Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

***

Well, after one week, I haven't finished my current reading read. Lol. That's okay. I can fill this blog with whatever I want and now it's time for Top Ten Tuesday again. Yay!

Today's topic is interesting to me. It's about a book that I recommend to others the most. So, here we go.

1. Sapiens: A Graphic History #1 The Bird of Humankind - Yuval Noah Harari, David Vandermeulen, Daniel Casanave

The reason is so simple. For me who got a lot of difficulty reading a non-fiction book, this graphic novel is the best. It explained Harari's book in a simpler way and we still can get the full knowledge of it. I love how David and Daniel extract the information into a graphic. I love how they make Harari's explanation into a comic strip that feels connected to each part. It's more enjoyable and easy to digest. 

So, I really recommend this book to anyone who wants to read Harari's though in a more enjoyable way.

2. Kieta Hatsukoi (My Faded First Love) - Wataru Hinekure, Aruko

So, this manga series is one of my favourite BL manga of all time--or, should I say the most favourite one? 

Kieta Hatsukoi told the story about Aoki who got misunderstanding with Ida. At first, Aoki has a huge crush on Hashimoto. One day, in the middle of the exam, he borrowed an eraser from Hashimoto. To his surprise, he sees a written name in that eraser and it's Ida--a guy who seat in front of him. To make it more confusing, Ida sees Aoki hold that eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him.

I love this story because every character is so wholesome. They always become supportive of each other. I think this is the most idealistic BL world ever I read. Anyway, I really love how Aoki and Ida become sweeter at the end of the story.

3. Lebih Senyap dari Bisikan (Quieter than a Whisper) - Andina Dwifatma

Who said that marriage is easy? When you married, then all of the decisions that you have to take are not only about you, but you have to pay attention to the needs of your partner, child--if any, and other families member. Marriage is not only about a vow to each other and then getting a happily ever after life. Living as a woman in a patriarchal family could make everything become worst. 

Remember Kim Ji Young Born in 1982? Yes, this is the Indonesian version of it. It told the story of Amara, who struggle with her marriage. Losing a lot of things, including herself. For me, this book is a reminder for everyone that marriage is not only about sunshine and rainbow, moreover, if you live as a woman in this patriarchal society who only look at your achievement based on your marriage life. What a sigh.

4. Almond - Sohn Won Pyung

When your amygdala is not fully developed, you won't feel any emotion such as fear, anger, sadness, or happiness. Almond told the story about Younjae who has Alexitimia, the condition where his amygdala is so tiny. 

From this book, you can contemplate more about what is normal in society. Who decided whether something is normal or not. So, how to be normal if the normal state in society has been decided by some people?

This book is also interesting because it became one of the inspirations for Agust D's song, Amygdala. Please watch his music video for Amygdala. It's amazing how Yoongi tries to capture all of his traumas in this song. 

5. Yakusoku no Neverland (The Promised Neverland) - Kaiu Shirai

So, have you ever read a children's manga but it was so dark? Here is The Promised Neverland. The story of this manga is so dark. This manga told the story of how children should always obey the adult. Since children sometimes never got a chance to voice out their own opinion, they only can accept what the adult says. 

Thankfully, the trio's main character can break those stereotypes and try their best to free themselves from the adult's willpower.

6. Mawar Merah (Red Roses) - Luna Torashyngu

As a teen-lit lover, I always recommend Mawar Merah to everyone who wants to read an unusual Indonesian young adult novel. Luna Torashyngu has succeeded to give an incredible story through Mawar Merah. I love how he manages to give a very complex story about a teenage assassin like Elsa. I always love this trilogy so much.

7. Laut Bercerita (The Sea Speaks His Name) - Leila S. Chudori

This is one of my go-to recommendation books for anyone who wants to read a 'serious' theme. Leila S. Chudori is well known for his historical fiction work. This book is also one of them. It told the story of the missing 98's activists in Indonesia. I remember how sad and depressing the story is, but it is so valuable to be read for every young people to understand the black history that never is told by the government.

8. Girls in the Dark - Akiyoshi Rikako

One of my favourite horror writers ever. Akiyoshi Rikako is a very talented Japanese writer. She always made a horror story that sometimes has a lot of plot twists. Girls in the Dark is one of her very first books. In my opinion, the story is always mindblowing. I love how she tried to play with our minds when reading it.

9. Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Well, I don't know. As a retelling story, I haven't read any book that makes me love it as Cinder has. I love how Meyer executes the story. I remember I tried to finish the tetralogy in one go. It just shows how I really love the story.

10. Animal Farm - George Orwell

This is a famous political allegory written by Orwell. It's always been one of my favourite books to recommend. Well, to understand more about a structural world of view, this book is a must-read book.

Yeay, that's all for today's recommendation. What about you, guys? Which book you have read? Or do you have another book to recommend to me? 

Sincerely,
Ra

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

***

Well, since most of my read-book are in digital format, I think I will try to choose the book with unique methods by myself. What will I gonna do?

First, I open my Goodreads account and go to All-Bookshelf. Then, I will generate a random number from 1-49 to decide the pages that I will go to--I have 49 pages for my All-Bookshelf page on Goodreads. After that, I will generate a random number again between 1-20 to select the books from the pages. 

So, here is the result for today's list.

1. Sad Cypress - Agatha Christie

Page 14 Number 19

If I remember correctly, I bought this book in a sale section at Gramedia bookstore. Sadly, I couldn't remember much about the story. Hmm, maybe I should really try to reread Christie's work from the very start again.

2. Evergreen - Prisca Primasari

Page 16 Number 16

Actually, Prisca Primasari is one of my favourite Indonesian writers. She can write beautifully and manage to give a meaningful story. Evergreen, if I remember correctly, is one of her first works. Ahh, imho, Prisca always tries to choose a specific setting for her story. In Evergreen, Prisca chooses Japan as the setting. Therefore, I can learn more about a lot of Japan's elements here.

Then, even though in Evergreen Prisca didn't emphasize the romantic story between the two main characters, it still gives me a sad feeling when reading the story between Fumio and Toshi.

3. Rave Master Vol. 25

Page 37 Number 10

Lol. How could I remember this specific volume? Well, tbh, I rarely read a complete manga aside from Detective Conan that is still ongoing. But back then when I was in high school, I succeed to complete this Hiro Mashima's work. To be honest, I love Rave more than Fairytale. Should I try to reread it again?

4. Lullabies - Lang Leav

Page 12 Number 1

Yeah, there was a time when I diligently read poetry books like Lang Leav and Lala Bohang's work. Here is one of my favourite quotes from this book.

Angel  

It happens like this. One day you meet someone and for some inexplicable reason, you feel more connected to this stranger than anyone else--closer to them than your closest family. Perhaps because this person carries an angel within them--one sent to you for some higher purpose, to teach you an important lesson or to keep you safe during a perilous time. What you must do is trust them--even if they come hand in hand with pain or suffering--the reason for their presence will become clear in due time.

 

5. The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie
Page 40 Number 2

Oh my. I just realized that I had made the review on my book but not on my Goodreads account. Well, in order to read all of Christie's work chronologically, of course, I should read The Mysterious Affair at Styles first. 

For me, yes, I failed to recognise the real culprit in this case. I really need to organize my reading schedule so I can read Christie's work again.

6. Anak Band (Band Boy) - Stephanie Zen
Page 35 Number 9

As a Teenlit lover, it won't be completed if I don't read Stephanie Zen's work. If I remember correctly, Anak Band is her initial work. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember the story at all. Well, I think I will prefer her later work such as Dylan, I Love You and Dear, Dylan!

7. Perahu Kertas (Paper Boat) - Dee
Page 30 Number 14

If I take a look at my short review on Goodreads, I said that this book is a sweet romance book. Then, maybe everyone could agree that this is the lightest book from Dee--well, if you compare it to other works such as Supernova of course. Perhaps, I read it when the hype from the movie is still so strong back then.

8. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Page 41 Number 16

The long-time wishlist that I haven't read yet. Yeah, of course, I have a plan to one by one read a book on my to-read shelf. I just need time to do it. I am intrigued by the mystery-thriller-is element of this novel.

9. Separuh Bintang (Half of the Star) - Evline Kartika
Page 33 Number 8

Ahh, this book is very important to me. Without this book, I don't think I could find the will to read books as a hobby. I know that Teenlit has a very predictable plot. But, for this book, I just love the story so much.

10. Polar Bear Postman - Seigo Kijima
Page 13 Number 8

If I am not mistaken, I received this book as an ARC provided by Netgalley. Well, I always love to read children's books. Just like this book.

