January '14 Book Haul!

Guys, I guess I'm finally able to suppress my obsession on buying too many books. I don't know how I did that, but it just happened. Last month, as you can see in December '13 Book Haul, I only bought five books. And this January, you won't believe me easily so prepare yourself, I only bought F-O-U-R books! How crazy is that? I want to kiss myself for being so awesome! Hahah. Okay, enough chit chat. Let's start the JANUARY BOOK HAUL!

Quote #7

Rumah Kopi Singa Tertawa – Yusi Avianto Pareanom + Secret Santa 2013! Post #2

Pareanom, Yusi Avianto. 2011. Rumah Kopi Singa Tertawa. Jakarta: Banana.

Rating 5 bintang

Saya pernah bilang di post sebelumnya yang mana saya lupa, bahwa saya enggak pernah sreg dengan bentuk cerita-cerita pendek. Enggak tahu kenapa. Tapi belakangan saya kok malah jadi baca-baca kumpulan cerpen pun saya juga agak heran. Biasanya memang begitu kan, dibilang jangan malah dilakuin. Dibilang gak suka, tapi dibaca juga. Hah! Dan buku ini berhasil bikin cerpen jadi seksi di mata saya. Rasanya seperti sehabis makan nasi timbel terus minum teh hangat tawar di daerah Dago atas, pas tak berlebihan dan kenyang dan nyaman dan enak aja gitu.

Taman Api – Yonathan Rahardjo

Rahardjo, Yonathan. 2011. Taman Api. Jakarta: Pustaka Alvabet.

Rating 2,5 stars
(review in Indonesian, click here)

Thank you, Pustaka Alvabet, for giving me this book in exchange for honest review.

We live in a world where being normal is to be attracted toward opposite sex. So, generally any human being who is attracted toward the same sex, known as gay, is considered as abnormal. ‘Normal’ is a situation that is usual compared to most others. In that case, those who are attracted to the same sex are unusual and considered as abnormal. But, what if the normal situation is the contrary from what happened now. What if being normal is when people attracted to the same sex, and those who are attracted to the opposite sex are forced to ‘repent’ and must to be attracted to the same sex. Well? Kind of nauseating, isn’t it? Perhaps that’s what gay people feel all this long. Moreover, how does it feel for those who choose the ‘rougher’ path by becoming gender benders or transsexuals? What are their stories?

Taman Api – Yonathan Rahardjo

Rahardjo, Yonathan. 2011. Taman Api. Jakarta: Pustaka Alvabet.

Rating 2,5 bintang
(review in English, click here)

Terima kasih kepada Pustaka Alvabet yang telah memberikan saya buku ini sebagai ganti ulasan yang jujur.

Orang yang mengajak kenalan lewat sms biasanya tidak saya waro (Sunda: pedulikan, memberi perhatian).

Tapi, karena beberapa hari yang lalu saya masih sedang membaca novel ini, saya jadi iseng.

Dia: Mlem.. ?

Saya: ya?

D: Blh knln nich.?

S: ini siapa?

D: Sya deni,lw situ cpa namanya..

S: kalo malem namaku bintang kejora, kalo siang jadi abdullah.

D: Ouh gitu,kalo pg,

S: kalo pagi panggil apa aja boleh. kamu waria juga? dapet nomor aku drmana? pasti dari si flora yah.

D: Astagfiruloh mit amit dech..

S: kenapa den?

D: Gk...

S: dapet nomorku drmana den? kamu mau pesen servis?

D: Sory ya gwe msh normal gk jd dech.

December '13 Book Haul + Giveaway Winner Announcement!

I'M BAAAAAACK!
Sorry guys, I'm not dead yet.

I know, I know. I had been a bad blogger in December 2013. But, it was December! The real life demanded my full attention. For readers who missed me (anyone? LOL), sorry for not being around and very VERY unproductive last month. I'll try to make it up from now on.

Folks, before anything, meet my new puppy, Happy! She's three months old. I love love love my Happy. She's so adorable. You see, she has that permanent sad face. But I already decided the name of my wannabe dog a night before I bought her. So yeah, it's kind of ironic.

Secret Santa 2013! Post #1

Merry early Christmas and happy holiday! We're almost there, guys. The end of 2013 is approaching and it's coming pretty quick, yes? May God's blessing is upon you all, folks! Are we excited? We better be excited!

This December on 2013, I have soooooo much things that are different from my last year December. In the last eleven months, I went through things that made me almost insane, but hey! I went through all of those. So, thank You, God my Father! Relax guys, I'm not going to whine off my boring life problems. But instead, I am going to make a list of what I pay a great amount of grateful for in this 2013. Here they go!

I am highly grateful for,
the job experience, although it's super short but I cherished and enjoyed it anyway
the finished thesis
the loving and supporting warm friends
another chance You gave to my Papa to live in this world
the unexplainable health in rough times
the ending of my Opung's pain, RIP
the strength You gave me this whole year
the problems I had and have, it's showing me You want me to be tougher
the new people I met, they are extraordinary
the relationship You let me fixed up
the smile and laughter from people surround me
the new community You let me joined, Blogger Buku Indonesia (BBI)
and many many more, thank You ;)

Quote #6

The Husband – Dean Koontz

Koontz, Dean. 2007. The Husband. Jakarta: Pustaka Alvabet.

Rating 5 stars
(review in Indonesian, click here)

Thank you, Pustaka Alvabet, for giving me this book in exchange for honest review.

Why I read it in the first place?

I was surfing in the internet, hopping from one online book store to another. In one certain store, I saw The Husband by Dean Koontz, the English version, cheap, used but still in good condition. Somehow, I interested to check the information about the book. After some searching, I was kind of curious with it and simply added The Husband in my wishlist (like my wishlist needs to be longer). One day, I was just checking books in Pustaka Alvabet’s website, and found myself surprised. I didn’t know The Husband by Dean Koontz has been translated into Indonesian, and apparently it’s published by Pustaka Alvabet. They publish many great books really, but somehow I don’t see their books in book store as much as other books from different publishers. So, I e-mailed them, asked them to send me this book in exchange for honest review in this blog. And here it is, the said review.