Movie Discussion Time: DIVERGENT

Divergent, the movie

directed by Neil Burger
screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor
starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Zoe Kravitz, Jai Courtney, Ashley Judd, Ansel Elgort, and others
released March 21st, 2014 (US)
Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi (huh?)
rated PG-13, 139 minutes
a production of Summit Entertainment

Spoilers? What spoilers? YOU SHOULD HAVE READ THE BOOK OR WATCH THE MOVIE ALREADY BY NOW

***

Set in a futuristic dystopia where society is divided into five factions that each represent a different virtue, teenagers have to decide if they want to stay in their faction or switch to another - for the rest of their lives. Tris Prior makes a choice that surprises everyone. Then Tris and her fellow faction-members have to live through a highly competitive initiation process to live out the choice they have made. They must undergo extreme physical and intense psychological tests, that transform them all. But Tris has a secret that she is Divergent, which means she doesn't fit into any one group. If anyone knew, it would mean a certain death. As she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, this secret might help her save the people she loves... or it might destroy her. (from IMDB)

In the first post of this month I mentioned that Divergent movie is the thing that excited me most about March. AND NOW YAY I CAN OFFICIALLY SAY THAT I'VE WATCHED IT! I took a friend with me to pamper our hair at a barbershop first (as planned...) last Friday and went to watch the movie afterward. I'm not a really hard person to please when it comes to movie adaptations of books I love, so needless to say I'm TRULY SATISFIED with how the movie turns out! My friend (who hasn't read the book) said that she REALLY liked the movie too. Yay!

I want to share some of my opinion about the movie with you, and I'd like to hear what YOU thought of it, please! Let's discuss it together! I have so much fun discussing with real life friends so it must be even better to be able to talk about it together with fellow readers who either have or have not read the book (at least you understand about how big the hype around this franchise is)! :)

First, the casts. To be pretty honest, I was quite disappointed with the casts (even with Kate Winslet and Maggie Q joining the team) Our two main stars, Theo James and Shailene Woodley, are so not how I imagined my Four and Tris. One is too old, the other one too 'big'. But after I watched the movie, OMG I'M AWED FOR REALZ. I mean, I still like my version of Four and Tris in my mind better but I REALLY LIKE how they portray THEIR own versions! Now I understand why so many people gush so much about Theo James; he's super swooooooooony. I can't stop admiring him throughout the whole movie, the way he moves, the way he talks (HIS VOICE OMG), the way he looks at Shailene... I can't, I can't. My heart cannot take it.

THE SET, GUYS. THE SET. Especially if we're talking about Dauntless. My other friend and I have the same reaction over this: It's like the set is being copied out of our minds! THAT is totally the way I picture the Dauntless compound while reading the book. The pit, the dining place, EVERYTHING. It's kinda shocking to see the similarities between my imagination and the movie set. AWESOME. The only set that didn't 'click' right with me is the place where they held the choosing ceremony. In my mind, the hall is a lot bigger than the one in the movie.

The knife throwing scene! AYYY MY FAVE. You have to LOOK at the way he looks at Tris, the way he grips the knives, and the music! The music is so spot on it truly helps building all the tension. (And while we're at it, I'd like to say how much I love the songs they use as the movie soundtrack! The placement is also quite good. None feel weird or strange).

AND ALL THE SCENES THAT ARE DONE RIGHT. Awesomely. Awe-mazingly. I've many other favorite moments in the movie: One, when the Dauntless jump (LIKE A BOSS) from the running train on the choosing ceremony day. Two, Tris running along with the other Dauntless into their compound, jumping from the train onto the rooftop. Be careful, bb. No, I'm not creying, I just feel proud for my bb Tris. Three, the flag catching (PLUS ferris wheel) scene. Ossum. Four, ZIP LINING Okay, okay, I'll stop now before I spoil all the scenes to ya who haven't read or watched.

I think the chemistry between Theo and Shailene is quite good, yes? I'm pretty happy with it. Their movements around each other doesn't seem forced or whatever, and from all his stares, her dazed look, it's easy imagining them falling in love with each other. It's pretty clear how much the age gap between them but oh well while you're watching the movie who cares right..... The romance lovey-dovey part is not all over the movie, too, it isn't being overshowed, that's a good thing. It's not all about the romance, after all.

DID YOU SEE VERONICA because I totally saw her (at the beginning of the zip-lining scene, right?!) but I didn't know about her being a cameo in the movie so I was like 'Eh? Eh? Did you see that? That's the author of the book what is she doing there?!' to my friend. Who's actually much more clueless than I am.

Badass author. I TOTALLY SEE YOU

Side characters are cool. ZOE KRAVITZ AS CHRISTINA IS AWESOME. She's so far from MY Christina but I LOVE HER AS CHRISTINA in the movie. I wanna hug and tickle and pinch her a little. Other characters are pretty much okay, a little forgettable for me. It was quite difficult for me to differ the actors who play Peter, Will, and Al, to be honest. Ansel as Caleb didn't left much impression (curious about his portrayal of Augustus Waters, though! We'll see).... So was Kate Winslet as Jeanine (even though they've made her appear more often than in the book). My Jeanine was a bit colder than her version. I dislike the movie version of Tris' mom, played by Ashley Judd. Didn't get emotional at all at that last scene between her and Tris. *shrug*

[Honorary mention to Jai Courtney as Eric. He's PERFECT for the role. From the beginning I've wanted to slap his face whenever he talks. Means he's successfull portraying his character, right?]

[[And the costume and makeup team. COOL COSTUMES, COOL TATTOOS. The mascara on Tris was a lil bit too much, yes (har har) but she looks so goddang sexy all the time I can hardly complain. Badass superheroine.]]

[[[When Peter is all "It's not like you're actually gonna shoot me." And Tris "Why does everybody keeps saying that?!" *SHOOTS* THAT'S MA GIRL]]]

[[[[Also, Four: "My name is Four." Christina: "Four? What, were One, Two, Three already taken?" HARHARHAR]]]]

For a two and half hours long of a movie, Divergent is pretty awesome at transferring most of what happened in the story to a big screen. I'd say about... 80%-ish percent stays true to the book, right? At least he parts that are omitted and changed make no hassle in enjoying and understanding the plot of the movie. Again, me = easy to please. I don't care that there are lots of important characters/parts being cut (Uriah? Edward?) as long as the movie is still pleasing for me. Moreover, I adore all the beautiful cinematography! The colors, the places, the atmosphere, all blend perfectly. Feast to the eyes, I should say.

