What About Meera by ZP Dala

What About Meera tells the tale of Meera Narain, a 22-year-old woman from Durban who escapes her abusive arranged marriage to run away to Dublin, where she takes up a job as a care-giver at a school for autistic children. Pulsating with life and colour and a considerable amount of black humour, What About Meera is the gripping story of a woman's attempts to rise above her circumstances and take control of her fate.

A Slim, Green Silence by Beverly Rycroft

A Slim, Green Silence is a journey through Connie's past as she tries to understand why she is back home, and for what purpose. Not just a story about death, this is a tale about living and loving, about friendship and motherhood, loss and hope. Most of all, it is about ordinary people, and their attempts to make sense of a sometimes nonsensical world.

If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie

Will has never been to the outside, at least not since he can remember. He has certainly never got to know anyone other than his mother. Despite his mother's protests, Will ventures outside clad in a protective helmet and braces himself for danger. He eventually meets and befriends Jonah, a quiet boy who introduces him to skateboarding. If I Fall, If I Die is a remarkable debut full of dazzling prose and unforgettable characters, as well as a poignant and heartfelt depiction of coming of age.

The Last Road Trip by Gareth Crocker

Following the death of a man they barely knew, four elderly friends decide to make the most of their remaining time on earth. Abandoning the humdrum routine of life at their retirement estate, they embark on a 1000 mile road trip that will take them from the furthest corners of the Kruger National Park to the blazing stars of Sutherland. The latest novel from acclaimed author, Gareth Crocker, is for the young at heart – for those willing to take one last adventure and conquer the regret of missed opportunities.

The A-Z of You and Me by James Hannah

I'm lying here in a bed, my head full of regret, with only a little bird flitting through a tree to comfort me. Friends want to visit, but I refuse them. So my carer Sheila has given me a task to keep me occupied. An A-Z list. Think of a part of my body for each letter. Tell a little tale about it. When I reach H for Heart, what will I say? How we loved to string crocheted hearts in trees? How our hearts steadily unravelled? So I begin with A. Adam's apple. Will you be there to catch me when I fall?

Sweet by Sam Linsell

Sweet – a word that in the culinary realm conjures up notions of decadence, irresistible deliciousness, indulgence and yes, basically palate bliss. Those treats one craves when one is happy, sad or in need of a 'pick-me-up', and which make the world feel like a wonderful place. These are what Sam Linsell presents in Sweet – and so much more.

Stuarts' Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa by Chris and Mathilde Stuart

Greater southern Africa has a wealth of mammal species, almost 400 – all of which are covered in this fully updated, comprehensive field guide. Now expanded to include species found in Angola, Zambia and Malawi, it has also been extensively revised to include: the most recent research and taxonomy; revised distribution maps and new images. This title is also available in Afrikaans.

A Field Guide to Orchids of South Africa by Steve Johnson, Benny Bytebier and Herbert Starker

Orchids of South Africa is the first field guide to local orchids to be published in over 30 years, and presents the more than 450 orchid species found in the region, including Lesotho and Swaziland. An illustrated introduction discusses orchid structure, ecology and conservation status. Informative, colourful and easy-to-use, Orchids of South Africa is the authoritative update enthusiasts have been waiting for.

A Pocket Guide to Insects of East Africa by Dino J Martins

This guide will help readers to identify insects that are frequently encountered, very striking or ecologically important in the region. Compact and easy-to-use, it features more than 400 of the interesting and diverse insect groups found in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. Full-colour photographs of all featured species are accompanied by text giving key identification features for each group.

The Debt Rescue Kit by Linette Retief

Currently, over 600 000 South Africans currently in debt review and there are 12 000 new applicants knocking on the doors of debt counsellors every month. This book could not have come at a better time. The book shows readers how to lead a debt-free life. A must-read for anyone in debt, or for those who want to avoid ever falling into the debt trap. Follow Linette Retief on Twitter.

Retire Rich Through Property by Jason Lee

This book takes readers through every step of the property process, but goes further by focusing on finding the right deals for retirement purposes, how to negotiate and finance a property with retirement requirements in mind, and whether to hold on to or sell a property for financial gain. With a myriad insider tips from a property-investment expert, this accessible guide is a must-read for first-time property purchasers and experienced investors alike who are looking to fast-forward their retirement or to retire comfortably at their chosen age.

A Fountain in France by Marita van der Vyver

A Fountain in France is a book of stories about moving the way the French do it. It is also about place, what binds the heart to a home and its people, about breaking ties to grow new ones and about what people take with them when they move on. This book will be enjoyed by anyone who has lived or travelled in a foreign country, or wished they had. It touches on universal experiences shared by expatriates all over the world. Readers will quickly learn that a good sense of humour might be the most important qualification if you want to survive being the eternal outsider.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson

Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he has got an ace plan for the best year ever, if he can pull it off. Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. But when his game starts to catch up with him, he will have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he is finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he has been avoiding.

Would the Real Stanley Carrot Please Stand Up? by Rob Stevens

Stanley 'Carrot' Harris is ginger, tubby and definitely not cool. And he has a secret: he is adopted. This makes him feel like he has never quite fitted in. He receives a card from his long-lost birth mother asking to meet up. But Stanley is not sure: what if he is a big disappointment to her? So he hatches a plan – and he is going to need a stand-in Stanley, someone who is handsome, sporty and God's Gift to Mothers. What Stanley does not realise is he is about to have the most confusing time of his life … just who is the real Stanley Carrot?

The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell

Japanese teenager, Sora, is diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Lonely and isolated, Sora turns to the ancient wisdom of the samurai for guidance and comfort. But he also finds hope in the present; through the internet he finds friends that see him, not just his illness. This is a story of friendship and acceptance, and testing strength in an uncertain future.

What If? by Rebecca Donovan

Cal Logan is shocked to see Nicole Bentley sitting across from him at a coffee shop thousands of miles from their hometown. Except this girl is not Nicole. She looks exactly like Cal's shy childhood crush, but her name is Nyelle Preston and she has no idea who he is. Nyelle is also extremely secretive. And the closer he comes to finding out what she's hiding, the less he wants to know. When the secrets from the past and present collide, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems.