Selagi Pohon Lemon Tumbuh by Zoulfa Katouh

Selepas kebangkitan Arab Spring iaitu gelombang protes dan kebangkitan rakyat yang melanda banyak negara Arab sekitar 2010–2012, impian rakyat Syria hancur di bawah pemerintahan diktator. Novel ini membawa kita menyusuri luka itu melalui mata Salama Kassab, seorang pelajar farmasi yang belum sempat bergelar graduan tetapi terpaksa memikul tugas seorang doktor di hospital yang kekurangan tenaga dan infra akibat pengeboman dan peluru sesat.

Selepas ayah dan abangnya ditangkap tentera, satu-satunya keluarga yang tinggal hanyalah Layla, sahabat baik merangkap kakak iparnya. Layla berkali-kali mengajak Salama memulakan hidup baharu di negara lain, namun Salama berbelah bahagi antara cintanya kepada Syria dan tanggungjawab moral untuk terus membantu mangsa yang cedera. Part ni pembaca kena berhati-hati. Sedih weiii😭.

Sejak setahun lalu, muncul Khawf. Jelmaan ketakutan yang lahir selepas letupan bom meragut nyawa ibunya. Hanya Salama yang dapat melihat Khawf. Watak ini sinis, kejam, dan sentiasa mendesak Salama meninggalkan Syria. Saya suka watak Khawf. Ia bukan sekadar peneman, tetapi nadi yang memaksa Salama terus bernafas di bumi bergolak ini. Tidak adil untuk membandingkan kehidupan fiksyen Salama dengan penderitaan saudara kita di Gaza namun tema utama novel ini iaitu PTSD, jelas bahawa trauma tidak pernah mampu digambarkan sepenuhnya melalui rakaman media sosial. Ia mengerikan. Jika saya berada di tempat Salama, saya rasa tidak mampu bertahan.

Nasib Salama mungkin satu dalam sejuta kerana kehadiran Kenan. Keluarga mereka pernah berjanji untuk bertemu dan merapatkan hubungan, namun kekacauan perang menggagalkan segalanya. Takdir mempertemukan mereka dengan cara yang berbeza, perlahan, penuh empati, dan saling memahami. Hubungan ini menjadi cahaya kecil di tengah gelap yang menyesakkan.

Kredit saya berikan kepada penterjemah dan penerbit yang berjaya menyampaikan intipati novel popular ini dengan berkesan. 

Clown Town by Mick Herron

This book isn’t the easiest to dive into if you haven’t read the earlier Slough House series. I had to Google a few names and past operations just to stay on track. But once I got into it, the bigger picture became painfully clear. It felt uncomfortably real.

The premise is sharply satirical, and that’s what makes the characters feel so alive. Applause to the author. To simplify it, there are four key groups:

1. Slough House is basically the place MI5 sends agents who messed up badly, but not badly enough to be fired. Their careers are pretty much over, and they’re stuck doing paperwork and pointless tasks. It’s called the 'dark side of Narnia', and no one ever returns to the Park. Their head is the unforgettable Jackson Lamb.

2. Agents involved in the Pitchfork Operation. It’s basically MI5 playing a risky game. They push a target into making mistakes to uncover secrets, while using morally shady operatives and keeping it all ‘official.’

3. The Park (MI5 HQ) led by Diana Taverner, who is cunning, manipulative, and obsessed with MI5’s image.

4. Politicians who ride issues for personal gain, like Peter Judd.

The trouble starts when Diana gets blackmailed. Someone wants to drag an old case back into the light, and if the proof goes public, it could ruin reputations and shake the government. It turns out the government recruited, used, protected, paid off, and even pensioned off a psychopath, even though he might have ended more lives than he ever saved.

There’s a lot of MI5 politics, old cases, and hidden history packed into this book. It’s not a fast read, but it keeps the tension alive. And as usual, the innocent end up paying the price. Jackson Lamb does save the day, though, and the payoff feels well deserved.