When I watch a movie adaptation with friends who haven't read the book, the first thing I always do after we get out of the cinema is asking them whether they understand the story or not. My friend says she understand it, fortunately, the whole 'faction' thing, but she still has some questions about Four. His history with Marcus (based on the fear landscape scene), that is. I guess this is quite a problem because I also feel that Theo's portrayal of Four doesn't really explain much about his four (not merely fears, but) phobias, Four's actual personality. In the movie, he only seems strong, undefeated, charming, and all, but Theo doesn't really reveal Four's side of insecurity and his pain when he has to face his fears. On the ferris wheel scene, for example, he asks Tris 'Are you human?' (lots of people in the studio laughed on this part!) but then he just goes on climbing that ladder. Or in that fear landscape scene with his father. Maybe it'll be a bit better if they show how Four's hands are... trembling, shaking a little, close up shot to his hands, you know? He needs to look more vulnerable, because Four is. Despite his outer aura, inside Four is still a 18 years old boy who needs someone (as in Tris) to hold him as much as the other person (again, as in, Tris) needs him. Just my two cents, though.

Same thing also applies to Shailene as Tris. She needs to work more on her expressions, IMO. She doesn't really look thrilled when Tris should be, doesn't really look terrified, or shocked, or gutted, or... anything, actually. I believe she can do so much more than that, and while she's lacking in expressions, her acting is good! :)

FOR FUN: 'Watching the Divergent movie' in GIF 

***

ENOUGH OF ME. Now what about YOUR OPINIONS? Have you watched the book prior to watching the movie?! What do you think of the movie? Any scenes that left big impressions on you? Things that make you disappointed? Things that you think SHOULD be included in the movie but missing? Did you FANGIRL OVER THEO AS MUCH AS I DID (AHAHAHAHAHAH HAH those british guys)? Let's taaaaaaaaalk about it :D

Don't forget to always have fun and read some more!

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Maybe Someday

by Colleen Hoover

published March 18th 2014 by Atria Books

New Adult/Contemporary/Romance/Music

384 pages

***

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her--and she's forced to decide what her next move should be.

Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

A passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance, Maybe Someday will immerse readers in Sydney's tumultuous world from the very first page.

“Hey, heart. Are you listening? You and I are officially at war.”

Colleen Hoover, YOU DID IT. Frankly, I've never thought I would give her book five full stars on Goodreads before Maybe Someday (sorry not sorry!) I mean, I enjoyed her previous books, especially Hopeless (Not one that stays with me for a long time but I remember that I quite loved that one!) it's just that most of the time I'm asking why she always feel the need to write unnecessary sequels. I dislike her sequels. I guess I'm pretty much indifference about her books.

But with Maybe Someday, I can't say the same thing. I love it so much, like, SO much. It's a wonder because this book contains topics that I usually avoid in stories: Infidelity and love triangle (UGH). When we first meet Sydney, she has just punched her bestfriend for cheating with Syd's boyfriend. Pages later, she's in love with a boy who already has a long-time girlfriend! Duh, right? I'm glad, though, because the story is SO much more than that. I love how Colleen tries to explore the whole 'nothing in this world is purely black or white' case in Maybe Someday. No character in the story is 'basically mean' or 'basically kind', Colleen Hoover fleshes them out beautifully. The dual point of views are done really well that I cannot help but to feel sympathy for both Sydney and Ridge. I don't think I will ever justify the act of infidelity in real life, ever, but with this book, I can't make myself hate them because it's just so confusing to pick a side! I mean, I want Syd to be with Ridge, but I hate her for not distancing herself right away when the feeling starts to bloom. I want Ridge to be with Syd, but I don't want that too because it means someone is going to be hurt! My delicate heart is so torn reading about the whole thing.

It's a bit surprising to learn about Ridge's..... condition, and it's quite hard to accept at first when he's described to be a great musician. Ridge's disability, actually, is the main reason why I quickly become interested in the story. It's still quite rare, I guess, for (YA) authors to explore a story when one of the main characters has disability, and it makes Ridge quite unique, different from other boy-main characters. To be honest, hearing impaired is one thing that I share with Ridge (not as bad as him, noooo, my left ear only functions at about 95% rate, but the other one is completely normal. I can still talk and hear and communicate well, no worries!) so I can empathize with this boy a lot. Ridge isn't just so kind, he's wonderful! He's capable of fully loving people the way they should be properly loved. You can feel how much love he has for the people in his life, not just through his words, but also through his actions. Unfortunately this later becomes a problem when he cannot stop feeling what he shouldn't feel.

"People can’t control matters of the heart, Warren. They can only control their actions, which is exactly what Ridge did. He lost control once for ten seconds, but after that, every single time temptation reared its ugly head, he walked in the other direction. The only thing Ridge has done wrong is fail to delete his messages, because by doing so, he failed to protect Maggie. He failed to protect her from the harsh truth that people don’t get to choose who they fall in love with. They only get to choose who they stay in love with."

I love the way Colleen Hoover combines all the aspects in this book, she successfully mixed up things that could easily make me hate Maybe Someday into something so beautifully woven. Then there's music, which brings Sydney and Ridge together. I've always loved books that features music as a big part of it, so this point contributes another reason why I love Maybe Someday, aside from its characterizations and emotions that the story evokes from me. Maybe Someday is just so achingly good, it can easily make you laugh then cry within the same chapter. I can't stop reading it page by page until I reach the final conclusion.

