Book Review: Nonik Jamu by Rina Suryakusuma

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BOOK review

Started on: 6 July 2024
Finished on: 14 July 2024

 

Nonik Jamu by Rina Suryakusuma

 

Title: Nonik Jamu

Author: Rina Suryakusuma
Publisher: Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Pages: 272 pages
Year of Publication: 2024
Price: Rp 79,100 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Kini ia percaya, tak ada yang mustahil dalam hidup. Jangan pernah batasi mimpi. Biarkan langit menjadi pagarnya."

Sejak kecil, Kinanti selalu membantu kedua orangtuanya menjaga toko kelontong milik keluarga mereka di Wonosobo. Ia memiliki impian agar suatu hari orangtuanya tidak perlu lagi bekerja terlalu keras seperti yang mereka lakukan selama ini. Seiring dengan bertambahnya usia Kinanti, ia menemukan tujuan hidup yang ia inginkan, yaitu menjadi peracik jamu. Pertemuannya dengan Pandu, anak pemilik Gudang Rempah, seolah menjadi pertanda bahwa semesta mendukung Kinanti mencapai impiannya. Namun dengan cara yang menyakitkan, Kinanti menyadari bahwa tidak semudah itu tujuannya dapat tercapai. Hingga Arumi muncul, dengan tekad untuk membalas sakit hati orangtuanya sekaligus mewujudkan mimpi yang tertunda selama bertahun-tahun. Dengan keteguhan dan kegigihan, Arumi bertekad untuk menggapai impian itu, apa pun taruhannya.

"Ia tetap berpegang teguh pada tekadnya, pada mimpinya untuk memetik bulan bagi ibunya."

Book Review: Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

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BOOK review

Started on: 21 April 2024
Finished on: 2 May 2024

 

Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

 

Title: Untethered Sky

Author: Fonda Lee

Publisher: Tordotcom

Pages: 152 pages / 152 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2023
Price: $5.99 (https://subterraneanpress.com)

Rating: 4/5

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"What I would give to return to those days, riding together across the country on a perfect morning, a roc balanced in the air above us like an angel guarding our happiness."

A manticore ruined Ester's life when it devoured her mother and baby brother, leaving her with nothing but her father's silence and the overwhelming need to kill the monster that took her family. And so she begins her journey in the King's Royal Mews, where giant rocs are flown to hunt manticores by trained and courageous ruhkers. Ester was paired with a fledgling roc named Zahra, with whom she found purpose and devoted her life to a calling that demanded absolute sacrifice. Their partnership leads Ester on the empire's most dangerous manticore hunt—which will challenge her perseverance. 

 

Book Review: Teruslah Bodoh Jangan Pintar by Tere Liye

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BOOK review

Started on: 8 March 2024
Finished on: 18 March 2024

 

Teruslah Bodoh Jangan Pintar by Tere Liye

 

Title: Teruslah Bodoh Jangan Pintar

Author: Tere Liye
Publisher: Sabak Grip

Pages: 371 pages
Year of Publication: 2024
Price: Rp 89,100 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Mereka tahu sekali risikonya. Harga atas sebuah perlawanan." 

Selama puluhan tahun, PT Semesta Minerals & Mining sudah mengembangkan usahanya di dunia pertambangan secara luar biasa. Akan tetapi dampak dari tambang-tambang tersebut telah merugikan banyak orang—bahkan hingga merenggut nyawa. Hingga akhirnya, sekelompok aktivis berkumpul dengan tujuan menggagalkan izin konsensi proyek raksasa PT Semesta Menirals & Mining melalui sidang dengar pendapat yang dilakukan secara tertutup. Para aktivis berusaha keras mengumpulkan saksi yang hidupnya terdampak langsung oleh perusahaan tambang itu. Namun, mereka harus berhadapan dengan Hotma Cornelius, seorang pengacara handal yang merupakan spesialis pembela kejahatan. Meski perjuangan mereka penuh dengan rintangan, kelompok aktivis ini tidak menyerah dan mengerahkan segala kemampuan mereka untuk melakukan perlawanan.

