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The big book surprise


Every now and then I manage to tear myself away from my favourite book genres to pick up a novel that I normally wouldn't read. Call me curious, or perhaps even brave, but most of the time I'm left disappointed. 

Sometimes, the opposite happens: I stumble across a book which ends up knocking my initial expectations right out the door.

Over this past month, I've had 2 such books surprise me. The first book was The Anniversary Man.

It's one of those crime fiction novels that you'd probably overlook because the cover is so non-descript
and the synopsis sounds so clichéd.

It actually ended up being one of the best literary crime fiction novels I've read in a long, long time. I thought the characters were remarkably real, the plot intriguing and the ending, although not quite what I wanted, a refreshingly unpredictable one.
 
The second book I picked up was The Road to Absalom.  Written by South African author Michael Gastrow, the book chronicles the journey of a hedonistic lawyer who journeys to rural Eastern Cape in search of a possible heir to a recently murdered chief.

Now this book is the ultimate antithesis to what I normally read (my review tells you why) - and despite my reluctance to read it, I was once again proved wrong.

Having these 2 books surprise me has taught me that sometimes one tends to miss out on fabulous reads when you just stick to your favourite genres - which is why, as of now, I'm endeavouring to start reading more books outside of my book box.

I think I'm going to start by looking for more books by Anniversary Man author, R.J. Ellory.

P.S. We've compiled our monthly list of top 10 books below. If you sign up for our monthly book club newsletter, you stand a chance of winning our top 10 books from Kalahari.net as well as a case of wine from Perdeberg.

The Road to Absalom
Midnight Girls
The Guernsey and Potato Peel Pie Society
Fire and Sword
Desperation
Breathing in Colour
My Prison, My Home
Tithe
The Anniversary Man
Pastworld


Have you been surprised by any books lately? Share your recommendations in the comment box below. I'm always on the hunt for something interesting to read. 


Tammy February is the editor of women24's book club. She's a self-confessed book slut and wouldn't think twice about grabbing a book right out of your hands. You can follow her on Twitter here.


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