The Xenophobes Guides are a series of books describing the cultural differences between nations.  I would recommend reading them if you are about to travel to a particular country and want to understand the local people better.  Or if you are moving to a new country and want to be more aware of the culture and ways of the people. Continue Reading

Alexander McCall Smith has become one of my favorite authors. Read any of his books and I guarantee that you will be entertained. But it is perhaps “The no 1 Ladies Detective Agency”, that he has become most well known for.

McCall Smith has written over sixty books and it was not until recently, that he became famous for his series of 11 books “The no 1 Ladies Detective Agency”, set in Gaborone, Botswana.  For many years he worked as a Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh, but after his writing success he now devotes all his time to writing fiction.

Featuring Mma Precious Ramotswe, the first lady detective of Botswana,  the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, will keep you entertained and lead you into the insights of life in Southern Africa.  The book has now been turned into a television series by the BBC and film company HBO, below is a snippet to wet your appetite…

The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency captures everyday people living their lives, the colourful mix of characters portrays life and the issues confronting Africa so well.  Perhaps it is the “feel good” factor, the respect or the “goodness that is shown by Mme Ramotswe that keeps you watching the TV series or reading the books.  And, at last there is a positive aspect to a story on Africa.

For some more on the making of the television series and background from Alexander McCall Smith, read below…

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The first book that I know of that is narrated by Death… “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak is a compelling book that you just cant put down.  At first I thought not another book on the whole holocaust theme, but Zusak has a special way with words and has created a clever story.

Whilst any book narrated by Death and set in Nazi Germany is bound to be about doom and gloom, and yes this book does have an element of that, “The Book Thief” weaves an interesting tale of characters trying to survive in trying times.

Here is Markus Zusak talking about his book and what inspired him.

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