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This is the official blog of Winna Efendi, author of several bestselling Indonesian novels.

Sabtu, 10 Desember 2011

Newsletter Desember 2011

Hai teman-teman!

Memutuskan untuk bikin newsletter di FB dan blog, semacam news update mengenai berita-berita terbaru bukuku, menulis, dan masih banyak lagi. Untuk membaca newsletter, bisa add facebook-ku di Winna Efendi, atau blogku http://winna-efendi.blogspot.com. Link juga akan dipublish di twitter @WinnaEfendi.

So.. life's been great. Akhir tahun sudah dekat, artinya waktu untuk mereview pencapaian tahun ini juga mulai merencanakan tahun berikutnya :-) and I'm sharing that with all of you.

Tahun ini dihabiskan dengan banyak menulis. Aku bertekad untuk menyelesaikan beberapa proyek yang sempat tertunda, untuk persiapan tahun depan. Awal tahun 2011 dihabiskan menulis dan merevisi sebuah karya lama yang dimulai tahun 2007, tapi sempat terbengkalai. Hasilnya akan diterbitkan bulan Januari 2012 mendatang, namun judul, sinopsis dan cover belum bisa di-share. Don't worry, pasti akan kuumumkan di sini begitu sudah resmi :) novel yang akan diterbitkan oleh Gagas Media ini adalah novel dewasaku yang pertama, tapi jangan kuatir, temanya masih bisa dibaca oleh remaja juga kok :) ceritanya adalah tentang 2 orang yang nggak saling mengenal, tapi dekat karena sering ketemu di suatu tempat.. it also has something to do with wine. Proses risetnya makan waktu cukup lama, mulai dari membaca buku sampai mencicipi langsung :)

Lalu pertengahan tahun 2011, aku juga sempat sibuk dengan proyek lain. Yang ini masih surprise, nanti ya kalau sudah ada perkembangan lebih lanjut akan di-share. Menjelang akhir 2011, aku sempat kembali menulis novel teenlit. I kind of miss it, actually..

Biasanya, setelah menyelesaikan sebuah proyek menulis, aku akan break sebentar. Kali ini rasanya nggak sabar memulai yang baru lagi karena here I am, starting a new draft :-)

Buku-bukuku yang terbit tahun 2011 adalah Remember When (relaunch novel Kenangan Abu-Abu dengan cover/judul yang berbeda) di bulan April, diikuti dengan nonfiksi The Journeys, antologi kisah perjalanan para penulis di mana aku menulis tentang kisah travelingku ke Shuili, Taiwan.

Mengenai film dan bacaan bagus, aku juga punya beberapa favorit tahun ini, di antaranya Real Steel, It's Kind of a Funny Story, the Art of Getting By, dan One Day. Untuk buku, aku suka The Opposite of Love (Julie Buxbaum), Sisterhood Everlasting (Ann Brashares), What Happened to Goodbye (Sarah Dessen), dan Hector and the Search for Happiness.

Oh ya, teman2 di twitter bisa juga memfollow akun yang dibuat oleh pembaca novelku.. akun ini adalah fanbase Winna Efendi di Twitter, namanya @Winnadict. Baru hari ini tahunya, dan sangat surprised sekaligus tersanjung :) menjelang 2012, aku akan membuat kontes juga untuk memenangkan 1 buku baruku yang bertandatangan. Kontesnya tentang apa, masih lagi dipikirin :) ada yang punya ide?

So, that's it for this month's newsletter, see you di newsletter berikutnya yaaa.. :) thanks for reading my books and for your endless support!

Minggu, 20 November 2011

Letting Go

Lagu Adele berputar lewat speaker kecil yang terhubung dengan komputer, suaranya teredam oleh bunyi mesin kopi yang bergetar pelan. Kamu meletakkan sebuah cangkir keramik untuk menampung kopi cair yang menetes turun – cangkir biru, dengan gagang putih; cangkir lamamu, yang tak pernah kubuang bahkan setelah tahun-tahun itu datang dan pergi.

“Kamu tak berubah,” itu katamu ketika kamu menyisihkan sepatumu di depan pintu, menginjakkan kaki di atas lantai parket yang dingin dan menyapukan pandangan ke sekeliling ruangan. Bingkai-bingkai kayu yang sama, cat dinding krem yang sama, aroma lemongrass seperti pewangi dalam mobil dan lemari pakaianku, semuanya. Tapi kamu salah – aku bukan lagi orang yang sama. Ketika memberitahukannya kepadamu, kamu tersenyum. “Oh ya?” katamu. “Masihkah kamu mendengarkan CD Secret Garden-mu setiap kali kamu sedih? Masih sering lupa mengambil koran pagi di depan pintu?”

Mungkin itulah caramu menentukan seberapa jauh aku telah berubah. Skala antara satu hingga sepuluh. Hal-hal kecil susah untuk diubah, kamu pernah bilang begitu. Hal-hal kecil seperti caramu menggenggam tanganku, dengan ibu jari memutari pangkal tanganku. Caramu meneliti wajahku untuk setiap mikro-ekspresi yang mungkin kau lewati. Caramu memasukkan sedikit lebih banyak merica setiap kali memasak. Itu adalah sebagian dari hal-hal kecil. Urusan lain, seperti cincin yang kini melingkari jari manismu, itu adalah hal-hal yang lebih besar.

Lalu, kamu menuang sisa kopi ke dalam cangkirku, tak lupa menambahkan sesendok gula merah, seperti kebiasaanku. Ketika menyerahkannya kepadaku, ekspresi di wajahmu adalah kesedihan. “Kopimu, just the way you like it.”

Aku mengambil tempat di atas karpet, dan bersyukur karena kamu tak bergerak dari posisimu di meja makan. Jarak di antara kita terlalu lebar, dan kurasa tidak satu pun dari kita yang berhak merapatkannya.

“Apa kabarmu?”

Aku sudah berlatih untuk adegan ini, adegan di mana kita tak sengaja berpapasan di jalan dan pandangan kita bertemu. Akankah aku memalingkan mata duluan, ataukah kamu yang akan terus berjalan seakan-akan kita tak pernah saling mengenal? Aku memainkannya di kepalaku beratus-ratus kali, meyakinkan diri sendiri bahwa aku akan menatapmu tepat di manik mata dan berjalan tanpa menoleh ke belakang lagi. Tapi ternyata, kita berdua sama-sama berhenti. Aku tidak tahu siapa yang duluan tersenyum. Aku ingat, kamulah yang pertama kali menyapa.

Aku tak pernah menyangka kamu akan ada di apartemenku sekarang. Ini di luar skenario. Bagian ini tak pernah hadir dalam versiku, kamu yang duduk dengan cangkir biru tuamu, di dapurku, berbicara denganku. Dalam versiku, kamu adalah bayang-bayang yang menghuni masa laluku, dan aku bertekad tetap mempertahankannya sedemikian rupa.

