Maryam
"Apa yang diharapkan orang yang terbuang pada sebuah kepulangan?"

by Okky Madasari

4 dari 5 bintang

Sumber gambar: Goodreads
Judul: Maryam
Penulis: Okky Madasari
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Ilustrasi sampul: Restu Retnaningtyas
Desain sampul: Marcel A.W.
Tahun terbit: April 2016, cetakan ketiga
Tebal buku: 280 halaman
ISBN: 978-979-22-8009-8
Pinjam dari Perpustakaan Pusat, Universitas Indonesia


Tentang mereka yang terusir karena iman di negeri yang penuh keindahan.

Lombok, Januari 2011

Kami hanya ingin pulang. Ke rumah kami sendiri. Rumah yang kami beli dengan uang kami sendiri. Rumah yang berhasil kami miliki lagi dengan susah payah, setelah dulu pernah diusir dari kampung-kampung kami. Rumah itu masih ada di sana. Sebagian ada yang hancur. Bekas terbakar di mana-mana. Genteng dan tembok yang tak lagi utuh. Tapi tidak apa-apa. Kami mau menerimanya apa adanya. Kami akan memperbaiki sendiri, dengan uang dan tenaga kami sendiri. Kami hanya ingin bisa pulang dan segera tinggal di rumah kami sendiri. Hidup aman. Tak ada lagi yang menyerang. Biarlah yang dulu kami lupakan. Tak ada dendam pada orang-orang yang pernah mengusir dan menyakiti kami. Yang penting bagi kami, hari-hari ke depan kami bisa hidup aman dan tenteram.

Kami mohon keadilan. Sampai kapan lagi kami harus menunggu?

Maryam Hayati


Info lebih lanjut dapat dibaca di:

Selamat datang di Indonesia!

Negara kepulauan yang digadang-gadang menghargai keberagaman suku, ras, dan agama. Negara indah yang dibanggakan karena semangat multikulturalismenya menurun dimana-mana. Negara yang menawarkan kedamaian dan ketenangan bagi siapa saja yang tinggal di sana. Negara yang... pada akhirnya malah mengingkari semua hal yang telah tersebutkan di atas. Negara yang nyatanya tidak benar-benar menghargai perbedaan dan cenderung mendahulukan kepentingan mayoritas. Negara yang pada akhirnya dipertanyakan, apaah benar ada yang namanya "bangsa Indonesia"?

Saya hanyalah seorang pembaca. Pembaca kisah Maryam yang ditulis oleh Okky Madasari. Diceritakan bahwa Maryam memiliki keluarga yang berbeda dari masyarakat kebanyakan. Ia dan keluarganya adalah seorang Ahmadi. Kelompok yang dianggap sesat dan dimusuhi oleh kelompok islam lainnya. Kelompok yang memengaruhi hidup Maryam dari kecil hingga dewasa. Kelompok minoritas yang pada akhirnya tergerus oleh mayoritas. Kelompok yang entah bagaimana kepastian hidupnya.

Dimulai dari kepulangan Maryam ke kampung halamannya, Maryam mencoba untuk menggali masa lalu dan mencari arti penting dari keluarga. Kemudian, meluas pula dengan menemukan cinta kembali. Maryam yang rapuh dan hancur, mencoba untuk kembali membangun hidupnya. Lewat canda, tawa, serta tangis yang dikeluarkan, Maryam akhirnya mengerti, keadilan di negeri ini bukanlah yang benar-benar adil. Hanya kiasan indah yang terus didengungkan oleh para penguasa.

Membaca Maryam, membuat saya diajak untuk melihat dan menelaah lebih dalam, penghargaan perbedaan di Indonesia tidak seindah yang kita bayangkan. Masih ada praktik-praktik main hakim sendiri yang dilakukan oleh mereka, para manusia yang termasuk ke dalam kaum mayoritas. Bukankah, yang sekarang pun demikian? Muncul lagi isu-isu mengenai mayoritas dan minoritas? Siapa yang punya kuasa dan siapa yang dikuasai? Bukankah negeri ini menjadi memilukan?

