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𝗡𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘆'𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 🇲🇾

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— 𝘯𝘪𝘴' 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘺 💙🤎
☁️ 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨
📚 2026 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴: 10/12 (getting close!)

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｡˚○ 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 ｡˚○ 🌙⌛

Title: Sweet Bean Paste (2017)
Author: Durian Sukegawa
Translator: Alison Watts
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐.5

Japanese novels can feel lighthearted, but they can also carry heavier ideas that take more time to unpack. 🌸 I felt the latter with SBP, a book that took me some time to digest. ⏳

Sentaro is a dorayaki seller whose days revolve around a repetitive routine, leaving him resigned to his mundane life 🍂. Enters Tokue, an elderly woman with Hansen’s disease who offers to work as his part-timer. Her talent for making bean paste gradually opens up conversations about her past, social stigma, and the lives they have each lived 🍃.

Previously, I turned away from SBP because I couldn't understand what it was trying to convey. When I picked it up recently, I expected to DNF it again, but I found myself paying closer attention to the story and understanding the ideas beneath it. It was quite fitting for Sentaro and Tokue’s world, because, much like them, I was also taking my time to look at things differently 🕊️.

Beyond Hansen's disease and the social stigma surrounding it, the book explores how loneliness and regret could leave people feeling trapped in a shell, affecting the way they see their circumstances. More than anything, it taught me something about empathy ❤️‍🩹. I don't think I had much life experience to reflect on when I first read it. But through meeting more people at school and work, that helped me reflect deeply about these themes and how they shape people's livelihood.

The prose still felt quite restrained in the beginning; a big reason why I initially struggled with SBP. I didn't always feel particularly drawn into the storyline, but from midway through, I appreciated it more as the themes began to come together 📖.

I don’t see myself revisiting this book anytime soon, but I recommend it for the themes it explores 💡. Perhaps some things become clearer when we return to them at a different point in life 🌳.

Until the next review 💌.

- Nissy 💙🤎

#nissybookdiary #sweetbeanpaste #malaysianbookstagram #japaneseliterature #bookreviews by @nissybookdiary

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3 days ago

｡˚○ 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘵, 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘬𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪 𝘬𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘪 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘪 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘬𝘢 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘺𝘢 ｡˚○ 📔☕

Tajuk: Selamanya, Kafe Purnama Bayu (2025)
Penulis: Haninay @haninay_
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dalam banyak-banyak kafe buku yang kamu lawati 📚, mungkinkah kamu pernah bersua dengan seorang barista bernama Purnama 🤵🏻‍♂️? Seperti buku yang pertama, Purnama hadir untuk membantu para pelanggan yang sedang bergelut dengan masalah tersendiri 💭. Namun, susulan ini lebih istimewa dengan kemunculan seorang pekerja sambilan baru, Ardan 👦🏻, yang dapat melihat kewujudan Purnama. Apakah Ardan mengetahui kisah di sebalik tempat ini, dan siapakah dia sebenarnya 🤔?

Ada ketika saya merasakan kisah yang dibaca terasa hampir dekat dengan kehidupan sendiri 🍂, dan ada juga kisah yang memberikan perspektif baharu 🌱. Saya paling gemar membaca bab ketiga tentang seorang wanita berkerjaya 🧕🏼 yang bergelut dengan tohmahan orang sekeliling terhadap statusnya sebagai bujang. Dalam hal ini, saya kagum dengan kebolehan penulis untuk mengetengahkan isu-isu sosial seperti ini kerana tidak kurang bezanya dengan kehidupan sebenar 👍🏻. Seolah-olah, buku ini menjadi teguran untuk kita berfikir secara rasional sebelum berucap 🗣️, terutamanya apabila menyentuh sensitiviti individu.

Saya merasakan ‘pacing’ buku ini mudah untuk diikuti dengan bilangan bab yang sedikit 🔎. Walaupun lebih banyak kisah yang dikongsikan dalam buku pertama, ia membantu saya memahami penceritaan dalam buku kedua ini, terutamanya bagaimana kisah Purnama dikaitkan dengan Ardan sambil membantu para pelanggan yang terpilih 👥. Jalan cerita menjadi lebih ‘refreshing’ dengan ‘plot twist’ yang diselitkan kali ini ☕.

