Review: Eng Seng's Dear Tua Ee by Chiang Siew Lee

Title: Eng Seng's Dear Tua Ee
Author: Chiang Siew Lee
Year: 2011
ISBN: 978-983-99056-0-1

Eng Seng's Dear Tua Ee was written by Chiang Siew Lee about her first born child, Eng Seng. It was a series of letters written from Eng Seng's perspective to his aunt Tua Ee Siew Hong (the author's elder sister) who is residing in Brazil with her family. This series of letters was actually a regular feature column in The New Sunday Times newspaper's Style section in 1992.

This series of letters were written soon after Eng Seng was born, as his parents became the first-time parents, facing the ultimate challenges of parenthood. It covered the first two years of Eng Seng's life and these letters were written by the author as a catharsis to cope with the stress of experiencing parenthood for the very first time.

Eng Seng told all of his adventures being the first born in the family and the experience of being the centre of attention where the gathering of relatives and outings were concerned. They were told in a simple but mostly in a baby-talk manner. These letters were amusing to read as they virtually take the readers inside a baby's mind and how it really works, in reaction to the adults' actions in entertaining and trying to get the attention of the baby, in this case was Eng Seng.

Not only that, these letters were also able to give an excellent insight as to how Eng Seng had to cope with his daily life as a baby and toddler of two years being extremely structured by his parents and his paediatrician. And Eng Seng managed to face the experience of baby- and toddler-hood in his stride, and at the same time amuse and frustrate the adults around him, especially his parents.

I find this book very enjoyable read because it reminded me of the time when back then it was featured as a regular column in The New Sunday Times' Style section. These letters constantly kept me spellbound, eager to find out what would be Eng Seng's next adventure every week when the said newspaper was published. Honestly, I'm glad that the letters now are immortalised into a book, where I could read them in one continuous flow, also over and over again if I wish to do so.

I highly recommend this book to readers who especially are facing parenthood for the very first time and even to readers who are already seasoned parents. Not only that, this book also include an epilogue as to where Eng Seng is in the present day, not to mention his younger sister, born two years after him, as well as Tua Ee Siew Hong, whom Eng Seng has "written" to when he was a baby and a toddler of two years.

I give a double thumbs-up for Eng Seng's Dear Tua Ee! 
 

Review: D is for Dahl - A gloriumptious A-Z guide to the world of Roald Dahl

 

Title: D is for Dahl - A gloriumptious A-Z guide to the world of Roald Dahl

Compiled by: Wendy Cooling, Illustrations by Quentin Blake

Year: 2005

ISBN: 0-141-31272-6

D is for Dahl: A gloriumptious A-Z guide to the world of Roald Dahl is a compilation of every thing a fan of Roald Dahl would want to know more about his books and this most celebrated children' author of all time. This book reminds me a little of the normal and ubiquitous alphabet books but with a unique twist. 

This book is not all about Roald Dahl and his books, but it also contained some interesting general knowledge I did not know about in the first place but now I do. Although this book is primarily targeted for children, young adult and adult readers would find this book to be worth digging into, especially if they are growing up or have grown up reading Roald Dahl's books.

Personally, I like this book for the fact where its contents have been arranged in an alphabetical order in which made it very easy to read. Not only that, there were also random facts about Roald Dahl and his books, not to mention general knowledge that could be found practically almost every page throughout the book, and they were presented in a simple but interesting manner.

Although the contents of the book is not presented in full colour, the funny illustrations drawn by Quentin Blake throughout it made it a very interesting read. Not to mention the style of writing of this book somewhat mimicked that of Roald Dahl's. I think readers would enjoy reading this book, the young and young-at-heart alike.

Review: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Title: Tuesdays with Morrie

Author: Mitch Albom

Year: 1997

ISBN: 978-0-385-49649-0

Tuesdays with Morrie written by Mitch Albom is an inspiring real-life story about the author's university professor who was diagnosed Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. I bought this book to better understand the story as I had watched the movie on a local terrestrial TV channel not too long ago.

This book is actually a tribute of the author to his university professor, Morris S. Schwartz who had taught him Sociology modules at Brandeis University. Albom is already an accomplished sports journalist and commentator when he came across an episode on Nightline featuring an interview with this professor who was already diagnosed and dying from Lou Gehrig's disease in 1994.

The author was living on an extremely hectic life as a sport journalist and commentator where he was constantly in the thick of things and had been on high demand to cover many sports tournaments and sports-related events. Although Albom enjoyed his career, however, he was not achieving the fulfillment that should have came with his career. He was just moving with flow of things, where he would try to fulfill all the demands his career requires of him, not to mention having to be contented a domineering boss. Not only that, as a result of a total commitment to his career, his relationship with his wife, Janine also deteriorated.

When Albom finally decided to visit his dying professor, little did he know that the visits would become life's enduring lessons, changing the way he would view life forever. Those visits became full-blown, classroom lessons, albeit in an informal manner. Lengthy discussions were held but virtually no notes were taken and assignments done, instead Albom were encouraged to ponder on the different issues about life at the end of each lesson, and to give an indication he has fully understood each lesson his professor was trying to impart to him whenever they meet for subsequent lessons.

