Books from South Africa
51 popular south african books
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
The target of the Read Around The World Challenge is to read at least one book written by an author from each and every country in the world.
All books that are listed here as part of the "Read Around Africa Challenge" were written by authors from South Africa.
Find a great book for the next part of your reading journey around the world from this book list. The following popular books have been recommended so far.
41.
The Hobbit, Or, There and Back Again by J. R. R. Tolkien EN
Country: Africa / South Africa
South Africa
Description:
The stirring adventure that begins The Lord of the Rings, the greatest fantasy epic of all time When Thorin Oakenshield and his band of dwarves embark upon a dangerous quest to reclaim the hoard of gold stolen from them by the evil dragon Smaug, Gandalf the wizard suggests an unlikely accomplice: Bilbo Baggins, an unassuming Hobbit dwelling in peaceful Hobbiton. Along the way, the company faces trolls, goblins, giant spiders, and worse. But as they journey from the wonders of Rivendell to the terrors of Mirkwood and beyond, Bilbo will find that there is more to him than anyone—himself included... continue
42.
The Madonna of Excelsior : A Novel by Zakes Mda EN
Country: Africa / South Africa
South Africa
Description:
"A generous, patient, wry and intelligent voice...[that] suggests not just a writer who can seduce us through beautiful language and unfailing humor. We also encounter a writer who has the power to shock and frighten us, to astound and anger and unsettle us...In short, his is a voice for which one should feel not only affection but admiration." --Neil Gordon, New York Times Book Review Selection, Summer Reading, New York Times Book Review In 1971, nineteen citizens of Excelsior in South Africa's white-ruled Free State were charged with breaking apartheid's Immorality Act, which forbade sex bet... continue
43.
The Museum Murder : An Utterly Unputdownable Cozy Mystery by Katie Gayle EN
Country: Africa / South Africa
South Africa
Description:
Dastardly deeds, daring deceptions and a dress to die for… Epiphany Bloom is back on the case!
Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom, would-be detective and London’s unluckiest woman, finds herself in a real costume drama when she unearths a theft at a fashion museum.
The missing dress is a proper piece of Hollywood history, worth a fortune. And as Pip investigates, she finds the museum staff all had reasons to want the garment gone. From fancy boutiques to sketchy back alleys, Pip discovers the fashion world is not all glitz and glamour as she hunts down her prize.
As if she ... continue
44.
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay EN
Country: Africa / South Africa
South Africa
Description:
“The Power of One has everything: suspense, the exotic, violence; mysticism, psychology and magic; schoolboy adventures, drama.” –The New York Times “Unabashedly uplifting . . . asserts forcefully what all of us would like to believe: that the individual, armed with the spirit of independence–‘the power of one’–can prevail.” –Cleveland Plain Dealer In 1939, as Hitler casts his enormous, cruel shadow across the world, the seeds of apartheid take root in South Africa. There, a boy called Peekay is born. His childhood is marked by humiliation and abandonment, yet he vows to survive and conceives ... continue
45.
The Promise by Damon Galgut EN
Country: Africa / South Africa
South Africa
Description:
"Haunted by an unmet promise, the Swart family loses touch after the death of their matriarch. Adrift, the lives of the three siblings move separately through the uncharted waters of South Africa: Anton, the golden boy who bitterly resents his life's unfulfilled promises; Astrid, whose beauty is her power; and the youngest, Amor, whose life is shaped by a nebulous feeling of guilt. Reunited by four funerals over three decades, the dwindling family reflects the atmosphere of its country-- an atmosphere of resentment, renewal, and ultimately hope"--Publisher marketing.
46.
The Two Towers : The Lord of the Rings #2 by J. R. R. Tolkien EN
Country: Africa / South Africa
South Africa
Description:
The Company of the Ring is sundered. Frodo and Sam continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin - alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.
Thus continues the classic tale begun in The Fellowship of the Ring, which reaches its awesome climax in The Return of the King.
47.
Vida y época de Michael K by J. M. Coetzee ES
Country: Africa / South Africa
South Africa
Description:
Cuenta la historia que estando el filósofo Diógenes sentado frente al tonel donde vivía con su perro, se le presentó Alejandro Magno: “Mis respetos, Diógenes. Soy el hombre más poderoso de la tierra; decime que puedo hacer por vos". Y Diógenes le respondió: “Correte un poco que me tapas el sol”. Diógenes era un hombre libre, porque había reducido sus necesidades a los esencial.
Michael K es un hombre que tiene todos los factores de la vida en su contra, desde su defecto de nacimiento hasta el contexto... continue
48.
Ways of Dying : A Novel by Zakes Mda EN
Country: Africa / South Africa
South Africa
Description:
A professional mourner, Toloki is reunited with Noria, a woman from his village, at the funeral of a young boy, and joins forces with her to heal the pain of the past and build new lives for themselves in post-apartheid South Africa. Original.
49.
When Rain Clouds Gather & Maru by Bessie Head EN
Country: Africa / South Africa
South Africa
Description:
When Rainclouds Gather: Escaping South Africa and his troubled past, Makehaya crosses the border to Botswana, in the hope of leading a peaceful, purposeful life. In the village of Golema Mmidi he meets Gilbert, a charismatic Englishman who is trying to modernise farming methods to benefit the community. The two outsiders join forces, but their task is fraught with hazards: opposition from the corrupt chief, the pressures of tradition, and the unrelenting climate ever threaten to bring tragedy. Maru: Margaret, an orphan from a despised tribe, has lived her life under the loving protection of a ... continue
50.
Zebra Crossing by Meg Vandermerwe EN
Country: Africa / South Africa
South Africa
Description:
Ghost. Ape. Living dead. Young and albino, Chipo has been called many things, but to her mother – Zimbabwe’s most loyal Manchester United supporter – she had always been a gift. On the eve of the World Cup, Chipo and her brother flee to Cape Town, hoping for a better life and to share in the excitement of the greatest sporting event ever to take place in Africa. But the Mother City’s infamous Long Street is a dangerous place for an illegal immigrant and an albino. Soon Chipo is caught up in a get-rich-quick scheme organised by her brother and the terrifying Dr Ongani. Exploiting gamblers’ supe... continue