THE RIGHT READ 21theSun ON WEDNESDAY | JULY 23, 2014

BEST-SELLING BOOKS

Fiction

1. INFERNO – Dan Brown 2. AND THE MOUNTAINS

ECHOED – Khaled Hosseini

3. GOLDFINCH – Donna TARTT

4. LOVE & MISADVENTURE – Lang LeaV

5. SILKWORM – Robert Galbraith AKA JK ROWLING

6. SYCAMORE ROW – John Grisham

7. THE SHOCK OF THE FALL – Nathan Filer

8. THE WOMAN WHO WENT TO BED FOR A YEAR – Sue Townsend

9. KITE RUNNER – Khaled Hosseini

10. GHOST BRIDE – Choo Yangsze

Non-Fiction

1. DREAM BIG: 8 ADVENTURE STORIES BY NICK YOUR KIDS CANNOT MISS – Nick Vujicic

2. ENGLISH FAST & EASY: USEFUL PHRASES FOR WORK AND EVERYDAY LIFE – Marianna Pascal

3. HOW LIFE WORKS – Andrew Matthews

4. DAVID & GOLIATH: UNDERDOGS. MISFITS AND THE ART OF BATTLING GIANTS – Malcolm Gladwell

5. WRECK THIS JOURNAL EVERYWHERE – Keri Smith

6. FINDING YOUR ELEMENT – Ken Robinson

7. LOST RECIPES OF MALAYSIA – Mohd Shakri

8. GRANDMA’S BEST RECIPES – Parragon

9. CAN WE SAVE MALAYSIA PLEASE! – Kee Thuan Chye

10. INSTANT MBA – Nicholas Bate

– Courtesy of Borders Bookstore

Author: Robert GalbraithPublisher: Little, Brown and Company

THIS BOOK sees the return of protagonist Cormoran Strike who’s an oversized, limping, grisly-faced private investigator.

The story opens in Smithfield Market, eight months after the first Cormoran Strike instalment – The Cuckoo’s Calling – in which the PI proved to the Crown Prosecution Service that famous model Lula Landry had not jumped from her fourth-floor balcony, but that she was pushed.

Subsequent publicity from the case has seen Strike scrape himself free from debt and take his place as one of the most sought-after detectives.

Strike has met ruthless News of the World reporter Dominic Culpepper with a tip-off about tax evasion by a well-known peer.

The information was obtained by one of his clients, the secretary and mistress of Lord Parker of Pennywell, who is out for revenge.

Back in his meagre but orderly office above a small graphic design studio off Tottenham Court Road, a woman approaches Strike to report the disappearance of her husband, a little-

Code (A Virals Novel)Authors: Kathy Reichs & Brendan ReichsPublisher: PutnamBINC: M159940

THE THIRD book in the young adult Virals series by this mother-and-son team tells how The Virals, a group of teen agers who gained special powers after being infected with an experimental canine virus, have to face off against an evil opponent.

Tory Brennan, the great-niece of Temperance Brennan (the main character of Kathy Reichs’ adult series Bones which has since been made into a TV series), lives on a fairly remote island near Charleston, South Carolina, with her scientist father after the accidental death of her mother.

IN A CAPSULE

known writer named Owen Quine.

Out of pity and curiosity, Strike takes on the case.

It soon transpires that Quine had penned a poisonous manuscript enraging pretty much everyone he knows, so when the writer’s

body is found, Strike finds himself at the centre of a brutal murder investigation with endless suspects.

What follows is a tightly-stitched updating of the classic tale of the dishevelled but brilliant private eye, smattered with references to 19th-century French literature and pre- Levenson sleuthing tactics, alongside well-realised characters – not least a chain-smoking literary agent with an incontinent Dobermann, who capitalises on the fact that she “awoke in those who were susceptible, childhood memories of demanding and all- powerful mothers”.

Over the course of 455 or so pages, Strike tackles the case with the help of his loyal assistant, Robin Ellacott.

This is another interesting read from J.K. Rowling writing under the name of Robert Galbraith. – M.L.M.

Tory has a close group of friends who live on the island, too.

In the first book (Virals, 2010), they were all infected with a mutant type of canine parvovirus that has given them canine-like abilities.

Tory’s abilities seem the strongest in some ways, perhaps as she is the alpha of their friendly wolf-ish group. She can, in moments of stress, cause them to link telepathicly.

In this book, the ‘pack’ is innocently lured into a game when one of them gets interested in geocaching. It’s a treasure hunting game in which you use a GPS to

find items left by others.

The item they find leads into a deadly game from which they cannot e s c a p e w i t h o u t risking harm to those they

love. Along the way, they are shot at, discover a murder victim, and almost get poisoned.

