July 2009 - book 22

'n Tapisserie met klein diere van Erika Murray-Theron 

Ek was aangenaam verras deur hierdie boek - ek het altyd gedink dat die skrywer jou tipiese Afrikaanse romantiese boeke skryf. Maar nee, sy skryf meesterlike stories wat ver buite die gewone raamwerk span.

In hierdie boek ontmoet 'n uiters komplekse en diverse familie mekaar vir 'n soort van reunie rondom 'n vakansie. Die uiteenlopende karakters, wat elkeen op sy eie manier tot jou spreek, het ook uiteenlopende geskiedenisse, fyn verweef met mekaar. Dan is daar ook die geraamtes in die familiekas wat ontbloot word.

Werklik 'n goeie en verrassende lees - 8/10

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.