 

Book Review: All That Jesus Commanded: The Christian Life According to the Gospels by John Piper

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BOOK review

Started on: 22 September 2023
Finished on: 4 December 2023

 

All That Jesus Commanded: The Christian Life According to the Gospels by John Piper

 

Title: All That Jesus Commanded: The Christian Life According to the Gospels

Author: John Piper

Publisher: Crossway Books

Pages: 464 pages / 472 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2023
Price: Rp 178,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4/5

*This e-book was received as a review copy from Crossway

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"The ultimate goal of Jesus's commandments is not that we observe them by doing good works. The ultimate goal is that God be glorified. The obedience of good works is penultimate. But what is ultimate is that in our obedient lives God be displayed as the most beautiful reality in the world. That is Jesus's ultimate goal and mine."

In this book, longtime pastor and author John Piper walks through Jesus's commands that are found in the four Gospels and their meaning for the Christian life. In 50 short chapters, he explained their context and meaning to help readers understand Christ's vision how we should lead our lives. This is a helpful guide and resource for both new Christians as well as veteran believers.

"It deals with every command Jesus gave and how it relates to Christian living today. It draws out the meaning of these commands from the four Gospels themselves not the rest of the New Testament."

Book Review: Jade Shards (The Green Bone Saga, #0.75) by Fonda Lee

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BOOK review

Started on: 14 September 2023
Finished on: 21 September 2023

 

Jade Shards (The Green Bone Saga, #0.75) by Fonda Lee

 

Title: Jade Shards (The Green Bone Saga, #0.75)

Author: Fonda Lee

Publisher: Subterranean Press

Pages: 136 pages / 106 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2023
Price: $5.99 (https://subterraneanpress.com)

Rating: 4/5

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In this book, Fonda Lee returns with four prequel short stories that dive into some of the personal histories of the Kaul and Ayt families. The first one tells the story of Ayt Mada before she became the ruthless leader of the Mountain clan, befriending Aun Ure—a renowned assassin who yearns for a simpler life. There's also the story of Kaul Lan as he challenged his grandfather to help a boy who had lost everything. The third story is about Kaul Hilo and Maik Wen, the son of a top Green Bone clan in love with a stone-eye girl from a disreputable family. Lastly, we glimpsed at Kaul Shae's life before she left and returned to Kekon, when she became a secret informer to a foreign country.

 

Book Review: The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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BOOK review

Started on: 4 June 2023
Finished on: 24 June 2023

 

The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

 

Title: The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 380 pages / 369 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2021
Price: Rp 188,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4/5

*for those who haven't read the first book, this review may contain spoiler. 

Review for The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes here.

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"If there was one thing I'd learned about deceased billionaire Tobias Hawthorne, it was that he was capable of orchestrating nearly anything, manipulating nearly anyone. He'd loved puzzles and riddles and games."

After unlocking the final puzzle in the tunnels under the Hawthorne House, Avery has to find the man who might hold the answer to all her questions—including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery rather than his daughters or grandsons. After doing a DNA test, Avery confirmed that she's not a Hawthorne by blood, but some clues hint at a deeper connection between her and the Hawthorne family. As the mystery grows, threats are lurking around every corner as adversaries emerge trying to see Avery out of the picture by any means necessary.

"I wanted answers. This wasn't just a mystery that needed solving or another layer to a puzzle. It wasn't a game—not to me. 

Not anymore."

Book Review: Hypnobirthing: Practical Ways to Make Your Birth Better by Siobhan Miller

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BOOK review

Started on: 19 February 2023
Finished on: 10 March 2023

Hypnobirthing: Practical Ways to Make Your Birth Better by Siobhan Miller

Title: Hypnobirthing: Practical Ways to Make Your Birth Better

Author: Siobhan Miller

Publisher: Piatkus

Pages: 272 pages

Year of Publication: 2019
Price: Rp 85,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Giving birth—however you choose to do it—is truly the most amazing thing you will experience in your life, and meeting your precious baby for the first time is one of life's most unforgettable moments."

Siobhan Miller, an expert hypnobirthing teacher and founder of The Positive Birth Company, has made it her mission to change the way women around the world approach and experience birth. Through her teaching she seeks to educate and empower women so they can enjoy amazing and positive birth experiences, however they choose to bring their babies into the world. In this book, Siobhan Miller debunks common myths about hypnobirthing and explains how it can make any type of birth a better experience. Hypnobirthing is essentially a form of antenatal education, an approach to birth that is both evidence-based and logical. It teaches you how your body works when in labour and how various relaxation techniques ensures you are working with your body, making birth more efficient and comfortable. Siobhan Miller's advice and guidance will change your mindset and enable you to feel relaxed, capable, and excited about giving birth.

