July 2009 - Book 19

The Road Home by Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen
A modern version of the age old story of Ruth portrayed against the background of Las Vegas and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania's Amish and Mennonite communities. The book features many very likable characters and manages to wield the charm of a rural lifestyle by pure descriptions- I could form clear pictures in my mind as to the countryside, buildings and people.


I would have never bought the book in a shop,. but I guess that's one of the advantages of belonging to a  book club - you get to read books that surprise you quite often.


Well written is is really worth the read.


Cat's opinion: a solid 7and a half/10

June 2009 - Book 18

Spud - learning to fly by John van de Ruit
If you have not read the other two Spud books, please do so before reading this one. They are so worth it too!

This book really fulfilled on what it promised to be - a well deserved third book in the series. 'n Great read with a laugh a minute, and the inevitable tear to match. Filled with awesome real over the top characters that grips the imagination you are truly entertained on every single page. As with the previous books it documents another year in the life of Spud and the crazy eight in a school filled with more than it's equal share of  slightly crazy people. To top it all, Spuds own way dysfunctional family continues to entertain us through out.

I am sure that through the years I will read them all again, and so will my children. I also can not wait for the film of the first book to start showing- John Gleeson will simply be the best Guv possible.

Cat's rating: a stellar 9,5/10

June 2009 - Book 17

The Irreverent Mother's Guide by Sam Cowen and Lee van Loggerenberg

I read Sam's "Waiting for Christopher" when I just had the princess and thoroughly enjoyed it. This one is even funnier. Consisting out of emails between Sam and her BFF Lee, it covers nanny's, toddler sex education, newborn woes and second time around pregnancy thoughts.

A light must read for all of Sam's fans and all moms and moms to be.

Car's count: 7/10

June 2009 - Book 16

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
I have looked at this book for years, thinking to buy it and always choosing something else in stead. I was simply not ready for another story of liberation in Africa. So when I saw it in the Book club, I also took a few months before I actually borrowed it and read it. And boy, was I wrong about this book - it is not about politics in -Africa at all, but more about politics right in every home.

When a borderline deranged missionary decides to take his family to Africa to "save the savages" the real savage in him comes out to play. A brutal and disillusioned man, he influences the lives of his daughters until the end of time.

Excellently written and a great story with very real and unique characters, this is simply a "must" read. Even if you do not feel like another African read.

Cat's rating: 9/10

August 2010 - Book 22

Dis koue kos, skat deur Marita van der Vyver 
also released in English as Just Dessert, Dear.

Clara Brand, food journalist's husband cheats on her with a pretty blond colleague and friend.When they are caught in the act, he makes the decision to leave his wife and 3 children for the pretty seductress. Clara fights to find herself again by finding solace in whiskey, chocolate and opera music, just to move to Cape Town and find herself in a brand new life. In the end, through a set of circumstances and a horny ex husband, she finds he own form of poetic justice. From insanely angry at the start to strangely in control at the end, we walk the path with her and see her grow.

Written with a lot of humor by means of letters and emails, the story is told without any character ever really "saying" a word. Clara writes to her ex husband, her sister, friend and the writer of the book who almost becomes a character herself, and to Griet, the very famous main character in the writer's best know work, "Entertaining angels/ Griet skryf 'n sprokie".

A great entertaining read, it is truly unputdownable.  I am truly a fan of her work.
Cat gives this one a great 9,5/10 for entertainment value.

May 2009 - Book 15

Petronella van Aarde, burgemeester deur Dalene Matthee

Wanneer Petronella die Status Quo in Kasselspoort uitdaag steek allerhande kinkels in die kabel hulle koppe uit. Die karakters is ryklik verweef en is die tipe mens wat jy op elke klein dorpie kan raakloop - behalwe dalk Petronella selfs - sy is 'n unieke vrou (en uit een stuk). 'n Lekkerlees boek, is hierdie die tipe Matthhee lees wat ek geniet- ek is nie 'n aanhanger van die bos boeke nie.

My punt: 'n lekker 8/10

May 2009 - Book 14

Harvesting the heart by Jodi Picoult

When I read the book I did not realize that this was only Jodi's second book and that possibly it does not offer the same challenges as her later books do.

Paige is a young woman that was abandoned by her mother as a toddler. This remains the main issue in her life as she meets a young medical student, Nicholas and marries him. Pushing aside her own dreams and talents to become his wife, she trips into an emotional ditch with the birth of their little boy, Max. When it all becomes too much for her, she does exactly what her mother did - she abandons him in his dad's care.

A bit too much of a romance story for my taste, at least characters develop and at the end of the book you do have a bit more empathy than at the beginning, both for Paige and her mother.

A so- so Picoult ( she has many more that are way better) - a 5/10

April 2009 - Book no 13

The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Oscar is a young man, and outcast that finds himself growing up in the most extraordinary circumstances. He is transplanted to the very intriguing environment of Santa Domingo where he once again find himself caught up in a world that he does not really belong to. Eternally the fringe figure he finds his solace in science fiction. If you know a bit about this genre in literature or the movies you might find yourself surprise every now and again by references and quotes.

A truly original, but very sad read that is so well written that you can actually see the characters come alive. I would greatly recommend this book to every one that likes an original read.

Cat's rating: A great 9/10 

April 2009 - Book no 12

The shadow of the wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I have a very flexible list of top 10 favorite books of all time. And I have a top 100 list of books, which tend to stay more stable. This one made it to that top 100 list with the greatest of ease.

Set in charming time in the most intriguing city, it is the story of a young man that "discovers" a long lost book in the most amazing library. It quickly develops in the most amazing story that functions on many levels, connecting over characters and periods of time.

