SPLENDID EXPERIENCES

“Something magical can happen when we read a good book.”

Books have a unique power to take us to places we may never physically go – they offer an escape. The stories allow our imagination to travel freely, introducing us to new ideas, perspectives and igniting our imagination.

Two years ago, I started being intentional with limiting my screen time. I then set a target to read at least 1 book a month. Fast forward to 2025 and I have managed to read 60 books. Fiction being the books I read most.

What makes a book great in my view is when the story and the characters stay embedded in my heart and mind long after I have read the book. I will share brief review of the books that gave me that feeling. These books I couldn’t put down. In some instances, I found myself reading through the night.

I have picked 12 books for the number of months, this was a real daunting task but I managed.
The book review will focus on 3 things;
o Is the story enjoyable?
o Are the characters memorable?
o Is it a book that I can re-read?
Each book will be graded out of 5.

1. The Wish – Nicholas Spark
   • 5 stars
   • The story opens in 2019, where we meet Maggie, a renowned New York–based photographer who owns a gallery. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Mark, who soon begins working at the gallery. As Maggie and Mark grow closer, Maggie reflects on her past, taking us on an emotional journey of her past. The story shifts to 1996, when a young Maggie is sent away to live with her aunt. There, she meets Bryce, a warm-hearted boy wise beyond his years. A deep friendship forms between them, and it’s Bryce who introduces Maggie to photography. He becomes a vital source of support during a formative time in her life.
   • The Wish is a complex story that addresses important societal issues and life challenges.
   • Maggie as a character stayed with me for days, weeks and months after reading. I loved the setting and the story. This book, I couldn’t put down.
2. Cant Get Enough – Kennedy Ryan
   • 5 stars
   • After reading This Could Be Us and Before I Let Go, this book was one of my most anticipated reads for the year and it didn’t disappoint.
   • Hendrix is a successful businesswoman and has phenomenal friends. She’s facing a few life challenges, her toughest being caring for her aging mother. She meets Maverick Bell, a tech billionaire whose chasing the next big thing in his life. Sparks fly. There’s instant attraction but Maverick is in an entanglement, which complicates their instant connection.
   • As destiny would have it, his relationship comes to an amicable ending. This gives Maverick an opportunity to pursue Hendrix. The romance between them is shown beautifully – its smart, its uplifting, its loving wholeheartedly and supportive.
   • What brings them together is a shared experience of having a family member who had or has Alzheimer’s.
   • I love how Kennedy Ryan always builds awareness for a variety of topics in her books. I also enjoyed reading about black love shown in a positive light.
3. Atmosphere – Taylor Jenkins Reid
   • 5 stars
   • The story follows Joan Goodwood who gets selected for the NASA’s space shuttle programme in the 80ties. In the book, you get to relive Joan’s past and present while in the programme. You also meet the other canditates/ characters who are part of the programme and have an impact in her life in some shape or form.
   • This is a voyage of discovery for Joan, not just in space but also her self-discovery. The story is fast-paced, gripping and heartbreaking.
   • A beautiful tribute to the women who broke boundaries in the 80ties when women were only just being accepted into space programs.
   • The story and the characters stayed with me for a long time after reading this book.
4. We all want impossible things – Catherine Newman
   • 5 stars
   • A book about two imperfect best friends since childhood, Ashley and Edith, who have been through everything together. As adults they are navigating a difficult time in their lives – Edith has terminal cancer.
   • While the book is heavy and sad in places, it also celebrates friendship, relationships and love.
   • We All Want Impossible Things reminded me of a quote that says ‘The only certainty in life is death.’ As much as the story is about the inevitable, the story is just as much about living. It is a story of full of life and laughter.
5. Seven days in June – Tia Williams
   • 4.5 stars
   • This story is not a simple love story; its romantic, it’s compelling and layered in past traumas and survival.
   • It follows two writes, Eva, a single mom and Shane, a successful bad boy of the literary world. They have a romantic past. When they reconnect after fifteen years, they have chemistry; it’s steamy, its messy, its complicated as they have to confront their past.
   • I loved this book. I’m a sucker for second-chance romance and Tia Williams delivered with the portrayal of the characters and their flaws in this book.
6. Love Marry Kill – Zukiswa Wanner
   • 4 stars
   • Two couples, one steamy love affair and a hitman. ‘Till death do us part’ means different things to people. This book is an emotionally layered love story with twist and turns. This book is a page-turner, which dives into the messiness of infidelity and the length people will go to keep what’s theirs.
   • A great read.
7. Fabrics of love – Lebo Mazibuko
   • 4 stars
   • Fabrics of Love needs to made into a Limited Series – goodness this was such a pleasant read. Growing up in Soweto, the character, the setting was so relatable.