Another refreshing thing is that eventhough Maybe Someday is categorized as New Adult, the story is safe from any 'graphic' scenes that usually present in other NA books. It's practically YA, I think, only with older characters. Fans of Colleen Hoover will no doubt feel satisfied with this one, but I can guarantee that most NA/YA readers will also find Maybe Someday as an enjoyable read, at least. The book is worth to try, just be sure to read it with an open mind. :)

“Hurts to see you everyday
Cupid shuts his eyes and shot me twice
Smell your perfume on my bed
Thoughts of you invade my head
Truths are written, never said
And if I can't be yours now
I'll wait here on this ground
Till you come, till you take me away
Maybe someday
Maybe someday”

Read other reviews of Maybe Someday by: OceMei | Kristin | Hazel | Aestas Book Blog

What do you think about Maybe Someday? Have you ever read anything by Colleen Hoover? If your answer is not, this book might be a good one to start!

What's your favorite book(s) from the NA genre? Any similar books like Maybe Someday? Books where the main character has disability, or books that combines music and romance (my fave kind!)? 

Do not hesitate to share with me! :)

Have fun and read some more,

On My Wishlist — Shadow and Bone, Galaksi Kinanthi, The Painted Veil

Terkepung musuh, Negara Ravka yang dulu pernah berjaya terbagi dua oleh Shadow Fold, sebuah wilayah terselubung kabut kegelapan penuh monster pemburu daging manusia yang hampir tak tertembus. Sekarang, nasib Ravka berada di pundak seorang pengungsi yang kesepian.

Alina Starkov tidak pernah mahir dalam hal apa pun. Namun, ketika resimennya diserang di Shadow Fold dan sahabatnya terluka parah, Alina memunculkan kekuatan tersembunyi yang akan menyelamatkan nyawanya—kekuatan yang bisa menjadi kunci untuk membebaskan negaranya yang sedang dilanda perang mematikan. Alina dibawa ke istana untuk dilatih sebagai anggota Grisha, pasukan sihir yang dipimpin oleh Sang Kelam yang misterius.

Dengan kegelapan yang terus membayangi dan seluruh kerajaan bergantung pada kekuatannya yang tak terkalahkan, Alina harus berhadapan dengan rahasia Grisha … dan rahasia hatinya.

Shadow and Bone oleh Leigh Bardugo, diterjemahkan oleh Mizan Fantasy tahun 2013

Udah banyak yang bilang kalo serial high fantasy ini bagus, bukunya pun udah diterjemahkan ke bahasa Indonesia, tap sejujurnya aku masih ragu untuk beli sendiri bukunya karena..... Ada unsur love triangle-nya di buku kedua dan ketiga nanti. HUHU love triangle malesin :| Tapi tetep pengen baca sih. Butuh bujukan kuat nih tapinya buat baca Shadow & Bone, hueheheh

Begini cara kerja sesuatu yang engkau sebut cinta;
Engkau bertemu seseorang lalu perlahan-lahan merasa nyaman berada di sekitarnya. Jika dia dekat, engkau akan merasa utuh, dan terbelah ketika dia menjauh. Keindahan adalah ketika engkau merasa ia memerhatikanmu tanpa engkau tahu. Sewaktu kemenyerahan itu meringkusmu, mendengar namanya disebut pun menggigilkan akalmu. Engkau mulai tersenyum dan menangis tanpa mau disebut gila.
Berhati-hatilah…

Galaksi Kinanthi, oleh Tasaro GK.
Diterbitkan Bentang Pustaka pada 2012

Cover versi baru ini jauh lebih menarik! Waktu itu udah sempet mau beli sewaktu ke toko buku, setelah baca beberapa halaman yang kopiannya dibuka. Kayaknya menarik. Belum pernah baca karya Tasaro GK sama sekali, tapi suka banget sama salah satu karyanya yang judulnya Perempuan. Sekarang udah susah cari Galaksi Kinanthi ini, paling berharap sama kumpulan obralan aja :(

Apa yang kaulakukan jika istri yang sangat kaucintai ternyata menjalin hubungan gelap? Walter Fane, ahli bakteri yang bekerja di Hong-Kong yang ketika itu masih menjadi koloni Inggris, memberikan dua pilihan kepada Kitty, istrinya: diceraikan dan menanggung malu, atau ikut dengannya ke Cina Selatan, ke sebuah wilayah yang sedang terjangkit wabah kolera dan sedikit sekali orang yang pulang dalam keadaan hidup.

Karena tak sanggup menanggung malu, Kitty pun bersedia ikut dengan suaminya. Dia yakin sekali Walter mengajaknya ke sana dengan harapan perjalanan dan wabah penyakit tersebut akan membunuhnya. Tetapi benarkah demikian?

The Painted Veil oleh W. Somerset Maugham
Diterjemahkan oleh Gramedia Pustaka Utama pada 2011

Buku klasik! Jarang-jarang nih aku tertarik sama buku klasik. Buku ini pertama terbit tahun 1925 dan sudah diterjemahkan GPU tiga tahun lalu. Yang satu ini juga udah lumayan susah carinya :( The Painted Veil adalah salah satu buku yang diem-diem selalu aku pengenin (dan tiap ke toko buku berharap ketemu) meskipun nggak diniatin banget buat carinya #lah

***

On My Wishlist adalah feature dimana aku berbagi tentang buku-buku yang jadi wishlistku di IPR. Biasanya dipost sebulan sekali hari Rabu, dan akan dimasukkan ke dalam linky Wishful Wednesday-nya Mbak Astrid.

Dari ketiga buku di atas, adakah diantaranya yang udah pernah kamu baca? (Kalau iya, beneran bagus nggak ceritanya?) Atau salah satunya juga termasuk dalam wishlist kamu? Kalo punya, boleh lho pinjem-pinjemin ke aku, akan diterima dengan tangan sangat terbuka X) #plak

Have fun and read some more,

PS: Jangan lupa ikutan giveaway hop BBI di IPR, ya! Masih berlangsung sampai tanggal 11 April 2014.

Hadiahnya buku pilihan sendiri dengan total Rp 100.000,- Yuk! :)

BBI's 2014 GIVEAWAY HOP: Cover Guessing Game!

Happy Third Anniversary, Blogger Buku Indonesia! :)
Giveaway Hop ini adalah salah satu dari dua kegiatan yang diadakan dalam rangka perayaan ultah ketiga BBI di tanggal 13 April 2014 nanti. Giveaway Hop berarti nggak cuma IPR aja yang mengadakan giveaway, tetapi juga banyak blog-blog buku lain yang merupakan anggota BBI. Mau berburu hadiah buku gratis, yuk ikutan banyak giveaway lainnya! Daftar lengkap blog-blog member BBI yang ikutan mengadakan giveaway bisa dilihat disini.

