Book Review: Mata di Tanah Melus

Title: Mata di Tanah Melus

Writer: Okky Madasari

Publisher: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama

First Printing 2018

192 pages

After releasing six novels, Entrok, 86, Maryam, Pasung Jiwa, Kerumunan Terakhir and the latest one was a short stories collection Yang Bertahan dan Binasa Perlahan (2017), now finally Okky Madasari launched her first children book, Mata di Tanah Melus. 

Mata di Tanah Melus is the response for Okky's restlessness. As a mother with a small little girl, I felt her, that sometimes it's a bit hard to get good books for our kids. A story that brings something. Fun, educative, but still made in line with the kids' age. English children books are a lot but once in a while we need to get Indonesian book just to introduce the kids with their own local wisdom and to date there are still not to many options for Indonesian children book that are able to capture children's heart. With the current gadget attack, it's a serious work to create a book that is able to make the kids glue to the story until finished.

Although the book stated as  children novel 5+ however I started reading it before my girls do. As a fan of Okky's works, I am curious how Okky wrote this child adventure. Would she be successful?

I guess so, it's an adventure of a little girl, Matara, who joins her mom trip to Belu, East Nusa Tenggara. One day something happens  and Mata is separate from her mother and landed in Melus Land. Here is the adventure, Mata experiences lots of incredible stuffs. She needs to be on her own and fights to survive.

Okky said that this is her first book of kids adventure and she promised to continue working on this project. Can't wait for another adventure.   

Dilan 1990

Just like others, this Dilan fever truly hits everyone from almost all level of ages. I never read the book, I thought the book was kind of teenagers' romance and I guess I am done with that kind of book genre. The reason why I watched the movie several weeks ago with my hubby and the girls was simply to celebrate our nineties moment since the movie was set back in 1990 and this was totally my hubby and I since we enjoyed our high school moment exactly during 1989-1992. Yep, I know we are old. *defensive* 

But Dilan 1990 the movie turned out to be wayyyy beyond that. Its simple yet sweet story left us smiled here and there and haunted me for several days, hahaha...I finally went to Gramedia and directly bought those three books of Dilan series and...finished all of them within a very short time *thePowerofHighCuriosity* hahaha...

The movie is very faithful to the book perhaps since the movie script writer was also the author himself Pidi Baiq. Pidi even chose the lead characters for Dilan and Milea. Although at the beginning many people doubted Iqbaal as Dilan however Pidi proved himself that he as the author knew best for the characters he created. Kudos to Pidi Baiq and also Iqbaal, his acting was awesome.

The movie took almost two hours without any extreme conflicts but it's just enjoyable. We enjoyed every scene, its absurd yet witty dialogue, the athmospere and all successfully brought us back to that highschoolers moment when your most serious problem was having a fight with your boyfriend/girlfriend hahaha...

And I just found out that on its 12th day, the movie has already reached its 4 millions viewers, a big WOW. This Dilan series, the books, the movie and all teach us that something simple can leave an important mark on people's heart. As it is said that when you make something purely with your heart, the result also will easily touch other people's heart. That simple. 

  

Book Review: Laut Bercerita

Title: Laut Bercerita

Author: Leila S. Chudori

Publisher: KPG (Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia)

First Print, October 2017

379 pages

Ketidaktahuan dan ketidakpastian kadang-kadang jauh lebih membunuh dibanding pembunuhan.

Laut Bercerita tells about a college student named, Biru Laut. Some people perhaps were born to live in their idealism. They want to do something for the country, they want to have an ideal government who care about its people, while the government itself is not that friendly in receiving the critics. It happened during Suharto's era. The New Order was considered as a dictator. Violating the human rights, unfairness in politics and economics, etc. Until we heard that 23 persons were kidnapped on May 1998 and up until now there are still 13 of them that have no news yet. 

Laut Bercerita took place during 1991 until 1998. The book tells about the loss felt by the families and friends of their beloved persons. There is also betrayal and a very sadistic torture by those for whom power is more valuable than lives. 

There are parents who always put one extra plate during their family lunch just because they hope their beloved one will suddenly come and visit the house. This kidnapping mostly changed the lives of the family and friends. Reading this book really needs a strong heart since the story felt so real (yes, it's based on true events) and some of these missing people are still gone and to date government also seems not to do any significant efforts to reveal the case.

One of the lines in the book that broke my heart:

Begitu hujan mulai membasahi Tanah Kusir, aku merasa para penghuni makam terbangun dan membunyikan serunai. Mereka menghibur kami, orang-orang yang tak memiliki makam orang-orang tercinta.

