This week,
I was featured in the national newspaper of Malaysia, The New Straits Times (http://www.nst.com.my/mobile/life-times/live/well-lit-dreams-do-come-true-1.110386). It
was an honour and I’m very grateful to Ms Subhadra Devan for writing up an
enchanting article. She interviewed me about my love for writing and books and
how dreams do indeed come true if you work hard enough. So today’s post is
dedicated to my favourite books!
Here’s a
list of whats and whys from my personal collection: All of which get 5 out of 5
star ratings from Moi!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (
Magically
written from the viewpoint of an extremely unexpected character, The Book Thief
really changed the way I think about writing. Zusak’s beautifully simple yet
gripping plot and enchanting prose combined with lovable characters taught me
that books don’t always have to be about constant action and surprises but also
about the subtle way we all see the world and interact with one another.
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (
This is one
of those books that bring out both the beauty and the monsters of a culture. I
love the way Golden takes something that other cultures would find disturbing
and draws out its fascinating qualities against a backdrop of cherry blossoms
and strict moral codes. Each character blooms into life in a way that makes my
author heart green with envy.
Touching Earth by Rani Manicka (
Manicka
takes the different lives of many colourful characters and links them together
in a world of decadence and magic. She has managed to perfectly blend the
beauty of Asia with the dynamics of Western nightlife. Touching Earth taught me
to how to build my characters as individual people with their own pasts and problems
and not just as a part of a story.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (
By taking a
domestic story about a young boy and his father, Hosseini showed me that stories
can and should be part of a bigger picture but it’s the small pieces that make
a book memorable. The way he has mastered storytelling truly inspires me. He
weaves his words together, making them start off as ripples in a pool while
cajoling them to grow into crashing waves. I looove!
Watch out
for next week’s post: Author Interview in August…Watcha Doin’ with Richard
Harland!
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