IN an age where the Internet rules along with short attention spans and communication is limited to 140-character Twitter updates, does anyone read books anymore?
The forgotten past-time of reading opens a door to possibilities — that we can be more than we can imagine and accomplish so much more than we believe we can. It was Oprah Winfrey who said: “Books showed me there were possibilities in life, that there were actually people like me living in a world I could not only aspire to but attain. Reading gave me hope. For me, it was the open door.”
International Women’s Day may be over but there are never enough reasons to celebrate womanhood every day. We give a nod to some of our own phenomenal women who’ve made an indelible mark on our nation’s landscape and discover that the singular thread that binds all these amazing women from different backgrounds is a love of reading.
Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir
Writer, Blogger, Author and Activist
“It’s hard to think of a single book. I tend to be inspired by really good writing rather than what the subject is. So for that I really admire writers like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Jeanette Winterson. But for a combination of both great writing and content, it has to be Arundhati Roy — her novel The God Of Small Things and all her non-fiction works. I keep saying I want to be Arundhati when I grow up!”
Datin Mina Cheah-Foong
Managing Director of Rampai Niaga, franchise holder for
The Body Shop
“The first book that made a lasting impression on me was Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. It wasn’t particularly uplifting but it surely helped form my sense of justice and the fragile nature of civility when race is allowed to mix with mob mentality.
“That justice was a notion that could be displaced by emotion and prejudice was very scary. I did not like the helplessness that Atticus (and I) felt! I read it in my late teens and while the American south was so alien in its cadence and social mores to Malaysia, the character of Scout was spunky and non-conforming — that really appealed to me that she refused to be stereotyped into a Southern lady; that she could do what the boys could and more. The storyline seems to be very relevant again in today’s world.
A more recent read is The Martian by Andy Weir. This is both uplifting and inspiring as well as a very entertaining read. I loved the fact that Mark Whitney never gives up. He’s always looking on the bright side and using science and ingenuity to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. I admired the singular focus on tackling one problem at a time and solving each as it happens. That is such an enlightened way to live life. That Mark always has hope even when things have gone catastrophically wrong is inspiring. He never denied his feelings of fear and anxiety but only allowed a short moment to whinge, then he is on to fixing what’s broke and focusing again on his goal of going home.
His crew mates too did the noble thing, putting team before “I”, and returning to rescue Mark. And all of Nasa working and bringing the world into a shared benign purpose of saving just one life. If you can get abandoned on Mars for hundreds of days all by yourself and still get home, no fear!”
Daphne Iking
Broadcaster, Presenter and Emcee
“My favourite picks would be To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and My Name Is Hasmah by Tun Dr Siti Hasmah.
To Kill A Mockingbird moved me at a young age because when studying in London, even though I was not “black”, I remember being teased for being yellow and having a flat nose (‘Did a steamroller roll over your face?’). Those taunts were nothing, though, compared to what people of African origin faced when discrimination was stronger and hatred and bigotry were deep. Then you read this book and see how two guileless children (Scout and Jem) encounter injustice in the system even though it’s pretty clear to see their father Atticus proving his client to be innocent. Even now, we still face discrimination. Whether you’re a transgender, or even in some countries, being a Muslim or non-Muslim. Discrimination happens even in this day and age. A very dangerous thing as it indoctrinates hate and instils fear.
I loved My Name Is Hasmah so much because it was an easy read. I completed it in a day and it truly felt like I was a fly on her shoulder — watching, listening and sometimes ‘being’ her conscience. That’s how her writing has set my reading mode. I’ve interviewed her once and found her to be a soft-spoken lady but the session was too brief so I was truly looking forward to her book. And it is hilarious! She comes across as being so humble and she is not afraid to share her weaknesses (She struggled in medicine, sharing fondly how she felt that little vacuum when her “mentor” Mahathir had completed his studies and she was left alone to try and get by).
You read snippets of the other side of Tun M through her eyes and how she divided her time as mother and wife, eventually leaving the practice to be with her husband. The story doesn’t feel like a “PR” stint like how some autobiographies are. It’s raw, witty, refreshing, not to mention a cute and easy read.”
Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil
Businesswoman, Environmentalist and President of the Association for the Protection of Natural Heritage of Malaysia (PEKA)
“My pick would be The Story Of My Experiments With Truth, the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi. When we truly believe passionately in our cause or anything that we want to achieve, you have to practice it, walk the talk and go into the elements with the greatest of energy and devotion.
Even my other most inspirational person, Albert Einstein, had this to say about Gandhi: ‘The moral influence he had on the consciously thinking human being of the entire civilised world will probably be much more lasting than it seems in our time with its overestimation of brutal violent forces. Because lasting will only be the work of such statesmen who wake up and strengthen the moral power of their people through their example and educational works.
We may all be happy and grateful that destiny gifted us with such an enlightened contemporary, a role model for the generations to come.’”
Juwita Suwito
Singer, Songwriter, Vocal Arranger
“A great book does something for your soul, I guess the way a good song does. I remember reading Just Enough Light For The Step I’m On, by Stormie Omartian, around 14 years ago when I was going through one of the darkest times of my life. I can’t remember what she said in the book but I received a deep assurance that I was not alone in my season of uncertainty. This inspired me to write one of my earliest songs, Only In The Dark, which many say has taken them through their dark moments too.”