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, The Adventurers Mario Puzo - The Godfather William Peter Blatty - The Exorcist Charlotte Brontë Emily Brontë Anne...

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...

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...

Has the book publishing industry been hit by the Covid pandemic? On the one hand, people forced into lockdown have more time to read which should be good news for publishers. On the other hand, with less footfall, bookstores are closing down for lack of customers. The big publishers may have the cushion of previous successes to survive with. But what about small publishing houses? How are they coping? Marina speaks to the founders of two independent Malaysian publishing houses, Amir Muhammad...

You’ve probably heard this question being asked a thousand times before: Is the book is better than the movie/series? Granted, reading allows you to get creative while interpreting the story to your liking. On the other hand, the great thing about films is their ability to show. Not forgetting, there's the overall experience of watching a novel you love come to life. But can we really compare both mediums? In this episode, Marina tackles the ol' page vs screen argument while exploring some...

This week, Marina ventures into the world of graphic novels with her daughter, Ineza Roussille. Ineza,  a documentary filmmaker and visual storytelling enthusiast, has loved reading graphic novels ever since discovering Joe Sacco's works. In this episode, she doesn't just give us a breakdown of the popular categories within the genre, but also shares who her favourite authors and illustrators are. Mentioned this episode: Joe Sacco - Palestine Alan Moore - Watchmen Marjane Satrapi -...

Follow Marina on a brief but spectacular tour of some of the best books set in the Middle East. Rediscover classics like the works of famed Turkish novelist, Orhan Pamuk to modern times feminist takes on the cities by social commentator and journalist Mona Eltahawy. Mentioned this episode: Orhan Pamuk - Other Colors Elif Shafak - The Forty Rules of Love, The Bastard of Istanbul, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, The Island of Missing Trees Jokha Alharthi - Celestial Bodies ...

One of the must-dos for many travellers is to try local foods in whatever country we visit. Food represents so much of a country from its environment which dictates its ingredients to its culture and traditions. Since we can’t physically travel right now, one way of visiting different countries is by reading cookbooks. Not just recipes but the cookbooks that tell you a bit more about the country or region that the recipes come from. This episode, Marina speaks to a special guest, Asma Khan of...

From fiction and non-fiction to essays and poetry, we bring you some of the continent’s most exciting reads. Mentioned this episode: Nadine Gordimer - Burger's Daughter Alan Paton - Cry, the Beloved Country Donald Woods - Biko Enid Blyton Wilbur Smith Barbara Kingsolver - The Poisonwood Bible Abraham Verghese - Cutting for Stone Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah, Purple Hibiscus Chinua Achebe Ben Okri Wole Soyinka - Chronicles from the Land of...

We’ve talked to and about authors in many neighbouring countries but have yet to speak to writers from Singapore. Not that the island state is short of writers - there’s Catherine Lim, Philip Jayaretnam, Stella Kon, and Alfian Saat to name a few. But the one that has had Marina most excited recently is Sharlene Teo. Sharlene's debut novel, Ponti released in 2018 and is now working on her follow-up. She chats with Marina about her first book and gives us the low-down on which Singaporean...

China is a place full of great history and tradition, so it's no surprise why there are so many excellent works of fiction and non-fiction based on and set in this country. In this episode, Marina revisits the Middle Kingdom through some of her favourite (and not so favourite) books. From tales of life during the Mao regime to the opium war, or just of people in search of better lives, these reads capture the magic of this fascinating nation. Mentioned this episode: Jung Chang - Wild...

For booklovers, literary festivals have been the opportunities to meet and listen to authors, to talk about and buy books. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, these festivals that have thrived so much on face-to-face interactions have had to go online or close down. What has this meant for festivals, for authors, publishers and readers? Marina speaks to Lily Yulianti Farid and Pauline Fan, who have organised two of the most successful regional festivals, the Makassar International Writers...

As a city that's rich in culture, it's no surprise why London has been an inspiration for many books over the years. Whether you can’t get enough of the British capital or have it on your must-visit bucket list, the city does have a certain draw to it. Having studied there (twice), London has a soft place in Marina's heart and in this episode, she takes you on a journey through the swinging city through some of her favourite books. Charles Dickens - Oliver Twist Arthur Conan Doyle - The...

