Book picks similar to
Yasmin Ahmad's Films by Amir Muhammad


non-fiction
malaysia
favorites
malay-culture

Vintage True Crime Stories Vol 2: An Illustrated Anthology of Forgotten Tales of Murder & Mayhem


Robert Patterson - 2019
     Let me test my presumption with a preview of four these ‘old’ stories. If I told you there was once a west coast sex cult with dozens of young girls, single ladies, and married women, who all fornicated with one well-endowed “prophet,” and he occasionally found it necessary to carry-out bondage S&M sessions here and there, you may not be surprised at all. But what if that sex cult began in 1903 and ended in 1906 with a couple of murders and suicides, does that sound like anything you have read about before? Or, how about a cheater who murders his inconvenient wife, disassembles her over a fifteen hour period, then puts her bones in the same stove he cooks breakfast for his sons before sending them off to school? If that doesn’t surprise you, perhaps the ending will–but you’ll have to find out for yourself. In ‘The Dandy and the Squire,’ a smooth-talking peacock from Kentucky visits his northern ‘cousins,’ and charms three of the women into his bed. He’s a big time operator who talks fancy, dresses fancy, and tells great stories of his days as an adventurer, riverboat gambler, and sharp-minded deal maker. He’s so smooth, he’s able to murder the patriarch’s son, make him look like the bad guy, and marry the boy’s tender-hearted sister before the Yankees get wise to his lies. Good thing, too, because he had also talked the father into giving him the family farm. Chapter Five is the stranger-than-fiction story of ‘Shoebox Annie.’ During the early 20th Century, this trollish-looking woman introduced her freakish-looking son to a life of crime. Their decade’s long spree of lyin’, cheatin’, and stealin’ led them to become America’s first mother and son team of serial killers. They were so good at disposing of bodies, none of their four victims have ever been found. If ‘old’ stories sound boring to readers of contemporary true crime, I hope this book will change minds, and fully reveal just how wicked and decadent our ancestors were. And deadly. Volume II in the Vintage True Crime Stories series is a wrecking ball that smashes to pieces that phrase, “The Good Old Days.” Maybe you will believe me when you get to the last page.

Surgeons Do Not Cry


Ting Tiongco - 2008
    But as it is often said nothing ever really happened unless it is written down. There are so many stories to tell of the agonies and triumphs of both doctors and patients, who have peopled this venerable institution through the ages. I wrote the stories because I firmly believe that healing is a mutual process; that the healer is very often himself healed as he goes about caring for the ailing person. So the stories bite both ways.”

Conversations with Waheeda Rehman


Nasreen Munni Kabir - 2014
    Renowned for her natural talent and haunting beauty, Waheeda Rehman’s career spans an astonishing array of key films in Indian cinema, including Pyaasa, Abhijan, Mujhe Jeene Do, Guide, Teesri Kasam and Rang De Basanti.In this engaging book of conversations with Nasreen Munni Kabir, Waheeda Rehman proves to be a lively raconteur, speaking about her life and work with refreshing honesty, humour and insight: from the devastating loss of her parents when she was young to making a life in cinema on her own terms, from insightful accounts of working with extraordinary film practitioners like Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Vijay Anand to her friendship with stars like Nargis and Nanda.A slice of cinema history told through compelling anecdotes and astute observations, Conversations with Waheeda Rehman provides a rare view of a much-adored and award-winning actress of Indian cinema.

The Malay Dilemma


Mahathir Mohamad - 2012
    First published in 1970, the book seeks to explain the causes for the 13 May 1969 riots in Kuala Lumpur.Dr Mahathir sets out his view as to why the Malays are economically backward and why they feel they must insist upon immigrants becoming real Malaysians speaking in due course nothing but Malay, as do immigrants to America or Australia speak nothing but the language of what the author calls “the definitive people”. He argues that the Malays are the rightful owners of Malaya. He also argues that immigrants are guests until properly absorbed, and that they are not properly absorbed until they have abandoned the language and culture of their past.