The author, Leila S. Chudori, a senior journalist, said that this book was inspired by her friend's story, Nezar Patria, who was kidnapped with other 20 persons due to their activities considered as a threat for Suharto's government. Nezar and some of his friends were released however there are still many of them that have no news at all up until now. The families and friends left are living with endless pain for the rest of their lives. Their lives will never be the same again.

One of the best Indonesian books in 2017. A must read to learn about Indonesian history. 

Books with Illustration, Quotes, and Such

Several researches show that Indonesian people are not into reading books. It is referred from the data of reading interest that is quite low or we can also simply just check the bookshop, even in a big bookshop like Gramedia, nowadays I saw at cashier that people mostly bought stationery or other stuffs instead of buying  books. 

No wonder that bookshop must do something to SURVIVE. I noticed that one of my favourite bookshops, Gramedia PIM, now has a cafe inside its bookshop. While the stuffs sold there also having more variation, I found some outdoor activities equipments, shoes, even head scarf aka hijab. There is nothing wrong about it. As long as books are still there and these new stuffs are still in line with the business, well...just go ahead. By the way, I am happy with the cafe since I can just sit there, order my favourite drink and drown in my new book. 

Other trends that I notice in the bookshop is the books form. If in the old days we only have novel or comic but now you can easily find lots of books with beautiful illustration, quotes, variation of colours, and all. These illustrated books will really help people that not into thick books, at least when they are bored with the texts then they can just focus on the illustration and vice versa.

The following are illustrated books that I recommend for your year end holiday, check them all:

#88LoveLife by DIANA RIKASARI

You know Diana Rikasari right? She's one of the most creative and popular fashion bloggers. Although I am not into fashion especially Diana's style that sometimes too bright (although it is always looks good on her) however I always love the way Diana writes. From her writing I learned that she's really a hard worker, humble and very true to herself. Respect.

These #88LOVELIFE consists of three books. Diana divides it into Part One about 88 Thoughts on Love and Life, 2nd book is about Passion and the last book is about Priorities.  Each book is enriched with some thoughts, quotes, illustration, stickers, postcards, and all are in colourful ambience. Simple writing with deep meaning. A mood booster.  

Stories for Rainy Days#1 and #2

& Things and Thoughts I Drew When I was Bored 

by NAELA ALI 

Stories for Rainy Days  #1 and #2 are kind of novels that are written down in a beautiful way by Naela Ali. It's actually a romance. Boy meets girl. Fall in Love. Broken Heart. Such a cliche however you will enjoy it. Naela with her simple yet magic words and illustrations will fascinate you, force you to finish the book  and  can't wait for the ending. 

This serial is quite successful. Book #1 since it was launched on May 2016, now it has reached the  sixth printing in August 2017 while Book #2 since the first printing on February 2017, currently has had the fourth printing. 

If you love raining, music, touching  love story that can warm your heart, this is the ONE. 

Other book by Naela is Things and Thoughts I Drew When I was Bored, this book is  more on random stuffs that came to Naela's head  and then transformed into writing or drawing. Interesting still. 

69 Things to be Grateful about Being Single by FEBY INDIRANI Illustration by Emte

From its catchy title, you can guess what the book is about. The special thing about this book is the awesome illustration for every topic of the book. Kudos to the illustrator, Emte, he can put the wording into perfect illustration. Love it.  

It's time for you to choose, which book is perfect to accompany you during the holiday?

From Andrea Hirata, A. Fuadi, Okky Madasari and More

Books are still one of my favourite things. A good book, a cup of tea and a cozy couch are all I need.  Although the numbers of books I read are way too small comparing to the old days however I am happy that this year many of my favorite authors released their books. Let's check these five recommended books that you can enjoy during your end of year holiday. 

Sirkus Pohon by Andrea Hirata

Let's start from Andrea Hirata with his Sirkus Pohon. I miss Andrea and his touching way in telling how Belitung people live their lives. It still entertains me although the plot, the characters, the twist and the ending are still far from all time favorite Laskar Pelangi but still it is nice to read another book with Andrea's style.   

Anak Rantau by A. Fuadi

I just visited Padang and Bukit Tinggi and now I am excited to finally can witness the beautiful landscape of Padang and taste the delicious Padang food.  Now, let's  follow Hepi's engaging adventure with his friends and find out how their activities as detective wannabe finally end up.  

Yang Bertahan dan Binasa Perlahan by Okky Madasari

Reading Okky's works are never boring. There is always something to ponder. This time Okky brings her short stories collections. The themes as usual tell about the unfortunate people, the unfairness of life, the struggle to survive, and such. Okky said that the short stories consist of 19 stories that have already been written down within a decade (2007-2017).    

