A new podcast by Zafigo.com where we explore the world through words!
Join Marina Mahathir weekly as she talks about the books she loves, share insights about them, and sometimes, chat with other interesting book lovers.
Whether you have interest in the lives of historical figures, or want to learn about French cooking, join us as we flip through books based on the many genres and themes – proving that there truly is a book for everyone!
More information available at zafigo.com/busy-reading-books
S01E24 | Should I? Will I? Must I?: All the Books I've Yet to Read
In our last episode for the season, we're doing things a little differently. Instead of talking you through books she's read, Marina explores a list of titles and authors she's yet to peruse -- some that she may add to her reading list in the future and some she may not despite how popular they are.
Mentioned this episode:
Harold Robbins - The Carpetbaggers (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/308581.The_Carpetbaggers), The Adventurers (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56649.The_Adventurers)
Mario Puzo - The Godfather (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22034.The_Godfather)
William Peter Blatty - The Exorcist (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179780.The_Exorcist)
Charlotte Brontë (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1036615.Charlotte_Bront_)
Emily Brontë (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4191.Emily_Bront_)
Anne Brontë (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8249.Anne_Bront_)
William Shakespeare (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/947.William_Shakespeare)
George Orwell - Animal Farm (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/170448.Animal_Farm)
Augustine of Hippo (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6819578.Augustine_of_Hippo)
Lytton Strachey (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/63011.Lytton_Strachey)
Simone de Beauvoir - The Second Sex (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/457264.The_Second_Sex)
Germaine Greer - The Female Eunuch (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/98532.The_Female_Eunuch)
Betty Friedan - The Feminine Mystique (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17573685-the-feminine-mystique)
Amina Wadud - Qur'an and Woman (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/108740.Qur_an_and_Woman), Inside the Gender Jihad (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/110192.Inside_the_Gender_Jihad)
Kecia Ali - Sexual Ethics and Islam (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456253.Sexual_Ethics_and_Islam)
Fatema Mernissi (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2792382.Fatema_Mernissi)
Riffat Hassan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riffat_Hassan)
Asma Lamrabet (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163569.Asma_Lamrabet)
Mona Eltahawy (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6108561.Mona_Eltahawy)
Seema Yasmin - Muslim Women Are Everything (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48989080-muslim-women-are-everything)
Susanna Clarke - Piranesi (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50202953-piranesi)
Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43890641-hamnet)
Bernardine Evaristo - Girl, Woman, Other (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41081373-girl-woman-other)
Hilary Mantel (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/58851.Hilary_Mantel)
Margaret Atwood (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3472.Margaret_Atwood)
Keggie Carew - Dadland (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27384088-dadland)
For more information about us, visit zafigo.com/busy-reading-books (https://zafigo.com/busy-reading-books/)
15 Sept 2021
S01E23 | What Our Family Stories Mean to Malaysia with Viji Krishnamoorthy
As we near Malaysia Day on September 16, our thoughts turn to the history of our country, now 64 years old. Or rather, to the many histories, of families who were born and bred here, or who came from elsewhere and made a life for themselves here, of families disrupted by war or brought together by other circumstances. Some of these stories have made their way into books as Malaysian authors mine their own personal histories to tell stories that not only resonate with Malaysians but those around the world. Tan Twan Eng, Tash Aw and Preta Samarasen are just three of them but there are certainly as many authors as there are stories. In this episode, Marina talks to Viji Krishnamoorthy about Malaysian family stories and what they can teach us about our nation today.
Mentioned this epsiode:
R. K. Narayan - Malgudi Days (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14082.Malgudi_Days)
Elif Shafak - The Island of Missing Trees (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56587382-the-island-of-missing-trees)
Catherine Menon - Fragile Monsters (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53442141-fragile-monsters)
Mohsin Hamid (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16902.Mohsin_Hamid?from_search=true&from_srp=true)
Khaled Hosseini (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/569.Khaled_Hosseini)
Rohinton Mistry (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3539.Rohinton_Mistry)
John Steinbeck (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/585.John_Steinbeck)
Négar Djavadi - Disoriental (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40170500-disoriental)
Elena Ferrante (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/44085.Elena_Ferrante)
Additional suggestions from Viji:
Sarah Moss - The Tidal Zone (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30325865-the-tidal-zone); Signs for Lost Children (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25761811-signs-for-lost-children)
Matt Haig - How To Stop Time (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45152372-how-to-stop-time); The Midnight Library (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52578297-the-midnight-library)
Max Porter - Grief is the Thing with Feathers (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25334576-grief-is-the-thing-with-feathers); Lanny (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39738353-lanny)
For more information about us, visit zafigo.com/busy-reading-books (https://zafigo.com/busy-reading-books/)
8 Sept 2021
S01E22 | The Case for Narrative Non-fiction
Not a fan of non-fiction reads? In this episode, Marina talks about some of her most-loved narrative non-fiction books and makes a pitch for why you should give the genre a go. These unique books interweave various literary techniques into true stories and create gripping accounts of a person, event, or issue, and often leaves its readers feeling as though they were reading works of fiction. Warning: these books can be compulsively readable.
Mentioned this episode:
Rebecca Skloot - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6493208-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks)
Jared Diamond - Guns, Germs, and Steel (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1842.Guns_Germs_and_Steel); Collapse (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/475.Collapse); The World Until Yesterday (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15766601-the-world-until-yesterday)
Steven Pinker - The Better Angels of Our Nature (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13543093-the-better-angels-of-our-nature)
Peter Pomerantsev - This Is Not Propaganda (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41717504-this-is-not-propaganda); Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21413849-nothing-is-true-and-everything-is-possible)
Adam M. Grant - Think Again (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55539565-think-again)
Sherry Turkle - Reclaiming Conversation (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24612127-reclaiming-conversation)
For more information about us visit zafigo.com/busy-reading-books (https://zafigo.com/busy-reading-books/)
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