A few of my favourite things

I took a walk down to Exclusive Books today. I love Exclusive Books. I love book shops. I love books actually, thats the bottom line. I wish I could walk into Exclusive Books with a couple of thousand rands and just feel free to buy.

The section I always linger longest in in Exclusive is the African / South African section. Thats where I got Albert Luthuli's autobiography, for example, and Colour Bar, the story of Seretse Khama and his wife. I spend more time there wishing I could buy books than actually buying books, sadly!

So today I perused the African / South African section and added to my list of books I would like to buy: Unbowed by Wangari Maathai, To The Brink by Xolela Mangcu. I'd rather like to read After the Party by Andrew Feinstein too. Cyril Ramaphosa's biography by Anthony Butler, Believe in Mairacles by Gerald Shaw. Amongst others. I'd really like to get hold of books about Oliver Thambo and Walter Sisulu, but I haven't found much yet. I've seen Oliver Tambo Remembered, but its a compilation of pieces by various people remembering him, and tributes to him. I'd rather read some sort of biography first. Oliver Tambo Remembered is also heinously expensive. Maybe I'll shell out for it when it comes out in soft cover.

I read Athol Fugard's Tsotsi recently and it completely ruined the movie for me. The book was amazing. In many ways the movie is true to the book, but it made changes here and there and the ending is entirely different. The most grievous difference for me, though, is that the movie lost so much of the depth of the book. I enjoyed the movie when I watched it, thought some parts disturbed me, and I was quite proud that it was a South African production. But now I just see it as a shallow attempt at the book.

Another book that made quite an impact on me was I Write What I Like by Steve Biko. For some reason I suddenly decided last year that I must read it, and I must read it immediately. So I searched for it *everywhere*. You would not believe the number of libraries that had copies of it that had gone missing. I eventually found it in a bookshop and bought it before it could disappear and while I was paying for it the shop assistant told me I was lucky to get it, that it was the last copy. I tore through it so fast that I should probably read it again to let it all sink in. One day, I confess, I took it to work with me and just sat in front of my computer and read it. It was pretty intense, it put me off life (and food) for a while.

My mom bought me Some of My Best Friends are White by Ndumiso Ngcobo for Christmas. Its a real laugh, but very crude in places so I can't really wholeheartedly recommend it, unfortunately. But its very funny, and insightful, and its probably the kind of book we need in South Africa at the moment. In that its quite light hearted but its also not afraid to tackle some really taboo subjects. Its a real people book, which I like.

I'm busy working my way through How Can Man Die Better? by Benjamin Pogrund, which is Robert Sobukwe's biography. I'm enjoying it but its quite heavy reading, so I've been reading it between other things.

Of course, there are always the Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency books, which are a great delight!

And Albert Luthuli's autobiography Let My People Go is a must read for *everyone*. Yes, everyone. Read it. You can borrow it from me if you want, just return it on pain of death.