A Life

Posted by Biondy at 11:23:00 AM | Labels: Adham T. Fusama , Anggun Prameswari , Book Talk , Irwan Bajang , Shirley Jackson , Victor E. Frankl | 1 comments |

Pesta olahraga terbesar Asia, Asian Games, akan segera dilaksanakan. Mulai tanggal 18 Agustus 2018 nanti, Indonesia akan menjadi tuan rumah bagi perlombaan multi-cabor ini. Dalam rangka menyambut Asian Games 2018, saya persembahkan: 6 novel olahraga dari penulis lokal yang siap mengobarkan semangat olahragamu.

Posted by Biondy at 10:53:00 AM | Labels: Al Kadri Johan , Asian Games 2018 , Biondy Alfian , Book Talk , Dya Ragil , Luna Torashyngu , Silvarani , Titi Nginung | 2 comments |

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Judul: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Penulis: J.K. Rowling
Penerbit: Bloomsbury
Halaman: 368 halaman
Terbitan: June 2017

Celebrate 20 years of Harry Potter magic with four special editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw … Twenty years ago these magical words and many more flowed from a young writer's pen, an orphan called Harry Potter was freed from the cupboard under the stairs – and a global phenomenon started. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has been read and loved by every new generation since. To mark the 20th anniversary of first publication, Bloomsbury is publishing four House Editions of J.K. Rowling's modern classic. These stunning editions will each feature the individual house crest on the jacket and sprayed edges in the house colours. Exciting new extra content will include fact files, profiles of favourite characters and line illustrations exclusive to that house. Available for a limited period only, these highly collectable editions will be a must-have for all Harry Potter fans in 2017.

Review

"Wait, you still love this series? After all this time?"

"Always."

Happy 20th anniversary to this great series. Rereading it brought so many memories. I also got so many different feelings from my initial reading. Now that I know the ending, I read some lines differently. Like when Aunt Petunia talked about Lily:

"Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off that - that school."

[...]

"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange." (page 57-58)

Posted by Biondy at 8:26:00 AM | Labels: Buku , J.K. Rowling , Membaca , Novel , Review , Review Buku | 0 comments |

Posted by Biondy at 8:48:00 PM | Labels: Book Talk , Jual Buku | 1 comments |

Istri Dewa Dapur by Amy Tan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Judul: Istri Dewa Dapur
Penulis: Amy Tan
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Halaman: 752 halaman
Terbitan: 1994

Pearl Loui menyimpan rahasia yang berusaha disembunyikannya mati-matian dari ibunya, Winnie Louie. Dan Winnie menyimpan rahasia-rahasianya sendiri sejak lama - tentang masa lampaunya dan situasi meragukan yang menyelimuti kelahiran Pearl. Takdir campur tangan dalam bentuk Helen Kwong, "saudara ipar" Winnie yang percaya ia akan segera mati dan harus melepaskan dirinya dari pelbagai kebohongan sebelum ia melayang ke surga. Tetapi untunglah, kebenaran muncul dalam berbagai bentuk, tergantung siapa yang menyampaikan ceritanya....

Review

Pearl menyimpan rahasia dari ibunya. Tidak ingin membuat ibunya khawatir, Pearl tidak memberi tahu kalau dia mengidap suatu penyakit. Winnie, ibu Pearl, juga menyimpan suatu rahasia dari anaknya itu. Sebuah cerita yang dia simpan selama puluhan tahun. Kini rahasia keduanya terancam terbongkar oleh Helen, saudara ipar Winnie, yang yakin kalau dia akan segera mati dan tidak ingin menyimpan rahasia apa-apa lagi. Akhirnya, Winnie memutuskan untuk memberitahukan segalanya: perjalanan panjang yang dia tempuh dari daratan Tiongkok pada zaman perang hingga bagaimana dia mencapai tanah Amerika.

Helen bukanlah iparku. Ia tak punya hubungan darah denganku, bahkan juga tak punya hubungan keluarga lewat perkawinan. [...]. Namun rasanya kami lebih dekat daripada saudara, menjadi keluarga karena nasib, dipersatukan oleh utang budi. (hal. 121)

Posted by Biondy at 9:00:00 AM | Labels: Amy Tan , Gramedia Pustaka Utama , Membaca , Novel , Review , Review Buku | 0 comments |

Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays by Stephen Hawking
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Judul: Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays
Penulis: Stephen Hawking
Halaman: 173 halaman
Terbitan: September 1994


Readers worldwide know the work of Stephen Hawking through his phenomenal bestseller A Brief History of Time.

In this collection of essays and other pieces - on subjects that range from warmly personal to the wholly scientific- he is revealed variously as the scientist, the man, the concerned world citizen, and - as always - the rigorous and imaginative thinker. Whether remembering his first experience of nursery school; puncturing the arrogance of those who think science can best be understood only by other scientists and should be left to them; exploring the origins and the future of the universe; or reflecting on the phenomenon of A Brief History of Time, Stephen's wit, directness of style and absence of pomp are vital characteristics at all times.

Review

Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays adalah kumpulan esai yang ditulis dan dipresentasikan oleh Stephen Hawking, seorang fisikawan dan kosmolog asal Inggris. Enam dari empat belas bab di dalamnya adalah kisah hidup Hawking: awal ketertarikannya kepada sains, hidupnya setelah didiagnosis menderita ALS, serta sedikit introduksi tentang buku laris yang dia tulis, A Brief History of Time. Sisa buku ini berisi tulisan Hawking tentang lubang hitam, singularitas, hingga bagaimana dunia terbentuk serta (kira-kira) apa peran Tuhan di dalamnya.

Sejak selesai membaca Cosmos, saya jadi tertarik untuk membaca lebih banyak buku serupa: buku sains populer yang membahas tentang kosmologi. Kebetulan saya menemukan buku ini di tempat sewa. Saya tertarik karena sudah sejak dulu mendengar nama Stephen Hawking dan penasaran dengan tulisannya.

Posted by Biondy at 9:00:00 AM | Labels: Membaca , Review , Review Buku , Stephen Hawking | 0 comments |