1. Men do most of their brooding while showering.

2. You can be in a coma for two years, but you’ll be up and walking in a few days.

3. Someone who doesn’t share DNA with you can look exactly like you.

4. A piggyback ride from a guy is as good as a proposal.

5. I may have lived in America since forever but I speak perfect Korean and shite English.

6. If anything major happens – like, you know, you marrying the wrong gal, mum/dad/grandma/grandpa will faint/have heart attack, so you might as well have 911 on standby when you make that shocking announcement.

7. Heirs of conglomerates are gorgeous by default.

8. If you’re an orphan, your biological mum/dad is probably some rich CEO.

9. If you’re in love with some rich CEO’s kid expect to be kidnapped/blackmailed/threatened by sister/brother/mother/father/ex-girlfriend/wannabe girlfriend.

10. There will always be one person in your life whose main purpose in life is to screw up your love life.

Bonus point: The girl always ends up with the jerk. It’s the rule of k-dramas, dudes.

Imperfect hero: Meng Xing Hun (played by Baron Chen) from China CCTV’s Meteor, Butterfly, Sword (2010) may be a cold-blooded assassin, but like all wuxia heroes, he lives by a code of conduct that is defined by loyalty and honour.

Popculture Vulture
By ELIZABETH TAI
Originally published in The Star on May 15, 2011.

It may be flawed but the wuxia genre still packs a punch.

FOR the past two months, I lived the life of an addict. I would be awake until the wee hours of the morning, my eyes red from feeding my habit. My mind would often plot to get my next “fix”, and I’ve spent an unseemly amount of money on my addiction.

My “crack” of choice: wuxia TV series.

If you’ve seen the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) or House Of Flying Daggers (2004), you’ll have an idea about the genre. These dramas, usually set in ancient China, revolve around martial arts heroes (called xia) who live by a chivalrous code of conduct. Because these heroes have cultivated great “internal strength”, they are capable of impossible feats such as jumping or flying great distances, freezing people with a touch, and surviving falls off cliffs (an amusingly common occurrence in wuxia dramas).

I was a young girl when I first got hooked. Back then, I lived in Johor Baru and we received TV transmissions from Singapore which aired lots of wuxia dramas in Mandarin. I would often sneak downstairs, breaking my family’s “no television after 9pm” rule, to watch sword-wielding heroes flying around tree tops.

I was fascinated by the intricate stories, the strong, feisty heroines, the heroes’ strict adherence to honour, loyalty and filial piety. Plus, the men looked really dashing in flowing robes and long hair!

Then, when I was 13, my family moved to Kuala Lumpur. Not many wuxia series were aired or sold in Malaysia then, and those available were in Cantonese (without English subtitles), a dialect that till this day sounds as alien to me as Russian. So, over the years I lost touch with the genre, enjoying it only in spurts when a rare wuxia movie graced our cinemas.

But a few months ago, I stumbled on a few wuxia TV series in Mandarin, and the floodgates reopened with a vengeance.

I devoured as many titles as I could find, often watching them without English subtitles with my half-baked Mandarin. (I am now ever so grateful that my parents made me take Mandarin classes in primary school, even if I was a terribly inattentive student.)

Watching wuxia dramas when your grasp of the language is shaky is almost foolhardy as the Mandarin spoken is formal – akin to Shakespearean English, if you may. For example, there are many ways you can say “I”, and how you address yourself will give clues to your status, job and even mood – fascinating! But it certainly gave me a headache as I often had to watch the telly with my Chinese-English dictionary next to me.

After a decades-long abstinence, I was amazed by how much wuxia TV series have improved in quality, and how China is now making the best wuxia dramas. (In the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong ruled the genre.)

While Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou sparked global interest in wuxia with their films Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero (2002) respectively, my theory is that wuxia TV series got a boost when China director Zhang Jichong started adapting wuxia writer Louis Cha’s works. He began with The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (sometimes called State Of Divinity or The Swordsman) in 2001 and then The Legend Of The Condor Heroes (2003), Demi-Gods And Semi-Devils (2003), Return Of The Condor Heroes (2006) and Heavenly Sword And Dragon Sabre (2009).

Although not all viewers were happy with his interpretation of Cha’s writings, he certainly set the standard for all wuxia dramas with his big-budgeted, high-quality productions. The costumes were detailed and faithful to the era, the martial arts choreography is down-to-earth and realistic (to a point, this is wuxia after all) and he made full use of China’s treasures – its mountains, forests, lakes, and ancient buildings and monuments. And when these weren’t sufficient, he would build large “film cities”, such as the 110mil yuan (about RM50mil) city with Song, Western Xia or Liao buildings in Dali, Yunnan, for the filming of Demi-Gods And Semi-Devils (source: bit.ly/iZoece). The film city is now a tourist attraction.

