[Book Review] Dear Friend With Love by Nurilla Iryani

 

 

Judul: Dear Friend With Love
Penulis: Nurilla Iryani
Penerbit: Stiletto Book
Terbit: Oktober 2012, Cetakan Pertama
ISBN: 978-602-7572-07-2
Jumlah halaman: 146
Kategori: Fiksi/Romance/Chick Lit

Book Blurb:

Katanya A Guy and A Girl can’t be just friends. Benarkah? How about Karin dan Rama?

Karin
“Delapan tahun! Itu bukan waktu yang sebentar untuk menunggu. Tapi yang aku dapat selama ini justru semua cerita saat aku jatuh cinta dengan puluhan wanita lain di luar sana. Puluhan wanita yang selalu berakhir membuatmu kecewa. Rama, sadarkah kamu, wanita yang nggak akan pernah mengecewakanmu justru berada di dekatmu selama ini? Aku.”

Rama
“Satu diantara seribu alasan kenapa gue nyaman bersahabat dengan Karin adalah ketidakwarasannya membuat gue tetap waras ditengah gilanya kehidupan Jakarta. Ya, dia adalah teman adu tolol favorit gue. Oh iya, gue punya satu lagi alasan: dia cantik banget, man! Nggak malu-maluin buat diajak ke pesta kawinan kalau gue kebetulan sedang jomblo. Paket komplit! “

Thoughts:

Sekarang lagi ‘in’ banget istilah friendzone di Twitter. Beberapa waktu lalu TL gue rame banget dengan istilah ini. Mungkin karena semakin banyak jomblo yang berusaha mencari jodoh sampe ke luar negeri segala, dan ternyata sosok yang dicari ternyata ada di depan mata. Ok, gue mulai nyeritain pemgalaman pribadi.

Novel ini hadir di saat yang tepat. Di saat friendzone sedang marak. Selain itu, novel ini asli kocak banget. Kalo lo lagi suntuk di tengah macet atau lagi ruwet dengan kompleksnya permasalahan di kantor atau kampus, baca deh. Dijamin terhibur.

First impression gue terhadap kedua tokoh utamanya: they’re so much alike. Dari cara becanda sampai bertutur kata, Karin dan Rama itu mirip. Dua-duanya konyol, spontan, dan ceplas-ceplos (selain seneng ngomong bahasa Inggris).

Dear Friend With Love memakai dua POV tokoh utamanya, Karin dan Rama. Pembaca jadi tahu apa isi hati dan pikiran kedua tokoh ini. Sedikit mengingatkan gue dengan Antologi Rasa-nya Ika Natassa, tapi beda rasa.
Yang jelas, penulisnya bisa jadi Rama dan Karin, sesuatu yang gue harus pelajari. Karena POV cowok itu susah banget.

Karin yang happy-go-lucky ternyata menyimpan rasa terhadap Rama. Walau di luar ia terlihat extrovert, bawel, dan ceplas-ceplos, saat mentok dengan perasaan, dia bungkam.

Sedangkan Rama ini tipe cowok bebal kurang peka yang nggak sadar kalau perempuan disampingnya mengharap dia menyatakan cinta.
Ada kesaman gue dengan Rama, sama-sama cinta dengan apple pie. Yang bikin agak empet dengan cowok ini adalah kenarsisannya. Bukan tipe cowok yang gue taksir 😀

Plot bergulir. Karin dijodohkan dengan teman masa kecil di Amerika, Adam. Tapi hatinya memang nggak bisa move on dari Rama. Perlahan tapi pasti, Rama sadar betapa pentingnya Karin bagi di dalam hidupnya.

Satu lagi yang bikin gue ngakak di novel ini. Ada tokoh minor namanya Tante Titi dan Adam. I’m a huge fan ofAdam Lambert. Dan sesama fans biasanya saling kenal. Ada satu kenalan gue namanya Titi dan dia gila segila-gilanya sama Adam Lambert. Nggak tahu ini kebetulan apa gimana, gue selalu ngakak tiap Adam dan Tante Titi ini nongol.

It’s a lightweight read but heavily entertaining. Untuk pembaca cepat, mungkin bisa habis dilahap dalam satu kali duduk.

[Book Review] Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch

Title: Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading
Author: Nina Sankovitch
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Publish Date: June 19th, 2012
Format: Ebook
ISBN: 0061999857
Category: Non Fiction/Literature Memoir

Book blurb

“Nina Sankovitch has crafted a dazzling memoir that reminds us of the most primal function of literature-to heal, to nurture and to connect us to our truest selves.” —Thrity Umrigar, author of The Space Between Us

Catalyzed by the loss of her sister, a mother of four spends one year savoring a great book every day, from Thomas Pynchon to Nora Ephron and beyond. In the tradition of Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project and Joan Dideon’s A Year of Magical Thinking, Nina Sankovitch’s soul-baring and literary-minded memoir is a chronicle of loss, hope, and redemption. Nina ultimately turns to reading as therapy and through her journey illuminates the power of books to help us reclaim our lives.

Thoughts:

This is a heartwarming read. Look at the cover! I can imagine the cozy purple chair that the author has in her reading room. This book is as cozy as that purple chair.

The premise of the book is simple: how to deal with loss and grief, and find solace in books.

I can connect with Nina instantly. She was saddened by the death of her sister, Anne-Marie. Suddenly, I remember the grief I had when my grandmother passed away. First, I was shocked. After that, I was in a deep grief.

Nina Sankovitch found solace in books. She has four sons, one step daughter, and a husband. In order to escape from the grief, she set a goal to read a book a day in one year. During house chores, she found time to read and write a review everyday. Overwhelming.

She learnt how to deal with loss, grief, pain and things in between. I like how she intertwine the book with her personal experience as a mother, a sister, a daughter, and a wife. She also mentioned how her father coped with fear and grief durung WW2. His siblings were murdered by the German troops, and he had the same feeling when her daughter died of cancer.

I learned a lot from this book. It’s not only about the joy of reading a lot of books, but the lesson learned from the books, finding answers to our questions, and drowning in a sea of beautiful words. I envy the author who was able to read 1 book everyday.

In the end, after I finished reading the last chapter, I thank God for blessing me with my beautiful family. I love this book.