But I miss you, Ben. Aku kangen berpegangan tangan sembari meluncur sepanjang ring lapangan es, dengan butiran salju meleleh di bahu. Aku rindu berbagi secangkir kopi, berargumen mengenai seberapa banyak gula yang akan kita masukkan ke dalamnya. All those little things, and then the bigger stuffs as well.

We don’t have to change, you know.” Kamu menatapku lagi, aku yang sedang bermonolog dan berusaha melawan suara-suara dalam kepalaku. “Kita tak perlu menjadi orang asing bagi satu sama lain. Kamu adalah Julie, dan aku Ben. Kita saling mengenal, kita punya sejarah, kita adalah kita.”

“Yang kamu lupakan adalah fakta bahwa kita bukan lagi kita. Julie kembali menjadi Julie yang berusaha melupakan Ben, dan Ben.. aku tak tahu seperti apa dia sekarang. I’m not sure I care anymore.

Kamu terlihat terluka oleh pernyataan barusan. Bagian awal ucapanku jujur. Bagian akhirnya.. aku tak yakin apakah itu sepenuhnya benar.

“Julie.” Kamu akhirnya bangkit, meletakkan cangkirmu di atas meja di mana bagian bawahnya menyisakan lingkaran cokelat. “Mungkin lebih baik aku pergi.”

Perkataan itulah yang membuatku kehilangan kontrol, saat itu juga. Aku bangkit, berdiri di hadapanmu dan dengan penuh amarah memukulkan kedua tanganku ke dadamu, walau kamu hampir dua kali ukuranku dan dapat menyorokkanku dengan sekali dorong. Kamu diam saja, menerima pukulan demi pukulan, dan itu hanya membuatku semakin marah. Aku mengumpulkan semua air mata, semua sakit hati, dan setiap keberanianku untuk mengungkapkannya padamu, bahwa kamu selalu memilih untuk pergi saat keadaan tidak sesuai untukmu. Being gone is the only thing you’re good at.

Kemudian kedua tanganmu menggenggam milikku, dan kita berdua saling menatap dengan air mata mengaliri sisi-sisi wajah kita.

Kamu dan aku. Kita berdua, mengulangi apa yang terjadi hari itu. Aku hanya tak tahu apa yang akan kau lakukan selanjutnya.

Kamu tahu, yang perlu kita lakukan bukanlah berubah. Melepaskan. Hanya itu. Dan denganmu di sini, I think it is time.

**

my first short story in months. haven't written any in a while. needs some work and could've used some good editing, but it's all I've got at the moment. inspired by one of the last chapters of Adam and Mia's story in Where She Went.

Sabtu, 19 November 2011

(book) Where She Went


review : 4/5 stars.

I wasn't sold on If I Stay, but with this one, I am. Totally.

If I Stay wins best cover every single time, though. At first I was doubtful whether I'd like this one, since I'm not in love with the prequel.. but I'm glad I've decided to give it a chance. I might not like Mia all that much, but I do love Adam. He's sensitive, he's gentle, and he's a big softie. I like the fact that they're both adults now, zoom in three years later and fast forward - now look where they are and how they're doing. It's nice to see the aftermath of everything else, and how each is dealing with their own loss.

It's very well written, and I adore the writer for that. She can switch from Mia's voice to Adam's with great fluency, so smooth it doesn't ever hint that it's a female writer writing a character's voice. It's 100% Adam, the rock star, the suffering musician who is not sure who he is anymore. I love every single word he uses to explain himself, to show readers his heartbreak, beyond his life at the moment. He is flawed, but he's endearing, and kudos for exploring the depth of his soul.

It's more heartbreaking than the first one. I'm getting goosebumps just reading some passages, and I feel so happy when the ending concludes. Love it :)

Jumat, 11 November 2011

(movie) Real Steel

I came with expectations that I would like this movie, I just didn't expect I would love it so much. The start was a little slow but necessary, with a nice country song and cool cinematography of a man driving in a distance. And then we got to the real conflict, and came to know a very flawed man, selfish in his desires to make easy money and be as irresponsible as he could be. Plus there was an eleven year old boy, who, despite his age, was so mature and gave off this charm that was so genuine and heartwarming.

Sure, it's a movie about robots fighting each other. I sure don't adore boxing movies, as much as I don't really like watching people kill each other brutally. But then again, I never expected that I'd come to root for a robot (yes, you heard that right), to win a boxing match. Atom, the heroic robot, was made to look sympathetic, slightly human, with doe eyes and a plain face. Yes, he was plain, but the fact that he was made him anything other than ordinary.

I like how the main conflict has a mixture of human drama, ties between family and friends, father and son bond, father and robot bond, son and robot bond, and so much more. It's hilarious at times, but the comedic timing is right so it adds warm humor into the movie instead of playing with jokes that look like they were thrown just for the point of it. Then we have the action - which is unbelievably tense and so fun to watch. They did it to the point that we didn't get bored watching a series of robot fights over and over again, and till now I still marvel how they managed. Perhaps there was always something new in the fighting sequence, always a new environment, a combination of winning and losing, and a really touching scene near the end.

My only minor complaints are the poster and the ending. How I wish we could've seen the aftermath - who got custody in the end? What happened after the battle? It would be nice to see that. Then the poster - it's so bland. When it was on the cover of a movie magazine, I didn't even hesitate to look at it because all I could see was Hugh Jackman in a boxing pose, standing in front of a dark robot. I know it's probably to not compete with the high tech looking Transformers, but it doesn't let us know anything. It looks scruffy, boring, like a dark-age movie about fighting for one's honor and the world.. which is nothing like the movie. I wish we had the one I posted above, it's so much better.

So, we both loved the movie. Had an absolutely wonderful time and not a second wasted.

Alice

It's Saturday morning and I'm sitting on my writing chair, typing. Haven't touched my laptop in what seems like days, and it feels good to finally do it. I also haven't written a blog post in weeks, so my apologies.

It's November, which means it's nearing end of year. I have had so many projects to do this year, and hopefully all of them will surface in the market next year :-) I sincerely love each one of them, and can't wait to see them hit the shelves.

One particular project I'm writing on at the moment is Alice. Alice Bell is an eighteen year old girl from Belfast, Maine, a small city in close proximity to water - by that I mean the sea. She's awkward and quiet, like most of my characters, but she's also something else. I particularly love writing with a small beach city as my setting, it somehow gives off a melancholic aura. Alice has a quirky family, and also a quirky personality, so it's nice to give her more life in the pages :-) for some reasons I can't stop thinking about her, and how nice it'd be to be able to write more about her and who she is and how she lives.

This one's due for May 2012 publication, so we'll see.

Senin, 10 Oktober 2011

Giveaway novel Remember When: share pengalaman pribadimu

Lagi pengen bikin giveaway lagi.. kali ini hadiahnya 1 novel Remember When bertandatangan. Caranya gampang, cukup tag Facebook Winna Efendi atau Twitter @WinnaEfendi dengan cerita berupa pengalaman pribadi kamu yang ada hubungannya dengan novel Ai, Refrain, Remember When atau Unbelievable. Temanya bebas, baik itu cerita hidupmu yang mirip cerita di novel, cowok sekelas yang mirip sama salah satu karakter novel.. anything! Mungkin, kamu pernah kenalan sama seseorang di busway pas lagi baca novel Remember When? Atau novel itu justru yang mempertemukan kamu dengan sahabat atau gebetan di perpustakaan? Syaratnya cuma: cerita itu adalah kisah nyata.