Forgotten Colors by Vabyo

I always love Vabyo's witty way in delivering his stories. This book is special because it was written down after Vabyo got stroke and suffered a kind of memory loss. This book is a therapy for the writer and a lesson for us to understand what happens to people with stroke. A touching story.

Koran Kami with Lucy in the Sky by Bre Redana  

Bre Redana is a senior Kompas journalist. I always wait for his column in Kompas Minggu. He delivers an up-to-date article in a playful yet deep way.  

In his latest book of Koran Kami, he wrote about newspaper company, how a newspaper is managed, the process, the people behind it, the stress, the friendship, and all. The story seems simple but I know it has a very important meaning since Bre said that after 35 years as a journalist, he just needs to write something about his work and he MADE it. This book was launched on his retirement day. A good way to end a working period.

I enjoy the book a lot. I laughed here and there and think for lots of smart statements and quotes. If you are looking for a light with a deep meaning read, try this one. You'll love it.

Some of the quotes I love:

"Itulah bahayanya memori: ia mampu memperdayai kita. Selalu sediakan  ruang untuk mencurigai memori diri sendiri."

"Di zaman fundamentalisme ini orang gampang percaya pada apa såja kecuali kebenaran, ..."

"Agama sekarang adalah persoalan gaya hidup, persoalan politik, dan di atas segalanya bisnis. Tuhan sudah lama menjauh dari agama. Sudah lama Tuhan pindah alamat,..."

"Mabuk bir orang jadi jujur; mabuk agama orang jadi pembohong."

See? There're still more. A must read.

Book Launching: Profesi Hukum Itu Asyik! #3

"Budaya literasi masyarakat Indonesia nomor 2 terbelakang di dunia, urutan ke 60 dari 61 negara.

Indeks minat baca di Indonesia hanya 0,001 artinya dari 1000 penduduk hanya 1 orang yang memiliki minat baca.

Namun Indonesia negara nomor 5 tercerewet di twitter, 15 tweet per detik, 7 juta tweet/hari."

--Kang Maman, the conceptor of Indonesia Lawak Club (ILK) and Ambassador of Literacy 

Alhamdulillah, another book launching of Profesi Hukum Itu Asyik! was successfully held at Gunung Agung, Senayan City last Thursday, 2 November 2017. I invited 6 (six) contributors including me as the editor to represent 25 legal professions and share our working experiences with the audiences.  

I am so grateful that lots of people welcome this book in a very nice way and they told me that they're inspired by this book. Even some of my friends said that a book like Profesi Hukum Itu Asyik! that lists down and elaborates 25 professions that someone with legal background may embrace should be made at every faculty so all the graduates will have the ideas about the works that may suitable for them in the future.  

There are many people who have already been so supportive in making this book possible. I am forever grateful. This book is just a beginning. We need to keep going. It's our job to socialize and share this professions to the highschoolers all over Indonesia and even abroad. My friends and I are in the process to arrange our schedule to visit high schools in Indonesia, mostly East Indonesia that is still left behind comparing to their brother and sisters in Java Island.  Finger crossed.

Book Launching: Profesi Hukum Itu Asyik! #2

This 365-day-project is finally completed. Yesterday, book of Profesi Hukum Itu Asyik! was officially launched at Faculty of Law UI, Depok.  

We invited several high schools in Jakarta and Depok, and also law students who are still 'galau' in deciding their future career  to attend the launching.

Since the duration is limited so I only chosed 6 (six) contributors (including me) from total 36 to represent these 25 legal profession. Those contributors consist of a supreme court judge, a diplomat, an in-house-lawyer at KPK, a head hunter, a lecturer and me as a lawyer a.k.a editor a.k.a pekerja serabutan. 

I am so touched to see how enthusiastic these highschoolers in asking the questions regarding their future careers. Some of the questions are so deep, these kids zaman now are really awesome. 

Some of the questions asked, such as:

1. How did you feel when you decide a death penalty to the defendant?

2. If  I want to be a diplomat, where should I study, at Faculty of Law or FISIP?

3. Referring to inhouse-lawyer at KPK, you said it's very hard to work at KPK, full of pressure and terror, but how come did you work there for more than 10 years?

4. If I want to go to law school however I also want to have my own business, which career path should  I choose?

See...these millennials never stop amaze me. 

There will be another book launching on 2 November at Gunung Agung Senayan City at 2pm -4 pm. Be there!!!

Book Launching: Profesi Hukum Itu Asyik! #1

Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit,

tapi selama ia tidak menulis,

ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.

menulis adalah bekerja untuk keabadian. 