Sumber gambar: etsy.com
Saya selalu suka dengan cerita-cerita yang ditawarkan oleh Okky Madasari. Ia bisa menjelaskan secara gamblang mengenai realitas sosial yang ada di Indonesia. Ia berani untuk membahas hal-hal yang katanya masih "tabu" dan mengakibatkan ketubiran. Saya sangat menghargai upaya yang dilakukan oleh Ibu satu anak ini.

Selain itu, Okky berhasil menyelipkan makna di balik apa yang ingin sampaikan. Yang pasti, saya meyakini, Indonesia bukanlah negara yang benar-benar memiliki keindahan. Itu hanyalah asumsi yang terus diagungkan padahal belum tentu benar adanya. Padahal, itu masihlah harapan yang tiap hari makin terkikis dengan berbagai permasalahan kesukuan dan keagamaan yang ada.

Well, I know that this review is not like a good review. It's just my thinking and rant about what happened in Indonesia lately. I am sad when the minority have to accept something that really bad because of the majority said so. It is unfair, isn't it? I don't understand why the multiculturalism that is built from a long time ago, have ruined by the egoistic side of some people.

Empat bintang saya sematkan untuk kisah Maryam. Bukankah, terkadang kita memang bisa menjadi orang yang terbuang?

Sincerely,
Puji P. Rahayu
Angel's Heart
"Jangan jadi orang terkenal kalau tidak sanggup menghadapi risikonya!"

by Luna Torashyngu

4 of 5 stars

sumber gambar: Goodreads.com
Judul: Angel's Heart
Penulis: Luna Torashyngu
Genre: Teen fiction, romance
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Tahun terbit: April 2013 (cetakan pertama tahun 2007)
Tebal buku: 256 halaman
ISBN: 9789792294927
Baca via Scoop


"Jangan jadi orang terkenal kalau tidak sanggup menghadapi risikonya.”

Ungkapan ini pas banget untuk Angel. Di saat kariernya sebagai penyanyi remaja mulai naik dan dia punya banyak fans, masalah mulai mendatanginya. Mulai dari kerepotannya mengatur waktu antara sekolah dan profesinya sebagai penyanyi, disirikin cewek lain yang merasa kalah populer, dimusuhin teman-teman satu sekolah gara-gara batal tampil di pensi sekolah, sampai kerepotan menghadapi wartawan gosip yang mencari tahu tentang kehidupan pribadi dan masa lalu keluarganya. Semua itu bikin dia stres!

Tapi masalah Angel yang terbesar adalah masalah “hati”. Dia penasaran banget sama Rivi, cowok misterius di sekolah yang gayanya kayak preman terminal tapi ternyata pintar main biola. Cowok itu kadang-kadang bersikap baik dan penuh perhatian pada Angel, tapi nggak jarang juga bikin Angel bete dan kesal setengah mati!

Info lebih lanjut:

Selalu ada alasan di balik mengapa aku kembali membaca teenlit. Apalagi, ini jatuhnya re-read. Aku punya alasan, karena aku merindukan novel ini. Kalau tidak salah ingat, Angel's Heart merupakan salah satu novel yang membuatku mulai menyukai membaca novel. Angel's Heart juga merupakan novel yang pertama kali membuatku menangis. Iya, aku merasa kok, in some way, aku receh banget karena bisa menangis karena novel teenlit.

Angel adalah penyanyi yang sedang naik daun. Albumnya terjual dengan sangat laris dan dia pun menjadi populer di kalangan para anak muda. Ia punya sahabat yang selalu mendukungnya, Vera. Akan tetapi, yang namanya selebriti, tidak mungkin hidupnya akan mudah. Berbagai macam rintangan dihadapi oleh Angel. Mulai dari percek-cokan dia dengan salah seorang penyanyi senior, ketidakhadiran Angel dalam acara pensi sekolah, hingga gosip mengenai masa lalu Angel. Yang pasti, hidup jadi orang terkenal itu nggak selamanya menyenangkan.