Jika anda sudah membaca Kafe Purnama Bayu, anda pasti tidak mahu ketinggalan dengan buku ini 🤗. Mungkin ia juga hadir sebagai peringatan bahawa kita semua hanyalah insan yang memerlukan antara satu sama lain tanpa kita sedar 🦋.

Semoga bebenang takdir menemui kita di ulasan buku seterusnya! 💌

- Nissy 💙🤎

#nissybookdiary #selamanyakafepurnamabayu #malaysianbookstagram #malaysianliterature #bookreviews by @nissybookdiary

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a month ago

｡˚○“𝘐𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘰 𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦.” 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘈 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦-𝘪𝘯-𝘢-𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵｡˚○ 🧪💖

Title: Our Cursed Love (2023)
Author: Julie Abe @julieabebooks
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐.5

Perhaps this line was what I liked most about Our Cursed Love. A story that revolves around the memories we make with people, even when we don’t know how long we’ll get to keep them. 📸

The story follows Remy 👧🏻, who has been secretly in love with her best friend, Cam 👦🏻, as they spend one last winter trip in Tokyo before college 🗼. She plans to confess to Cam during the trip, until she learns at a tea-leaf reading 🍵 with the renowned fortune-teller, Mr. Yoshino, that she is destined to live without a soulmate 💔. She turns to an ancient soulmate elixir 🧪 to change her fate, but instead of bringing her closer to the person she loves ❤️‍🔥, the potion causes Cam to lose his memories of her ⚡. With New Year’s Eve approaching before the potion takes full effect at midnight, Remy has very little time to reverse the effects before his memories disappear for good ☁️.

The friends-to-lovers romance did take some time to grow on me. As the book was written for a younger YA audience, I found Remy and Cam’s relationship quite straightforward at first, but I gradually became more invested as it explored the themes of love and destiny in more depth 💌. One question particularly stayed with me: “Can two people still choose each other when magic, memory, and destiny seem to be working against them?” 🤔 I also liked that the idea of destiny extends beyond romance, particularly through Cam’s journey of finding his own path with his father’s wishes and expectations in mind 💭.

But honestly, the magical worldbuilding was what really carried me away 🥰. I liked how the story incorporated real-life locations in Tokyo and gave them a magical twist, such as Tokyo Magical University (TMU), Good Luck Cafe, and Beni’s Apothecary ✨. I actually read quite a bit of this book during my recent train ride to Ipoh 🛤️, and managing to finish around 70 pages in one trip is-

(Cont.) by @nissybookdiary

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6

a month ago

｡˚○ 𝘈𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 ｡˚○ 🏚️🥀

Title: Bane of Widuri (2023)
Author: Nadiah Zakaria @nadiahzkr
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A small confession: I’m not a fan of horror 😭. I get scared quite easily, especially when it comes to anything involving ghosts 👻, so I tend to avoid horror stories (even if it doesn’t feel scary to other readers) because I’d rather not go to bed with goosebumps from being spooked 😣. Bane of Widuri does have its spooky moments, but it leans more towards gothic fiction 🖤 with a touch of mystery 👣, and I am always down to follow clues and piece them together at the end of a story 🕵🏻‍♀️.

Set in 2011, Widuri Manor stands on an isolated estate in Kedah, home to seven orphaned girls ♀️ named after flowers ⚜️: Kemboja, Mawar, Wisteria, Azalea, Cempaka, Iris, and Melur. Having been raised since little by their headmistress, Madam Dahlia, the girls share a bond as close as biological sisters 👭. The Widuri Manor dictates a tradition whereby on the night of each girl’s 16th birthday, she will be granted a chance to begin a new life with a foster family 🏡. The youngest of the girls, Melur, decides to steal a flower from the forbidden garden next to the manor as a farewell gift for Kemboja as the eldest’s 16th birthday approaches 💐. But what she discovers there is only the tip of the iceberg. She finds herself drawn towards an ancient truth buried within the manor, one that may reveal unsettling secrets about the girls’ lives 🥀.

