2020 South African Book Awards – The Shortlist
Each year, the South African Book Award is given to the book determined to be the favourite of booksellers across the country. In this sense, it’s an award far more accessible than those picked by a small panel of experts – not that there’s anything wrong with that,...
Ken Follett and his New Kingsbridge Epic
Ken Follett is widely renowned and hugely respected as a craftsman of historical epics. As a bestselling novelist, he ranks up there with Wilbur Smith, Tom Clancy, Dan Brown and Jeffrey Archer. Though he is arguably best-known for his historical trilogies, he has also...
Interview with Dorothy Koomson
Here we’ll be taking a look at Koomson’s new book, as well as its precursor, and we’ll be sharing her kind responses to the questions that we asked her about her career and All My Lies Are True. About Dorothy Koomson English author Dorothy Koomson has a...
Storytime Saturday
Saterdae is Storietyd op Bargain Books se Facebook-blad! In samewerking met NB-Uitgewers deel ons interessante inhoud oor kinder- en jeugboeke: uittreksels, aktiwiteite, boeklokprente én onderhoude met skrywers, vertalers en illustreerders . . . Tye: 10:00vm en...
September Book of the Month: Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
Across multiple cultures, and with some longevity, the image of a monk consistently conjures a sense of inner peace, calm, acceptance and devotion to higher principles… things we could all do with achieving a little more fully. As it turns out, it is not as difficult...
Interview with Sam Beckbessinger
Don’t you wish you’d started saving and investing when you were younger? Well, this is the book that aims to get kids thinking about the basics of money, and lay the solid foundation in financial education that most of us never had. Featuring playful illustrations,...
Storytime Saturday
Saterdae is Storietyd op Bargain Books se Facebook-blad! In samewerking met NB-Uitgewers deel ons interessante inhoud oor kinder- en jeugboeke: uittreksels, aktiwiteite, boeklokprente én onderhoude met skrywers, vertalers en illustreerders . . . Tye: 10:00vm en...
Five Classic Self-Improvement Books that Have Become Lifelong Favourites
Coming soon to a store near you... Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty Over the past three years, Jay Shetty has become one of the world’s most popular influencers. One of his clips was the most watched video on Facebook last year, with over 360 million views. His...
The Return of Skulduggery Pleasant
The world’s greatest skeleton sorcerer/detective and his feisty protégé are back with another villain-laced, dimension-hopping flight of dangers and thrills. But first, a note about the two series: Skulduggery made his fiery debut way back in 2007. Since...
Storytime Saturday
Saterdae is Storietyd op Bargain Books se Facebook-blad! In samewerking met NB-Uitgewers deel ons interessante inhoud oor kinder- en jeugboeke: uittreksels, aktiwiteite, boeklokprente én onderhoude met skrywers, vertalers en illustreerders . . . Tye: 10:00vm en...
More from Our Favourite Awesome Friendly Kid
To date, as many, many of us know, not least those of us with kids, there have been thirteen volumes of Greg Heffley’s Diary… The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The series has been instrumental in encouraging an entire generation of reluctant readers to get stuck into...
Books for Superfans of the Harry Potter World
As with so many sensational, prodigiously adapted series, there’s more or less no reader, movie-goer, quiz-taker or smart phone owner that needs an introduction to the world of the Harry Potter Books. Its inception and meteoric rise to literary and cinematic...
Storytime Saturday
Saterdae is Storietyd op Bargain Books se Facebook-blad! In samewerking met NB-Uitgewers deel ons interessante inhoud oor kinder- en jeugboeke: uittreksels, aktiwiteite, boeklokprente én onderhoude met skrywers, vertalers en illustreerders . . . Tye: 10:00vm en...
Some August Highlights
For the first month in a few, August is really seeing plenty of exciting releases. We’re talking big titles, smash hits and uplifting gems. Here’s a handful of books that you won’t want to miss this month. Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce It seems...
The Books of Sarah J. Maas: An Overview
The series for which fantasy author Sarah J. Maas is best known, Throne of Glass, began its life when she was just sixteen years old. It began as a reimagining of Cinderella, positioning the character not as the put-upon and abused servant as which we know her, but as...
