed it. Was the movie close to the book.

GWTW might be a bit of a cultural and a time issue. I had a similar experience while reading A Wrinkle in Time which was a Newbery winner and is referred to as a classic and absolutely wonderful book in many of the Children's groups. I found it bland and I noticed afterwards that one of my South African friends disliked it even more intensely than I did. The Newbery winners is another American list where you sometimes wonder whatever else was published that year...

Maybe it's about something that's new receiving a prize?

I haven't read that book, some mixed reviews.

Lisa wrote: "John wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Incredible collection Carolien!

Buck it would be great to see you more, also an interesting list. Have you read Le Guin's Earth Sea Trilogy?

John, I'm waiting for your..."

Mid 2015, but I will be asking the group for help with cover design and title choice before then.

Ooo fun. Let's make it bubblegum pink!

Lisa wrote: "Ooo fun. Let's make it bubblegum pink!"

Yeah, right. Perfect for a political thriller!

Lisa wrote: "I saw A River Runs Through It years ago, enjoyed it. Was the movie close to the book."

I saw the movie years ago, long before I read the book. I do think it followed the book pretty well. The book is certainly worth reading whether you've seen the movie or not.

John wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Ooo fun. Let's make it bubblegum pink!"

Yeah, right. Perfect for a political thriller!"

There is a group for (or of) cover artists here on Goodreads, probably more than one.

I've always wondered how cover art gets published; and why some books have so many different covers for different editions. I primarily read ebooks and audiobooks from the library, so the cover doesn't influence my choice much.

Pink is a very scary color John.
Thanks Buck, I'll check it out.

I read a lot of ebooks and old hard covers without dust jackets, but there is something about an eye- catching cover.