May 2017 Book Haul & Wrap Up

Happy Ramadhan for those of you who celebrate!!! Hopefully this holy month brings peace and enlightenment for all of us :D

Maybe because of Ramadhan, or maybe because of other reasons, I managed to finish 10 books this month. Even though I'm still unable to control my book-buying habit, at least it's pretty manageable this time.

May 2017 Book Haul

On a very weird occasion that I checked Books & Beyond website, I came across this book for only IDR 40K. I've been seeing this book around Booktube as well as on Instagram, so without any further ado I ordered it.

And... to add more 'happiness' in my life, Gramedia had its 30% off deal again. And this time, it is applicable for non-Gramedia's Group publisher books. So of course I had to make use of this deal very well. I bought 4 books, 1 one of them I finished reading this month.

Complete list:

1. Sarah Crossan - One

2. Windry Ramadhina - Glaze: Galeri Patah Hati Kara & Kalle

3. Yoana Dianika, dkk - Indonesia Bercerita: Kisah-Kisah Rakyat yang Terlupakan

4. Adhitya Mulya - Bajak Laut & Purnama Terakhir: Sebuah Komedi Sejarah

5. Retno Hening Palupi - Happy Little Soul

There you go. All 5 books that I purchased on May 2017. Not as much as the month before, thank God.

May 2017 Wrap Up

Like I said before, I managed to finish 10 books on May. Here they are:

 

1. 20 Cerita Detektif Diambil dari Majalah Bobo: Lukisan yang Dapat Mencuri

To be honest, I didn't like this series as much as I thought. I think it was because of the age gap. As a kid, I might enjoy this book very much. But as an adult, not so much. So only 2.5 out of 5 stars for this book. 

2. Bey Tobing - Once Upon a Time in St. Petersburg

This is the second book by Bey Tobing that I've read. Just like the first one, I enjoy the story as well as the character growth in her books. Unfortunately, there's something that I feel 'missing' from those book. I don't know whether it's the writing style or something else, but I can't enjoy the whole package very well. So only 3 out of 5 stars.

 

3. 20 Cerita Manis Diambil dari Majalah Bobo: Persahabatan Bunga Matahari

Compared to the previous book that I've read, I liked the story in this book much better. Maybe because 'sweet stories' are more general. Everyone in whatever age they're in can enjoy the stories in this book, not only kids. So 3.5 out of 5 stars for this book.

4. Lauren Oliver - Vanishing Girls

This is the first time I read a book written by Lauren Oliver. I think her writing style is pretty enjoyable. I had no problem with it. The story line was okay. I didn't feel invested enough in the 'mystery' aspect of this book until the very last event, I think. Overall, it was an okay book. 3 out of 5 stars.

 

5. Tere Liye - Negeri Para Bedebah

I'm not reading this book out of the blue. I actually got tired of the things (politic things) that are happening in Indonesia, especially Jakarta, on this month. So I'm picking this book because I thing the 'title' showed what I felt at that time. The story, however, is not what I'm expecting at all. It's about a bank that are on the bridge of collapsing. But of course, there's more to the story than that. I think overall I really enjoy the pace as well as the story in this book. So 4.5 out of 5 stars :)

6. Tere Liye - Negeri di Ujung Tanduk

This book feels more like a companion to Negeri Para Bedebah. But reading this book before the previous one will spoiled the main story entirely. I think overall I enjoy the conflict in this book way more than the previous one. Still fast paced, but it didn't have as many 'events' as the previous book so I think my heart can appreciate the break. Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars for this book, too.

 

7. Retno Hening Palupi - Happy Little Soul

I've been following @retnohening's Instagram account for a while. I think Kirana is a very smart, funny, and adorable kid. And ever since this book published, I've been meaning to buy and read it. I do like parenting books from time to time. I think they're pretty refreshing compare to the usual genre of books that I bought or read. 

Back to this book, I think this book needs more editing. I don't know, there's so many passages that I felt can be 'cut' because they're being told twice in the same part. For the 'story' itself, I found it to be insightful and pretty applicable too. So overall 4 out of 5 stars for this cute book.

8. Pricillia A.W. - Zero Class

I think I don't like the author's writing style. I've been trying to use different kind of approach to read this book but it didn't seem to flow nicely. I do like the story and the mystery aspect in this book, though. I think they're worth to read even though I can't enjoy the writing style. So 3 out of 5 stars.

 

9. Pricillia A.W. - Zero Class #2: Revelation

The story got even better in this book, at least for me. And yet, I still can't enjoy the writing style. And there's something else: I can't feel the main character's feeling even though she's the main POV in this book. So weird. Which is why I still gave this book 3 out of 5 stars like the previous one.

10. Pricillia A.W. - Zero Class #3: Legacy

This is the last book in the series. Even though there are some stuff that I found to be too fast, like it's trying to wrap up too hard, I found it to be a pretty good ending for the whole series. Overall I enjoy the story, started to feel the main character's feeling, and still can't enjoy the author's writing style. So 4 out of 5 stars for this book :)