---
title: "From medieval mysteries to modern struggles: must-read books for thoughtful readers"
description: "Two books for your reading list and two launches not to be missed."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "What We're Reading"
author: "Maverick Life Editors"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/maverick-life-editors/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-03-07-from-medieval-mysteries-to-modern-struggles-must-read-books-for-thoughtful-readers/"
published: "2025-03-07T11:59:53"
updated: "2025-03-07T11:59:58"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 170
---

# From medieval mysteries to modern struggles: must-read books for thoughtful readers

> Two books for your reading list and two launches not to be missed.

By Maverick Life Editors · Published 7 March 2025, 13:59 SAST · Updated 7 March 2025, 13:59 SAST

## Key points
- In a delightful literary escapade, Delia Langenhoven champions Brandon Sanderson’s whimsical survival guide for medieval amnesiacs, while also spotlighting Astrid Roemer's poignant tale of a queer woman's flight from domestic tyranny, and invites you to two must-attend book launches that promise to illuminate South Africa's past and present.
- Delia Langenhoven praises Brandon Sanderson's *The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook*, a whimsical survival tale set in medieval England.
- Astrid Roemer's *On a Woman’s Madness*, now a Booker Prize longlist contender, explores Noenka's escape from an abusive marriage in Suriname.
- Don't miss the launch of Dan Magaziner's *Available Light*, detailing Omar Badsha's fight for change in South Africa, on March 10 in Johannesburg.
- Cape Town's Book Lounge will host the launch of Gavin Evans' *White Supremacy: a Brief History of Hatred* on March 18.

## Content

***Delia Langenhoven recommends: The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England*by Brandon Sanderson**. This book was an easy and fun read. A man wakes up in a clearing with no memory of who he is, or how he got there. His only chance of survival is a few pages from a guidebook and recollecting his identity.

***On a Woman’s Madness* by Astrid Roemer and translated by Lucy Scott**. Added to the recently announced Booker Prize longlist, the novel follows the journey of Noenka, a queer black woman who flees to her hometown in Suriname after her abusive husband refuses a divorce.

***Available Light: Omar Badsha and the Struggle for Change in South Africa* by Dan Magaziner**. Don’t miss out on the [launch of this remarkable book](https://lovebooks.co.za/event/book-launch-available-light/) at Love Books in Melville, Johannesburg from 5.30pm on 10 March.

If you’re in Cape Town, [Book Lounge will be hosting the launch](https://booklounge.co.za/event/white-supremacy/) of ***White Supremacy: a Brief History of Hatred* by Gavin Evans** on 18 March at 5.30pm. **DM**