New Books

Lethal Lesson and other stories by Adeline Lee Zhia Ern (RM 30.00)

One day, mother said to me, "Do you want to go to Malaya?" I stared at her stupidly. Am I going to follow the other girls who have gone? Am I going to be married off? Mother told me that our neighbour, Lau, had a son in Malaya who needed a wife. I had only seen Yuan when he was a little boy, thus the impression of his face was fuzzy in my mind. "You're already twenty-one. You should have been married a long time ago. Do you want to go?" I was not sure. If I were to go, I knew life would be extremely different there. But as a daughter, I knew my mother wanted her request obeyed. I was somehow intrigued by the idea of going to a new country. "Lau has promised three cows in exchange for your marriage to his son. I think it's a good transaction." I nodded. So it was settled. -- Extract from Belonging Somewhere.

It was a surprise to know of the writer's age after I read her book. The mastery of the language, the creativity, and the fact that it was not a sappy teenage love story made the reading enjoyable. He passion must be encouraged. This is a good start to a writing career. Good Luck. -- Dina Zaman author of I am Muslim.

Fresh, unafraid and disarmingly unpretentious. Adeline lets her imagination rule her stories. Adeline also writes with a clarity that will surely serve her well in her writing future. -- Shih-Li Kow author of Ripples and other stories.

Other new Malaysian titles:

All the Beloveds by Alina Rastam (RM 35.00)
D is for Depression by Choong Khuat Hock (RM 25.00)
33 Food Hotspots: Kuala Lumpur's Ultimate Food Guide (60.00)
Kathakali: Kumpulan Cerpen Bahasa Malaysia by Uthaya Sankar SB (RM 20.00)

(Institit Terjemahan Negara Malaysia Berhad has recently supplied Silverfish Books with more than 130 titles, which we are currently processing.)

Labels: Fiction

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Taxi Tales on a Crooked Bridge by Charlene Rajendran (RM 28.00)

"So what are you?" he asks, as the drive to somewhere begins.

The short answer: someone trying to figure out what the question means, in taxi.

Charlene Rajendran is one of the many Malaysians who lives in Singapore, and she choose not to own a car. This book chronicles her conversations with some of the 'driving philosophers' she has met on the hundreds of taxi rides she has taken. Ethnicity, gender, nationhood, religion and more are discoursed in short trips across the island state. Seemingly transient and anonymous, but never lonely, the space of a taxi might be the ideal place for both passenger and driver to ponder the world that is literally passing by.
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The Malaysian Indian Dilemma by Janakey Raman Manickam (Hardback - RM 62.50 / Paperback - RM 50.00)

This book delves into the existence of the Indian community since the time of their arrival in Malaya as indentured labour 150 years ago, to the present day. It is an explication of the struggles, pain, agony that they suffered as a result of treachery, deception, trivialization and contempt by those who claimed to have their best interest at heart. This account exemplifies the vicious cycle of the loss of faith, hopelessness, frustration and decadence experienced by the Indian community for the 150 years of dwelling in this country. It is an Indian attempt to seeking the wound gangrenous that afflicted his people. This is the voice of an ailing community.

Other new books / items:

Taxi Tales on a Crooked Bridge by Charlene Rajendra (RM 28.00)
Slaughter and Deception at Batang Kali by Ian Ward and Norma Miraflor (RM 55.00)

Malaysian Gods: A Year that Shook the Nation (DVD) by Amir Muhammad (RM 20.00)
Ah Kew the Digger (VCD) by Khoo Eng Yow (RM 14.00)

The Elephant and the Sea (DVD) by Woo Ming Jin (RM 20.00)

Labels: Politics, Society

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Kisah Dongeng dan Cerita Rakyat Malaysia& Jerman edited by Holger Warnk & Volker Wolf (RM 30.00)

Antologi dwibahasa ini memperkenalkan pembaca kepada kisah dongeng dan cerita rakyat Malaysia dan Jerman. Kisah dongeng dan cerita rakyat Malaysia dan Jerman ini membantu pembaca memahami budaya lain di samping memberikan keseronokan estetika apabila yang tersembunyi dalam aliran peristiwa sehari-hari yang dilukiskan melalui kisah yang dipaparkan. Buku ini diselenggarakan oleh Holgar Warnk dan Dr Volker Wolf dan diterbitkan oleh Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia dengan kerjasama Goethe-Institut Malaysia.