KL Noir: Red


Amir MuhammadMarc de Faoite - 2013
    There are 14 short stories and one essay about the seedy, the sinister and sometimes the spooky. You will find murder, drug-dealing, kidnapping, sexual depravity, prostitution, celebrity secrets, suicides, academic rivalry, gangsters, police brutality, cannibalism, black magic, creepy rituals, political corruption and even busking. It's all totally fictional. Well, maybe the cannibalism is.Line-Up:INTRO / Amir MuhammadTHE RUNNER / Adib ZainiRUKUN TETANGGA / Preeta SamarasanMAMAK MURDER MYSTERY / Marc de FaoiteASIAN ANGEL / Shaz JoharA GIFT OF FLOWERS / Shih-Li KowKISS FROM A ROSE / Fadzlishah JohanabasAFTER DARK, MY LOVE / Dina ZamanTHE ORACLE OF TRUTH / Eeleen LeeCHASING BUTTERFLIES IN THE NIGHT / Kris WilliamsonTHE DUALIST / Shivani SivagurunathanVANISHED / Khairulnizam BakeriCANNIBAL VS. AH LONG / Megat IshakTHE MACHETE AND ME / Dayang NoorTHE UNBELIEVER / Amir HafiziMUD / Brian GomezBIOS

The Colour of Inequality: Ethnicity, Class, Income and Wealth in Malaysia


Muhammed Abdul Khalid - 2014
    Despite tremendous increase in national income, the wealth gap in Malaysia is alarmingly high and extremely skewed. For instance, the top 0.2 per cent of depositors in Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) has about 1,133 times more than the bottom 80 per cent of depositors combined. This gap echoed by the fact that approximately two-thirds of Malaysian workers earn less than RM3,000 per month, and about 90 per cent of Malaysians have nearly zero savings. The current policies are not facilitating improvements in this wealth gap, which could lead to aristocracy where birth, not hard work or talent and effort, matter the most in wealth accumulation. This book explores possible policy interventions that can be undertaken to ensure that economic growth is equitably shared, which is vital for a stable and prosperous society.

India in the Age of Ideas: Select Writings: 2006-2018


Sanjeev Sanyal - 2018
    This derives directly from the view that the real world is fundamentally unstable and unpredictable (i.e., it’s not a matter of having a better forecasting model). The best response to such a world, therefore, is to have a good grasp of what is currently happening and to respond quickly and flexibly to the evolving situation.My worldview derives from many sources ranging from religious philosophy and long-range history, to Chaos Theory and Network Theory–with many of them integrated under a broad CAS framework. Some of the foreign writers and thinkers who have influenced me include Friedrich Hayek, Joseph Schumpeter, Daniel Kahneman, Lee Kuan Yew, Nassim Taleb, Karl Popper, Charles Darwin, Sun Tzu, Vidiadhar Naipaul and Jane Jacobs, to name a few. The Indian influences are even more varied and range from ancient texts such as the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Kautilya’s Arthashastra, to more modern thinkers such as Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo.

