My company for the SIN-JB journey. I already know Fadz Johanabas is a good writer but reading some of his compiled works non-stop is a pleasant (re)discovery.

Pro: short stories you can relate to, localised characters, wonderfully written in proper English. I love it!

Cons: the feels!!!! Im almost emotionally exhausted. I was reading with blurry vision for the last 4 stories. Each story gives you a different build up and ends with a twist so sharp you have to stop and let it sink.

I just wish the stories were arranged in another way. I wouldnt be crying so much. And marketing stand point, cover and title can be more gender neutral. Not trying to put #faithandthemachine as a gender specific literature but its not that attractive to female readers. Which is a shame because everything else that make the book is attractive as Johnny Depp.

I mungkin nampak macam tomboy, kadang-kadang separa 'you guys', prefers to speak English, don't curse (much) in Malay, TETAPI jiwa Melayu I masih kuat.

Contohnya, I love love love novel Melayu. Sekarang ni yang famous alaf 21 and buku prima publication, Bikash Nur Idris, Anis Sofea, Aina Emir, among others. Back in the 90's Ahadiat Akashah was The King! If they have Nicholas Sparks, we have Ahadiat Akashah. Siapa tak kenal dia ni kot? Nama tersohor!

He wrote what the public was going through. It was the 90's, it was simple. But love is always complicated. And Ahadiat managed to put all those in words and made readers relate to the setting. He was great! For someone who remembers reading only 1 of his book (Sepasang Jeans Biru), I think he's great sebab dah dekat 20 tahun, masih ramai lagi yang ingat hasil2 tulisan Ahadiat. Masih ramai yang terkesan dengan cerita2nya. Masih ada yang tertarik untuk membaca. Contohnya, yours truly.

Impak tulisan Ahadiat kuat. I guess that's the whole reason someone cashed in on the best selling Lagenda Budak Setan to be made as a movie. Pelakon best2 pulak tu! Farid Kamil, Lisa Surihani, Que Haidar, Fazura. I think Im calling them the Brat Pack of Malaysia. I've seen the promo trailer. Man I tell you! Menarik perhatian! I was like, ni kat Malaysia ke? Living here, we don't realised that Malaysia is actually beautiful. Good job to filmmakers like Khabir Bhatia and Sharad Sharan who did this movie. They captured the beauty of our country.



I hope the movie will be great. I hope it will not spoil the reader's imagination because I will be 1 of them as soon I get my hands on them books. I hope its satisfying, fulfilling.

Maybe I should skip the reading and just watch the movie. Nanti takut jadi macam The Time Traveller's Wife. I am so in love with the book that I dont watch the movie for fear of unfulfilled expectation.

But I am a reader! Ah screw it! Before or after, I'll decide later. Im definitely reading it!

Why do I love Malay novels so much? Because it all is about affairs in marriage. Despite using Abang to refer to the husband and corny storyline for some, its my guilty pleasure.

In English novels, its all about sex. Pre-marital sex, revenge sex, post break up sex, make up sex, sex with the boss, sex with the enemy, deceitful sex, and the most anticlimax type - husband and wife's sex.

Catered with all those different ones, the right type appears the most boring. And it doesn't seem pure. But its suppose to be! They've twist it all wrong.

That's why I don't have any favourite Hollywood movie. Except maybe A Walk In The Clouds starring Keanu Reeves. It doesn't showcase the lust of the main character. Instead, the main theme is love and respect to the family. Even so, the story wouldn't work in our culture. Too much relationship ethic issues.

Audrey Niffernegger's The Time Traveller's Wife is the only book I wouldn't mind reading again and again, repeat it soon after I finish it, and backwards first (never tried it before but I think it might work seeing the story doesn't exactly work according to chronological order). Meeting a man for the first time as a child, not knowing she's destined to be with him but loving him all the same - that is pure! Clare kept herself only for Henry while patiently wait to be joined with him in 'present'. And she never stopped loving him after he's gone.

Can't say the same for Henry at first because well he is after all, a MAN. In his defense, he only met her when he was 36, she was 6. So his past never include Clare eventhough they first started dating when Henry was 28 and Clare was 20. Confusing yet? Watch the movie. Better yet, read the book.

Oh! oh! Another favourite love affairs - ALL HINDUSTAN MOVIES! Storyline and scripts, captivating. Actors, alluring. Ending, perfect! Not to forget a tint of wonderful songs and scenes. Love it! The best part of all, they value their god and religion. Respect their family and customs. And they put marriage (in reference to sex) at the purest place. Just like we Malays should do!

I've beginning to realise that i love the smell of old books. When i flip the yellowing pages, i can smell time.

I love touching the slightly rough texture of the old paper. Its a reminiscent.

I love the small serif typeface. Its welcoming and I see it as a respectable reputation.

And the words that make up sentences that create tales, that I love most of all.

Classics, nostalgic. Never dull even after countless others. Maybe its the smell, maybe its the texture of paper, maybe its the typeface. Or maybe its the stories being told, either way, I always come back.

I abso'effing'lutely hate it when my books are passed to other people yg takde bloodline or whatsover without my knowledge and permission.
Tak kira lah aku beli buku tu RM5 ke RM10 ke RM100 ke!
You dont just pass my book as if it is ur own!
I am furious!
Sedap2 je. I am passionate about my books, and deeply concern about the conditions.
Plus..im very particular about the borrowers.
If you borrow it once and pulang balik lunyai, you'll never see my books again.
Tak kira lah, if ur my cousin/best friend/auntie/soulmate/love of my life...that is the end of it.
And so....never ever ever treat my book like it is yours. Treat it like its ur boyfriend.
I dont borrow your boyfriend and pass him to my friend right?

I strongly believe in treating others the way you want to be treated.
Maybe you should start doing that too coz hunneh, i can lay all ur shit bare!

I don't get it!
WHY OH WHY does non-readers not understand not to bloody bother me when I'm reading?
I'm in my reading mode, thus I'm in another world.
Seriously, and then you asked why I'm such an emo person?
Well, I'M READING!!!

P/s: Did I mention I love Wikipedia? Its like the Holy Grail of informations. The knowledge warehouse. I cant begin to explain what i got to know through Wikipedia. Its so detail and specific and long!
Oh i love you, Wikipedia.