Be Kind, Rewind by Farah Liyana

'Be Kind, Rewind' by Farah Liyana is the first of a trilogy of urban fantasy which is packed with action, adventure, and magic. It contains fresh takes on local folklore and fairy tales. Although there are a considerable number of characters, it is very easy to read. Reading this book can feel like rubbernecking our Malaysian urban legends.

Tuan Sulaiman Seroja is the odd one out of the three siblings from a lawmaker and prestigious family in the Land of Bulan. Her disability (i might say, dyslexia) had possessed negative traits and tarnished the family's reputation of imperial blood.

The disappearance of Anak Permata's test subject prompts her to question why her family has not spoken out about it. Anak Permata is a program that seeks out children or beings with extraordinary abilities, yet there have been accusations of misconduct involving unethical and illegal experimentation.

The invitation from Black Archives has helped her through a nonsensical time travel. Yes, it's crazy, right? Now when I think of it, I realise that there is so much to say about Book 1. I want to hear more stories about Megat Santubong, and other unique creatures in the next installment.

Special thanks to @m for the review copy. My opinions are my own 💙 

* This book can be purchased at major bookstores

Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody

Today marks the tenth anniversary of Angie Angstrom's disappearance after attending a party, which led to her father's tragic decision to take his own life. Going through his belongings, his younger daughter, Theodora uncovered the fact that he never truly moved on from Angie. Her quest for clues and potential correlations brings her to a dead-end alley, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information she has gathered.

I was looking forward to sharing my thoughts. The premise of this book fascinated me. This book showed promise, but unfortunately, Teddy's wandering took up a large portion of the plot. It was disheartening to have to write this review, as I am not usually a tough critic. And for Wolfie, do you have to kill him? I did finish reading though. Above all, Rabbit Hole is a novel about closure and unmentionable things.

Special thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. My opinions are my own 💙

* This book can be purchased at major bookstores in both Singapore and Malaysia, as well as on their online platform.

Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody

Today marks the tenth anniversary of Angie Angstrom's disappearance after attending a party, which led to her father's tragic decision to take his own life. Going through his belongings, his younger daughter, Theodora uncovered the fact that he never truly moved on from Angie. Her quest for clues and potential correlations brings her to a dead-end alley, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information she has gathered.

I was looking forward to sharing my thoughts. The premise of this book fascinated me. This book showed promise, but unfortunately, Teddy's wandering took up a large portion of the plot. It was disheartening to have to write this review, as I am not usually a tough critic. And for Wolfie, do you have to kill him? I did finish reading though. Above all, Rabbit Hole is a novel about closure and unmentionable things.

Special thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. My opinions are my own 💙

* This book can be purchased at major bookstores in both Singapore and Malaysia, as well as on their online platform.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Unpopular opinion: I'm disappointed. 

I'm still wondering whether it's confusing or simply bad plot holes. For the most part, the frustration heavily focused on the unnecessary descriptions of food, clothes, clubs and 90's music and artists. I don't buy Patrick Bateman being the serial killer however his personality and the mayhem he caused are telling otherwise. 

He is known as Mr Wall Street and forcing his way to maintain credibility to fit in the public persona. He has never been out of fashion among his professional friends. He's also a lonely sociopath who has been obsessed with serial killers. He starts stabbing victims randomly and torturing them. Without evidence, patterns and his backstory, I assumed that it might be his harrowing childhood that render him criminally insane. The last thing I want is to watch the movie. 🙃🙃

#donereading #AmericanPsycho by #BretEastonEllis #igbooks #igreads #emabaca #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookstagram #goodreads #kindlepaperwhite #malaysiamembaca

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

Such a beautiful story that describes the Federation of Malaya's history of colonialism and the events that focused on the European community circa 1910-1940. The story of Lesley Hamlyn who recollects her life in Penang. Her husband, Robert invites his friend, William Somerset Maugham, a famous writer to recuperate from a terrible phase of life. She became close to Willie and wants him to write a book about her 'little secret'.

An alternating point of view of Lesley and Willie through periods revealed a secret affair, the Chinese revolution, a murder prosecution and racial disparity during colonial times. What I enjoyed most about this story, was the setting and description of the former British colony. The details and the action in the story are a mix of actual events and an imaginative reconstruction. How the author created Willie and Dr Sun Yat Sen as protagonists is commendable. I even did some research on google while reading and wishing that mr tan would write about William Kellie-Smith in his future story. Hiks🥲

The House of Doors has been longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize. 4.5 ⭐️ Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store

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#donereading #TheHouseofDoors by #TanTwanEng #igreads #emabaca

#igbooks #goodreads #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #bookreview

#malaysiamembaca

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

I understand why this book is so hyped within the book community. I know I am several years late to the party and admit right away that I'm not a fan of queer novels. The ironic thing is though it did have some good morals. This book is a raw and emotional journey of Jude St. Francis.

He is a private person. He has a history of self-injury and the seriousness of suicide attempts. He was in an abusive relationship with long-term reverberations and never discussed with anyone. But he had friends, foster parents who love him and adulthood that people dream about. The last chapter is the most moving chapter in the whole book. It makes this book so real. Many people aren't happy in life ruminating on the past, and tend to repeat these negative thoughts. Another reads to torture your mind.

 

 

🖤 HAPPY PUB DAY ‼️

Experts say that crimes being committed while sleeping is a real phenomenon yet rare. Anna O is a suspenseful and captivating psychological thriller that revolves around Anna who was found asleep in a cabin with a kitchen knife beside 2 bodies of her best friends in 2019. Despite numerous attempts to rouse the suspect, Anna remained asleep and unresponsive.

After 4 years, the authority gave a temporary release to her into secure custody for a new treatment plan. Dr. Benedict Prince, a forensic psychologist claimed to have developed a new diagnostic method to wake her up from resignation syndrome theoretically. The only way to help Anna is by discovering more about her past.


Perhaps it really intricate murder case but to claim a perfect murder is a too strong statement. Anna's obsession with a true crime likely has led a secret events leading up to murders. This book was a slow burn that turned into an inferno. 4.3 ⭐️

Thanks to @times.reads and @putrifariza for the review copy. My opinions are my own 💙

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online stores