"You look forward to the amazing and empowering experience that is giving birth, trusting that you, your body and your baby know exactly what to do."

Book Review: Rumah Lebah by Ruwi Meita

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BOOK review

Started on: 12 December 2022
Finished on: 19 December 2022

 

Rumah Lebah by Ruwi Meita

 

Title: Rumah Lebah

Author: Ruwi Meita
Publisher: Bhuana Ilmu Populer

Pages: 284 pages
Year of Publication: 2019
Price: Rp 58,400 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Namun entah kenapa Nawai merasa sedang memasuki suatu awal yang tidak menyenangkan. Sesuatu yang besar dan berbahaya sedang mengintai Mala. Sesuatu yang tidak bisa Nawai lihat."

Mala adalah seorang gadis kecil berusia enam tahun yang terobsesi dengan ensiklopedia. Di rumah, ia hanya tinggal dengan kedua orangtuanya, tetapi Mala selalu menyebut nama enam orang asing yang hidup bersama dengan mereka. Mala memiliki ketakutan terhadap Satira, namun bersahabat dekat dengan Wilis. Ia belajar bahasa Spanyol dengan Abuela dan terkadang berbicara dengan Tante Ana yang suka berdandan. Tak lupa Mala juga menyebutkan keberadaan si Kembar yang hanya bisa mendengar, melihat, dan mencatat. Kebenaran di balik nama-nama asing tersebut pun akan segera terungkap.

 

Book Review: Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

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BOOK review

Started on: 10 October 2022
Finished on: 3 November 2022

 

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

 

Title: Our Missing Hearts

Author: Celeste Ng

Publisher: Penguin Press

Pages:  335 pages / 352 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2022
Price: Rp 265,000 (Periplus)

Rating: 4/5

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"So now, out of the blue: a letter from his mother. It looks like her handwriting—and no one else would call him that. Bird."

Twelve-year-old Noah 'Bird' Gardner lives a quiet life with his father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird has always been told not to ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. In the past decade, their lives have been governed by PACT, laws written to preserve "American culture" after years of economic instability and violence that they call the Crisis. The authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books that are deemed as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird's mother, Margaret, a Chinese-American poet who left the family when he was nine years old. Bird has no idea what happened to his mother and why she left, but when he receives a mysterious letter containing a cryptic drawing, he is suddenly pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him to many places where he meets a lot of people and to a city where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of a much-needed change.

"He doesn't remember much about his mother, but he remembers this: she always had a plan. She would not have taken the trouble to find their new address, and the risk of writing him, for no reason."

Book Review: Tentang Kamu by Tere Liye

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BOOK review

Started on: 10 September 2022
Finished on: 21 September 2022

 

Tentang Kamu by Tere Liye

 

Title: Tentang Kamu

Author: Tere Liye
Publisher: Penerbit Sabakgrip

Pages: 503 pages
Year of Publication: 2016
Price: Rp 80,100 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Apakah sabar memiliki batasan? Aku tahu jawabannya sekarang. Ketika kebencian, dendam kesumat sebesar apapun akan luruh oleh rasa sabar... Selemah apapun fisik seseorang, semiskin apapun dia, sekali di hatinya punya rasa sabar, dunia tidak bisa menyakitinya. Tidak bisa."

Zaman Zulkarnean adalah salah satu pengacara yang bekerja di firma hukum Thompson & Co. yang terletak di London. Secara tiba-tiba, Zaman ditugaskan untuk menyelesaikan harta warisan yang bernilai sangat besar milik seorang wanita bernama Sri Ningsih yang baru saja meninggal di Paris. Tanpa adanya surat wasiat yang sah, harta tersebut bisa menimbulkan perdebatan yang panjang dengan pengadilan untuk menyelesaikan kasusnya. Oleh karena itulah, bermodalkan buku diary milik Sri Ningsih, Zaman menelusuri perjalanan hidup wanita tersebut dari masa kecilnya di sebuah pulau terpencil di Indonesia hingga masa akhir kehidupannya di kota Paris.

"Aku tidak pernah melihat wanita sekokoh Sri, yang bisa memeluk kejadian semenyakitkan apapun. Tidak membenci, tidak mendendam... Hanya dia."

