Kokoro by Natsume Soseki

I think I just found the right book by the right author! The story is divided into three parts. Part 1 is about the acquaintance between the narrator, a young man, and Sensei, a lonely man whom he admires deeply.

Part 2 focuses on the young man's relationship with his family, particularly as his father's illness has taken a turn for the worse.

Part 3 is the most heartbreaking section, featuring a confession from Sensei to the young man. In this letter, Sensei reveals his long pent-up inner pain about his past and moral darkness, beginning with the death of his parents and his uncle's betrayal. Following these traumatic events, he then met and lived in a boarding house with strangers, Okusan and her daughter. His path crossed again with his friend, known only as K, and his predicament. He suggested that K move in with him, but he soon became jealous of K's interest in their landlord's daughter. This continual strain was affecting his attitude and decisions afterward.

What I feel is that both men (Sensei and K) possess too much pride. I even grew tired of the characters. Given their youth, this behavior is quite understandable. The stories are dark and feature morally ambiguous characters. Set in the 1920s, this slow-paced narrative is deeply personal and hauntingly beautiful, exploring themes such as family, friendship, and the fragility of human behavior: depression, insecurities, guilt, and ego. I rate it 4.5 ⭐️

Kaedah Perancang Keluarga

Hari Isnin lepas aku telah mengambil keputusan untuk tukar kaedah family planning. Entah dah berapa tahun aku guna pil. Suntikan depo pun dah pernah guna. Jadinya sementara tunggu menopause sajalah aku nak try ni. IUCD.

Garisan putih tu alatnya. Aku tawakal je. Rasa menyesal pun tak guna. Mana² kaedah pun kalau Allah dah jadikan, maka jadilah ia. Kata doktor, lain orang lain penerimaannya. Macam aku masa nak masukkan alat ni memang azab. Rasa macam dah nak surrender tapi 3 orang attend aku masa tu. Takkan aku nak buangkan masa diaorang macam tu je. Lepas tu aku punya over-thinking aku terscroll tt. Bermacam² komen. Rata² mereka guna, pregnant. TF 

Moral of the story. Aku telan panadol, tidur. Lepas beberapa hari dah tak sakit. Dapatlah aku kongsikan pengalaman aku yang haru ni. Nak dijadikan cerita benang pun aku tak dapat rasa. Mungkin sebab period, dari pembacaan artikel. 

Graveyard Shift by M. L. Rio

TW: It may contain a spoiler 👻👻. Hehe

A group of so-called friends called the Anchorites met in the churchyard every night at midnight. Not on purpose, just to smoke and loiter to pass the time. It used to be a graveyard a hundred years ago.

One night, they found a hole in the ground that contained a pile of dead rats. Intrigued, they speculated and were unable to leave the mystery unresolved. When the gravedigger visited again, they took the opportunity to do some sleuthing.

This is a novella, and the story takes place between midnight and morning. It’s an interesting subject, exploring the idea of an experimental outbred strain of rats that was used for neurological and behavioral studies. This project went wrong when they discovered that human subjects were involved. The results suggest that it could indicate a rise in impulsivity and behavioral issues. It provides suspense and dark mystery with a touch of the ethical boundaries of research and the unforeseen consequences.

 

Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

A group of writers, book industry professionals, and reading circle buffs were invited to the program for the Australian Mystery Writers' Festival, with guest of honour Henry McTavish, bestselling author of a detective series. The festival was to take place on the Ghan, the famous train route that bisects the immense desert of Australia. The train had been overhauled for comfort and luxury, an opulent hotel on rails and a world-renowned tourist destination.

However, in an unexpected turn of events not long into the journey, McTavish was found dead. It occurred to many of them that they had reasons to dislike him, and several were probably glad he was dead. The crime writers, each specializing in a different field, were eager to find and rule out the motives and alibis. While they were playing detective, the number one suspect turned into a victim.

The story also explores the unreliable nature of the literary world, such as ghostwriting, the significance of the author's endorsement, and the complexities of literary criticism. It's a great read for setting up a whodunnit! While the narrative is engaging and well-crafted, I found that the ending did not meet my expectations, given the buildup of the plot, deductions, and the final reveal.

Misteri yang sudah terungkai

Sejak semalam aku susah nak masuk blogspot. Bukanlah susah. Boleh je tekan continue to site tu tapi selalu takde macam tu. Seingat aku, takde pulak aku gatal tangan tukar setting apa-apa. Nampak minor. 

Mat Som by Lat

Komik yang diterbitkan sekitar 1989 ini tentang Mat Som bin Mat Top seorang perantau dari kampung yang bercita-cita hendak menjadi seorang penulis surat khabar. Duduk menumpang bersama kawannya di Kuala Lumpur ketika itu amat mencabar. Masih belum berjawatan tetap, sepucuk surat diterima daripada ayahnya dari Tanjung Malim yang memintanya 'berkawan' dengan Faridah, teman sepermainannya masa kecil dulu. Dia berbelah bahagi dengan permintaan ayahnya yang mahu dia berumahtangga dengan anak kawannya disebabkan ekonominya masih tak stabil dan ditambah pula dia mahu menimba pengalaman hidup merantau.

Walau pun ini komik tapi perjalanan cerita Mat Som macam novel. Dengan suasana tahun 80an yang tinggal menjadi sejarah buat aku rasa dekat sekali dengan jiwa. Aku paling suka part dia berjumpa dengab Pyanhabib dan sewaktu dia nak balik ke Kuala Lumpur, dia sempat ke tempat kerja ayahnya. Nostalgia betul. 

Endingnya juga sungguh baik. Mat Som ialah seorang lelaki yang bercita-cita, sederhana dan mempunyai identiti sendiri. 4.5 ⭐️

The September House by Carissa Orlando

Margaret and her husband, Hal Hartman, shared fantasies of owning a house—a place where they could live and grow old together. They fell in love with a gorgeous old Victorian house that was nearly one hundred fifty years old, despite a death that had occurred there. Undeterred, they bought the house.

They lived blissfully until the walls of the house started bleeding and making screaming noises every September. These events continued to happen cyclically and vanished in October. Not only that, they discovered that the house was filled with the spirits of the deceased, seemingly trying to convey a message. Margaret tried to learn more about the history of the house through articles in the library but couldn't find a solution.

After four years, Hal couldn't bear to live in the house for another September and mysteriously disappeared. Instead of having a poor relationship with her father, Katherine returned home to search for her missing father.

It is another story about a haunted house, a dysfunctional family, and generational trauma. It evokes different emotions throughout the novel, from spooky and sad to twisted. This ingenious book is riveting and well-documented through Margaret's POV and received a Goodreads Choice Award. 4.5 ⭐️ 

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

Omgomgomgomg. What a sweet revenge! A pat on the back to the author. For this, I give 5 ⭐️. 

A group of so-called friends hasn't seen each other in over a decade, so this is an informal reunion after one of them, Alfred Smettle, celebrated his second year in business at the Hitchcock Hotel. A themed hotel is what they needed, as autumn is the perfect season to commemorate the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. What a coincidence that they share a first name! Alfred invited his five former friends from college for the weekend. They took a film studies class together. Little did they know, he planned some kind of revenge for all of them because of the 'betrayal' that took place before they graduated. Staging a perfect murder as an accident may evoke a mood and create enough suspense.

Maybe the story paced a bit slow in the first half of the book, but I think it's necessary. The author keeps intriguing interactions between the characters in every chapter. Weird things have been happening all weekend. What we know is that no one can be trusted after a body is found, until it's too late to realize that the reunion is a bad idea. The plot, the secrets, and the closure have contributed to this beautiful writing.