--Pramudia Ananta Toer

Time does fly. My friends and I from Faculty of Law University of Indonesia (FHUI) year 1992 finally will celebrate our silver reunion. Instead of just having a party and stuff, we thought to have something more meaningful. We must leave a legacy. We realized this 25th years of togetherness must be commemorated in a special way since perhaps (if we have long lives), we might prepare the next anniversary within 25 years from now. The golden reunion. Wow, never thought that we're that old #AgeDenial.

We decided to divide our celebration in 4 (four) programs, yep...we're that ambitious, lol. The first program was to build a disabled toilet including a health room  that has already been launched on May 2017, and this project turned out to be the first facility provided at UI. The second project was a kind of having fun since we had a one-day trip to Cirebon. We took train back and forth. And this simple trip happened to be awesome. We had a great time, yay...!!!!!

The next project was mine. I was assigned to write a book about 25 professions that people with legal background can choose. Up until now when people find out that you go to a law school, they will 'accuse' you that you want to be judge, a lawyer, or a notary while actually there are lots of careers that you can choose as a legal person.

Our final program for FHUI Silver Reunion will be a homecoming project where we will have a gathering at FHUI campus. It's planned to be held  in November. 

After 25 years leaving the law school, my collegemates and I now work in lots of different industries. All businesses are actually will need a lawyer to handle the legal matters in their companies, in banking, insurance, trading, capital markets, and many more. Therefore our purpose in making this book is to educate the highschoolers and also law students who are still confused about their future careers. 

As an editor, the hard part of this book was to ask and sometimes to 'force' some of my friends to write about their working experiences (since most of them are very busy) then I compiled them all into one book. I finally ended up with 36 contributors (all are my collegemates from FHUI 92) and 25 professions. I finished the work for almost a year and offered it to the publisher. Thank God, Gramedia Pustaka Utama is willing to publish it. Such a blessing.

Started today, Monday, 25 September 2017, this book of Profesi Hukum Itu Asyik! can be found at all Gramedia bookstores.  And the book launching is scheduled to be held at FHUI  Depok Campus on Friday, 27 October 2017 at 01.30 p.m. - 05.00 p.m. Everyone is invited, please do come.

For the millenials generation, this book is dedicated for you, yes ...you, if you want to go to law school, just go ahead, no need to think much because there are MORE than 25 careers are waiting for you.

#ProfesiHukumItuAsyik!

#BookLaunching

#FHUIAngkatan92

#GoJigo  

Book Review: Jakarta Sebelum Pagi

Title: Jakarta Sebelum Pagi

Author: Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie

Publisher: Grasindo

2nd Printing

February 2017

272 pages

"Buat gue, percintaan itu mirip fisika, atau matematika. Kalau dibimbing dengan guru yang tepat, gue paham dan bisa menyelesaikan semua soal. Gue selalu remedial bukan karena nggak ngerti, it's just not something that I am good at alone." 

How I miss reviewing a good book. Well...I read several books already but it seems so hard to find the right time to absorb the story and post it here. It must be due to the burden of works, the traffic, the old age, the rain in June (yep...remind me of that epic poem of Hujan Bulan Juni) and bits of this and that to blame. 

One day I visited a bookshop and planned to get a 'light' yet entertaining book. Found this blue book and read the yellow sticker at the cover that said, KARYA FIKSI TERBAIK INDONESIA 2014 VERSI MAJALAH ROLLING STONE. I checked the synopsis at the back cover of the book and brought it directly to the cashier without any second thoughts.

This book is SUPERB. Full of smart yet crazy dialogue. The narration, the characters, the setting and all are absurd. I repeat again a TOTAL ABSURD. I couldn't stop laughing while reading it. Full of cekikikan. It's been a while I have never found an Indonesian book as entertaining as this one. Kudos to Ziggy. Awesome work!!!

Curious already? The story itself is about a girl name Emina, she's kind of a weirdo. Lives all alone in her apartment which  was inherited from her dead parents.  She works as an ordinary employee. She still has unique grandparents who live in a nursing home whom she visit frequently. Despite her mundane life, out of the blue, Emina finds a mysterious flowers package in her apartment balcony. The flowers --roses, blue hyacinth, and jasmine-- are sent by a silver balloon to her apartment balcony without any message or the name of the sender. Emina thinks that a stalker is out there watching her. 

When she finally decides to investigate the stalker, it leads her to a mysterious-little-girl in the flower shop, a silent apartment room, and a piles of love letters which tell about the vintage buildings in Jakarta.

