'It Ends With Us' and 8 Other Books the Briefly News Team Recommend in 2023
The first day of January every year often marks the start of everyone's New Year's resolutions. We want to be better this year than the last and that's a good thing. Some people aim to quit smoking, others try to cut down on booze and many want to start working out. However, there are those who want to enrich themselves with knowledge and there is no better way to do that than through books.
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Books provide us with a way to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, to escape our reality and live vicariously through another person, whether fictional or real. The Briefly News team gave their book recommendations for 2023, which include worldwide best-sellers and local talent.
Here are our top nine must-read books for 2023:
1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Eoin Colfer, Thomas Tidholm
Recommended by: Byron Pillay, Head of Department at Sports Brief South Africa
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"If you're looking for a book that leaves you questioning the answer to the meaning of life, the universe and everything else, then you need to read the 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'.
"Witty, humourous and with a healthy mix of both dolphins and space travel, you won't want to put it down. You'll also have a greater appreciation for the number 42 after reading this novel."
2. The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
Recommended by: Bianca Lalbahadur, Current Affairs writer
"It's suspenseful, a tear-jerker and keeps readers hooked on every word. It's an absolute favourite of mine that I would recommend to anyone to loves a good mystery. The novel is about a young woman who was abducted, but nothing is what it seems."
3. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Recommended by: Kauthar Gool, Women Empowerment writer
"Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell, published in 2012, is a young-adult fiction novel that set my heart aflame. Although I read this novel in my early twenties, I was entranced from the first page. I keep waiting for a sequel after Rainbow treacherously left us on a cliffhanger of a lifetime!
"Set in the 1980s and telling the story of titular characters, 16-year-old Eleanor and Park, the novel delves into the love between two teenagers who are from different worlds who meet on a school bus and somehow connect through music and comic books.
"Eleanor, a chubby girl with long, frizzy red hair, was reared in a dysfunctional family, taunted by a step-father who often abused her mother when he was drunk. Her dad, although rich, was a deadbeat and wanted nothing to do with her.
"Eleanor was also bullied at school because she dressed strangely. Her family could not even afford the most basic essentials, with the teen sharing a room with all her siblings. Park, on the other hand, had a loving mother and father and a life of relative privilege, despite the fact that he and his dad didn’t always see eye to eye.
"Park, who was half-Korean and half-white, also had his own demons to battle and initially had no time for disruptions from a weird chubby girl, placing his headphones firmly on his ears and reading comics on their way to school each day. He didn’t want to be seen interacting with her at all!
"Through their bus rides, the pair somehow connected in the sweetest way, with Eleanor reading the comic books while sitting next to him. Eventually, he caught on and would open the comic at the same place they left off. The non-verbal communication and chemistry between these two was absolutely heartwarming.
"In time, Park started loaning her his comics and music and they fell in love. Their relationship was tough because of their diverse social standings, both in high school and socio-economically. But somehow, they made it work."
4. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
Recommended by: Kelly Lippke, Proofreader
"I think it should be on every South African readers' list, as there are relatively few novels of this calibre set in SA. The story of Peekay and his pet chicken, Granpa Chook, a gift from Inkosi-Inkosikazi, never fails to inspire.
"Peekay's decision to become the boxing champion of the world sets him on a journey across the country meeting authentic South African characters who will have you in fits of laughter. The ending delivers everything the plot promises and no one who's read this book has ever forgotten it."
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5. The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Recommended by: Lerato Mutsila, Current Affairs writer
"I found that the collection of short stories was so beautifully and soulfully written that even though I had not gone through what the characters had gone through, somehow their experiences were my own. Each story weaves a tale of sorrow, disappointment and unexpected life events that lead the characters to question everything."
6. The Yearning by Mohale Mashigo
Recommended by: Lebogang Mashego, Head of the Currant Affairs desk
"'The Yearning' is an outstanding novel and it leaves you yearning for more. Mohale Mashigo penned a nuanced book that takes you on a journey of the ups and downs of familial relationships, friendships and romantic relationships. (It is always nice to read a book about a black woman being loved out loud).
"The novel also explores African spirituality and what happens when a gifted non-believer gets 'a calling'. You don't have to subscribe to African spirituality to enjoy this novel. It's layered, it's complex and it is beautifully written."
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7. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Recommended by: Maryn Blignaut, Head of Human Interest desk
”This novel is unlike anything Colleen Hoover has ever written before. It is not often you find a book that has you laughing, crying and ready to go into fits of rage. Although the storyline is not set in South Africa, local readers will be able to relate because of the domestic abuse theme.
” 'It Ends with Us' shows the reader what it’s like being in an abusive relationship and the courage it takes to get out of it.”
8. Pure as the Lily by Catherine Cookson
Recommended by: Nothando Mthembu, Deputy Head of Human Interest desk
"It's a fictional novel, but it is inspired by the author's own life story. It's a book that depicts the harsh realities of life: poverty, growing up in a dysfunctional family, abuse (and struggling with mental health and alcoholism as a result of such issues).
"But the switch flips and you begin to see some of the characters heal when they begin to let go of the pain of the past and allow themselves to be loved for who they are.
"There's a lot to learn from this book, like how you shouldn't carry around the weight of a past that you cannot change."
9. Agringada: Like a Gringa, Like a Foreigner by Tariro Ndoro
Recommended by: Rutendo Masasi, Human Interest writer
"This is a collection of poetry by Tariro Ndoro. Although not a novel it was a perfect narrative for what Zimbabwean Shona culture is, in a modern setting/in the city. I am not usually a fan of poetry, but this was still enjoyable because it is written like a diary with continuous stories in the poems.
"She also discusses interesting ideas about womanhood, mothers and daughters. Very nostalgic for me since I grew up in Zim and everything was familiar. Good beginner poetry book overall."
Blackbird Books founder Thabiso Mahlape opens up about a love for storytelling and the pain of losing her mom
Sticking to our bookworm ways, Briefly News previously reported on Thabiso Mahlape, the woman who revolutionised South African publishing through her brainchild, Blackbird Books. Mahlape has always been passionate about stories, whether she was putting pen to paper or simply losing herself in an imaginative world with her nose in a book.
She was recently included as one of Briefly News 2022 Women of Wonder for giving other writers a platform and a voice in the SA literacy space. The award-winning publisher spoke to Briefly News about how it all started and how she has been able to push through personal challenges like the passing of her mom.
"I loved the feeling of getting lost in the world that was outside of the world that you live in. When I was in high school, I realised that I could write and that I loved writing," she said.
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