Finally when his professor passed away, the valuable lessons that Albom had learned were turned into a "thesis", in the form of this very book yours truly is reviewing. This book is an exceptionally inspiring story, written in a simple but profound manner. Tears came to eyes as I read the story and it made me also ponder the many different aspects of my own life.

I highly recommend this book to all readers who are partial to reading real life and inspiring stories. A string of rave reviews and selling more than 11 million copies worldwide, Tuesdays with Morrie is a real gem to have in every book lover's shelf.  

Review: Going Solo by Roald Dahl

Title: Going Solo
Author: Roald Dahl
Year: 2001
ISBN: 0-14-131142-8

Going Solo is the second part of the two-part autobiography that continues Roald Dahl's life immediately after he had left high school at the age of 18. Although the author's mother wanted him to enter university, he decided that he have had enough of life as a student and wanted to start working instead.


Dahl applied to work for Shell Oil Company. He was first accepted as a trainee in 1938 and when he was confirmed as a permanent employee, he had requested to be posted to East Africa. Dahl worked as a  fuel salesman for Shell and was based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, then known as Tanganyika. 


Dahl met many different kinds of people and acquired many unusual experiences in life during his working life in East Africa. He learned to speak Swahili and how to survive the harsh and unforgiving African environment. His work for Shell was suddenly interrupted by the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939. 


Dahl was enlisted as a RAF fighter pilot and was assigned to the Western Desert front in Libya. However, he had a serious crash there and was sent to a hospital for a six-months recuperation in Alexandria, Egypt. He was then sent to Greece to fight the advancing Germans after he had supposedly recuperated fully from the injuries he suffered from the crash. However, he was medically invalided in June 1941 due to the side effects of the crash while fighting in Greece and was sent home.  


Dahl once again told his story in a manner where readers would be immersed completely into the story and the era he had once lived in. Readers of all ages would find this book a very entertaining read. Going Solo is a must-read for readers who have previously read Boy: Tales of Childhood as it is the continuation to the author's life story as a young adult.


As with Boy: Tales of Childhood, I would give a double thumbs-up for Going Solo. It is an extremely exciting read as the former and should not be missed if readers have begun to immerse themselves in the world of Roald Dahl. 

Review: Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

Title: Boy: Tales of Childhood
Author: Roald Dahl
Year: 2001
ISBN: 0-14-131140-1

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl (1916 - 1990) is the first part of a two-part autobiography he had written and was first published in 1984. This review is made to the edition published in 2001 by Puffin Books. This book tells the story of Dahl when he was a young boy from the age of seven until he left high school at the age 18.

Dahl was one of the best loved and a well-known children author. His childhood was one that was quite out-of-the-ordinary but Dahl never enjoyed his schooldays although there were funny and exciting happenings. These amusing and exciting happenings were described in a quirky manner, the typical style Dahl used in writing his other books. 

Dahl told the story of his childhood, focusing on family summer vacations and schooldays. However, he never enjoyed his schooldays due to the strict and harsh discipline methods practised by both the day and boarding schools he had attended throughout his life. The not-so-good experience of being punished by the headmaster and/or teachers, not to mention senior students who bullied him made Dahl felt very aversed to his schooldays, and he would have preferred never to experience them ever again. Despite of them all, one good thing that came out of those miserable times was that Dahl had excelled in sports, especially Fives (a game similar to that of American handball) and squash-racquets. 

Family summer vacations were better memories for Dahl. He relished the times he spent with his family and was tremendously close to his mother. Those vacations were spent in Norway, the native country of Dahl's parents. The memories of these vacations were funny and happy moments to him and had very positive impact on his childhood.    

Not only that, Dahl was able to capture the essence of the suspense and excitement he had felt during these happenings with such vividness that readers would feel that they are transported to the time when those happenings took place. Readers would most likely be able to identify and relate to the emotions Dahl had experienced in this book.

Although Boy: Tales of Childhood is targeted primarily to children, adult readers would find this book to be entertaining in a quirky and light-hearted manner. It is an excellent book to introduce readers who have yet to come to know about this author and the books he had published during his lifetime. Readers would also come to know how and where Dahl had acquired ideas for writing those books.

I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages - it is an appropriate way to be introduced into the world of Roald Dahl, and yes this was one of the first books about him I have read when I initially discovered about this author not too long ago.    

Review: Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan

Title: Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
Author: John Grogan
Year: 2006
ISBN: 978-0-340-93684-9

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog was written by John Grogan about his experience of adopting a male dog that was flawed in many ways than one. Marley was an uncontrollable ninety-seven pounds steamroller of a Labrador retriever. It was a challenge to raise Marley where John and his wife, Jenny had never come to expect at all.

Marley was the opposite of the textbook description of how Labrador retrievers should grow up to be. He was one of those dogs where even the most ardent dog lovers would question if he was worth at all to go through the trouble of adopting and raising. John and Jenny faced tremendous challenges of bringing up Marley, however, in return, through all his flaws, Marley has taught them that unconditional love could come in any form and way beyond their imagination.

John and Jenny, indirectly through Marley have also learned about parenting skills in which much later they found out took its natural course, and they had three beautiful children, Patrick, Conor and Colleen. Apart from this, the loopy and uncontrollable Marley taught John and Jenny to enjoy simple pleasures of life, where most people failed to do and/or realised.

