Book: Kamee, Roela Hattingh

I met Roela at at a Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) conference earlier in the year (2016) in Durban. She is one of those amazing people that you just like the minute you meet her. After a long day of conferencing, there was a gap before the evening's plans were to commence; I had a meeting close to where she and her colleagues were staying, so we walked together and got chatting. 

I had not anticipated that the distance between the conference venue and the meeting place would feel like a half a marathon in my incredibly unpractical high heals; Roela being so finely in tune with those around her kindly brought me a pair of her shoes to the function later that evening, who does that? What an incredibly wonderful gesture. Maya Angelou's famous quote springs to mind,"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." I don't think I'll easily forget what Roela did for me or how she made me feel. 

During the December holiday I finally got a chance to read Roela's "Kamee". Her first book, a book of short stories. I absolutely love well written Afrikaans books. Roela has a magical way of working with words, describing a scenario and adding incredible detail. The stories make you think, some let you make your own conclusions. I don't really get too emotional when reading, however there was one specific one that did actually bring a tear to my eye. 

Roela's "cameo"is incredible! Really looking forward to reading many more of her books!

Book: Byleveld, Dossier van 'n baasspeurder, Hanlie Retief

One of my all time favourite wind down activities on a weekend is to watch Channel 171 on DSTV; the crime channel. What is it about the macarbe and "whodoneit" that fascinates us so much? One of the other programs that I really enjoyed watching was "Die Byl"on Kyknet. A story loosely based  (I assume) on the work of Inspector Piet Byleveld. 

Much was my excitement when my Mom had taken out the Inspector's story from the library over the Christmas holiday. 

Each chapter is a different case that he had solved, f a s c i n a t i n g! I finished reading it within a day. How he ever managed to trust anyone having to deal with so many mass murderers is remarkable. Hanlie Retief has a wonderful way of capturing and relaying a story; a most enjoyable read. 

Book: The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale

I've seen this book on my Mom's bookshelf since I can remember. This year I decided it was time to read it. Initially, when I started reading it, I was a bit concerned that it was going to ram religion down my throat; the author does say right up front that everything is based on Christian values. I have absolutely nothing against religious books; in fact I think many problems exist because people don't have / live according to higher being guidelines anymore. My problem with religious books is when you feel preached at. Mr Peale's writing does not come across as being 'high and mighty'; he shares good stories and examples. It may not be everyone's cup of tea; being more positive, thankful and tapped into higher powers can only be beneficial. It was good to get reminder about this.

Book: Inside Coca-Cola, A CEO's Life Story of Building the World's Most Popular Brand, Neville Isdell with David Beasley

Enjoyed reading more about the history of Coca Cola through the eyes of Mr Isdell. I absolutely love the Coke brand and what they stand for, so it was great to get even more insight into this wonderful company through the eyes of one of their CEOs.