Jobin by Pidi Baiq

Ini kisah yang berlatar sekitar tahun 2009 ketika Vera masih di bangku SMA. Pertemuannya dengan Jobin Alimusa terasa tidak disangka-sangka namun memberi kesan besar kepada keduanya. Vera digambarkan sebagai remaja ceria yang sentiasa dikelilingi rakan-rakan. Jobin pula merupakan vokalis band indie bernama Eidenberg yang menjadi idola di kalangan rakan Vera. Bermula daripada rasa ingin tahu hasil rekomendasi mereka, Vera akhirnya meminati Eidenberg dan secara perlahan tertarik dengan dunia Jobin.

Penulis menceritakan kisah cinta ini bersama humor yang bersahaja, dialog santai dan latar scene underground serta budaya indie Bandung yang hidup. Hubungan Vera dan Jobin berkembang secara natural tanpa paksaan. Mereka rapat namun perhubungan mereka tidak pernah benar-benar diberi label atau hala tuju yang jelas. Bagi saya, ketiadaan konflik besar menjadikan cerita ini terasa jujur dan sesuai dengan usia serta fasa kehidupan wataknya.

Endingnya tenang dan agak boleh dijangka, namun persoalannya bukan pada apa yang berlaku secara zahir. Sebaliknya ia terletak pada apa yang Vera cuba yakinkan kepada dirinya sendiri melalui coretan terakhir. Ada ruang tafsiran yang membuat saya berfikir, seolah-olah tersimpan sesuatu di sebalik kelancaran hubungan mereka. Sebuah kisah ringkas tentang remaja, memori dan perasaan yang tidak semuanya perlu dijelaskan. 

Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer

I’m shocked. What did I just read 😂 Gentle reminder please read with care. Please.

This genre is not my usual forte, yet I dove in headfirst because the romance fantasy was simply irresistible. And wow, the enemies to lovers trope here is sugar sweet. I was fully invested until about halfway through the book. Then the story takes a turn that quietly breaks everything I was rooting for.

Why would the author choose that path for the characters? I refuse to explain why I changed my mind about giving this a full five stars. If you know, you know. 😂 This is the kind of book that makes you pause mid page and whisper, “no, don’t do this.”

The premise is solid. The tactical strategies are easy to follow, and the magic is genuinely mesmerizing. Truly one of the book’s strongest elements.

Astranza, Incendar, and Draegonis share one continent. King Theodore of Astranza, gifted with weather manipulating magic, is aging and ill, leaving his kingdom vulnerable. To secure peace, a political marriage is arranged between Princess Marjoriana and King Maddox Kyronan of Incendar, meant to be nothing more than formality. Yet fate intervenes, and Princess Jory and Prince Ky fall in love at first sight.

Everything falls apart when Asher, Princess Jory’s childhood friend and a Hunter Guild assassin, is hired to kill the royal couple. Refusing the job is not an option. Asher loves Jory and wants to flee with her, but Jory cannot abandon Prince Ky. With traitors lurking in both kingdoms, trust becomes a luxury they cannot afford.

Romance, betrayal, magic, physical abuse, and yes, an LGBTQ theme woven naturally into the story. Enter at your own emotional risk, especially if you get attached easily.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Laura 'Lo' Blacklock is a travel journalist whose career feels stuck. When she’s offered an assignment aboard the Aurora, a boutique super luxury cruise liner sailing through the Norwegian fjords on its maiden voyage, she sees it as a chance to reset everything. What should be a dream trip, however, quickly turns unsettling.

Before boarding, Lo’s flat is burglarized. She’s exhausted, struggling with panic attacks, and dependent on antidepressants. Her fragile mental state follows her onto the ship, which is filled with high profile guests including journalists and influential figures such as Lord Richard Bullmer, the owner of the Aurora Borealis, and his wife Anne, who is battling cancer.

Lo is staying in cabin 9. One night, she is jolted awake by a disturbance coming from next door, cabin 10. She hears a violent splash and catches sight of what appears to be a body sinking beneath the black water. When security investigates, cabin ten is claimed to have always been empty. No passenger is missing, and no one remembers seeing the woman Lo recalls so vividly.

As doubt tightens around her, Lo’s grip on reality begins to feel increasingly fragile. Surrounded by disbelief and a lack of evidence, she finds herself isolated, clinging to what she knows she witnessed while the world onboard quietly insists it never happened.