Yeay, that's all for today. What a random list for today but I am happy with it. So, see you next time~

Sincerely,
Ra

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

***

Well, another episode of me going back to join another prompt from Top Ten Tuesday. So, when I looked up the topic, it turns out it is a non-book freebie for this week. Since recently I watched a lot of series or dramas, I decided to choose this topic. Anyway, I watched a lot of Korean and Japan dramas. Here we go.

1. Still 2Gether (2020)

Well, to be honest, I never watch a Thai series before 2Gether. This time, I rewatch the series and I became really adored the story of Sarawat (Bright Vachirawit) and Tine (Win Metawin) here. In this sequel, the story is more focused on their journey as a long-term couple. There are so many sweets moment of them. One of my favourite scenes would be on the third episode of this series. Oh my goodness, Sarawat become sweeter and Tine is also being cuter.

2. Crash Course in Romance (2023)

To be honest, the reason I watched this series was because of Jung Kyungho who played Choi Chiyeol, the star teacher that admired by all of the high-school students, and also their parents. This drama is quite fresh and also funny. Therefore, we won't have to be bored. 

Maybe, the mystery part of this series is a little bit vague, but I still love the story anyway. Also, clap to Jeon Doyeon who portrayed Nam Haengseon perfectly.

3. Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow (2022)

Actually, I love both Seasons 1 and 2. For me, the story between Jang-uk (Lee Jae Wook) and Naksu/Bu-yeon (Go Youn Jung) is very wholesome. Even though the second season is darker than the first one, I still find a bright vibe from Jang-uk and Bu-yeon. Argh, they are so cute being together. A lot of comedic scenes that made me smile throughout the entire series. What I love the most is, how in AoS 2, every conflict for each character can be resolved well at the end.

I really would like to recommend this series because the story is very enticing and fun. 

4. Blind (2022)

Mystery? Thriller? Plot twist? If you are into that kind of thing, you should watch Blind. I've been a fan of mystery thriller drama for a while. Therefore, when my friend suggests I watch Blind, I was very excited. The story is really complicated and engaging from the very start. You could sympathize with each of the characters. 

Of course, I have to give a big applause to Ok Tae-cyeon who can portray Ryu Sungjoon well. But still, tho, I still resent Sunghoon very much. It hurts :( 

5. To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories (2022)

Do I have a soft spot for the sequel of a BL story? Maybe I have. To My Star 2 is the continuation of the love journey between Kang Seojoon (Son Woohyun) and Han Jiwoo (Kim Kangmin). Some incidents made Jiwoo leave Seojoon. He decided to go to the countryside. Meanwhile, Seojoon couldn't understand why Jiwoo leave him. Of course, in the middle of his career crisis, Seojoon also has to manage his life as an actor and pursue his love back.

I don't know. For me, To My Star 2 told us about a deeper relationship between Seojoon and Jiwoo. I love how they become more honest here. 

6. Mystic Pop-up Bar (2020)

Mystic Pop-up Bar is one of my all-time favourite K-dramas. It told us about a magical bar managed by Weolju (Hwang Jungeum), a hot-tempered woman who can enter someone's dream to fix their problem. In manage day by day activities, Weolju is assisted by Chef Gwi (Choi Won-young), the former Afterlife Police who voluntarily helps her.

Weolju encounters with Han Kangbae (Yook Sungjae), made her assignment so much easier. Yeah, she runs the bar to pay for her sins in the past. The Afterlife Court sent her to the Living Realm to settle the grudges of 100.000 souls and comfort them.

I love how each episode has its own stories. The interaction between Weolju, Chef Gwi, and Kangbae is also very funny. Therefore, I will never be bored watching them,

7. Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)

I am aware that this drama doesn't have an ending that we want, but from Haedo (Kim Taeri) and Yijin (Nam Joohyuk), we can learn about friendship, dreams, and also love. To be honest, I am still very frustrated because we won't be able to see the 'now' version of Baek Yijin. But, I should admit that every episode here is totally engaging. Moreover, their soundtrack is really good. One of my favourites would be Your Existence by Wonstein.

8. Business Proposal (2022)

Business Proposal is one of the K-dramas that I watched when it was still ongoing. This is a very sweet and comedic drama. It is worth watching when you wanna relax and not think too much. Even though the plot felt very common, which is an ordinary employer who falls in love with her CEO, I just found that this drama can execute that story well.

