Malaysian Reads discussion

I am currently reading a few books hahaha the first one is for my literature class and I'm loving it so far! The book is called Sula by Toni Morrison. The second book I'm reading is for my own pleasure and it's called One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus. The third book is on hold as of now (so I guess not exactly my current read but anyway..) the book is by JK Rowling under her pen name Robert Galbraith, called The Cuckoo's Calling, it's a detective series and it's very interesting but the thickness of the book is somewhat discouraging so we'll see how it goes!

I finished by Gillian Flynn. The plot and the characters in this book is disturbing and sickening, period.

Starting by Rick Riordan. Again, another quest for Percy Jackson and his team. It seems like there are a lot of things going on in this book (courtesy of beloved spoilers online).

Just finished with one of my favourite reads of all time, Possession by A.S. Byatt; and came across this beautiful quote on reading, which I believe all of us could relate to:

‘There are readings—of the same text—that are dutiful, readings that map and dissect, readings that hear a rustling of unheard sounds, that count grey little pronouns for pleasure or instruction and for a time do not hear golden or apples. There are personal readings, which snatch for personal meanings, I am full of love, or disgust, or fear, I scan for love, or disgust, or fear. There are—believe it—impersonal readings—where the mind’s eye sees the lines move onwards and the mind’s ear hears them sing and sing.

Now and then there are readings that make the hairs on the neck, the non-existent pelt, stand on end and tremble, when every word burns and shines hard and clear and infinite and exact, like stones of fire, like points of stars in the dark—readings when the knowledge that we shall know the writing differently or better or satisfactorily, runs ahead of any capacity to say what we know, or how. In these readings, a sense that the text has appeared to be wholly new, never before seen, is followed, almost immediately, by the sense that it was always there, that we the readers, knew it was always there, and have always known it was as it was, though we have now for the first time recognised, become fully cognisant of, our knowledge.’
- Chapter 26, Page 591

Didn't manage to read many books this year, but at least, I achieved one of my targets, which is to complete Jordan's Wheel of Time series. With roughly 1.5 months left to the end of the year, I hope that I'll manage to finish Tolstoy's War and Peace and Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Good evening,

Currently reading yet another book from Gillian Flynn. I'm half way through this book. This book explored a story of a poor family. All of the family member were brutally murdered but only two survived. Libby Day was the youngest who's hiding during the killing and her brother Ben Day was accused and jailed. Many people thinks that her brother was innocent and Libby planned to take a second look whether her brother was truly innocent.

Just finished listening to the first book of Simon Schama's A History of Britain: At the Edge of the World? 3500 BC-AD 1603. If, like me, you're not born in England, it's a decent introduction to it's early history. Schama takes you with large strides and a sweeping narrative past all the momentous events. Obviously, in a book spanning 5000 years, there isn't room for minute descriptions and scientific referencing is very much absent. However, take it as an introduction and later fill in the blanks by reading the many historical studies/biographies published in the UK. Had I started with this, it would have helped put everything in perspective.

Currently reading Geschichte eines Deutschen on how German society slid into the horrors of WWII and also started in Loetoeng Kasaroeng: Een Mythologisch Verhaal uit West Java which I picked up while in Bandung. It's a study into Sundanese language and mythology.

Shy wrote: " ..complete Jordan's Wheel of Time series."

I never managed that. The story started dragging so much and I didn't find the writing very good, so I gave up. How do the last couple of volumes (by Brandon Sanderson) compare to those by RJ himself?

Started listening in the car to Cult X. It's rather bizarre (well, it's Japanese) wih a lot of pseudo science. The last thing puts me off a bit.

Hi all

Just finished reading the last book of the three series by Chris Kuzneski. As usual, the story will take us to China and then to Tibet and lastly Sri Lanka where they found crates of treasures of antiquities. The style of the story telling is great albeit similar with the previous two books in the series but still it made me keep on reading and finished faster.

My train read now: . Based on history with part of Dipanegara (Diponegoro)'s memoir and many made-up letters that the Dutch could have written. So far not bad (though a previous owner vandalised my copy, apparently to photostat the pictures, so now some pages are missing)

Finished listening to Cult X. As I mentioned earlier, the pop science (pseudo science, whatever) is annoying but eventually I can see its place in the plot. But what really made the book a pleasure is the reading by Brian Nishii.