1 cerita paling seru akan dipilih dan menjadi pemenang. Kuis ini dibuka sampai tanggal 14 Oktober 2011. Pemenang akan diumumkan tanggal 15 Oktober 2011 dan dihubungi langsung via direct message.

Best of luck :-)

-Winna-

Mengenai novel baru dan hal-hal lain

.. just want to share a bit of news about my new novel.

Bagi yang bertanya mengenai novel-novel karya saya, urutan terbitnya sebagai berikut: Ai, Refrain, Unbelievable (Glam Girls series), Remember When. Yang non-fiksi adalah The Journeys. Untuk sinopsis dan foto kover bisa dilihat di Photos :) kelima buku sudah beredar di Gramedia. Jika kehabisan, bisa dicari juga di www.bukabuku.com, www.inibuku.com atau www.kutukutubuku.com.

.. now about my next novel.

Novel terbaru saya bergenre semi-romance, sedikit lebih dewasa dibanding karya-karya saya sebelumnya. Gaya penulisannya kali ini mellow, dan bercerita tentang dua orang asing yang sering bertemu di sebuah wine lounge. Mereka lantas sering mengobrol tentang keseharian dan hidup mereka. Lalu, apakah yang akan terjadi..? Hehe.. nantikan terbitnya novel terbaruku ini ya.

Jadwal dan judul masih belum resmi, karena itu belum bisa ku-share di sini. Jadwal terbit tentatif adalah awal tahun depan. Mudah-mudahan berita ini bisa menjawab sebagian pertanyaan teman-teman yang penasaran dengan naskah terbaru saya. Yes, it's finished. Sekarang statusnya sedang diproses untuk terbit. Let's wait and see :)

Saya pun masih menulis, dan menyiapkan sebuah kejutan untuk teman-teman dan pembaca di tahun 2012. Terima kasih untuk kalian semua yang terus bersama saya dalam perjalanan menulis ini. I can't do this without all of you.

Best regards and love always,
-Winna Efendi-

Senin, 12 September 2011

(manga) Kimi ni Todoke/From Me to You/Reaching You


Stumbled across this one on Book Depository and went straight for manga scans at mangareader.net. It has complete volumes till vol 59, to be continued.

The story revolves around a high school girl named Kuronuma Sawako, whose gloomy appearance and hair style resembles Sadako from the Ring movie franchise, earning her the nickname and the rumors that she can see ghosts. She's very ordinary and sweet, actually, but always has a difficulty expressing herself. On the first day of high school she encounters a popular cheerful Kazehaya Shouta, and from that moment on he befriends her despite her unpopularity. It is when she starts breaking out of her shell and befriends Yano and Yoshida, and also a couple of others.

The story is more of a self-discovery, coming of age, high school troubles, friendship and relationship kind of story.. it has a rather slow pace and great characterizations and beautiful drawing. If you like Bokura Ga Ita, My First Boyfriend or similar kind of piece-of-life manga, you'll probably love this one as well. It's so simple there's barely any conflicts, but once the conflicts arise - boy, they are good and heart wrenching.

My favorite character is Yano-chin :) each character is beautifully distinct, flawed but so fun to know that we feel each heartbreak, each emotion and grow to love every character there is. It's a good thing that everyone is three dimensional, especially the almost-antagonists that have depth and are given a chance to grow, such as Kurumi, Kento and Pin.

I'm going to watch the anime and live action movie soon!

Jumat, 09 September 2011

Sixteen

Like everybody else, I was sixteen when I started to drive. I wasn’t very good of a driver, but the feeling of obtaining a valid driver’s license was supposed to be so overwhelming that I demanded to get mine right away. My dad was a little grumpy when he took me to get it, and was still cranky when he let me drive us home afterwards. I was giddy with excitement, of course. Looking at my best photo plastered on the glossy card felt liberating, somehow. Like I was an adult. Like I mattered.

But then, that feeling didn’t last. I would always remember it, but the memory didn’t linger. It seemed trivial, years later, when a sixteenth birthday felt like aeons ago. Things like a crazy assignment or a math homework, whether school was canceled during a heavy snowfall, who asked who out for prom, and getting a first kiss – those things were so important back then, but now they are nothing but memories.

Sometimes I feel like children live more than adults too. They breathe more, they laugh more, they talk more, they notice more. More.

So why are we behaving this way?

Have you ever been sitting on swings, late at night? When he asked me that, I was so surprised I suddenly smiled.

That’s a great idea.

We got a pack of beer, cigarettes, and a bag of chips for me, and headed to the park by foot. The air was chilly that night, but I wasn’t cold. I sat at one of the swings and swayed slowly, none of us really speaking.

This is where I got my first kiss. He was the first to break the silence, as always. I looked at him, and he spoke again, shyly but not without confidence. Her name’s Anita. I was fourteen. No, that wasn’t right. It was midnight, and the next day it’d be my fourteenth birthday. Her skin was so pale in the moonlight, and I felt like I was floating.. His voice was quiet, and I listened without interrupting. When he was done talking, he looked up at me and gave me a tentative smile. It’s a silly story, isn’t it?

No, I replied. Actually, this is my first time sitting on swings, this late at night. It feels kind of good, surprisingly.

Sometimes I wish we’re children again. Or feel that same exhilirating rush again. We’re adults now and I bet we don’t feel much fun out of swinging high in the air. The feeling of being airborne…

He doesn’t continue. I know how he feels, and he must have sensed that I understand. And when he kisses me, I know that for a milisecond, I’m transported back to the feeling of being sixteen, getting my driver’s license for the very first time.

-a creative writing piece, 9 September 2011, 14.30-

Rabu, 10 Agustus 2011

(movie) Transformers: Dark of the Moon


There's a case of successful action movies because of the awesome action sequence, but always in that rare case the movie's backed with good acting, well-written script, and tight plot. This third installment of Transformers movie lacks all three.

All the stars in this movie go straight to the amazing high tech action. It sure is really noisy, and often exhausting, but fun to watch. What annoys me the most is the characters - Sam becomes this crazy and sarcastic man still acting like a teenager, and not the very least heroic until the middle part of the movie kicks in. I know they're trying to make us sympathize with this character going through the growing pains part, and I've seen Shia in better movies, but still.. come on. I especially hate the delirious Jerry Wang character it's almost racist and offensive. The others are also out of character, saying things that are meant to be funny in the midst of a gory action scene, but they don't sound funny at all. In fact, they ruin the entire movie just by talking. I blame it on the script. Very badly written script. The movie could have finished in an hour, yet they give us random stuffs and stretch the plot for an hour more.