Nah, belum lagi, Angel pun juga harus terlibat dengan masalah percintaan remaja. Mulai dari Decky, teman Angel yang berusaha banget supaya bisa jalan sama Angel, hingga Rivi, cowok misterius yang bisa membuat Angel terbius karena permainan biolanya. Pokoknya, hidup Angel semakin penuh warna, deh. Mulai dari senang, hingga susah. 

sumber gambar: pinterest, disunting oleh saya
Baiklah. Aku sangat menyadari kalau novel ini tidaklah sesempurna novel Luna Torashyngu lainnya. Akan tetapi, aku jatuh cinta banget sama Angel's Heart. Aku juga heran kenapa aku masih bisa nangis waktu baca novel ini :( It was really silly. Mungkin, akunya aja yang memang lagi sensitif. Jadi, gampang banget nangis. Aku suka cara Luna mengaitkan berbagai peristiwa yang dialami oleh para tokohnya. Meskipun terkesan ada yang mengada-ada, I don't mind. Aku mencoba memaklumi :" Yaa, ini subjektif sebenarnya. Bagaimanapun, novel ini adalah novel yang sangat berkesan bagiku. 

Oh, ya. Selain itu, menurutku pesan yang ingin disampaikan pun cukup jelas. Bagaimanapun hidup kita nantinya, yang pasti, kejujuran dan juga usaha untuk meraih mimpi itu penting. Tidak akan ada yang bisa mengalahkan hal tersebut.

Baiklah, sepertinya singkat saja untuk resensiku kali ini.

4 bintang untuk nyanyian Sang Bidadari.
Sincerely,
Puji P. Rahayu
If My Moon was Your Sun
"You can't always see the moon, but you know it 's always there. Right?" -- Grandpa.

by Andreas Steinhofel

4 of 5 stars

Image source: goodreads.com
Title: If My Moon Was Your Sun
Author: Andreas Steinhofel
Illustrator: Nele Palmtag
Translator: Mathew A. Anderson
Genre: Children fiction, illustration book
Publisher: Plough Publishing House
Date of Publish: November, 1st 2017
Number of pages: 80 pages
ISBN: 9780874860795
I got this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review


Did you hear the story about Max, the boy who kidnapped his grandfather from a nursing home ? You didn't see it on the news? Well, let me tell you about it.


Max lives in a small town, much smaller than yours. His grandpa is losing his memory, but still remembers quite a bit. You can imagine how they hurried, Max and his grandpa, followed by old Miss Schneider, who insisted on coming along. Why were they in a hurry? Because everyone was after them. Max had skipped school to rescue his grandpa, and they were just starting out on what promised to be one of the best days of their entire lives.



A touching story about dementia and the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, with full-color illustrations and a read-along CD audiobook featuring twelve classical pieces for children by Georges Bizet and Sergei Prokofiev.



More info:

Well, in my opinion, If My Moon was Your Sun is quite different compared to another children's book that I've read before. But, it doesn't mean that I don't like this book. I really like it. The story and the illustrations are really heart-warming. 
The nursery house

One day, Max woke up from his sleep. He felt something missing. After he thought for a sec, he realized about something and decided to make some crazy plan. So, he started to prepare everything. Then, he went out to go to nursery house. Well, long story short, Max missed his grandfather. No wonder if he want to do something. Some plant that wouldn't please his mom if she knew. Do you know what Max would do? Yeah, Max would kidnap his grandfather along with Miss Schneider. What will happen next? Just read the story, guys!

Max and Miss Schneider
First of all, I would like to say, good job for the story! Maybe, you will think that this book is only about Max's adventure with his grandfather, but, there's something behind it. There is some moral value that Steinhofel want to share with. It's about family, and in some way is about the knowledge of moon. Second, I really like the illustrations. It's really good and very impressive. In my opinion, it's more like painting--and in some way, it remind me with Naela Ali's work at Story for Rainy Days. I like the color combination and the drawing itself. Nele palmtag has done her job nicely! Thumbs up for her.