Book Review: The Epic Story of the Bible: How to Read and Understand God's Word by Greg Gilbert

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BOOK review

Started on: 1 September 2022
Finished on: 9 September 2022

 

The Epic Story of the Bible: How to Read and Understand God's Word by Greg Gilbert

 

Title: The Epic Story of the Bible: How to Read and Understand God's Word

Author: Greg Gilbert

Publisher: Crossway Books

Pages: 176 pages
Year of Publication: 2022
Price: Rp 265,873 (https://www.bookdepository.com/)

Rating: 4/5

*This e-book was received as a review copy from Crossway

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"A trek. That's exactly what it is when you decide to read the entire Bible. After all, it's sixty-six different books with thirty-some different authors, written over the course of a millennium and a half. And it's long—almost 1,200 chapters and three-quarters of a million words, meaning that if you decided to read the entire thing aloud, all at once, it would take you just under three days to do it—about seventy hours and forty minutes if you're an average-speed reader."

Each year, many Christians set out to read through the Bible using one of many reading plans, only to eventually abandon these plans after the detailed narratives, seemingly antiquated laws, and confusing prophecies leave them feeling lost. How can we make sense of a book written thousands of years ago? This book serves as a guide for readers embarking on a journey through Scripture. Written in an easy, conversational style, Greg Gilbert examines major themes woven throughout the Bible and shows readers how to understand its various genres, illustrating how the Bible is meant to be understood as one sweeping story. This book hopes to help both new and seasoned Christians to feel better equipped to read the Bible from beginning to end.

Book Review: Perempuan yang Menangis Kepada Bulan Hitam by Dian Purnomo

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BOOK review

Started on: 26 August 2022
Finished on: 31 August 2022

 

Perempuan yang Menangis Kepada Bulan Hitam by Dian Purnomo

 

Title: Perempuan yang Menangis Kepada Bulan Hitam

Author: Dian Purnomo
Publisher: Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Pages: 319 pages
Year of Publication: 2020
Price: Rp 69,750 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Magi tak tahu dosa apa yang dimilikinya sampai harus menjalani semua ini. Namun, dia tidak mau menyerah sebelum berjuang hingga titik darah penghabisan."

Di tengah perjalanannya melakukan pekerjaan, Magi Diela tiba-tiba diculik oleh sekelempok orang suruhan Leba Ali yang ingin mengawininya. Magi memiliki impian yang besar untuk membangun Sumba, namun sejak kejadian penangkapan secara paksa itu, kini ia harus berjuang melawan orangtuanya, seisi kampung, dan bahkan melawan adat yang merenggut kemerdekaannya sebagai seorang perempuan. Ketika budaya memenjarakan hati Magi, ia harus mengambil keputusan yang sulit: pergi meninggalkan orangtua dan tanah kelahirannya, menyerahkan diri kepada si mata keranjang, atau mencurangi kematiannya sendiri.

Book Review: Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation by Nancy Guthrie

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BOOK review

Started on: 10 April 2022
Finished on: 30 April 2022

 

Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation by Nancy Guthrie

 

Title: Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation

Author: Nancy Guthrie

Publisher: Crossway Books

Pages: 256 pages
Year of Publication: 2022
Price: Rp 231,198 (https://www.bookdepository.com/)

Rating: 4/5

*This e-book was received as a review copy from Crossway

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"If our goal in studying Revelation is to nail down what every image portrays, what every symbol stands for, what every detail means, we're likely going to be frustrated. Our goal, instead, should be to listen for and take to heart what is really clear." 

Over 12 chapters, Nancy Guthrie goes through the book of Revelation, exploring its call to patient endurance as God's sovereign plans for judgement and salvation are worked out in the world. In this book, the author shows how Revelation is less about when Jesus will return and more about who we are to be, what we are to do, and what we can expect to endure as we wait for Jesus to return to establish his new kingdom in the new creation. Nancy Guthrie aims to take the fear, intimidation, and confusion away from studying Revelation, and provides a great resource for individuals or small groups to study this important yet often avoided book.

"Sometimes the meaning of Revelation's symbols is plain or is even stated explicitly... And sometimes it's more challenging to grasp with confidence what is being communicated."

Book Review: Heartbreak Motel by Ika Natassa

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BOOK review

Started on: 12 April 2022
Finished on: 17 April 2022

 

Heartbreak Motel by Ika Natassa

 

Title: Heartbreak Motel

Author: Ika Natassa
Publisher: Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Pages: 400 pages
Year of Publication: 2022
Price: Rp 99,000 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Hidup tidak pernah berhenti menyimpan misteri, menyembunyikan arti, tidak selalu memberikan jawaban atas setiap pertanyaan, dan sementara itu, pertanyaan baru akan terus lahir, menuntut dan menagih jawaban."