I loved the first Transformers movie. Didn't quite like the second. Loathed this one. It bored me to tears, if not to the edge of annoyance.

Minggu, 07 Agustus 2011

Grandmother

She looks at me with searching eyes,
but I look away, unable to meet her gaze.
When she's walking away,
I stare at her hunched back, her weak posture, her wrinkled skin.
Knowing I should've said something, but I never did.
Knowing I could be that person, but I never was.

I'm sorry
The words form their weight on my lips, but are never spoken.
Until she's gone.

(book) Mockingjay



Oh no. It's what I've been dreading the most, the last book in the trilogy. In this last adventure, Katniss has lost Peeta as she's brought back from the blown-up arena, and is desperately wishing she can get him back, safe. She's also appointed as the face of the rebellion, as a mockingjay.

Again, I'm going to be spoilery here, so alert, alert!

I'm a bit disappointed with how things go. At the beginning, we lose the characters we love most, namely Cinna. In the end, we also lose more people we grow fond of from the second book, namely Prim and Finnick. In fact, those two are my favorite characters.

Compared to the second book, this one's very slow paced. We're shown the state of hell Katniss is in, and how she's desperately trying to grasp loose ends, find the right way to make things right, and seems to be losing her sanity, if not her courage, to find out the truth. She's as reckless and impulsive as ever. Maybe it's what the Games do to her, and the Quarter Quell, and losing Peeta, but I start to agonize having to read her personal trauma over and over again.

In the middle of the book, I start disliking Peeta and how Katniss handles the fact that he's not the same anymore. Even Gale changes, and even though everything and everyone is in character, I find them very boring, if not very unlikeable. And then, we're faced with Katniss's choice to uncover the truth for herself, and we're brought to.. what?

I think the consequence to what Katniss has done must be unforgivable, not to us readers but to the Capitol, to the rebels, and to the people who support it. I find it unbelievable that in the end she is free, easily so. And how Peeta finds his real inner self back, I have no idea. It seems surreal to have the endings so neatly tied in a bow for us to conclude. I feel betrayed somehow, but maybe it's the feeling of losing something I really like, the ending of the book.

Overall, I love the first two books better. I like the arena better. I like it when Katniss and Peeta are pretending to be in love, when she's conflicted about her feelings, when she's ruthless. I want the girl standing up to volunteer for her sister, even if it means her death. I don't want beaten down, crying Katniss, having nightmares every night and feeling her happy ending is undeserved.

Maybe it's just me. I can't help feeling slightly disappointed because half the fun and conflicts are simply vanished from the third book.

Sabtu, 06 Agustus 2011

On memories

I haven't been writing much lately. Not my blog, not fiction, just review after review.. and many not done properly. But tonight I feel like writing something, at first about music, but turns out I want to write more about memories.

I remember back in high school, my group of friends loved listening to a radio station.. this program every Monday called Getar Cinta, hosted by Sarah Sechan. We loved sending questions and listening to the horoscopes, the love problems, like they could be solved as easily as math equations. I even got my question read on air, under the sender's name Chloe. I don't know what exactly got me thinking about it.. as the memory hasn't resurfaced for years. It was a decade ago and now I'm off doing my own stuffs, growing up seems like such a long time ago.

And then fresher memories come knocking at my door. I remember the warmth of our small house. I miss that place, the efficiency and the ease of coming home.. the smell of food easily reaching my doorstep, and the chatters easily heard. I miss the comfort of a small home, my tiny square room, the white bed sheets and the window overlooking the sea. I miss everything about it, the privileges I can't have in this place we call a house.

But it's always easier to appreciate, and less to complain. Everything always changes, gradually or not. Therefore here I am, sitting and typing as words pour out, and after taking a moment to miss out on the things I no longer have, I will resume my life as I always do.

These little memories might fade over time. But I like to think that they sometimes hide. They hide, until one day it comes back to us, slivers of the past, and make us remember of the good times, the bad times, and the little things that make us who we are today.

Memories are just memories. They can drag us down, they don't lurch us forward. But I like the fact that I can always look back and see what was there, what had always been there. Memories are bittersweet. Memories are beautiful. Move on, but always remember them.

(book) Catching Fire



My review might be a little spoilery, and for that I apologize in advance.

I love the first book of the Hunger Games trilogy, so much that I can't put it down, literally. It felt the same way as when I read Twilight a couple years ago. It continued to haunt me long after I finished reading it. But unlike with Twilight, whose counterparts I didn't love, this one I still am in love. The second book doesn't disappoint.

It still revolves around Katniss, this time throw Gale to the mix, forming a love triangle you can never really pick sides on. I used to think Katniss and Gale are just meant to be, but like every friendship blooming into something else, it's clear that while he understands Katniss better than anyone, he doesn't necessarily want the same things as she does, nor does he want the best for her. That's why I switch to team Peeta, though I still think Gale's hotter than him :D

In the second book, Katniss and Peeta are thrown into the Game again, this time taking form as the third Quell, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Game. They suspect it's President Snow's doing, because Katniss's so-called survival tactic with berries from the previous book is seen as a motive for uprising from other districts. So they try to survive the Game again, teaming up with other tributes who might have some other motives.

I appreciate that readers aren't just thrown into the whole thing just to experience the same stuffs again. I'm happy about the plot twist, the hidden motive, and the planning that Katniss herself does not suspect. I'm happy that they make allies this time, and it's stronger than before. I'm glad that the writer throws in some new surprises, some mix of friendship and tragic deaths and more to keep us wondering.

What a page turner. My only complaint is that the pace is too fast. One page we're at the beginning of where the story ended from the previous book, the next we're at the Game again, and then it's over.

I can't wait till I read Mockingjay, and I'm glad I've supplied myself with the final book so I don't need to agonize myself waiting like I did when I was done with The Hunger Games. Oh yeah, can't wait to see how the movie turns out too! :)

Kamis, 04 Agustus 2011

(movie) Midnight FM


Midnight FM caught my attention because of the premise. I watched it partially for research (job as a radio announcer), mostly because I just love a good thriller.

This movie might've been a mighty good thriller, if only it didn't drag for so long. For nearly two hours we watched as the psychopath killer played cat and mouse with the kid, while the mother grieved and tried to get there faster than the killer. There were some good moments and some scary moments too, but perhaps the plot was too slow paced and diverse that it took the nice moments out of the whole picture.

There were several cliches - the dead cops, the stalker fan who turned out to be the hero, and he didn't die after being beaten up several times. Even the climax was cringe-worthy.

Suffice to say, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It's my first time watching Su Ae in a movie/drama, and I heard so many good things about her. I think the flaw doesn't rest within the acting, it's the writing that needs more focus and plot twist.

Rabu, 03 Agustus 2011

(movie) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2


Amazing! I had high hopes for this movie and it didn't disappoint. Every moment is heart-wrenching and gripping, and although I've read the book from cover to cover, I still didn't expect it would be executed this wonderfully.