The pacing is admittedly slow in the first half, but the atmosphere is tense and claustrophobic. The writing is sharp, and the ending genuinely made me smile. 4.5 ⭐ for a thriller that lingers quietly before it strikes. 

 

Bitten by Jordan Stephanie Gray

At first glance, the cover and title already hint at a modern werewolf story, so I went in without overthinking and just let the story unfold. Vanessa Hart is an ordinary seventeen-year-old girl who goes to a party with her best friend, Celeste, and never comes back the same. They are attacked by a monster. Both are bitten, but only Celeste dies. Vanessa survives, confused, terrified, and suddenly taken to Castle Severi for her own safety.

Something feels wrong. Unnatural. The transformation begins. Fangs appear, claws tear through her fingers, fur spreads across her body, and her eyes glow purple. Vanessa becomes a werewolf and is imprisoned, cut off from her previous life. From that moment on, all she wants is answers and revenge for Celeste. She feels stronger than before, yet completely lost in a world she never asked to be part of.

In this new world, every werewolf who completes their First Rite must belong to a Wolf Court. Vanessa’s rare purple eyes and unknown abilities make her impossible to ignore. After the Rite, she becomes Vanessa Hart the Truthseer, gifted with the ability to know when someone is lying. That power turns her into a threat rather than a blessing.

When a murder happens with the same method as Celeste’s death and no sign of human involvement, suspicion falls on the Court itself. A traitor may be among them, and Vanessa’s search for the truth begins.

This isn’t my usual genre, but I genuinely enjoyed it. I could feel Vanessa’s loneliness, confusion, and anger, and how unfair it is when innocence is given no choice.

There will definitely be a sequel, and I’ll be waiting 😅📖

Warga Kesunyian by Kannika Claudine

Warga Kesunyian menghimpunkan beberapa watak yang hidup dalam fasa paling rapuh dalam kehidupan mereka. Marya bekerja di sebuah hotel dengan menjaga buku log hilang dan jumpa, memikul trauma kehilangan anak serta keluarganya dalam satu kebakaran.

Gemma pula kembali bertemu ibunya, Ching, selepas dua puluh tahun terpisah akibat salah faham. Pertemuan itu tidak membawa kelegaan sepenuhnya kerana Ching kini menghidap Alzheimer.

Via tenggelam dalam kesedihan selepas putus cinta. Pertemuannya dengan Randall, yang kehilangan isteri, membuka ruang tentang duka dan proses memulihkan diri, walaupun tidak sembuh sepenuhnya.

Ronald, bekas banduan terpaksa berpisah dengan anaknya sekali lagi. Persahabatannya dengan seorang kanak-kanak membuatkan dia menyedari betapa banyak masa lalu yang telah disia-siakan, dan betapa sukarnya untuk melafazkan kata maaf yang tertangguh.

Cindy pula kehilangan cincin pertunangannya selepas keguguran, satu kehilangan kecil yang membawa kepada renungan besar tentang kehidupan. Sementara itu, Dan Ian menerima mesej misteri yang kandungannya seakan membaca isi hatinya sendiri.

Kesemua watak ini berkongsi satu persamaan, hari-hari mereka berlalu tanpa makna yang jelas, dan orang yang singgah dalam hidup mereka hadir bukan untuk kekal, tetapi untuk menyedarkan mereka tentang sesuatu. Warga Kesunyian bercerita tentang manusia yang terperangkap dalam sunyi, dan proses perlahan untuk berdamai dengan takdir. Sebagai novel debut, struktur ceritanya tersusun dan konflik batin wataknya terasa hidup dengan tema universal tentang kehilangan, dan keterasingan. Walaupun terjemahannya kadang-kadang terasa janggal dan ada pilihan frasa yang kurang sedap dibaca, keseluruhannya masih boleh difahami dan meninggalkan kesan yang mendalam. 4.3 ⭐

🖤

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown

This is my final read of the year, and the sixth novel in the Robert Langdon series. Even so, it works perfectly as a standalone. I haven't read or watched many of Dan Brown’s earlier works, but this one immediately caught my attention and made me want to go back to his previous novels.