Hannes Barnard Q&A
Hannes Barnard is die jongste van drie broers en die seun van ’n dominee. Tussen 2002 en 2012 is hy woonagtig in Engeland, waar hy meestal as projekbestuurder vir ’n konstruksiemaatskappy werk. Ná dit het hy vir twee jaar in die Seychelle gewerk. Hy en sy vrou...
Storytime Saturday
Saterdae is Storietyd op Bargain Books se Facebook-blad! In samewerking met NB-Uitgewers deel ons interessante inhoud oor kinder- en jeugboeke: uittreksels, aktiwiteite, boeklokprente én onderhoude met skrywers, vertalers en illustreerders . . . Tye: 10:00vm en...
David Baddiel and His Most Recent Book, The Taylor Turbochaser
Comedian, television personality and author David Baddiel has by now made quite the smash with his middle-grade children’s books. And rightly so. His novels are reliably hilarious, invariably exciting and usually quite thoughtful. Like all the best children’s...
Storytime Saturday
Saterdae is Storietyd op Bargain Books se Facebook-blad! In samewerking met NB-Uitgewers deel ons interessante inhoud oor kinder- en jeugboeke: uittreksels, aktiwiteite, boeklokprente én onderhoude met skrywers, vertalers en illustreerders . . . Tye: 10:00vm en...
Lux Verbi 70th Birthday Celebration
Lux Verbi is ‘n Christelike druknaam wat ontstaan het uit die oudste uitgewery in Suid-Afrika, die Zuid-Afrikaanse Bijbelvereniging, wat in 1818 gestig is. In 1950 is die Bijbelvereniging se naam na NG Kerk Uitgewers verander. In 1980 het NG Kerk Uitgewers ’n nuwe...
Stephenie Meyer and Midnight Sun
Stephenie Meyer has once again proved that public appetite for this era’s most famous vampire and his lady love is as bottomless as the blood-hunger that drives the undead legend. The author of the Twilight Saga, which, of course, has long been a pop-culture sensation...
August Book of the Month
Our book of the month this month is the new adventure from beloved author Tony Park, who has once again focused on a specific, hidden aspect of African crime to bring us another excellent mystery. Tony Park’s safari-tinged thrillers are always a winner,...
The Books of Takalani M
Takalani M is a self-published novelist who grew up in the Venda township of Shayandima in Limpopo. She first came to readers’ attention with her first novel, The Royal Mistress, which is the first book in a romantic trilogy that covers arranged marriage, class...
Raina Telgemeier Has Won the Eisner Prize Five Times!
Raina Telgemeier is a graphic novelist, cartoonist and YA superstar whose work has garnered many awards, as well as a legion of fans. Her work, which is often autobiographical, tends to pinpoint some of the most relatable and emotionally resonant moments of...
Storytime Saturday
Saterdae is Storietyd op Bargain Books se Facebook-blad! In samewerking met NB-Uitgewers deel ons interessante inhoud oor kinder- en jeugboeke: uittreksels, aktiwiteite, boeklokprente én onderhoude met skrywers, vertalers en illustreerders . . . Tye: 10:00vm en...
The 2020 Booker Prize Longlist
Once again, it’s that exciting time of year when we get to take a look at all the exceptional books that have caught the attention of this prestigious prize. And isn’t it a comfort, given everything that this year has thus far thrown at all of us, to know that...
8 More Books to Buy This July
Here are eight more exciting titles that will be arriving in our stores this month and should become widely available. Be sure to keep an eye out for the ones that take your fancy. Without further fuss, here they are. Death in Her Hands Ottessa Moshfegh...
Interview with Tiffany Kagure Mugo, author of Quirky Quick Guide to Having Great Sex
Sex can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Every one of us can have great sex. Why is lube so important? How do you navigate consent? How do you put on a condom correctly? How do you enjoy erection-free sex? What is kink? This book will answer your burning...