In this era full of distressing news, Malaysians always perk up when we hear of our fellow citizens doing well and winning awards. It makes us proud and happy to see our flag being flown high especially by talented young people. Here, Marina speaks to two gifted storytellers doing the Malaysian literary scene proud, Ling Low and Joshua Kam, about what being nominated and winning awards feels like, how important these prizes are, and the future of Malaysian writing. Mentioned this episode: ...

Latin America is full of literary talents and many of them have left a mark on classic and contemporary literature. Even if you’ve never visited the countries in this region, novelists like Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende allow you to escape the prison of your mind and take flight in somebody else’s. After all, there’s no better way to satisfy your curiosity than with good reading material. In this episode, Marina shares a vast selection of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction works...

As our lives get busier and busier, sitting down to read a book has become harder to do. One solution is audiobooks, which allow us to listen while doing something else: cooking, doing our makeup, sitting in a traffic jam. Newly published books now almost always come in audio form as well, often read by their own authors. Are they the same as print books? Are they the future of ‘reading’? Listen as Marina speaks to bibliophile, author and freelance writer Sharon Bakar as they ponder these...

Journey to Japan with Marina as she reminisces the years when she lived in Tokyo and what it was like for her, as a young woman in the 80s. She also gives us the low-down on some of the country's most well-known and up-and-coming writers that you can read in translation. From classic favourites to more contemporary wordsmiths, and even feminist literary forces, there's a book for everyone.  Mentioned this episode: Yasunari Kawabata - Palm-of-the-Hand Stories Kenzaburō Ōe Kazuo Ishiguro...

What types of books does our former premier like to read (when he has the time to do so, of course)? Marina sits down for a chat with her father, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a National Reading Icon, about his favourite authors, the books he's written and is working on, and why we should encourage the younger generation to read, especially in English. Mentioned this episode:  Ken Follet Wilbur Smith Jeffrey Archer Nelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom Mahathir Mohamad - The Malay...

Memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies... Each form of these non-fiction books has its own distinct characteristics and in this episode, Marina takes us through what differentiates them. She also talks about some of her favourite non-fiction books - From Jean McNeil's account of her year as writer-in-residence with the British Antarctic Survey, to Keggie Carew's story of a daughter striving to reclaim her father from the grip of dementia. Mentioned in this episode: Nelson Mandela -...

This week, Marina catches up with Pyae Moe Thet War, a classmate from her years studying at the University of East Anglia and a fellow writer. They chat about the books they've read and why they like them, and perhaps whether the cultural issues that arise from Asians (like them) who have studied and lived in the West are worth exploring in their writing. Pyae is now back in Myanmar and is working on her first book, an essay collection titled You’ve Changed to be published by Catapult in...

Did you know that India is the world's second-largest English-language book market? The nation has also produced some of the world's best fiction and non-fiction authors. In this episode, Marina takes us through a list of nationally and globally awarded writers as well as some of her personal favourites.  Salman Rushdie - Midnight's Children; The Enchantress of Florence Arundhati Roy - The God of Small Things Aravind Adiga - The White Tiger Amitav Ghosh - Sea of Poppies; The Glass...

Marina chats with Internationally-acclaimed Malaysian novelist, Tash Aw about his recent projects, books by Malaysian writers they've recently read and loved, and what we can (hopefully) expect to emerge from the local literary scene.    Mentioned in this episode: Joshua Kam - How the Man in Green Saved Pahang, and Possibly the World Hanna Alkaf - The Weight of Our Sky Zen Cho - Black Water Sister Tash Aw - Five Star Billionaire Tash Aw - The Face: Strangers on a Pier Tan Twan...

It’s Women’s History Month! To celebrate amazing women writers, Marina gives us some insight into the publishing world and why some consider it a tough industry, especially for women. Our host also shares some of her favourite books written by intelligent and astute female authors. Mentioned in this episode: Jeanette Winterson - Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit Anne Tyler - A Spool of Blue Thread Barbara Kingsolver - The Posionwood Bible E. Annie Proulx - The Shipping News Chimamanda...

In this first episode of Busy Reading Books, Marina talks about how she came about the idea of starting a podcast and gives you a taste of some of the books and themes we will be exploring this season.