The supernatural elements of this book immediately caught my attention 🧐, and it was my first time being introduced to the hanahaki disease. To think that something as alluring and beautiful as flowers could also be horrifying and painful… 💔. I liked how the story balanced its gothic beauty with subtle elements of horror, creating an eerie atmosphere without making it feel like a full-on horror story. Usually, I find horror to be quite intimidating, but what kept me invested here was the emotional side of the story ❤️‍🩹. It was a similar feeling to-

(Cont.) by @nissybookdiary

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5

2 months ago

｡˚○ 𝘋𝘪 𝘴𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘢𝘩 𝘬𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘬𝘶 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘺𝘪, 𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘢 𝘸𝘶𝘫𝘶𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘯 ｡˚○ ☕👨🏻‍💼

Tajuk: Kafe Purnama Bayu (2024)
Penulis: Haninay @haninay_
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Pertama kali saya melihat buku ini 📚, perkara yang paling menarik perhatian saya ialah sprayed edges yang sangat comel! Sekilas pandang, warna buku ini mengingatkan saya kepada kek marble pelangi 🌈. Di sebalik penampilan luarnya yang manis mata memandang, buku ini menyimpan kisah-kisah yang penuh emosi sehingga berjaya menyentuh perasaan saya. Beberapa kali juga saya tidak dapat menahan rasa sebak ketika membaca buku ini 🥲.

Kafe Purnama Bayu menceritakan sebuah kafe buku misteri yang hanya muncul kepada mereka yang sedang berdepan dengan cabaran hidup masing-masing ☕. Di kafe ini, seorang barista misteri bernama Purnama 👨🏻‍💼 membantu para pelanggannya mencari makna di sebalik kesukaran yang mereka lalui. Setiap pelanggan dipertemukan dengan sebuah buku ajaib yang tidak berjudul, hanya dihiasi dengan ukiran bunga yang berbeza pada muka depannya 📕. Kandungan buku tersebut seolah-olah menggambarkan realiti yang sedang mereka hadapi dan membantu mereka melihat kehidupan daripada sudut pandangan yang baharu.

Saya sangat suka perincian dalam buku ini seperti penggunaan peribahasa, simbol bunga pada buku ajaib, dan kata-kata hikmah pada kupon istimewa yang menemui setiap pelanggannya pada waktu yang tepat ✨. Begitu juga dengan cara watak-watak dalam buku ini dikaitkan antara satu sama lain seperti bebenang takdir yang kelihatan seperti suatu kebetulan 🧵 (Mungkin anda akan lebih memahami maksud saya selepas membaca buku ini 🥰).

Paling saya hargai ialah selitan nilai-nilai Islam dalam jalan ceritanya 🍃. Pendekatan ini benar-benar mewujudkan rasa rendah diri dan tawakal kepada Allah SWT, serta memberi peringatan bahawa setiap ujian yang menimpa seseorang pasti mempunyai hikmah tersendiri 🫀.

Cuma ada satu bahagian yang bagi saya terasa sedikit kurang meyakinkan, iaitu kesimpulan dalam bab kedua tentang kisah Iqlil. Perkara ini sedikit mempengaruhi penilaian saya terhadap buku ini. by @nissybookdiary

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2 months ago

｡˚○ 𝘈 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱, 𝘮𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘶𝘪𝘩? 𝘚𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴! ｡˚○ 🐇🪄

Title: The Creature Keepers (2026)
Author: Nadiah Zakaria @nadiahzkr
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐.5

There are books that make you want to race through the pages 🏁, and there are also books that make you want to slow down with the craving for an iced Spanish latte and bingka ubi kayu ☕. Funnily enough, I found myself in both situations while reading The Creature Keepers for two days straight (it could have been one if I had really, really focused on just reading) 🤸🏻‍♀️.

This book follows Marla 🧑🏻‍🍳, a sixteen-year-old girl who runs a small coffee shop in the town of Belukar, selling magical pastries 🍰 and kuih 🧁 that can heal mythical creatures. Everything changes when a mysterious boy named Bakti 👦🏻 arrives from the neighbouring town of Sri Perak, bringing with him a sick little mole, and a past that Marla has been trying to leave behind. Beneath its charming premise, this book is filled with an emotional turmoil that requires courage, honesty, and willingness to heal 💝.

The Creature Keepers completely won me over with its atmosphere. The coffee shop, the town, and the pet creatures were truly enchanting, like a place I would happily spend an afternoon for people-watching🚶🏻‍♀️or reading 📖. Also, I loved how naturally Malaysian culture was woven into the story 😍! The familiar mentions of kuih made the fantasy feel wonderfully close at home ❣️.