Max and his grandfather
So, if you wanna know more about the story, just buy this book and feel the excitement when you read it.

4 stars for the nice painting.

Sincerely,
Puji P. Rahayu
The Girl Who Said Sorry
All I can do is be myself. Without apology!

by Hayoung Yim

5 of 5 stars
Image credit: goodreads.com

Title: The Girl Who Said Sorry
Author: Hayoung Yim
Genre: Children fiction, illustration book
Publisher: Rhyming Reason Books
Date of publish: October 5th 2017
Number of pages: 16 pages
ISBN: 9780993717499
I got this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Too girly or too boyish. Too thin or too fat. Too quiet, too loud. Be ambitious, but don't hurt feelings. Be inquisitive, but don't interrupt. Be outspoken, but don't be bossy. Most of all, be yourself--but be a lady.
What's a girl to do in a world filled with contradicting gender expectations, aside from saying sorry?
The way we teach politeness norms to children is often confusing, changing based on gender--and can have lasting effects. And while everyone should be courteous and accountable for their actions, apologetic language out of context can undermine confidence and perceived capability.
Within the subtle yet beautiful illustrations and powerful rhyme of "The Girl Who Said Sorry," developing girls will learn that self-expression and personal choices can be made without apology, and with confidence.
50% of profits from this book is donated to Girl Up, a United Nations Foundation campaign dedicated to empowering young girls to take action on global issues

More info:

Sorry. I am sorry for can't being perfect. I am sorry for everything I did. I know that everyone don't want me to do that. I am really sorry.

As a girl, you must be realize that the society ask you too much. They want you to be the girl that they want to. They never ask your opinion. They never give you a chance to speak up by your own voice. When we think about this deeply, we should know that everything in this world still into patriarchal system. When woman or girl should act and behave according the traditions. In the end, woman or girl still get the limit to express themshelves.

The excerpt

First, I thought that this The Girl Who Said Sorry was just like another children's book. But, the author, Hayoung Yim, tried to make this book different. She tried to include many moral value about a girl in society. Honestly, I really like the way Yim did what she did. I could relate with the story. The illustrations itself was really simple. But, the meaning behind it was so complicated and of course relate with the real condition in my society.

In essence, one important thing that Yim would to tell to the reader is, no matter what society want to, you should be your own self if you wanna be happy and no need apology for everything that you do.

5 stars for the discourse behind the story. 

Sincerely,
Puji P. Rahayu
Polar Bear Postman
This is Milk, the post master at Polar Bear Post Office. He delivers happiness when he delivers the mail.

by Seigo Kijima

4 of 5 stars

image source: goodreads.com
Title: Polar Bear Postman
Author: Seigo Kijima
Genre: Children's fiction, illustration book
Publisher: Museyon
Date of publish: November, 1st 2017
Number of pages: 32 pages
ISBN: 9781940842219
I got this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Milk is the polar bear postmaster of the forest. One day he receives a card that says “Please help!” It is from a red-crested crane couple whose chick has gone missing. Spring gives way to summer and Milk receives another post card—this time from a red-crested crane couple who live in another district telling him that they have been taking care of a lost crane chick and asking for help in finding its family. Milk is modeled on an actual polar bear living in the Kushiro Zoo in Hokkaido, who is so adept at walking erect on his two hind legs that visitors say he looks like a person in a bear suit. The bear is joined in this amusing story by a variety of animal species native to Hokkaido

More info:
Goodreads

Like I said before, I really like to read children's book. Why? Because, the book itself is cute and heartwarming. So does this book. Polar Bear Postman is an illustration book by Seigo Kijima. When I read this book, I started to fall in love with the illustrations. In my opinion, it looks like oil painting and of course, it was really good.