   • The story follows the lives of the Ntoi family, with a particular focus on its women. At the heart of it is Buang, the formidable matriarch who works tirelessly to keep the family together – she’s a fierce protector, she is resilient and sadly has been hardened by her past. Then there’s Prettygirl, the vibrant life of a party – a familiar township character full of charm and energy. Her sister Rosemary is book-smart, focused, and disciplined; she is driven by ambition and purpose. Then there’s their cousin Moipone, a quiet and timid young woman who carries unseen scars from her childhood.
   • Through the eyes of these women, the story explores their journeys as they chase their dreams while confronting culture, family secrets, love, relationships and the weight of past trauma.
   • A multi layered captivating book. I loved how Lebo Mazibuko brought to light the vibrancy of Meadowlands (Soweto).
8. One Golden Summer – Carley Fortune
   • 4 stars
   • I stumbled upon this on Instagram, there was a lot of hype around it, and my curiosity was immediately sparked. I then had to read the 1st book, Every Summer After.
   • Carley Fortune has a gift for painting the picture of a magical summer. As much as I loved Percy and Sam’s story in Every Summer After, I connected even more deeply with Charlie and Alice’s journey. This is a story steeped in nostalgia – One picture. Three teens. A yellow boat. Its where past summers collide with present-day choices, and a beautiful friendship slowly unfolds into a deeply emotional summer romance.
   • Charlie is charming and self-assured. Alice gives more than she receives, she puts everyone before herself. Charlie helps Alice step out of her shell and Alice helps Charlie deal with his deep regret. They complement each other in so many ways and have the most hilarious banter. Their chemistry felt natural and warm.
   • Overall, this was a fun, emotionally rich read, one that truly captures the magic of the lake. As the story reminds us, ‘Good things happen at the lake.’
9. Things we left behind – Lucy Score
   • 4 stars
   • This is the third and final book in the Knockemout series. Sloan and Lucian were my most anticipated couple in the series and Lucy Score didn’t disappoint.
   • I absolutely loved Sloan and Lucian’s relationship, especially their sharp, entertaining banter. As adults, they may claim to loathe each other, but neither can deny the sparks between them. Their history adds so much depth to the story – from childhood friends, to sworn enemies after an incident that shattered their bond, and finally to lovers.
   • Sloan is feisty, witty, and warm-hearted, with dreams of a traditional happy ending – a loving husband and children. Lucian, on the other hand, has become powerful and wealthy, capable of making anything happen, except committing to the idea of family, which he firmly resists.
   • I love how Lucian would do anything for Sloane even when he insistent that he didn’t like her. It warmed my heart that they got their happy ending.
   • While I didn’t particularly enjoy the crime subplot, it was expected, as it featured heavily in Things We Never Got Over and Things We Hide from the Light. Still, it was a joy to return to Knockemout. I have a soft spot for small-town settings – even fictional ones, as they stretch the imagination and transport you to places you may never otherwise experience.
10. Tell me everything – Elizabeth Strout
    • 4 stars
    • It follows a friendship between 90 year old Olive Kitteridge, Bob Burgess whose the central character, a lawyer and acclaimed writer Lucy Barton.
    • Through quiet, intimate conversations, Lucy and Bob reflect on their lives and what might have been, while Olive and Lucy share stories about people they have known.
    • The true allure of this book lies in its richly drawn characters and their complex inner lives—because human beings themselves are deeply complex. Woven through the narrative is a mystery that gradually unfolds, drawing in characters who carry their own layers of history and emotional depth.
    • This book is beautifully written. Although I haven’t read the previous novels in the series, I found it easy to follow and completely captivating from start to finish.
11. What a way to go – Bella Mackie
    • 3.5 stars
    • A murder mystery with a humour all in one.
      Anthony Wistern is a wealthy, charming, philander with a dysfunctional family set to inherit his fortune. Upon his untimely death, each of them becomes potential suspects.
    • The characters are self absorbed and not really likeable but they make a good story.
12. The love we found – Jill Santos
    • 3.5 stars
    • A sequel to The Light We Lost, which I would highly recommend reading before starting this book. Ten years have passed, and a great deal of life has unfolded since the end of the first story.
    • This sequel is rich with blended family dynamics, hidden truths, and the challenge of confronting the past while learning how to move forward. It explores the reality that people are imperfect and that life is often complicated and messy. The story continues with Lucy a single mother juggling the needs of her children, her life after Gabe and finding love again.
    • The story is emotional, it’s moving and it’s well written.
      I’m chuffed with what I have been able to accomplish with my reading.

I’m chuffed with what I was able to achieve this year. The goal has been set and I plan to continue in 2026.