Popular award winning South African blogger, Laurian Clemence (Peas), has just published her first book based on her blog writings

Readers of the Cape Town news mailing list are no strangers to the writings of Laurian Clemence (Peas) because earlier this year we featured, with her kind permission, several of her best stories in our email newsletters.

Peas is an extraordinarily gifted writer and excels in her chosen genre – HUMOUR!

Her book written in the same casual off the cuff style as her blog was launched on December 03 2008. It makes an excellent and unique Christmas gift idea and at the low cost of R117 per copy at Loot, it is a must buy.

Please click the image to order it now from Loot.

Books

Epic novel by Ken Follett set in the early 1300s in England

This is Ken Follett’s epic sequel to his 1993 best seller, Pillars of the Earth, which remains his top selling book 15 years after publication.

In 1327, the day after All Hallow’s Eve, four children slip away into the forest and witness two men-at-arms being slain by a knight. Bound to secrecy upon pain of death, their shared secret remains as a dark undercurrent throughout the novel and binds their fates together.

Two of the children, Merthin and Caris, who become lovers in their adult lives, emerge as the central heroes and together they transform the town of Kingbridge with their exploits. Follett created a strong female lead in Caris, who is every bit a modern woman, strong, resillient, intelligent and fiercely independent, much to Merthin’s chagrin. Caris eschews the traditional role of a woman in those times and remains committed to her ideal that she will not be ruled by any man. Denied her chosen vocation of becoming a physician, she finds her way around the Mediaeval prohibition against women becoming medical doctors and writes a rational and practical medical book that advocates effective treatments of common ailments, including an isolationist regime for dealing with victims of the plague. She goes on to found and head her own hospital in Kingsbridge.

Follett also has her acting as a battle field surgeon at the Battle of Crecy, fought in 1346 where a vastly outnumbered English force successfully defends itself against the onslaught of French knights, due to their adoption of superior battlefield tactics.

This novel is a fabulous read and will keep you engrossed from the first page.

Click the image to order it from Take2.

DVDs

HBO Rome is an epic historical drama series about Ancient Rome during the time of its violent transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire, under Julius Caesar.

In Caesar’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic Wars), he mentions two Roman Centurions by name, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, whom HBO chose to be the two lead stars of Rome, played most excellently by Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson, respectively.

This DVD box set comprises the complete series (both Seasons I and II). You will be engrossed and entertained by this stunning production.

Watch the opening intro clip and the first 3 minutes of fierce action on YouTube.

Click the image to order it from Take2.

This Harry Potter compendium comprises the first five Harry Potter films and is sure to delight fans of all ages.

The Philosopher´s Stone
Chamber of Secrets
Prisoner of Azkaban
Goblet of Fire
Order of the Phoenix

Click the image to order this 5 DVD disc set from Take2.

In 2004, Hansie Cronje was voted the 11th greatest South African despite his involvement in the cricket match fixing scandal that cost him his career. Hansie was killed in a plane crash on June 1 2002. Former South African cricketer, Clive Rice theorises that Hansie was murdered by a betting syndicate who he also blames for the death of Bob Woolmer (in March 2007).

This movie of Hansie’s life was written by his older brother, Frans, and is directed by Regardt van den Bergh. It was released on September 26 2008.

Click the image to order from Take2.

Music

Springbok Radio was the favourite of many South Africans until it closed on December 31 1985 (the year I graduated from High School).

Following on the epic success of volume 1, here is volume 2, a 3 CD disc set crammed full of wonderful 80′s music and sound bites from some of the many legendary Springbok radio shows such as Squad Cars, The Men from the Ministry, The Navy Lark, Check Your Mate, Jet Jungle, and the Chappie Chipmunk Club.

Click the image to order from Take2.

Games

The latest in the Call of Duty series, Call of Duty 5: World at War, features cinematic quality graphics and sound putting you right in the midst of the gritty action, pitting you against the Japanese in the Pacific arena and Germans on the Russian Front.

Released on November 14 2008, this is a must buy for avid first person shooter gamers.

Click the image to order from Take2.

Electronics

Released on November 26 2008, the Canon Powershot G10 offers a stunning 14.7 megapixels resolution and a 5x telephoto zoom capability.

The Powershot G10 delivers picture perfect quality to the amateur enthusiast and the professional photographer alike.

Click the image to order from Take2.