What’s trending on bookshelves?

Last Updated: August 20, 2025By admin

What’s trending on bookshelves?

There’s nothing far greater than getting lost in a good book. Whether you love to walk in someone else’s shoes through a well-written memoir, learn something about the past through historical fiction, get all hot and bothered with a juicy new romance novel, or hold your breath through the twisty turns in an exciting thriller, there’s bound to be something you’ll love in this list of the trending books of 2023 so far.

The reading community has been buzzing with excitement as some of the most exciting works have been published this year, featuring an array of debut authors who are ready to capture your hearts.

Here are four books you should be adding to your bookshelf.

Noni Jabavu: A Stranger at Home compiled by Makhosazana Xaba and Athambile Masola

This is the story of Noni Jabavu, who was the first black South African woman to publish books on her own life and to pursue a literary career. Her memoirs ‘Drawn in Colour’ and ‘The Ochre People’ have been compared to Zora Neale Hurston’s work.

At 13, Noni left South Africa to continue her schooling in England, returning for short visits in the decades that followed. In 1977, she embarked on a biography of her late father, the illustrious politician, educationist and writer DDT Jabavu. To do her research, she had to return to South Africa.

During this time she wrote a series of columns in the Daily Dispatch newspaper, sharing her often astonishing daily experiences.

Noni was rudely confronted by the indiscriminate cruelty and indignity of apartheid.

MAAME: A Novel by Jessica George

‘Maame’ is a coming-of-age novel about finally finding where you belong. We follow the story of Maddie Wright, a 25-year-old British-Ghanaian woman living in London. All her life she has been told who she is. To her parents, she’s Maame: the one who takes care of the family, her mom’s stand-in, her dad’s carer. The one who keeps the peace – and the family secrets.

This book is relatable in a way that we’ve all experienced angst and uncertainty while navigating our 20s. All while trying to get an education and understanding what it’s like to put your dreams on hold to support family members. Being forced to take on the responsibilities of caring for her father who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease, while her mother is living in Ghana overseeing her businesses.

The book tackles so many important topics such as grief, workplace injustice, mental health, racism, complicated family dynamics, online dating, and the messy reality of friendship and all of it is written in a lighthearted yet poignant way.

Jessica’s skillful writing and authentic portrayal of Maame’s journey make this a must-read for anyone who appreciates thought-provoking, character-driven contemporary fiction. In Maame, Jessica Geroge has created a character that will stay with you for months after reading it.

An absolutely stunning debut novel.

In the Midst of it All by Thabile Shange

If you’re looking for a romance novel set in South Africa, look no further as Thabile has captured us all with her latest offering set in the heart of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

Nandi Nxumalo finds herself in a complex situation. As her relationship with her Nigerian lover, Femi Adewoye, progresses, she needs to open up to her very strict father about him.

When Bab’Nxumalo learns who she is dating, his stubborn resistance is not the only thing threatening Nandi and Femi’s happiness.

Then xenophobic attacks break out all over South Africa, and Nandi and Femi do not escape unaffected. Nandi feels she has to do something, even if she faces immense opposition from various quarters – she can no longer be silent.

Winning The Property Game: Lessons from an Executive Property Mentor by Koketso Sylvia Milosevic

Koketso Sylvia Milosevic is the CEO and founder of Riches and Beyond and co-host of the Property Game show on The Home Channel on DStv. She runs a global business, travels the world, manages her property empire, and hosts international TV shows about investing in property. How did an ordinary girl from the township of Ga-Rankuwa achieve all this, amassing considerable wealth in the process?

In ‘Winning the Property Game,’ Koketso reveals how she built her property portfolio, turning it into a multi-million-rand business. Having trained more than 50 000 students, she now shares her secrets with the world: from how to advance joint venture deal, orchestrate capital flips, elicit crowd-funding and utilise stokvels to how to attract angel investors to grow the business.

In this book, Koketso takes us through her journey of building her property empire, from buying her first property after reading a life-changing book by Robert Kiyosaki, ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad.’ That’s what catapulted her career.

With black women driving the South African property market, this guide could not be more timely. Koketso speaks with authority. Her hard-won insights are based on her own experience. Turning her golden rules into action, you too can watch the results unfold as you achieve a life of abundance and financial success.