now reading : when you are engulfed in flames November 4, 2010

When You Are Engulfed In Flames – David Sedaris

a compilation of essays circling the theme family, death, mental disorder and worms. It’s so hilarious and very very recommended for you who think tragedy is also a comedy in certain point of view.

now reading : the museum of innocence October 16, 2010

I enjoyed reading My Name is Red, and just started reading this book, from the reviews I know that this about a guy and his true love. Reading this after a broke up and disappointed about love maybe not a good thing, but maybe it is. Anyway, I like the way he describes Istanbul and its society.

mangoes and murder March 9, 2010

currently reading now : A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif

here what’s written on the back cover:

There is an ancient saying that when lovers fall out, a plane goes down.

This is the story of one such plane. Why did Hercules C130, the world sturdiest plane, carrying Pakistan’s military dictator, General Zia Ul-Haq, go down on 17 August 1988?

Was it because of :

1. Mechanical failure

2. Human error

3.The CIA’s impatience

4.A blind woman’s curse

5.Generals not happy with their pension plans

6.The mango season

Or could it be your narrator, Ali Shigri?

Not finished yet, but I love how the author put humor in this story, and how he write so light and comical around the issue of Islam (which I rarely found in Indonesia’s author). It’s refreshing that you can laugh (though it’s not laugh matter if you think about it seriously) how General Zia act when he goes to Umra (like a twelve year old who had a bad birthday) and how the Maoist in Sweeper Union hate the phrase ‘Cleanliness is half the faith’ (it’s insulting since all the sweepers is Hindus and Catholics).

I enjoy it so much.

the demon November 4, 2009

Its lips were thin an ascetic, and its eyes were a demon’s eyes : they had seen too much and gone too far, and under their gaze he felt less important than a fly.

“Time is fluid here,” said the demon.

-from Other People by N.Gaiman-

The shadow of the wind July 31, 2009

I really miss my blog!! T _T

this weeks has been crazy, I spent my entire weekend and monday in Surabaya, attending my cousin wedding, escorting my mom to her school reunion, relatives house hopping, buying gifts, visiting the cemetery, and (off course), mall to go. And if that’s not enough for a three days vacation my mom insisted to go to Suramadu (the new bridge that connected Surabaya and Madura).

But my entertainment in this week are no other than books. I bought two books at Periplus : The Shadow of The Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon) and Wicked (Gregory McGuire). I finished reading the first, so I thought I write some review for the books that will stay on my favourite book list.

The Shadow of The Wind begin with Daniel Sempere (the main character) narative as he told us how he remembered the first time his father brought him to The Cemetery of Unforgotten Books. He was a ten year old boy who love books and dreaming of becoming a writer. His father own a bookshop and Daniel mother is already passed. The Cemetery of Unforgotten Books are a secret place, where books are kept, rare books, first edition, books that no longer printed. The rule is, if you brought a new person to the Cemetery, those person must chose one from thousand and thousand of books in that labyrinth of bookshelfes and be the guardian of that one book.

Little Daniel, filled with enthusiasm, pick a book, a fiction novel by a writer named Julian Carax, those book is The Shadow of The Wind. Daniel said to his father, that this book is waiting for him to be found. His father doesn’t know who Carax is, or ever read his other books. Filled with curiosity, his father brought Daniel to Don Gustavo, a rich book collector with a beautiful blind niece. Gustavo told Daniel that the book is rare, and many collectors are dying to buy the last copy, which Daniel had with him, and offer Daniel a lot of money for the book.

Daniel refused, but his curiousty increased when he acknowledge the mystery behind the book and the author, Julian Carax. Don Gustavo told Daniel that for the past few years, someone mysterious called Lain Coubert (which is a character in The Shadow of The Wind, the devil) looking for every books Julian Carax ever wrote, and when he possesed it, he burned it.

One occasion, this misterious Lain Coubert encountered Daniel, and he is so much like the devil indeed. He asks with threat for the book, and because Daniel afraid Lain Coubert will get his hand on the last copy, Daniel kept the book again in the cemetery. And with curiosity grew bigger to find what really happened with Julian Carax, the writer.

His investigation begin, and as years go by, like an onion that peels, the story unfold into more drama, mystery, and tragic love stories. If I write all about it, or even a little more about it, I’m afraid it will lessen the joyfulness that the book brought. You can only burried in some stories you never heard of, enjoy the curiousity and the mystery.

This story contains so much characters, but amazingly didn’t made the reader confused. It told lightly in some kind of beautiful way. The setting took place in Barcelona circa 1930-1955. The dialogues are funny and witty. I love it so much, especially there are some sentences or paragraphs that are so beautiful it will be a good quote.

These are some of it :

Those who really love, love in silence. With deeds and not with words.

Books are mirror : you only see in them what you already have inside you.

To put it together, this book by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a must read and a must have (yes, like a good story book, reading it over and over just made it more better). It will take you to the beauty and danger in Barcelona and I just love how the author wrote. It is so full and you will never get bored. Somehow it reminds me of how JK.Rowling wrote Harry Potter.

I hope my review will encourage you buy the book.

The Shadow of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Percy Jackson’s Adventure June 21, 2009

The first of the series cover

What if the gods of Olympus were alive in the 21^st Century? What if they still fell in love with mortals and had children who might become great heroes — like Theseus, Jason and Hercules?

What if you were one of those children?

Such is the discovery that launches twelve-year-old Percy Jackson on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction – Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.

from the author, Rick Riordan’s website.

Like Harry Potter, in each book, the main character grows each year per book. The first book started when Percy is 12 years old, same as Harry. But if Harry Potter world ruled by witch and wizard, in Percy Jackson’s is ruled by God and Goddess from Greek Mythology. I, myself, love Greek myths and taken very much interest in the series (the fourth is coming soon). It’s fun to know what Poseidon or Aphrodite described, Greek myths creatures and monsters, its history (and well, myths). Also like Harry Potter, Percy is accompanied by two friends, Annabeth (the daughter of Athena and like Hermione, sharp and smart) and Grover (a satyr, like Ron, sometimes he act stupid but true to his heart).

And of course, every heroes needs a vilain. In Percy’s Adventure, the evil guy is Kronos, the king of Titans who once destroyed (and shattered into pieces) by Zeus, but now he is regaining his strenght and ready to make a revenge by building armies and woken up ancient monsters and creatures (ehem, sound like you-know-who).

But different with Harry’s battle, the story of Perseus Jackson told with lots of humor and less complicated. Also, the ignorant and mind-changing God and Goddess sometime very frustating. Like Percy who never met his father (the God of sea, Poseidon) but take a very high respect on him or Mr.D (short for Dionysius, the God of Wine) who enjoys bullying and making fun of Percy in the camp, but helped him in time of need,or Aphrodhite (Goddess of Love) and Ares (God of War) love affair that almost make Percy team killed.

The fun stuff is there’s too. It mention that Hermes (The God of messenger and medicine) is the one who found the Internet, that Abraham Lincoln is one of Athena’s children, that Apollo (the God of Sun) is driving a Maserati and love making Haiku (a bad one unfortunately).

The book will come to the big screen (Uma Thurman play Medusa, should be fun).

As I continue reading, I completely forget about Harry and enjoying Percy’s fun adventure.