Exclusive Books' recommended June reads
If you haven't done so, pick up Waterstones' Book of the Year for 2024, Butter by Asako Yuzuki, a culinary thriller inspired by true events.
Manako Kajii was once a celebrated gourmet cook now in Tokyo Detention Centre, convicted of murder. Rika Machida, the only female journalist in her news office, works late every night and rarely cooks anything beyond noodles. When Rika writes to Manako requesting her recipe for beef stew, hoping to soften her up and get her to finally speak to the media, the two women develop an unlikely bond.
In the latest addition to the Elements series, Air from John Boyne offers a contemplative exploration of a man's journey towards becoming a better father. Aaron is at a crossroads in life. The trauma of his childhood has shaped the man he is today, but it's also what's keeping him from his son. Stuck on a plane together on a long-haul flight halfway across the world, this trip may bring them closer together or drive them further apart.
If you're in the mood for romance, don't miss Swept Away by Beth O'Leary. Zeke is in town for the weekend to buy back his father's houseboat. Lexi is desperately looking for help caring for her best friend's daughter. After meeting in a local bar, Zeke and Lexi spend what they assume will be one night together. But they wake up the next morning surrounded by the ocean because no one remembered to tie the houseboat to the dock the night before. As they navigate their way back, they'll have to figure out how to get back on land without falling for each other.
The non-fiction selection this month is sure to pique your interest, with major tech titles, moving memoirs and an eye-opening probe into building a safer SA.
In Behind Prison Walls, retired judge and chancellor of Stellenbosch University Edwin Cameron offers a powerful look at the failing prison system, along with insights and reflections on how it might be reformed for the better.
In Apple in China, Patrick McGee delves into the complex relationship between one of the world's most valuable companies and its biggest political rival. After struggling to build its products across three continents, Apple was drawn to China's seemingly vast, low-cost labour force. By 2014, China had produced up to 200-million phones for Apple. McGee tells the gripping story of how a company once celebrated for its rebellious spirit became a compliant player in a tightly controlled regime.
What happened to Elon Musk? In Hubris Maximus, Faiz Siddiqui traces the rise of the richest man on earth, and the cracks beginning to show in his empire. From transforming Tesla into the most valuable automaker to Twitter's rebrand to X, Musk is no stranger to controversy. Siddiqui provides a portrait of the billionaire's rapid ascent and his spectacular public implosion.
On the other end of the spectrum, I am a Girl from Africa is the powerful memoir from Elizabeth Nyamayaro as she reflects on how her near-death experience sparked a dream that changed the world. The book charts Nyamayaro's life from nearly starving to death in Zimbabwe to becoming a senior adviser at the UN. Follow the journey of a young girl who dreamed of change for herself, and for the people who need it most.
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- The South African
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The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
Elon Musk: 'I won Donald Trump the US election'
Elon Musk on Thursday ratcheted up his public spat with Donald Trump, saying the US president would have lost the election without his support. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election,' Musk said on X. 'Such ingratitude.' Meanwhile, Tesla shares fell sharply on Wall Street, down eight percent, on Thursday immediately after the spat erupted between Trump and Musk, the electric car company's CEO. Trump said he was disappointed by Musk criticising his proposed massive spending bill. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
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- The South African
Elon Musk blasts Donald Trump's mega-bill as 'disgusting abomination'
Tensions between Elon Musk and Donald Trump erupted as the world's richest man derided the president's key piece of economic legislation in a startling rupture just days after exiting a controversial job in the White House. Musk was lauded by the Republican leader as he left his advisory role atop Trump's 'Department of Government Efficiency' last week, despite criticism over his failure to deliver on promises of radical spending cuts. 'This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,' Musk posted on X as he followed its progress from the sidelines, in by far his most caustic remarks on Trump's agenda. 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong.' It was not Musk's first comments on Trump's so-called 'big, beautiful bill' which is set to add $3 trillion to US deficits over a 10-year horizon, despite deep cuts to health and food aid programmes. But Musk's previous criticism was more restrained, with the Tesla and SpaceX magnate offering only that it undermined his cost-cutting efforts. On Tuesday he said the bill – being considered by Congress – would burden 'citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.' His post laid bare an increasingly tense relationship between the White House and Musk, who donated almost $300 million to Trump's 2024 election campaign. Musk has become disillusioned, US media reported, as his goals for White House action that would benefit him personally have gone unrealised. The bill he was criticising cuts the electric vehicle tax credit – bad news for Tesla – while Axios reported that Musk was rebuffed in his efforts to extend his role beyond the statutory 130-day limit. He also failed to have his Starlink satellite system used for air traffic control, according to Axios, and was angered by Trump withdrawing the nomination of Musk ally Jared Isaacman to be NASA chief. The normally pugilistic Trump has pulled his punches, aware of his biggest backer's enormous influence over young, tech-savvy and historically apathetic voters – a key Trump constituency in 2024. 'The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill, it doesn't change his opinion,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a rapid response to Musk's tweet. The spat came with House Republicans set to pass legislation sent from the White House to enshrine into law $9.4 billion of DOGE's cuts, mostly money destined for public broadcasting and foreign aid. House Speaker Mike Johnson called Musk's comments 'disappointing,' adding that he had walked the entrepreneur through the bill on Monday, and that he 'seemed to understand.' As the world's richest person bowed out of his role as Trump's cost-cutter-in-chief, their relationship appeared on an even keel as the Republican hailed his fellow billionaire's 'incredible service.' Trump even insisted that Musk was 'really not leaving' after a turbulent four months in which the South Africa-born tycoon cut tens of thousands of jobs, shuttered whole agencies and slashed foreign aid. DOGE led an ideologically driven rampage through the federal government, with its young 'tech bros' slashing tens of thousands of jobs. But its achievements fell far short of Musk's original boast that he could save $2 trillion – more than the government's entire discretionary spending budget for 2024. The DOGE website claims to have saved taxpayers less than a tenth of that total – just $180 billion – and fact checkers even see that claim as dubious, given previous inaccuracies in its accounting. Senate Democrats released a report on Tuesday itemising 130 examples of 'unethical or potentially corrupt' administration actions they say have helped Musk dodge regulation and add $100 billion to his wealth. The report came as senators began what is expected to be a fraught month of negotiations on Trump's mammoth policy package, expected to add between $2.5 trillion and $3.1 trillion to deficits over a decade. Trump said on Monday it was 'the single biggest Spending Cut in History,' although he added: 'The only 'cutting' we will do is for Waste, Fraud, and Abuse.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
