Everything to do with books! Mostly book reviews, but occasionally, I have the non-review bookish post too.
After struggling through Soul Mountain, I was more than ready for a slightly easier Chinese novel to read. So when Warren suggested Qiu Xiaolong (thanks again, Warren!), I immediately went to the library and borrowed one of the books that sounded interesting. Enigma of China isn’t the first book in the series, so I’m probably… Read More Enigma of China by Qiu Xiaolong
I really enjoyed Miss Buncle’s Book when I read it earlier this year, so when I chanced upon Miss Buncle Married, I immediately borrowed it (especially since Ami from luvtoread also recommended it as a fun read). Miss Buncle Married takes place soon after the events of Miss Buncle’s Book. Since her identity as the… Read More Miss Buncle Married by D. E. Stevenson
When talking about children’s accounts of Nazi Germany, Anne Frank’s story is the one that’s most familiar to me. I have, however, belatedly found another story: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. The author, Judith Kerr, based this on her own childhood: her famous anti-Nazi father, their sudden flight from Germany, and their life moving from… Read More When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
I can’t remember where I first heard about this book, but I was drawn to the premise of two girls disappearing and what happens after. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting such an unconventional (and for the mystery-lover in me, somewhat unsatisfying) tale, but this was an intriguing work that kept me reading till the… Read More Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
My recent read of Soul Mountain got me thinking: what is the value of reading difficult books? But before I even begin thinking about the value of difficult books, I had to ask: What is a difficult book? The way I see it, difficult books can fall into three categories: Emotionally difficult to read: these… Read More What is the Value of Reading Difficult Books?
Confession: I borrowed this book solely for the title. I wasn’t quite sure what it was about (something historical?) but I like tea so I figured I would like this. When I started reading, I realised this was about the Russian and British royal families and was a lot heavier than I expected. The Imperial… Read More The Imperial Tea Party by Frances Welch
Since I had a pretty good experience with Lord Peter Wimsey with Whose Body?, better than my first Lord Wimsey book, I decided to borrow another Lord Peter Wimsey mystery. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club is the fourth book in the series where a question of inheritance soon turns into a question of murder.… Read More The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
I cannot remember how I found this book, which is sad because I LOVED THIS. It is amazing and it tackles the sensitive topic of race and a difficult time in Malaysia’s history with great skill and empathy. The Weight of Our Sky is set during the 13 May 1969 racial riots. Melati and her… Read More The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
Recently, I read a Dayre post about a user’s personal finance and investing journey. It was pretty interesting and it made me think about my own personal finance journey and from there, about the books I’ve read. Somehow, everything in my life can be linked to a book I read. While personal finance and investing… Read More My Top 3 Personal Finance Books
Ideally, I would have found this book before I started on my smartphone/social media detox but I only heard about this book when it was recommended during the talk on the defence of self-help. But better late than never, and I was interested to see if this book could help in the post-detox month. This… Read More How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price