See, the theme is quite engaging. Not only that, you will also easily fall in love with the characters and their conversations. Creative and funny. Lots of  good quotes are everywhere spreading in many parts of the book.  

Hidup lebih sederhana ketika otak cuma sekadar bagian dari menu makanan Padang.

Book Review: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

Title: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

Author: Fredrik Backman

Translator: Jia Effendie

Publisher: Noura Books 

November 2016

496 pages

If you're tired with the political issues that spread almost everywhere, in the social media, on TV, lunch topic and many more, I really recommend you to read this book, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry written by a Sweden writer, Fredrick Backman. The writer with his witty way will take us meeting  Elsa, a seven-year-old-unique girl and her 77-year-old Grandma who is 'crazy'.

Elsa  finds difficulties in making friends, but lucky her, she has the best friend in the whole world, yep...her Grandma. Her Grandma will take her to some crazy adventures such as standing on the balcony firing paint ball guns at strangers. At night Elsa and Grandma will go to the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everybody is different and no body needs to be normal.

Elsa's life turns upside down when Grandma dies. Although drowning in her sadness yet Elsa also found that her Grandma leaves behind a series of letter that must be delivered to other tenants that live in the same apartment building as Elsa. 

The letters are apologies from Grandma to the tenants there. These letters become Elsa's greatest adventure. Through the letters, the lonely Elsa finally can build bonds of friendship with other tenants in the building. Moreover Elsa also realizes that the make-believe characters in her Grandma stories are all based on real people and real events. 

A very charming and warmhearted tale. Love it.

   

Book Review: The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

Title: The Magic String of Frankie Presto

Author: Mitch Albom

Publisher: HarperCollins

Paperback, October 2016

496 pages

"And where you are going, you will also have to listen. Remember that. In music and in life."

This 7th book of Mitch Albom will definitely make the readers feel lost since the very first page and you can't just stop reading it.  Who is Frankie Presto? He is just a fictional talented musician who will easily capture your heart and at the end of the story, you wish he's real.

The story starts at Frankie Presto's funeral. You will then interact with famous people including  'real' musicians and events (such as Elvis Presley, the Beatles members, Woodstock, and many more) who will share their  moments with Frankie and  how Frankie affected their lives in a very intimate ways.

"This is life. Things get taken away. You will learn to start over many times or you will be useless."

Narrated by music. Yes, music. You will find lots of unique ideas in this book. Beside music as the narrator, the author also connected with the famous people whose lives he has inserted into this fictional character, and a lot of them even contributed their own words to make the story more authentic.

Frankie, a Spanish orphan who was born in a burning church. His life is so rich. He experiences an extraordinary journey around the world. He was raised by a blind guitar teacher in Spain, he then moved to USA. Enjoying his popularity then life changes. More and more tragedies come. His career begins to fall. He feels depressed. But life always has its own magical way to end this deeply moving tale.

For me, this book is Albom at his best. Highly recommended. Still can't get this tale out of my head and ...HEART. 

"At a certain point, your life is more about your legacy to your kids that anything else." 

Book Review: Mata Hari (2016)

Title: The Spy

Author: Paulo Coelho

Translator: Lulu Wijaya

Publisher: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama

2016/192 pages

Bunga mengajarkan kepada kita bahwa tidak ada yang abadi: keindahan mereka, bahkan juga fakta bahwa mereka pasti akan layu, karena mereka masih akan memberikan benih baru. Ingatlah ini kalau kau merasa sukacita, kepedihan, atau kesedihan. Segala sesuatu berlalu, menjadi tua, mati dan terlahir kembali.

Mata Hari, --Paulo Coelho

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was a middle class Dutch Family. Feeling bored with her mundane life, she planned to escape from it.  The opportunity came when she decided to marry a soldier and moved to Indonesia. They once lived in Malang. No wonder that the author, Paulo Coelho expressed his greeting in the first page of the book to all Indonesian readers, where parts of this story took place.

However life didn't turn out as expected. Margaretha's husband was an alcoholic-abusive man. Indonesia that sounded  quite exotic in the beginning began to lose its charm and Margaretha thought to start her new life as a new person. Margaretha went to Paris, penniless, but tried to struggle until she came out with a new identity as Mata Hari, a performer of exotic Asian-inspired dances. She shocked and delighted audiences during the World War I.

She soon began touring all over Europe and became a famous performer and with the outbreak of World War I, her catalog of lovers began to include high-ranking military officers of various nationalities.