My only wish was that we had spent a little more time with Bakti and the world beyond Belukar 💡. The Clockmakers, Sri Perak, and the wider world of Tembaga hinted at a fascinating mythology that left me wanting a couple more chapters. But then again, perhaps that’s the mark of a good novella, as it leaves you wishing that the journey wasn’t over yet ✨.

Recommended for readers who enjoy cosy fantasy with a touch of magic 🪄, heartfelt characters ❣️, and stories that explore grief, belonging, and found family 🏠.

See you in my next review! 💌

- Nissy 💙🤎

#nissybookdiary #thecreaturekeepers #malaysianbookstagram #malaysianliterature #bookreviews by @nissybookdiary

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3 months ago

Finally a KLIBF post! 💙🤎 I also had some Kota Baca photos from last April sitting unpublished, so I thought... why not combine these two bookish adventures together? 💃🏻

I remember trying so hard to stay focused during stamp hunting at Kota Baca because I was saving all my book purchases for KLIBF only 😆. And it worked! Managed to keep myself busy while trying not to give in to all the ✨ book temptations ✨ around me.

The books I ended up getting from KLIBF were all on my 2026 TBR list, so my checklist from this event (read: THIS event) is officially complete! 📚 I'm most excited about Selamanya, Kafe Purnama Bayu by Haninay because I just finished the first book after KLIBF ended (review coming up soon!). And I've always wanted to read more of Nadiah Zakaria's works after getting Revenge in Violent Hues from last year's KLIBF, so I added her recent novellas to my TBR too 💗. Didn't plan on buying the Backpacker series, but then they were on sale at RM5 each... obviously I had to complete my collection, right? 🤸🏻‍♀️

Another successful bookish outing filled with good memories 📸! Let's see which one of these reads will become my next favourite 🔖.

- Nissy 💙🤎

#nissybookdiary #pbakl2026 #klibf2026 #kotabaca2026 #malaysianbookstagram by @nissybookdiary

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2

4 months ago

[𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵: 26.05.07] ｡˚○ 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 ｡˚○ 🏮🏞️

Title: Soul Lanterns (2021)
Author: Shaw Kuzki
Translator: Emily Balistrieri
Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

TW❗: Bombing casualties, war, death, and suicide mentions

I remember seeing this book all over the Bookstagram community a few years back, and I finally got to read it this April. The cover first drew my attention, striking as both bittersweet and poignant. Yet, beneath its mesmerising artwork lies a story of grief, loss, and quiet resilience. Soul Lanterns feels like wandering through a historical museum that captures a darker side of post-World War II Japanese history, particularly the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing. It holds a deep sense of sadness wrapped in lingering silence, and while the characters are fictional, their experiences are rooted in the painful reality faced by the people of Hiroshima after the devastating event in August 1945.

The story follows Nozomi, a girl living in the city of Hiroshima twenty-five years after the tragedy. Every year, she attends the floating lantern ceremony near the A-bomb Dome with her family to honour the lost souls. But when she begins noticing her mother sending a nameless white lantern alongside a green one, her curiosity eventually unravels hidden stories and long-buried memories that connect the people around her, including her friends Shun and Kozo. 🍃

I find the author’s writing deeply intimate, especially when exploring each character’s past. Rather than feeling like a distant historical event, Hiroshima’s tragedy is experienced through memories, silences, and wounds that linger long after the war. The story becomes less about history itself and more about the people who continue to carry its weight.

My favourite line from the book was from Mrs. Hotta’s letter:

“May the world your generation lives in be peaceful – I hope with all my heart. May there never be foolish ideologies that bind free minds lurking there. May you grow up healthy and live out your full life.”

(Cont.) by @nissybookdiary

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4 months ago

[𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 - 26.04.15] ｡˚○ 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 ｡˚○ 🛤️🕊️

Title: There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job (2021)
Author: Kikuko Tsumura
Translator: Polly Barton
Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job is a story about a woman in her thirties who left her career following a severe burnout that drained her both physically and mentally 🏢. Hoping for a quiet reset, she turned to a recruitment agency and requested jobs with very specific conditions; they should be low-stress and mundane, asking very little from her weary mind. Her journey unfolded into a series of five short-term jobs, each carrying its own peculiar rhythm 👻, strange encounters 😶‍🌫️, and subtle emotional weight 🏋🏻‍♀️.

