KAROO NEWS - It reduces stress, builds vocabulary and strengthens the brain: reading has many benefits. And what is better than curling up with a good book on a cold day?
We invite locals to share what they're reading (or planning to read) by sending the information to paula@groupeditors.com or on WhatsApp at 076 787 4995. Also add a short snippet about the book, and why reading is important to you.
We'll compile these snippets to share on our online platforms; a virtual book club, if you will.
Here are editor Paula-Ann Smit's latest reads:
• The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
This book was a Christmas gift from my sister, but I only got around to reading it at the start of lockdown. Although a thin book, it took me longer to read the book than it took Coelho to write it: two weeks. When the Brazilian author wrote it in 1987, it was 'already written in his soul.' The book is mainly about finding your destiny, and an international bestseller. It's translated in at least 67 languages, with a bunch of famous people as vocal supporters (queue Will Smith and Bill Clinton). Although the book has beautiful prose and is definitely quotable, I found it boring, to be quite frank. Perhaps I'm just dense?
• Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish secrets I learned While Living in Paris, by Jennifer L. Scott
I picked up this light-hearted book mid-lockdown, in desperate need of an escape. I found one in this memoir of Scott, sharing the lessons in style, sophistication and even adulthood that she learned as an exchange student from California in the City of Light. I devoured the short chapters with a pinch of salt: snacking, according to Scott, is not chic, but oh how I love to snack. Lessons from this book that I will keep with me is to live life more passionately and to make time for elegance. That salad bowl you're saving for a special day? Chance is the queen won't pay a visit, so use the beautiful things you own. Scrambled eggs for one? Plate it in a way that will make Gordon Ramsay proud.
• How to succeed in your Master's & Doctoral Studies - A South African Guide and Resource Book, by Johan Mouton
I borrowed this book from the Stellenbosch University Library for one chapter on thesis writing. Due to lockdown, renewal dates have been extended, and I ended up reading the entire thing. Bless Johan Mouton for writing what could be quite a boring topic for some in an understandable, practical way. Topics discussed include writing a research proposal, literature review and research designs. The chapter on referencing techniques will be of interest for all students, not just those busy with postgraduate studies. Look, it's no spy novel, but a must-have on any student's shelf.
• The Alice Network: A Novel, by Kate Quinn
Speaking of spy novels, Quinn's New York Time's Best Seller does the trick. Well, so far it does, I'm only on page 100 of the 594-page novel. It’s about a female spy recruited to a network in France during the First World War. There is a parallel storyline, with an unconventional American socialite searching for her missing cousin in 1947. Thus far I love Quinn's characters, especially spunky Eve, and enjoy jumping from one period to another. The jury is still out on the rest of the book, and I might switch to the audiobook (yes, there's an audiobook) to finish it faster.
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