Book Review: Teruslah Bodoh Jangan Pintar by Tere Liye

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BOOK review

Started on: 8 March 2024
Finished on: 18 March 2024

 

Teruslah Bodoh Jangan Pintar by Tere Liye

 

Title: Teruslah Bodoh Jangan Pintar

Author: Tere Liye
Publisher: Sabak Grip

Pages: 371 pages
Year of Publication: 2024
Price: Rp 89,100 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Mereka tahu sekali risikonya. Harga atas sebuah perlawanan." 

Selama puluhan tahun, PT Semesta Minerals & Mining sudah mengembangkan usahanya di dunia pertambangan secara luar biasa. Akan tetapi dampak dari tambang-tambang tersebut telah merugikan banyak orang—bahkan hingga merenggut nyawa. Hingga akhirnya, sekelompok aktivis berkumpul dengan tujuan menggagalkan izin konsensi proyek raksasa PT Semesta Menirals & Mining melalui sidang dengar pendapat yang dilakukan secara tertutup. Para aktivis berusaha keras mengumpulkan saksi yang hidupnya terdampak langsung oleh perusahaan tambang itu. Namun, mereka harus berhadapan dengan Hotma Cornelius, seorang pengacara handal yang merupakan spesialis pembela kejahatan. Meski perjuangan mereka penuh dengan rintangan, kelompok aktivis ini tidak menyerah dan mengerahkan segala kemampuan mereka untuk melakukan perlawanan.

 

Book Review: Hai, Miiko! Vol. 36 by Ono Eriko

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BOOK review

Started on: 9 January 2024
Finished on: 9 January 2024

Hai, Miiko! Vol. 36 by Ono Eriko

Title: Hai, Miiko! Vol. 36

Author: Ono Eriko
Publisher: m&c!

Pages: 126 pages
Year of Publication: 2024
Price: Rp 48,000 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 5/5

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Tahun baru selalu membuatku semangat karena itu artinya jilid terbaru komik Hai, Miiko! akan diterbitkan! Setelah dikecewakan dengan volume sebelumnya, aku berusaha keras mengatur ekspektasiku saat akan mulai membaca buku ini. Sinopsis di bagian belakang buku ini berhasil membuatku penasaran dengan adanya kalimat "Tappei pun mulai bergerak" 😂; tapi mengetahui kemajuan hubungan antara Tappei dan Miiko selama ini, aku meragukan akan ada pergerakan yang signifikan 🤣. Walaupun aku agak sedih dengan harga komik Hai, Miiko! yang terus naik setiap tahunnya, aku tetap tidak akan melewatkan kisah kehidupan Miiko dan teman-temannya ☺️.

Book Review: All That Jesus Commanded: The Christian Life According to the Gospels by John Piper

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BOOK review

Started on: 22 September 2023
Finished on: 4 December 2023

 

All That Jesus Commanded: The Christian Life According to the Gospels by John Piper

 

Title: All That Jesus Commanded: The Christian Life According to the Gospels

Author: John Piper

Publisher: Crossway Books

Pages: 464 pages / 472 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2023
Price: Rp 178,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4/5

*This e-book was received as a review copy from Crossway

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"The ultimate goal of Jesus's commandments is not that we observe them by doing good works. The ultimate goal is that God be glorified. The obedience of good works is penultimate. But what is ultimate is that in our obedient lives God be displayed as the most beautiful reality in the world. That is Jesus's ultimate goal and mine."

In this book, longtime pastor and author John Piper walks through Jesus's commands that are found in the four Gospels and their meaning for the Christian life. In 50 short chapters, he explained their context and meaning to help readers understand Christ's vision how we should lead our lives. This is a helpful guide and resource for both new Christians as well as veteran believers.

"It deals with every command Jesus gave and how it relates to Christian living today. It draws out the meaning of these commands from the four Gospels themselves not the rest of the New Testament."

Book Review: Jade Shards (The Green Bone Saga, #0.75) by Fonda Lee

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BOOK review

Started on: 14 September 2023
Finished on: 21 September 2023

 

Jade Shards (The Green Bone Saga, #0.75) by Fonda Lee

 

Title: Jade Shards (The Green Bone Saga, #0.75)

Author: Fonda Lee

Publisher: Subterranean Press

Pages: 136 pages / 106 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2023
Price: $5.99 (https://subterraneanpress.com)

Rating: 4/5

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In this book, Fonda Lee returns with four prequel short stories that dive into some of the personal histories of the Kaul and Ayt families. The first one tells the story of Ayt Mada before she became the ruthless leader of the Mountain clan, befriending Aun Ure—a renowned assassin who yearns for a simpler life. There's also the story of Kaul Lan as he challenged his grandfather to help a boy who had lost everything. The third story is about Kaul Hilo and Maik Wen, the son of a top Green Bone clan in love with a stone-eye girl from a disreputable family. Lastly, we glimpsed at Kaul Shae's life before she left and returned to Kekon, when she became a secret informer to a foreign country.

 

Book Review: The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games, #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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BOOK review

Started on: 25 June 2023
Finished on: 29 August 2023

 

The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games, #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

 

Title: The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games, #3)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher: Little, Brown Books

Pages: 374 pages / 400 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2022
Price: Rp 188,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 3/5

*for those who haven't read the first book, this review may contain spoiler. Review for The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes here.

Review for The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes here.

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"I'd known that someone was playing with us, with me. But this made it so much clearer that Toby's abductor wasn't just playing with me. They were playing against me."

To inherit billions from Tobias Hawthorne, Avery has to survive a few more weeks living in the Hawthorne House. With danger lurking around every corner, the Hawthorne brothers are the ones who helped her get through it all. Her life is now intertwined with theirs as they discover each other's secrets. Nearing the time when Avery is about to become the richest teenager on the planet, an unexpected visitor arrives asking for help and her appearance could change everything. Apparently, there's one last puzzle to solve. Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are suddenly drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player from the past.

"Chess," I repeated. "The move—it's called the Queen's Gambit. Whoever's playing white puts that second pawn in position to be sacrificed, which is why it's considered a gambit."

Book Review: The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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BOOK review

Started on: 4 June 2023
Finished on: 24 June 2023

 

The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

 

Title: The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 380 pages / 369 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2021
Price: Rp 188,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4/5

*for those who haven't read the first book, this review may contain spoiler. 

Review for The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes here.

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"If there was one thing I'd learned about deceased billionaire Tobias Hawthorne, it was that he was capable of orchestrating nearly anything, manipulating nearly anyone. He'd loved puzzles and riddles and games."

After unlocking the final puzzle in the tunnels under the Hawthorne House, Avery has to find the man who might hold the answer to all her questions—including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery rather than his daughters or grandsons. After doing a DNA test, Avery confirmed that she's not a Hawthorne by blood, but some clues hint at a deeper connection between her and the Hawthorne family. As the mystery grows, threats are lurking around every corner as adversaries emerge trying to see Avery out of the picture by any means necessary.

"I wanted answers. This wasn't just a mystery that needed solving or another layer to a puzzle. It wasn't a game—not to me. 

Not anymore."