When Marley finally reached his twilight years and death became an inevitable topic of discussion in the family, the dog actually taught them that there is still much hope in face of such adversity. Marley went through life in his twilight years no differently when he was a young dog. When death finally came to Marley, John realised that this loopy and uncontrollable dog has taught the family more about life than most people John has known throughout his life could have done in their lifetime. 

Although Marley is the central character of this book, I found it to be more of a heart-warming family-oriented true story. John has highlighted the life of his family members in the book as well. This is what made Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog an extremely interesting story that even non-dog lovers would enjoy reading.

John Grogan's first attempt at writing a book, i.e. Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog has proved to be an extremely successful venture as this book has sold five million copies around the world since its first publication in 2005. I LOVE this book to bits because the story was told in a simple manner yet it was heart-warming to know that despite Marley was flawed in more ways than one, John still paid a fitting tribute to this dog.

I highly recommend this book to readers who are into true stories, regardless if they are dog-lovers or otherwise. This book is guaranteed to be a page-turner that you would not want to put it down until you are finished reading it. John Grogan has done a great justice writing this book about Marley. So good is this story that it has been made into a movie, starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. Watch this space for the review of the movie, coming soon.

Review: Once A Dancer... An Autobiography by Allegra Kent

Title: Once A Dancer... An Autobiography

Author: Allegra Kent

Year: 1997

ISBN: 0-312-18750-5

Allegra Kent was a former New York City Ballet principal dancer. She joined the New York City Ballet (NYCB) at the tender age of fifteen and became one of the most celebrated dancers ever produced by the co-founder and choreographer of the New York City Ballet, George Balanchine. In fact, she was one of the muses of George Balanchine.

Allegra Kent was born Iris Margo Cohen on August 11 1937 in Santa Monica, California. She began her first ballet classes with Bronislava Nijinska and Carmelita Maracci before proceeding to study at the School of American Ballet in 1951. She joined NYCB as a corps de ballet dancer one year later. Kent progressed rapidly through the company and was soon offered principal roles and also have roles created for her by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.

Some of the roles created by George Balanchine for Kent were Ivesiana, Bugaku and the revival of The Seven Deadly Sins. She had excelled in these roles that would see her become one of the most well-known principal dancer NYCB ever had. However, the life as a ballet dancer Kent had lead was far from the stereotypical fairy-tale perception.

Kent's personal life was unfortunately intertwined with her professional life due to the fact that her mother had been a ballet mother; having had a strong influence on the direction of both her personal and professional lives would take. However, despite of the immense challenges she had faced, Allegra Kent's story was an inspiring one, also a riveting read especially if you are a fan of the ballet.

Reading an autobiography of a Balanchine ballerina where Allegra Kent was one is akin to studying the history of American ballet in which she gave a very insightful account. Readers can actually trace the major historical milestones of American ballet during the life and times of George Balanchine. The mere fact that Kent was at the height of her professional career with the big names in American ballet such as Maria Tallchief, Violette Verdy and Tanaquil Le Clercq, just to name a few, made her story all the more interesting read. A must read book if you are a big fan of the golden era of ballet, i.e. 1950s to 1970s.  

 

Review: Anne Frank Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance by Ruud van der Rol and Rian Verhoeven for the Anne Frank House

Title: Anne Frank Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance
Authors: Ruud van der Rol and Rian Verhoeven for the Anne Frank House
Year: 1995
ISBN: 0-14-036926-0

Anne Frank Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance is a compilation by Ruud van der Rol and Rian Verhoeven for the Anne Frank House and I think it is meant to be a complement to Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl. This book illustrates the life of the Frank family prior to and during World War 2 both in Frankfurt Am Main, Germany and Amsterdam, the Netherlands, based on Anne's diary entries.

Anne Frank was a 13-year old Jewish girl who resided in Amsterdam, the Netherlands during World War 2 whom had fled from Frankfurt Am Main in 1933 with her family, parents Otto and Edith Frank and elder sister Margot due to the severe persecution of the Jewish people by the German Nazi authorities. She had received a red-and-white checkered cloth-bound diary with its impotent lock from her parents on her thirteenth birthday on June 12 1942.

She began writing in this diary almost immediately and continued to do so when they went into hiding from the Nazi authorities on July 6 1942 when Margot received a call-up notice to be deported to Westerbork concentration camp on July 5 1942. Anne and her family went into hiding in an old house attached to Otto Frank's office located at 263 Prinsengracht, Amsterdam. Anne later dubbed this hiding place the Secret Annex.

Anne wrote the diary from June 14 1942 to August 1 1944. She mostly wrote about herself - her feelings, thoughts, physical and psychological changes and relationship with her family and other people, especially the van Pels family and dentist Fritz Pfeffer, whom all joined the Frank family in the same hiding place. Most importantly, Anne had managed to write about the happenings in the Secret Annex with uncanny accuracy. Besides her diary, Anne also wrote fictional stories told to her by Otto when she was younger.