It was 15 October 1917, taken from her hotel room at Champs Elysees, Mata Hari was charged guilty and executed by a French firing squad because of her crime as espionage. Up until now no one really knows about Mata Hari's espionage activities. Some said that Mata Hari acted as a German spy, and others exclaimed that she's  a double agent for the French as well. Lots of different version stories told and Mata Hari remains as one of history's most enigmatic women. 

Not Coelho at his best but it is still fascinating. Telling a history by combining it with certain fictitious elements. Good points. If you're looking for a light-fast read book, this one is just perfect. 

Cinta adalah perbuatan yang berlandaskan iman dan wajahnya harus selalu diselubungi misteri. Setiap momen harus dijalani dengan perasaan dan emosi, karena kalau kita mencoba menganalisis dan memahaminya, sirnalah keajaibannya.     

Misteri Soliter

Title: The Solitaire Mystery

Indonesian Title: Misteri Soliter (Filsafat dalam Setumpuk Kartu Remi)

Author: Jostein Gaarder

Translator:Utti Setiawati

Publisher: Penerbit Mizan

January 2016

484 pages

Saranku untuk semua orang yang berusaha menemukan jati diri adalah: tetaplah tinggal di tempatmu sekarang. Kalau tidak kau dalam bahaya besar kehilangan dirimu selamanya.

--Misteri Soliter, Jostein Gaarder

Just realized that t's almost end of November and not even one post written down this month??? #tutupmuka. No..no....not because I am too busy with my account in social media. In fact I have been a silence reader for quite some time particularly now when lots of people suddenly feel that they're having the best knowledge in politics and religion #kokcurcol?  

Actually I got a lot of things in my mind. I still read books, watch movies, visit some places, try new tea, and have some other stuffs to share but every time I arrived home, suddenly the urge to write was gone. I just wanted to lay down, took some rest, chit-chatting with the girls, and that's it. Perhaps I am already too tired with the traffic jam and the works deadline so home is associated as a place to rest while opening a laptop seems like starting a new work #neverendingexcuse. While the main factor I guess is just simply the OLD age #tumbenjujur.   

Back to the book, as usual Jostein Gaarder will take us on an awesome adventure with a 12-year-old-boy, Hans Thomas and his father who are on a journey around Europe to find Hans' mother. Hans' mother left him when Hans was only four years old. Along the way, Hans and his father experience  many adventures and much self-discovery.

Only Jostein might turn a philosophy into a very interesting topic. Instead of getting bored or confused, you just feel the excitement in learning about life and all. As usual Jostein will leave his readers with much to think about.

"Jadi Ayah percaya pada Tuhan?"

"Aku tidak bilang begitu. Sebenarnya yang kukatakan adalah, Tuhan sedang menertawakan kita karena kita tidak percaya pada-Nya." 

The Abundance

Title: The Abundance

Author: Amit Majmudar

Metropolitan Books New York

First Edition 2013

259 pages

Another book from Big Bad Wolf  at ICE. A hard cover book with a fancy cover and a price of only Rp 70,000 easily captured my heart.

A story of Indian family who lives in US. The mother suffers from terminal illness and at first she wants to keep it for herself however finally her two adult children find out and they try to spend their mother last days with things that she loves such as cooking Indian food.

I read many positive reviews about this book written by Amit Majmudar. Yet, I don't know I just couldn't finish this book. It is very slow moving that I lost interest before I got halfway through. I tried my best therefore I basically love the characters but I felt so bored with the story even I couldn't remember the page that I just read. I don't care enough to know what will happen to them. 

I guess I need a page-turner book. Tired with all the drama in the books I bought at Big Bad Wolf (just realized that most of the books I bought telling about Indian family).

Well...perhaps it's just an excuse for me to buy new books...hahaha... 

The Eternal Wonder

Title: The Eternal Wonder

Author: Pearl S. Buck

Indonesian Title: Pencarian yang Hakiki

Translator: Lanny Murtihardjana

Publisher: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2016

382 pages

I remember I read The Good Earth, the most famous literature written by Pearl S. Buck back in 1990s. This compassionate portrait of peasants in China that was published in 1931  haunting me and made me curious about Chinese's culture, the life, and everything there. Pearl S. Buck had her own way in delivering her vivid story, since she herself lived in China for a long time following her parents who worked as Presbyterian Missionaries, and made readers wanted to read her works more. She won the Pulitzer prize in 1932 for The Good Earth and she's the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938.

I read almost all her works. When I heard that a hand-written manuscript was discovered on January 2013, forty years after her death, I just couldn't wait to read it. The manuscript was found in a storage unit in Texas and finally returned to the Buck family. No body knew how on earth this manuscript could end up in Texas yet Pearl's son, Edgar Walsh decided to have the novel published even though his mother died before she was able to revise it.  Pearl was dead of cancer in 1973.