Ava menemukan panggilan hati sebagai aktris sejak ia berusia enam belas tahun. Belasan tahun ia lalui berpindah dari satu peran ke peran yang lain—ada yang dia pilih, ada yang memilihnya. Di tengah itu semua, ia berusaha membuat semua yang tidak dipahaminya tentang takdir jadi terasa masuk akal. Ava tidak peduli meskipun setiap selesai memikul peran, dia harus menyepi di suatu tempat yang disebutnya Heartbreak Motel untuk memulihkan diri. Di ulang tahunnya yang ketiga puluh, dimulai dari tempat itulah banyak pertanyaan baru menyergapnya—tentang masa lalu, masa kini, dan juga masa depannya.

"Berapa lama? Berapa lama aku bisa terus bahagia dengan cara absurd yang kupilih ini?"

Book Review: Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made for So Much More by Jen Oshman

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BOOK review

Started on: 27 February 2022
Finished on: 4 March 2022

Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made for So Much More by Jen Oshman

Title: Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made for So Much More

Author: Jen Oshman
Publisher: Crossway Books

Pages: 208 pages
Year of Publication: 2022
Price: Rp 231,277 (https://www.bookdepository.com/)

Rating: 4/5

*This e-book was received as a review copy from Crossway

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"To live by counterfeits is to live an unprofitable, colorless life. To live by counterfeits is not to live at all but rather to die."

In today's culture, women and girls are highly influenced by idols that promise purpose and meaning for their lives—outward beauty and ability, sex, abortion, and gender fluidity. Christian women are not immune from these temptations either, and can elevate good things like marriage and motherhood to the status of idolatry. In Cultural Counterfeits, Jen Oshman encourages women to reject the empty, destructive promises these idols offer and embrace something much more satisfying. She casts a vision for women to experience real hope and peace in Jesus, who will give them unshakable and eternal identities. This timely and compelling book will help women find freedom and joy as they explore God's good design and purpose for their lives.

"Idols are counterfeits. Idolatry is when we ascribe meaning or power to something that cannot actually bear it—when we expect created, temporary things to deliver that which only the one true God can."

Book Review: Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown

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BOOK review

Started on: 11 February 2021
Finished on: 21 February 2022

 

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown

 

Title: Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

Author: Brené Brown
Publisher: Random House

Pages: 464 pages / 318 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2021
Price: Rp 356,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Without understanding how our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors work together, it's almost impossible to find our way back to ourselves and each other. When we don't understand how our emotions shape our thoughts and decisions, we become disembodied from our own experiences and disconnected from each other."

In this book, Brené Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven emotions and human experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection. Over the past two decades, Brené Brown's extensive research show us how accurately naming an experience gives us more power of understanding, meaning, and choice. This book is meant to be an atlas for us; with an adventurous heart and the right maps, we can travel anywhere and never fear losing ourselves.

"My hope for this book is that together we can learn more about the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human—including the language that allows us to make sense of what we experience."

Book Review: The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

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BOOK review

Started on: 13 November 2021
Finished on: 21 November 2021

 

The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

 

Title: The Party Crasher

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Publisher: The Dial Press

Pages: 368 pages / 352 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2021
Price: Rp 410,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"This family may be broken. It may be shattered. But it's my broken, shattered family. And I want to be here, I finally admit to myself. To be at the party, even if I'm invisible. This is the last hurrah, even if no one's cheering."

Ever since her parents got divorced, Effie's image of the happy and loving childhood that she thought she had was destroyed. She gradually become distant with her father and embarked on a feud with his new (and much younger) girlfriend, Krista. On top of that, Greenoaks—the rambling Victorian country house Effie called home her whole life, has suddenly been sold. So when Krista decides to throw a grand 'house-cooling' party, Effie declines Krista's last-minute 'anti-invitation'. However, she remembers that her beloved childhood treasure is still left hidden in the house. While everyone is busy celebrating, Effie sneaks and hides around the house in order to retrieve it. Effie then unintentionally discovered that her sister, brother, and father holds secrets that she never knew before—and she begins to see her family in a new light. To make things worse, Effie runs into Joe—the love of her life who broke her heart long ago, and even more truths emerge from their encounter. Over the course of the party, Effie realizes that she must be honest and confront her past before she'll ever be able to face her future.

