Category Archives: Books

‘True Story’

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Topher Ong

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been a voracious reader. I would get my hands on anything in the library and at home. Even when I was no longer in school, I’d still borrow books. While grappling with … Continue reading →

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Midwinter (2022) reads

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Topher Ong

Around July of each year, the temps absolutely plummet in Sydney. At the turn of winter, it was already freezing but July is traditionally the coldest month. It’s the perfect time to catch up on your reading. I begin this … Continue reading →

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More early winter (2022) reads

Posted on July 3, 2022 by Topher Ong

For this month’s inventory, two nonfiction bestsellers and Grisham’s latest are up. I started off with Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer’s gripping account of the 1996 Everest disaster. The author is a recent find and I look forward to perusing … Continue reading →

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Early winter (2022) reads

Posted on June 12, 2022 by Topher Ong

Following on from my last reading list, this time we tackle two bestsellers and one classic. As usual, two fiction reads and one nonfiction book comprise my reading list. I start off with David Baldacci’s latest. Dream Town is the … Continue reading →

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May 2022 reads

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Topher Ong

We’re in the thick of fall and the mercury is dropping. The end of April saw me battling with a thick Connelly read. The trailer of Lincoln Lawyer had been unleashed and the show premiered yesterday (13 May) on Netflix. … Continue reading →

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Mid-autumn (2022) reads

Posted on April 30, 2022 by Topher Ong

This month’s tally is a return to the tried and tested. Two fiction books comprise the list with a collection of anecdotes for good measure. I start off with Camus’s The Stranger, first published in 1942. A model on absurdism, … Continue reading →

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Early fall (2022) reads

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Topher Ong

This month, I’ll take a different tack. Usually, two novels and one nonfiction title comprise my reading list. For now, I will review two memoirs and one story collection. I start off with Julie Wang’s Beautiful Country. I’ve had my … Continue reading →

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On Journalling

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Topher Ong

Recently, I received a journal among a bag of birthday gifts. We had discussed the importance for any writer of recording their thoughts. I am a relatively late convert to this practice. I had only started last May but it … Continue reading →

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Late summer (2022) reads

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Topher Ong

We are on the last month of summer and it’s time for another list. Another three books: two novels and one nonfiction title. I start off with Mitch Albom’s newest bestseller. The Stranger in the Lifeboat is his latest feel-good … Continue reading →

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Kick-off reads

Posted on January 15, 2022 by Topher Ong

This year, I get the ball rolling with a treat from the king of crime writing. Michael Connelly’s The Dark Hours tacks another chapter to the Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch tandem. The book sees the duo solving murders while … Continue reading →

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