9. Our Beloved Summer (2021)

Can I just be Ung in real life? If you want to find a good and relaxed drama, Our Beloved Summer could be your choice. It's a healing story and you can really want to be Ung in real life. I love the heartwarming stories in this drama and every layer of the stories got the resolution after all. I also love how they portrayed the life of an artist and communication consultant, a job that feels so new in the modern era (?). Lol. 

10. My Love Mix-up! (2021)

Well, My Love Mix-up! is definitely one of my all-time favourite BL dramas. Aoki (Michida Shunsuke) and Ida (Ren Megure) are your sweet couple. Their story is simple yet makes my heart warm. What I love the most about this drama is how everyone around Aoki and Ida didn't make any prejudice about their relationship. Argh, I just love Idaoki so much here.

Actually, there are more series or dramas that I want to mention, such as Tomorrow, Little Women, and also Under the Queen's Umbrella (Oh my goodness! I totally forgot about this one). But, well, maybe later I can share more about it.

So, thank you in advance for visiting. Hope you can have fun on this post and we can share more about our favourite series/drama that we watched.

Sincerely,

Ra

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

***

Well, when we don't have any idea about what to read, sometimes rereading our favourite book could be the best option. So, here we go. I would like to share some of the books that I love to reread when I need some escape.

Ps, most of it will be Indonesian books or manga

1. My Faded First Love (Kieta Hatsukoi) - Wataru Hinekure

I think, at this point, I won't hesitate to read Kiekoi again and again. The story is so wholesome and Aoki-Ida is indeed a very sweet couple. I still despise how they decided to end the manga next month, I still wanna read more about their story. Hope the author will take a further decision to continue this manga.

2. Harry Poter Series - J.K. Rowling

I mean, Harry Potter is one of my all time favourite series. So, it's not surprising if I choose this series as one of my comfort reads. The fantasy is great and not as high as LOTR for example. I still couldn't finish LOTR until now. Maybe high fantasy is just hard for me to digest.

3.Trilogi Mawar Merah (Red Roses Trilogy) - Luna Torashyngu

Mawar Merah is one of my all time favourite teen lit books. The story is about a female assassin, moreover, in Indonesia's setting, it's very rare to be found. Therefore, its uniqueness is the element that made this book my comfort read.

4. Eiffel, Tolong! (Eiffel, Help!) - Clio Freya

Another teen lit book that I really love. I could say that this book is the book that introduce me to an online book community. Therefore,  Eiffel, Tolong! is very memorable for me. The story is quite light even though there is a lot of uniqueness there. I mean, who would think about a spy story in the middle of Paris?

5. Let Go - Windhy Puspitadewi

This book is a book that I would love to reread because the friendship story is amazing. Sadly, it's hard for me to find a copy of it. The physical version has no longer available and the digital version is nowhere to be found. Sigh.

6. Restart - Nina Ardianti

For me, Restart is one of my favourite contemporary romances. I just love how Nina Ardianti tells her story. It's engaging and not confusing. I love how drama Syiana is and Fedrian is just a gorgeous male lead character.

7. Omen Series - Lexie Xu

Of every series made by Lexie Xu, my comfort reads would be the Omen Series. This horror story is a series that I didn't expect to like. Then, the twist in every story is also unexpected.

8. Dear Dylan - Stephanie Zen

The story about a celebrity who falls in love with a fan maybe sounds so cliche. But I found out that this book is interesting. The way Stephanie Zen portrayed both Dylan and Alice's stories is really great. I don't feel bored when reading it.

9. Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Series) - Marissa Meyer

Well, for now, if I want to reread something, I remember that this series is worth rereading. I love how Meyer turns the fairytale story into a modern version. Therefore, this story is captivating in some way. 

10. Fly to the Sky - Nina Ardianti, Moemoe Rizal

I don't know how many times I reread this book. Fly to the Sky, is really my comfort book. Edyta with her quirkiness and Ardian who is quiet but charming at the same time. Since I have the physical of it, I always choose Fly to the Sky whenever I got a reading slump.

Well, that's all for my story today. 7/10 of it is an Indonesian book. So, maybe you will have interested to read them. 

Sincerely,

Ra