The people in hiding at the Secret Annex were discovered as the final months of the war were approaching, i.e. on August 4 1944. Anne was 15 years old then. The Secret Annex was raided by the German Nazi authorities, headed by Karl Josef Silberbauer; they had been finally betrayed. To this day no one knows who had actually had betrayed them. Otto Frank was the only survivor of this horrific experience, out of the eight people hiding in the Secret Annex. Anne and her sister Margot died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in March 1945, just weeks before the camp was liberated by the Allied forces the following April.

This book revealed that there were some prisoners who managed to talk to Anne and Margot during their final months in Bergen-Belsen before both girls died; amongst them was a childhood friend of Anne, Hanneli Elizabeth Goslar. Apart from this, it also revealed the painful journey of Otto in searching for the whereabouts of Anne and Margot as well as that of his wife Edith, and he was finally being informed of their deaths in July or August 1945.

It was only then, Miep Gies, one of the helpers to the people hiding in the Secret Annex gave Otto pages to Anne's diary, which she had managed to save them from the clutches of the German Nazi authorities when the Annexe was emptied on the orders of the German Nazi authorities one week after it was discovered and raided. Otto then painstakingly embarked on the journey to publish Anne's diary as well as establishing the Anne Frank House at 263 and 265 Prinsengracht, Amsterdam to spread the message in Anne's diary to the world. This book also discussed the issues of anti-Semitism and anti-racism in the contemporary context, which is still very much relevant today.
         
I would highly recommend this book especially to readers who have read The Diary of a Young Girl. Even readers who have not read the diary would find this book to be an interesting and appropriate introduction to The Diary of a Young Girl. Apart from this, Anne Frank Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance could serve as an excellent reference to the history about the Holocaust as Anne Frank is the symbol of the estimated six million Jewish people murdered during World War 2.

I am not a big fan of Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl but I have read it and was intrigued by the unanswered question who had actually betrayed the people hiding in the Secret Annex. Although this book did not provide the answers to this crucial question, however, it comprehensively covered the life of Anne Frank and her family and issues related to anti-Semitism and anti racism. The best part of all is that I had bought this book at The War Memorial in Canberra, Australia while vacationing there with my parents back in 1996; an unlikely place on the Earth for me to have bought a book.

Review: The World of Anne Frank by The Anne Frank House

Title: The World of Anne Frank

Compiled by: The Anne Frank House

Year: 2003

ISBN: 0-330-39382-0 

The World of Anne Frank is a compilation by The Anne Frank House of Anne Frank's life in relation to the historical events taking place during World War 2 with regards to the persecution of the Jewish people in Europe, commonly known as the Holocaust. Anne Frank was a 13-year old Jewish girl residing in Amsterdam with her parents, Otto and Edith Frank and her 16-year old sister Margot.

Anne Frank and her family went into hiding on July 6 1942 when the Nazi authorities issued a call-up notice to Margot to be deported to Westerbork concentration camp on July 5 1942. Defying their orders, Otto decided for his family to go into hiding in an old house at his office located at 263 Prinsengracht, Amsterdam; later dubbed by Anne as the Secret Annexe. 

Anne first started writing a diary shortly after receiving a red and white checkered hard cover bound diary from her parents for her thirteenth birthday on June 12 1942. She continued to fill this diary, even when in hiding, chronicling the daily happenings in the Secret Annexe as well the development of her physical and psychological well-being with uncanny accuracy. Besides this, Anne also wrote some short stories based on the stories told to her by Otto when she was younger. She also divulged the hope in seeing the war come an end as she feels that out of all bad, some good things still would come, also to her there are still many good people out there she could count on.

Apart from chronicling Anne Frank's life against the backdrop of World War 2, this book also discussed the issues of anti-Semitism and anti racial in the contemporary context, and they are still very much relevant and applicable in this day of age. I also find this book useful as a teaching tool, specifically about the Holocaust and the World War 2 in general. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who have yet to read Anne Frank's diary, as this book serves the perfect introduction to Anne Frank and the world she had lived in and as how she saw it. For those who have read the diary, it would further enhance their knowledge about the Holocaust and the horrific consequences it had brought to humanity, and that anti-Semitic and anti racial sentiments definitely have no place in this world, even at this day of age.

The World of Anne Frank is suitable for readers of secondary/high school age onwards. Adults readers would find this book very informative and also to complement Anne Frank's diary, if they have read it. I would recommend this book to readers who are interested in history, especially about World War 2. Readers would not be disappointed by this book.    

Review: Do you wear suspenders? The Wordy Tales of Eh Poh Nim by Lydia Teh

Title: Do you wear suspenders? The Wordy Tales of Eh Poh Nim

Author: Lydia Teh

Year: 2009

ISBN: 978-967-5222-08-5

Do you wear suspenders? The Wordy Tales of Eh Poh Nim written by Lydia Teh is a story book with a twist. It is the story of Eh Poh Nim who is extremely loquacious with the use English Language in an out-of the ordinary way, i.e. in the form of similés, idioms, hyperboles and oxymorons, just to name a few. This book has been written in a very creative way and it actually can be used as a tool in English Language learning, especially from secondary school onwards.

For someone like yours truly who considers herself to be quite a good user of English Language, I found out that I still learned quite a bit from this book, especially the differences between similés, idioms and hyperboles where previously I admit I was very ignorant of them, although I have managed to use them correctly. I have also learned the different and actual contexts that these language elements can be used appropriately.  

