IPR'S FIRST BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY: THE WINNER(S)!

Malam urang sadayana!
Hehehehehehe. Alhamdulillah giveaway pertamanya IPR sudah selesai dan ospeknya juga sudah beres jadi bisa diumumin malam ini (meskipun dengan badan masih super pegal-pegal ea /curhat)

Pertama-tama, terima kasih banyak ya buat semuanya yang udah ikutan! Nggak nyangka juga pesertanya bakal sebanyak ini. Tirta bacain rekomen buku dan komennya satu-satu kok. Terima kasih sekali sudah mau meluangkan waktu buat join. Jadi terharu sendiri :')

Setelah aku teliti entriesnya, dominannya yg komen bilang kalo tulisan di IPR kekecilan, atau tentang header yg nggak nyambung sama buku, atau katanya layout keramean dan nggak fokus karena di tengah (banyak yg saranin enakan dua bagian aja, hihi) Thankyou so much atas semua masukan! Insya allah bakal dijadiin pertimbangan lagi kalo nanti mau ganti blog designnya. Banyak juga yang bilang aku harus rajinin post update-annya..... Oke deh jendral :') #eh #masihkebawaatmosfirospek

Udah kenapa sih Ta, nggak usah banyak basa-basinya. *didorong*
Iyak jadi pemenang yang beruntung untuk giveaway perdananya IPR ini  berdasarkan pilihan si Rafflecopter adalah..................................

Top Ten Things That Make My Life as a Blogger/Reader Easier

 This week's topic is

TOP TEN THINGS THAT MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER AS A BLOGGER/READER

Goodreads
Well, of course. Friending lots of people on Goodreads (Here's mine. Add me up!) or reading people's reviews of a book on this site really, really help to decide what book should I read next. Also, it's easier to find quotes and the book details when you write a book review! :)

Tumblr
Social medias are awesome! There are lots of book tumblrs out there right now, and I loooove browsing through all the lovely pictures of books or fanarts. And tumblr posts tend to be shorter but also straight to the point, which I love about it. Check out IPR's tumblr!

Twitter
Yay for twitter! Now I could follow awesome people in the book industries (local or international), and it helps getting to know some infos or tidbits such as what book this publisher will translate next, or if my favorite translator/editor is planning to read these books that I love, the progress of a book's production, fun tweets from authors, giveaways(!) that are going on, andddd many others!

Bookmarks
I refuse to dog-ear my books, no thankyou very much. So I really, really like it when I buy a new book and the publisher provide a cute, lovely bookmark inside. Seriously, eventhough I could just as easily remember what page I'm up to, bookmarks help. And I could use almost everything as a bookmark: tickets, cards, sometimes my money, receipts or bills... Once, I used my socks. It was clean, I promise!

Awesome book blogs and its equally awesome owners out there!
Really. I love finding people who has pretty much the same preference of books and read their reviews; it's important to me. Sometimes I also get encouraged to try to read books that are out of my comfort zone, and I've never been more thankful. My fave book bloggers inspire me a lot in so many ways that they don't even know. To know my favorite book blogs that I frequently read and regularly visit each time I'm on the internet, click the Preference page. It's now back on!

Book Bloggers/Readers Community
Being a member of Book Blogger Indonesia and Goodreads Indonesia helps a lot especially when I want to decide what local books to read next. There's lots of interesting topics about books discussed and I always love reading them. And also, getting more people to read my blog ;) Some time ago, I also joined Underrated Books Project that started on Tumblr by Rebecca Day; the goal is to get people to read more good books that are underrated. I love finding hidden gems!

Not stressing about the amount of....
Books I read or reviews I posted here. Seriously, obsessing over the number is not healthy for me. Sometimes when I see a blog that successfully come out with a new, fun post almost every day (twice a day, even!) I get amazed. But then I just decided to go along with the flow (read: my mood...) when reading. If I don't feel like reading, okay I'll put the books on hold for a while. If I don't want to write a review yet, okay, let's move onto the next book. I know some people want me to review more regularly, but with the amount of tasks and activities I have to do in this first term of college, I think it'll be hard. Not that I won't, but I'll try! ;)

Google!
The main reason why google is helpful for my blogging life is when I want to design my blog (because, let's be honest, I don't have the budget to afford an amazing blog design *sad face*). I know, saying 'Google it' is so not specific and lame. But seriously, all the tips of how-to and easy tutorials of making things (like, those lovely 'quick search', 'the reader', 'blog archive', or how to style my blockquote), I get it by looking on Google. You just have to find the right keywords, and voila! And beside, I love learning new things ;)

Aldiko
I don't own Kindle, iRiver or any e-reader. I only have my phone and Android tab with me. So when I discovered Aldiko it was like getting a birthday present! From all the ebook reader apps I've tried, Aldiko book reader is the one that I feel very comfortable to use. Pdf, epub, mobi, no problem! Aldiko also provided some free books which are listed as public domain (Les Miserables, Jane Austen's books, Oliver Twist, and many others).