Setelah memikirkan konsep giveaway kali ini, akhirnya aku memutuskan untuk membuat

COVER GUESSING GAME!

Cover Guessing Game ini terinspirasi oleh Kelly dari Effortlessly Reading yang udah seringkali mengadakan giveaway melalui cara tebak cover. Jadi, yang perlu kamu lakukan hanyalah menebak JUDUL dan NAMA PENULIS dari cover-cover di bawah ini. Nggak susah kok! Kalau dibandingkan sama punya Kelly, wah ini masih gampang banget. Dan akan ada hints (petunjuk) untuk setiap cover yang harus kamu tebak.

HINTS!

• Buku lokal karya penulis luar asal Eropa.
• Penulis buku lokal dari cover ini (cover lama, buku debut) sekarang merangkap sebagai kurator dalam proyek start-up yang ia miliki sendiri.
• Cover yang aku pakai adalah cover versi asli, bukan cover terjemahan, soalnya cover terjemahannya 'ancurr abiss' :))
• Kabarnya, buku yang satu ini akan segera difilmkan, dan sekarang sedang dalam tahap pra-produksi. Yaaaay!

Ingat! Hints-nya diacak, jadi kamu harus kira-kira sendiri mana cover pasangan dari masing-masing hint. Muhehehehehehe *ketawa setan* Oh iya, selain itu, ada beberapa ketentuan yang harus diperhatikan.

1. Giveaway Hop di IPR ini berlangsung dari hari Minggu, 16 Maret 2014 sampai hari Jumat, 11 April 2014. Jadi, ada banyak waktu kaaan untuk cari tau jawabannya :D
2. Tulis jawabanmu (Empat judul buku sekaligus nama penulisnya ya! Kalau hanya salah satu, maka jawaban tidak sah) di kolom komentar post ini, jangan lupa sertakan nama dan akun Twitter kalian supaya mudah dihubungi kalau nanti menang. Nggak punya Twitter? Silakan cantumkan e-mail.
3. Peserta harus follow blog I Prefer Reading ya, bisa melalui GFC atau Bloglovin' (links tersedia di sidebar. Jangan lupa kasihtau aku via komen juga kalian follow pake apa)
4. Giveaway diperuntukkan untuk yang berdomisili di Indonesia aja! Kalau harus ke luar Indonesia, kantong mahasiswanya nggak kuat, hehehehehe
6. Untuk menentukan siapa pemenangnya, bagi yang jawabannya benar untuk semua cover, namanya akan aku masukkan dalam daftar yang nantinya diundi menggunakan Random.org. Pemenang akan aku umumkan di blog ini juga pada hari Senin, 14 April 2014.

Terakhir, hadiahnya apa sih, Ta?
Masih sama seperti giveaway IPR sebelumnya, hadiahnya adalah buku pilihan sendiri, bedanya hanya di nominal yang kali ini senilai Rp 100.000,00! Belum termasuk ongkos kirim, ya. Jumlahnya terserah. Boleh satu, dua, tiga, atau sepuluh yang penting tidak melebihi angka Rp 100.000,00.

PS: Jawaban kalian aku moderate, dan nggak akan aku publish sampai nanti setelah GA-nya ditutup. Ini untuk mengurangi resiko nyontek dari komen lain.

Yak, sekian untuk pengumuman giveaway hop kali ini. Semangaaaaaat! Ayok berburu buku :D

As always, don't forget to have fun and read some more!

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Never Fade

by Alexandra Bracken
second book of The Darkest Minds series
published on October 15th 2013 by Disney Hyperion Books
YA/Dystopia/Science Fiction/Romance/Adventure
507 pages
I'm bad about spoilers. This is a warning.

***

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

“The call you Medusa. One wrong look and your brain turns to stone.”

I was glad I didn't have to wait for Never Fade because the ending of The Darkest Minds was just SO MINDBLOWING I can't I just.... can't. Never Fade welcomed us a few months after what happened in those last pages of The Darkest Minds: Ruby was in the center of a mission, with a totally new pack. There was a bit descriptions about what's been going on, introduction to some new characters.... And all. I love these new characters! Zu was absent in this second book, but her two replacements aren't bad at all. Jude and Vida were definitely important to the story—Jude is practically a kid, and his bright personality warmed my heart, a total opposite of Vida who's loud and snarky but also smart at the same time. These two grew up on me eventually, and I found myself loving them as much as I loved Chubs and Zu. (PS: I TOTALLY SHIP VIDA AND CHUBS. THEY'RE TOTALLY SHIPPABLE)

Alexandra Bracken doesn't wait to instantly deliver us the action. She doesn't hold back at all. Since the beginning we're being plunged right into all the suspenseful confrontations. Ruby's main goal in Never Fade, however, is to find Liam and bring back the flashdrive that even the guy himself doesn't know he has in his jacket. The moment after they find him, though, is so heartbreaking I cannot help but to cry reading about it. YES, Ruby is finally reunited back with Liam. NO, he isn't in a good shape. *silent tears running down ma face*

Ruby continues to be awesome in Never Fade—to me this girl is so unselfish, she's willing to protect those she loves whatever the consequence is, and that's exactly why sometimes she could make the worst decision. It was palpable how big the guilt she feel about Liam. She doesn't regret it if it means to protect him, but after finding the guy she loves in such an awful condition, well, how can she be so sure about her decision anymore, right? Their heated conversation in the gas station, oh my god, TOO MANY FEEEEEEEELS. I love how Alexandra explains that heart and brain are two totally different things through this scene; Liam's brain doesn't recognize Ruby, the girl is practically a stranger to him, but Liam's heart cannot lie about it. The heart does recognizes her. I cried a little and then I cried some more. It was good that Liam confronts Ruy about her stupid decision—I mean, if I were him, I would also be shouting things at this girl, like 'You do not have the right to do anything like that because, it's MY mind, yo!'

"I feel like I’m losing my damn mind, like your face has been carved into my heart, and I don’t remember when, and I don’t understand why, but the scar is there, and I can’t get it to heal. It won’t go. I can’t make it fade. And you won’t even look at me!"