"And now I'm getting the beginnings of a plan. An audacious idea is crystallizing in my head. I mean, it's mad. I admit it's mad. But, then, this whole evening is a bit mad—so what's new?"

Book Review: Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

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BOOK review

Started on: 26 October 2021
Finished on: 6 November 2021

 

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

 

Title: Daughter of the Deep

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Pages: 352 pages / 416 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2021
Price: Rp 230,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"You may be all that remains of Harding-Pencroft. We must not fail. Trials are cancelled. Instead, you will learn what you must know on active duty. As of this moment, we are at war."

Ana Dakkar is a fifteen-year old who's currently a freshman at Harding-Pencroft academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world. Her parents died while on a scientific expedition two years ago, and the only family member she's got left is her older brother, Dev, a senior student at HP. Ana's freshman year culminates with the class's weekend trial at sea, and she hopes she has what it takes to succeed. However, on the bus ride to the ship, Ana and her schoolmates witness a terrible tragedy that will suddenly change the trajectory of their lives. A cold war between Harding-Pencroft and their rival school, Land Institute, has been turned up to a full broil. In a race against deadly enemies, Ana will make amazing friends and discoveries about her heritage as she puts her leadership skills to the test for the first time.

"As of this moment, you are responsible for one life above all others. You will not leave her side. You will protect her with your dying breath. You will make sure she stays alive, no matter what happens... Ana Dakkar must survive."

Book Review: The Wish by Nicholas Sparks

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BOOK review

Started on: 7 October 2021
Finished on: 19 October 2021

 

The Wish by Nicholas Sparks

 

Title: The Wish

Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 400 pages / 384 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2021
Price: Rp 292,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"It dawned on me then that Bryce—just like my aunt—had come into my life at the time when I'd needed him the most."

In the year 1996, Maggie Dawes was sent away at sixteen to live with an aunt she barely knew in Ocracoke—a fishing village with less than eight hundred people who lived there year-round. At the beginning, she could only think of the friends and family she left behind; until she met Bryce Trickett—one of the few teenagers living on the island. As they spent a lot of time together, Bryce began to show her how much there is to love about Ocracoke and even introduced her to photography—a passion that will define the rest of her life. In 2019, Maggie is a renowned travel photographer who runs a successful gallery in New York and travel to remote places around the world. However, this Christmas she struggled to come to terms with a sobering medical diagnosis and became increasingly dependent on a young assistant named Mark Price—who she's becoming gradually close with. As they count down the last days of the season together, Maggie begins to tell him the story of another Christmas that happened decades earlier—and the love that set her on a course she never could have imagined.

"And in the end, isn't that the most important thing in life? To be truly known and loved by someone you've chosen?"

Book Review: All That is Lost Between Us by Winna Efendi

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BOOK review

Started on: 24 September 2021
Finished on: 26 September 2021

 

All That is Lost Between Us by Winna Efendi

 

Title: All That is Lost Between Us

Author: Winna Efendi
Publisher: Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Pages: 304 pages
Year of Publication: 2021
Price: Rp 69,000 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Perasaan, pilihan, keputusan. Mereka hal-hal paling rumit yang pernah ada."

Bas adalah seorang dokter ahli bedah pediatri yang terus pindah dari kota ke kota, bekerja di berbagai rumah sakit, sebelum akhirnya ia berakhir di sebuah klinik sederhana di kota kecil pedalaman Australia. Namun, setelah 11 tahun lamanya, Bas akhirnya memutuskan untuk berhenti berlari dan kembali ke Melbourne dan memulai segalanya dari awal. Di sisi lain, Bee adalah seorang dokter Unit Gawat Darurat yang selalu menenggelamkan dirinya dalam pekerjaan. Ia sama sekali tidak menyangka akan kembali bertemu dengan Bas di rumah sakit tempatnya bekerja. Bee tidak punya rencana untuk hidup di masa lalu, karena kesalahan besar yang mereka perbuat 11 tahun yang lalu sudah cukup menghancurkan kehidupan mereka. Kini, keduanya berada di tempat mereka bermula. Semuanya tergantung pada mereka—memutuskan untuk meninggalkan rasa yang terkubur di masa lalu itu, atau memutuskan untuk memberi kesempatan kedua untuk apa yang pernah mereka rasakan.

"Dia matahari, hujan badai, dan pelangi pada saat bersamaan. Pada suatu titik dalam hidupku, dialah segalanya."