First excerpt.
Mr. Milk is a postman at Polar Bear Post Office. He usually works at his office to stamp all of the mail that received by the post office. Then, he would deliver it to every creature in the forest. One day, he got some letter that addressed to him. In that letter, a couple of red-crown crane told him that their baby was missing. Mir Milk knew that this problem was serious. So, he decided to ask every creature in the forest about that little-baby. He was brave enough to ask the fox and the eagle. After that, he asked help from his friend to look for the baby. Finally, some good news came and Mr. Milk succeed help the red-crown crane couple. 

Second excerpt

The story from this book is really simple. That's why I like reading children's book. I don't have to use much effort to finish it. I like the way Seigo Kijima write his work. The bear, Mr Milk, is really cute. Maybe, if I can meet him, I will hug him instantly. Then, the story won't make the reader confuse. The important thing from children's book is the moral value, and I think Kijima could deliver his value through this simple story.

Ahh, I wanna read another children's book again. It really made my day :D

4 stars for the cute bear.

Sincerely,
Puji P. Rahayu
How to do Discourse Analysis: A Toolkit
It is the study of language at use in the world, not just to say things, but to do things.

by James Paul Gee

4 of 5 stars

Image credit: goodreads.com
Title: How to do Discourse Analysis: A Toolkit
Author: James Paul Gee
Publisher: Routledge
Year of Publish: 2011
ISBN: 978-0-415-57208-8

Discourse analysis is widely used in a range of academic subjects, all concerned with how humans make meaning and communicate within and across different social and cultural groups. Using a practical how-to approach, Gee provides the tools necessary to work with discourse analysis.

More Info:

Discourse analysis was one of analytical methods in social research. I knew about this methods since my 2nd year in college. I thought, this method was a kind of difficult method in social research. I realized that, if someone would do discourse analysis, they had to know more than what they knew.

When we talked about language, we weren't just talk about the language itself. It talked anything behind it. Start from the meaning, the construction, and other things. Language was the representation from human's act.

image credit: riwatyputriintansimanungkalitwordpress.com

Actually, I like the way Gee wrote this book. It was quite easy to understand. Moreover, Gee gave so many examples for every tools that he explained. So, we weren't worry to not understand about what Gee said. Actually, this book was a complement from the other book by Gee, Introduction to Discourse Analysis. If you could read both of the books, it would be really useful for your research.

This book was one of reading material for my subject, Colloquium. It was really hard at first to read the book. I always thought that it wouldn't be easy. This was a text book about research. In the end, my assumptions was wrong. I enjoyed reading this book. Gee told his methods nicely and I could relate with what his saying.

So, I highly recommend this book to all of you who want to do research using this methods. It's quite challenging and also fun.

4 stars for this 'amazing' book.

Sincerely,
Puji P. Rahayu
Stories for Rainy Days Volume 2
I never feel that I am the one who loves more or he is the one who loves more. Our love is equal.

by Naela Ali

3 of 5 stars
Image source: Goodreads

Title: Story for Rainy Days Volume II
Author: Naela Ali
Date of publish: February, 2017
Designer: Naela Ali
Illustrator: Naela Ali
Editor: Katrine Gabby Kusuma
Publisher: POP
ISBN: 978-602-424-290-9
Read via Scoop

It was still raining.
As her cat looked outside
the window where the raindrops
fell on to the monstera leaves,
she put that furry little thing
on her lap and continued
reading the stories.



More info:

Reading the volume II of Story for Rainy Days still make me heartwarming. It was good and also, make me feel sad. Even though for the illustration, I like the first volume, but this book still good. I like the way Naela did her creation. 

Love is not a competition of winning each other's attention. Love is a teamwork.-- pg. 5
You are home to me. A place I will miss when I'm away. A place where I belong.-- pg. 24. 

Actually, I am really wondering, is this book based on Naela's story? Or, this is just her thinking about life and relationship? I have to admit that I am a drama queen. I could sad because of what I read.. I could laugh because of what I a heard. I could angry angry because of what I saw. So, when I can literally cry because of Naela's word, it's just because I couldn't handle to cry.

His body was still with me but his heart had been away for so long that I didn't notice when was the last time I had it in mine.-- pg. 85.