Zhang Jichong’s remake of Return Of The Condor Heroes has lavish scenery and sets, and launched China heartthrob Huang Xiaoming’s career. Huang plays the hero Yang Guo opposite Crystal Liu Yi Fei as his teacher and lover Xiao Long Nu.
After being spoiled by such devotion to authenticity, it’s a challenge to watch older Hong Kong wuxia series, where studio sets were heavily used and costume designers had a strange fondness for shiny fabrics and pastel-coloured outfits. (TVB’s latest wuxia offering, Relic Of An Emissary – currently showing on Astro on Demand (Channel 901), Monday to Friday, 8.30pm – has an interesting story, but its poor production quality is simply distracting.)

When done well, wuxia dramas are incredibly engrossing, addictive and beautiful to look at. When done badly, it can look painfully corny and may turn people off. Rare is a wuxia drama where “wire fu” isn’t overly used. Bad CGI reigns (2009’s Chinese Paladin III – ouch), and don’t get me started on some of the costumes (I have bad memories of 2006’s Da Ren Wu’s (Hero) spandex outfits).

Producers also seemed afraid of trying anything new. Because it is far more expensive to produce wuxia series, it is perhaps unsurprising that a popular story is remade over and over again.

Many wuxia series are based on the works of modern wuxia’s three greatest authors: Hong Kong’s Louis Cha (or Jin Yong), Taiwan’s Gu Long and China’s Liang Yusheng; Cha’s works have probably seen the most adaptations. There are 1976, 1983, 1988, 1994, 2003 and 2008 versions of Cha’s The Legend Of The Condor Heroes alone.

However, recently China producers have taken to producing wuxia with time-travel elements or that are based on video games, so things may be changing.

While the genre may be flawed, wuxia truly has a lot to offer viewers – it is a fantasy genre unique to Chinese culture, and it gives viewers special insights into Chinese values and mores. It’s too bad that wuxia series are so difficult to obtain, especially in the West. And if they are available, only a select few incorporate English subtitles.

Malaysians are lucky as we have access to them via TV channels or video stores. But still, a large number of these do not have English or Bahasa Malaysia subtitles. One wonders if it’s because there’s an assumption that the genre is so niche that only Chinese-speaking people will appreciate it. That can’t be further from the truth. One can see fans from around the world discussing wuxia TV series on Internet forums. So the potential for it being enjoyed by a global market is not to be underestimated.

I suppose until there’s a “wuxia wave” akin to that of South Korea’s Hallyu (Korean wave), its wonders will be limited to the Chinese-speaking world. What a pity!

Elizabeth Tai recommends ‘The Smiling, Proud Wanderer’ (also ‘Laughing In The Wind’) 2001, ‘Meteor, Butterfly, Sword’ 2010, ‘Relic Of An Emissary’ 2011 (if you can get past the tacky studio sets) and ‘All Men Are Brothers’ 2011, which is available in the stores with English subtitles.

Those shows that people watch with train-wreck interest have remarkably taken an altruistic turn.

I JUST don’t have the constitution for reality TV shows. I don’t know how you guys do it, but watching them turns me into a ball of nerves.

Seeing those singers on American Idol stand in line waiting for the vote that will squash their musical dreams? Stressful!

Jamie Oliver sets up a community kitchen in Huntington, West Virginia, where he teaches families and kids how to prepare healthy meals.

And surely there’s something better for the nerves than Amazing Race, where jet-lagged contestants race from one continent to another, sniping at each other while they’re at it. I feel jet-lagged just watching them.

How about a show about a bevy of women trying to win a bachelor’s heart by saying what he wants to hear? Yuck. Watching Type-A personalities win Donald Trump’s favour by outscheming each other? Hey, the last thing I want to do after leaving the office is to witness more backstabbing and office politics.

Okay, I’m a marshmallow. Looking at people’s dreams being dashed on TV reduces me to tears, and nasty people on TV, like the ones in real life, make me ill. Why are reality shows entertaining, again?

For the sake of my mental health, I’ve resolved to steer clear of any reality TV show.

But all that changed after a working trip to the United States last year. There I was in my hotel room, bleary-eyed from reading notes for the next day’s interview, when a show called Extreme Makeover: Home Edition came on.

