We caught up with chef and food writer Lara Lee on her gorgeous cookbook Coconut and Sambal. It has hit the culinary world by storm giving a face to modern Indonesian cuisine. As you can imagine gathering together recipes from the very diverse Indonesian archipelago is challenge indeed and she shared all the pleasures and challenges of not only writing a cookbook but also launching one where you can't do cooking demos and roadshows.
Dec 19, 2020•1 hr 18 min
We are back with another stocking filler! Yay! This time it's on some yummy books to can get for the bookworm in your life or... let's be real for yourself. DD Groove by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100492 Artist: http://incompetech.com/...
Dec 16, 2020•36 min
Dirt Cheap Podcast reached out to us for a chat. We sat down via Discord with hosts Amanda Meadows and Geoffrey Golden to talk about their poddy where they are reading a dime store novel Murder in the Glass Room (it's bad, it's really, really bad) chapter by chapter and commenting on it. What followed was a super nerdy chat on the nature of man, interesting comic books and reads that begin with 'Planet of...' Enjoy! Covert Affair - Film Noire by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons...
Dec 12, 2020•1 hr 6 min
T'is the season to be jolly (well as jolly as you can muster after the year we've been having). Why not take a load off and enjoy our little minisode on some December TBR and book highlights. This is a first of a series of audio stocking fillers for the Christmas season. Dreams Become Real by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500027 Artist...
Dec 09, 2020•32 min
Today we discuss one of our most unexpected reads of the year. Kikuko Tsumura's book is hilarious, mundane, relatable and dare we say intriguing. Yes, it's about a woman who keeps changing her temp job but scratch beneath the surface there is an astute look into urban life and finding fulfilment in how ever small your work might be. Listen on, it might make you think about your job too. Fluffing a Duck by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativ...
Dec 02, 2020•51 min
Lone Passage is a podcast about those most vulnerable and invisible in our society; Unaccompanied Minor Refugees. Children who are forced to leave their homes and loved ones due to dire circumstances. Through this exclusive audio documentary series, we will be shining a light on the stories and struggles of refugee children who in one way or another, ended up here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. What does the future hold for these young refugees in a country that doesn't recognize the rights of refug...
Nov 27, 2020•3 min
Stuart Turton returns with his second novel, another twisty nefarious tale, this time set on a ship in the 17th century. There is a motley crew of suspect characters, supernatural occurrences and of course murder. But as usual nothing is what it seems and we chatted with Stuart about what obsesses him, the story that did not let him go and what it takes to write a book like this. You won't want to miss this! It's an excellent interview.
Nov 25, 2020•1 hr 16 min
We have heard of the theme Uplit but sometimes a book is not thoroughly 'up' just quietly hopeful perhaps on humanity, getting through a rough patch or just sometimes straight-up outwitting the devil. We all need a little patch of sunlight breaking through stormy clouds sometimes (although the storm-clouds itself can be blessing in disguise). Listen on as we discuss books themed around, 'what is a good life' and 'roads not taken.' Other book recommendations Life after Life- Kate Atkinson Everyda...
Nov 18, 2020•59 min
We did a LIVE interview with Joshua Kam on his award-winning book How the Man In Green Saved Pahang and Possibly the World with Lit Books. Here is an edited version of the interview and a never before heard SPOILER section right at the end. This is definitely one of the more interesting books released locally this year.
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr 13 min
Bonus episode! We thought it's be fun to careen out of our usual wheelhouse and tell you folks some cerita hantu. This was quite a bit of fun to do as we shook out some old stories we wrote and put it forth to be enjoyed by all. In lieu of Halloween you will get an original story written by us and one by our producer, Jeff. So three stories, never heard before. Be kind and enjoy it! If you folks have ghost stories or just stories you might like us to consider putting on the show do email it to u...
Oct 31, 2020•47 min
We are delving into a topic today and it's the 'M' word... yup marriage. Having read Sue Miller's Monogamy and Sarah Crossan's Here is the Beehive almost back to back we were taken aback by how many similar themes it touches. So join us as we peel back the layers of matrimony like the proverbial onion, it's pungent and there might be tears but cooked long and slow it might be still be a dish worth committing to.
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr 6 min
After a month's break, our TBRs are bursting and though our heart's go to everyone who is putting out a book this year, our hearts rejoice that there are so many tasty, tasty books to sink our teeth into (even if we moan that it's impossible to read them all). We kick back with nerding out on Super Thursday and what it means for all the people involved in the publishing world and then sink into some book highlights in collaboration with Definitely Books as usual.
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 7 min
Zen Cho is back with a brand new novella called The Pure Order of the Moon Reflected on Water. She calls it a tropical wuxia, inspired by martial arts yarns and period C-dramas, follow her band of merry bandits as they careen around a fantasy take on Malaya's emergency with a kung-fu nun in tow. It's rip-roaring, tender in places and way... way... too short. We ask her all the questions!
Oct 07, 2020•1 hr 9 min
We hung out on a thunderous afternoon with Julya Oui and talk campfire tales, the private life of Silobans and the fact that there's really nothing to be afraid of. Having exorcised her demons on her page she cheekily says, "it's someone else's problem now..."
Aug 26, 2020•1 hr 7 min
As everyone knows, there are too many books being released atm. As a spillover from last week's episode since we could not fit everything in an hour this week we thought you might like to know the stuff we really liked reading lately plus more interesting books to sink your teeth into.
Aug 19, 2020•1 hr 1 min
We chill out with each other, over some delicious beverages and talk about happenings in the book world. Everything from ConZealand to is Rothfuss going to finally finish his book to the Booker Longlist. Also listen to Honey trying to convince Diana to read Midnight Sun even though deep, deep down inside she secretly wants to. Heh.