Blogging tips written by other bloggers
I check out Parajunkee's and Nose Graze's blogging tips almost every week; they're awesome. I need some serious learning on how to manage a book blog and surviving, so I read and google lots of tips. The Broke and Bookish also had brought this 'top ten tips for new book bloggers' subject on their Top Ten Tuesday and I'm so happy to be swimming on people's opinion on this!

Also, another one:
Memes and Reading Challenges!
Seriously. Participating in a meme like this one has given my blog an awesome impact. I learned how to beautify my blog (because I feel itchy everytime I open up a blog that has a wonderful design, ugh, sooo envy of them!), discover more books that maybe I haven't heard of but turns out to be AWESOME!, keeping up with my pile of books that I still need to read and getting to know more readers out there. It's cheesy but true, I feel like I learn something new everytime I visit another book blog.

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

Nantucket Blue

by Leila Howland
Young Adult/Contemporary/Romance/Summery Book
published May 7th 2013 by Disney Hyperion
294 pg
Stand-alone

***

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

Why do I like Nantucket Blue enough to recommend it to anyone who read this post?

First, Nantucket Blue is so fun to read. It's a summery book so it didn't take long for me to like it. The opening scene of the book, which was a lacrosse game, instantly engrossed me to read more. Cricket is kinda a strange name for a girl, but she's a lovely main character. I love the voice/tone that Leila used when telling the story from Cricket's point of view. And Nantucket Blue is one of those books that made you want to go there. The author described the setting pretty clear and I love that about Nantucket Blue. I googled lots of pictures of Nantucket after I finished reading and spent some time dreaming myself being in that lovely island for some good days, wearing a big hat and sunglasses, feeling the heat, basking in the sun while sipping on a glass of cocktail. Hmm, lovely image.

A beach on Nantucket. Picture credit to Adriana Casey

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Audrey, Wait!

by Robin Benway
Published in April 2nd, 2008 by Razorbill
320 pg
Young Adult/Contemporary/Music/Romance
Stand-alone

***

California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, “Audrey, Wait!” a break-up song that’s so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous!

Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!) Audrey can't hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi.

Take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, has outrageous amounts of fun, confronts her ex on MTV, and gets the chance to show the world who she really is.

You said your piece and now I've got to say mine

I had you and you strung me on the liiiiinnnneeee!

We said we loved and it was a lie

I touched your hair and watched you die

You crucified my heart, took every part, and hung them out drrrrrryyyyy!

'It's all good', you always say

But save it for another day,

'Cause now I'm watching you walk awaaaaayyyy!

So, I read Audrey's story on my way back home from Palembang (or Prabumulih, to be exact) and finished it at the exact moment my car finally touched the ground of my house's garage after a week. Okay, that's such unnecessary things to say, but believe me when I tell you that I was smiling and giggling like a mad girl all the way!

Audrey, Wait! has a very simple premise. You know, just a boy (who happens to be in a band) break ups with his girlfriend, writes a song about it, then suddenly the song gets ALL people's attention, gets famous, and now Audrey has to deal with all the crazyness, newfound fame as the impact of it, because she's the girl in the song. Who thought people will put so much attention to a girl mentioned in a song, right? It kinda made me wonder whether Drew got his life 'changed' after Taylor Swift wrote a song dedicated to him (Remember? Drew look at me, I fake a smile so he won't see etc etc. Or the Dear John one but since we know John Mayer's already famous he doesn't count...)

But Robin Benway's strength in this book happens to be her snarky, fun, witty, sarcastic but fresh writing. And dear god Audrey, Wait! is SO FUNNY! Like, sarcastic-funny. Like, awesome-funny! I swear I caught my mom sneaking a glance weirdly at me numerous times because I was goofy-smiling and trying to hold my giggles in the car. The romance was fluffy and cute, too, it made me happy reading about it.