Also, Teh has been able to write the story to reflect the multi-racial country Malaysia is, illustrating the candid and heart-warming situations many Malaysians would find often themselves in, using Eh Poh Nim and her family and friends to illustrate the everyday and colourful life they often lead, which make the book an interesting read.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy short stories written in a light and heart-warming manner. The bonus this book offers is that you get to learn the English Language in an unconventional but a very fun way, and it won't be a chore in learning the language. Last but not least, it's TWO thumbs-up yet again to Lydia Teh for writing such wonderfully entertaining book.

Review: In Liberal Doses by Marina Mahathir

Title: In Liberal Doses
Author: Marina Mahathir
Year: 1997
ISBN: 983-99507-7-0

In Liberal Doses by Marina Mahathir is a collection of articles written by Marina for the column 'Musings' in The Star, a local English daily in Malaysia from 1991 to 1997. This book discusses a wide range of issues related to Malaysian life - On Being Malaysian, Marina vs the Censors, Malaysia's Social Values, Malaysian Looks at the World, Talking to Young People, Women in Malaysia and AIDS.

Marina being the daughter to the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad embodies the liberal voice of a true Malaysian on many issues affecting the Malaysian society. The articles featured in this book illustrated hopes and ideals Marina has envisioned for this beloved country for it to achieve the Vision 2020 goals, when Malaysia will become a developed country.

Reading this book was an extremely eye-opening experience for me. The issues that were highlighted by Marina all those years ago has become still the same issues that ordinary Malaysians need to grapple with today. Those issues were relevant when they were highlighted then, and they ARE STILL very relevant to be addressed in this day of age even when dissemination of information can be done in a blink of an eye.

Although the Malaysian society has come very far to where it is today, however, the issues highlighted in this book are far from being resolved. Many of these issues have remained extremely tricky to be completely resolved as there are many factors to be considered, due to the fact Malaysia is multi-racial country. Marina offered a fresh perspective and insight when discussing the above-mentioned issues, and this would encourage the reader, especially when he or she is a Malaysian to ponder how those issues have affected them in any way at all.

I would give this book a double thumbs-up for its excellent manner of compilation when discussing the highlighted issues. As Marina is a prolific writer and highly accomplished book publisher, these articles were written in an interesting and straightforward manner, minus the confusing jargons that are often used when discussing those issues. She is still writing articles for the 'Musings' column in the The Star newspaper and I am still reading it on a regular basis.

If Marina intends to release another similar kind of book, I would want to be the first in the line to acquire it. She is one of the very few Malaysians who writes extremely well and very eloquently too.

Review Life's Like That: Scenes from Malaysian Life by Lydia Teh

Title: Life's Like That: Scenes from Malaysian Life
Author: Lydia Teh
Year: 2004
ISBN: 978-967-978-886-0

Life's Like That: Scenes from Malaysian Life by Lydia Teh is actually a prequel to her later book entitled Honk, If You're Malaysian. This book chronicled many of the typical idiosyncrasies in Malaysian life Teh has observed and witnessed throughout her life as young child right through the times she became a working adult, embraced married life and to the present time of her life of motherhood.

Her storytelling of Malaysian life complete with its complexities and contradictions was done in simple and straightforward manner, with self-deprecating humour and unpretentiousness. Teh captured the ordinariness and essence of the Malaysian life with such starkness that Malaysian readers would be able to identify with them very well. The different aspects of Malaysian life covered - family, pregnancies, babies, motherhood, hobbies, festivities, daily ablutions, pets and other calamities would make readers experience a roller coaster of emotions; the stories would make you want to cry and laugh at the same time, also even grin like a Cheshire cat at the wit and bracing honesty Teh has imbued in these stories throughout this book.

However, I would recommend to readers to read Honk, If You're Malaysian first before diving into this book. The reason is simple - Honk, If You're Malaysian introduces the Malaysian way of life that even a non-Malaysian reader could easily identify with the unique and colourful country Malaysia always is, and Life's Like That: Scenes from Malaysian Life deals the more complex and contradicting side of Malaysian life.

I recommend this book to anyone who love the humorous side of life, what more a multicultural one like the one Malaysia is; this book guarantees you will be having a stitch at the side from experiencing the roller coaster ride of emotions of reading this heart-warming book.        

Review: Honk, If You're Malaysian by Lydia Teh

Title: Honk, If You're Malaysian
Author: Lydia Teh
Year: 2007
ISBN: 983-3698-12-3

Honk, If You're Malaysian by Lydia Teh is a collection of idiosyncrasies of Malaysian life from the author's extensive observations over the years, working as an office secretary first and later a full-time homemaker. This book is in fact, a sequel to an earlier book released in 2004, entitled Life's Like That: Scenes from Malaysian Life.

This book tells the various aspects of Malaysian life and the quirky and out-of-the-ordinary situations happening to ordinary Malaysians. They are hilarious and most of us Malaysians would be able to relate to all those observations made by Teh in this book. For non-Malaysians, this book is an excellent introduction to the unique Malaysian aspects of life they might not be familiar with. It would help them understand and absorb the culture shock they might experience when arriving in Malaysia for the very first time.

