Ready to turn the page on school and work stress and soak up the sun? Whether you’re lounging under the cool shade of a tree or chilling beachside with the ocean breeze, summer’s the perfect backdrop for getting lost in a book.

In this post, I’ve got the ultimate summer reading list just for you. But first, let’s shake things up with a game of Reading Roulette on Fundza! It’s the thrill of discovery without moving from your sunspot.

Here’s the scoop: dash over to Fundza’s library, hit the Books and Stories tab, then go with your gut—or rather, your finger. Tap the screen at random, and voilà, meet your unexpected summer fling with fiction. Who knows? That chance could land you in the middle of an alien invasion, a historical epic, or a rom-com that’s sweeter than ice cream in July.

When I spun the wheel of fortune on Fundza, I stumbled into stories that had me glued to my screen way past sunset.

So, what’re you waiting for? Dive into Reading Roulette and let books be your summer crush. Who needs a schedule when you’ve got stories?

From the Fundza virtual bookshelves, I would recommend the following books:

1. The first was a book by Mbali Nyabane called I’m in Love with My Kidnapper.
This book has seven instalments; the first instalment has 13 chapters, and the current (and final) one has 17 chapters, so you know you are in for a long ride with this tale – and you will not regret it. The story follows Melokuhle, who is kidnapped by Melusi. She soon develops Stockholm syndrome, which means she starts falling for her kidnapper. This is just the start of this crazy rollercoaster; by the time you reach the end of the series, you have fallen in love not just with Melokuhle but also with the character Melusi. You get shocked by unexpected pregnancies and betrayals, and you question what you would do in such a situation…

2. Another great read from the Fundza Library is a play called Chaos in The Church.
Have you tried plays before? If not, this play by Thabiso Morelo is a great place to start. The story throws you into the deep end in the first scene with a murder! The play revolves around Pastor Banda, who finds himself in a dicey predicament when his wife transgresses numerous commandments. Can he do the right thing and still save his wife?

For those readers looking for something about teenagers, visit the Fundza series page. It has ten titles, each with multiple chapters and a series of twisted and interesting stories, many of them about young adults (Check it out here).

I would highly recommend From Boys to Men by Londi Gamedze and Dorothy Dyer. Themba is grieving for his brother
and trying to fit in at school. Tough guy Prince befriends him, but does Themba want to join his gang? (19 Chapters)

Next time you’re in a bookstore, ready to snag your new favourite read, check out these titles that are total must-haves. Trust me, they’re the kind of books you won’t be able to put down!

1. Hlomu The Wife
This book has now been turned into a TV series and is by a writer who has also written short stories for FunDza, the awesome Dudu Busani-Dube. The book is the first in a series of books, and it is perfect for readers looking for romance and intrigue. It follows a woman called Hlomu who falls in love with an imperfect man, but they’re happy. However, her husband comes from a very wealthy and powerful family in Johannesburg, and at each turn, danger waits…

2. My Sister, The Serial Killer
‘My Sister The Serial Killer’ by Nigerian writer Onyinkan Braithwaite, and oh, what a thrilling book it was! The author manages to weave you into this fiendishly dramatic story about a nurse whose little sister kills all her ex-boyfriends and always claims it is in self-defence. The nurse helps her younger sister bury the bodies because she loves her, but what happens when her little sister starts dating the doctor that the nurse is in love with? Will he end up on the other end of her little sister’s murder spree?
It’s quite a small book, so I read it all in one day, lying on a towel outside in the sun with my sunglasses on. Yes, this signals that it is summer reading time!

3. Year Of Yes
Have you heard of the hit American shows Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away with Murder? Well, for those who do not like fiction novels, then I would suggest reading The Year Of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, the creator of those shows. It is based on her TED talk of the same name, and she shares her experience of what transformative things happened in her life when she decided to start saying yes to everything. This book changed my life, and I hope it helps you learn something, too!

Audio Books
A study published by the Society of Neuroscience indicated that both reading and listening activate comparable cognitive and emotional regions in the brain, with negligible variations in comprehension, so for those that think listening isn’t as beneficial as reading, think again (Read here).

Audiobooks are a great addition to your summer reading list because they have the power to immerse you in a story completely, just like a book does. Whether you like listening to personal development or fictional stories, audiobooks are fantastic for when you are cleaning the house or tending to the garden with your headphones on. Choose any title; you can’t go wrong; if it’s not your kind of book, you just press next!

Good apps for audiobooks are Audible and Everand (formerly known as Scribd), and bonus, both offer free one-month trials!
That wraps up my summer reading list; It’s time for me to get into my next novel. Happy reading, everyone.

QUESTION: What is your favourite book or Fundza story?

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