The whole thing about IAAN, Clancy and Cole, I'm still wondering where it's headed. I do loathe Clancy with my every being, cause honestly even after we got a glimpse of his life in The Darkest Minds I cannot feel even a little bit of simpathy toward this guy. Cole, well, he doesn't really play much in Never Fade, and I was kinda worried that he's going to be... a rival for Liam, you know, regarding Ruby, but so far he hasn't done any harm. 

So in conclusion, yay! One more series where the sequel doesn't disappoint at all! Alexandra Bracken is good at making such quotable lines from the dialogs of her characters (that's what I love the most about this series, actually), she's good with her plot, Never Fade proves to be as entertaining as The Darkest Minds. Over five hundred pages goes by without me noticing how long it is. If you haven't started reading this one, well, you at least need to give it a shot, because it's a GOOD series. The last book of the trilogy is set to be out this fall, can't wait for it! :)

Need more to convince you that this series is worthy of your time? Read reviews by Mimi Valentine and Melanie from YA Midnight Reads

Have you read The Darkest Minds and Never Fade? What do you think of them? If you have any books to recommend that is similar with this one, do not hesitate to tell me!

Have fun and read some more,

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

The Infernal Devices series

by Cassandra Clare

published first on 2010 by Walker Books, Ltd

YA / Romance / Fantasy / Paranormal / Steampunk

SPOILERS, SPOILERS EVERYWHERE. DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YE.

***

"Most people are lucky to have even one great love in their life. You have found two."

So. Let me get this all out first. I have (finally) read and finished this series since last month, but I just couldn't find a way to formulate a review that could prefectly describe what I feel and think about these three amazing books. Now I'm going to try anyway. The emotions are still fresh and though I can't recite all of what happened in the books anymore, I can still remember how purely shocked I am to find that this series was actually good, SO GOOD it hooked deeply into my heart and left me feeling raw after I read the last sentence. I couldn't even finish the first book of The Mortal Instrument, so I never thought Cassandra could write another series this excellent. The Infernal Devices, to me, is totally on a different level altogether than The Mortal Instruments, although not wihout some flaws.

The Good

First of all, I have to salute Cassandra Clare's skill on the worldbuilding of this series. The setting is England circa 1800-ish, which she describes beautifully to make a clear picture for the readers. Not to mention that she has to merge it with all the details of the Shadowhunters' world. It was just exquisite. All the way until book three, the atmosphere of the story is filled with these mysterious, quiet, but gorgeous aura that truly helps building the emotions and to see everything: The way the characters talk, the parties they attend, The Institute's dining room.... Even the air feels different somehow. Everytime I return to continue reading the series, I truly experience what it feels like to enter a totally different world.

Cassandra presents many characters through the series, but she can make every one of them shines in their own way. From our three main characters: William Herondale, James Castairs and Theresa Gray (love their names!). Then there's Charlotte, Sophie, Jessamine... Even I can't help but to sympathize with the passive Henry, and of course the Lightwood brothers. I quite like how each one of them end up with someone in the story, though some are easily predictable. Cassandra creates multidimensional characters that aren't completely black or white, they're all gray. Even Mortmain. These people have their own story, which shaped their personality as shown in the books. This aspect make the story such a page-turning one. I'm glad that Cassandra doesn't only focuses the whole story on our trinity, for it also follows other side characters whereabout. They're all entertaining. PS: Magnus Bane is awesomazing! I remember him from The Mortal Instrument, and here in Infernal Devices he's also an important part of the story. I can't help but to want to have a bestfriend like him. Oh, Magnus.

But what is so excellent about The Infernal Devices is of course, THE FEELS. Geez, ALL the emotional levels I experience (Read: ALL THE TEARS I SHED FOR THEM)! I seriously can't hold it all back in. In every book there is one certain part that make me bawl like a baby. That moment when Will finally confesses his feeling for Tessa only to find out that Tessa is engaged to Jem? Gosh I cried until my head hurts. That part where Will realizes the parabatai sign on his skin is fading? There are just NO words. It's just so strange that all the love between Will, Tessa, and Jem feels too real, too powerful—you can't help but to understand how tight the bond between Will and Jem is. They're not merely bestfriends nor soulmate, they're blood brothers, each of them is willing to sacrifice their feeling, their life even! For the other—Tessa sees Will as someone who attracts her from the beginning of all of this, their love goes beyond reasons (and I personally think it's the most beautiful thing) but she also can't help to feel for Jem whom she loves as a true bestfriend, one who's always been with her whenever she needs it. How Tessa and Will are willing to hide their feelings for the sake of Jem is amazeballs.

The Bad

Every good books (hell, every book) are not good without the bad. At first, when I start reading The Infernal Devices, it feels... so Cassandra Clare, so Mortal Instrument. You know what I mean? The paragraphs are packed with details, too much details, too much informations thrown, too many characters, and too many things going on. Moreover because the pace is slow (except in the last book), it may sometimes make you feel confused and bored. You need to be extra patient to finally get a hold of it, then you'll enjoy the books better.  

Every once in a while I also ask about the point of some things that were included in the plot—Cecily Herondale, for instance. What's the point of her appearance if she doesn't succeed on persuasing Will to go home? Is it just to pair her with Gabriel? I feel like even if she wasn't added up to the story, the whole thing won't get much difference, after all (If you have other opinion, please tell me!). And the whole thing about Jem being a silent brother? Eh. I should have known where it's headed (for a hundred and thirty years later....) I mean, moments before the death of Jem were built so intensely, Will saying goodbye to his parabatai and all that (another most heartbreaking moment) only for us to find out that Jem actually doesn't die. He changes into a silent brother. Errrr... Okaaaay *brows raised* Then at the end when it's said that the cure to make a silent brother become normal (as in, a mortal) again has been found. Eyyy. It seems like Cassandra just wants to make everybody happy.