Likewise finished with Dipanegara: De Java-oorlog van 1825 tot 1830. It's unfortunate that the author fictionalised letters and reports, it keeps on stopping me from reading to wonder whether this or that detail is historical. Also, the introduction mentions the suffering of the people in the war, but this wasn't visible. The only characters in the book are Javanese aristocracy, Dutch officers and officials and one Dutch planter.

Now it's on to Coin Locker Babies.

Ho Ho Ho

Finished reading the last book of a trilogy by Scott Sigler. The last book explored the emergence of new infection during the retrieval of the alien artifacts. It messed with the human and made the human fought each other and "converted" them. Machine guns, blood and deaths are everywhere.

I think I'd like to read something related to alien infection AND the human in the end DIE. How typical human wants to win everytime lol If anyone know any book like this, please let me know. If the book is too sciency - better! If the book is a standalone - much better!

Merry Christmas

Another Ho ho ho

The last book of Percy Jackson and the Olympians' quintet by Rick Riordan. A bloody battle with the enemies of Greek mythology. There are some, no! many characters I never heard of except for Zeus, Poseidon, Hades etc. Google helps tons when you are reading a book of full weird creatures with slightest idea how they look like. The battle was to save Olympus from falling to the hand of the enemy and the fulfilling of The Great Prophecy from the first book of the series. Great book for young adults who detest to read about ancient Greek's Gods and Goddess in nonfiction style.

Hi

Should I continue here or doing new folder of currently reading.

Anyway, another Flynn book, Gone Girl. It's a story of a man and a woman who fell in love and get married. Well, both of them have their own quirkiness but when Flynn wrote it, it's a disturbing type of quirkiness. Perhaps it's the husband's fault that made the wife revenge? Just to make sure that she's the one you can't mess with? The plan she made was elaborate enough. The madness is on different level and only her husband can match her madness. I couldn't imaging living together under one roof for the entire life. But, the way both were raised is somewhat questionable too.

Well, there's a movie with the same title. The movie was perfect and it follows like 99% of the book.

Kamarul wrote: "Hi

Should I continue here or doing new folder of currently reading."


>>> You can continue in this one :D

By the way I haven't read any Gillian Flynn book. Always wanted to try but never got to it yet.

I overestimate myself. I thought I could finish this in a week, now it's been a month lol. Anyhow this is my first time reading it in English. I feel that compared with the Mandarin version, this is somewhat less emotional - but perhaps because I feel more in Mandarin than English? #bilingualproblems I wonder how much is lost during translation. Dyou recommend learning a new language just for the sake of reading in their original language? Lol.


Got this for cheap, not a fan of the countryside hence I didn't expect to love this. It's less about horses and more about coming of age. Beautifully written, and what a sensitive soul Alice has.

38%
So far I like it. But is it "lighter" than I expected.

Sofia wrote: "Dyou recommend learning a new language just for the sake of reading in their original language? Lol."

There's definitely things getting lost in translation, though you'd need to be very well versed in a new language to pick up on that. But learning a new language is fun by itself anyway.

I just finished . Many reports on visits to a literary festival in Palestine. You need only read one story, though, as they're all mostly covering the same things. Still worth a read, I guess.

Now starting in .

I'm done with Salman Rushdie's memoir . Didn't finish it, just done with it (nearly halfway but only because I had nothing else in the train). If you're like me: don't bother with this one! Did anyone here read any Rushdie? I looked back and was surprised to see I rated most of his books lower than I remembered.

Will start in because history is always interesting (well, I hope)

Henk wrote: "I'm done with Salman Rushdie's memoir . Didn't finish it, just done with it (nearly halfway but only because I had nothing else in the train). If you're l..."
I finish reading Midnight's Children and I don't plan to read any more of Rushdie's work. I was struggling to go on with the book too. It's just so long-winded and nothing exciting towards the end of the book.

completed another Catherine Cookson's - The Dwelling Place. After starting on three this one got on to a runaway train. As always, once she grips you, you won't be able to put the book down. Now I can get back on track....

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

As usual I am easily sidetracked by any historical book other than Catherine Cookson's. The Ottoman Empire by Donald Quataert (DQ) is the smallest of its kind I have picked from our home collection and I think I have made the right choice.