Audrey, wait! Audrey, wait!

You walked out the door and I want you to see me slam it shut!

Audrey, wait! Audrey, wait!

You can say all you want, but I want you to know that this is the cruelest cut!

I PREFER READING'S 1ST BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY!

August is here! Yaaaaaaay! *throws confetti*
Agustus adalah bulan favorit saya sepanjang tahun. Selain karena bulan ini adalah bulan ulang tahun saya (hihihi), kebetulan I Prefer Reading juga pertama kali dibuat Agustus tahun 2012 lalu (Coba tebak, tanggalnya tanggal berapa hayoo).

Selama setahun ngeblog tentang buku udah ngapain aja, Ta?
Blog IPR sejauh ini kebanyakan masih berisi review buku. Jadwal postingannya...... masih suka-suka, apalagi kalo real-life lagi hectic huehuehue (misalnya pas persiapan Ujian Nasional beberapa bulan lalu... Dalam sebulan pernah cuma posting satu review /plak). Mudah-mudahan ke depannya bisa lebih teratur yah :')

Post review pertama yang ditulis di IPR adalah review buku Before I Die karya Jenny Downham, yang saya dapat sebagai hadiah giveaway Tell Me Your Wish-nya Reading in the Morning! Kalau post yang paling banyak diintip, ternyata adalah review Twivortiare-nya Ika Natassa (karena pernah disebut Gramedia sebagai #ResensiPilihan), Cinderella dan Empat Ksatria-nya Baek Myo, dan Looking for Alaska-nya John Green. Tapi buat saya personally, saya paling suka waktu nulis review buku-bukunya Laini Taylor, Golden-nya Jessi Kirby sama The Moon and More-nya Sarah Dessen! Entah kenapa.

IPR pernah ikutan Book Kaleidoscope (yang dihost oleh Mbak Fanda) di akhir tahun 2012 lalu, lho. Belakangan ini juga suka ikutan posting Top Ten Tuesday (weekly meme yang di-host The Brooke & The Bookish) meskipun belum rutin tiap minggu. Oh iya, nggak lama habis bikin IPR saya juga gabung ke BBI, tapi sampe saat ini masih rada-rada pasif kalau lagi ngadain acara semacam Posting Bareng BBI atau Secret Santa gitu ( ._.)/|maafkan saya...|

Lalu lewat post ini juga, Tirta ingin berterimakasih pada siapapun yang udah baca IPR selama setahun ini, baik yang sering comment, silent reader ataupun yang cuma lirik-lirik aja (hihihi)... Thank you so much! It's been a wonderful experience having a book blog and knowing that there are actually people who read it out there. :')

Jadi sekalian merayakan bertambah tuanya umur, setahunan IPR, sekaligus ngelaksanain niat untuk berbagi dan syukuran karena (alhamdulillah) udah diterima di PTN (yay jadi anak kuliahan! hehehe), I wanna share this joyfulness with you all. :) TIME FOR A GIVEAWAY! Bismillahirrahmanirrahiiim, pertama kalinya ngadain giveaway, semoga lancarrr.
And the prize is:

WIN ANY BOOKS YOU WANT UP TO 150k!

Yup. Saya akan bagi-bagi buku apa aja yang diinginkan oleh pemenang. Jumlah bukunya boleh satu, boleh dua, boleh tiga, berapapun asalkan bukunya tersedia di toko buku Gramedia atau di www.bukabuku.com. Ingat, total maksimalnya Rp 150.000 (exclude ongkos kirim) yaaa :D

Giveaway akan berlangsung sejak 1 Agustus sampai 25 Agustus 2013 dan diperuntukkan bagi teman-teman yang berdomisili di Indonesia. Pengumuman pemenang akan saya post di blog ini pada akhir bulan (Mudah-mudahan bisa dapet waktu luang sedikit di sela-sela ospek universitas... Hup hup hup) Siapapun yang menang nanti akan saya hubungi via Twitter atau email segera setelah pengumuman (paling lambat akhir Agustus)

Untuk ikutan giveaway-nya, gampang kok! Silakan isi Rafflecopter di bawah ini dan ikuti perintahnya ya. Jangan lupa cantumkan nama, akun twitter dan alamat email yang bisa dihubungi di comment page.

Once again, thank you for reading IPR, aaaand good luck! Enjoy August ❤

a Rafflecopter giveaway