Interview with Jen Thorpe, author of The Fall
Hector, #FeesMustFall protest leader, believes it’s time for the students to think a little bigger than toyi-toying. This creates problems for Noné, South Africa’s President, who wants no trouble from pesky students in the week she’s launching an extraordinary zoo....
10 Brilliant Books to Celebrate Women’s Day
Womanhood is an umbrella that covers an incredible wealth of virtues and experiences. The world over, the gifts and achievements of women deserve celebration. One of the ways that we can do this, beyond the efforts that we’ll be making all August to treasure...
Storytime Saturday
Saterdae is Storietyd op Bargain Books se Facebook-blad!In samewerking met NB-Uitgewers deel ons interessante inhoud oor kinder- en jeugboeke: uittreksels, aktiwiteite, boeklokprente én onderhoude met skrywers, vertalers en illustreerders . . .Tye: 10:00vm en 12:00nm...
Storytime Saturday
Saterdae is Storietyd op Bargain Books se Facebook-blad!In samewerking met NB-Uitgewers deel ons interessante inhoud oor kinder- en jeugboeke: uittreksels, aktiwiteite, boeklokprente én onderhoude met skrywers, vertalers en illustreerders . . .Tye: 10:00vm en 12:00nm...
Twitter chat with The Lazy Makoti
Mastering the kitchen can seem pretty intimidating, especially when confronted with Instagram and TV chefs who seem to do everything with ease while, at the same time, relating a cute anecdote on camera. I've found that what most people want is simply to learn to...
Mandela Day promotion
As we all know, July 18th is the birthday of Nelson Mandela. To celebrate the life of perhaps the most iconic South African of all time, Bargain Books is running a fabulous promotion all July. Whenever you spend R600 or more in one of our stores, you’ll receive...
Six Books You Might Have Missed in June
June’s been a big month for the proper causes. Between BLM and Pride, it has been a politically-charged month full of serious issues, just celebrations and re-examinations. As such, you might not have been able to get to some of the exciting titles that...
Brutal School Ties by Sam Cowen extract
In September 2018, Collan Rex, the former water polo coach at Parktown Boys High School, found guilty of 144 charges of sexual assault and 14 of assault, was sentenced to 23 years in prison. It was one year longer than he'd been alive. The story made front page...
Twitter chat with Dr T transcript
Hello and welcome to our chat with @drtlaleng, author of Dr T: A Guide to Sexual Health and Pleasure. Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, also known as Dr T is a doctor, writer, radio and TV presenter as well as an internationally renowned health activist. #BBchatswith...
Kids books you need to read to better understand the #BLM movement
In our ongoing journey toward racial equality, nothing is quite as important as education. As numerous wise people have remarked, children aren’t born racist. It’s essential then, that children of every kind should not only see themselves represented in the...
Young adult books you need to read to better understand the #BLM movement
It’s long been held that our young people are those we will usher in a better future, and there’s no denying the potential truth of that idea. When it comes to the fight for racial equality it is often the case that young people are on the front lines and that...
Interview with Kathy Reichs
It’s sweltering in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Temperance Brennan, still recovering from neurosurgery following an aneurysm, is battling nightmares, migraines, and what she thinks might be hallucinations when she receives a series of mysterious text messages, each...
International books you need to read to better understand the #BLM movement
By now, of course, we are all aware of the events that have led to the current surge of anti-racist sentiment and effort — and have all seen the actions being produced thereby. But this journey toward true equality is certainly not over, and we’d all be wise to...
Local books you need to read to better understand the #BLM movement
Owing to a recent sequence of unspeakable travesties, culminating with the killing that shook the US, the Black Lives Matter movement and unified anti-racism efforts have gained new levels of support throughout the world. And rightfully so. But this is a...
Classics on Sale
The reading world has an interesting relationship with “the classics”, doesn’t it? Mark Twain once succinctly summed this up by saying: “…classic — something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read”. No doubt there are books that you’ve always meant...
International Books for Pride Month
June is Pride Month – a month for celebrating and contemplating all things LGBTQ+, for encouraging unity and for honouring the long and often arduous journey that the global queer community has taken to get to this point… as well as all that has yet to be...
