The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 02 Oct 2011 02:02 AM PDT FOR the week ending Sept 25, 2011: Non-fiction 1. Quantum Leaps: 100 Scientists Who Changed The World by Jon Balchin 2. A Doctor In The House: The Memoirs Of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad 3. The Power Of X: Enter The 10 Gods by Joey Yap 4. A Journey by Tony Blair 5. At Home: A Short History Of Private Life by Bill Bryson 6. Faces Of Fortune: The 20 Tycoons To Bet On Over The Next 10 Years by Tee Lin Say 7. Events That Changed The World by Igloo Books Ltd 8. Life Is What You Make It by Peter Buffett 9. The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking 10. Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths To Keep Singapore Going by Han Fook Kwang, Et Al Fiction 1. Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer 2. Aleph by Paulo Coelho 3. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht 4. I Don't Know How She Does It (movie tie-in) by Allison Pearson 5. A Dance With Dragons (A Song Of Ice And Fire #5) by George R.R. Martin 6. Fall Of Giants by Ken Follett 7. Zero Hour by Andy McNab 8. Room by Emma Donoghue 9. What's New, Pussycat? by Alexandra Potter 10. The Confession by John Grisham Weekly list compiled by MPH Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur; www.mphonline.com. |
| Posted: 02 Oct 2011 01:55 AM PDT From classics to contemporary titles, there is plenty out there to intrigue the teen reader. A COUPLE of days ago, I received an e-mail asking for book recommendations. This is what it said: "I am 18 years old and a big fan of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. I tried reading Wuthering Heights because that's Bella's favourite book but I couldn't really understand it. It's too difficult for me because it's a classic or really old. The author, Emily Bronte, is dead, I think. "Can you recommend me love stories that are really exciting too? I love the romance between Bella and Edward, but I think the books are interesting because there's action and adventure too. The books you recommend don't have to be about vampires or werewolves. – From Romantic Action Star If you read this column regularly you'll know that I am not a fan of Twilight and its sequels. Having said that, I'm looking forward to Breaking Dawn (the movie), but only because, having seen the previous three films, I know it will be a barrel of laughs. I can understand why many teenage girls love the series, though. After all, I too was once a teenager with raging hormones and dubious tastes in literature and boys. Twilight, like most romance novels, panders to the wishful thinking most teenagers indulge in. Actually, we're all prone to bouts of that, aren't we? It's about attaining the unattainable and, really, haven't we all been there whatever our age? The object of our desires may not always be the sexiest guy in the school/office/neighbourhood pub, but wanting to own something pretty is what many of us experience every day (I'm currently lusting after an iPad 2, and I so want a Kindle too). So we can relate to Bella and all the other heroines of romance novels, and we also relate to Rebecca, the shopaholic heroine of Sophie Kinsella's bestselling series. As for action and adventure. Oh, I like those too. In spades. And this is why I own stacks of murder mysteries. Somehow, for me, there's something comforting and cosy about reading a story that's full of thrills and spills. Perhaps the sense of comfort is derived from the fact that I'm reading descriptions of dark and dangerous events, people and places while being very safe myself. So, this is the reply I sent to Romantic Action Star: I think you might find Jane Eyre more interesting than Wuthering Heights. Written by Charlotte Bronte, the sister of Emily, it tells of an orphan (Jane) who goes to serve as a governess in a country estate called Thornfield Hall. The master of the place is Edward Rochester, a rather eccentric and alarming man whom Jane is irresistibly drawn to. There is not a whole lot of action but there seems to be something or someone who lurks in the attics of Thornfield Hall, wandering the corridors of the house in the middle of the night, attacking house guests and laughing maniacally. Jane Eyre was published in 1847 and is a classic, just as Wuthering Heights is, but it moves at a faster pace and is more mysterious and exciting. There is, of course, also the romance between Jane, the humble but headstrong governess, and her employer, the Byronic Mr Rochester. Both books have been adapted for a silver screen many times. The latest Jane Eyre movie was released in March, and Wuthering Heights will be released in November. Another book I'd like to recommend is Tam Lin by Pamela Dean. It's a "modern" re-telling of the old Celtic ballad about a young noblewoman who falls in love with a knight who has forfeited his life to the Queen of Faeries. I say "modern" because it's set in an American liberal arts college in the 1970s, which, if my teenage nieces are anything to go by, might as well be the 17th century. The book is crawling with beautiful young men, all of whom sing and act, and read and write poetry. Early in the book, the heroine falls in love just by hearing a disembodied voice sing the words of T.S. Eliot's The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock! There is no violence or bloodshed, but there are ghosts and curses and suicide, and a fair bit of sex – it's not in the least explicit though, as whatever happens behind closed doors is merely referred to very, very discreetly. Finally, a series in which vampires, shape-shifters and other supernatural creatures do figure: Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries, set in the small town of Bon Temp, Louisiana, and starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. In this world, vampires are out and proud thanks to the creation of synthetic blood. Sookie is in love with Bill Compton, a vampire who was made during the American civil war, and their romance gets both human and vampire communities very cross indeed. And there is lots of action as well as many murders. I hope you'll give these books a try. You should also pay a visit to the public library or your favourite bookstore and browse the fiction sections. You never know what might strike your fancy and you are the best judge of books that you'll enjoy. As for the rest of you out there, if you have any questions about books for children and teenagers, feel free to e-mail me at the address above and I'll try my best to help. Daphne Lee reads to wonder and wander, be amazed and amused, horrified and heartened and inspired and comforted. She wishes more people will try it too. Send e-mails to the above address and check out her blog at daphne.blogs.com/books. |
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