I visited Malaysia last year for 3 weeks and fell in love with the country and its friendly people, delicious food, and unforgettable shophouse architecture. Before, during, and after my travels there, I read over 10 books on Malaysia. Here is my growing list of books set in Malaysia.
If you’re planning on traveling to Penang, the best book to read is The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng. The book was long-listed for the Booker Prize in 2007. For travels to the Cameron Highlands, read Eng’s other book, The Garden of Evening Mists. Both of Eng’s books center on the Japanese occupation of Malaysia.
On a lighter note, the most recently published book (February 2019) on this list is The Night Tiger, a mystery-romance by Yangsze Choo, an enjoyable read about a Chinese Malay family set in Ipoh. Choo has another book that captures the decaying and eerie atmosphere of Melaka perfectly in The Ghost Bride. Finally, if you want to learn about Peranakan culture, I have added the latest book I’ve read The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds.
For those interested in non-fiction books on Malaysia, there’s one business book about the world’s biggest financial heist, Billion Dollar Whale, and an eye-opening book on Malaysian history, Crossroads, that is a must for anyone wanting to understand why Malaysia is the way it is today.
Almost all of the writers on this list are Chinese- Malaysians. I couldn’t find many good Malay or Indian-Malaysian writers that have been translated into English. If you know of any, let me know in the comments section at the bottom of this post.
My Favorite Books
If I had to choose three of my favorite books set in Malaysia, I’d choose these three
If you have any books on Malaysia that you loved, please share in the comments section at the bottom of this post.
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