More new titles available in store!
Here are 7 recent titles that you’ll want to check out. We’ve got holiday romance, period scandal, ultra-modern espionage, vigilante justice and more. Whichever aspect of your book collection you are looking to boost, there’ll be something for you here. Take a look:...
8 More Top New Crime Thrillers and Mysteries at Bargain Books
For all you crime and mystery fans out there, here are 8 more of the most gripping, atmospheric and satisfying reads to have recently come into stock. They’re all recent, notable titles that you’ll easily find on your next visit. Be sure to have a look through...
African Books for Pride Month
June is Pride Month – a month for celebrating and contemplating all things LGBTQ+, for encouraging unity and for honouring the long and often arduous journey that the global queer community has taken to get to this point… as well as all that has yet to be...
Accidental Mayor extract
In August 2016, well-known South African businessman Herman Mashaba became mayor of Johannesburg, heading a razor-thin DA-led coalition in the city. Three years later, in October 2019, he resigned from the party and from his position as mayor. At the time, Mashaba’s...
Top New Crime Thrillers and Mysteries at Bargain Books
Now that you can safely return to our stores and get those armfuls of new books that you’ve been hankering after, you might find yourselves wondering just what you’ll choose when you get there. Well, here are eight of the most gripping, thrilling titles that...
Tobacco Wars and the Lockdown Cigarette Ban
Back in the latter half of last year, famous tax sleuth Johann van Loggerenberg released Tobacco Wars: Inside the Spy Games and Dirty Tricks of Southern Africa’s Cigarette Trade — a book that exposes the staggering amount of corruption surrounding the tobacco...
Core titles at Bargain Books
If you’ve had a look at the top ten lately, you’ll have seen that essential self-help books and financial guides are occupying many of the higher positions at the moment. There are many classic and timeless books of advice that remain important to the book-buying...
David Walliams and Slime
David Walliams’s brand new book, Slime, is released in stores today! If there are kids in your life, or you’ve ever been in a bookshop, or you have a television, you’re bound to know about David Walliams and his record-smashing rise to children’s author royalty...
Author Focus: Angie Thomas
Angie Thomas became a YA sensation with her debut novel The Hate U Give — a searing book about race, privilege, violence and injustice that truly shook up a scene dominated at the time by what we think of as more traditional young adult fare. There was not a vampire...
Priddy Books for Africa Day
25/05/2020. Today is Africa Day! This annual event (which celebrates the anniversary of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity) inspires us all to consider the importance of African cultures at home and throughout the diaspora, to recognise how far...
Excellence Wins
It doesn't matter who you are or what you do - you want to become the best. You want to win, every time. Horst Schulze knows how to win. In Excellence Wins, Schulze, in his absolute no-nonsense approach, shares the visionary and disruptive principles that have...
Top 5 cookbooks
Now that we’re up and trading again after this long period of bookshoplessness, it turns out that cookbooks are being snapped up pretty eagerly. Whether this is because cookery proved to be a sustaining and fulfilling lockdown activity, or whether it’s because...
Pulitzer Prize Winners 2020
It was Colson Whitehead’s second fiction win that pinched most of the headlines this Pulitzer season, but let us not forget that there are other books awarded the prestigious prize too. A little further below are the winners for non-fiction, biography and...
Book sale now on!
If you are like us, you have read every book in your house during lockdown. Now is the time to restock those shelves with new books at GREAT prices and Bargain Books is here to help with our fabulous SALE. Pop down to your local store and check...
The Two Pulitzers of Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead has been an active novelist since his debut, The Intuitionist, was released back in 1999 but it was not until The Underground Railroad in 2016 that he really set the world alight. The Underground Railroad won him a Pulitzer Prize and now, The Nickel...
Store openings and safety precautions
We are pleased to let you know that we have reopened our stores! Our number one priority is to ensure that each store has everything in place for the health and safety of our customers and staff. Store trading hours will vary per store. We recommend you contact the...