The Ugly

THE EPILOGUE. UGH. I really can do without the epilogue! Just end it after the part where Will brings Tessa to his parents, please? I mean, it's totally okay to know Tessa and Will live a peaceful, lovely, happy married life with their big family for about thirty years until Will, who's clearly still a mortal, has to di—NO, really, can we just stop at that?! I even wished that somewhere along the way a vampire will bite him just to make him live forever like Tessa. *ugly creying*

Yes, if I have to be totally honest, eventhough the love triangle is great and powerful and beautiful and all, whatever, I'm TEAM WILL ALL THE WAY. I can't help but to truly love him, a boy with such a tortured soul who's been so wonderful from the start. Will meanly ignores and avoids his family, Tessa, well basically everyone at arm's length because of the 'curse', he respected Jem enough to hold all of his feelings because he loves his blood brother too much... He's snarky but also humorous, and he loves literature, not to mention his dashing looks and the 'bad boy' aura, what more could a fictional character ask for?! *ahem*

Someone who's just generous, kind and noblehearted like Jem doesn't make him that much interesting. I mean, he and Tessa will be a great couple too, but I think after a while the relationship will get boring. While Tessa is so much 'alive' with Will, it feels like through all three books Tessa only reciprocates Jem's love because she doesn't want to hurt him even more (DON'T KICK ME OKAY I'M JUST BEING HONEST LOL)

Oh well, whatever. End of rant. The epilogue was beautiful, by the way, if only Cassandra stop at the first two or three pages of it.

Read what others say about this series: Sam from Realm of Fiction | Neysa from Papier Revue | Zoe from The Splendiferous Book Blog

Now it's time for YOU! Have you read this series? What do you think of it? Are you Team Will, or Team Will? (Okay that's so highschool I know) If you haven't sterted this series because you're traumatized  by The Mortal Instrument (beep beep personal experience beep beep), eh, don't let it get to you. Read the book!

Also, have fun and read some more, okay? ;)

Bidadari Santa Monica, oleh Alexandra Leirissa Yunadi

Bidadari Santa Monica

karya Alexandra Leirissa Yunadi
diterbitkan oleh Gramedia Pustaka Utama pada Agustus 2009
Romance/Metropop/Lokal
368 halaman

***

Buat Pelita, hidup ini bagaikan kepingan penuh warna. Di matanya, Efraim-lah pemberi warna hidupnya. Namun karena Efraim juga, Pelita terperangkap dalam warna abu-abu: Remuk hati berkepanjangan. Lalu dia bertemu dengan pengamen cantik di Santa Monica, Amerika. Konon, orang-orang memanggil gadis itu dengan julukan Bidadari Santa Monica.

Pelita terpesona pada sang bidadari. Mendatanginya setiap hari, mendengarkan lantunan lagu dan petikan harpanya dalam derai airmata, sambil tak henti-henti mengaguminya.

Lalu, pada hari yang ketujuh...

"Pelita!" dengan fasih, bule jelita itu menyebut namanya. "That`s your name right?"

Pelita terkesima. Tak mengerti bagaimana mungkin bidadari cantik itu mengetahui namanya. Nama yang bahkan terasa asing saat diucapkan lidah bule seperti pengamen itu. Tapi tak hanya itu...

"See you later, Little Shine..." bahkan gadis cantik yang tak mungkin bisa bahasa Indonesia itu menyebutkan arti dari namanya.

Pelita pun mulai mereka-reka, siapa gadis bermata biru itu sebenarnya? Mengapa bidadari itu begitu tertarik pada masa lalunya? Dan... apa sebenarnya hubungan pengamen cantik itu dengan the love of her life, Efraim?

Alexandra Leirissa Yunadi adalah salah satu dari penulis-penulis lokal yang aku selalu suka karya-karyanya! Cerita dari dua buku pertamanya, Dua Pasang Mata dan Dua Belas Pendar Bintang, masih terus keingetan sampai sekarang, setelah sekian lama. Dua-duanya dari genre Teenlit. Nah, kebetulan, ternyata Alexandra pernah menulis untuk genre Metropop. Nggak tau juga kenapa aku bisa nggak aware tentang ini, dan baru tau kemarin ketika nemu bukunya di obralan Gramedia. Terbitnya pun udah lama, tahun 2009...

Buatku, khas dari setiap karya Alexandra Leirissa adalah ceritanya yang cukup simpel, dramatis ala sinetron, dan narasinya yang terkesan heboh. Bidadari Santa Monica pun begitu. Ringan, tapi jenis ringan yang nggak annoying, justru bikin pembacanya suka ikut senyam-senyum sendiri dan penasaran akan kelanjutan ceritanya. Adalah Pelita, yang bertemu dengan seorang pengamen jalanan yang sangat memesona di Santa Monica, Amerika, saat sedang melakukan kunjungan kerja hingga Pelita menyebutnya 'Bidadari Santa Monica'. Pengamen kecil ini benar-benar punya daya tarik yang kuat, namun nggak bisa Pelita jelaskan apa sebabnya, ia hanya tau bahwa dirinya benar-benar tertarik sama si Bidadari.

Tak dianyana, waktu lagi naik pesawat balik menuju Indonesia, si Bidadari ini duduk persis di sebelah Pelita! Kaget, pasti. Setelah berbasa-basi singkat, si Bidadari menanyakan tentang warna favorit Pelita, yang harusnya simpel bagi kebanyakan orang, tapi ternyata berbuah panjang ketika ditanyakan pada tokoh utama kita ini.

"Kamu nggak suka warna pink?"
"Sekarang nggak."
"Berarti dulu suka?"
"Lalu kamu suka warna apa?"
"Abu-abu."
.......
"Kamu memendam luka, ya?"

Yak, tebakan si Bidadari tepat sasaran. Setelah dibujuk, meluncurlah cerita dari mulut Pelita tentang Efraim, seseorang yang ia temui saat kerja dulu. Diceritakan bahwa Efraim ini cowok yang sangat ganteng, wangi, dan menarik. Ia masih muda, tapi sudah sukses mengelola bisnisnya. Nah, Pelita dapat kesempatan untuk meliput tentang bisnis milik Efraim. Nggak butuh waktu lama, Pelita jatuh cinta mati-matian sama laki-laki ini. Masalahnya cuma satu, yaitu, ada rumor yang mengatakan bahwa Efraim adalah pacar Pak Ian, bos di majalah tempat Pelita kerja........ Nah lho!

