TOP READS FOR THE AUTUMN

With school started and parents finding they have a bit more free time than in the summer months, some may wish to catch up with recent top reads. Marisa Cutillas brings you a few best-selling suggestions.

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

CAMINO WINDS BY JOHN GRISHAM

In this thrilling novel, iconic author John Grisham invites us to unravel yet another mystery, this time on Camino Island – a place where anything can happen, even in the midst of a devastating hurricane. The book centres on Bruce Cable – the proprietor of a publishing company who decides to stay on Camino Island despite hurricane warnings and the order from the Governor to evacuate the island.

When the hurricane hits, a dozen people are killed and one of the victims is Nelson Kerr – an author and good friend of Bruce. The publisher begins to suspect that the latest set of shady characters Nelson has been writing about are real and wonders if they have anything to do with his friend’s death. He starts to read the manuscript and the information he finds is more fascinating than any of Nelson’s previous mysteries. It is also far more dangerous.

LUSTER BY RAVEN LEILANI

Raven Leilani’s debut book is an explosion of emotion and also a refreshingly honest read that refuses to represent its protagonist as a heroine. Edie – a 23-year-old worker at a publishing house – is struggling to make ends meet. She dreams of being an artist yet avoids actually painting, her love life is disastrous, and she doesn’t have any sense of real direction.

Her adventures begin when she meets Eric – a middle-aged man in an open marriage. When Edie is fired from her job she moves in with Eric and his wife and forms a connection with the couple’s adopted daughter, Akila. Edie slowly begins to gain a greater sense of grounding as she struggles to believe in her own talent and discovers more about herself through her interactions with each of the family members.

THE GUEST LIST BY LUCY FOLEY

Glitz, glamour, and Agatha Christie-like suspense are what this page-turner is all about. British author Lucy Foley takes us to a beautiful island where a powerful digital magazine editor and a television star are about to wed. Every detail of the wedding has been planned to perfection but there is one little problem: the guest list. Will bringing people together from the couple’s past and present go as smoothly as they hope, or will old resentments and envies dampen the party atmosphere? It seems that someone has a score to settle and the victims have nowhere to run since they are trapped on an island.

THE DEATH OF VIVEK OJI BY AKWAEKE EMEZI

It is a hot afternoon in southeastern Nigeria when a mother opens her front door to discover her son, Vivek’s dead body, wrapped in colourful fabric, at her feet. Soon, we are plunged into the emotion-packed story of one family’s struggle to understand a child who is as mysterious as he is gentle. Raised by a cold father and loving but slightly smothering mother, Vivek suffers strange blackouts and moments of detachment from the present reality.

As he grows into manhood, he finds companionship in the warm, friendly daughters of the ‘Nigerwives’, foreign-born women married to Nigerian men. Vivek’s soulmate is Osita, his seemingly confident cousin who hides secrets of her own fragility. As they get closer, Osita struggles to understand Vivek’s mental crisis, when one moment of violence enables her to comprehend everything. The book is moving, highly engaging, and emotionpacked; an ideal read if you are undergoing a moment of self-reflection.

WHITE FRAGILITY BY ROBIN DIANGELO

The #BlackLivesMatter movement continues to point out inherent societal flaws that need addressing if change is to be made. White Fragility delves into key issues surrounding these problems, particularly that of white sensitivity about discussing racism. Author Robin DiAngelo was inspired to write the book after listening to people repeatedly espouse that they “were taught to treat everyone the same.”

She found that they were somehow extremely defensive when their ideas on race and racism were challenged – particularly when they felt implicated in the topic of white supremacy. The book argues against the penchant for protecting people against racial discomfort. It is vital, she says, to build up ‘racial stamina’ to tackle difficult issues headon, without changing the subject.