Tory also has to deal with the up-coming debutante ball along with the other young ladies of Charleston.

The action teeters between Loggerhead Island, where Tory’s father works at a research institute, the prep school the group attends on scholarship, and Charleston proper.

Meanwhile, a hurricane enters into the mix just when Tory and the gang think they’ve foiled the bad guy.

The Brennans also take the changes to the pack from the super virus a bit further.

The Code is a crossover between middle grade fiction and young adult and will appeal to a wide range of ages.

There is also much scientific information that is revealed as the group struggles to figure out the clues that will help them stop the murder of innocent people.

GET a 30% discount on Kathy and Brendan Reichs’ Code by presenting this coupon upon payment at any Borders outlet in Malaysia.

This offer is valid until Aug 3, 2014, or while stocks last. It is not valid with other promotions and not exchangeable for cash. One coupon for only one copy of the title and only original coupons will be accepted.

Special discount from Borders

The Silkworm

Rattling mindsBY BISSME S.

EKA KURNIAWAN is acknowledged as one of the most exciting fiction writers

in Indonesia. His debut novel, Cinta Itu Luka,

published in 2002, received critical reviews and won him fans throughout.

Since then, the 39-year-old has written three novels and three collections of short stories.

Born in Tasikmalaya in West Java, in 1975, Eka was in Malaysia recently for a book event and to promote his new book, Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas.

He sat down with theSun to share his thoughts on his work and motivation, the literary scene in Indonesia and his new book.

You have been compared to (the late) Pramoedya Ananta Toer, one of Indonesia’s finest writers. Some believe you are the most exciting writer that Indonesia has produced since. Any comment?“I believe the comparison is not fair. Pramoedya and I came from two different generations and two different eras. So, we tend to look at Indonesia very differently.

“When two people look at something differently, naturally the stories we tell will be different. I really believe you cannot make a comparison between the two.

“Each writer has his own style and his own perspective. Pram is one of the finest writers in my country. But he should not be made into a God.”

Some readers love your latest novel Seperti Dendam ... but others were not comfortable with the vulgar language. “My characters in the novel are from the lower class and I was capturing the language these characters tend to use when it comes to sex.

“I also looked at some of the graffiti writings on sex that you normally find behind the trucks (In Indonesia, graffiti is often found on trucks). I have used some of these graffiti writings as an inspiration.

> Indonesian author Eka Kurniawan loves to provoke readers to talk > Indonesian author Eka Kurniawan loves to provoke readers to talk about issues not normally discussed in life through his booksabout issues not normally discussed in life through his books

“Personally, I take these comments as compliments. It is like some people who do not like seafood but when a chef cooks up a good seafood dish, they enjoy the flavours. They forget the dish they are eating is seafood.”

Your novels deal with sexual themes. Some may feel good literature should discuss the mind rather than desires of the body. What is your comment?“I don’t agree. We should be discussing anything that is relevant to human life – mind and body, happiness and sadness, virtue and sin.

“Our society and our history are always dealing with the pain

and joy of our bodies and our minds as well.”

What motivates you as a writer?“I started writing at the age of 11. I was not a clever student nor was I keen on sports. I wanted to win the attention of my classmates, especially the opposite sex.

“So I started writing poetry. But over the years, I became serious about making writing my profession.”

What is the misconception that people have about you?“After reading my work, some people have this impression that I am a serious old man. But when

they meet me, they are surprised that I am nothing like that (he looks boyish and jovial and loves to laugh).

“To me, an ideal literature is telling a serious story with a touch of humour. I know people who read my work and have a good laugh. But in the end, they regard my work as serious literature.”

Do you think every story should have a message?“Consciously or unconsciously, writers [leave] messages in [their] stories. [But] readers may not see things the same way the writer wants them to see. The writer simply has no control over how readers interpret his stories.

“I really believe a story should not become a sermon. Once a story becomes a sermon, the story is no longer interesting. I write mainly to disturb the mind of my readers (laughs).”

Why do you want to rattle the mind of your readers?“Literature is one of the ways to discuss our existence in this life, to share our ideas and to react to other people’s ideas. What is the best way to get people into a discussion? Perhaps by disturbing their mind ... am I right?”

How do you take criticism?“A well-known critic of a newspaper gave my first novel (Cinta Itu Luka) a bad review.

“He said that my novel had no direction – it was not realistic nor was it surrealistic. I did not mind his review. But my friends and my fans were not happy.

“They felt the critic was unfair and that he did not appreciate a young writer’s view of the world. They critiqued him for giving me a bad review.

“The reviewer jokingly told me that my friends and my fans were very garang (fierce)!”