Complete list of books read from Oct 28, 2008 – Oct 28, 2009

The Lotus Eaters, by Tatjana Soli
The Abbot’s Ghost, by Louisa May Alcott
About Schmidt, by Louis Begley
Act of the Damned, by António Lobo Antunes
Address Unknown, by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
The African Queen, by C. S. Forester
The Age of Dreaming, by Nina Revoyr
Algren at Sea, by Nelson Algren
Alice Fantastic, by Maggie Estep
All My Friends Are Superheroes, by Andrew Kaufman
All Souls, by Christine Schutt
All That I Have, by Castle Freeman Jr.
American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang
Amphibian, by Carla Gunn
The Ancient Shore, by Shirley Hazzard and Francis Steegmuller
Anna In-Between, by Elizabeth Nunez
Annie John, by Jamaica Kincaid
Are You Somebody? by Nuala O’Faolain
The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein
The Assault, by Harry Mulisch
Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon, by Nancy Atherton
Bangkok Haunts, by John Burdett
Beauty Salon, by Mario Bellatin
The Believers, by Zoë Heller
Bellwether, by Connie Willis
The Best Place to Be, by Lesley Dormen
Better, by John O’Brien
Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott
Black Water, by Joyce Carol Oates
Blank, by Noah Tall
The Body Artist, by Don DeLillo
Bombay Time, by Thrity Umrigar
The Book of Chameleons, by José Eduardo Agualusa
The Book of Murder, by Guillermo Martínez
Boston Noir, edited by Dennis Lehane
Breath, Eyes, Memory, by Edwidge Danticat
The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder
The Bridges at Toko-Ri, by James A. Michener
Brief Encounters with Che Guevara, by Ben Fountain
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Díaz
Brooklyn, by Colm Tóibín
By Chance, by Martin Corrick
Bye, Bye Soccer, by Edilberto Coutinho
The Calling, by Mary Gray Hughes
Call Me Ahab, by Anne Finger
Camera, by Jean-Philippe Toussaint
C aptains Courageous, by Rudyard Kipling
Castle Nowhere, by Constance Fenimore Woolson
The Castle of Otranto, by Horace Walpole
A Celibate Season, by Carol Shields and Blanche Howard
Charles Dickens, by Melisa Klimaszewski and Melissa Gregory
Cheese, by Willem Elsschot
Christmas in Plains, by Jimmy Carter
Climate of Fear, by Wole Soyinka
Conjugal Love, by Alberto Moravia
Consider the Lobster, by David Foster Wallace
Cooking and Screaming, by Adrienne Kane
The Council of the Cursed, by Peter Tremayne
The Crofter and the Laird, by John McPhee
Crow Planet, by Lyanda Lynn Haupt
Crusader’s Cross, by James Lee Burke
The Crying of Lot 49, by Thomas Pynchon
The Curriculum Vitae of Aurora Ortiz, by Almudena Solana
The Curse of Eve, by Liliana Blum
A Curtain of Green, by Eudora Welty
Dangerous Games, by Margaret MacMillan
Dangerous Laughter, by Steven Millhauser
The Darts of Cupid, by Edith Templeton
Dead Giveaway, by Simon Brett
Dead Horse, by Walter Satterthwait
A Dead Man in Barcelona, by Michael Pearce
Deaf Sentence, by David Lodge
Death Etc., by Harold Pinter
Death of a Witch, by M. C. Beaton
Death Rites, by Alicia Giménez-Bartlett
Death with Interruptions, by José Saramago
The Deer Leap, by Martha Grimes
DeKok and Murder by Installment, by A. C. Baantjer
Delhi Noir, edited by Hirsh Sawhney
Desperate Characters, by Paula Fox
The Detective Wore Silk Drawers, by Peter Lovesey
The Devil’s Tickets, by Gary M. Pomerantz
The Diamond Girls, by Jacqueline Wilson
The Diary of a Nobody, by G eorge and Weedon Grossmith
Disquiet, by Julia Leigh
Divisadero, by Michael Ondaatje
Dogs, Dreams, and Men, by Joan Kaufman
The Door to Bitterness, by Martin Limón
Double-Click for Trouble, by Chris Woodworth
Dreamers, by Knut Hamsun
Drink to Yesterday, by Manning Coles
The Duppy, by Anthony C. Winkler
The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery
The Emigrants, by W. G. Sebald
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love, by Lauren Tarshis
The Emperor’s Tomb, by Joseph Roth
Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
The English Major, by Jim Harrison
Escape Under the Forever Sky, by Eve Yohalem
Esther’s Inheritance, by Sándor Márai
Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues, by Blaize Clement
Ex Libris, by Anne Fadiman
Explorers of the New Century, by Magnus Mills
Facing the Bridge, by Yoko Tawada
The Fairacre Festival, by Miss Read
The Faithful Lover, by Massimo Bontempelli
The Fall, by Albert Camus
Falling Angels, by Tracy Chevalier
Family Happiness, by Laurie Colwin
The Famous Flower of Serving Men, by Deborah Grabien
Female Trouble, by Antonya Nelson
The Ferguson Affair, by Ross Macdonald
Fiendish Deeds, by P. J. Bracegirdle
The Fifth Child, by Doris Lessing
Fight Scenes, by Greg Bottoms
Fine Just the Way It Is, by Annie Proulx
The First Person, by Ali Smith
A Fisherman of the Inland Sea, by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Forged Coupon, by Leo Tolstoy
For Grace Received, by Valeria Parrella
Forty Stories, by Donald Barthelme
Frida’s Bed, by Slavenka Drakulić
The Garden Party, by Katherine Mansfield
Gerard Keegan’s Famine Diary, by James J. Mangan
The German Mujahid, by Boualem Sansal
Girl Boy Girl, by Savannah Knoop
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
Godlike, by Richard Hell
Gold, by Dan Rhodes
Good Behaviour, by Molly Keane
The Good Life According to Hemingway, by A. E. Hotchner
The Good Soldier, by Ford Madox Ford
The Good Thief, by Hannah Tinti
The Granny, by Brendan O’Carroll
A Great Day for a Ballgame, by Fielding Dawson
Grief, by Andrew Holleran
The Grotesque, by Patrick McGrath
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Gutter and the Grave, by Ed McBain
Hairstyles of the Damned, by Joe Meno
Half in Love, by Maile Meloy
Hannah Coulter, by Wendell Berry
Happens Every Day, by Isabel Gillies
A Happy Marriage, by Rafael Yglesias
The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain, by Charles Dickens
Her Deadly Mischief, by Beverle Graves Myers
The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss
The Hollow-Eyed Angel, by Janwillem van de Wetering
A Hope in the Unseen, by Ron Suskind
The House Beautiful, by Allison Burnett
The Housekeeper and the Professor, by Yoko Ogawa
Housekeeping vs. the Dirt, by Nick Hornby
The House on Eccles Road, by Judith Kitchen
How I Became a Nun, by César Aira
The Howling Miller, by Arto Paasilinna
How to Paint a Dead Man, by Sarah Hall
The Hunt for Sonya Dufrette, by R. T. Raichev
I Feel Bad About My Neck, by Nora Ephron
I Love Dollars, by Zhu Wen
Indignation, by Philip Roth
In Her Absence, by Antonio Muñoz Molina
Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke
The Inner Game of Tennis, by W. Timothy Gallwey
In the Meantime, by Robin Lippincott
In the Pond, by Ha Jin
In the Woods, by Tana French
In Time of Peace, by Thomas Boyd
Iron Balloons, edited by Colin Channer
I Was Dora Suarez, by Derek Raymond
Jacob’s Hands, by Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood
Jerusalem, by Selma Lagerlöf
John Crow’s Devil, by Marlon James
The Joys of Motherhood, by Buchi Emecheta
Kindred, by Octavia E. Butler
The King and the Cowboy, by David Fromkin
Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto
Krapp’s Last Cassette, by Anne Argula
Lark and Termite, by Jayne Anne Phillips
The Last Essays of Elia, by Charles Lamb
Last Night at the Lobster, by Stewart O’Nan
The Laughter of Dead Kings, by Elizabeth Peters
Laura Rider’s Masterpiece, by Jane Hamilton
The Law of Similars, by Chris Bohjalian
The Laws of Evening, by Mary Yukari Waters
A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines
Letter to a Christian Nation, by Sam Harris
Life on the Refrigerator Door, by Alice Kuipers
Little Bee, by Chris Cleave
The Little Disturbances of Man, by Grace Paley
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner, by Alan Sillitoe
The Lost Art of Gratitude, by Alexander McCall Smith
The Lost Prophecies, by C. J. Sansom, Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, Michael Jecks, Susanna Gregory, and Philip Gooden
Love and Death, by Forrest Church
The Loved One, by Evelyn Waugh
The Love of the Last Tycoon, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Love Song of Monkey, by Michael Graziano
Love Walked In, by Marisa de los Santos
Madame de Staël, by Francine du Plessix Gray
Make No Bones, by Aaron Elkins
Man in the Dark, by Paul Auster
The Man in the Picture, by Susan Hill
The Man of My Life, by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
The Man Who Was Thursday, by G. K. Chesterton
Marley and Me, by John Grogan
The Master of Petersburg, by J. M. Coetzee
Masterpiece, by Elise Broach
Meat Eaters and Plant Eaters, by Jessica Treat
A Mercy, by Toni Morrison
The Mercy Papers, by Robin Romm
Miss Lonelyhearts, by Nathanael West
Miss Misery, by Andy Greenwald
Mister Pip, by Lloyd Jones
The Moon Opera, by Bi Feiyu
Moon Tiger, by Penelope Lively
Murder in the Calais Coach, by Agatha Christie
Murder Is My Racquet, edited by Otto Penzler
The Musical Illusionist, by Alex Rose
My House in Umbria, by William Trevor
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass
Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro
Newton, by Peter Ackroyd
The Nick Adams Stories, by Ernest Hemingway
Nobody Move, by Denis Johnson
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, by Rainer Maria Rilke
Nothing to Be Frightened Of, by Julian Barnes
Oh Joe, by Michael Z. Lewin
The Old Man and Me, by Elaine Dundy
Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout
On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan
One Dog Happy, by Molly McNett
One Foot in Eden, by Ron Rash
Onitsha, by J. M. G. Le Clézio
On Kindness, by Adam Phillips and Barbara Taylor
On the Line, by Serena Williams with Daniel Paisner
On the Pleasure of Hating, by William Hazlitt
The Open Door, by Elizabeth Maguire
The Orchid Shroud, by Michelle Wan
Out of Captivity, by Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Tom Howes with Gary Brozek
The Palestinian Lover, by Sélim Nassib
Pastoralia, by George Saunders
The Patience of the Spider, by Andrea Camilleri
Payback, by Margaret Atwood
People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks
The Peregrine, by J. A. Baker
The Perfectionists, by Gail Godwin
Petey & Pussy, by John Kerschbaum
The Picts and the Martyrs, by Arthur Ransome
Pilate’s Wife, by H.D.
The Pisstown Chaos, by David Ohle
The Plated City, by Bliss Perry
Please Kill Me, by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
Poisonville, by Massimo Carlotto and Marco Videtta
Polaris, by Fay Weldon
The Poorhouse Fair, by John Updike
Pressure Is a Privilege, by Billie Jean King
The Private Patient, by P. D. James
The Provincial Lady in London, by E. M. Delafield
The Public Prosecutor, by Jef Geeraerts
Pulpy and Midge, by Jessica Westhead
The Pursuit of Love, by Nancy Mitford
Rage, by Sergio Bizzio
Rancho Weirdo, by Laura Chester
Respected Sir, by Naguib Mahfouz
Revelation, by C. J. Sansom
Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates
Rhino Ranch, by Larry McMurtry
Rimbaud, by Edmund White
River of Darkness, by Rennie Airth
A Rogue’s Life, by Wilkie Collins
Rome Noir, edited by Chiara Stangalino and Maxim Jakubowski
Ronald Reagan, by Andrew Helfer, illustrated by Steve Buccellato and Joe Staton
Roseanna, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
Ruins, by Achy Obejas
The Rules of Engagement, by Anita Brookner
Russian Journal, by Andrea Lee
The Salt-Box House, by Jane de Forest Shelton
Salvation and Other Disas ters, by Josip Novakovich
The Samurai’s Garden, by Gail Tsukiyama
Say You’re One of Them, by Uwem Akpan
Scat, by Carl Hiaasen
Seize the Day, by Saul Bellow
Self’s Murder, by Bernhard Schlink
The Servants’ Quarters, by Lynn Freed
The Session, by Aaron Petrovich
The Seven Deadly Sins, edited by Angus Wilson
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, by Chuck Klosterman
The Shadow of the Sun, by Ryszard Kapuściński
A Short History of Women, by Kate Walbert
Silks, by Dick Francis and Felix Francis
Silverwing, by Kenneth Oppel
The Simulacra, by Philip K. Dick
The Sin Eater, by Alice Thomas Ellis
Six Early Stories, by Thomas Mann
Six Kinds of Sky, by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Sixth Target, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
The Skating Rink, by Roberto Bolaño
The Slippery Year, by Melanie Gideon
Smile as They Bow, by Nu Nu Yi
A Smile of Fortune, by Joseph Conrad
Snakehead, by Anthony Horowitz
Something Nasty in the Woodshed, by Kyril Bonfiglioli
Somewhere Towards the End, by Diana Athill
Songs My Mother Never Taught Me, by Selçuk Altun
Son of Holmes, by John Lescroart
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Spoke, by Friedrich Glauser
Spooner, by Pete Dexter
A Sport and a Pastime, by James Salter
Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
Stitches, by David Small
Stolen Children, by Peg Kehret
The Sun Field, by Heywood Broun
A Sun for the Dying, by Jean-Claude Izzo
The Swap, by Antony Moore
Tamburlaine Must Die, by Louise Welsh
The Tempest Tales, by Walter Mosley
Ten Poems to Set You Free, by Roger Housden
A Terrible Splendor, by Marshall Jon Fisher
The Thanksgiving Visitor, by Truman Capote
They Who Do Not Grieve, by Sia Figiel
The Thing Around Your Neck, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
The Third Angel, by Alice Hoffman
The Thirty-Nine Steps, by John Buchan
The Three of Us, by Julia Blackburn
A Toast to Tomorrow, by Manning Coles
The Tomb in Seville, by Norman Lewis
To Siberia, by Per Petterson
The Touchstone, by Edith Wharton
Towards the End of the Morning, by Michael Frayn
Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler
Twice-Told Tales, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
Two Marriages, by Phillip Lopate
Under the Frangipani, by Mia Couto
The Unknown Masterpiece, by Honoré de Balzac
Vanessa and Virginia, by Susan Sellers
The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder, by John Bellairs, completed by Brad Strickland
The Venice Train, by Georges Simenon
The Vicar of Sorrows, by A. N. Wilson
Victorian Tales of Terror, edited by Hugh Lamb
Waiting in Vain, by Colin Channer
Wake, by Lisa McMann
Walk the Blue Fields, by Claire Keegan
War Dances, by Sherman Alexie
Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
The Weekend, by Peter Cameron
What I’d Say to the Martians, by Jack Handey
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami
When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris
Where Angels Fear to Tread, by E. M. Forster
Where the Money Went, by Kevin Canty
Where Three Roads Meet, by John Barth
Where You Once Belonged, by Kent Haruf
T he White Tiger, by Aravind Adiga
The Whore’s Child, by Richard Russo
Willful Behavior, by Donna Leon
Will War Ever End? by Paul K. Chappell
Will Work for Drugs, by Lydia Lunch
Winning Ugly, by Brad Gilbert and Steve Jamison
Wizard’s Hall, by Jane Yolen
The Wright 3, by Blue Balliett
The Writing Life, by Annie Dillard
The Yellow Leaves, by Frederick Buechner
The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Quotes from the book

