146. Horror Stories by Tunku Halim

BOOK REVIEW: Horror Stories by Tunku Halim

Horror is synonymous to Asian culture and Malaysia isn't an exception. We all love the race of our heartbeats or the perspiration that trickles down our back as we are exposed to stories of pontianaks (female vampires) or pocong (shroud wrapped ghosts). How about stories from our very own Malaysian writer, Tunku Halim, spinner of horrendous fiction? 

Over 15 years in the making, this is a mid-career retrospective by Malaysia's prince of darkness Tunku Halim.

Featuring twenty of his best short stories such as Biggest Baddest Bomoh, Mr Petronas, The Rape of Martha Teoh, Night of the Pontianak, Malay Magick and Gravedigger's Kiss, this is a collection that will make you tingle in all sorts of places.

Just like how Stephen King is synonymous with horror in US, Tunku Halim is Malaysia's Stephen King. To me the stories could have been slightly scarier as my horror threshold is pretty high. However, it made for an interesting read.

145. Mysteries of the World

BOOK REVIEW: Mysteries of the World

Did you just see a blinking light in the sky? It's just a star, or is it....Ever came across animal carcasses with no known explanation for it's death except that it was completely drained of blood? Some of these questions and situations have long posed as a mystery to mankind. 

Our world is full of mysterious places, stories and phenomena about which we still know very little, even after many years of investigation. This book is devoted to legendary objects like the Holy Grail and looks at mysterious remains indicating the presence of highly developed technologies in the ancient world.

It investigates beasts like the Yeti, which are still tracked down by cryptozoologists, and many others besides. Make your way through this survey of the mysteries of the world and find interesting answers and clarifications for questions that have long excited humankind.

Detailed pictures and illustrations give us an illuminating insight into creatures that we would only have imagined about such as the Chupacabra, Tatzlwurm and other creatures that lurk in the dark recesses of our mind.

For anyone with a love of the supernatural and unexplained, this book is an excellent resource.