A quiet bookseller. An old book, filled with strange writing and mysterious drawings. And a handwritten message at the front … This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door. So a special, magic book. But where there is magic there is power and there are those who will stop at nothing to possess it. Gareth Brown’s The Book of Doors … spell-bounding. Penguin
A luxury hotel. A precious antique. A theft. And a head maid who dusts for clues, determined to crack the case. Drama and intrigue in Nita Prose’s The Maid’s Secret. Harper Collins Publishers
An emperor must bring his reign to an end. Eight contenders – exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists – will compete to replace him. Magic, murder and dark forces in The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson – an epic fantasy novel. Hodderscape
Don’t Believe A Word by Susan Lewis centres around a podcast host who is fascinated by a young woman’s mysterious childhood. Raised by her aunts. Never knew her parents. And stolen. Perfect for a true-crime investigation podcast. Except the aunt claims it’s all a fantasy. Lies, family secrets, danger. All you want in a riveting book club read. Harper Collins Publishers • Madly excited about Atmosphere. Love a Taylor Jenkins Reid novel … she’s brilliant at transporting readers to iconic times and places, creating complex protagonists, and telling passionate love stories … this time it’s love among the stars. Penguin
Cavalli Estate’s Shiraz 2023 is a bold new vintage – with spicy layers of black pepper, cinnamon, and cloves, harmoniously balanced by dark cherry and fine dark chocolate.
Aged in a combination of stainless steel and seasoned oak, it has a refined, medium-bodied profile … all elegance, purity, and drinkability. Love the new sleek, moody packaging too.
R160 a bottle from cavalliestate.com
A reclusive billionaire with no interest in relationships outside his small circle. With one exception. The woman who is engaged to his oldest friend. A beautiful, successful, glamorous supermodel. Engaged, but it’s no love story. Instead it’s a business arrangement that suits both parties. Until it doesn’t. Ana Huang’s King of Envy – book five in the Kings of Sin series, comes with a playlist, and a warning – explicit sexual content and harassment, and graphic violence – so is not for sensitive readers. Piatkus
Table for Two is a collection of six short stories – all set in New York, and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood. The short stories, most of which take place around the year 2000, mostly involve ‘a pair of family members or strangers facing each other across a table to confront some new reality in their lives,’ explains author Amor Towle, adding that he feels they may have sprung from a conviction in his subconscious that our lives can often change materially due to a single conversation at a table for two. Penguin
You may follow Jefferson Fisher on Instagram, where you’ll find him sharing hints on communications from the front seat of his truck. This trial lawyer and speaker’s down-to-earth strategies will help you, whether it’s handling a heated conversation, dealing with a difficult personality, or standing your ground with confidence.
Without ever having to win an argument! Written simply, with anecdotes and lessons learned, he says, from his daily grind in the real-world trenches of arguments, disagreements, heated debates and difficult conversations. His IG posts are brilliant, so is his podcast, and so is The Next Conversation. Penguin Life
For these and more brilliant book club reads, visit exclusivebooks.co.za