Aug 12, 2020•59 min
Hanna Alkaf is back with her first middle grade novel The Girl and the Ghost. A little girl inherits and peleset (generational spirit) from her bomoh grandmother and makes it her friend. But Pink (what she named her peleset) is made of darker stuff. Can a friendship between a girl and a ghost survive the pains of adolescence? We talk supernatural, young betrayals and the creative life during MCO. You don't want to miss this episode. A longer version of the interview with some juicy bits can be f...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 13 min
Kevin Kwan's romp-com has big stilettos to fill. After the Crazy Rich Asian trilogy, everyone is waiting with bated breath what the next glittery read would be. Well wonder no more! In Sex and Vanity we are back in the world of the super rich with an outlandish wedding (a Kwan specialty) and this time he's set it in Capri and New York. Listen to our episode this week and check out what we thought...
Jul 22, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Bumper episode coming up folks! This week we have a whopper so sit back, relax and let Rutger pretty much take you through his book about a hopeful history of us. It's fascinating and his theories are backed by tons of research. If there is one non fiction book you should pick up this year, this might be it because God knows we need a bit of brightness with the year we've been having. There is much here to chew on and also some great bits where you can see how life can be treated differently and...
Jul 15, 2020•1 hr 25 min
We chatted with Yeoh Jo-Ann the author of Impractical Uses of Cake with Elaine from Lit Books. This was supposed to be a live event but well, that pesky little virus happened to we ended up doing a FB LIVE instead. Sigh... there would have been cake if there was an event. Still... it was a cool conversation about male protagonists vs female, Singapore as back drop, cake and how has it been writing during the pandemic. Enjoy!
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 8 min
It's been quite a while since we've done a Break your TBR so here's an entire episode dedicated to books that are out in May/June and some which are up-coming. There's no rhyme or reason really... these are just books that's been buzzing and those were ourselves are looking forward to. Loads of local stuff too folks! This episode is in collaboration with @definitelybooks
Jun 25, 2020•1 hr 4 min
We have all been there. Awkward marital questions at family gatherings, trying to get ahead in your work place where everyone looks like an enemy, torn between two delectable men... (err... okay maybe that one is wishful thinking). Thank god for books like Last Tang Standing where it not only entertains but gives you useful urban survival tips. We finally got back to our physical studio (reunited... and it feels so goooood...) with debut author Lauren Ho and got stuck into everything from fieldi...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 7 min
Many know Emily St. John Mandel through her gentle dystopia novel Station Eleven. Now back with her 5th novel, The Glass Hotel feels at times dream-like and other times like you have stumbled upon a parallel universe to her novel before. And she acknowledges this, weaving a story out of time with characters you've met before but in a different life, this is a novel about counter-lives and consequences and letting go. Although there's a storyline that moves within the world of a Ponzi scheme (tha...
Jun 10, 2020•49 min
We came out from our little Ramadhan break to discuss the Nebula Awards nominees. Find out about the novels that is exciting the speculative fiction world from magical doorways to lesbian necromancers in space, there is even a novel that eerily mirrors the restricted movement world we are currently in at the moment. Life imitating art or art imitating life? It's four book nerds talking this week nerding over sci-fi and fantasy reads as we are joined by guests Tina Isaacs and Kok Sen Wai.
May 20, 2020•1 hr 15 min
One of the most highly anticipated fantasy offerings this year, Sarah J. Mass' House of Earth and Blood is her first 'adult novel'. We chewed through angels, faes, shifters, merfolk and all sorts of other magical creatures in an urban fantasy setting. Why are her books so popular? ( There's over 22k reviews on Goodreads alone and the book is just newly launched ) and is the adult label correct? So many questions! Find out in this episode what we thought of the book and if this might be something...
Apr 24, 2020•59 min
Intan Paramaditha joined us from her home in Sydney talk to us about her choose your own adventure book, The Wandering. A fable, an adventure, a commentary on mobility and boundaries this is a book you can pick up again and again to go on a different adventure. It's a choose your own adventure but at the end of the day, how much agency do you have in life when a lot of things are predetermined before you even get to your destination...
Apr 15, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Most people have heard of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle but few outside of his native Japan know Seshi Yokomizo. The master of murder mysteries especially the locked door kind, his detective Kosuke Kindaichi has starred in over 70 books. Translated sporadically before by a US Independent press, now Pushkin Vertigo has released The Inugami Curse, one of his classic murder most horrid novels. We thought since most of us are stuck within our houses these days how apt it is to delve into on...
Apr 08, 2020•53 min
Rhik Samadder wrote one of our favourite memoirs of last year. Called I Never Said I Loved You, it's on life, death and things unsaid. It is laugh out loud funny but also painful in places, Samadder goes into his depression and mental health issues with such honesty and grace you can't help rooting for him even though, he paints himself unflinchingly as a self-sabotaging loser with issues up the wazoo. Recommended.
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr 3 min
We've got an episode we recorded in Ubud for you this week. Since world poetry day was a few days ago on the 21st of March, this episode is in conversation with Lemn Sissay, poet, presenter, performer and speaker. It was after his festival session on his memoir, My Name is Why so the conversation will meander through his thoughts on poetry, festivals, what he thought of his session to name a few. There will be munching of some tosei too. Please enjoy this relaxed talk with one of Honey's favouri...
Mar 25, 2020•47 min
We met the charming Jenny Zhang in Ubud and cornered her for an interview about her first book of short stories, Sour Heart. This collection is set in the 90s and told from the point of view of little girls on the cusp of adolescence. Alongside the loss of innocence, experimenting with the world and living with an immigrant identity, her stories also show the ugly side of the American Dream and the generational gaps between families. Enjoy!
Mar 18, 2020•47 min