In the summer of 1983 school children lined the sidewalks of Vienna to see the museum exhibition as part of the celebration commemorating the 300th anniversary of the 2nd Ottoman siege of Vienna. To today's European general public, 1683 was the year they were saved from the alien Ottoman - the "unspeakable Turks"

In reality there is so much presence of the Ottomans in European culture that prompted Prof DQ to write this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

Am also someway through the Islamic Political Thought by Montgomery Watt. It is one of the few from the Islamic Survey books in the family collection.

Recently I came to know that it is a text in some universities ...but hey, here I am reading it like a novel... uurrgghh !! Slow going.....

Actually at the dawn of WW2 Britain realised how few experts there were in Asian languages and cultures. When nations became independent there was even greater need for studies in the area. Most of these nations are Muslim nations. "The Islamic Surveys" is the culmination of such need.

You see, since the European wars of religion in the 16th-17th century Europeans and Americans see religion and politics as being separate....divorced. However in reality, throughout history they have always been linked ......

This book researches the genesis of Islamic political conceptions since the days of trading & commercial community of Mecca.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

I am currently reading Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser and Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. Both in many few centuries back. And so far they have been good reads.

Nice one Stephenie. Recently I was delving into the Battle of the Roses

...or Wars of the Roses.

oops, long time since I updated here. I finished Terre rare (rare earths, can't find the English version here. Read it in French anyway).
A man loses control over his life. And when things go wrong, they go utterly, totally over the top wrong, which detracts from the book. It made me look up so many words in the dictionary (it's full of slang) that I must have learned something.

Now starting on a tome, a brick of 1344 pages, and thank heavens for ebooks or else my thumbs would fall off: Jozef en zijn broers (Joseph and his brothers)

“Thrice, mortal maiden,” in a rhythm almost like a song, “Thrice you shall turn silver to gold for me, or be changed to ice yourself.”




>>> I'm enjoying this one but this book needs concentration because there are multiple first person POVs but not marked.

Hi all,
I'm currently reading the banned book: Breaking the Silence: Voices of Moderation by G25 Malaysia.
I'm interested in discussing this book with anyone that had read the book and with those who wants to read it.

As if my current books are not challenging enough, I got caught up with Max Havelaar by Multatuli. I am anticipating watching the movie too.

Azimah wrote: "As if my current books are not challenging enough, I got caught up with Max Havelaar by Multatuli. I am anticipating watching the movie too."

Let us know what you think of it. For us Dutchies it's still required reading. Read it several times.

Do you read it in Eglish or Bahasa? (Or in Dutch?)

To brush up my French, I'm reading some crimes noirs (Nestor Burma series by Leo Malet)

Currently reading "How to read a book" by Mortimer J. Adler & Charles Van Doren. A rather classic book but still relevant.

NIKINA
I finished this one!!!!
Rad.
It's like your usual YA contemporary but in Malay.
Basically a twist of the usual dumb-Malay-drama-that-airs-during-maghrib kinda thing.

It has young couples, busy body side characters and as always, a happy ending.

@Hikaoru

OMG my mum loves those drama.
I had to endure listening while I eat dinner and a lot of time I roll my eyes internally haha!

I'm reading this one. She's one of my favorite author and she writes deep, emotional story. But this book is a Rom Com which is completely the opposite of her usual works. I'm liking it, but the plot is a bit typical.

warhawke wrote: "@Hikaoru

OMG my mum loves those drama.
I had to endure listening while I eat dinner and a lot of time I roll my eyes internally haha!"

Ikr. Mum would shoo me away because i tend to yell at the tv. Yeah, i know, i get a wee bit emotional when dumb shit happens on tv. This is why i seldom read/watch cringe-y stuff

Recently I was sidetracked again by the book Negeri Sembilan Dan Sejarahnya, a history of Negri Sembilan, a state in Malaysia. It is in Malay and I must say it is one of the most impossible book to read...! I supplemented it with other sources to track down Pagaruyung and it's early kingship.

I visited the National Art Gallery, KL yesterday with the kids to see the exhibition on Leonardo ba Vinci. Today I am distracted by this book 101 Things You Didn't Know About da Vinci.

