Busy Reading Books

In our last episode for the season, we're doing things a little differently. Instead of talking you through books she's read, Marina explores a list of titles and authors she's yet to peruse -- some that she may add to her reading list in the future and some she may not despite how popular they are. Mentioned this episode: Harold Robbins - The Carpetbaggers [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/308581.The_Carpetbaggers], The Adventurers [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56649.The_Adventurers] Mario Puzo - The Godfather [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22034.The_Godfather] William Peter Blatty - The Exorcist [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179780.The_Exorcist] Charlotte Brontë [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1036615.Charlotte_Bront_] Emily Brontë [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4191.Emily_Bront_] Anne Brontë [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8249.Anne_Bront_] William Shakespeare [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/947.William_Shakespeare] George Orwell - Animal Farm [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/170448.Animal_Farm] Augustine of Hippo [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6819578.Augustine_of_Hippo] Lytton Strachey [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/63011.Lytton_Strachey] Simone de Beauvoir - The Second Sex [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/457264.The_Second_Sex] Germaine Greer - The Female Eunuch [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/98532.The_Female_Eunuch] Betty Friedan - The Feminine Mystique [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17573685-the-feminine-mystique] Amina Wadud - Qur'an and Woman [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/108740.Qur_an_and_Woman], Inside the Gender Jihad [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/110192.Inside_the_Gender_Jihad] Kecia Ali - Sexual Ethics and Islam [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456253.Sexual_Ethics_and_Islam] Fatema Mernissi [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2792382.Fatema_Mernissi] Riffat Hassan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riffat_Hassan] Asma Lamrabet [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163569.Asma_Lamrabet] Mona Eltahawy [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6108561.Mona_Eltahawy] Seema Yasmin - Muslim Women Are Everything [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48989080-muslim-women-are-everything] Susanna Clarke - Piranesi [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50202953-piranesi] Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43890641-hamnet] Bernardine Evaristo - Girl, Woman, Other [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41081373-girl-woman-other] Hilary Mantel [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/58851.Hilary_Mantel] Margaret Atwood [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3472.Margaret_Atwood] Keggie Carew - Dadland [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27384088-dadland] * For more information about us, visit zafigo.com/busy-reading-books [https://zafigo.com/busy-reading-books/]

As we near Malaysia Day on September 16, our thoughts turn to the history of our country, now 64 years old. Or rather, to the many histories, of families who were born and bred here, or who came from elsewhere and made a life for themselves here, of families disrupted by war or brought together by other circumstances. Some of these stories have made their way into books as Malaysian authors mine their own personal histories to tell stories that not only resonate with Malaysians but those around the world. Tan Twan Eng, Tash Aw and Preta Samarasen are just three of them but there are certainly as many authors as there are stories. In this episode, Marina talks to Viji Krishnamoorthy about Malaysian family stories and what they can teach us about our nation today. Mentioned this epsiode: R. K. Narayan - Malgudi Days [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14082.Malgudi_Days] Elif Shafak - The Island of Missing Trees [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56587382-the-island-of-missing-trees] Catherine Menon - Fragile Monsters [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53442141-fragile-monsters] Mohsin Hamid [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16902.Mohsin_Hamid?from_search=true&from_srp=true] Khaled Hosseini [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/569.Khaled_Hosseini] Rohinton Mistry [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3539.Rohinton_Mistry] John Steinbeck [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/585.John_Steinbeck] Négar Djavadi - Disoriental [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40170500-disoriental] Elena Ferrante [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/44085.Elena_Ferrante] Additional suggestions from Viji: Sarah Moss - The Tidal Zone [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30325865-the-tidal-zone]; Signs for Lost Children [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25761811-signs-for-lost-children] Matt Haig - How To Stop Time [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45152372-how-to-stop-time]; The Midnight Library [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52578297-the-midnight-library] Max Porter - Grief is the Thing with Feathers [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25334576-grief-is-the-thing-with-feathers]; Lanny [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39738353-lanny] For more information about us, visit zafigo.com/busy-reading-books [https://zafigo.com/busy-reading-books/]