I scowled and reached for the remote control, but not before the host Ty Pennington came on to explain the week’s episode: a poor family is in need, so the crew and a bunch of volunteers are going to build them a house for free.

That caught my attention. Going against my reality show-hating instincts, I continued watching.

Forty minutes later, I sniffed happily when the tearful family, overjoyed and overwhelmed, finally saw their new, beautifully decorated home.
Could this be …. a reality show that I can stomach? And, remarkably, one that highlights the good that human beings can do for one another?

Apparently, while I was stoically looking the other way, Hollywood realised that shows promoting good deeds that change people’s lives can not just be entertaining, but be a ratings magnet as well.

The new series Undercover Boss (trailer: bit.ly/agIWol) is a case in point. The reality show, which premiered in the United States on March 9, shows CEOs going “undercover” as a low-wage worker in their own firm.

Apparently, seeing high-powered suit types swabbing toilets, serving tables and scooping horse manure gives viewers a visceral thrill, and leaves them feeling vindicated as the CEOs come to realise how tough it is to be the little man.

At the end of the show, the CEO gets to reveal his identity to the people he’s worked with and makes company policy changes that affect their lives in a positive way.

Unsurprisingly, Undercover has become a ratings hit for US network CBS. In these economically challenged times, many assume that CEOs have lost touch with the common man – many are moved to see some CEOs who care enough to experience what it’s like to be in their shoes.
Meanwhile, British celebrity chef/author/presenter Jamie Oliver crosses the Atlantic to start Jamie’s Food Revolution (bit.ly/5MhxUe). The series tracks his efforts to transform the way America eats.

He has done this before in his homeland with Jamie’s School Dinners, the 2005 TV series that famously prompted British authorities to revamp school meals. But will America respond the same way?
His first stop is the country’s unhealthiest city: Huntington, West Virginia.

There, to Oliver’s horror, schoolchildren are served pizza for breakfast and chicken nuggets for lunch.

The Naked Chef tries to get the “lunch ladies” to prepare meals his way – using fresh ingredients – and to teach the folks at Huntington the healthier way to feed themselves. But not many liked being told they were wrong, so Huntington gave the Englishman a very hard time. A local radio deejay even told Oliver that they didn’t want to “sit around eating lettuce all day”. Poor Oliver was even reduced to tears, at one point!

Food Revolution, a ratings winner for US network ABC, has its heart at the right place. Eating healthily is necessary for all, and Oliver is the crusader of the cause. Too bad some of the folks he’s trying to save have no appetite for his good intentions.

Now, I wouldn’t call myself a reality TV series convert just yet, but I can say that if these shows ever do come to Malaysia, I’ll definitely park myself in front of the TV when they air. And I’ll do it without a scowl too.

> Elizabeth Tai also recommends ‘Dog Whisperer’, where dog trainer Cesar Millan teaches misbehaving canines proper manners.

Interesting article in The Star‘s Kuala Lumpur Metro today. Reading at book stores the rage now (strangely, the online version said “book sores”) basically says that Malaysians prefer to read at book stores than libraries.

Honestly, this is old news to me. I used to spend every Sunday curled up in the MPH Reader’s Lounge reading a book. I’d try to ignore the snoring dude that always seemed to be there whenever I’m there, and read a book on interior decorating or the latest bestseller. The ambience in MPH’s Subang Jaya store is the best – way better than the one in Mid Valley where there is barely a place to sit, but I digress.

The state of Malaysian libraries – at least the ones in Klang Valley – is pitiful. Why do people not go to the libraries? Here are the reasons:

1. It’s inconviniently situated – the National Library for one, is located on the busy and difficult-to-access Jln Tun Razak.
2. The books there are old, old, old. Bestsellers, new books etc are just plain hard to find. I didn’t even realise that libraries buy best selling books (until I read book blogs from overseas). I used to think libraries just buy books that you don’t see in bookstores!
3. Dress codes. No wearing singlets, slippers, short sleeves, short skirts in a library. Didn’t know libraries became the moral centres of the universe suddenly.
4. There are just too few of them!

Malaysians don’t read much. I think below 10% of us read regularly. The first reason is probably the most obvious one: books are damn expensive-lah! Sometimes, if I go berserk, I could spend 1/4 of my pay on books! Honestly, if they want a reading nation, they’d have to give libraries a budget for books, and not shelve the expenses for buying books under ‘misc’!

Our only saving grace is from Pay Less Books (a place for 2nd hand books) or rent-a-book stores.