Now I have greater respect for the change of theme and execution in the previous two or three installments. I once complained that it went from cheery and fun to dark and gloomy, but I guess it was necessary for a change in story. The characters were simply not kids anymore, and I was glad the director brought the change and made it believable as well as magical.

Now that the whole thing has ended, I'd like to cherish back all the seven books and eight movies, and remember them as something that grew on me during my adolescent years.

Minggu, 31 Juli 2011

(book) The Lake


This is the first time I've rated her work with 2 stars. I'm not sure what it is that I find lacking, exactly, and maybe that's just me.. because I find this one flat. It doesn't really move forward until the last chapter, and I know Yoshimoto's style is not exactly what you call fast-paced.. but I find this one boring.

I don't particularly care about Chihiro, the main character. I find her selfish and annoying, with her constant complaining and how she feels about her family. I like Mama-san, her flower-like delicate mother, other than that I don't love the characters. I also find Nakajima odd, and even with the explanation of the horrid things he's gone though, it doesn't help to explain how he's behaving. Usually I find the dialogue and the narration make sense, like they touch a deep place within us and make us feel emotional. But with this one, I come up with nada.

I love Banana Yoshimoto's books, I really do. I wonder if maybe because it's been years since I read her books, the last one being Amrita, and I have a complete collection of her work.. I'm disappointed by this one. Makes for a quick read, wonderful cover by the way, and certainly still looking forward to her finest work :) despite how I feel about The Lake.

(drama) Castle season 3

Castle Season Three. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

1. Improved relationship between Beckett-Castle. I even hear the words finally spoken. And the kiss!

2. The family dynamics just got better. Also, the sidekicks get more screen time. Lanie, Esposito and Kevin Ryan time!

3. Alexis has her first love!

4. Better cases. Really.

5. The cap is involved.

6. Serious and darker tones. Better writing. Tighter plot.

7. More on Beckett's Mom's murder. That alone's worth it.

8. More double episodes. Which gets me really sitting on the edge of my seat. Threat to national security. Nuclear bombs! They never disappoint, and new characters, even just for a bit of screen time, are the best.

9. This is SO MUCH BETTER than season 2, especially than season 1. Thank you, writer and director.

10. Best cliffhanger ending in a drama series, EVER.

I'm in love with this one. Can't stop watching, even my boyfriend thinks I'm a Castle maniac. We'll just have to wait till September for a season 4.

Sabtu, 23 Juli 2011

(movie) Last Night


While I was certain that I'd love this movie, I wasn't initially sure how it could carry one night in the length of a movie.

It wasn't dramatic, just the way I like it, and surprisingly, it was so much better than I expected. This is one example when all the actors carry out their roles beautifully, the script provides the depth of human emotions, and the cinematography and directing are just right. The combination of the above factors in turn create a gem of a movie such as this one.

My favorite character has to be Truman. Brutally honest, but warm and gentle. I also love the emotions playing in every actor's face, the sadness, the laughter, the love, the giddiness - you can just feel it. And then there's the chemistry, just right to be not over the top, and not so subtle you could've missed it.

A movie like this makes me want to write. Write to explore human emotions, write to release what I feel about it.. and the soundtrack following the credit just makes me linger and think about it all over again.

4.5/5

(book) What Happened to Goodbye


As a hardcore Dessen fan, I wouldn't miss this book for the world.

As much as I was disappointed about her previous two books, Lock and Key and Along For the Ride, I'm happy to say that this one's got its rhythm back. Of course, it's familiar, it's formulaic, but it's comforting, and it's a Dessen original.

I can't say I'm in love with the naming part (I'm a bit indifferent about Auden, Mclean and Ruby as the lead characters' names), or the same old formula: girl in trouble, girl meets charming boy, girl evolves into someone better. But then this one again reminds me why I love reading all of her books.

It starts directly, in the form of a scene, introduced with narration about the past. It gets a little flat after that, but picks up pace before the good middle part started. I love the dynamics between Dave and Mclean, and Dave is such a cute character! I didn't like Nate from Lock and Key and Eli from Along for the Ride, but Dave's perfect. The thing is, their friend/relationship is developed so nicely that it adds flavor to the story. The best part of a Dessen book is usually the friendship and the relationship between the leads and the side characters. I'm not so fond of the other characters this time, but Deb, Opal and the parents are fully developed and that also adds to the story nicely.

Oh, I'm also happy that the other characters from her previous books get mentioned: Gervais, Heidi, and specifically Jason, who's changed so much since we last read about him in The Truth About Forever and Along for the Ride.

I personally feel that the divorce should be discussed more. Not just the aftermath, but flashbacks to the scene, a heartfelt discussion about how things change, people move on and finally accept it.. I feel that it would help us to understand the parents' decision better, and let Mclean understand them a little better.

I could go on and babble about this book, but suffice to say I love it. Love it a lot better than the last two books, and even though the ending's kind of blurry, I know that it's realistic enough that it should happen that way. As much as I don't like Mclean's immaturity by escaping her problems, I could understand her confusion and her hurt, which gets me teary eyed as I reach the book's climax.

A satisfying summer read indeed.

(book) Smile


Pertama tertarik baca karena admin Twitter Gramedia membuat serial tweet tentang buku ini. Nggak ngeh juga kalau ini berbentuk grafis, malah sempat mengira ini novel YA biasa. tapi setelah melihat kalau ini ternyata bergambar dan sinopsisnya kelihatan menarik, akhirnya beli deh.

Dan saya suka! Pernah juga pasang kawat, tahu jelas susahnya makan ini itu, sakitnya setelah dikencangkan, mulut yang jadi lebar, susahnya kalau difoto sambil tersenyum.. dan semuanya di usia 11-14 tahun, hampir sama dengan Raina.

I adore the graphics. Warnanya cantik, dan gambarnya khas Amerika, kayak lagi baca Archie. Begitu membalik halaman pertama langsung melihat betapa indah dan detilnya gambar, juga nggak asal-asalan dan semua halamannya berwarna. So worth it. Ceritanya juga ngena dan sederhana.. dan yang terpenting, memberikan pesan moral tersendiri, bahwa penampilan bisa mempengaruhi cara pandang terhadap diri sendiri. Pada saat remaja kita mengalami krisis kepercayaan diri dan mencari jati diri, sama seperti Raina, dan bagaimana cara menghadapinyalah yang penting :D

So, smile a wide smile!

Sabtu, 16 Juli 2011

(TV series) Castle season 1-2


Pertama kali nonton karena suka misteri pembunuhan yang agak light, tapi juga serius dan bikin otak muter. Not just a comedy where nothing really happens, tapi yang banyak action dan suspense. This one's perfect for weekend nights. Awalnya sangat seru, tapi begitu season 1 berlanjut, nggak terlalu banyak perkembangan dan perubahan plot kecuali mengenai pembunuhan ibu Detective Beckett. Lalu di season 2, interesting things happen. Banyak kasus yang lebih serius digarap, lebih misleading, lebih susah ditebak, lebih beragam, dan lebih seru.

