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Books: Top 5 Picks from First Half of 2017

Another Monday, another book talks!

We have been through 8 months in 2017 and I would like to share dope readings I have done in the first half of 2017 (Well, there will another picks for second half of 2017!)


Title: Mata Hati Kita / The Eyes of Our Hearts
Author: Compiled by Angela M Kuga Thas & Jac Sim Kee
Read: January 13, 2017
Synopsis: Some stories need telling, and they need to be heard.

Here are twenty-four stories that invite readers to witness the lives of lesbians, bisexual women and trans people.

These true stories speak of our shared struggles of being human, of loving, of living for oneself and of living for others.

The realities of people who are non-conforming in their sexuality and gender identity are too often rendered invisible, and their voices silenced. This book attempts to change this, to help us all bear witness to 'the heart truth' of our fellow Malaysians.
Rate: 4.5/5



Title: Bagaimana Anyss Naik ke Langit?
Author: Faisal Tehrani
Read: January 24, 2017
Synopsis: Saya tak fikir isi Laporan Penilaian oleh Lembaga Penilai Manuskrip DuBook yang menyatakan bahawa manuskrip terbaharu Faisal Tehrani ini bebas Syiah sepenuhnya itu penting kerna soalan Mustaqim menampar saya selama 3 minggu yang berbunyi;

"Mengapa orang kita rasa menolong Palestina lebih bersyurga kalau Penan di halaman sendiri diperlakukan sebagai mangsa?"

Tetapi yang lebih penting, manuskrip 'Bagaimana Anyss Naik Ke Langit' ini membuktikan fungsi 'sastera' dalam berpihak kepada masyarakat tertindas untuk melawan tirani. 'Sastera' tidak pernah dan tidak mungkin, berpaut dan bergayut di dagu pak menteri. Ini jelas melalui watak Ratu Sago;

"Dia dirogol berkali-kali. Setelah lembik, dia dimasukkan ke dalam sebuah prahu dan dihanyutkan di Sungai Melinau. Ketika itu berkalu, ada seekor belengang bertenggek di atas pohon jati memerhati. Ratu Sago tahu, ada roh orang mati datang melihat. Dan sejak itu Ratu berazam, untuk melaknat semua penjahat pembalak dan penguasa sepenuh hati. Dia mengidam untuk menjadi pennakoh. Dia akan memburu mereka.

Profesor Anyss masih ingat ayat akhir Ratu Sago dalam interbiu yang sulit dirakamnya itu; 'Pantat aku koyak. Pantat aku sakit.'

Memang kata-kata itu mengejutkannya. Tetapi perempuan Penan diperkosa. Dan seluruh negara tuli tidak mendengar. Tiada suara pembelaan. Seisi dunia tidak mendengar,"

ZUL FIKRI ZAMIR
Rate: 4.7/5


Title: Voice in My Head
Author: Lilian Chan
Read: May 14, 2017
Synopsis: Tessa Goh.

Young, ambitious, would-be writer. But building a career in these challenging times was no easy matter. So she was grateful to be a lowly receptionist at a health clinic, serving the upperclass ladies of Bangsar. Good boss, great colleagues, interesting clients, what more could she ask for?

Ah yes, a boyfriend from the KL's elite society. Rich, intelligent, and good looking, Aran Shankar is all she could ask for. But there was one problem nestling in her mind. Literally.

She began hearing what the mother, Datin Shankar thinks of her. Mean, mean things. She began to falter; her whole life began to change.Was it really the Datin's thoughts? Or was it just the voices in her head?
Rate: 4/5


Title: Cerpen-Cerpen Underground
Author: Saharil Hasrin Sanin
Read: June 2, 2017
Synopsis: Heidegger di dalam buku Sein und Zeit, berkata, "Kita ini sebagai manusia, menterjemah setiap perkara mengikut sejarah pengalaman kita sendiri." Ertinya, pengalaman kita adalah tempurung yang mengongkong kita daripada berfikir lebih luas. Membaca dan kita akan terjemahkan apa yang kita telah baca itu mengikut didikan.

Kita kena mencipta suara baru, mengeksploit tenaga dan fleksibiliti kita pada segala bentuk idea. Menulis tentang dunia orang muda.
Rate: 4/5





Title: No god but God
Author: Reza Aslan
Read: June 17, 2017
Synopsis: Though it is the fastest-growing religion in the world, Islam remains shrouded in ignorance and fear for much of the West. In No god but God, Reza Aslan, an internationally acclaimed scholar of religions, explains this faith in all its beauty and complexity.

Beginning with a vivid account of the social and religious milieu in which the Prophet Muhammad forged his message, Aslan paints a portrait of the first Muslim community as a radical experiment in religious pluralism and social egalitarianism. He demonstrates how, after the Prophet's death, his successors attempted to interpret his message for future generations - an overwhelming task that fractured the Muslim community into competing sects.

Finally, Aslan examines how, in the shadow of European colonialism, Muslims developed conflicting strategies to reconcile traditional Islamic values with the realities of the modern world, thus launching what Aslan terms the Islamic Reformation. Timely and persuasive, No god but God is an elegantly written account of a magnificent yet misunderstood faith.
Rate: 4.8/5

Here's my picks! Share me yours in the comment section <3


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