Top 10 for 10 Years - 2006

2008 is Fanatics' 10th anniversary! To celebrate every fanatical year, we have gone back in time, through the Top 10 books from each of the last 10 years.
We picked our favourites from the bestselling titles, from 1998 to 2007. You'll enjoy revisiting these chart-toppers - they are the books everyone was talking about at the time.
What you see in the pages that follow is a delicious concoction of books that hit the top sales charts, and books that captured our imagination, and remain top of mind. We hope you enjoy will enjoy the list as much as we enjoyed compiling it.

Select a top ten from a year below:

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

1 SPUD by John van de Ruit

What more can be said about Spud, South Africa's most popular book? Spud's universal appeal lies in the treatment of adolescence. Humour abounds, tinged with occasional sadness.

2 AN UNPOPULAR WAR by J.H. Thompson

In the seventies, eighties and nineties, conscription had a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of young South African men, particularly those who had to serve in the Angolan war. This title is a collection of reflections and memories of that time, capturing the spirit, the boredom, the fear.

3 WHEN A CROCODILE EATS THE SUN by Peter Godwin

Peter Godwin's powerful, moving memoir describes dark times and dark aspects of human behaviour spanning two continents and half a century. It is a searing portrayal of a son's effort to rescue his family, and a family's struggle to belong in a hostile land.

4 THE GOD DELUSION by Richard Dawkins

Presenting different arguments for religion, this book demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. It aims to show how religion fuels war, foments bigotry and abuses children. The God Delusion is a brilliantly argued, fascinating polemic.

5 SCREW IT, LET'S DO IT by Richard Branson

Screw It, Let's Do It reveals the lessons that have helped global entrepreneur Richard Branson through his business and personal life. Lessons include: believing it can be done; that, if others disagree with you, try and try again until you achieve your goal; and that you must love what you do.

6 A MILLION LITTLE PIECES by James Frey

James Frey wakes up on a plane, with no memory of the preceding two weeks. His face is cut and his body is covered with bruises. He has no wallet and no idea of his destination. He has abused alcohol and drugs for a decade and he is only 23 years old. A Million Little Pieces is an account of a life destroyed and a life reconstructed.

7 MANDELA: THE AUTHORISED PORTRAIT by Mike Nicol & Tim Couzens

Apart from The Long Walk to Freedom, this is undoubtedly the most important book about Mandela's life. It features the most complete collection of Mandela-related images ever assembled, and contains 60 original interviews with high profile international and South African figures who met or knew Mandela.

8 FREAKONOMICS by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

Cult bestseller, new buzz word...'Freakonomics' is at the heart of everything we see and do and the subjects that bedevil us daily: from parenting to crime, sport to politics, fat to cheating, fear to traffic jams. Freakonomics asks provocative and profound questions about human motivation and contemporary living.

9 THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS by Conn & Hal Iggulden

The Dangerous Book for Boys gives you facts and figures at your fingertips. Swot up on the solar system, learn about famous battles and read inspiring stories of incredible courage and bravery. There's a whole world out there: with this book, anyone can get out and explore it.

10 Q&A by Vikas Swarup

Eighteen-year-old Ram Mohammad Thomas is in prison after answering twelve questions correctly on a TV quiz show to scoop one billion rupees. The producers have arrested him, convinced that he has cheated his way to victory. In his warmhearted tale lies all the comedy, tragedy, joy and pathos of modern India.