The thing from Naela's work and word are, I could relate in some parts. Like, I wanna scream and say, "this is so me". If I am not mistaken, Naela said that actually November is her month. She is really waiting for November. Then, something happened, so she really hate November. Well, I have the same experience. For me--and for another people, February is really a sweet month. But, something happened and I decided to say that, I hate Valentine. Wait, is this story appear on the first volume? Eugh. Sorry for my mixed-mind. Fyuuh. I just checked and it was true that the story about November is on this volume.

November was my favorite month. The month I was always looking for. But now, November is just another month passing. Nothing special to look forward to.-- pg. 95.
People have their own way of saying goodbye, it might be cruel or it might be so tender that you didn't notice it was a farewell.-- pg. 104. 

Well, most of Naela's word is about relationship. The thing that.. I don't really success of. Lol. Oh, c'mon, Puj. What do you expect from your past relationship? Nothing, right? Just give you more pain, tho. Not pain, actually. Just something that would make you stuck. Stuck to get close with another person. Yeah, could be. I mean, I couldn't really easily to get close with another person. Maybe, it's because of my mind still stuck and think that... relationship just make me hurt. Lol. I still couldn't believe what relationship could affect me after all this time. It's been more than five years but I still hesitate to get another story of my own relationship.

I think love is no different than cactus. Everybody knows that it's going to hurt if you touch them, but you touch it anyway. -- pg. 143.
Maybe we will meet again, in the older version of us. That day we will be ready for each other. Not right now, when we are so destructive, killing each other with our own egos. One day, I will be right for you and you will be right for me. Not today, but someday. Eventually. -- pg. 163. 
Okay, then, in essence, I am falling in love with what Naela Ali's do. She is amazing and has a good talent. I think I wanna know about her latest book. Eugh, actually I am a little bit sad because I couldn't attend her book launching because I was sick :( Right, then.

3 stars for the cat :)

Sincerely, 
Puji P. Rahayu
Goodnight, Mr. Clutterbuck
Mr. Clutterbuck is a hero of the town in his sleep

by Mauri Kunnas

4 of 5 stars

image source: goodreads.com
Title: Goodnight, Mr. Clutterbuck
Series: Herra Hakkarainen #1
Genre: Children's fiction and illustrated book
Author: Mauri Kunnas
Number of pages: 36 pages
Expected Publication: November 28th, 2017
Publisher: Elsewhere
ISBN: 0914671766
I got this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Mr. Clutterbuck is blissfully unaware of his reputation as the busiest and loudest sleepwalker in town. Meek and mild-mannered when awake, at night Mr. Clutterbuck seeks thrills and adventures. Often the accidental instigator of chaos, Mr. Clutterbuck soon becomes the lead singer of a rock band, an entrepreneur, a disco king, and, eventually, the hero of his town.

More information:

Yeay! Another children book for me.
Well, when I read children book, I always remind my self that, there's always no word of late to read this kind of book. *self-defense. 

Actually, I read this book because I wanna some escape from reading article journal or any other material for my college. Eugh. I know that being a final year student is not easy. But, I just need some escape beside playing in Telegram. Ups. Yes, I am playing some game in Telegram and it's really fun. You have to try some day.

Okay. Back to this ARC. I got this ARC on Netgalley. Since the first time I joined Netgalley, I always like to read children book because I am falling in love with illustration book. For this book, I really apprecate what Mauri Kunnas did. Kunnas, in my opinion, did a great job with the story. Of course. I like what Mr. Clutterbuck did.

From the blurb, you would know that Mr. Clutterbuck was a sleepwalker. Without realizing, at every night, Mr. Clutterbuck got so many adventures. From helping some food industry until catch a thief. The thing is, Mr Clutterbuck never realized that he became the hero of the town.

When I read this, I really like the illustration. I don't know why but I felt that the illustration of this book is different from another children book that I've ever read--like Happy Birthday and Happiness doesn't Come from Handstand. It's more like painting for me than just illustrated book. Honestly, I really love it.