This time, Robert Langdon, a world renowned scholar of religious symbology and a Harvard professor, finds himself targeted alongside Katherine Solomon, a noetic scientist. Katherine’s upcoming book introduces a strictly hypothetical technology she has invented, one with the potential to reshape humanity’s understanding of consciousness. That idea alone makes her a threat to a secret group known as Threshold.

Things spiral quickly when the CIA becomes gravely concerned about Katherine’s manuscript, viewing it as a risk to national security and attempting to suppress its publication. What begins as a race to protect an idea soon turns far darker. Langdon and Katherine uncover a covert military intelligence operation experimenting on innocent test subjects without their consent. If exposed, the consequences would be explosive and global.

I found Dan Brown’s writing fast paced and easy to follow, with short chapters packed with adrenaline. The characters are well drawn, the plot twists are satisfying, and the ethical questions surrounding science and power linger long after the final page. This was a gripping, thought provoking read and a strong reminder of why Dan Brown remains so widely read. 4.5 ⭐

Hari-Hariku di Kedai Buku Morisaki by Satoshi Yagisawa

Selepas mengalami putus cinta yang teruk, Takako mengambil keputusan untuk melupakan sejenak bandar Tokyo. Bila pakciknya, Satoru menelefon dan mencadangkannya untuk bekerja di kedai buku Morisaki milik datuk, Takako tiada pilihan lain selain menerima hari-harinya di tempat baru.

Yang uniknya Kedai Buku Morisaki bukan satu-satunya kedai buku yang terletak di kawasan itu, malah sepanjang jalan dipenuhi dengan kedai-kedai buku lama menjadikan Jimbocho sebuah kota buku-buku lama terbesar di dunia. Ia sebuah kedai buku yang menjual buku-buku sastera moden dan sudah bertahan sejak tiga generasi yang lalu. Walau pun begitu, Takako tidak berminat dengan membaca. Masanya kalau tidak bekerja di kedai buku, dihabiskan dengan tidur.

Baru beberapa hari di sana, dia belajar sesuatu tentang buku, dan pakciknya. Kedua-duanya telah menjadi titik tolak untuk dirinya banyak belajar dan tidak hanya seputar kisahnya sahaja. Saya suka sangat part ni. Bila Takako bertemu dengan buku yang betul-betul kena dengan dirinya. Betullah kata orang yang membaca itu menjadi tidak menarik disebabkan kita belum jumpa buku yang berjaya meruntuh tembok jiwa kita. Dari situ jugalah dia menjadi berani dan mencuba sekali hidup berdikari tapi dengan diri dia yang baru. Tidak berapa lama kemudian, dia menerima panggilan telefon dari Pakcik Satoru bahawa isterinya, Momoko sudah kembali selepas lima tahun menghilangkan diri. Susah juga ya bila berdepan dengan mereka yang jenis avoidant attachment tapi Takako belajar sesuatu dari situ.

Apa yang menarik, penterjemah menggunakan sedikit lenggok bahasa Malaysia membuatkan ia tak nampak kekok dan menghiburkan. Ini antara bacaan terakhir saya (kot😅) untuk tahun 2025. Sesuai dibaca oleh gen z yang ignorant (dibaca dengan nada mesra dan lemah gemalai).

He's So Possessed With Me by Corey Liu

This reading was quite a challenge for me. As you know, I’m not really fond of queer reads, but I successfully finished this one anyway. No matter what year we’re living in, I personally believe there are only two genders. What I did appreciate about this book were the themes of friendship, and family bonds. Those basics play an important role in shaping who we become in the future.

Ren Hsu and Colin Ong are schoolmates who are inseparable and serve as each other’s safe space and support system. Both are Asian, gay, and clearly searching for validation. For about half of the book, the author leans heavily into familiar struggles of being gay, which to me felt a bit cliche and exaggerated.

Things take a turn one day when they are heading home through the woods. A strange incident occurs and Ren is suddenly caught by something, at least that is what Colin thinks, and goes missing for a while. Then, just as suddenly, Ren reappears out of nowhere, but he is not quite himself anymore. While the plot is clearly there, I felt the author could have made this part more cinematic. Instead of building tension and atmosphere, the moment came across as a bit monotonic, which made the impact miss slightly for me.