Cerita mengalir dengan asyik dari awal hingga akhir. Ada beberapa bagian yang rasanya 'duh, drama banget deh' atau 'heboh amat sih' tapi mungkin karena aku udah pernah baca karya-karya Alexandra sebelumnya (dan suka banget sama dua buku itu), hal ini nggak terlalu jadi masalah buatku pribadi. Kadang kelakuan Pelita di cerita ini bikin gemes sendiri, deh. Sampai-sampai aku mikir 'Ini cewek sebenernya bolot apa gimana sih?' Tapi yah, kalau nggak gitu nggak jadi seru kali ya :)) Dari awal udah di'foreshadow'-in (dikasih petunjuk) tentang peristiwa yang akan terjadi menjelang akhir cerita, jadi aku nggak begitu kaget waktu sampai di bagian ITU, meskipun tetap sempet kecewa dikit :| Oh ya, aku juga suka gimana buku ini sempat menyinggung tentang isu LGBT (gay, lebih tepatnya), meskipun hal itu bukan fokus utama Bidadari Santa Monica.

Dari segi teknis, ada beberapa hal yang aku tandai, contohnya adalah tulisan tersegal-segal (halaman 227). Nggak tau persis yang mana yang benar, tapi seingatku yang lebih umum digunakan adalah 'sengal' bukan 'segal' (duileh, Tirta). Juga kata excited yang harusnya ditulis 'exciting' ("It's so exciting!") ((halaman 152)). Ini grammar aja, sih. Hehe. Satu hal lain yang aku perhatikan juga disini, adalah bagian yang nggak seimbang antara awal dan akhir cerita. Hampir setengah dari Bidadari Santa Monica menceritakan tentang hubungan Pelita-Efraim di masa-masa deket tapi belum jadian, dengan segala drama dan kehebohannya, tapi setengah bagian buku berikutnya, di bagian senang-senang, porsinya dikit banget, kemudian langsung masuk bagian klimaks yang diikuti dengan resolusi yang (buatku) terlalu singkat pula. Jadinya, setengah buku pertama terkesan lambat alurnya, sementara setengah buku kedua justru kecepetan, seolah-olah penulis diburu-buru untuk mengakhiri cerita. Padahal konflik udah dibangun dengan baik dan lama.

Tapi pada akhirnya, menurutku Bidadari Santa Monica tetap sebuah buku yang bagus dan cukup menarik, cocok buat yang suka cerita Metropop yang mengandung banyak drama-drama. Beberapa pembaca lain mungkin bakalan males sama kesan dramatisnya, tapi buat yang udah pernah baca karya-karya Alexandra Leirissa sebelumnya, Bidadari Santa Monica ini nggak mengecewakan kok buat dibaca. :)

Adakah yg udah pernah baca Bidadari Santa Monica ini? Atau buku-buku Alexandra Leirissa yang lain? Ada rekomendasi Metropop sejenis dengan buku ini yang menurutmu bagus? :D

Ten Popular Authors I Have Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish (but I participated only sporadically). This week's topic is to reveal popular authors whose works we've never read before. To be more specific (and because I mainly read from this genre), I decided to cut it down a bit to YA authors only. For further explanation, other awesome entries and upcoming topics, go here.

Alright, alright. I know some of you now are probably like,

But THOSE are the authors whose works I  ACTUALLY, REALLY WANT to read. I swear! I really want to read their books, and there were lots of times where I've almost succumbed to the MEGA hype of their books, but SOMEHOW I just haven't got the right time (or the right mood) to actually sit down and stuck my nose inside their amazing, beautiful, spectacular works. Ha. Excuses, excuses.

AS King

Books from this author that I'm interested in: Please Ignore Vera Dietz, Reality Boy, Ask the Pessengers

Elizabeth Wein

TWO YA historical fiction books of her are highly praised by, well, almost EVERYONE. So why haven't you read any of them?! Truthfully, I'm a bit scared about the emotional roallercoaster that I'm going to experience when reading her books. Lots of people CRIED reading Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire! I need to prepare myself first!

Books from this author that I'm interested in: Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire.

Maggie Stiefvater

Books from this author that I'm interested in: The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves

Marissa Meyer
Okay, hear me, hear me. I actually have read several chapters of Cinder, but at that time it just didn't interest me enough to continue reading them (WHAT). Now that next two books, Scarlet and Cress are out, I really, really, REALLY want to go back to reading Cinder so I can read the next two books and actually understand what people are gushing about! I'm especially curious about Cress because it's a Rapunzel retelling! Do I really need to read the books in order? Can I just skip the first two books? :(
Books from this author that I'm interested in: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress

Markus Zusak
I KNOW, RIGHT. I've practically known almost ALL of the storyline in The Book Thief from the oh-it's-everywhere-on-my-dash Tumblr, and I've recommended the book to a lot of friends, but I HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY READ IT! What a hypocrite, Tirta. Right.
Books from this author that I'm interested in: The Book Thief, I am the Messenger

Leigh Bardugo
Reason why I'm still stalling her books: The love triangle. Truth.
Books from this author that I'm interested in: The Grisha series!

Patrick Ness
Book from this author that I'm interested in: More Than This, The Chaos Walking trilogy

Rick Riordan
Books from this author that I'm interested in: The Heroes of Olympus series, The Kane Chronicles series

Rick Yancey
The 5th Wave has been sitting quietly on my wishlist since....... forever, it seems.
Books from this author that I'm interested in: THE 5TH WAVE!

Stephen Chbosky
This is the exception. I know many people WORSHIPPED this fcition but I don't think I will ever want to read Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, for some unknown reasons. I've watched the movie and I think it was a 'meh'.... a lil bit overrated, even? DON'T THROW SOMETHING AT ME I'm just trying to be honest! Ahahahahaha I'm clearly on the minority side, here.
Books from this author that I'm (not) interested in: Well... The Perks of Being a Wallflower.


SO, which one do you think I should read ASAP? Help me with your opinions! I'm sure lots of you have read the works of these authors above (eh, do we share some on this list?), WHOSE BOOKS I need to make a PRIORITY?

Hit me with your links if you participate in this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic as well so I can visit yours! :)

Fortunate February

Second monthly recap!