I’ll be in dreamland if libraries:

1. Are found within the residential area instead of out there in the city somewhere. The more accessible, the more readers you’ll get! Walking to the library! What a dream!
2. Have new, current, best-sellers on their shelves so that I can save my money.
3. Don’t have all the nice books under reference section.
4. Don’t have those silly dress code rules anymore.

I live in Subang Jaya, and I think it’s just absolutely appalling that we don’t have a library. (We do have a Multimedia library, but I don’t like reading books on computer screens!) If only the powers that be would spend $ on a well-stocked library instead of building useless gardens with giant bird sculptures.

The best-est library I’ve ever been to was the library in Johor Baru. That was like, more than 10 years ago (oh no, I really feel my age suddenly). They had Asterix & Obelix comics, for goodness sakes! I used to count the days where I’ll get to visit the super-secret adults’ section. Too bad we moved to KL – where libraries are so few and far in between – before I could.

Any bigwigs listening to this rant? If so, please do something about our libraries!

Comments from the old blog.

Am currently reading Toby Young’s How to Loose Friends & Alienante People and have decided to put aside Marion Zimmer Bradley’s stories about Darkover for the tale of the fall of a great man (in his head, that is).

In essence, How to Lose Friends is a long, well-written gossip rag about the glitzy going-ons behind Vanity Fair, a particular magazine I’m rather fond of. And we all love gossip – especially one that mentions a certain well-known draconian Vogue editor.

I’m talking about Anna Wintour, in case you’re not in the know. Some of us in the journalistic world take perverse pleasure at novelists ribbing editors, especially those with a reputation like Wintour’s.

Wintour is one difficult lady, according to Young and to popular legend. It is suspected that the author of The Devil Wears Prada based her portrayal of her novel’s cruel boss on Wintour – she was once one of her assistants.

Indeed, after reading Young and Lauren Weisberger’s account, I find some similiarities. But I can’t remember them off-hand now to list them for you right now. But I can tell you what makes Wintour so “ballsy” to say the least.

According to Young, Wintour lives like a Queen (she is paid a cool US1mil a year) and uses the company’s petty cash account like her own Swiss bank account, she doesn’t ever ride in the elevator with anyone (except maybe the Queen of England or anyone worth sucking up to, I suppose), gets annoyed if anyone talks to her without her permission, yada yada yada.

She makes one of my old bosses – the one I worked with once upon a time in an ad agency not so far away – look like my fairy godmother.

But hey, maybe Wintour will one day rise up and write a tell-all biography on how wrong Young and Wesberger is. (Shrug)

For now, we common folks without Prada to wear can enjoy the gossip.

PS: Another book on bosses behaving badly worth checking out could be The Nanny Diaries. It’s currently sitting in my library, unread. But after Young’s deconstruction of the politics in Vanity Fair, I’d possibly be more hungry for Bad Boss Lit – so it’s probably next on my To-Read list. Also, Sydney Morning Herald has a piece on Bad Boss Litt. Is it the Next Big Genre? Chick Lit, after all, is so yesterday.

Well, that’s not necessarily true, of course. I read fanfiction even if I have money to buy more books! It’s free, it’s there, and it’s utterly fun. Fanfiction.net is a great place to start your fanfic hunt, though there are some sites out there, run by adoring fans, that can be leagues better in story selection.

If you’re a wee bit clueless what fanfiction is, it is fiction based on the characters of a television (usually) show. However, fans have written fanfiction based on certain books as well, such as The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and even comics like X-Men.

Wanna see Aragorn ditch Arwen and hook up with Eowyn instead? Never fear! It’s merely a fanfiction away!

I discovered fanfiction through my sister, who was reading Sailor Moon fanfiction. I thought the whole exercise was incredibly weird at first, but nevertheless curiosity won out and I tried my hand at reading Star Trek fanfiction, and I got hopelessly hooked from that day onwards.

The one fascinating thing about fanfiction, and the whole addictivness of it all, is that you see your favourite TV/Book characters placed in situations you would never see on television.

Like seeing Chakotay and Capt Janeway having a wild, romantic night out in the holodeck. Or Gil Grissom (of CSI) doing the liplock with Sara Sidle.

I’m not much into the whole romance thing, but am more interested in the action/adventure aspect of fanfic.

But finding good fanfiction can be a painful endevour at times. Since most fanfics are written by fans, not all of them are great writers. Some fanfics are downright painful to read. Characters are out of character, and although I’m very forgiving of spelling and grammatical errors (since I’m no Grammar Queen myself), these errors do get tiresome after a while.

