The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)
Published: 1999
E-book, English edition, 178 pages
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Blurb:
Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
Ulasan:
Aku membaca ulang seri ini setelah mendengar kabar bahwa seri ini akan dibuat serial televisinya. Pertama kali aku membaca kisah ini adalah ketika aku seumuran Klaus Baudelaire. Buku yang kubaca saat itu adalah versi Bahasa Indonesia.
The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin (Remembrance of Earth's Past #2)
Translator: Joel Martinsen
Published: 2008
E-book, English edition, 512 pages
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Blurb:
Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion — four centuries in the future. The aliens' human collaborators have been defeated but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret.
This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead.
Ulasan:
Oh, wow... Mindblowing and out of the box. Aku sendiri heran kok berhenti baca di tengah cukup lama sebelum aku bisa menyelesaikannya. Tapi setelah aku mencapai bagian tengahnya dengan susah payah, semangat baca untuk menyelesaikan bacaan ini langsung menyala-nyala.
A Night Like This by Julia Quinn (Smythe-Smithe Quartet #2)
Published: 2012
E-book, English edition, 292 pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sinopsis:
Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is…
But she's managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge — in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy—no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he's the first man who has truly tempted her, and it's getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.
Daniel Smythe-Smith might be in mortal danger…
But that's not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family's annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a ten-year-old who thinks she's a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending…
Ulasan:
Buku kedua seri Smythe-Smith Quartet menceritakan Daniel Smythe-Smith, kakak laki-laki Honoria Smythe-Smite. Awalnya aku merasa bingung mengapa Daniel yang diceritakan karena laki-laki tidak bermain dalam musicale Smythe-Smith yang terkenal kacau itu. Tapi ternyata pasangannya adalah salah satu pemain dalam musicale itu.
Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn (Smythe-Smith Quartet #1)
Published: 2011
E-book, English edition, 232 pages
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sinopsis:
Honoria Smythe-Smith is a bad violinist in a traditional family performance she does not look forward to but will smile through for kinship. She trailed around after her brother and Marcus his best friend since childhood. Now the Earl of Chatteris, Marcus sprains his ankle in Honoria's own carefully dug hole. After they tease, they may fall in love.
Ulasan:
Setelah membaca seri Bridgerton, aku jadi suka dengan tulisan-tulisan Julia Quinn terutama untuk penyegaran karena banyak lucunya. Tapi kalau terus-menerus membaca hisrom rasanya juga jadi jenuh. Karena itulah aku membaca hisrom hanya sesekali dan tidak sering, agar cita rasa ceritanya selalu segar. Hehehee…
A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi
Published: 2017
E-book, English edition, 369 pages
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sinopsis:
An ancient mystery. An unlikely union. For one young princess in a state of peril, a dangerous wish could be the only answer…
She is the princess of Bharata—captured by her kingdom’s enemies, a prisoner of war. Now that she faces a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. But should she trust Vikram, the notoriously cunning prince of a neighboring land? He promises her freedom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together they can team up and win the Tournament of Wishes, a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.
It seems like a foolproof plan—until Gauri and Vikram arrive at the tournament and find that danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans, mischievous story birds, a feast of fears, and twisted fairy revels. New trials will test their devotion, strength, and wits. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.
Ulasan:
Aku menyukai buku pertama yang ditulis penulis (A Star-Touched Queen) karena memberikan kesan fantasi yang berbeda. Karena itulah, aku senang ketika penulis membuat karya lagi yang melibatkan Gauri dan Vikram, dua tokoh favoritku. Gabungan fairytale, mitos, petualangan, dan romansanya diramu sedemikian rupa sehingga kesan magisnya terasa kental dan menyentuh. Memang, pace-nya agak lambat, tapi buku keduanya memiliki pace yang agak lebih cepat.