Oh ya, Detective Beckett is gorgeous and Castle is just charming. Saya suka setiap karakternya yang jauh dari stereotipe - kick ass female detective, playboy writer, mature daughter, flighty mom, funny sidekicks.. :) I'm happy about the dialogue and the script as well! Setiap dialognya fresh dan lucu!

Can't wait for season 3.

(movie) Beastly


Bland. I was expecting fresh plots (though it's a recycled version of Beauty and the Beast). Sadly, the characters are flat with not much development, the acting's painful to see, and the dialogue feels like they're being read out loud at a reading practice. No emotion whatsoever.

Basically, the two leads have no chemistry. Even though the script is quite cleverly written, with beautiful winter cinematography (especially that glass house!), the movie fails to accomplish a connection with the audience and that wonderful happy ever after romance we're all looking for.

I don't even know what else to comment.

Kamis, 14 Juli 2011

Pemenang Kontes Avatar

Pertama-tama, saya ingin mengucapkan banyak-banyak terima kasih kepada semua teman-teman yang telah berpartisipasi dalam kontes avatar. Banyak haru dan senyum saat melihat berbagai variasi avatar, dari sketsa pensil buatan sendiri, foto yang sedemikian cantik, kombinasi montage foto, dan tulisan tangan yang semuanya dicurahkan dari hati. Sungguh sangat bahagia melihat karya kreatif yang indah tersebut.

Semuanya saya posting dalam Readers' Montage, dan walaupun ingin sekali memberikan penghargaan setingginya kepada setiap peserta, saat ini saya hanya bisa memberikan hadiah kepada dua pemenang, yang karyanya memang sudah bikin saya jatuh cinta sejak melihatnya.

Pemenang pertama adalah Adhysti Siswoyo, yang mendapatkan hadiah berupa 1 buku bertandatangan. Saya juga memilih karya Cicilia Tjandra sebagai pemenang, yang mendapatkan voucher The U Coffee sebesar Rp. 50 000,- dan free Privilege Card :)

karya Adhysti

karya Cicilia

Mudah-mudahan teman-teman terus berkarya, dan saya akan terus mengadakan kuis dan giveaway yang lebih seru lagi.


Rabu, 06 Juli 2011

Giveaway! Kontes membuat avatar berlatar buku

Berhubung Refrain masuk cetakan kesepuluh dan The Journeys cetak ulang lagi, aku ingin membuat giveaway berhadiah lagi. Hadiahnya adalah 1 novelku yang bertandatangan (terbuka utk domisili Indonesia), juga vouchers, free membership, dll (khusus domisili Jakarta).

Nah.. caranya gampang :) yaitu dengan membuat avatar/profile picture. Formatnya bisa foto buku, pose kamu dengan buku, ilustrasi jpeg seperti di Tumblr dengan quote buku, sketsa karakter novel, apa pun.. selama berhubungan dengan novel Ai/Refrain/Unbelievable/Remember When :) bisa jadi avatar FB atau Twitter, jangan lupa tag aku juga.

Kontes dibuka sampai 14 Juli 2011. Avatar yang disubmit bisa lebih dari satu, tema juga bebas. Contoh avatar berupa foto saya attach di bawah ini, ciptaan Cito Meriko :)

That's giveaway of the month.. thanks!

Jumat, 01 Juli 2011

On faith


Life; work, stuffs, are not easy.
Love; relationships, love, friendships, bonds, are not easy either.

That's one thing about life. You never know where you're going to be, how you're going to end up. One day you're up in the air, the next day you might be tossed down in dirt. One day you might laugh your heart out, then there are times you will cry - be it those silent tears running down your face, or the loudest sobs you've ever had. One day you will lose someone, and some other time, if you wait patiently enough, you will meet another person and your heart will bloom again. You might let go, you might never forget. That other person might be the one, or he will be just another heartbreak. You never know.

One day you might find out that the person you trust and know best turns out to be a stranger. Maybe a stranger you meet on the street will later be the love of your life. Maybe you'll have your heart trampled and lose your faith to love. Or maybe you're that lucky girl who gets a proposal with a ring inside your champagne glass. Maybe, we never know.

Sometimes all it takes is one lucky coin on the street to make your day. Some other times you feel like walking down a dark alley with dead ends. Sometimes you're on a high because you get a promotion, sometimes you hit your lowest mark. Sometimes you just want to curse the worst words in your vocabulary, sometimes you're all smiles your cheeks hurt.

I've been there, we've all been there. Death, losing a job, losing a fortune, heartbreaks, love that doesn't last, regrets, fear. Tears of joy, soulmates, true love, being the best version of ourselves, winning, hugging your loved ones close, letting go without grudges, the best of friends.

Isn't life funny that way? And isn't it just fair that way?

It's not easy getting over our grief, facing problems with courage and strength, overcoming the stormy times in our life. And it's easy not to be grateful for every little thing we have, sometimes forgetting to count our blessings and choose to moan and whine instead. It's not easy hearing critics thrown in your face, watching people's backs as they walk away and never return. Life is damn difficult.

It takes a special strength to be able to face your demons and walk straight, with no hesitation. There's no guarantee that we won't ever stumble on the way, because we will. Because I know I will. But always be reminded that God is with us every step of the way. Because I'm lucky enough to know that someone is always holding my hand and walk beside me, even though sometimes I forget, or I'm too blind to see, too scared to believe.

Nothing is ever easy. You just need to have faith.

one Friday night, thinking of everything and nothing, and you.
picture credit: faqs.org

Rabu, 29 Juni 2011

(book) The Lover's Dictionary

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
Date read: 29 June 2011

Me likey!

My first time reading Levithan's book is not a disappointment at all. This book contains little entries, fascinating though very ordinary everyday stuffs. The best thing is that each of them is filled with such rawness, tenderness, and honesty that we can all relate, even though the story is entirely the narrator's own. I have no idea one can write with such fluency and grace, and tell a story of two lovers from the point of view of the man, without really talking about anything but at the same time talking about everything there is about a relationship. I mean, we don't even know their names, what they do, how old they are, where they met. It's all important things that become unnecessary in this book. Though it's actually a novel, it reads like a diary.

And that's the best thing about this book. Quick read, but a lasting impression. Kudos.

Jumat, 24 Juni 2011

Summer reading 2011


My summer reading list! Haven't made a reading list in months :-) been busy with stuffs, so I can't spare much time for reading. Will make up for it once my schedule winds down for a bit. So, my Amazon package has arrived, which contain books in the above picture....

Sarah Dessen's latest YA: What Happened to Goodbye. Can't miss this one, already hooked by the first chapter preview. I collect everything written by Dessen, as well as everything by Banana Yoshimoto (the translated version), which leads us to...

Her latest book The Lake. This is supposed to be mysterious, like her other books, and the sales of this book is donated to the Japan quake victims.

Dave Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary. Look how cute the cover and the title are. I'm new to his writing, despite it being so popular (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, etc). But this one, I just can't resist.

