Spooky Review: True Singapore Ghost Stories Vol.7 & Vol 8 by Russell Lee

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The Almost Complete Collection of True Singapore Ghost Stories (also True Singapore Ghost Stories or TSGS) is one of the bestselling book series in Singapore. With over 1.5 million copies sold,[citation needed] the series has become a household name since its inception in 1989. Russell Lee, a Singaporean author, compiles reports, stories and interviews about the supernatural. Light and entertaining, each book, which comprises about 30 stories, appeals to both children and mature readers.

Most of the stories take place in Asia but some take place in other parts of the world. Lee also includes articles about the paranormal, featuring detailed investigations into the occult, witchcraft, vampires and other similar topics. Lee stresses[citation needed] that the articles are for reading pleasure, not research. WIKI

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October was really busy and I was planning to post my reviews for TSGS especially also because it was the spooky month. 

I also thought I had written a review already but apparently, I did not. I found these books by accident. I found volumes 7 and 8 at a local library and it sucked me in with all the creepy stories and also because their Asian stories, it made it even scarier. 

Here's a complete summary of my reading adventures with TSGS (from my IG)

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True Singaporean Ghost Stories by Russell Lee vol.7

I bookmarked this with a flyer and it was still on the shelf at the library, where I left it last. It's not very scary. So far "Thriller part two" seemed a bit on the supernatural side everything else is just spooky ghost hauntings. It's definitely a fun book to read ......during the day.





Fun fact the author Russell Lee wears a mask to signing events and nobody knows what he looks like.

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Finally finished True Singapore Ghost Stories Vol 7! I hope I don't get nightmares lah😅

Excerpt from one of the last stories: 

"It all happened last year when my cousin and I tried to unravel the secrets of the supernatural. We thought we could get the dead to help us in our studies as we were doing really badly in our exams" - Dim-witted Deal pg. 139.

The Author Russell Lee likes to comment on every story. This story was definitely a bit scary: maybe exam pressures are way higher in Singapore than in Su: alamak, I would never go to supernatural lengths, man.

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True Singapore Ghost Stories vol 8 by Russel Lee! 

I love these books and very sad that the library does not have the other volumes. I would definitely recommend picking this up for a read or if you want to question every sound and bump in the night and just increase your anxiety just a bit.



The cover design actually has a skull imprint on it that I didn't even notice.




_9/10

Guest Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

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“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime." 

Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.

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My thoughts:

When I started this book, I knew something horrible was coming. So I didn’t rush to read it quickly. After reading the part I was dreading, I felt so emotionally exhausted and sad. 

The rape, the war, the deaths. At one point I stopped reading because I just wanted Amir to go find Hassan. To see him and reconcile. It broke my heart when I read what happened to Hassan. Losing a loved one while reading this book, made it even harder to finish it. 

The day after we buried my beloved uncle, I finally finished and felt at peace. Reading this book, I shed a lot of tears. I am grateful every day that I have a safe place where I can eat and sleep comfortably. This book made me realize not everyone is as fortunate as I am.

favourite quote:

"For you, a thousand times over." 

_8/10

GUEST REVIEW BY CLARA ROWLKIN

Review: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

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Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.

So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favourite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfil the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos. 

A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.GOODREADS

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I'm gonna start off by admitting that I picked this book because of the cover and the synopsis about a Chinese  American family.  A family of two identities and two generations.  I identified with the expectations from parents to be perfect and the conflicting roles you can feel towards family members. 

The book starts on the day Lydia goes missing, there are some flashbacks to when the parents meet and to an important event and then it all comes together when they find the body and the aftermath of that. This is definitely one of the strong points of the book because it helps build an understanding of each character; especially the parents. Parents expect the best from their kids, they want them to do better and achieve what they couldn't. This is common in Asian immigrant families and this very expectation can be way too heavy sometimes.  

Favourite quote from the book

"If her mother ever came home and told her to finish her milk, she thought, the page wavering to a blur, she would finish her milk. She would brush her teeth without being asked and stop crying when the doctor gave her shots. She would go to sleep the second her mother turned out the light. She would never get sick again. She would do everything her mother told her. Everything her mother wanted"

_8/10 

Review The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Originally published in 1972, William Goldman's delightful, so-called "abridgement" of S. Morgenstern's classic swashbuckling tale of true love and epic adventure, The Princess Bride, has reached an enormous audience, thanks greatly to Rob Reiner's wonderful film version featuring Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Billy Crystal, Andre the Giant, and William Goldman's sharp and vivacious screenplay. If you enjoyed the movie -- and I've never met a person who didn't -- you're certain to treasure this 25th-anniversary edition for many years to come. If you haven't yet delved into its enchanting pages, you'll find it utterly delightful, romantic, and entertaining read. GOODREADS

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I, like many people, have seen the titular movie. Although, I saw it when I was a kid on tv. Much like the child who heard a retelling, I too was exposed to only the movie version. I remembered bits and pieces and for a while, I was under the impression that Inigo Montoya was the man in black. Inconceivable, I know.  

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I was very excited when I found the book at a book market. I snatched it right away. It was a second-hand copy, some of the pages were glued together. I didn't mind, however, while reading the book it broke in half. I was very saddened by this, but I eventually used the half I finished as a bookmark and kept reading. 

From start to finish, it was very much a journey. Nowadays I think reading a book is a bit more predictable; you know what's gonna happen and can recognise the formula in a story. I went in this thinking I already knew what would happen and who the bad guys were and I was pleasantly surprised at the end.  

Of course, all the characters were awesome. I would even go so far as to say that even the villain was intriguing. Definitely a way better villain than Thanos.  My only pet peeve was Goldman interrupting the story sometimes (Hi, it's me, pick up the book and you'll know what I mean. One thing that I have learned by his interruptions and thoughts about the original book, is that I have no interest whatsoever in reading it). 

(Goldman also has a great sense of humour. I'm gonna add this here in case you want to help him stick it to the man)

Favourite quote from the book

"I'm not trying to make this a downer, understand. I mean, I really do think that love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops. But I also have to say for the umpty-umpth time, that life isn't fair. It's fairer than death, that's all."

10_/10