NAMIBIAN tweeps and some The Namibian staff members share what they rate as the best book they read in 2014:
The Namibian Staff Picks
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‘David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants’ by Malcolm Gladwell
– The non-fiction book (2013) focuses on the probability of improbable events occurring in situations where one outcome is greatly favoured over the other. The book contains many different stories of these underdogs who wind up beating the odds, the most famous being the story of David and Goliath. – Wikipedia
“Gladwell connects dots, questions the obvious and uncovers hidden truths where the ordinary mind only see boxes and certain outcomes.”
‘The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion’ (2008) by Matt Taibbi
– A revelatory and darkly comic adventure through a nation on the verge of a nervous breakdown – from the halls of Congress to the bases of Baghdad to the apocalyptic churches of the heartland.
Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi set out to describe the nature of George Bush’s America in the post-9/11 era and ended up vomiting demons in an evangelical church in Texas, riding the streets of Baghdad in an American convoy to nowhere, following a trail of pork through the halls of Congress, and falling into the rabbit hole of the 9/11 Truth Movement.
– www.goodreads.com
“Want to laugh uncontrollably out loud at 02h00 when everyone’s asleep? Read this book. It’s as relevant today as it was in 2008.”
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‘Sycamore Row’ by John Grisham. “It deals with land injustice from a unique perspective. A gripping read.” And ‘Adultery’ by Paulo Coehlo. “Can one love ever be enough for some?”
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‘In The Company Of Shadows’ by Santino Hassell. “I’d say it redefines soulless assassins.”
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“The best book I read this year is a toss-up between Khaled Hosseini’s ‘And the Mountains Echoed’ (the man can do no wrong) and Junot Diaz’s collection of short stories titled ‘This Is How You Lose Her’. Junot’s writing is breathtaking, thick with emotion and hauntingly beautiful.”
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‘Scars on my Skin’ by Joseph Molapong. “A wonderful collection of poetry from a Namibian legend.”
: ‘Tell Me No Lies’ edited by John Pilger. “Writers go the extra mile in digging up and fearlessly telling stories.”
: ‘Forever’ by Judy Blume.
: Not much opportunity for me to read fiction this year I’m afraid, but ‘Amerikanah’ – “you’d never have known the characters were so far from me the way I could relate to their struggle” – and ‘The Colour Purple’ for sure. “Alice Walker created one of the most amazing characters I’ve ever known.”
: ‘Adultery’ by Paulo Coelho. “It’s a must read.”
: ‘Truth Is Truth’ by Job Shipululo Amupanda.
: ‘The Fall Of The ANC: What’s Next?’ by Prince Mashele
: ‘Things I Want My Daughters To Know’ by Elizabeth Noble. “So touching.”
: ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ by Robin Sharma.
: I have read so many but since I have to select one: ‘Making A Difference’ by Libertine Amathila was a good read.
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