When I was in high school, I began keeping a journal of favorite quotations from books. The purpose of the journal was to act as a vault. I wanted to save the words whispered in my ears by beloved authors, and store them up for the day when I would need to hear them again.

“Do not look for happiness in life. Life itself is happiness.”

But books were showing me that everyone suffers, at different times in their lives. And that yes, in fact, there were many people who knew exactly what I was going through. Now, through reading, I found that suffering and finding joy are universal experiences, and that those experiences are the connection between me and the rest of the world.

“Democracy depends on the voices of its citizens, whether supportive or critical of the government! Leave America? No, I choose to try and make it a better country. A country that ends wars, not perpetuates them.”

How to live? With empathy.

I wasn’t always a loyal girlfriend, but when I cheated, it wasn’t because desire overcame my good sense. It was because love had faded and I was too much of a chicken to break off the relationship.

What holds a couple together is more than just ardor—it is the confabulation of two, a conversation spanning years, sometimes carried out through words and sometimes through caresses.

“You really need to prioritize in life, figuring out in what order you should divide up your time and energy. If you don’t get that sort of system set by a certain age, you’ll lack focus and your life will be out of balance.”

Books were my time machine, my vehicles of recovery and reignited bliss from childhood and beyond.

In a world where, sometimes, very little makes sense, a mystery can take the twists and turns of life and run them through a plot that eventually does make sense.

“Kindness . . . creates the kind of intimacy, the kind of involvement with other people that we both fear and crave . . . kindness, fundamentally, makes life worth living.”

In my family’s mythology, kindness is the greatest power.

“All love is sacred” was my grandmother’s philosophy.

Wishful Wednesday 7: Love You To Death

Udah lama banget ga posting Wishful Wednesday sampe ketinggalan giveawaynya.
Bulan Februari sama sekali ga posting karena hectic abis. So, bulan ini, akhir Maret, gue memberanikan diri untuk ngepost wishlist ke 7. Moga-moga nomor keberuntungan ini bisa membawa berkah bagi kita semua, amen.

Love You to Death: The Unofficial Companion to the Vampire Diaries by Crissy Calhoun

Book Description:

Go deep into the heart of Mystic Falls with this episode-by-episode look at the first season of The Vampire Diaries. Premiering in the thick of the vampire craze, The Vampire Diaries has proven itself to be much more than yet another addition to the overpopulated, undead pop-culture racket. Its mix of romance, horror, drama, and humor has won it great ratings for The CW, international acclaim, and a growing and devoted fan base. Love You to Death: The Unofficial Companion to The Vampire Diaries is the essential guide to the show, featuring: * the story of L.J. Smith who first introduced Elena and the Salvatore brothers in her best selling book series; * background on Kevin Williamson (Dawson’s Creek, Scream) and Julie Plec (Kyle XY), the masterminds behind the adaptation from page to screen; * biographies of the actors who bring Mystic Falls’ residents to life (. . . or afterlife); * insightful explorations of each episode with information on the rich history, supernatural mythology, film references, character development, and much more; and * exclusive interviews with TVDers, like the much-loved Malese Jow (Anna) and the fandom’s fearless leaders. With photos of the irresistible cast and of the show’s filming locations, Love You to Death captures the fun, fangs, and fear that make The Vampire Diaries so epic.

Love You to Death Season 2: The Unofficial Companion to the Vampire Diaries by Crissy Calhoun

Book Description:

Returning to the haunting hideaway of Mystic Falls, the fictional setting of the CW hit series “The Vampire Diaries,” this new guide promises to further satisfy the show’s many loyal viewers. Garnering huge ratings for the network week after week, “The Vampire Diaries”‘ mix of horror, romance, drama, and self-aware humor has maintained a growing fan base through its second hit season. This volume follows in the footsteps of the previous guide by featuring insightful explorations of each episode’s rich history, supernatural mythology, film references, character development, and much more. Chapters on the vampire, werewolf, and doppelganger lore that inspired the show are included as well as behind-the-scenes details on the making of the series, the people who started it all, and the fandom that keeps it alive. With photos of the irresistible cast and chilling filming locations, this second installment once again captures the fun, fangs, and fear that make this bloodcurdling production so epic.