Then, when I searched about this book in Goodreads, I just realized that this book is the first book of the series. Lol. Should I read the next book? It could be of course. If I could acces the second book. Right then, I feel satisfy when I read this book. So fun and relaxing.

4 stars for the Mr. Clutterbuck's adventure.

Sincerely,
Puji P. Rahayu
Passion Stories
Menggali inspirasi kreatif dari para maestro dalam berkarya dan menghidupkan lentera jiwanya.

oleh Qalbinur Nawawi

Image source: Goodreads
Judul buku: Passion Stories
Penulis: Qalbinur Nawawi
Editor: Fachmy Casofa
Desain sampul dan isi: Dian Nurwendah
Foto: Istimewa
Proofreader: Hartanto dan Cahyadi H. Prabowo
Tahun terbit: Mei 2017
Penerbit: Metagraf, creative imprint of Tiga Serangkai
Tebal buku: 158 halaman
ISBN: 978-602-6328-28-1
Buntelan dari penulis

Belajar bagaimana pentingnya menjadi diri sendiri dari Rinni Wulandari, terus belajar dan memperbaharui diri seperti Hendy Setiono. Membangun relasi dan kerja tuntas seperti Sandiaga Uno, mau berproses dari “bawah” seperti Dion Wiyoko, menjadi sosok yang unik seperti Whulandary Herman. Punya target yang dikejar seperti Arbain Rambey dan Taufik Hidayat. Berani total seperti Umar Syarif. Asah kemampuan sambil berkarya dari Dewa Budjana. Dan punya sistem produktivitas seperti Dewi Lestari.

Informasi lebih lanjut dapat dibaca di:

Saya pernah mengikuti satu seminar, menemukan good job bukanlah suatu hal yang mudah. Good job sendiri dapat didefinisikan sebagai penyeimbangan antara kebutuhan kerja dengan passion yang kita miliki. Terkadang, seseorang hidup hanya untuk bekerja. Ia cenderung meminggirkan passion yang ia miliki. Orientasi yang dimiliki oleh orang tersebut hanyalah uang, uang, dan uang. Pada akhirnya, orang tersebut akan lebih tertekan karena dituntut untuk menjalani hal yang tak ia sukai.

There is no elevator to success. Dalam artian, tidak ada sukses yang instan. Semua yang berhasil harus diawali dengan usaha yang "berdarah-darah". - Hendy Setiono.
Passion Stories merupakan, sebut saja, kumpulan cerita dari sepuluh orang yang memiliki profesi berbeda-beda. Mulai dari pengusaha, fotografer, entertainer, atlet, hingga penulis. Masing-masing cerita memberikan pemahaman sendiri mengenai bagaimana pada akhirnya passion menjadi salah satu unsur dalam kesuksesan di bidang masing-masing.

Dalam buku ini, Qalbinur berhasil mengulas kisah sukses dari sepuluh orang yang berbeda. Ada Hendy Setiono, Sandiaga Uno, Dewa Budjana, Dion Wiyoko, Arbain Rambey, Whulandary Herman, Umar Syarief, Rinni Wulandari, Dewi Lestari, dan Taufik Hidayat. Kesepuluh orang tersebut memiliki kisah sukses masing-masing dan nyatanya mencoba untuk terus mengejar passion masing-masing. Padahal, bekerja sesuai dengan passion bukanlah suatu hal yang mudah. Banyak tantangan yang harus dihadapi. Mulai dari penolakan dari orang tua, hingga ketidakpastian finansial. Tapi nyatanya, kesepuluh orang tersebut berhasil menjadi diri mereka sendiri.

Edited by me.
Pertama kali saya membaca deskripsi mengenai buku ini, saya langsung tertarik. Mengapa? Karena saya adalah orang yang mudah kagum terhadap kegigihan seseorang yang begitu mendalami passion-nya. Istilahnya, orang-orang tersebut berusaha sebisa mungkin untuk memperjuangkan apa yang mereka sukai. Membaca setiap kisah tentunya membuat saya bertanya-tanya, apakah saya dapat melakukan hal yang sama?

