Born a Crime: stories from a South African childhood

I recently finished the book Born a Crime:  stories from a South African childhood by Trevor Noah.  It’s an incredible book and one which, if you only read one nonfiction book this year, you need to read this.   Basically, the book is about growing up under apartheid in South Africa.  Trevor Noah was born mixed-race. He was born to a black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father.  Under apartheid, this was a crime.  Trevor struggles to find his place in a world in which he never truly feels that he belongs.  His mother is a very strong woman who is determined to save him from the poverty and abuse that have often dominated her life.

When I first started reading this, I was prepared for a grim and depressing book.  I actually listened to this on audio, and I was blown away by it.  Noah manages to impart the horror of apartheid to be sure, but there are many parts that are laugh-out-loud funny.  It’s a timely book that should resonate with audiences worldwide.  This book earned a starred Booklist review.  

The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston

You might know Douglas Preston as a co-author with Lincoln Child of best-selling books such as Brimstone, Crimson Shore and Beyond the Ice Limit.  In his newest book, Preston ventures into nonfiction territory in The Lost city of the Monkey God.  The legend of a lost city someplace in the rugged interior of Honduras has been around for ages. (It has often been called The White City.)   In 2012, Douglas Preston joined a team of scientists to look for this city.  Using highly advanced technology, they identified 3 sites and subsequently explored one of them.  The terrain was so rough, and the jungle so dense, that they had to be dropped by helicopter and made their camp by hacking out the jungle. 

This is a fascinating and well-written book that is as exciting as a fiction adventure novel. Preston talks of the history of the region, the Indigenous people who lived in the area before the invasion by the Conquistadors, the actual search the team conducted and the hardships that needed to be endured.  For example, on page 135, Preston has just set up camp and was heading to his hammock: 

  “On the second circle of the hammock, I froze as my beam passed over a huge snake. It was coiled up on the ground, just to one side of Juan Carlos’s hammock, three feet away from where I stood.”

  He continues on:  “It was staring at me, in striking position, its head swaying back and forth, it’s tongue flicking in and out.  I had walked right past it – twice.”  

YIKES!  I read that just before going to bed and that passage kept me up awhile.

The Lost City of the Monkey God is a great read, both for non-fiction and as cross-over for fiction readers.  I highly recommend it.

The Devil in Spring

I actually listened to the audio version of The Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas.  This book brings together some of the characters from two series, The Ravenels and The Wallflowers.  The audio is by Harper Audio and is read by May Jane Wells.  This story concerns Lady Pandora Ravenel who, by virtue of getting her head and body stuck into the carved backing of a chair in a remote garden during a house party, is compromised by Gabriel,  Lord St. Vincent (who just happens to be the son of Sebastian and Evie, last seen in The Devil in Winter.)  Lady Pandora has no intention of marrying anyone as she intends to become a businesswoman and design her own board games, which are just becoming the rage in England and in which she has a surprising talent. Gabriel is appalled to find himself attracted to this unconventional girl who he is sure would make an atrocious wife.

The great thing about all of these books is that they don't take themselves too seriously and the characters all have some quirks.  The dialogue between characters is sharp and witty, such as when the first real conversation alone between Pandora and Gabriel concerns vegetables and his dislike of all things carrot.

These are a good read-alike  Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz) as these both have unique characters and snappy dialogue.   It's best to read these in series order; however, it's not the end of the world if you don't as you can pick up the previous story threads pretty easily.

 

The Wallflowers                                         

1. Secrets of a Summer Night                                   

2. It Happened One Autumn                                     

3. Devil in Winter                                                      

4. Scandal in Spring

5. A Wallflower Christmas

The Ravenels

1. Cold Hearted Rake
2. Marrying Winterborne
3. Devil in Spring