The book works in an episodic structure, so each chapter feels almost like a bedtime story curated for exhausted working adults. The rice cracker packaging job chapter easily became my favourite😍, mostly because of how it resembled my own experience. The copywriting bits and the memorable (sometimes intense) interactions between colleagues and supervisors felt authentic, making the workplace dynamics in the story feel strikingly true to life 💼.

I also appreciated this book for being quietly observant about surviving the modern working world 👩🏻‍💻. Rather than offering dramatic resolutions or 'perfect' answers about burnout and work culture, it simply offers recognition. At times, it felt like having a pocket-sized mentor near me, retelling her work experiences, and nodding along to my struggles, saying: “Yes, work can feel strange and heavy sometimes.” 🍃

It is an oddly comforting read, the kind that sits beside you as you reflect on the long workday you had earlier 😌.

And if you are reading this right after clocking out, perhaps this is your sign to grab your favourite drink, unclench your shoulders for a little while, and allow yourself a looooooong exhale because you deserve it 🤩!

Brewing the next review very soon! 💌

- Nissy 💙🤎

#nissybookdiary #theresnosuchthingasaneasyjob #malaysianbookstagram #japaneseliterature #bookreviews by @nissybookdiary

3

5

4 months ago

[𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 - 26.02.10] ｡˚○ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘶𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺 ｡˚○ 🏊🏻‍♀️💞

Title: Duet Me Not (2023)
Author: Lilian Li @lilianofli
Language: English
Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

If I could turn back time, I think I'd find my 15-year-old self tucked between the pages, giggling and completely swept up in June and Ashvin's story. 🙈 Duet Me Not feels like walking down memory lane and finding a missing piece of nostalgia as a Form 3-5 student in Malaysia (that's roughly equivalent to grades 9-12 in the US) during the early to late 2010s.

The story follows two teenagers, June and Ashvin, whose paths cross through synchronised swimming 🏊🏻‍♀️, starting from a promposal dare 💃🏻 that slowly unfolds into a journey of self-discovery, purpose, and learning to be true to oneself. Oh, did I mention there's also slow burn romance? 🤭❤️‍🔥

This is my first sports romance read, and I was genuinely impressed by how detailed the swimming routines were 😯. I later found out that the author, Lilian, used to compete in national synchronised swimming competitions, which makes the writing feel even more grounded and authentic. Beyond the sport itself, I really enjoyed the conversations between our male and female leads, and the people around them, where I could recognise a little bit of Mandarin and Tamil phrases. The mix of humour, casual teasing, and cultural flavour slipping into everyday speech makes the reading feel very real and familiar as a fellow Malaysian 🇲🇾.

I was lucky to read this book during a short trip to Penang, and I already feel like going there again (take me back to Gurney Plaza and Ferringhi Bay! 🏝️)

I think this book would be a comforting read for many Malaysians, especially those living abroad and missing home ✈️, or anyone reminiscing about how life felt like before stepping into adulthood 👩🏻. As a YA story, it also gently reflects that in-between stage of life where you're learning to balance dreams, relationships, and self-worth, all at once. ✨

See you in my next review! 💌

- Nissy 💙🤎

#nissybookdiary #duetmenot #malaysianbookstagram #malaysianliterature #bookreviews by @nissybookdiary

3

8

5 months ago

Hi, welcome to nissybookdiary! 💙🤎

I started my first bookstagram page earlier this year, but I wanted to start over with a space that feels more personal. Hence, this digital diary was created so I can document my reading journey at my own pace and slowly reconnect with the habit again.

Reading has always been something I love, but somewhere along the way, I stopped making time for it as often as I used to. So, this space is my little attempt at finding my way back. I'll mostly be sharing books that I'm currently reading in English, sometimes in Malay. I was a huge fan of YA romance, but these days, I seem to gravitate towards slower, more grounded stories including slice-of-life narratives and contemporary Japanese literature.

Some posts may feature books that I've read in the past, because they are still part of my reading journey too. More than anything, I hope this space encourages me to read more consistently and enjoy the process, while also connecting with other readers (like you!), wherever you are.

Thank you so much for being here; I really appreciate you. 🙆🏻‍♀️

- Nissy

#nissybookdiary #bookstagram #bookish #bookreviews #malaysiabookstagram by @nissybookdiary

3

15

5 months ago