Their parents do not exactly approve of their tendencies, and soon their dream of living together for college falls apart due to a sudden change of plans. Determined to figure out what is going on, Colin starts investigating and discovers that Ren might be possessed by a demon. A gay demon, to be precise. 😅

Overall, He’s So Possessed With Me by Corey Liu mixes friendship, identity, and supernatural chaos in a way that is quirky, even some parts were not quite for me.

The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine

I know by heart that this book deserves a 5⭐s. Everything about it pulled me in completely, the prose, the plot, the premise, the unsettling vibes, even the book cover. It is one of those reads where you already feel obsessed before you turn the final page.

Set in the early 90s, the story begins with a culinary world scandal that still lingers decades later. Legendary chef Damien Capello vanished without a trace from his family’s farm, leaving behind rumours that grew darker with time. Whispers of murder, cannibalism, and secret ingredients circulated wildly, all tied to his wife, Maria Capello. From grieving spouse, Maria emerged as a celebrated cookbook author and television icon, admired and untouchable.

Years later, Maria agrees to publish a memoir with a small publishing house and personally requests that it be edited by Thea Woods. For Thea, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Maria has been her idol for as long as she can remember, and the Capello case has haunted her curiosity for years. This book is meant to be the highlight of her career.

But as days pass, Maria begins to unravel Thea’s carefully constructed image of her. She is guarded, elusive, and deeply unsettling. The farm where Damien disappeared feels less like a home and more like a carefully protected secret. As Thea digs deeper, the truth behind Damien’s disappearance slowly surfaces, and what she discovers is far more shocking than any rumour.

The shifting narratives kept me completely hooked, blurring the line between truth, myth, and obsession. Each chapter is paired with one of Maria’s recipes, which feels both intimate and unsettling, as if food itself becomes part of the confession. By the time the final revelations surfaced, I was stunned by how expertly the story had been layered. This is a dark, seductive read that creeps under your skin and stays there long after the last page is turned.

The Last Death of The Year by Sophie Hannah

The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah is narrated by Inspector Edward Catchpool, who along with Hercule Poirot, is invited to a remote island in Greece for a New Year celebration. The invitation comes from Nathaniel Athanasiou, known as Nash, the founder of a spiritual movement called the Very Good Friends. At the House of Perpetual Welcome, or the Spitty, Nash promises unconditional forgiveness, a fresh start, and a place where people can leave their past behind.

The premise is intriguing, but the execution feels cluttered. Nine residents live at the Spitty, each with an unclear backstory, which makes it difficult to connect with them or fully engage in the mystery. Instead of building suspense, their secrecy becomes frustrating, and their suspicious behaviour lacks emotional weight.

The New Year resolution game is meant to spark tension, yet it comes across as exaggerated. Soon after, the threatened death occurs. Nash then reveals that someone had already received a death threat and feared for their life before the tragedy. A second death follows not long after.

Many of the residents behave suspiciously, yet their characters remain vague and hazy, making it difficult to feel fully invested. While the execution of the mystery was acceptable and largely reasonable, the reckless decision to create a so called murder challenge felt absurd and unnecessarily dangerous. This is my first Poirot novel by Sophie Hannah. I found it messy at times yet it's an okay Poirot pastiche rather than a standout one. 

Collected Works by Lydia Sandgren

Disclaimer: take your time, it isn’t a fast-paced read.

I owe this read to Pansing’s former ME, Ms. Cheryl. She sent me this copy two years ago, and I only finished it yesterday. I genuinely feel sorry and a little regretful that I took so long because I ended up loving it. I’m giving it 4.5 ⭐.

Collected Works is a portrait of literature, academia, and the fragile inner worlds of its characters. The book unfolds like a long, winding diary shared between Martin Berg and his daughter, Rakel.

Fifteen years ago, Cecelia Berg had vanished after the birth of her second child. Her disappearance left behind an ache that never fully healed. Confusion, grief, and unanswered questions linger over every page, shaping the lives of those she left behind.

The story spans from the early 1980s to the present, told through Martin’s and Rakel’s alternating perspectives. Before Cecelia entered Martin’s life, there was Gustav Becker, his inseparable best friend. Their friendship, through every storm and season, is beautifully written. Together, they carry each other through the years until Cecelia disappears irrevocably.