The Eternal Wonder is a story of a young guy, Randolph "Rann" Colfax, an extraordinary gifted young man whose search for meaning and purpose of life leads him to New York, England, Paris and a mission patrolling in Korea that will change his life forever.   

In his search of the real meaning of life, he meets Stephanie Kung who lives in Paris with her Chinese father. Stephanie's mother is an American woman who left her since she was a small girl. Rann and Stephanie both are young people who have lots of questions about life and other things. Life brings destinies to them and they have to accept it, no matter what.

Not Pearl S. Buck at her best but it is still beautiful. Recommended. If you never read Pearl S. Buck's work before, this one is easy to enjoy.

More on Pearl S. Buck, check HERE

 

A Little Life

Title: A Little Life

Author: Hanya Yanagihara

Publisher: Picador, 2015

724 pages

I have never been one of those people --I know you aren't, either-- who feels that the  love one has for a child is somehow a superior love, one more meaningful, more significant, and grander than any other.

--A Little Life page 163, Hanya Yanagihara

It took months for me to finish the book --despite the thickness and small fonts in the book-- and perhaps a life time to genuinely recover from reading this masterpiece written by American author of  Hawaiian ancestry, Hanya Yanagihara. It's a bestseller, the Man Booker Prize 2015 shortlisted, trending topic in social media and book clubs, and many more and even Jon Michaud in the New Yorker said that Yanagihara's novel can also drive you mad, consume you and take over your life. 

Perhaps the reason why it took me so long to finish the book was I simply just couldn't stand to finish the story. Yanagihara is a master storyteller. She can transform ordinary moments such as a day at the office, a fight between friends, everyday conversation, etc into something extraordinary. She's getting the details rights and completely described.  

A Little Life tells about four friends, Malcolm, Willem, JB, and Jude in New York City after they graduate from college. They dream to chase big careers and basically they made it. Malcolm is an architect, JB becomes a painter, Willem is a popular actor and Jude as a successful lawyer. 

Willem and Jude are so very close perhaps since they are both orphaned, have no money, and move into a small apartment that they can afford when they just start their career.

The story then focus on Jude, the most mysterious character among four. Jude is unknown, refuse to reveal anything about his childhood of life before meeting his friends. Apart from his successful career as a lawyer, he's actually broken, full of secrets, self-harming, slicing his arms at 2 am and makes his body a web of scar tissue.

This awesome book left me with lots of things. Never though that childhood sexual abuse could be that horrific. I got to hold my breath every time I read the parts of trauma and abuse. Serious sanction is definitely  a must to be imposed to the sexual abuse defendant. No matter what.

A highly recommended novel. A life time favorite.  

A Hundred Flowers

Title: A Hundred Flowers

Author: Gail Tsukiyama

St. Martin's Press New York, 2012

288 pages

Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend.
--Mao Tse-Tung, 1956

Another book from Big Bad Wolf Books, a hardcover version of A Hundred Flowers written by Gail Tsukiyama, with only IDR 60K.  Tsukiyama is an American novelist. She was born in San Francisco to a Japanese father and a Chinese mother. 

This is a novel based on China history. The setting was 1957 when Chairman Mao declared a new openness in China. Lots intellectuals fearing that it was a trap, Kai Ying's husband, Sheng, a teacher was arrested for writing a letter criticising the Communist Party. He was sent to a labor camp to be "reeducated."

A year later, seven-year-old Tao is climbing to the top of the huge kapok tea in front of their home in order to find his father but his foot slips into the air, sending him tumbling thirty feet to the courtyard below which finally makes his mother and grandpa panic. 

This is a story of Tao, his father, Sheng, his mother, Kai Ying, and his grandfather, Wei. The story was told by different characters in the 3rd person. The author paid close attention to details and descriptive language that in the end painting a vivid picture of the daily life of Kai Ying and her family.

The author's tenderness in delivering the story make it easy to become involved in the story. An intimate look of how a family suffered through a cultural revolution. 

I guess I need to find other books written by Tsukiyama. I just love her writing style. Unputdownable.

Look Who's Back

Title: Look Who's Back (Er Ist Wieder Da)

Author: Timur Vermes

Translated from the German by: Jamie Bulloch

Maclehose Press Quercus-London

Paperback Edition, 2015

375 pages

Every time I go overseas, I plan to buy a book in the bookshop there. So instead of having a key chain, a fridge magnet or even a Starbucks tumbler, I have a book as the memento of the country I visit. On my Europe trip a few months ago, I bought Look Who's Back at Schipol airport, Amsterdam, first I was attracted with the pink sticker said 'Airport Favourite' then got more curious when reading the synopsis which tells what happens when Adolf Hitler wakes up now.  