Teh tells the various idiosyncrasies of Malaysians that often transcends the racial and cultural boundaries in a very enlightening and humourous manner, and that I, as a Malaysian cannot help but grin like a Cheshire cat when reading this book. As Malaysia is multi-racial country, these idiosyncrasies add more colour to the already colourful background and culture of the country.

Need I say more about this book? It is for those people who love to read about everyday humour of the normal man on the street and have a good chuckle about it. I am actually delighted to discover that there are good writers in English language in Malaysia. Lydia Teh is one of them, and I am very sure there are more of them out there waiting to be discovered.  

Review: Dancing on my Grave by Gelsey Kirkland with Greg Lawrence

Title: Dancing on my Grave
Author: Gelsey Kirkland with Greg Lawrence
Year: 1992
ISBN: 0-425-13500-4

Dancing on my Grave is an autobiography of Gelsey Kirkland, a celebrated former ballerina of American Ballet Theatre. Kirkland was well-known to partner Mikhail Baryshnikov, a celebrated Kirov Ballet dancer who defected to Canada in 1974. Baryshnikov as a principal ballet dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT) was the frequent partner to Kirkland from 1974 to 1979.

Gelsey Kirkland was trained in the Balanchine technique of ballet at the School of American Ballet and was a baby ballerina of the celebrated co-founder of the New York City Ballet (NYCB), George Balanchine. However, as Kirkland fell out of favour with Balanchine in the 1970s and also because of her desire to dance with Baryshnikov was extremely strong, this saw her leaving NYCB in 1974 for ABT.

Kirkland became very popular when she dancing with ABT as she was well-known to strive for extreme perfection to the art of classical ballet. This perfection for the art of classical ballet became the trademark of Kirkland as a ballerina with ABT, and she had danced many performances to critical acclaims and reviews.

However, being the perfectionist she was, Kirkland became the victim of circumstances that would eventually risked her stellar career with ABT. She was involved in illicit drugs, participated in the dancers' strike in 1979/1980 and repeatedly falling out with the ABT management. These unfortunate incidents were sadly due to Kirkland's ambition to be the excellent ballerina she already was at that time.

Kirkland's story could be just one of the many stories of ballet dancers in the 1960s and 1970s that were embroiled in many career controversies, issues and problems. The use of illicit drugs was also a major issue for many ballet dancers then as it coincided with the era of American counter-culture at that time. This story was riveting to read as reviewed favourably by many newspapers and magazines in the USA at the time of its first publication in 1986. Even if you are not a fan of the ballet, Kirkland's story would still hold you spellbound because she told it in an uncannily honest and brutal manner, leaving no details unturned.

Dancing on my Grave gives an intimate insight into the ballet world where most people would not be aware of. Contrary to popular belief, many experiences that most ballet dancers have to endure throughout their performing lifetime is far from being a fairy tale. Kirkland's story proved it to be all too true. However, ballet dancers being the disciplined and resilient people they were and would always be, many of their stories would often have a reasonably happy ending, and Kirkland's Dancing on my Grave is one of those stories destined to be one.  

Review: American Ballet Theatre: a 25-year retrospective

Title: American Ballet Theatre: a 25-year retrospective

Author: Elizabeth Kaye (text), Clive Barnes (foreword)

Year: 1999

ISBN: 0-7407-0019-7 (hardback), 0-7407-0018-9 (paperback)

American Ballet Theatre: a 25-year retrospective is a coffee table book that chronicled the progression of America's premier classical ballet company from the time it was first founded in 1939. It is a pictorial chronology of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), illustrating some of the most prolific male and female dancers who have performed and are performing with the company.

ABT is a company that have always been staging well-known and well-loved ballet classics such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, La Bayadère, Giselle and The Nutcracker just to name a few. However, the company also commissioned quite a few neo-classical and modern ballet choreography from choreographers like George Balanchine, Antony Tudor and Jerome Robbins. Thus, this book contained photographs of some of the most memorable performances that have been showcased by ABT from the mid-1970s to the 1990s.

This book is excellent for people who love ballet like me. I love the photographs in it, coloured and black-and-white alike. In fact, I REALLY LOVE ballet photography. The beauty of it is beyond any description. People who are into performing arts would be able to relate to what I'm saying. I have the paperback version of this book for less than RM 50 many years ago and I thought it was a worthwhile investment when I saw the price of the hardback being sold by Amazon.

However, it would be a worthwhile to get this book if you are as crazy about ballet as I am. I had actually forgotten I have this book; it was because of Black Swan is currently playing in the Malaysian theatres that it jogged my long-lost memory I actually have this book. I have cleaned the dust off it and have been flipping its pages tirelessly over and over, reliving the ecstasy of just looking at those beautiful photographs.   

   

Review - Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

Title: Mao's Last Dancer

Author: Li Cunxin

Year: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-425-24030-4 

Mao's Last Dancer was actually first written in 2003 by Li Cunxin (pronounced as Schwin Sing), former principal dancer of Houston Ballet and the Australian Ballet. Li has retired from dancing to be a full-time stock broker in 1999. This book is an autobiography in which Li has chronicled his life as a ballet student chosen by Mao Zedong's communist regime to study in Beijing Dance Academy at the tender age of 11.