Not a fan of non-fiction reads? In this episode, Marina talks about some of her most-loved narrative non-fiction books and makes a pitch for why you should give the genre a go. These unique books interweave various literary techniques into true stories and create gripping accounts of a person, event, or issue, and often leaves its readers feeling as though they were reading works of fiction. Warning: these books can be compulsively readable. Mentioned this episode: Rebecca Skloot - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6493208-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks] Jared Diamond - Guns, Germs, and Steel [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1842.Guns_Germs_and_Steel]; Collapse [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/475.Collapse]; The World Until Yesterday [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15766601-the-world-until-yesterday] Steven Pinker - The Better Angels of Our Nature [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13543093-the-better-angels-of-our-nature] Peter Pomerantsev - This Is Not Propaganda [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41717504-this-is-not-propaganda]; Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21413849-nothing-is-true-and-everything-is-possible] Adam M. Grant - Think Again [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55539565-think-again] Sherry Turkle - Reclaiming Conversation [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24612127-reclaiming-conversation] For more information about us visit zafigo.com/busy-reading-books [https://zafigo.com/busy-reading-books/]

Has the book publishing industry been hit by the Covid pandemic? On the one hand, people forced into lockdown have more time to read which should be good news for publishers. On the other hand, with less footfall, bookstores are closing down for lack of customers. The big publishers may have the cushion of previous successes to survive with. But what about small publishing houses? How are they coping? Marina speaks to the founders of two independent Malaysian publishing houses, Amir Muhammad from Buku Fixi and Rosalind Chua from Clarity Publishing, to learn their views on what the future holds for their industry. Mentioned this episode: * Viji Krishnamoorthy - 912 Batu Road [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58552188-912-batu-road] * Boonsiri Somchit - When the Chicken Dies, Everyone Cries [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34020078-when-the-chicken-dies-everyone-cries] * Muhammad Fatrim - Asrama [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17664085-asrama] * Nadia Khan - Gantung [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19208813-gantung] * Tunku Halim [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1168589.Tunku_Halim] * Ernest Zacharevic - Streetart George Town [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53348600-streetart-george-town] * Teme Abdullah [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14995434.Teme_Abdullah] * Neil Gaiman [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1221698.Neil_Gaiman] * Randy Pausch - The Last Lecture [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40611510-the-last-lecture] * Sally Rooney [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15860970.Sally_Rooney] * Brit Bennett - The Vanishing Half [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51791252-the-vanishing-half] * Lawrence Block - The Sins of the Fathers [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39507.The_Sins_of_the_Fathers] * Ryszard Kapuściński - The Shadow of the Sun [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9541.The_Shadow_of_the_Sun] * Haruki Murakami [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3354.Haruki_Murakami] * Donna Tartt - The Goldfinch [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333223-the-goldfinch] * Lionel Shriver [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45922.Lionel_Shriver] * Lat [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18743903.Lat] * Matt Haig - Notes on a Nervous Planet [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40404801-notes-on-a-nervous-planet?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=yF3i1XrlrK&rank=1] * Sherry Turkle - Reclaiming Conversation [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24612127-reclaiming-conversation] * Eugene Lim [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1626820.Eugene_Lim] * Lydia Davies [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392159.Lydia_Davies]

You’ve probably heard this question being asked a thousand times before: Is the book is better than the movie/series? Granted, reading allows you to get creative while interpreting the story to your liking. On the other hand, the great thing about films is their ability to show. Not forgetting, there's the overall experience of watching a novel you love come to life. But can we really compare both mediums? In this episode, Marina tackles the ol' page vs screen argument while exploring some favourite and popular titles and their feature film or TV show adaptations. Mentioned this episode: * Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2657.To_Kill_a_Mockingbird] * Louisa May Alcott - Little Women [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1934.Little_Women] * Arthur Golden - Memoirs of a Geisha [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/929.Memoirs_of_a_Geisha] * Elizabeth Gilbert - Eat, Pray, Love [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19501.Eat_Pray_Love] * Truman Capote - In Cold Blood [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/168642.In_Cold_Blood] * Yann Martell - Life of Pi [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4214.Life_of_Pi] * Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9516.Persepolis] * Alice Walker - The Color Purple [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52892857-the-color-purple] * André Aciman - Call Me By Your Name [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36336078-call-me-by-your-name] * Liane Moriarty - Big Little Lies [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33516773-big-little-lies] * Gillian Flynn - Gone Girl [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19288043-gone-girl] * Delia Owens - Where the Crawdads Sing [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36809135-where-the-crawdads-sing] * Elena Ferrante - My Brilliant Friend [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35036409-my-brilliant-friend] * Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43890641-hamnet] * Britt Bennett - The Vanishing Half [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51791252-the-vanishing-half] * Joshua Kam - How The Man in Green Saved Pahang, and Possibly the World [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52439919-how-the-man-in-green-saved-pahang-and-possibly-the-world] More information available at zafigo.com/busy-reading-books [http://zafigo.com/busy-reading-books]