Love You To Death – Season 3: The Unofficial Companion to The Vampire Diaries by Chrissy Calhoun

Book Description:

Full description for Love You To Death – Season 3
Returning to the haunting hideaway of Mystic Falls, the fictional setting of the CW hit series “The Vampire Diaries,” this new guide promises to further satisfy the show’s many loyal viewers. Garnering huge ratings for the network week after week, “The Vampire Diaries”‘ mix of horror, romance, drama, and self-aware humor has maintained a growing fan base through its third hit season. This volume follows in the footsteps of the two previous guides by featuring insightful explorations of each episode’s rich history, supernatural mythology, film references, character development, and much more. Chapters on the vampire, werewolf, and doppelganger lore that inspired the show are included as well as behind-the-scenes details on the making of the series, the people who started it all, and the fandom that keeps it alive. With photos of the irresistible cast and chilling filming locations, this third installment once again captures the fun, fangs, and fear that make this bloodcurdling production so epic.

Gue penggemar fanatik seri The Vampire Diaries. Jujur, gue belum pernah baca bukunya (lagi ngumpulin cicis untuk beli bukunya). Pas lihat ada TV series companionnya, gue langsung mupeng berat. Mystic Falls Guide sih gue udah dapat, beli murah banget di Periplus PIM. Sepertinya bakal lama banget kalo nunggu ketiga buku ini disale ama Periplus. Gue harus punya ketiganya, dan seru banget pastinya sambil rerun The Vampire Diaries dan ter-mermerized oleh Damon Salvatore berulang-ulang.

Yang mau ikutan Wishful Wednesday bisa klik blog Books to Share

Happy Wednesday!

[Book Review] Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulya Malladi

 

Title: Serving Crazy With Curry
Author: Amulya Malladi
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publish Date: October 25th, 2004
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345466128
Format: Ebook
Category: Fiction/Indian Lit/ Family/Cultural/Food Lit

Book blurb:

Between the pressures to marry and become a traditional Indian wife and the humiliation of losing her job in Silicon Valley, Devi is on the edge-where the only way out seems to be to jump. . . .

Yet Devi’s plans to “end it all” fall short when she is saved by the last person she wants to see: her mother. Forced to move in with her parents until she recovers, Devi refuses to speak. Instead, she cooks . . . nonstop. And not the usual fare, but off the wall twists on Indian classics, like blueberry curry chicken or Cajun prawn biryani. Now family meals are no longer obligations. Devi’s parents, her sister, and her brother-in-law can’t get enough-and they suddenly find their lives taking turns as surprising as the impromptu creations Devi whips up in the kitchen each night. Then a stranger appears out of the blue. Devi, it appears, had a secret-one that touches many a nerve in her tightly wound family. Though exposing some shattering truths, the secret will also gather them back together in ways they never dreamed possible.

Interspersed with mouthwatering recipes, this story mixes humor, warmth, and leap-off-the-page characters into a rich stew of a novel that reveals a woman’s struggle for acceptance from her family and herself.

This book is about Devi and her dysfunctional family. Unlike any other Indian Lit that I read, this one is blunt and digs about the taboo subjects among Indians: pre-marital sex, divorce, suicide, and atheism.

It started with Devi who tried to kill herself, but failed. Then The narrator told about Devi’s grandfather who committed suicide. It touches the psychological aspect. I read somewhere that suicidal tendencies run in the family. Britney Spears, who was in turbulance (we don’t know what she did to herself during that phase), was in the tabloids. One article mentioned about her grandmother who hanged herself (if I’m not mistaken). It makes sense to me.

After the fail suicide attempt, Devi shut her mouth and being muted for four months. One by one, the secrets in the family revealed. Sobha’s unhappy marriage with Girish, his husband through arranged marriage. Saroj and Avi’s marriage was also in trouble (Saroj and Avi are Devi and Sobha’s parents). And Vasu, Saroj’s mother who has health issues. She was gloomy after the love of her life died of cancer.

Devi discovered her passion in the kitchen. During her mute phase, she tried to cook Indian food, and the result was surprisingly great. She’s become the best chef in the house.

Out of the blue, Jay, Devi’s ex-lover-turned-best friend, came to her house to spill the shocking news, the secret that Devi buried. That’s the main reason of her mental breakdown.

It’s the best family fiction I’ve ever read. Every character has its flaw. The family is traditional but less religious. Even Sobha said she’s an atheist. And, of course, the mouth watering recipes are appealing.

The last part is also my favorite, when Amulya talked to the characters. A unique approach in writing.

If you love family drama, don’t miss this one.

[Book Review] Brownies by Fira Basuki

Judul: Brownies
Penulis: Fira Basuki (based on a movie script by Hanung Bramantyo, Salman Aristo, Erik Sasono & Lina Nurmalina)
Penerbit: Gagasmedia
ISBN: 9793600373
Jumlah Halaman: 239
Terbit: Desember 2004, Cetakan ketiga
Kategori: Fiksi/Romance
Beli di: Bazaar Gramedia Bintaro

Mel, seorang gadis cantik yang gemar membuat kue brownies ditimpa musibah. Suatu hari, ketika ia ingin membuat kejutan untuk tunangannya, Joe, ia menemukannya bercinta dengan wanita lain. Dia akhirnya berkonsentrasi membantu menyiapkan pernikahan sahabatnya, Didi dengan tunangannya, Lilo.

Disanalah Mel bertemu dengan Are, teman SMA Lilo yang pandai membuat brownies. Didi lalu berusaha untuk menjodohkan Mel dan Are. Apalagi ketika mengetahui bahwa Are seperti memahami filosofi kue favorit Mel itu. Tapi Mel yang memang belum siap untuk menerima cinta Are, akhirnya menyakitinya ketika Joe mencoba untuk kembali. Kemanakah akhirnya hati Mel akan berlabuh?

Fira Basuki adalah salah satu nama besar di dunia sastra Indonesia. Gue pertama kali kenal dengan karyanya, yaitu trilogi Jendela-Pintu-Atap yang fenomenal dan membuat nama Fira disejajarkan dengan sastrawati wangi seperti Djenar Maesa Ayu, Dee, juga Ayu Utami.

Fira adalah salah satu penulis yang menginspirasi gue dalam menulis fiksi. Gaya menulisnya santai, informatif dan suka menyisipkan sejarah dan budaya yang sangat gue suka. Trilogi Jendela-Pintu-Atap adalah salah satu koleksi gue yang berharga dan akan gue simpan dan wariskan pada anak gue kelak.

Gue belum pernah menonton film Brownies yang sempat booming awal 2000an. Saat itu gue masih enggan nonton film Indonesia. Pas nemu buku ini di Gramedia, gue niat untuk membacanya. Alasan utamanya karena penulisnya Fira Basuki.

