It’s been one helluva year – again. We’ve seen Zuma resign as president, the DA go after its own people, Trump exercise his megalomania, the rise of racial tensions (as well as the petrol price) and tempers being flared. All while the Guptas fled the Saxonwold Shebeen.

Who better to make sense of this than Zapiro, political analyst, cartoonist and agent provocateur. He has the ability to knock the air out of us, to rock us back in our seats, to force us bolt upright with a 1000-watt jolt of electrifying shock. He makes us angry, he makes us laugh and he makes us think. He shines a light on the elephant in the room, presents the emperor in all his naked glory. Impossible to brush off, he is determined to provoke a response.

When all around is crumbling, when fake news and zipped lips conceal the truth, Zapiro comes to the rescue. With the dissecting eye of a surgeon, the rapier-like point of his pen exposes flimflam, and reveals with a single line what lies behind the action.

Duduza. Bopha. Imbiza. Phapha. Asixoliseni. Amapopeye . . . What is the power of a single word?

Six days a week, advertising creative Melusi Tshabalala posts a Zulu word on his Everyday Zulu Facebook page and tells a story about it. His off-beat sense of humour, razor-sharp social observations and frank political commentary not only teaches his followers isiZulu but also offer insight into the world Melusi inhabits as a 21st century Zulu man.

Over the past few months he has built up a big and a loyal following that include radio host Jenny Crwys-Williams and Afrikaans author Marita van der Vyfer. He pokes fun at our differences and makes us laugh at ourselves and each other.

Melusi asks critical questions of everyone, from Aunty Helen, Dudu-Zille to Silili (Cyril Ramaphosa) and even Woolworths (why are their aircons always set on ‘jou moer’?). His fans love him for his honesty and commitment to pointing out subtle and overt forms of prejudice and racism.

Melusi’s Everyday Zulu holds up a mirror that shows South African society in all its flaws and its sheer humanity. Most importantly, he shows the power of words and that there’s umzulu in all of us!

Does the word ‘endometriosis’ make you want to stick a fork in your eye? No? Then perhaps this book isn’t for you.

It’s funny, and (sometimes alarmingly) frank. It contains an impressive array of synonyms for ‘vagina’ and it’s certainly NSFW. It’s about having a devil womb and a hot knife lodged in a shoulder. It’s about becoming blackly bitter and twisted in infertility, then slowly finding a way to untwist.

It’s part memoir, part dark comedy, wrapped up loosely as a journal full of TMI and quirk. Put it this way: If Helen Fielding and Marian Keyes were to go through IVF, and use Caitlin Moran as a surrogate, this book would be their baby.

This collection brims with the imaginative, informative and comic personal narratives of Hedley Twidle. Twidle brings a sense of lightness, play and comedy to subjects that are often dealt with in predictable or self-righteous ways.

It chronicles South Africa during the ‘second transition’ – one in which the foundations of the post-apartheid settlement are being shaken and questioned in all kinds of ways.

This year we are in for a treat: After 25 years, Madam & Eve is still going strong and are back with more hilarious cartoons looking back at another year of the crazy rollercoaster that is daily life and politics in South Africa. Madam & Eve cartoons appear regularly in the Mail & Guardian, The Star, The Saturday Star, Herald, Mercury, Witness, Daily Dispatch, Cape Times, Pretoria News, Diamond Fields Advertiser, Die Volksblad, EC Today, Kokstad Advertiser and The Namibian.

Only Zapiro can truly capture the craziness and the seriousness of state capture and the Zuma years. WTF is the award-winning and best-selling cartoonist’s definitive, unique and superbly funny record of this rollercoaster time in our history in words and more than 400 brilliant cartoons.

Zapiro’s career has been tightly entwined with the bewildering tale of Jacob Zuma for more than 20 years. He has sharply charted his rise and his fall and everything in between, including the corrupting presence of the Guptas and the destructive cancer of state capture. On two different occasions Jacob Zuma served Zapiro with unfulfilled lawsuits totalling R22 million, claiming his dignity had been infringed, and the cartoonist has been threatened in other ways by senior political figures because of his caustic and brilliant work. Zapiro first drew a showerhead on Zuma in 2006 as a comment on his preposterous evidence during his rape trial that he took a shower after sex to reduce the chance of getting AIDS. That showerhead image stuck in the public imagination, and in Zapiro’s cartoons, and has become a nationally known symbol of the former president.

WTF is sure to be another triumph for our best-loved cartoonist.

With tears in my eyes I took a last glimpse at No. 22 Cross Street as we turned into Stuckeris Street. ‘Sala kahle, District Six,’ I whispered.