Other new books:

• Tribal Communities in the Malay World edited by Geoffrey Benjamin & Cynthia Chou (RM 145.00)
• Unmasking Najib by Lim Kit Siang (RM 20.00)
• Najib's Challenge: Glory or Oblivion by Barry Wain (RM 10.00)
• Malaysia at the Crossroads: A Socialist Perspective by Jeyakumar Devaraj (RM 15.00
• Ceritalah 3: Malaysia A Dream Deferred by Karim Raslan (RM 32.00)

Labels: Society

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Map of the Invisible World by Tash Aw (RM 64.90)

From the author of the internationally acclaimed, Costa Award-winning The Harmony Silk Factory comes an enthralling new novel that evokes an exotic yet turbulent and often frightening world. 16-year-old Adam is an orphan three times over. He and his older brother, Johan, were abandoned by their mother as children; he watched as Johan was adopted and taken away by a wealthy couple; and he had to hide when Karl, the Dutch man who raised him, was arrested by soldiers during Sukarno's drive to purge 1960s Indonesia of its colonial past. Adam sets out on a quest to find Karl, but all he has to guide him are some old photos and letters, which send him to the colourful, dangerous capital, Jakarta. Johan, meanwhile, is living a seemingly carefree, privileged life in Malaysia, but is careening out of control, unable to forget the long-ago betrayal of his helpless, trusting brother.

Other new Malaysian books on the shelf:

Taxi Tales on a Crooked Bridge by Charlene Rajendran (RM 28.00)

Sejarah Melayu (Paperback, RM 45.00)

Leyden's Malay Annals (Paperback, RM 55.00)

Malay Annals (Paperback, RM 45.00)

Labels: Fiction

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Saya Pun Melayu by Zaid Ibrahim (RM 35.00)

Melalui buku Saya Pun Melayu, pembaca berpeluang untuk memahami dengan lebih jelas siapa Zaid Ibrahim. Kenapa beliau meletak jawatan sebagai menteri dan seterusnya dipecat daripada UMNO yang disertainya sejak 23 tahun, dan juga mengapa sesetengah pemimpin UMNO begitu membencinya sehingga ada yang mendesaknya keluar daripada rumpun Melayu. Anda akan mengetahui rahsia sebalik kritikan beliau terhadap konsep Ketuanan Melayu serta pandangannya berhubung kedudukan Raja-Raja Melayu dari segi undang-undang dan politik. Beliau juga berkongsi pengalaman sebagai anggota kabinet Abdullah Ahmad Badawi serta mengupas sejauh mana kemampuan Najib Tun Razak untuk memulihkan keyakinan rakyat kepada kerajaan.

Other new Malaysian books on the shelf:
Echoes of Silence by Chuah Guat Eng (RM 45.00)
Pasca Manusia by Sufian Abas (RM 10.00)
Perempuan Simpanan published by Sindiket Sol-jah (RM 15.00)
The Headhunters of Borneo by Carl Bock (RM 88.80)
13 May 1969: The Darkest Day in Malaysian History by Leon Comber (RM 33.60)
Raffles: The Definitive Biography by Maurice Collis (RM 44.40)
My Adventure: An Iban Warrior's Autobiography by Robert Rizal Abdullah (RM 39.00)

Labels: Politics

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The Loneliest Profession in the World by Jerome Kugan (RM 10.00)

The Loneliest Profession in the World collects new poems written by Malaysian Poet and singer songwriter Jerome Kugan. The poems were written between October 2008 and February 2009, and explores the intricacies of relationship, desire and loss. Memory and emotion collide with acerbic wit and humour to produce an often astonishing and affecting look at the nature of love.



Dua Lauk - Fiksi Popkon dari Zon Imaginasi Terlarang by Taf Teh & D'Ianadi (RM 20.00)

Fiksi Popkon dari Zon Imaginasi Terlarang, adalah kumpulan cerpen oleh dua orang penulis wanita yang semakin dikenali di dunia maya. Pendek, padat dan penuh imaginasi, fiksyen-fiksyen mereka dijangka akan mencarta koordinat baru dalam peta sastera Malaysia.

"Aku tiba di hadapan 7Eleven. Budak-budak Melayu beruniform merah bergurau senda gembira di kaunter. Seronok ya, dik, dapat kerja dalam ekon?"

Dalam koleksi fiksi dua perempuan ni kerja dalam ekon adalah kemuncak hidup, dan mati itu satu kelegaan.

Kerana, siapa mahu hidup dalam dunia yang dipenuhi kucing-kucing pondan, lipas yang ugut minta ufti, lelaki emo yang suka minum susu stroberi, dan mekap yang buat kau nampak macam robot tak berperasaan.

Labels: Fiction, Poetry

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