Li Cunxin was born into bitter poverty in a rural village in the province of Qingdao, China into a family of six brothers and parents who were peasants at the height of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution. Li is the sixth son in the family. There was hardly food to go around, let alone money in Li's family then. He remembered in many ways than one how he had fervently wished he could help to alleviate the extreme poverty his family had to endure.

One day when Li was 11, a group of officers from Madame Mao's Beijing Dance Academy came to his village school to select a small group of students to be auditioned for the Academy. Li was one of the students selected for this audition. He then spent seven years studying ballet in Beijing Dance Academy, during which it was a period when Li had to fight against extreme feeling of loneliness and homesickness.

Being a ballet student of Beijing Dance Academy gave Li access to some privilleges many people did not have as well the opportunity to make it in life during Mao's Cultural Revolution. Being a very filial son to his parents, he worked very hard to achieve his aim to be a successful ballet dancer. However, this only happened when he defected to the United States, while dancing for Houston Ballet, helmed by Ben Stevenson OBE then, in April 1981. Li's defection only created more anxiety and problems not only to himself but also to his friends in the United States especially in Houston, and his family he had left back in China. 

Li Cunxin perservered during the times of adversity after defecting to the United States and this proved to be a worthwhile sacrifice as he became one of the best male dancer the ballet world has come to known. Li's story is a remarkable story describing the determination, perseverance and triumph of the human spirit in face of adversities in life. This inspiring story has been made into a movie in 2009 and has since been reviewed favourably by many critics and has won numerous international film awards.

Li Cunxin has won my affection for him through this remarkable story. I never got to see him dance in person but through his book, I could actually picture him into being in my mind's eye the wonderful and great ballet dancer he had been. I have the first edition of this book and have read and re-read it countless of times until its pages were about to be detached from its cover. That showed how much I LOVE Li's story. I have even bought this new edition as there were new chapters added to the story. 

To cap the feathers Li already has on his hat, he was awarded Shepherd Centre's 2009 Australian Father of the Year Award and has also been honoured a Doctorate for his contribution to Arts and Literature by the Australian Catholic University.  Li Cunxin lives with his wife, Mary McKendry and their three children, Sophie, Thomas and Bridie in Melbourne, Australia.  

I would give many thumbs-up for Mao's Last Dancer. This book has touched me in such a profound way that no words could describe the emotions I experienced after reading and re-reading it countless of times. It is a story worth sharing for many years to come for Li has journeyed very far to come to the life he is enjoying today, after experiencing some of the most emotionally and psychologically horrendous moments in his life one could only imagine. His story is a shining example of nothing is impossible if you dare to dream and go the distance to achieve what you want and desire to be in life.  

         

Review: Gifts of Time by Fred. J. Epstein M.D. and Elaine Fantle Shimberg

Title : Gifts of Time
Author : Fred. J. Epstein M.D. and Elaine Fantle Shimberg
Year : 1994
ISBN : 0-425-144303-8

Gifts of Time by Fred. J. Epstein M.D. and Elaine Fantle Shimberg is a true story about a paediatric neurosurgeon's lifelong mission to offer hope to children who suffer from serious and terminal neurological conditions where other paediatric neurosurgeons refuse to treat. The paediatric neurosurgeon is none other than one of the authors himself, Dr. Fred Epstein.

The late Dr. Epstein was the director of Paediatric Neurosurgery Division of New York University Medical Center and founding director of the Hymen-Newman Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, was also a pioneering surgeon where he had innovated surgical techniques to treat inoperable brain and spinal cord tumours in children in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His determined approach of never giving up hope on his very young patients saw him saving many lives where most other surgeons in the country had given up hope in treating children who were particularly terminally ill with brain and spinal cord tumours.

Dr. Eipstein's own life story was no less remarkable. He struggled with attention deficit disorder as a young boy where his learning ability was compromised. However, Dr. Eipstein never gave up hope in pursuing his ambition to be a doctor. His determination saw him overcoming his attention deficit disorder to enter New York Medical College as a medical student. Initially he thought he would become a psychiatrist like his father, however, his interest changed to neurosurgery during his tenure as medical student, where he found this particular medical field very interesting and challenging.

Gifts of Time was published with the aim to enlighten parents of children suffering from serious and terminal neurological conditions with the necessary information to seek for the appropriate medical treatment. It tells the vast experience of Dr. Eipstein in paediatric neurosurgery, especially in treating children with inoperable brain and spinal cord tumours. His humanistic philosophy in treating his very young patients endeared him to both his patients and their parents; to the extent they still kept in touch with him even when they no longer needed his service. He was a fine example of a medical specialist whose unfailing determination was the reason he became one of the top paediatric neurosurgeons in America.

Dr. Fred J. Eipstein died on 9 July 2006 from melanoma, according to his wife of 41 years, Kathy Eipstein. I first came to know of his story from a very old copy of Reader's Digest many years ago. An excerpt of this book was then published in the said magazine. Dr. Epstein's story has been and will always be an immense inspiration to me, and  I believe he had left behind a lasting legacy of knowledge and innovations for the other paediatric neurosurgeons in America, especially the ones Dr. Eipstein had taught and worked with in his lifetime.