Tokoh utama novel ini, Mel, adalah creative director, perempuan khas metropolitan. Dia patah hati saat memergoki tunangannya, Joe, yang sedang bermesraan dengan perempuan lain, Astrid, yang ternyata adalah salah satu seleb papan atas Indonesia. Mel susah sekali move on, selain perasaannya yang mendalam pada Joe, walau tahu ia player kelas berat sejak kuliah, Mel masih berharap Joe bisa berubah dan mampu mencintai Mel dengan tulus tanpa ada perselingkuhan. Mel sering menangis histeris saat teringat Joe. Apalagi waktu sahabatnya, Didi, menikah dengan Lilo. Joe yang diundang dengan santainya menggandeng Astrid, seolah ingin memamerkan pada dunia dan membuat perasaan Mel tercabik-cabik. Oh, yes, I know the feeling. You’re crushed to the core. And you feel the world is cruel and not worth living.

Mel juga hobi sekali membuat brownies yang ketika dibuatnya saat patah hati rasanya jadi pahit. Memang ketika memasak/baking, rasa yang dihasilkan sangat bergantung pada perasaan pembuatnya. Masakan akan terasa sangat lezat jika dibuat dengan cinta dan ketulusan. Ini serius, karena gue tukang ngubek dapur dan berkali-kali gagal dalam menciptakan ‘rasa’ terutama ketika PMS sedang melanda 🙂

Setelah bermuram durja, akhirnya Mel bertekad untuk tidak hancur gara-gara Joe. Berbekal buku tamu dan buku almamater kampus, Mel menghubungi cowok-cowok untuk dikencaninya. Jadilah Mel seorang serial dater. Tentu saja Mel membawa cowok-cowok ke depan mata Joe agar terlihat. Well, of course it’s not flattering. Mel malah terlihat semakin pathetic. Karena semua cowok yang dikencaninya cuma rebound, dan selalu ia bandingkan dengan Joe, Mel merasa bosan, dan ia meninggalkan mereka.

Mel mencoba resep baru brownies dan mengajak cowok-cowok teman kencannya untuk membantunya dan mencicipinya. Rasanya masih belum memuaskan. Sampai ia bertemu dengan Are, pemilik toko buku kecil di TIM. Sosok Are yang unik, ditambah dengan brownies buatannya yang terkenal enak, Mel tertarik untuk mendapatkan resep Are.

Selebihnya, Gue nggak mau ngasih spoiler ya.

Gue suka dengan storyline Brownies yang singkat, padat, jelas, dan berisi. Tema cinta memang nggak habis untuk digali, dan Brownies cukup legit untuk dinikmati.

Yang ganjil dari buku ini:

Lilo memandang Didi. “Mel punya kebiasaan bunuh diri nggak sih?” – hal. 63

Sepertinya nggak ada orang yang hobi bunuh diri, kecuali nyawanya ada sembilan. Mungkin hobi percobaan bunuh diri, atau hobi mengancam ingin bunuh diri (gue punya temen model begini soalnya. Ngancam doang, tapi nggak pernah sampe bunuh diri).
Atau bisa juga punya kecenderungan untuk bunuh diri. Menurut gue tiga hal tadi lebih masuk akal daripada kebiasaan/habit bunuh diri.

Lalu, terjemahan percakapan bahasa Inggris agak mengganggu. Menurut gue, semua percakapan dalam bahasa Inggris di buku ini mudah dipahami, sehingga nggak perlu diterjemahin.

Gue lebih suka Brownies daripada seri Ms. B yang menurut gue chicklit/metropop nanggung. Entah kenapa, gue nggak dapat feel Fira di serial Ms. B. Dan, tentu saja, gue pengin cari film Brownies. Selain itu, gue juga jadi pengin nyari buku Canting-nya Arswendo Atmowiloto dan kumcer Gallery of Kisses yang didapat Mel dari toko buku Are.

Fave Quotes:

“Jadi, buatlah brownies untuk dinikmati orang lain. Itu saja kuncinya. Itu resepnya.” – Are
“Masak saja apa adanya, biarkan brownies ungkapin sendiri rasanya…” – Are

[Book Review] From Batavia With Love by Karla M. Nashar

Judul: From Batavia with Love: Seratus Tahun Cinta Menanti
Penulis: Karla M. Nashar
Penerbit: Gagas Media
Terbit: 2007, Cetakan Pertama
ISBN: 9797801780
Kategori: fiksi/roman/paranormal/supranatural/historical fiction
Jumlah halaman: 304

Book blurb:

Ketika Tara Medira mengunjungi museum, ia mulai mendapatkan serangkaian mimpi aneh. Mimpi yang mengantarnya kepada sosok dari masa lalu yang terjebak dalam sebuah penantian panjang. Sosok itu bernama Pieter van Reissen, aristokrat muda Belanda yang datang ke Batavia pada tahun 1905. Dan di masa lalu itu, Pieter memiliki kisah cinta dengan gadis pribumi bernama Yasmin. Cinta Pieter dan Yasmin berkembang kuat, namun tragedi terjadi. Cinta telah direnggut paksa oleh orang-orang di sekitar mereka.

Seratus tahun berlalu. Dan takdirlah yang mempertemukan jiwa resah Pieter dengan Tara. Hingga akhirnya, di antara mereka mulai terjalin ikatan batin. Mungkinkah Tara jatuh cinta kepada Pieter? Adakah hubungan antara Tara dengan Yasmin? Lalu apa yang membuat Pieter harus menunggu tepat seratus tahun untuk dapat mewujudkan keinginan terakhirnya itu?

Thoughts:

Gue dipinjemin buku ini sama editor sebagai referensi. Pertama, gue suka sejarah. Biasanya dengan senang hati gue bakal baca buku hisfic.
Ternyata, buku ini habis gue baca selama dua hari saja.

Bagian dari buku ini yang paling gue suka adalah part-nya Pieter dan Yasmin di era kolonialisme Belanda. Entah kenapa gue jadi membayangkan film Soegija, karena gambaran tentang pendudukan Belanda nempel di gue gara-gara nonton film itu.
Penulisnya sudah pasti melakukan riset mendalam. Banyak istilah-istilah dalam bahasa Belanda, juga nama tempat yang dulu dipakai.
Menarik banget karena selain menggambarkan suasana tempo dulu, penulis juga memberi sisipan pemikiran para tokohnya yang berbau politik.

Gue masih agak bingung dengan penjabaran menurut sinopsis. Apa Tara bermimpi tentang Pieter, atau ia mendapat vision?