Passion adalah potensi atau bakat yang ada pada setiap orang. Saya percaya bahwa setiap orang diberikan bakat oleh Tuhan dan tugas kita adalah mencari dan mengasahnya. - Dewa Budjana.
Passion adalah salah satu faktor yang bikin saya nyaman--apa pun yang saya kerjakan. - Dion Wiyoko.
Kisah-kisah yang disajikan dalam buku ini, dicoba dijelaskan dalam format wawancara. Well, saya lumayan menyukainya karena perkataan dari masing-masing narasumber terasa lebih hidup. Apalagi, penggunaan bahasanya pun cukup mudah dipahami dan lebih mengikat pembaca. Kisah favorit saya dalam buku ini adalah kisah dari Arbain Rambey. Arbain mencoba menjelaskan bahwa fotografer bisa menjadi pekerjaan yang menjanjikan dan juga menyenangkan. Selain itu, saya juga kagum dengan kegigihan Rinni Wulandari dalam membangun imej yang jauh berbeda dari Rini Idol. Bagaimana Rinni berusaha untuk membangun kembali imejnya dari awal yang pastinya tidak mudah.

Kenapa saya bisa lolos dari segala macam cobaan, karena saya cinta dengan apa yang saya lakukan. - Arbain Rambey.
Bila seseorang sudah punya passion terhadap satu bidang, saat menemui halangan, dia tidak akan 'meleleh'. - Arbain Rambey.
Membaca buku ini, dalam opini saya, dapat memberikan inspirasi bagi siapapun yang sedang stuck. Dalam artian, orang-orang yang masih ragu dalam mengejar passion-nya masing-masing. Setidaknya, buku ini mengajarkan kita untuk tetap memperjuangkan passion kita. Mengerjakan hal yang kita sukai merupakan modal awal bagi kita untuk menikmati hidup. Jadi, tidak ada salahnya kita mencoba belajar dari kisah sepuluh orang yang telah disebutkan di atas tadi.

3 bintang untuk kisah-kisah yang disajikan.

Sincerely,

Puji P. Rahayu

Happy Birthday!
It doesn't matter how far you go; I will love you. Always.

by Mamoru Suzuki

4 of 5 stars

Image source: Goodreads
Title: Happy Birthday
Author: Mamoru Suzuki
Genre: Children's fiction, illustration book
Publisher: Museyon
Expected publication: November, 1st 2017
Number of pages: 32 pages
ISBN: 9781940842202
I got this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The occasion of a birthday provide the opportunity to look back at the long days spent waiting patiently for the baby to be born, the special day it arrives, and the miraculous perfection of every stage of its growth. Soft, warm colors and cozy images are accompanied by a spare text that perfectly captures the all-encompassing love parents for their children. This birthday book will resonate with anyone who has loved a child. It is a gift that every child deserves.

More info about this book:

Children's fiction would be one of my favorite genre. It wouldn't take too much time and, yeah, it doesn't need much effort to read it. When I remade account in Netgalley, I started to interest with children's fiction. One of them is this Mamoru Suzuki's work. Actually, I started to interest with this book because of the cover. Eugh, I couldn't resist a cat picture like that. So much cute.

My most favorite illustration in this book.
In essence, this book told us about a short letter from a mother to her son. The mother told her son about how he grew up from inside her tummy until when he could go anywhere. It was just a reminder about one special day when he could see the world with his own eyes. It's just a reminder that, no matter how far he would go, his mother would always remember everything about him.

I like Suzuki's work actually. The illustrations was cute and still tho, I like the cat. I always sad when I remember that my cat has been gone. But then, I still love cat. Even though this book was really thin--eugh, I just can hope that this book would be thicker, the simplest value from it has been delivered neatly. 

Finishing this book, make me wonder how's the other Suzuki's work.

Four stars for the cat.

Sincerely,

Puji P. Rahayu