Nomvuyo Ngcelwane grew up in the heart of District Six. In beautiful detail, she tells of life in a bustling community, of their interesting social lives and the vibrant atmosphere one has come to associate with District Six.

Twenty years since original publication, Ngcelwane’s story is still relevant today and paints a captivating history of black people living in District Six before forced removals took place. She writes with great honesty, warmth, humor and heart. More than fifty years since forced goodbyes, Ngcelwane’s memoir reiterates the need for social justice and casts a light on the memories forgotten by some.

“Sala Kahle, District Six is free of posturing. It has great documentary value. The fact that it is the memoir of a Black woman adds to its already considerable interest.” Vincent Kolbe

After 25 years Madam & Eve is still going strong. The duo is back with more hilarious cartoons reflecting on another year of the crazy rollercoaster that is daily life and politics in South Africa.

Add a twist of humour to South African nostalgia with Hagen Engler's latest offering. Black Twitter, Blitz And A Boerie As Long As Your Leg is a light-hearted, humorous read of multiple entries that can be dipped into at will. Optimistic, topical and definitely tongue-in-cheek, this book could easily be that last-minute gift that you pick up at the airport before you head back to the parental home for the holidays. Not too politically edgy - so as not to offend any sensitive elephants in the room – it draws on the great many things that South Africans do have in common, and that will give us all a moment to agree on something, for a change.

Black Twitter, Blitz And A Boerie As Long As Your Leg lists and celebrates the tiny, subtle aspects of South African life that we all experience but don’t always notice. Engler looks at icons of our shared South Africanness but drills a little deeper to make them more specific, a bit more ridiculous, a bit funnier, and hopefully to induce an excited exclamation from the reader of, “Yoh! That’s so true!” Even if the entry is ostensibly negative, Engler will find a poignant aspect of it that is lovable and help us laugh at ourselves.

I'll Take The Sunny Side is a memoir about many things - tennis, friendship, storytelling and growing older.

Gordon Forbes, acclaimed author of A Handful of Summers and Too Soon to Panic, has joined seven friends for the seniors' lunch in the Rainbow Room at the Country Club for several years. They are a group of learned men, writers, scholars and ex-editors, this book arises from their meandering conversations. You might know some of the table: James, the born humourist; Mark, the headmaster; Tim and Charles, the historians; two Peters who have edited newspapers; Richard, an author and editor; and Gordon, the tennis player. Join them as they debate politics, books and sport in particular.

Is television affecting the antics of modern sportsmen? How many oysters is enough to make a difference? What has happened to tennis, has the nobility of the game gone for good?

Sometimes real life is stranger than fiction. That certainly is the case when considering the things that happen to Khaya Dlanga in the course of his everyday life. Khaya often shares these stories in brief via Instagram or his other social media platforms. He is finally succumbing to the pressure from the many people who read his posts and want more details, and is telling all of these stories and more in These Things Really Do Happen To Me.

Always entertaining, and often containing astute observations regarding various social practices and situations, Khaya tells wide-ranging stories – his lunch with William Shatner; how he fell asleep next to President Thabo Mbeki; how he got hit on by a deaf girl; how his dreadlocks didn’t get the expected reaction from his mom; the greatest pick-up line ever used on him; awkward encounters with exes; what happens when you parallel park in Parkhurst; and what he has learnt in the course of his eventful life – that are guaranteed to entertain and enlighten readers.

Two Weeks In November is the thrilling, surreal, unbelievable and often very funny true story of four would-be enemies – a high- ranking politician, an exiled human rights lawyer, a dangerous spy and a low-key white businessman turned political fixer – who team up to help unseat one of the world's longest serving dictators, Robert Mugabe.

What begins as an improbable adventure destined for failure, marked by a mixture of bravery, strategic cunning and bumbling naiveté, soon turns into the most sophisticated political-military operation in African history. By virtue of their being together, the unlikely team of misfit rivals is suddenly in position to spin what might have been seen as an illegal coup into a mass popular uprising that the world – and millions of Zimbabweans – will enthusiastically support.

Impeccably researched, deftly written, and told in the style of a political thriller, Two Weeks In November is Ocean’s 11 meets Game of Thrones: a real-world life or death chess match for the future of a country where the political endgame is never a forgone conclusion.

Ons weet dat die maan iets met die getye te doen het, maar het jy geweet dat jy met volmaan altyd dieselfde kant van die maan sien? Of dat weerligstrale vol vernietigende elektrisiteit is, maar dat ’n elektriese paling ’n lading van tot 600 volt kan vrystel?