I notice that certain shows attract better writers and stories for some reason. Shows like X-Files, Stargate: SG-1 and Star Trek have a wealth of good stories. Don’t be surprised to find novel-length stories. But for some shows, especially those with a big teen audience like Buffy, Angel, Smallville and The O.C., finding good fanfiction can be an incredibly frustrating endevour. Maybe it is for me since it’s always about who is with who, who is in love with who, and who wants to sleep with who.

Yes, there’s a whole debate on whether fanfic is legal or not. However, fans are not stopping anytime soon, worshipping their favourite characters on stories they’ve created, placing them in weird, weird, weird situations.

And when I mean weird, it’s usually in the pairing department. Fanfic writers love to pair up their favourite characters. Sometimes it something all of us want. Sometimes it’s something few of us ever want (Boromir + Faramir [Lord of the Rings] love relationship anyone? Incest is not taboo in the fanfic world). Fanfic writers can sometimes speak in code, and for the first-timer, they’d probably get confused by the various terminology used. Such as:

• slash: male and male relationships
• UST: Unresolved Sexual Tension. Used a lot in the X-files universe!
• Hurt/comfort: Where a character gets hurt, and another comforts the poor fella
• Smarm: Imagine tough-looking guys talking about their feelings and dreams around a campfire and you’ll get the idea.
• sibcest: Let’s not even go there.
• fluff: A story of little substance, but read/written merely for the heck of it.
• Smut: I don’t think this needs translation

Pairings are indicated by “/”. For example, if you have written a story where Scully and Mulder are lovers, you indicate: S/M.

Fans have even invented cute little names to indicate their favourite pairings. In the smallville universe, the Clark and Lana Lang pairing is “Clana”. Hehe.

Well, since I’ve joined a gym, and my expenses will inevitably go up, one of the first things I’d have to cut from my spending bill is books. So … looks like it’s a raid at the fanfiction archives for me from now on!

Michael from Eyeris may have started a trend of sorts! I’m picking up the post started by Michael and continued by Grace Shu: Where/when do I read?

Yes, us voracious readers just find time to read a few words here and there. On average, I read about 4 to 5 books a month. Unfortunately, I buy twice (or more) the amount of books I read!

In bed as I’m about to nod off
I absolutely cannot sleep if I don’t read first. It’s a rite I’ve begun goodness knows since when and it’s a rite I cannot seem to break. Even when I’m bone-dead tired, I will still grab a book to read for a few minutes before nodding off.

At traffic lights when the lights are red
Definitely not when it’s green. ;P As Michael says, kids (and adults) don’t try this. I rely on the car behind me to honk me into awareness when the light turns green. I have not cultivated the necessary skills to read while in a jam like Michael though.

While at a long line at the supermarket
Sunday/Saturday grocery rush is never a drag when you have a book in your bag while waiting for that lady in front of you with a few hundred items in her cart to finish paying.

While in up-market coffee shops like Starbucks or Coffee Bean
Curled up in an oh-so-soft sofa with a good book is a thrill. Unfortunately, by the time I’m done sipping that iced blended chocolate (I can’t take coffee) I’ll be so cold I find it hard to concentrate!

In the public jacuzzi at my apartment
Hmmmm. The epitome of loveliness. With the water bubbling around me, I would indulge in a mystery or two. Of course, the book getting splotches of water here and there is a casualty of sorts.

In other places where it’s too delicate to discuss about it further
In the loo lor …

Listing my favourite ST novels turned out to be a more difficult enterprise than I anticipated. Not only do I not remember many of the titles, I also don’t have that many favourites to list! But here are the books in no particular order:

Star Trek Voyager
Mosaic by Jeri Taylor
Pathways by Jeri Taylor
Marooned by Christie Golden

Star Trek Deep Space Nine
Fallen Heroes by Dafydd ab Hugh (IMHO, one of the very best ST books ever)
Section 31: Abyss by Jeffrey Lang, David Weddle
Warchild by Esther Friesner

Star Trek Deep Space Nine
Q-In-Law by Peter David
I, Q by Peter David

TV Tie-ins (books based on television shows). Love ‘em. Hate ‘em. Actually, most of the time I dislike them. Yet, you just can’t stay away – especially when your favourite television series is on a hiatus and you can’t wait for more stories.

Of all TV tie-ins out there, the Star Trek novels are near-legendary. Not only has the television series spawned the spin offs Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Enterprise, the enterprise (no pun intended) has spawned hundreds and hundreds of books as well.

