Cape Times

BOOKMARKS

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MY LIFE IN LISTS Guy Browning Loot.co.za (R233) Square Peg

EVER since Nick Hornby made lists a prominent feature of

High Fidelity, they have made increasing inroads into the modern novel, culminatin­g in one here consisting of nothing else. We follow Guy Browning’s unnamed hero from childhood to middle-age through the lists he makes.

He’s obsessive and nerdy, though the necessary character developmen­t means he eventually evolves beyond the compulsion to write in bullet points.

It’s often funny, for example, one of the reasons his dad gives for not studying English literature is, “There’s a genuine danger of slipping into amateur dramatics.”

The whole thing is slight, but reasonably amusing. – Daily Mail

SPLASH! Stephen Glover Loot.co.za (R349) Constable

WITH a title that’s an obvious nod to Evelyn Waugh’s 1938 Fleet Street satire Scoop, the new novel from Daily Mail columnist Stephen Glover offers a modern take on the tabloid Press.

Its hero, Sam Blunt, is a drunken hack on the Daily Bugle. His future is all behind him as he struggles to adjust to working practices that don’t include a five-hour liquid lunch.

But then he stumbles upon the story of the decade, involving shady dealings between a corrupt, libidinous MP and a Chinese billionair­e.

This is both a terrific romp through the indiscreti­ons, dodgy deals and Establishm­ent stitchups of our times, and a reminder of just how vital the Press is in holding power to account. – Daily Mail

DINOSAURS, DIAMONDS & DEMOCRACY Francis Wilson Loot.co.za (R233) Umuzi

DINOSAURS, DIAMONDS & DEMOCRACY is a little book, big on content. Written by Francis Wilson, an emeritus professor at the University of Cape Town, this CD-sized, 140-page book is a compact, comprehens­ive history of South Africa. It begins with an asteroid crash over 2 billion years ago and in this, its third edition, it brings us right up to date with new informatio­n on recent archaeolog­ical findings and major political, social and economic events.

On Wilson’s “magical history tour”, one meets the most ancient of dinosaurs. The arrival of people who reshaped this country’s history. One learns of the trials and tribulatio­ns and the positives and negatives of our history. – Julian Richfield

THE LIE OF THE LAND Amanda Craig Loot.co.za (R328) Little Brown

THIS bright comedy follows Lottie and Quentin Bredin, who are downsizing to Devon in lieu of getting the financiall­y unattainab­le divorce that Quentin’s philanderi­ng deserves.

The move brings contrastin­g prospects for a pair whose snazzy jobs bit the dust amid late-Noughties cutbacks. For Lottie, an architect, there’s a role in a local housing project with the added perk of tit-for-tat workplace hanky-panky.

Along with the jollity, there’s a side order of high drama as Amanda Craig hoovers up some crunchy social issues.

As rumour grows of grisly historical goings-on chez Bredin, Craig’s energetic satire of middle-class manners segues seamlessly into edge-of-the-seat murder mystery. – Daily Mail

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