Some books I read last year

These books make me smile.  Some reads I'm glad I've read.  I don't read a lot but, of late,  when I do I like flowery prose and underworld stories. The Quiet Violence of Dreams by K. Sello Duiker has a lot of both. It's such a painful story but the journey is fantastic. I was stressed out after I read it though, there is so much suffering described in painful detail I felt like I went through it by reading it. I've read it twice. It's of great sentimental value to me because its the first book by a South Aftrican writer that I remember reading and thoroughly enjoying. I forget a lot of what I read and I don't finish books it they aren't gripping so loving a book means a lot to me.

Room 207 was another great read, I want to read more of Kgebetli Moele's books. Its so Jozi and so real and so relatable  at the same time.

A million little pieces by James Frey is the kind of book that makes one suffer emotionally, which I rather like when I read, for reasons I don't understand but hope I won't find I need therapy for later in life. It was the first drug memoir I read and although later shown to have been hugely embellished, which is mentioned in the note to the reader at the beginning, did not affect my reading of it. I did not read it to find lessons, being devoid of a drug habit myself, so I didn't feel cheated just because it, debatably, should be moved to the fiction section.  I want to read 'my friend Leonard' by James Frey one day . No rush, life is long.

I came across Melinda Ferguson's 'Smacked' whilst looking for the autobiography of a heroin addict Oprah interviewed. I can't remember her name but she has reddish hair and had a really sad story.  I couldn't find that book but I found this one and thought it would do.  In any case I read and loved it, I'd like to read it over before I read the yellow follow up book about how she's living clean. I saw an article she wrote in a magazine the other day, True Love, I think. This lady has had one rough time of things but she's alive, I had no idea heroin addicts lived past 40.  Just shows you possibilities.

David Bullard's out to lunch is a book I read because a friend on facebook is fond of him (this may be past tense now, I haven't checked). I generally find said friend a reasonable sort of guy so I read this book .  He has some interesting insights and a he's funny.

Le Divorce I adore. J'adore. I read it after I saw the film because I liked the film so much, it was so pretty and so comedy-of-manners like I like so I thought I'd enjoy it.  I did. I enjoyed Kate Hudson's cheerfulness in the film.