[For the uninitiated, Star Trek is the tale of explorers who have gone where no man has gone before. You know, humans travel in a space ship for this organisation called the Federation and meet aliens with funny foreheads/skin. Gotta apologise - non Trek followers could be a tad lost in this review.]

I started reading Star Trek novels way back in my teens, and my first Star Trek novel was bought by my dad who knew I had a taste for sci-fi. It was a good one, though I have forgotten the title. Essentially, it was Kirk is in peril, Spock is in peril – and a bit of murder on the side.

That book was the best Star Trek novel I’ve read, and I hate to say this – but its descendents have been inferior in quality: flimsier in plot and detail, sometimes characters are out of character and worse – the authors mess up their back history! The publishers also have a tendency to split what should’ve been one book into two (or more) so that we hapless, addicted Trekker fans would spend more $.

Star Trek Voyager: Homecoming and Star Trek Voyager: The Farther Shore is a great example. The books continues the story of USS Voyager after after they returned to the Alpha Quadrant from the Delta Quadrant (or rather, what happened after the series ended after seven seasons). I was surprised at how hard it was to finish the book, which surprised me since Christie Golden is one of the better Star Trek Voyager writers. I just did not have any interest at all in the fates of the crew. I think it was the use of the Borg plot device (TM) yet again. We’ve seen how humans beat the poor ol’ Borg on the show a gazzilion times – must we see it in print?

Enterprise, the newest spin off, does not fare too well in the books department. The little I’ve read of Daedalus did not entice me. The only hope I have is that it’ll improve with age. Also, dividing the flimsy book (depth-wise) into two smacks of exploitation and does not help me fall in love with it at all. Hmph.

Only Star Trek: Deep Space Nine books seem to have quality these days. I personally thought the “relaunch” of the novels, which continues the tale after Star Trek Deep Space Nine ended its run, was fantastic. It started out very strongly with the usual politicking we’re fammiliar with in the series, and fammiliar faces like Ro Laren from TNG are introduced. It’s rich in intrigue and the characters develop – what more can you ask for?

My favourite ST:DS9 book is Section 31: Abyss – strong on character development and advancement, it’s one of the better Star Trek books out there.

And oh yes, how can I not mention books based on Star Trek: The Next Generation? Well, most of the time it was great, and definitely they had great sparks, like the utterly hilarious Q-in Law. Well, at least that was true nearly ten years ago! I’ve not been reading TNG for a long time, and so do not know how it fares now in the quality department.

Still, despite my current displeasure with the exploitative methods of the publishers and the generally poor writing in these books, I still return to them for some Trek fix. We Trekkers are a sad lot sometimes.

I visited MPH Midvalley in Kuala Lumpur with some friends, and eventually our conversation turned to children’s books.

I remember, as a child, that the library was the world’s most fabulous place. We kids would beg our dad to visit the Johor Baru library as often as we can, and Saturdays are a special time for my sister and I.

The selection at the children’s section was interesting to say the least. For some strange reason, it didn’t have the usual ‘children’s stuff’ like Enid Blyton, Hardy Boys or Nancy Drews. Or perhaps I gravitated instead towards the books like biographies of famous people (written for children of course) and Shakespeare in comics form.

I loved those comics. By the time I was 12, I’ve read almost all of Shakespeare’s plays. I believe they were the one that helped me appreciate Shakespeare when I sat for my Literature unit during my A Levels. (See, there’s a place for comics in a child’s reading list!)

The other books I read when I was a child was Asterix & Obelix. They were so hilarious, that till this day my sister and I still thumb through our worn-out copies.

When we shifted to Kuala Lumpur when I was 13, we never again did find a good library like the one in JB. I mean, how cool is a library that has Asterix & Obelix and Shakespeare in comic form? We were spoiled!

The only substitute was my school library, where I finally discovered Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys!

Now that I’m all grown up, I don’t understand the allure of reading children’s books anymore. Perhaps it is because I like more detail in my fiction. Or perhaps, because I never did get to read a children’s book through a child’s eye, I don’t understand its magical allure.

Still, when I saw the selection of children’s books in MPH yesterday, I was awed. My hands were itching to buy some! (It was the covers, you see. I’m always a sucker for colourful covers.) And surely, thousands of adult readers of children’s books saw something in them.

Anyway, perhaps Daphne could recommend me a small list of children’s books to start off with?

How about you? Do you have a few recommendations?