I know we should be thankful for every little thing that still keep us going in life: Every breath we take, a family who constantly take care of us, a comfortable blanket to shield our body from the chilly nights, a warm bath after a very long day... In February I was fortunate enough to have those, and many other things that I should be very grateful of. Second term at college started at the second week, and so far I have never been late coming to class (yay!) The classes are okay, the lecturers are good, and the friends are even better. Then it was announced that I got accepted in an organization I wanted, alhamdulillah. In the midst of adjusting to the new (hectic) routine, I got fever and was unable to get out of bed, but fortunately it only lasted for a while. It was a month full of love, too, both in real life and in terms of the books I read. To sum up, yes I'm busy (and feel exhausted most of the time...), but I'm really enjoying this life I'm living right now. :)

Only managed to read 10 books (3809 pages with 4,14 average rating) this month, but I'm quite happy because I finally did one thing that I've wanted since a long time ago: Venturing into a new genre, Historical Romance! I've only read three books, but I'm really liking this genre, A LOT.

• A Beautiful Wedding by Jamie McGuire. A novella from Abby & Travis' world. I found it a bit 'meh'.

• Dreaming of You and Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas. I think Lisa Kleypas is quite a famous author between the historical romance fans? No wonder, though, I enjoyed both of her books. The main characters she created are lovely (Psssst, I prefer the latter to the former)

• Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi. Oh dear, the anticipation prior to reading this book. And it was SO GOOD! I put such high hopes about Ignite Me and was so happy that the book didn't disappoint. A truly satisfying series-ender! My review of Ignite Me :D

• The Duke and I by Julia Quinn. This is the first book that I read from historical romance genre. The book was both funny and swoony! Read my review here <3

• Jill Shavis' Simply Irressistible. I was curious after knowing that Ginger from GReads! love the Lucky Harbor series, like, so much. The book was okay for me. (To be honest, the last name of the hero was quite distracting. His name was Jax Cullen.)

• How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper. I was interested after reading the review on The Reader's Den. I don't think I've ever read a book where werewolf is a big part of it. My opinion: The book was weird, but sexy! I like it.

• Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken, the sequel to The Darkest Minds. It continued to be as awesome as the first book, but big parts of the story broke my heart. Three words, though: THE STEWART BROTHERS! LUVVVV

• Amba, by Laksmi Pamuntjak. Finally, a local book after a very long time! This book was one of the books on my wishlist, so happy to got it for only half of the original price :) I reviewed this for BBI's Posbar February: Indonesian Historical Fiction category

• You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlene, a 'bestfriends-turned-lovers' story. The cover and the 'brit' factor really drew me in, heheheh. I loved the book! Read my review here

Aside from that, on the blog, I posted

• My review of The Darkest Minds and World After
• My favorite mangas/mangakas. Do you often read comic books? What are your favorites?
• Asked you about how to find a balance between real life, reading and blogging life
• February book wishlist

All in all, I read two young adults, three adults (one of them novella), one local fiction, and three historical romances. Ten books read, six books reviewed, and four other topics posted in a month. Yay!

Source

Lorde's Royals was my jam of the month. I love her! She can be scary to look at sometimes (HA), but she's actually very pretty. Since I learned that her real name is Ella, I like to call her with that name in my head everytime I saw her pictures. It changes everything, yeah? 'Ella' sounds so.... girl next door-ish.

Instead of watching any movie, I binge watched the first season of The Carrie Diaries this February. I honestly think their acting is horrible, but Carrie's outfits and Austin Butler make everything better.

Yum.

Snuggly Oranges

Orange is not my favorite anything, not in color or in the fruit, but Debby's Snuggly Orange has become one of my favorite book blogs that I frequently visited last month. I love the honest, fun voice that resonates through her posts, and I love her gif-fy reviews!

Other things...

Book & Blog

• Forever Young Adult is a great website, too. It covers almost anything, from book reviews to tv series.

• From Goodreads: Interview with Laurie Halse Anderson. I was surprised to know that she actually experienced almost all of what happened to her characters' in the books she wrote.

• Reasons why being a reader/book blogger is awesome. Love this Top Ten Tuesday topic.

• Epic Reads keeps a track of YA Map, so you can proudly boast to your friends "Oh, I've been to a LOT of places! USA, Canada, Australia.............................. through books." Yup. Books: Cheapest way to travel abroad.

• Jasmine of Flip That Page has this super fun feature on her blog, a bookish survey kind of sort. She does it with themes like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Greek Mythology. I adore her creativity, truly.

• Alice-Jane from Crazy Red Pen shared a lot about designs: her design journey, favorite design bloggers, and resources.

• Read a bunch of awesome book reviews with Indonesian Historical Fiction and Culinary theme.

General

• Speaking of Lorde, she did an interview with Tavi Gevinson of The Style Rookie. Two cool girls bonding over, omg awesome.

• My favorite post from Thought Catalog: We Met at the Worst Possible Time. I don't know why. I love it to bits.

• A hundred things to do when you're upset, by Gala Darling.

• By the way, this Valentine Ellen Paige finally 'came out' in public. I honestly thought it wasn't a secret anymore since a long time ago... But well, it's still a 'you go girl!' moment to celebrate!

What I'm excited about the most in March: DIVERGENT, THE MOVIE! Woah, the month is finally here, folks. I remember knowing about the release date and groaned 'Ugh, it's such a long time to go' but now March 2014 is already here. I'm trying to keep my hopes low, though, but still, the thought of finally watching it excites me.

YA book I'm looking forward to in March: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkowski. Other titles like Panic by Lauren Oliver (!), Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy, and Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas sounds interesting, too.

Gramedia will release (or already released?) the translated version of Just One Day by Gayle Forman (finally!). Also, another book by Yenni Hardiwidjaja: Autumn, I Do. I really liked her latest book, Daisyflower. 

Events

• The annual Islamic Book Fair is ongoing, started from February 28th until March 9th.
• Pesta Buku Bandung, too! February 27th until March 5th.
• BBI Posbar themes this month: Oprah's Book Club and Poem\Poetry Books.

And that's what you missed on Glee IPR. Let's get the business going, March! :)