Really excellently written this very touching and intricate story will amaze and keep you intrigued. A warning though - it is a very long and not always easy read.

Cat's rating: a solid 9,5/10

March 2009 -Book no 11

Emotionally Healthy Twins by Joan A Friedman
I met Joan when she gave a talk at SAMBA - South Africa's Multiple Birth Association.I was really impressed by her principles and bought the book to read more.

Joan encourages separate individuality to a huge extend going as far as separate parties etc. We decided to implement several of the suggestions she makes and it has surely already been of benefit to us.

I would encourage all parents of multiples to read this book - we all take such care of their physical health, let's do the same for their mental health.

Cat's rating 9/10

March 2009 -Book no 10

My apologies to my English readers - this book has not been translated, hence I will do the review in Afrikaans as well.

Fortuin deur Chanette Paul
Die verhaal speel af in 'n retreat vir siele wat soek na verdieping of verandering in hule lewe, Of Eva 'n heks of 'n engel is, is elke een se eie opinie, Dan word die eerste gas op die plaas vermoor en die nimlike Fortuintjie raak betrokke by die saak.

Hierdie is 'n heelike spanningsverhaal wat verras op elke bladsy. Die karakters is ryk geklee  en werklik interessant en die skrywer wek deernis met interessante gewone mense se lewens. Ek kon nie wag om haar volgende boek te lees nie.

Chanette het aanvanklik hygromans geskryf en daarvoor bekend geword - nie 'n genre wat ek enigsens lees nie. Maar hierdie is ware spanningsverhale - as jy van Deon Meyer hou, sal jy hiervan hou.

Hierdie boek kan alleen gelees word, maar ek sal aanbeveel dat jy eers "Springgety" lees - die eerste boek in die Kruisbaai trilogie. Die boeke volg nie op mekaar nie, maar sommige karakters is in almal teenwoordig en daar word tog verwys na die vorige boek. Ek sal ook weldra "Boheem", die derde boek in die reeks resenseer.

Cat se opinie: 'n Lekkerlees 8,5/10

March 2009 -Book no 9

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
There has been so much written about these books that I am not going to add much to the debate. Suffice with that I found the book completely "unputdownable " and can see why it is a bestseller of note. The whole concept of an almost completely parallel world running along side and interweaving with ours was fascinating.  At the time when I read the book I was not sure if I actually was going to read the rest of the series, but subsequently have and enjoyed all.

I did find Bella extremely irritating though. Her neadyness and passive character type really frustrated me and I was sure that in real life Bella and me would never have been friends. Way too dark and broody. Although a good book on it's own, it is really just the introduction to the rest of the series.

Cat's rating: 9/10 for a good read.

March 2009 -Book no 8

Learning to Fly by Roxanne Henke
I am not a huge fan of Christian  fiction type books but we seem to have quite a few in the Book club. I would never have bought this book or even lend it from the library, but it caught my eye in the Book club box, and I took it home. An wow, what a great read!

It is a well written simple story of two girls growing up in the same town in two very different households with very different discipline and parenting rules. The message of this book has been in the back of my mind ever since I read it (which is more than a year ago), and I often stand back and think about a situation that is playing out in our home and weighing the consequences according to the stories in this book.

A must read for every Christian mom - and entertaining too.

Cat's rating: A well deserved 8,5/10

July 2010 - Book no 21

Die wonderdade van Staal Burger deur Fanus Rautenbach
So ek mis iets hier - duidelik. Dalk is ek nie nostalgies genoeg oor ou radioverhale nie, maar dis net met totale deursettings vermoë dat ek hierdie boek klaar gelees het. Die skryftrant en taal is irriterend en die stories maar regtig oppervlakkig. Snaaks genoeg - die ander "nie-Staal" verhale in die boek was effens beter.

Lees slegs en alleenlik as jy na ou Springbokradio stories verlang.

Cat se punte: seker maar 5/10 - dit is oom Fanus

July 2010 - Book no 20

The third Angel by Alice Hoffman

Spanning the time frame of 3 lifetimes, this book brings together the stories of a whole cast of characters that one meet as the book progress. In each part of the book, in each time frame you start to make the connections between the different characters. The picture and the whole frame of the story becomes more apparent.

The book connects the loves of two present day sisters, getting together to prepare for the one's wedding, with the life of the groom's mom in the swinging sixties, where she discovers while defying her father that her greatest joy is actually being with him. Years before that the two sister's mother witness a heartbreaking event that changes her life forever. The one factor that binds all of the stories is a dingy hotel in London, that almost acts as a character all of its own.

Cleverly written this books addresses the love between parents and their children and the devastating effect the loss of a loved one has on the lives of those left behind.An excellent and clever read.

Cat's opinion: A clever 9/10

(I also enjoyed her book Here on Earth and the film Practical magic, based on one of her books)

July 2010 - Book no 18

The Monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin S Sharma

I have heard so much about this book that I grabbed the chance to be the first one to read it at the Bookclub. I am really not a keen reader of self-help type books so I should have known that like most other of it's species, this one would also not fascinate me. I read the first two thirds and tried to really concentrate and understand and remember as much as possible. I even re-capped on the handy summaries at the end of each chapter. But it was just not "happening". Maybe at the time I was simply too tired. The last third I speed-read through.

The message is simple - return to yourself and to true and honest non monetary values and you will get rich, be thin and healthy and eternally happy and perfect. Ok, maybe I am being a bit cynical. Recommended for self help junkies and semi-Buddhist  health nuts only.

Cat's score on this one; 4/10- but maybe it's just me.