This story was told in Dr. Eiptein's very own words, and I found it to be an extremely absorbing and a dramatic read. This is one of those rare books that will keep you glued to your chair until to the very end of it. It is also a story where you would want to read over and over again. The most important lesson to be learned from Dr. Eipstein's story would be when we thought that all hope was lost, however, there would always be a glimmer of hope to be found if we searched for it hard enough.

Review: The Longest Trip Home: a memoir by John Grogan

Title : The Longest Trip Home: a memoir

Author : John Grogan

Year : 2008

ISBN : 978-0-340-97899-3

The Longest Trip Home: a memoir by John Grogan explores the journey of the author's life in an intimate manner. Grogan told a story about his life growing up in a devout Roman Catholic working-class family in a suburb near Detroit, Michigan in a candid manner.

His life although being brought up by his extremely strict and religious parents, however, Grogan's childhood had an interesting and out-of-the-ordinary twist to it. As he grew up during the counter-culture era in America, Grogan managed to chronicled some milestones he had witnessed while growing up that would eventually shaped the country's social and cultural landscapes.

Grogan was also being honest in telling the challenges and problems he faced with his parents while growing up and it was a story many readers who grew up in a similar era to the author would be able to identify and relate to. He has managed to keep readers spellbound as an excellent story teller, a skill Grogan picked up during his high school years of being the school's newspaper editor. Grogan's journalistic pursuits bode well for him as they proved him to be an excellent story teller and great writer of our time.

This book is highly recommended for readers who enjoy reading real life stories about ordinary people and the challenges these people face in their life. Books about real life would often impart some moral and universal values in which readers like me could learn to apply them in life and for a valid reason too.

Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

Title : The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Author : J.K. Rowling
Year : 2008
ISBN : 978-0-7475-9987-6

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling is a collection of wizarding children stories not unlike muggle (non-magical) children stories, which inculcates moral and universal values. This book is actually a spin-off from the Harry Potter series, i.e. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The list of the stories found in the book are:

• The Wizard and the Hopping Pot
• The Fountain of Fair Fortune
• The Warlock's Hairy Heart
• Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump
• The Tale of the Three Brothers

Out of the five stories, The Tale of the Three Brothers was told in full in a chapter in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The other four stories were only passingly mentioned in the said book. These stories is a refreshing change from the usual muggle children's stories like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, The Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears; with equal emphasis on moral and universal values.

Fans of the Harry Potter series will find The Tales of Beedle the Bard a delightful read and addition to this series. Rowling has managed to weave her unique brand of magic yet again to keep readers spellbound and entertained with this book. What is more, a portion of the sale of The Tales of Beedle the Bard would benefit The Children's High Level Group, a non-governmental organisation in which Rowling had co-set up to help disadvantaged children in Europe.

My verdict of this book is it should be a must-read for children and adults alike. Everyone, including myself would be able to learn at least a value or two from this book; just as how we have learned moral and universal values from reading muggle children's stories as young children.

Review: Golden Mountain Chronicles by Laurence Yep

Golden Mountain Chronicles is a series of nine books written by Laurence Yep about the intergenerational story of the Young family from Three Willows Village in the Guangdong Province in China. This series tells the story of how the Young family and their friends were forced to flee from civilian war, war against the British and natural disasters to America to seek an alternative means of survival for their families.  Following are the list of titles in reading order:

• The Serpent's Children (1849)
• Mountain Light (1855)
• Dragon's Gate (1867) (Newbery Honor) 
• The Traitor (1885)
• Dragonwings (1903) (Newbery Honor)
• Dragon Road (1939) (originally titled The Red Warrior)
• Child of the Owl (1960)
• Sea Glass (1970)
• Thief of Hearts (1995)

The story takes place in the late 19th century right through most of the 20th century chronicling the first and second generations of the Young family seeking for means of survival for their family in China by travelling to the Land of Golden Mountain or America for work. They faced tremendous hardship after arriving to work in America and circumstances forced them to stay on there. These early generations of the Young family and their friends settling in America as migrant workers were faced with cultural dilemma and problems adapting to the American environment, as they tried to fit into a stark and very different culture and environment from the one they have known most of their lives. They experienced tremendous challenge trying to fit into the American culture and environment, as how the story was being told in the first three books.

The subsequent generations were born in America. They eventually laid down their roots there, however, this proved to be a challenge for each generation of the respective families as they adapt to a different culture and environment, not only to be able to survive in a racist America but also be able to send their hard-earned money back to China. The latter six books described how the generations that were born in America were being immersed completely in the American culture and environment. They are then faced with identity and cultural issues, as they are considered half-American and half-Chinese. The Young family and their friends eventually begin to accept the fact that they are still very much Chinese even though they have adopted America as their homeland.

The Golden Mountain Chronicles series is categorised as children's books but I actually enjoyed reading them very much. The story portrays cultural and identity issues in which are easily identifiable by readers. It is written based on actual incidents happening during the said era and these incidents were recorded in the American literature of that time, however, the characters were purely fictional. Readers of all ages will find this set of books an interesting read as the story has been written in a simple and straight forward manner.