#TDVFridayRecommends: White Chalk and Yinka, Where Is Your Husband 

Welcome to a new series on The Daily Vox: #TDVFridayRecommends. It’s the Friday Recommends series. Every Friday, we are going to be sharing something we would like to recommend to our readers. This could be a book, movie, restaurant or even an event. To kick things off we are recommending two books: White Chalk and Yinka, Where is your Husband? 

White Chalk by Terry-Ann Adams

White Chalk is Terry-Ann Adams second fiction release. It is a collection of stories that will take the reader deep into communities, families and relationships from Eldorado Park. Adams’ first release, Those Who Live In Cages brought to life characters and families from Eldorado Park in a novel. Adams continues the storytelling style from that book with their latest release. It is the ability to write characters that are so unique, yet at the same time so relatable. While Those Who Live In Cages was a nonfiction novel and White Chalk is more a collection of short stories, many of the themes remain in continuity between the books. The stories in the book vary between young people at school to older people and everyone in between. 

This is the ideal book to read if you just want to lose yourself in a book for a few hours. The short story format means the book is a quick read. While many of the stories deal with intense and heavy issues, the book itself is a short read. The engrossing stories will also mean that the book will have the reader hooked from start to finish. Adams’ first book was a delight to read and a much-needed addition to the South African literary space. White Chalk will definitely be joining that club. 

RELATED:

Terry-Ann Adams is writing about Eldorado Park

Published by Jacana Media, the book is available online and at all good bookstores. 

Yinka, Where is Your Husband?

This book is writer Lizzie Damilola Blackburn’s debut novel and it is a fantastic book. It is a laugh-out-loud rollercoaster of a book that will have you rooting for Yinka from start to finish. The book focuses on thirty-one-year-old Yinka who is looking for love. Her mother and all the aunties on the other hand want to find her a husband. When she gets the news that her cousin is getting married, Yinka decides that it is the perfect time to take care of herself and get all the aunties off her back. However, she doesn’t account for all the messy ways love can take over your life from the random dates to the dating apps and everything in between. Blackburn’s storytelling will draw you into the story and her fantastic characters will make you stay. 

If you are looking for something lighter to read but still with a message, this is the book to read. Even though the book is filled with many comedic moments, the messages of self-love and acceptance are still present and important. It is the perfect book to curl up in the winter sun with a cup of tea and lose yourself in the pages for a couple of hours. 

Published by Penguin, the book is available online and at all good bookstores. It is also part of the EB Recommends Selection for June.