The Local Lit Scene

Fancy something free on a Monday? Just to get your week off to a great start? Well, here is your chance!

The Book Club Blog has one copy of The Angina Monologues by Rosamund Kendal to give away to one lucky South African reader. If you read The Karma Suture then you Must read this:

In The Angina Monologues three female medical interns from vastly different backgrounds are sent to a rural KZN hospital where gang assassinations and rogue snakes are facts of life and AIDS simply does not exist.

Pampered, spoilt Rachel struggles to establish her independence and learns to love across the cultural divide. Conservative, beautiful Seema struggles to end a relationship that has become increasingly abusive. And street-savvy Nomsa finally learns to accept a past she has spent a lifetime denying.

This is the story of three women finding courage, love and compassion in the most unlikely places. Like its bestselling predecessor,The Karma Suture, The Angina Monologues brings readers face to face with what it takes to be woman doctor in the New South Africa without losing your soul.

What do you need to do to win yourself your very own copy?

*  Leave us a comment saying hi!

* Tweet about it @thebookclubblog and follow us on twitter (just click on the twitter button and the top of the home page) (+1)

*  Like us on Facebook and Facebook the giveaway (+1)

Easy Peasy as my daughter would say!

Give away ends on Monday 18th March. Your book will be posted to you so please make sure you have a valid postal address.

Happy Monday!

1.  The book I am currently reading:  Before I forget – Andre Brink.

This is my first Andre Brink book and so far so good, I am not very far into the story as my reading time is limited to just before bed at the moment,but I am intruiged enough to keep reading.

2. The last book I finished:  Emily Green and me – Kathryn White

I have been on a ‘South African author’ reading quest of late, to find more SA authors that I love. This was an interesting and slightly bizarre book. I loved the concept behind the story(After years of illness, 11 year old Emily receives the heart of a seventeen year old boy who died in a motorbike accident.It is both of their stories) and it got under my skin just a little…

3. The next book I want to read is:  Things without a name – Joanne Fedler

I picked this book up at the library yesterday, it sounds interesting.

4. The last book I bought was: Divergent

I went looking for Chrismas Book presents and came out with this! I have heard many things and so for a mere 40 raands, I decided to give it a go. Any one else read it?

5. The last book I was given: The 100 year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared – Jonas Jonnason

I won this on the last blog hop! Which I didn’t realise until a little while ago (how lucky am I?). It is currently in the postal system so technically I haven’t received it yet, but it has been given to me.

And you? Do answer in the comments or link to your blog.

The Murder of Norma Ware – Rosamund Kendal

This is apparently quite a dark novel and nothing like her first two, I have to admit to being intrigued and excited to read this book. You can read an interview with her here and more about the book here

Eating Animals – Jonathon Safran Foer

I am not a huge meat eater and have often thought about becoming a vegetarian, I think if I read this book it will be a done deal.

Spirit Junkie: A radical road to self love and miracles

A spiritual book is always good to read, and I love reading how other people’s lives are changed. One book which thoroughly agreed with me in this genre was ‘The Journey’ by Brandon Bayes.

Flight Behaviour – Barbara Kingsolver

I read the first chapter of this book in the latest edition of Fair Lady magazine. I am hooked and now need to read it!

And you, do you have an updated book wish list that you would like to share?

I don’t know about you, but I often have two or more books on the go at the same time. Reading one during kiddy nap time and the other for bedtime reading, so it was when I discovered Love in a Headscarf at the library while already reading The God Delusion. And I have to say, that it was interesting reading the two in tandem. On one side I had Richard Dawkins telling me how God does not exist and the reasons therefore and on the other hand, I have Shelina Zahra Janmohamed telling me how she believes that God does exist. It made for interesting reading viewpoints;-)

But, both books were equaly interesting and enjoyable to read. I am interested in other peoples religions, not overly so, but when you combine a real life story about a British Muslim looking for a husband via an arranged marriage and all that goes with it, together with a fabulous writing style, I was hooked. It was captivating to read about the ins and  outs of arranged marriages and how the entire family becomes involved. But in this particular case, the parents were highly supportive of their daughter and who she chose/was chosen by which helped matters. This story begs to be read to open the ‘westerners’ eyes on how the Muslim arranged marriage system works. It was a beautiful book, and I highly recommend it.

The God Delusion makes for interesting reading too. Richard Dawkins makes many valid points as to WHY God does not exist. I enjoyed reading it. I quite enjoy the two opinions on God. The reasons as to why He does exist is almost fantastical whereas the reasons why He does not exist is almost as fantastical as the opposite. If you are having a crisis of faith, this is a good book to ‘give both sides of the story’ so to speak. I do agree with many points that he brings across but I think that God is a belief thing, and each to his own.

Have you read it? What did you think? I would be very interested to know:-)

(currently I am reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett and I know I am about a year late than the rest of the world in reading it, but am thoroughly enjoying it and looking forward to posting my thoughts once I have finished)

Last but not least, what are you currently reading?

Today, I went to a baby shower.  It was not your normal every day baby shower, where the mom-to-be is inundated with cute baby clothes and jars, tubes and tubs of lotions and potions. The invite was quite specific and proposed that if you wanted to buy a gift, your favourite childhood book was deemed a very good idea.

So, today, the  many beautiful bejeweled and beribboned gifts contained exactly that. Books.  Books of all types and flavours. Ranging from Eric Carle to Roald Dahl. Nursery treasuries to Winnie-the–poo. My gift was Paddington Bear. And Postman Pat joined the queue too.

And inside each book, an inscription to the little unborn child who has officially had a library of books started for him. I thought it was a beautiful and unique idea. Here are a couple of photographs of a library beginning.