By Lindelwa R
1. I AIN’T YO BITCH – Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya
“I ain’t yo bitch” I saw this title in the book store and rolled my eyes as I lifted it to read what sordid man-manipulation guide this would be. I was way off – It’s a fiction tale about a young lesbian rapper in the hustle & bustle of Joburg’s hip-hop scene. She is a talented wordsmith in an industry dominated by men who cannot stand to be outdone by a woman, a lesbian woman especially. A sad tale about the struggle of womanhood, doubled with homophobia from those around her and what it took for her to finally come into her own. The ending is a cliché, but I could not have been more fitting.
2. BLACK WIDOW SOCIETY – Angela Makholwa
I’ve been waiting to read a thriller about women in an underground mafia-style scheme. It was a slow read; it was how she gradually brought the characters to life in short interwoven scenes that were a good enough to keep the reader’s (my) nose in between her pages. The story is about a group of women who ‘eliminate’ good-for-nothing husbands, rescuing the “black widows” from lives of abuse and manipulation. It unfolds dramatically when the hired gun’s personal life is affected by the paranoia he’s acquired ever since serving the society. Despite the predictable first two thirds of the book, the climax was good enough to allow for the book’s clichéd ending.
3. WHEN RAIN CLOUDS GATHER – Bessie Head
I could call this one a love story, about a man learning to love himself. It is set in a village in Botswana during the time of severe drought, a South African takes refuge there to escape from apartheid in near-by South Africa. He must overcome internal conflict while also being absorbed into the drama of the village in which he settles. It’s a tale of greed, selflessness & community; it is intriguing without too much suspense. You won’t put it down until it’s over.
4. FEMINISM IS FOR EVERYBODY (PASSIONATE POLITICS) – bell hooks
The mainstream media’s depiction of the socio-political idea is more radical then practical and that is why I felt it was necessary to read a sort of… beginner’s guide to feminism? Yes. She describes the beginning of feminism and the various struggles within – issues of race, class, gender relations and the power of the sisterhood. It feels boring to read but you will appreciate the enlightenment afterwards.
5. GONE – Michael Grant
Gone is the first in a series of 6 books. It is a story about a town where all the adults older than 15 years old mysteriously disappear and the children are left to fend for themselves while trapped in a translucent dome which covers over them. Think lord of the flies, but more exciting. There are weird mutations in the plants, wildlife and the humans themselves. It is very exciting and you dare not put it down as each chapter is more intriguing than the previous one, and dare I say, his writing is so graphic you are guaranteed to have dreams about it. This is a book for any lover of science fiction.
