Edyth Bulbring’s The Choice Between Us (Tafelberg, 2019) is a clever little book. (You may remember it as one of my top YA picks for winter.)
Tag: Sally Partridge
LEGO book review: The Wickerlight
I’ve been dying to read Mary Watson’s The Wickerlight ever since I saw the cover reveal on Twitter. The novel follows on from The Wren Hunt, which I reviewed last year. If it was anything as dreamy and atmospheric as the first book, I knew I had to read it.
5 local YA novels to love this winter
There is absolutely nothing better in the whole world than curling up with a book when it’s cold outside.
Mine won the M.E.R. Prize!
Last month I shared some recent book news – including being shortlisted for the Media 24 Literary Awards M.E.R. Prize for Youth Fiction.
Hiking in Hogsback
Anyone who has ever encountered this blog will know that road-tripping is my happy place. I love the feeling of getting away and leaving everything behind, the end destination hours if not days away. No worries, no responsibilities, no deadlines. Last year I road tripped five or six times, and this year looks to be no different.
I’ve got some exciting news to share
They say no news is good news, but good news is always worth shouting about. Thankfully I do have some lovely news to share.
What D&D can teach you about character building
I have been playing Dungeons & Dungeons (D&D) for about two years now – not that long compared to some players, but long enough to know the ins and outs (and get the jokes).
Continue reading “What D&D can teach you about character building”
Where to go on a date in Cape Town
When I write stories set in Cape Town, I love painting a picture for readers who may not be familiar with the city – the blanket of cloud sweeping down Table Mountain, the paragliders slowly descending in circles around Lion’s Head, the graffiti-covered trains snaking into town.
The Outcast Hours in LEGO
This is not a review of The Outcast Hours. Well, not really.
I have a story in the collection, which makes it hard as a blogger and reviewer, because I really, really, really want to tell you all about these stories, but then I would be reviewing something I’m involved in, which would be weird.
So instead, I made LEGO stories of my favourite pieces from the anthology. No conflict of interest whatsoever.
This Book Will Find You by Lauren Beukes, Dale Halvorsen and Sam Beckbessinger

Ambulance Service by Sami Shah

Blind Eye by Frances Hardinge

Bag Man by Lavie Tidhar

Gatsby by Maha Khan Phillips

Swipe Left by Daniel Polansky

Not Just Ivy by Celeste Baker

Above the Light by Jesse Bullington

Welcome to the Haunted House by Yukimi Ogawa

See? I didn’t give anything away. Now you’re safe to go discover these stories for yourself.
I will say one thing though.
I love short stories. I love how things can go from bad to worse to the very extreme that an author’s imagination can go. And these little snapshots of what goes on during the ungodly hours do exactly that – they up the ante to the next level, going that much further than you thought was possible.
You think Matt in Daniel Polansky’s story Swipe Left is having a bad date. You have no idea how much worse it’s going to get.
Find it on Goodreads.
Win a copy of The Outcast Hours
The Outcast Hours, a brand-new anthology edited by Jared Shurin and Mahvesh Murad, officially releases worldwide this week. (Jared and Mahvesh are the dynamic duo behind the highly acclaimed The Djinn Falls in Love and Other Stories. Read my review here.)
Continue reading “Win a copy of The Outcast Hours”