Suzanne Collin's Catching Fire and Mockingjay, the sequels to the Hunger Games book in the trilogy. Love!!! I hope the second and third books are as good as the first one. It reminds me of the addictive Twilight read years ago.

I still have Sophie Kinsella's Twenties Girl on my Bookstalkers June reading list (which I read till page 5, got bored quickly, and haven't had the time or mood to flip more.. and it's a week till reading deadline).

For now I'm keeping it real, so just 4 books for summer reading. What's yours?

*I do want to read Sisterhood Everlasting though, but book's not yet available here, and I missed pre order on Amazon*

Rabu, 22 Juni 2011

(movie review) I am number four


Fresh theme in its genre, which is young adult fantasy. Perhaps we've all been used to wonderland and Narnia-themed movies.. but an alien living in the human world is quite original. I was disappointed in the execution, though. Choppy dialogue and unfunny lines that were supposed to be funny. Scenes were often cut short, left hanging in inappropriate moments. Climax was pretty good, but not as good as it should be. The first half was so bland and sleepy except for the scary moments (i.e. Number Three captured and killed). I was most disappointed in the acting department - the movie itself wasn't short of popular actors. Alex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron, in particular, barely had any chemistry. I kept seeing Quinn in Agron's performance, as much as I wanted to let it go.

One thing that's good about the movie is perhaps Number Six, kick-ass gurl with fireproof ability. She, too, was given ridiculous lines, and her glorious scenes were often chopped mid-music. I really liked her though, I hope she's given more screen time in the sequel, because she really lighted up every scene :)

One thing that's nice about this movie is the soundtrack. Full of mellow songs that made the movie look a tad bit like an indie film, and I loved that. Oh, I just realized James Frey was writing the book, with a pseudonym. Cool! I'm not sure I'm hooked enough to read the book, but let's see.

Selasa, 21 Juni 2011

First post in June

Whoah, nggak nyangka udah sebulan lebih sejak terakhir posting blog di sini. Sorry for the long delay! What's up with me lately? Pertama, sibuk pindahan ke rumah baru. I'm finally leaving the apartment, and have a bigger crib for my books and stuffs :D I really really miss the old apartment though, there's something so secure and comfy about sliding in and out of elevators, into a small warm space we call our own.

Lalu, saya juga sibuk menulis buku baru. Sudah 90% selesai dan hanya butuh editing, give me a month and I think it'll be done. Kali ini adalah proyek yang sama sekali beda dengan apa yang selalu saya tulis - akan jadi surprise tersendiri buat pembaca :) EXCITED! Sedangkan, satu novel yang judulnya masih tentatif sudah ada di tangan penerbit dan editor di Gagas Media, sedang dalam proses untuk diterbitkan. Yang ini berupa novella alias novel pendek, semi-romance, galau dan mellow *hahaha*. So, 2 new books coming up! Ditunggu, ya :-) I'm really trying to work things out perfectly.

Oh ya, kalau kalian notice sesuatu yang beda tentang blog ini.. yes I've modified the layout. Bukan hanya backgroundnya.. walau saya akui, selama ini saya terlalu malas untuk mengubah dan membongkar isi blog ini. Dan, susah melakukannya di laptop saya, karena ada beberapa program yang belum terinstall. For the last hour I've been trying to work out the elements of this blog.. termasuk mengubah font-nya (jadi lucu banget!), warna background-nya (masih dominasi abu-abu, putih dengan sedikit sentuhan pink ngejreng), dan membetulkan bagian kanan blog tempat tools dan widget dari berbagai sumber. I've added my fave quotes and book montage selection yang me-refresh secara random.. meng-update songs on my iPod dan current cravings.. membuat semua foto buku menjadi sama besar (yes I've been largely bothered by the different image sizes), dan merapikan layout agar enak dibaca oleh semua pengunjung website ini. I even matchedd the Twitter layout with the blog color theme. Hehe. A miss mix and match at heart. Maaf ya bagi para pengunjung blog yang nggak nyaman dengan keadaan blog sebelumnya. I'm making it up to you guys right now :)

It's time to get back to work now. So, have a nice Wednesday, fellow bloggers! I couldn't have done it all without you guys.. karena saya baru sadar betapa banyak pembaca dan kalian semua yang terinspirasi ingin menjadi penulis, dan membaca buku saya dan memberi dukungan terbesar dari hati :) thank you, sungguh.

Because I strongly believe that the best writer inspires her readers, and I'm glad I could inspire something inside all of you too.

Minggu, 01 Mei 2011

Pemenang kuis #2: lomba resensi dan posting quote favorit

Terima kasih bagi semua yang telah berpartisipasi dan ikutan dalam resensi novelnya. Pemenangnya adalah: Uchy Ramadhani dengan resensinya untuk novel Ai di sini: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=198313770204916

Uchy akan mendapatkan 1 novel Remember When :)

Terima kasih ya. Kapan2 akan diadakan lagi kontes yang lebih seru..

Rabu, 27 April 2011

Launching The Journeys 8 Mei 2011


Launching buku The Journeys bersama 12 penulisnya:

Adhitya Mulya, Okke 'Sepatumerah', Raditya Dika, Trinity, Windy Ariestanty, Valiant Budi, Winna Efendi, Ve Handojo , Alexander Thian, Farida Susanty, Ferdiriva Hamzah, Gama Harjono.

Venue: Gramedia Matraman, Jakarta
Time: Minggu 8 Mei 2011 jam 18.30
Diselenggarakan oleh Gagas Media

Bisa book signing dan foto juga diskusi bareng 12 penulisnya :)

Look forward to see you there!

Rabu, 20 April 2011

Karakter dalam novel Remember When

Buat yang belum baca Remember When, berikut sneak peek character-nya. Ada 4 karakter inti plus Erik sang penghibur :) bagi yang udah baca, karakter manakah favorit kamu? Yang mana yang paling mirip kamu? :D

[Freya]

Freya, karakter yang menginginkan kebebasan di balik kesepiannya.

Freya adalah karakter yang paling saya suka. Perempuan muda yang tampaknya tenang-tenang saja, tanpa ambisi, tanpa emosi, dan pendiam. Tapi ternyata Freya tidak begitu. Emosinya bisa meledak-ledak kapan saja. Freya sangat sayang pada sahabatnya Gia, dan diam-diam penuh rasa terima kasih karena keceriaan Gia selalu menarik perhatian dari dirinya - karena Freya memang benci menjadi pusat perhatian. Selain Gia, Freya dekat dengan Erik - teman sekolah dan teman mainnya sejak kecil.

Pacar Freya selama setahun ini adalah Moses. Freya cukup nyaman bersamanya, karena Moses sangat mirip dengan Freya - pendiam, introvert, kalem.

Di balik rambut pendek berwarna gelap dan sepasang mata hitam yang sendu, Freya adalah juara kelas setelah Moses. Freya paling suka pelajaran Matematika dan Kimia - yang menurutnya sangat mudah, dan benci olahraga karena selalu terakhir waktu lari. Freya juga pemain basket yang payah, walau badannya tinggi. Pokoknya semua olahraga, Freya tidak terlalu suka. Lebih senang duduk mendengarkan Erik mengoceh di kantin, atau bersembunyi di balik rak perpustakaan dengan sebuah buku yang menarik.

