Welcome to Litsy!

I learnt on my daily perusal of Wikipedia's On this day page that today is #Malaysia's Independence Day. Happy Hari Merdeka to all that celebrate it!
I started the tagged book this morning: it's quite good and informative so far.

Photo of the day's “parade during the 2013 Sabah state-level Independence Day Celebrations“ by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, Wikimedia. Not a fan of military-type parades, but hey...

#FoodandLit
@Catsandbooks @Texreader

Novel set AFAICT in 50s #Singapore, in a shanty town peopled with Malays & Indians. All characters have been dealt a terrible hand in life. There is an economic crisis & the country (then part of British Malaya) is picking itself up after WWII & bombings. Salina is a prostitute with a heart of gold & a kept good-for-nothing boyfriend. Heartbreaking & full of humanity
The French translation flows well but wd have benefited from a better proofreader

I bought this second-hand book online because it is written by a renowned Malaysian author and there isn't a huge choice of works translated from Malay available, but it looks like it is all set in Singapore (possibly spanning before and after its independence from Malaysia), so I'll read it first, and then decide whether it can count for #FoodandLit #Malaysia or not. If not, it'll tick the Singapore box for my Global Challenge 😁. Win-win!

5/5 ⭐️s
I loved how unique this book was and the serious themes it addresses, such as toxic relationships, abuse, and abandonment. Easily the darkest MG book I have read. I thought the ending was brilliant - it really enforced that toxic relationships need to end, even if it's difficult and painful. I also really liked all the secondary characters.

3.75/5 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑 #folktale #audiobook

Based on 1 of the darkest Malaysian history, it‘s about Melati, a 16 years old with OCD mental illness. Her turbulent ride during the emergency from losing her best friend to finding her mom, it was a harrowing ride indeed. I‘ve enjoyed the book overall despite being reminded of those horror incident way back then. This is my pick for February #bookspin #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

This book is a hidden gem. Based on Malaysian folklore with a bittersweet and unique relationship at the center, I‘d definitely recommend for fairytale lovers on the hunt for something off the beaten path.

A great story following a Muslim Malay girl who has a Pelesit (a ghost) attached to her. The story does a good job tackling subjects such as the strain of friendships, toxic family, jealousy and loneliness. The creepy factor is also really well done!

I would recommend The Girl and the Ghost for readers who would enjoy an eerie and thrilling tale about a girl with a ghostly friend confronting difficulties and dangers in a magical Malaysian setting. 🦗
✨Do you want find out about some similar books? Check out my review where I include suggestions for what you might want to read next! https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/09/09/review-the-girl-and-the-... ✨
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#mglit

#TeamMonsterMash #scarathlondailyprompts day5 #Ghosts #ominousoctober day4 Finished this yesterday. So sad and sweet.
@StayCurious @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks