Winter is such a great time to get lost between the pages of a good book! We’ve spent some time curling up with a few of the latest titles and now we’re giving you our top pick!
From short stories penned by award-winning authors to classic romance novels, exploring self-pleasure, timeless fashion, and the best in local cookery, here’s what to add to the reading list next:
Savour a quick short story
Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood.
A dazzling collection of fifteen stories from Margaret Atwood, the internationally acclaimed, award-winning author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments Margaret Atwood is celebrated as one of the most gifted storytellers in the world.
These stories explore the full warp and weft of experience, from two best friends disagreeing about their shared past, to the right way to stop someone from choking; from a daughter determining if her mother is a witch, to what to do with inherited relics such as World War II parade swords.
They feature beloved cats, a confused snail, Martha Gellhorn, George Orwell, philosopher-astronomer mathematician Hypatia of Alexandria, a cabal of elderly female academics, and an alien tasked with retelling human fairy tales.
At the heart of the collection is a stunning sequence that follows a married couple as they travel the road together, the moments big and small that make up a long life of love – and what comes after.
The glorious range of Atwood’s creativity and humanity is on full beam in these tales, which by turn delight, illuminate, and quietly devastate.
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All about the romance
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants.
She’s come a long way from the small town where she grew up and graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. And when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life seems too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.
Max out your ‘me-time’
This Book Will Make You Feel Something by Florence Bark.
Masturbation is proven to release serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin (all the good things) in our brains. It also helps us to learn what gives us pleasure, which can enhance our external sex lives, and with the right encouragement it can improve the way we feel about our bodies. And yet, despite all these benefits, most women report feeling uncomfortable confessing to it.
This book is on a mission to blow that taboo away. The more we talk about and normalise masturbation, the better we’ll get at it, and the more of its benefits we’ll enjoy. Whether you use this book for some much-needed ‘me’ time or to spice up your sex life with a special someone, it will give you the tools to not only feel something but to feel everything.
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Praise be, the LBD
The Little Book of the Little Black Dress by Orange Hippo.
Contemporary yet classic, the little black dress never goes out of style.
Popularised by Coco Chanel in the 1920s, the style freed women from the corset and became the epitome of liberation. Dubbed the ‘Ford of fashion’ by American Vogue, it was simple, stylish, and affordable, ‘the frock that all the world will wear’. Tracing the fascinating evolution of the LBD, from Audrey Hepburn’s sleek Givenchy sheath in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Princess Diana’s rebellious ‘revenge dress’ right through to the mesh detailing and body-sculpting shapes of recent years, this little book is a celebration of one of fashion’s most iconic garments.
Cook up a storm
Modern Cape Malay Cooking by Cariema Isaacs.
Modern Cape Malay Cooking, Cariema’s fourth cookbook, is a celebration of food and feasting, providing a contemporary view of Cape Malay cuisine and simple home cooking.
The recipes showcase a blend of flavours that redefine the Cape Malay palate through modern ingredients and global influences. Though traditional Cape Malay cuisine and recipes have stood the test of time, adaptations have given rise to a culinary fusion. Cariema shares the recipes and influences that have inspired these modern dishes, with simple ingredients and vibrant aromatics for anyone courageous enough to create flavour.
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Feature Image: Getty