Fast-forward, Rakel stumbles upon a novel introduced by her father. As she reads, something strange happens. The protagonist feels uncannily familiar, like a shadow of someone she once knew. Driven by curiosity and longing, Rakel begins her own quiet journey to piece together the figments of her memory, and maybe, her mother.

Part Three is the heart of the novel. It reminds us that no matter how close we are to someone, there are depths we may never truly know. The book touches gently on themes of friendship, mental health, and depression. I am grateful I finally read this beautifully translated work. Some stories linger with a gentle resilience long after the final page.

Kombo Ngeri by Gina Yap Lai Yoong

1. Ngeri (2011)
Joanne, Samuel dan Rehan merupakan pelajar Universiti Filem Masyhur. Mereka ditugaskan menghasilkan sebuah filem pendek. Namun idea mereka ditolak mentah-mentah oleh Profesor Bazri. Dalam masa yang sama, negara dikejutkan dengan penemuan mayat seorang kanak-kanak di dalam peti sejuk beku, kes pembunuhan yang langsung tidak masuk akal dan lebih mengejutkan, ia meniru bulat-bulat idea asal Samuel.

Setiap kali Samuel mengusulkan idea baharu, insiden serupa akan berlaku di dunia nyata. Samuel akhirnya ditahan. Walaupun modus pembunuhan agak luar batas logik, twist yang diselitkan memang menghiburkan dan buat aku teruskan baca.

2. Mangsa (2012)
Pasukan Orang Hilang telah ditubuhkan selepas kes remaja hilang meningkat mendadak. Namun begitu, apabila anaknya Rosmah dipercayai hilang semasa membuat liputan rencana tentang remaja dengan haiwan peliharaannya, ular sawa, di sebuah homestay di Pahang, Inspektor Rashid selaku ketua operasi mula panik dan mencari anaknya bersama team.

Agak kelam kabut plotnya tapi aku suka bab di gelanggang Lodge tu. Elemen suspen melibatkan ular memang menyeramkan.

3. Obsesi (2015)
Kali ini Hema Chandran yang pernah mengendalikan kes Ngeri dan Mangsa, bukan detektif lagi selepas dia meletakkan jawatan polis tapi fokusnya masih kepada pelaku kes Ngeri dan Mangsa yang berjaya mengaburkan diri. Dia bergerak solo sebagai penyiasat persendirian.

Apabila terdapat dua kes pembunuhan dan suspeknya kali ini Samuel lagi, dia tidak dapat lari bila semua bukti menuju ke arahnya. Pada aku part ni lebih kurang macam Ngeri cumanya ending berbeza. Protaganist agak all-out dalam cerita kali ini sesuai dengan tajuk.

Overall, aku suka penerbit compilekan ketiga-tiga novel ni. Kombo Ngeri ialah satu perjalanan gelap yang saling berkait dengan pace yang laju, misteri yang sengaja mengelirukan, dan twist yang cukup untuk buat pembaca tak senang duduk. Vibe Fixi memang terasa: gelap, urban, sinis, dan addictive. 

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Who else can describe human nature better than Mr. King? Mr. Mercedes proves once again how sharp he is at exploring darkness and desire. Getting used to retirement has been hard for Bill Hodges, who drifts through his days without purpose until a letter arrives. A self-confessed message from someone claiming to be the notorious Mercedes Killer. Instead of fear, it sparks a reason to live, and to hunt, in Hodges.

Before retirement, Hodges faced the horrific City Center Massacre, where a man plowed a stolen Mercedes into a Job Fair crowd, killing and injuring innocent people. No DNA, no real evidence, just a clown mask and a ghost who slipped away. It became his final unsolved case, the one that never stopped haunting him.

The killer, hungry for attention in a twisted way, taunts Hodges and leaves a trail through Debbie's Blue Umbrella, an online chat site. Even Mrs. Olivia Trelawney, the owner of the stolen Mercedes, received a letter before her tragic suicide. Hodges knows he owes it to her, and to himself, to chase the truth one last time.

With help from Jerome Robinson and the unforgettable Holly Gibney, the investigation gains new life. Here, we see the roots of Holly's fragile brilliance, and it made me appreciate her character even more.

