06.Feb.2010 Short Saturday: Borges and Nabokov
In Short Saturday I will journal my journey to find 5-star quality short stories, whose virtual trophy right now is held by Truman Capote and Haruki Murakami. Unlike my book reviews, I will talk more about my thoughts and what I learn, why I choose the story and how I come upon it. Unlike books, [...]
05.May.2009 Ethel & Ernest by Raymond Briggs
Ethel & Ernest is a true story of Briggs’ parents, from their first encounter to their deaths. It’s a story of two ordinary people, who experience the changing of the world around them: Second World War, the arrival of television, people landing on the moon, as they brought up their only son. It’s really nice [...]
20.Mar.2009 The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
The Complete Maus is a memoir presented as a graphic novel. The complete story was published in 2 volumes: Part I: My Father Bleeds History in 1986 and Part II: And Here My Troubles Began in 1991. It recounts the struggle of Spiegelman’s father to survive the holocaust and also the troubled relationships between the [...]
17.Mar.2009 Sugarbabe by Holly Hill
Holly Hill got depressed after she was left by her wealthy married boyfriend and found herself totally broke. After a few days of soul searching and a help from a friend, she picked herself up and decided to find a sugar daddy, who’d pay for her with no strings attached. That way, she wouldn’t find [...]
18.Feb.2009 Escape by Carolyn Jessop
Escape is a haunting biography of Carolyn Jessop, a woman who was born into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints community, a religious group in United States around Utah and Arizona. A religious group who believes in polygamy, woman degradation, absolute obedience, children brainwashing, apocalypse with resurrected Indian heroes and evil black [...]
08.Dec.2008 Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi
I had Coraline and Persepolis 2 on my hands, and I reckon I’d have time to read only 1 before I leave Singapore. So I chose Persepolis 2, because it seemed to be shorter, and is also part of a series. I really love the first one.
In the second Persepolis, it tells the story when [...]
12.Oct.2008 Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
I LOVE this book! I’ve watched Persepolis movie twice and thought that the graphic novel would be just like the movie (good, but similar). But it’s not! It’s BETTER!
The book discusses more sensitive topics around religion and the government in Iran. More social classes issues, more demonstrations, more cruelties. Satrapi is truly one of the [...]
06.Oct.2008 Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi
I was looking for Persepolis for ages, but it’s always checked out at my library. A few days ago, not only did I find Persepolis (first, but not the second one), but also another graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, called Embroideries.
Embroideries is entertaining reading about the sex lives of Iranian women. After the afternoon lunch, [...]
25.Sep.2008 A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
This book is a memoir of Ishmael Beah, an ex child soldier during wartime in Sierra Leone. His journey started when the rebels arrived at his village. He was chased from village to village by the war that spread further and further. The places he visited destroyed and his family and brothers killed. Until he [...]
11.Apr.2008 I Choose to Live by Sabine Dardenne
In 1996 Sabine Dardenne was kidnapped by Marc Dutroux, the man who turned out to be one of Belgium’s most heinous paedophiles. She was 12 years old. She was his prisoner for 80 long days. Surviving, at the age of 20 years old, she finally decided to write this book, for three reasons: “so that [...]