Women Serial Killers: The Most Notorious Female Serial Killers Of All Time


Jack Smith - 2021
    

Road To Love


Leah Atwood - 2017
     Sing Me Home by Belle Calhoune: Rain Santos and her best friends are embarking on a ten-week road trip. The first destination is Nashville, where Rain hopes to explore her lifelong singing aspirations. When she comes face to face with her country singer ex-boyfriend, Luke Avery, Rain has to deal with their painful past. Luke Avery is seeking redemption for the pain he caused Rain in their relationship. As the two reconnect and Luke helps Rain with her singing aspirations, they find themselves falling into familiar rhythms. Can true love conquer all? Hitched In Hot Springs by Kristen Ethridge: Bridget Vaughan left a childhood of abuse behind and used the adversity to make her stronger, becoming a multi-millionaire small business coach in the years since she left Treasure Harbor. James Cromberg would do just about anything to help his mom, including leaving the military career he loved in order to come home and help her run her family's historic business and take care of his ailing father. When a woman running away from her past connects with a man who fears his own future, is there a way for them to find their way to a present happily-ever-after? Romancing the Storm by Patrica Pacjac Carroll: Lark Morgan is drifting through life. Even though her father’s advice of trust the Lord and enjoy the journey sounds fun, she’s lost the joy not to mention her job. Cody Merrill has amends to make, but he’s a new man and determined to set things right. As the owner of Storm Rangers, he takes people on adventures to see tornadoes. He loves the storms, but something is missing. Or maybe it’s someone. Journey to Her Past by Angel Moore: Jessica Stinson wants to find the man who left her eight years ago with no explanation. Griffin Renfroe’s world turned upside down when he learned he’d been stolen from the hospital on the day he was born. He made decisions he’s come to regret. When Jessica shows up in Amarillo, he knows convincing her of his love will be almost impossible in the face of his new name – and identity. Can Jessica trust the love she still holds for a man who no longer exists? Restore My Heart: Cassidy Frey’s life falls to pieces in the aftermath of her father’s political scandal. Out of a job and ostracized from her current friends, she jumps at the chance for a road trip with her childhood friends. Joel Kingston’s dream of owning a motel along Route 66 is threatened by a shortage of money, but his discouragement doesn’t stop him from helping a group of stranded motorists. Could a broken-down SUV lead to restoration—of hearts and motels?

Horror Movie A Day: The Book


Brian W. Collins - 2016
    Most of them stunk. With over 2500 reviews on the Horror Movie A Day website, finding the worthwhile ones can be a chore, so Collins has curated a selection of choice films - 365 of them in fact, one for every day of the year. Each month has a different theme and offers a variety of films within that theme for your viewing enjoyment. Every movie is someone's favorite movie - perhaps this book will introduce you to yours.

Cary Grant: A Touch of Elegance


Warren G. Harris - 1988
    Cary Grant...Hollywood's ultimate ladies' man...the silver screen's most ardent lover. But beyond his portrayal of the sophisticated romantic hero in movies like "The Philadelphia Story" and "Notorious" was a man haunted by fear and self-doubt which affected his career as well as his personal life.

Ladybird, Collected


Meg Heriford - 2020
    Essays from a tiny diner in the middle of the country.These are stories of love and adaptation at the broad intersection of commerce and community, and of how a pandemic changed everything and nothing about us.

Start to Finish: Woody Allen and the Art of Moviemaking


Eric Lax - 2017
    Eric Lax has been with Woody Allen almost every step of the way. He chronicled Allen's transformation from stand-up comedian to filmmaker in On Being Funny (1975). His international best seller, Woody Allen: A Biography (1991), was a portrait of a director hitting his stride. Conversations with Woody Allen comprised interviews that illustrated Allen's evolution from 1971 to 2008. Now, Lax invites us onto the set--and even further behind the scenes--of Allen's Irrational Man, which was released in 2015, and starred Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone. Revealing the intimate details of Allen's filmmaking process, Lax shows us the screenplay being shaped, the scenes being prepared, the actors, cinematographers, other crew members, the editors, all engaged in their work. We hear Allen's colleagues speak candidly about working with him, and Allen speaking with equal openness about his lifetime's work. An unprecedented revelation of one of the foremost filmmakers of our time, Start to Finish is sure to delight not only movie buffs and Allen fans, but everyone who has marveled at the seeming magic of the artistic process.

Slash


Paul Stenning - 2007
    This work tells the story of this one-off guitarist who came to prominence through the debauchery and stellar chart success of the American west coast's Guns N' Roses. Full description

Marriage and Mutton Curry


M. Shanmughalingam - 2018
    Two sisters share a husband when one fails to produce a child for the longest time. An American diplomat's urgent inquires about the Malaysian treasury’s facilities are hilariously misunderstood. A daring civil servant proposes to a lady in his Ceylonese hometown mere minutes after meeting her, breaking a thousand years of marriage protocol.M. Shanmughalingam's debut collection paints, with gentle wit and humour, the concerns and intrigues of the Jaffna Tamil community in Malaya. Satirical yet deeply empathetic, these fifteen stories explore what happens when we hold on to—and choose to leave behind—our traditions and identities in a changing world.