Hierdie feite is deel van ’n magdom kennis oor die natuur, fisiese wetenskap en die ruimte wat die RSG-program Hoe verklaar jy dit? reeds jare lank beantwoord. Hierdie publikasie bevat ’n keur uit die honderde vrae van nuuskierige luisteraars wat deur kundiges verduidelik is om die wêreld minder vreemd te maak, want nie alle kennis van die wêreld om ons is voor die hand liggend nie. Daar is honderde verskynsels in die natuur en ruimte wat vra om verklaar te word. Dan praat ons nie eens van die mensgemaakte uitvindings soos die internet, persoonlike rekenaars, globale posisioneringstelsels, selfone, radiogolwe, teorie van evolusie, relatiwiteitsteorie, narkose en mense in die ruimte nie. Agter die alledaagse skuil die fassinerende werking van kragte en wette en die wetenskap in werking: Wat bepaal dat ’n mens se hart aan die linkerkant van die liggaam sit? Hoekom vries water in ’n dam van bo en nie van onder af nie? Kan gene deur omstandighede gemodifiseer word?

Hoe Verklaar Jy Dit? is ’n boek wat jou belangstelling in die wêreld om jou sal prikkel. Dit is ’n boek wat op sy eie gelees kan word, wat op die koffietafel kan lê en wat saam kan gaan kamp om wonderlike gesprekke om die braaivleisvuur uit te lok.

Wat beteken dit as ’n jong Afrikanerman jou beskryf as “nogals orraait”? Hoe trek jy die gehoor se aandag as die basaarpoeding hulle gemesmeraais het? En waar in die wêreld is die berugte Pomona Spur? In dié piepie-jou-nat-van-die-lag memoire verklap Schalk – en sy soortvan-bestuurder, Erns Grundling – die bisarre en hartroerende dinge wat hy oorgekom het op sy reise regoor die land na oral waar ’n mikrofoon en ’n gehoor hom inwag.

Here’s another batch of David Muirhead’s unrespectable creatures, following his successful earlier volume of hilarious animal accounts (The Bedside Ark ). It offers a wealth of accurate information on each of the profiled creatures, while revealing their softer sides and the near-human frailties from which they suffer – and temptations for which they fall. Delightful, humorous pen-and-ink sketches accompany many of the stories.

Muirhead’s mix of humour, mythology, anecdotal tales and folklore builds quirky and captivating portraits of each animal, and makes for a lighthearted, funny – as well as illuminating – read.

This new anthology, offering something different from the standard collection of animal CVs, will appeal to anyone interested in humorous writing and the natural world, no matter their age (from teen to adult) or level of knowledge.

Die geliefde en gewilde Amore Bekker se keuse van die beste, soms ongelooflike ware stories van toeval soos uitgesaai op RSG se middagprogram Tjailatyd. Luisteraars van dwarsoor die land deel hul ervaringe van die vreemde toeval wat ons lewens soms so onverklaarbaar kan aanraak. Amore het net minder as 100 van die beste stories uitgsoek vir 'n boek wat jou sal laat lag, laat huil, en laat wonder.

From stand-up comedian, actress, and breakout star of Girls Trip, Tiffany Haddish, comes The Last Black Unicorn, a sidesplitting, hysterical, edgy, and unflinching collection of (extremely) personal essays, as fearless as the author herself.

Growing up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles, Tiffany learned to survive by making people laugh. If she could do that, then her classmates would let her copy their homework, the other foster kids she lived with wouldn’t beat her up, and she might even get a boyfriend. Or at least she could make enough money—as the paid school mascot and in-demand Bar Mitzvah hype woman—to get her hair and nails done, so then she might get a boyfriend. None of that worked (and she’s still single), but it allowed Tiffany to imagine a place for herself where she could do something she loved for a living: comedy.

Tiffany can’t avoid being funny—it’s just who she is, whether she’s plotting shocking, jaw-dropping revenge on an ex-boyfriend or learning how to handle her newfound fame despite still having a broke person’s mind-set. Finally poised to become a household name, she recounts with heart and humor how she came from nothing and nowhere to achieve her dreams by owning, sharing, and using her pain to heal others.

By turns hilarious, filthy, and brutally honest, The Last Black Unicorn shows the world who Tiffany Haddish really is—humble, grateful, down-to-earth, and funny as hell. And now, she’s ready to inspire others through the power of laughter.

Zapiro comes of age in this 21st annual.

Zuma once again takes centre stage for all the wrong reasons along with his cronies the Guptas and his nemesis Malema. It’s the year of the hashtag. #RhodesMustFall begat #FeesMustFall, also #Racism/#Sexism and #ZumaMustFall. With Nenegate and SARS wars, it’s the rand that’s really falling. Meanwhile, Pravin and Thuli fight the good fight.

Each cartoon is worth a thousand words and helps us make sense of our crazy, beautiful country where fact is indeed stranger than fiction.

50 Blertse Blou is ’n keur uit Blouwillem se tong-in-die-kies-rubrieke in Beeld, Die Burger en Volksblad.

Dié rubrieke het van hom ’n berugte openbare persoonlikheid gemaak. Hy spot met onder andere aktuele sake in Suid-Afrika.

No little thorn in the flesh or irritating fly in the ointment, Zapiro just cannot be ignored. It’s been one helluva year.

We’ve held our breath thinking Zuma may resign. We’ve seen Juju re-booted and Zille tweeted out. We’ve seen Trump’s megalomania, Bell Pottinger‘s spin and Pravin’s fightback, cadres captured and Cabinet’s relocation to Saxonwold Shebeen. GuptaLeaks threaten to drown us and as the flood rises the rodents scatter. And who better to make sense of this than Zapiro, political analyst, cartoonist and agent provocateur.

He has the ability to knock the air out of us, to rock us back in our seats, to force us bolt upright with a 1000-watt jolt of electrifying shock. He shines a light on the elephant in the room, presents the emperor in all his naked glory. When all around is crumbling, when fake news and zipped lips conceal the truth, Zapiro comes to the rescue.

This oft-quoted all-time favorite of the medical community will gladden--and strengthen--the hearts of patients, doctors, and anyone entering medical study, internship, or practice. With unassailable logic and rapier wit, the sage Dr. Oscar London muses on the challenges and joys of doctoring, and imparts timeless truths, reality checks, and poignant insights gleaned from 30 years of general practice--while never taking himself (or his profession) too seriously.

The classic book on the art and humor of practicing medicine, celebrating its 20th anniversary in a new gift edition with updates throughout. Previous editions have sold more than 200,000 copies.

The perfect gift for med students and grads as well as new and practicing physicians.

Following the success of the Unofficial Jeremy Corbyn Annual 2018 comes another hilarious spoof annual, featuring a rather different man: Donald J. Trump.

It would be fair to say that 2018 was quite a year for the Donald, and what better way to commemorate his rise to glory than with the Unofficial Donald Trump Annual 2019. Spoofing the highs and lows of the Annual genre from yesteryear, this hilarious read will refresh parts other slightly ironic political gift books cannot reach.

Features include:

- 'Wrestling with His Destiny' photo story

- Dear Donald agony column

- Collectable and hilarious 'Trump's Gang' cards

- Pin the Quiff on the Donald game

- Donald's Hair Flair haircare tips

- Fun Steaks and Ladders game for all the family

- Cut-out-and-keep Trump masks to scare your children

plus quizzes, tips, puzzles, posters and much, much more. Smart!

What’s your cat up to when you’re not around? Do dragons exist? Are clouds alive? Why did three men risk their lives for a single penguin egg?

These are just a few of the questions and stories puzzled over by award-winning travel writer and naturalist Don Pinnock. Assembled from years of wandering around Africa, this is a funny, entertaining and thought-provoking book.

Lerato Tshabalala first came to our attention in 2011 with her ‘Urban Miss’ column in the Sunday Times, and since then she has by turns entertained, exasperated, amused and confounded her fans and critics alike.

Now, with her first book, she looks set to become the national institution she deserves to be. With her customary wit and keen insight into social, political and cultural affairs, Lerato shines a bright – and controversial – light on South African society and the quirky ways of the country. She is brutally honest about her experiences as a black South African in post-apartheid Mzansi, and no subject is too sacred for her to explore: annoying car guards, white-dominated corporate South Africa, cultural stereotypes, economic and racial inequality, and gender politics, among many other topics, come under her careful – and often laugh-out-loud – scrutiny.

The Way I See It is written for people who are hungry for a book that is thought-provoking, funny, irreverent and truly South African all at the same time. It is light but full of depth: like a supermodel with an MBA!

Fingers crossed that Marian has a new novel out soon but until then why not laugh your socks off with this hilarious collection of tales, observations and flights of fancy from the funniest woman in print.

Welcome to the magnificent Making It Up As I Go Along - aka the World According to Marian Keyes(TM) - A bold and brilliant collection of Marian's hilarious and often heartfelt observations on modern life, love and everything in between. From a guide to breaking up with your hairdresser to entering the fifties-zone, the joys of her nail varnish museum to singing her way through insomnia, Marian will have you laughing with delight and gasping with recognition throughout - because at the end of the day, each and every one of us is clearly making it up as we go along.