MamaMagic Milestones Winter 2014 | Page 67

BOOK REVIEWS story time For the whole family For mom For dad For the family The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles by Katherine Pancol The Moaning of Life:the Worldly Wisdom of Karl Pilkington by Karl Pilkington Bake Happy by Gail Bussi (R320, Penguin Books) Bake Happy, as the name implies, is all about the joy of baking and eating! Gail Bussi’s collection brings together over 100 recipes, some from her early childhood (peering over her mother’s kitchen table), some collected on her travels, and others that she has created herself. From cakes, puddings and biscuits to savoury tarts and breads, there is a tempting something for everyone – and to suit both beginner and more experienced bakers. (R195, Penguin Books) Are you in need of some escapism accompanied by lots of laugh-out-loud moments? Then this international best-seller is for you. The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles follows a familiar plotline of a downtrodden and dissatisfied wife and mother who, through misfortune, is forced to take control of her life and in the process reinvents herself. However, beyond the bones of the plot there is not much else that is familiar or typical. For starters, I don’t think I’ve previously read about a leading lady’s husband ditching her to start a crocodile farm in Kenya, with his manicurist mistress… And so the novel is brought to life with offbeat details and characters, lots of French sass and affairs (the author is French and the novel is set in Paris), kooky moments and a feel-good ending. It’s chick-lit at its finest! For the kids Peter Saves the Day! (R95, Penguin Books / Puffin) For ages of 3 to 6 years. The characters of Beatrix Potter’s classic children’s tales have been brought to life in this animated story, so you can introduce them to your children. The mischief this time is caused by Squirrel Nutkin, who stole and then lost Old Brown Owl’s glasses. Owl is angry, and so Peter Rabbit and his gang have to find the glasses as fast as they can, to return them to him. During the story other popular Beatrix Potter characters make appearances, such as Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Jeremy Fisher. Added extras include a map and a skills challenge for your child to complete. 0514MMM2.indd 7 You may know Karl from An Idiot Abroad, the British travel documentary created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. In it, Karl is the idiot. Unscripted and filmed as it happens, Karl creates comedy by just being, well, Karl. You can expect the same quirky Karl to be talking to you from the pages of The Moaning of Life, as he travels the world to find answers to the big question of life: what is the purpose of it all? Specifically, he explores some of the most universal things about being human marriage, babies, work, happiness and death – through other cultures and people. The results of his quest are honest, insightful and hilarious. (His take on having kids? He can’t understand why people say it is life changing, because so is losing a leg, but why would you want to do that?) Does he find the meaning of life? We’re not telling you, you’ll need to read the book to find out. But we promise the read will be worth it. **WIN** Win a copy of your book of choice featured here and 2 complimentary tickets to the MamaMagic Expo. Simply SMS : ENTER (FIRST 2 WORDS OF BOOK NAME) + YOUR FULL NAME & POSTAL ADDRESS to 32015 Prize must be collected from the MamaMagic Expo in JHB, CPT or DBN (Each SMS is charged at R1; free minutes do not apply. Competition closes 31 July. Winners will be notified 3 weeks after the competition has closed. Standard Competition Terms & Conditions apply, see page 1.) (R195, Struik Lifestyle) The book is lovingly packaged, with inspiring quotes, playful illustrations, and anecdotes and stories about where the recipes came from. Gail’s love of delicious baked goods is