I don’t have a single critical note. King delivers gripping storytelling from the start, and Mr. Mercedes makes me want to continue exploring more of his earlier masterpieces. I give it 5 stars. I might be biased, because Stephen King is my auto buy author. 😅

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

OMG. This is one of those books you must read before you die. Ngl, I bought it a couple of years ago at BBW, only picked it up three days ago, and now I'm completely obsessed. 5 ⭐s from me.

The story begins with the narrator, who struggles with insomnia. His doctor suggests he attend support groups to see what real pain looks like. So he goes, finding himself surrounded by people seeking treatment or living with life threatening illnesses. He keeps going almost religiously. Then two people enter his life: Tyler Durden and Marla Singer.

Marla used to work in a funeral home, just to feel something, just to feel alive. But even funerals are nothing compared to the raw, intimate intensity of support groups. She senses he is fake, and he feels exactly the same about her.

Tyler Durden, on the other hand, is presented as charming, brilliant, and problem solver. He is the creator of the fight club. He truly creates it with purpose. For Tyler, fighting is not about winning or losing. It's about stripping everything away and discovering what survives. Soon, fight clubs begin appearing in different parts of town. Through Tyler, they also make and sell soap, and the money keeps flowing in. The narrator depends on Tyler, trusts him, almost worships him.

Then comes Project Mayhem. Members gather after fight club sessions, listening to Tyler's committee like a twisted support group. They carry out assignments around the city. The mission is to teach every man involved that they have the power to shape history, to save the world, and to use chaos as a form of truth. Of course, all of this is just Tyler's dogma. Tyler cannot stop himself from wanting to burn everything down.

As someone who loves psychological thrillers, I'm impressed by how the plot unfolds. The story pulls you in, almost hypnotically, and you begin to understand why people fall under Tyler's spell.

Lelaki Januari by Hafizah Iszahanid

Delaila Azilah dan Ali Syukri berkahwin terlalu awal ketika belajar di Nottingham (bukan cawangan Semenyih). Tidak sampai beberapa bulan, rumah tangga mereka mula goyah akibat ketidakmatangan kedua-duanya, ditambah kemunculan orang ketiga. Laila melarikan diri ke New York dan menghilang selama 12 tahun. Saat dia cuba berdamai dengan masa lalu, Ali muncul kembali pada bulan Januari. Namun persoalan aku, apa relevannya tajuk Lelaki Januari itu dengan keseluruhan cerita? Ia seolah diletakkan untuk hiasan, bukan makna.

Satu lagi benda yang ketara ialah repetitive. Hampir setiap bab Laila meratib nama Ali, sampai rasa seperti wataknya tidak bergerak ke mana-mana. Ia menghakis emosi yang sepatutnya lebih mendalam dan menjadikan pembacaan sedikit melelahkan. Aku juga sengaja kekalkan nama Ali walaupun penulis menggunakan nama Syuk sebab aku tak gemar nama itu. 😂

Secara keseluruhan, novel ini lebih klise daripada jangkaan aku. Aku pilih kerana penulis, penerbit dan tajuknya yang menarik, tetapi akhirnya ia terasa seperti drama pukul 7 dengan rentetan kebetulan yang boleh dijangka. Mungkin expectation aku sendiri terlalu tinggi. Pun begitu, ada sisi informatif tentang Doctors Without Borders dan kerjaya penyelidik di UNESCO yang memberikan sedikit nafas segar. Sebagai tambahan ini sebenarnya terbitan semula naskhah daripada penerbit Jemari Seni (2014) dan pernah diadaptasi ke drama bersiri.

Circle of Days by Ken Follet

Circle of Days is set in 2500 BCE, where four distinct communities, the herders, farmers, woodlanders and the priestess, live across the Great Plain. At the heart of their world stands the Monument, a sacred gathering place where they come together every year for the Rite. People from many villages come to trade food, clothing, tools and livestock near the ring of timber pillars. The Monument is not just a holy place but a site of ritual, storytelling, feasts and sun worship. It preserves the community’s knowledge of the sky and anchors their way of life.