Yup..Leonardo di Ser Piero da Vinci would describe him better...The rest you need to readlah :)

Henk,
I am reading the English translation of Max Havelaar. I am finding it very, very readable so far... I am still a long way off ;)

I'm still on my detective noir kick with Nestor Burma.

And my car 'read' (listen?) of Martin Chuzzlewit is /nearly/ finished. Just half an hour more maybe. Many ups and downs in that story. Dickens can be an incredible master of irony and sarcastic wit but in some episodes the deadlines are causing uninspired prose. Still, all in all not an unpleasant experience (and I love Sean Barrett's reading)

Henk,
My hubby thinks Max Havelaar is an impossible book to read but somehow I am now about halfway. I realise that Drystubble, the guy Max had entrusted his writings to has also inserted his thoughts in the book. I find Max's chats with his assistants usually cover a wide range ... pretty distracting at times but hey, I think they were his observations during his travels and services in the east.... I hope I am on the right tract of thoughts. I dread having to reread ... :)

Did I say that I am reading the English translation by Baron Alphonse something. From it I reckon it was originally written in German and Drystubble had his young asst. translate it to Dutch. However, a comment I read says the original manuscript was in Dutch..... Can someone confirm please?

Azimah, the whole of the Max Havelaar is fiction, as it's a novel. It was originally written in Dutch by Multatuli (pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker). Neither Droogstoppel (Drystubble) or Max have ever existed.

However, what Multatuli tried to do was convey his observations on the poor government by colonial and especially local rulers. He has often been described as speaking out against colonialism but his agenda was that the Dutch should save the Javanese people from the Javanese princes (see the tear-jerker inserted story of Saidja and Adinda). Nowadays that would be considered patronising and colonial though it has had influence on how Dutch people thought about 'their' colony.

Of course, it was written in 1860 and that shows. The translation you're reading was made in 1868 by another Dutchman. Usually, it's preferable to read translations by a native speaker of the target language so that won't help much either. Don't tell me you're reading from screen using the internet archive? Then I should really salute you.

The library here in UM has a translation in Bahasa, though I think that's Bahasa Indonesia. It would probably be quite old as well.

Multatuli had really been on Java as Assistant Resident, so he did know what he was writing about.

Henk , thank you for a fine response. Yes, I am aware that Max is fictitious and is used by Multantuli to send a message about the colonial rule in Java. I have no problem following the narration.

Thank you again.

If indeed the original manuscripts are in Dutch then it makes better sense... . I would indeed be reading the translation off the screen if the hubby had not had it printed.

Taking a break from Nestor Burma as i start mixing up details between novels.
Currently reading Proust's Overcoat: The True Story of One Man's Passion for All Things Proust. It's a very short book,so should be done within a day. It's a very straightforwardly written (essentially journalistic) account of a collector's passion for everything Proust. Quite fun for an in-between read.

Well, that (Proust's Overcoat: The True Story of One Man's Passion for All Things Proust) was really short and fast. Back to Burma then. 'Hélène en danger'. Part of a collection and apparently goodreads doesn't know about it, so there's no link.

Gonna be in Indonesia for a while so I tried some Indonesian lit.
This book might have been a required reading for their highschoolers so I gave it a go. It's about a guy who imho cheated death. In the whole get-better-from-a-disease-and-live-super-long-than-expected kind of way. The foreword talk about how the novella is like a social commentary and I don't really see it. Maybe if you squint. Or maybe because I just rushed through it. He did talk about how different people reacted when he announced that he's gonna die but the reactions were expected..we humans never change (especially the less desired traits)

And I also read this one kinda like a rip-off of some 2000s chinese drama.

Currently reading which I bought solely because I like the cover.

Hi...am pretty pleased to have finally compleated Max Havelaar. l thought it is a very fine book and have shared the pdf version with a couple of friends.

It has been a while since I updated here. Ransacked the library for some oldies Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man: The Early Years and The Unbearable Lightness of Being and some (auto)biographies: Verdi and Beneath the Underdog.
What's everyone else up to?

Currently reading this mystery/thriller with eerie gothic feel.

Just finished reading The Master and Margarita. What a headache... I need to read something 'light' to counter balance my emotion.