Lalu, banyak bagian repetitif di buku ini, baik penjelasan atau potongan dialog Pieter dan Yasmin. Agak bosan dan bikin pengen skipped.
Dan satu lagi yang bikin dahi gue berkerut, saat Pieter bilang ke Tara, ia tahu semua tapi nggak boleh memberi tahu. Kalau ia beri tahu, ia akan berada di dunia orang mati. Gue merasa bagian ini ridiculous.

Kisah Tara sendiri mulai menarik menjelang ending, walau mudah diprediksi.

Yang gue perhatikan, penulisnya suka dengan nama yang mengandung huruf ‘r’: Tara, Era, Pieter, Adriaan, Rob, , Rio, Erick 🙂

Overall, buku ini cukup menghibur dan mendidik. Jadi pengin ke Cafe Batavia dan Museum Fatahillah.

[Book Review] The Red and the Black by Stendhal

Title: The Red and the Black
Original Title: Le Rouge et le Noir
Author: Stendhal
Publisher: Signet Classics
Published: June 6th, 2006 (First Published 1830)
ISBN: 0451530284
Language: English
Format: Paperback
No. of Pages: 544
Category: Classic Literature/Fiction/Historical Fiction/Romance
Setting: France

Book Blurb:

In December 1827, a French newspaper ran a story about a young man charged with the attempted murder of a married woman. The article fired the imagination of Marie Henri Beyle, and under the pen name Stendhal, he set to writing what was to become one of the great psychological novels of all time. “I will be famous around 1880,” he predicted in one of his many diaries. “I shall not go out of style, nor my glory go out of style.”

Set in a provincial French town and in Paris, The Red and the Black tells the story of Julien Sorel, a handsome and brilliant young tutor who is both hero and villain. Cold, opportunistic, and uncompromising with others—including his influential mistress—he follows his lust for power and wealth. At the same time, he is tortured by his uncontrollable passions, and by the military and religious forces—the enigmatic “Red” and “Black”—that dominate French society in the years following the Revolution.

Thoughts:

I didn’t pay much attention to classics. When I was in college, I hated literature class because the lecturer was obsessed with Shakespeare and I was tortured inside out. I was skeptical and in my mind, classics were boring and torturing, it’s a waste of time.

The Red and the Black proved me wrong. I was hooked. The story is gripping, the words were crafted beautifully, and the characters are memorable. It’s more tragic than the infamous Romeo and Juliet in some ways.

Julien was ambitious and willing to do anything to reach the top. He was enthralled by the bourgeois’ lifestyle and was obsessed to be part of them.

He started with teaching Madame de Rênal’s children and ended up hooking up with her. They broke up because some circumstances force them to.

Then Julien went back to school to study. Again, he was determined to be number one. Later, he found out about the dirty tricks inside the church.

He was offered to work for Monsieur de la Mole in Paris, and he fell in love with Mathilde, his daughter. Mathilde was one sick lady who was obsessed with the story of Margret. I don’t want to spill this part because this is the hint which leads to the tragic (or engrossing) ending.

The Red and the Black was set in France after the fall of Napoleon/post-revolutionary in France where noblemen reigned and church began to spread its power.

Julien is the perfect portrayal of a normal human being who has good and bad sides. It’s like you’re dealing with personal demons but deep inside you know what’s the right thing to do.
He might be complicated and dangerous, but in the end I have sympathy for him. (Now playing Sympathy for the Devil).

The Red and the Black is the best classics reading so far. Why is it underrated?

I’d like to see the movie. Hope Tubeplus has the English subtitle for this.

Fave quotes:

“A good book is an event in my life.”
“Our true passions are selfish.”
“Indeed, man has two different beings inside him. What devil thought of that malicious touch?”

If I were a director:

Ian Somerhalder would be perfect for Julien Sorel. He’s handsome, and just look at his smirk. He’s good at being bad.

I can’t think of anybody else to play Louise de Rênal. Marcia Cross is Louise.

Elisa is Louise’s maid who fell in love with Julien. She’s wicked, full of rage and definitely jealous that Julien loves Louise. Mila Kunis would be perfect.

Aimee Teegarden as Mathilde de la Mole. Snotty, spoiled, and obsessed with Margret’s story. It would be interesting to cast her as a troubled lady.

Monsieur de Rênal. Prototype of the provincial petty aristocracy, the wealthy mayor of Verrières.

Richard Gere as Abbé Chélan, Julien’s first mentor.

Donald Sutherland as Old Sorel, the greedy old scumbag who’s interested earning Julien’s inheritance.

[Book Review] The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier

Judul: The Lady and the Unicorn
Penulis: Tracy Chevalier
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
ISBN: 979-22-2520-X
Kategori: Fiksi terjemahan
Genre: Historical fiction
Jumlah halaman: 295
Terbit: Februari 2007
Beli di Gramedia WTC Serpong

Book Blurb:

Jean le Viste, bangsawan Paris abad ke-15 yang dekat dengan Raja, menyuruh Nicholas de Innocents, seniman berbakat yang juga perayu wanita ukung, membuat desain permadani dinding untuk merayakan kenaikan statusnya dalam lingkaran kerajaan.

Nicolas sempat ragu karena belum pernah membuat desain permadani. Tapi setelah bertemu putri sulung Jean le Viste dan istri bangsawan itu, dia berubah pikiran. Meski tahu keinginannya terlalu berbahaya, Nicolas terlanjur terobsesi. Dia pun menuangkan semuanya dalam enam lukisan Lady dan Unicorn.

Di Brussels, Georges de la Chapelle, penenun yang sedang naik daun, memutuskan menerima proyek Jean le Viste. Menuangkan desain-desain Nicolas menjadi permadani merupakan tantangan terbesar dalam karirnya. Tantangan yang memaksanya mempertaruhkan segala yang penting: kelangsungan hidup bengkel tenun dan keluarganya.

Cover The Lady and the Unicorn klasik banget. Perpaduan warna merah dan emas, juga gambar Lady-nya sudah mewakili isi bukunya. Very medieval. Kedua, nama penulisnya yang nggak asi di telinga. Gue belum pernah baca karya Tracy Chevalier sebelumnya, tapi gue punya beberapa bukunya yang belum dibaca (shame on me). Terus, genre historical fiction adalah salah satu genre favorit. Sebisa mungkin buku-buku yang review-nya OK gue bakal baca. Dan terakhir, gue dapat buku ini di acara bazaar buku Gramedia di WTC Matahari, Serpong, kalo nggak salah.

Novel berseting tahun 1490 di Prancis ini menceritakan tentang asal mula pembuatan permadani The Lady and the Unicorn yang melegenda tersebut. Tracy Chevalier mengemas backstory tentang permadani tersebut yang juga berbuah kekacauan di Paris dan Brussels, baik keluarga bangsawan Jean le Viste maupun rakyat jelata George de la Chapelle.