But harmony collapses when drought strikes. Desperation turns neighbours into enemies, violence replaces peace and the Monument burns. Priestess Joia becomes determined to rebuild it in stone, believing that pleasing the Sun God may restore order and secure her rise as High Priestess. The scale of the undertaking is immense. It takes more than two hundred people to move a single sarsen stone and the workforce is already stretched thin. Their struggle to keep the mission alive forms the core of the story.

I was excited when I picked up this book, but at times I felt disappointed. The portrayal of certain sexual orientations felt repetitive and exaggerated, which pulled me out of the narrative. At nearly seven hundred pages, the story explores the desperation of survival and the complexity of human nature, though I expected more from this author. Still, it is an easy read with a conversational style. It even left me wondering whether horses existed in that era at all. 😅

Mastura by A. Samad Ismail

Membaca koleksi cerpen Mastura karya A. Samad Ismail terasa seperti terseret masuk ke sebuah mesin masa yang penuh warna, getir dan humor halus. Setiap cerpen menangkap ragam manusia dengan begitu tepat. 

1. Belum Baik-Baik Lagi, menghiburkan dengan pasangan pengantin baru yang masih malu-malu hingga keluarga terpaksa campur tangan. 

2. Ke Rumah Cucu pula menyentuh hati tentang seorang pesara, Encik Murad sanggup menggunting rambut orang kampung demi tambang ke Penang demi kasih pada cucunya.

3. Pak Yak Mahu Kahwin pula mencuit hati dengan kisah lelaki lembut yang diejek jiran tetapi tetap memasang impian berumahtangga. 

4. Rumah Pak Haji Harun membawa kita menyaksikan ketabahan masyarakat ketika pendudukan Jepun. 

5. Mastura mengisahkan kegelisahan wanita 40-an yang bergelut dengan rindu pada masa mudanya dan mula meragui suami serta dirinya sendiri.

6. Kau Mesti Sunat, Kata Bapa mencuit nostalgia zaman kanak-kanak dan pantang-larang dulu yang hendak bersunat. 

7. Puthu menyentuh sisi kehidupan buruh pengutip sampah yang akhirnya berani memikirkan masa depan dan mungkin cinta. 

8. Dongeng menyorot tentang Ramlah yang berjaya menjadi guru walau keluarganya tidak meletakkan harapan tinggi, namun cintanya ditentang. 

9. Amelia pula memaparkan sisi pahit suami yang makan luar, tema malang ini masih relevan. 

10. Mandi Kolam menampilkan remaja dengan kolam yang tidak mahu dikongsi dengan jirannya yang lain.

Ini karya keenam ASI yang aku baca dan keseluruhan koleksi ini padat dengan humor, kritik sosial, dan renungan yang masih relevan. ASI membuktikan sekali lagi bahawa karya klasik tak pernah hilang bisanya. Terima kasih @bukufixi atas naskhah yang terbaik ini. 

I'll Make A Spectacle Of You by Beatrice Winifred Iker

For a debut novel, the author delivers a captivating piece of storytelling. The story begins with Zora Robinson, a student with a degree in African and African American Studies. Passionate about local history, conjure traditions, and highly skilled in defensive magic, Zora is determined to excel in her thesis project. Her advisor, Dr. Grant, sees her dedication and gives her a diary belonging to a librarian who once disappeared. The same eerie motif connects back to the childhood trauma that fractured Zora’s relationship with her sister.

People are drawn into the woods by strange cries echoing through the trees, sounds only they can hear. The tension in the woods made me feel genuinely uneasy. To Zora, this is not just fear but an opportunity to uncover untold stories and contribute something meaningful to the folklore she studies.

Her investigation leads her to The Keepers of the Beast, a secret society formed around 1877 by Bricksbury’s founders. The community, shaped by struggles involving education, class, and race, endured relentless white violence. To protect Bricksbury and Jonesborough’s Black population, they relied on both faith and Hoodoo magic. What began with foxes eventually escalated into something darker involving human sacrifice.

As Zora digs deeper, she uncovers the truth behind the students who have gone missing for years. Her mission becomes more than documenting history. She seeks justice for the victims who were never heard.

I rate this novel 4.5 stars. The plot, the atmosphere, and the ending all work together to bring the story to life. My only complaint is a minor technical detail, but overall, this book is gripping from start to finish.