This is a debut novel of Timur Vermes, a German writer. The book becomes a sensation in Germany. Sold more than a million copies. Check the synopsis here: You know his name, his face, his hair and mustache and imagine this, Berlin, Summer 2011, Adolf Hitler wakes up on a patch of open ground, alive and well. Things have changed --no Eva Braun, no Nazi party, no war. Hitler barely recognizes his beloved Fatherland, filled with immigrants and run by a woman. And he's FURIOUS when people think he is an impersonator. He's trying hard to convince them that it really is him, and yes, he really MEANS it.

The inevitable happens and Hitler goes viral, become a YouTube star, gets his own T.V. show and people begin to listen. Yes, this book is truly entertaining. All will leave you laugh a lot. Furthermore you will also learn a lot about history and stuff through different point of view. If you are not into history, no worries, the translator attached his Translator's Note at the back of the book mentioning the dates, the political party, the details of occasion and others that will enrich our knowledge.

The book has been translated into 27 languages and in December 2013, Constantin Film bought the rights to make a movie on this book. The movie was released on Netflix on April 2016 as Look Who's Back.

A satire at its best. If you are looking for a good laugh, this is definitely a the book for you.

Find more on Timur Vermes here
Find more on Look Who's Back the book here 

Half Life

Title: Half Life

Author: Roopa Farooki

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, New York

May 2010

260 pages

She realizes that running away really is the easy part; it is coming home that is hard.

I found this book with its lovely cover at Big Bad Wolf  (BBW) Books Sale with only IDR 45,000. So far I have finished four books from BBW Books Sale and I must say that all of them are worth-reading.

This beautiful story written down by Roopa Farooki. Telling about the central protagonist, Aruna Ahmed Jones, raised in Singapore but of Bengali descent. She lives in a stylish  London apartment with his devoted and dependable husband, Dr. Patrick Jones. 

One day Aruna left all. She's shaking and barely dressed, headed to the airport and back to Singapore. She suddenly had the urgent desire to make peace with what she left behind. It's time to stop fighting and go home. This statement haunts her.

The story sets in London, Singapore and Malaysia. During Aruna's visit, she finally meets up with her failed romance, Jazz. In fact she left Little India's Singapore to escape her father's death, drug addiction, miscarriages and a psychological determination that she is bipolar.

Enjoyable read. Fresh and interesting. I though the writing style will be similar to Jhumpa Lahiri or Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni but it turns out that Roopa Farooki has her own style and it's excellent. 

Find more on Roopa Farooki at her website here.

Revolution 2020

Title: Revolution 2020, Cinta, Korupsi, Ambisi

Author: Chetan Bhagat

Translator: Reni Indardini

Publisher: Penerbit Bentang

Published date: October 2013

436 pages

I found this book at Big Bad Wolf Books Sale with a very friendly price, it's only IDR 20,000. Curious about this book when I read at the book cover, 'One of the author's novels was adapted into 3 Idiots the movie. As we know that 3 Idiots is still one the best Indian movies so far. 

Chetan Bhagat is quite popular in India. Lots of his books are best-sellers and even have been adapted into movies. 

Revolution 2020 is a story concerned with a love triangle, corruption and a journey of self-discovery. It follows childhood friends Gopal, Raghaf and Aarti who struggle to find success and love in a small town in India, Varanasi. Varanasi is one of the holiest places in India. Therefore it's a kind of irony to see the corruption takes place before people eyes in almost all aspects of life. Gopal gives in to the system and Raqhav fights it, who will win? Who will take the revolution?  And also who will get Aarti's heart? 

In India becoming an engineer is a life goal (if you watch 3 Idiots the movie, you get it). Parents put their lifetime's earning on stake for their children entering faculty of engineering and pray that they pass with flying colours and at last change the fortune of the family. This is the dream. But the reality sometimes sucks. Some students accomplish their dreams while others sink into disaster. 

This hard conditions leads some people to find a way to make money. When there is a will, there is a way. It's going to be good if it is done honestly. But it's a fishy business here. There are many new private universities opened. They try to promote and do whatever they can (sometimes in a very unethical way) to get new students. Some parts of this book remind me of our beloved country, Indonesia, since we also struggle now to combat the corruption.  

Inspiring story. An eye opener for the educational system, and how to encourage our children to follow their own dreams instead of following their parents' obsession. Yes, it's never easy to become parents.

Find more of Chetan Bhagat's website here.