The Lady and the Unicorn dimulai dengan bab dari POV Nicolas des Innocents. Gue nggak suka sama tokoh ini karena mata keranjang, oportunis dan angkuh. He’s so full of himself dan menganggap semua perempuan mudah didapat. Kalo ketemu cowok model gini, gue nggak bakal suka dari pandangan pertama, walau dia gantengnya selangit. after he made out with Claude le Viste, he went to Brussels and flirted with Alienor de la Chapelle. Disgusting.

Setelah bab Nicolas, satu per satu tokohnya berbicara. Ada Claude le Viste, putri pasangan Jean le Viste dan Genevieve de Nanterre. Claude yang menginjak usia puber tergoda oleh Nicolas yang genit, dan membuat ibunya hampir pingsan saat ajudannya, Beatrice, mengadukan kelakuan nakal Claude dengan Nicolas.

Lalu, cerita berpindah ke Brussels, di mana Nicolas dan Leon menemui tukang tenun ternama, Georges de la Chapelle. Konflik bergulir kepada Alienor, putri Georges dengan Christine yang cantik tetapi tuna netra. Alienor juga menjadi korban kegenitan Nicolas, namun Christine menghardik Nicolas dengan ketus dan memintanya untuk menjauhi Alienor. Christine dan Georges menghadapi tekanan dari Jacques Le Boeuf yang ingin meminang Alienor. Christine mendesak Alienor untuk menerima lamaran dari Jacques, namun Alienor jijik dengan bau Jacques.

Konflik bergulir hingga mengubah nasib para tokohnya.

Tokoh favorit gue adalah Philippe de la Tour. Mengingatkan gue akan Sgt. Paul Sutton yang diperankan Keanu Reeves di film A Walk in the Clouds.

Pesan moral dari buku ini: you can’t always get what you want. Para pasangan di buku ini tidak semua saling mencintai, kecuali George de la Chapelle dan istrinya, Christine.

Favorite Quotes from the Book:

“Orang akan melakukan hampir apa saja jika imbalannya uang”. Nicolas des Innocents
“Tendang saja kemaluannya supaya dia tidak bisa lagi menghamili gadis.” Maria-Celeste
“Aku lelah mengkhawatirkan apa yang akan terjadi padanya, sementara dia sendiri jelas-jelas tidak peduli pada dirinya sendiri”. Genevieve de Nanterre

[Book Review] Rectoverso by Dee

Judul: Rectoverso (movie tie-in)
Penulis: Dee
Penerbit: Bentang Pustaka
Cetakan Pertama, Januari 2013
ISBN: 139786027888036
Jumlah halaman: 174
Kategori: Fiksi/Roman/Kumpulan Cerita Pendek
Beli di: @rumahbuku
Book Blurb:

Sebuah kisah indah selalu melekat dalam kenangan, seperti jejak yang ditatah di atas karang.
Rectoverso adalah kisah itu.
Segala emosi terwakili di dalamnya.
Ada kesedihan, suka cita, ragu-ragu, ketakutan, membentuk alur penuh cabang,
meski pada akhirnya akan kembali kepada muara yang sama.

Thoughts:

Gue selalu suka dengan gaya bertutur Dee yang mengalir diakhiri ledakan kejutan. Dee juga piawai menciptakan karakter yang memorable.
Buku ini berisi 11 cerita pendek dengan ilustrasi cantik, seolah jadi soulmate bagi masing-masing cerita. Tiap cerita juga diawali dengan puisi (atau lirik lagu).

Curhat Buat Sahabat

Sampai kapan penantian itu akan berujung? Kita nggak pernah tahu.

Malaikat Juga Tahu

Paling nggak kuat baca cerita ini. Tiap denger lagunya pasti nangis. The most touching story diantara 11 cerpen di buku ini.

Dan masih ada 9 cerita lain yang menarik untuk disimak.

Rectoverso ditutup dengan manis oleh “Back To Heaven’s Light”.

Jujur, hanya beberapa cerpen Dee yang nyantol. Beberapa lebih sulit dicerna daripada seri Supernova.

Tapi, gue sangat menikmati tarian kata Dee yang meliuk liar di buku ini.

Rectoverso habis dibaca dalam sekali duduk, tapi perlu dibaca berulang kali untuk meresapi rasa tiap kisahnya. Anda pasti menemukan benang merahnya.

[Book Review] Love Story by Erich Segal

Judul: Love Story
Penulis: Erich Segal
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Edisi: Terjemahan
Tanggal Terbit: 21 Juni 2012
Jumlah Halaman: 216
Kategori: Fiksi/Romance/Klasik

Book Blurb:

Apa yang dapat kita ceritakan mengenai gadis 25 tahun yang telah tiada? Bahwa ia cantik. Dan cemerlang. Bahwa ia mencintai Mozart dan Bach. Dan Beatles. Dan aku.

Oliver Barrett IV kuliah di Harvard dan Jenny Cavilleri di Radcliffe. Oliver kaya, Jenny miskin. Oliver atlet, Jenny bermain musik.

Tapi mereka jatuh cinta.

Ini kisah mereka.

Thoughts

Gue baru ngeh kalo lagu lawas super ngetop yang berjudul “Love Story” itu adalah sontrek dari film berjudul sama yang diangkat dari novel ini.

Honestly, gue lebih suka lagunya daripada bukunya.

Entah karena terjemahannya kurang bagus atau ceritanya yang terlalu biasa sehingga tidak membangkitkan emosi gue. Ada yang mereview buku ini di GR sampai nangis-nangis waktu baca. Gue lempeng-lempeng aja, padahal sebelumnya baca “Perahu Kertas” dan sempet termehek-mehek.

Pertama kali tertarik beli buku ini karena disebutkan Jenny suka the Beatles. Gue pikir bakal ada penjelasan lebih jauh tentang the Fab Four, ternyata tidak ada.
Lalu, gue nggak suka sama Oliver. He’s a whiny rich boy who thought he’s above everything else. Gue nggak melihat alasan yang jelas yang menyebabkan perang dinginnya dengan ayahnya. What’s the core problem?

Terus, Oliver juga menyembunyikan penyakit Jenny dari Jenny dan ayahnya. Dia pinjam uang tapi nggak jujur uangnya untuk apa. Ridiculous.

Gue nggak pernah mempermasalahkan ending. Happy or sad, doesn’t even matter. Tapi yang satu ini bener-bener flat.

This is a fast read. I finished it in two short sittings. Sepertinya ceritanya juga bakal numpang lewat begitu saja tanpa kesan.