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Check out Leila S. Chudori’s recommended reading list
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Open your window to the world by reading books. (Shutterstock/-)
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ournalist and writer of best-selling novel Pulang (Home), Leila S. Chudori, shares her list of books she has read and is currently reading with The Jakarta Post and her take on them.
Too Much Happiness
Author: Alice Munro
Too Much Happiness consists of 10 short stories written by Canadian author Alice Munro. Through the book, the 2013 Nobel Prize winner in literature captivates her readers in the world that she creates. Leila has never grown tired of Munro’s short stories. "Just like Runaway, Moons of Jupiter, The Beggar Maid and Life, Munro's Too Much Happiness almost always tells the story of men who are losers and women who are manipulative in order to deal with cruel, dominant men," she said.
Bastard of Istanbul
Author: Elif Shafak
Bastard of Istanbul is a best-selling novel by female author Elif Shafak. Set in both the US and Turkey, it follows two families and their secrets. “The book starts with a bang: a woman desperately tries to have an abortion,” said Leila. She likes the fact that the main character’s point of view is represented in every chapter and the book eventually introduces readers to the genocide of Armenians. “It explores many figures and historical events in Turkey; it's indeed quite ambitious, but Shafak describes them in an interesting way,” she added.
(Read also: Six great biographies you should read)
My Name is Red
Author: Orhan Pamuk
On his website, Orhan Pamuk describes the book, published in 1998, as his most colorful and optimistic novel. “It's one of the best literature works that I've ever read. It's rich in history as well as metaphors and in depth religious interpretation of the art world," praised Leila. Set in the late 16th century, the story begins with the murder of one of the palace artists during the Ottoman era. Following an investigation into the murder, there is a war of interpretation between Islam and Western artists.
Glass Palace
Author: Amitav Ghosh
“This is one of my favorite novels that tells the story of Mandalay in the late 19th century during British colonialism,” said Leila. Written by Indian author Amitav Ghosh, the book explores how a king, his queen and their entire family are exiled from the kingdom. The story is mostly narrated by a child named Rajkumar Raha, who falls in love with one of the princess' attendants. “Ghosh is very detailed and did outstanding research on Burma [now Myanmar], India and the British colony at that time," said Leila.
Nine Short Stories
Author: J.D. Salinger
Nine Short Stories is an anthology by JD Salinger, whose novel Catcher in the Rye made him famous. Leila considers this particular book a masterpiece of short stories. “The anthology has some masterpieces or the world's best short stories that I've ever read, such as A Perfect Day for Banana Fish," said Leila. (kes)
