May 2009 - Book 15

Petronella van Aarde, burgemeester deur Dalene Matthee

Wanneer Petronella die Status Quo in Kasselspoort uitdaag steek allerhande kinkels in die kabel hulle koppe uit. Die karakters is ryklik verweef en is die tipe mens wat jy op elke klein dorpie kan raakloop - behalwe dalk Petronella selfs - sy is 'n unieke vrou (en uit een stuk). 'n Lekkerlees boek, is hierdie die tipe Matthhee lees wat ek geniet- ek is nie 'n aanhanger van die bos boeke nie.

My punt: 'n lekker 8/10

May 2009 - Book 14

Harvesting the heart by Jodi Picoult

When I read the book I did not realize that this was only Jodi's second book and that possibly it does not offer the same challenges as her later books do.

Paige is a young woman that was abandoned by her mother as a toddler. This remains the main issue in her life as she meets a young medical student, Nicholas and marries him. Pushing aside her own dreams and talents to become his wife, she trips into an emotional ditch with the birth of their little boy, Max. When it all becomes too much for her, she does exactly what her mother did - she abandons him in his dad's care.

A bit too much of a romance story for my taste, at least characters develop and at the end of the book you do have a bit more empathy than at the beginning, both for Paige and her mother.

A so- so Picoult ( she has many more that are way better) - a 5/10