Freya juga tidak lahir di keluarga berada. Kehidupannya pas-pasan. Ayah Freya membuka toko obat kecil di rumah mereka, dan Freya sering membantu sepulang sekolah. Hanya itu sumber penghasilan mereka selama ini, dan Freya mampu sekolah dari beasiswa yang disabetnya setiap tahun.

Freya suka makan yang hangat-hangat, dan paling suka duduk sendirian di tepi jendela ketika sedang gerimis. Namun Freya juga kadang benci melihat hujan, karena mengingatkannya akan kejadian sedih beberapa tahun yang lalu.

Dan suatu saat nanti, Freya berharap.. akan ada cinta yang hinggap di hatinya. Cinta yang membuatnya benar-benar jatuh.

[Gia]

Seorang gadis secerah bunga matahari.

Perempuan beruntung yang memiliki segalanya. Lahir di keluarga berada (Papa Gia pebisnis hebat yang sering trip keluar negeri, Mama Gia buka salon pribadi di rumah yang ramai pelanggan), Gia juga dibekali wajah yang cantik. Mata bulat besar, rambut ikal, tubuh mungil, dan kulit kecoklatan - itulah ciri khas Gia. Karena kecantikan dan kebaikannya, Gia jadi salah satu murid perempuan paling populer di sekolah. Surat-surat cinta beramplop pink tidak henti-henti muncul di lockernya, datang dari berbagai pemuda yang ingin memenangkan hatinya. Tapi hanya Adrian yang bisa, Gia sudah suka padanya sejak pertama kali sekelas di SMU.

Anggia Wijaya - begitu nama lengkap Gia, menaruh simpati pada Freya karena tidak seberuntung dirinya. Pertama memang begitu, tapi lama kelamaan rasa kasihan itu pudar, berganti menjadi rasa kagumnya pada sang sahabat yang ternyata lebih tegar dari dugaannya. Gia suka pada Freya yang tidak banyak bicara, selalu mendengarkan ceritanya, dan memberi saran yang objektif. Freya juga yang selalu ada ketika Gia ingin mengobrol - entah untuk bercerita, bergosip, atau menangis setelah bertengkar dengan Adrian. Freya yang selalu tersenyum, mengerti dirinya apa adanya.

Gia suka segala sesuatu yang berwarna pink. Beberapa barang favoritnya adalah sepasang sepatu hak tinggi berwarna pink, kanvas dan alat melukisnya, dan buku diary. Gia hidup untuk melukis - karena itu dia cinta pelajaran kesenian dan benci Matematika (angka terlalu ruwet). Impian Gia adalah suatu hari menikah dengan Adrian, dan kuliah di University of the Arts London, nun jauh di sana.

Oh ya, Gia suka sekali popcorn karamel. Pokoknya yang manis-manis.

[Adrian]

Adrian.. karakter yang menarik. Seseorang yang bikin cewek-cewek tergila-gila, dan semua orang mau menjadi sahabatnya. Ganteng, putih, tinggi, atlit basket unggul di SMA, ramah dan bersahabat. Adrian kelihatan cuek di permukaan, tapi sebenarnya sangat peduli pada orang-orang yang disayanginya.

Adrian paling suka makanan masakan Mamanya, selain itu, juga penggemar berat Mi Item, yang dimakannya saat sedih maupun senang (sekali makan bisa 3 sampai 4 bungkus lho!). Adrian benci pelajaran eksak, cuma suka tidur di kelas dan main di lapangan kalau cuaca sedang cerah.

Teman Adrian banyak, tapi cuma satu yang jadi sahabatnya - Moses, teman sejak kecil dulu. Moses yang tidak banyak omong jadi seperti abang untuk Adrian yang (kadang) kekanakan. Walaupun Adrian kurang suka main bola dengan Moses (soalnya Moses kalah melulu), Adrian suka sekali tidur-tiduran di rumah Moses yang dianggap rumah kedua, sambil mengobrol ngalor-ngidul.

Pacar Adrian sejak kelas 1 SMA adalah Anggia, yang ditaksirnya sejak pertama kali melihatnya di program orientasi. Mereka disebut sebagai pasangan paling top di sekolah, karena kekompakan mereka.

Diam-diam Adrian menganggap Freya, pacar sahabatnya, kaku dan ga enak diajak hangout karena sifatnya yang antisosial.

[Moses]

Pendiam. Ketua OSIS. Perfeksionis. Sukses. Pintar. Dewasa.

Segala jenis sifat baik ada di diri Moses. Cowok cool yang benci bertele-tele, orang tidak bertanggung jawab, orang yang tidak punya masa depan, dan pemalas. Moses tidak sesempurna bayangan orang-orang akan dirinya, dan juga tidak sehebat pikirannya sendiri. Dari permukaan, Moses adalah cowok yang lebih dewasa dari umurnya, dan punya ciri-ciri seorang pemimpin. Wataknya tegas, keras, tegar dan kaku - terkadang terkesan dingin dan kurang sensitif. Tapi sebenarnya Moses sangat peduli pada teman-temannya dan Freya.

Sahabat Moses dari kecil sampai sekarang cuma Adrian, yang bisa mengerti dirinya yang seperti itu. Terhadap Erik yang nyeleneh dan teman-teman lain yang dianggapnya kekanakan, Moses tidak terlalu suka. Karena itu dia tidak punya banyak teman, karena Moses orangnya kaku - tidak mudah disukai orang. Moses jatuh cinta untuk pertama kalinya pada seorang gadis kecil tetangganya, yang pindah suatu sore Moses ingin menemuinya. Hingga sekarang, hanya Freya yang dapat meluluhkan hatinya lagi. Freya yang rapuh, menurut Moses perlu dilindungi.

Moses paling suka makan makanan tradisional - sayur asem, sambal terasi, pepes ikan dan nasi panas mengepul di atas meja makan. Tidak suka yang neko-neko, tidak suka junk food (ga sehat katanya).

Cita-cita Moses jadi dokter seperti keluarganya - walau sebenarnya dia punya ambisi lain: jadi arsitek. Tapi sepertinya orang tua Moses berkehendak lain.

Moses jadi seperti anak kecil yang terperangkap dalam tubuh orang dewasa, terpaksa mengikuti arahan, aturan, dan apa yang sudah seharusnya.

[Erik]

Sebuah karakter yang selama ini menjadi bayang-bayang, namun memegang peran penting di Remember When.

Erik adalah teman kecil sekaligus tetangga Freya. Dari dulu hanya dia yang 99% mengerti Freya, dari masa lalunya, keluarganya, dan seribu satu pikiran kecil yang beterbangan di otak Freya selagi dia melamun. Saking lamanya berteman dengan Freya, Erik bisa menebak mood Freya hanya dengan melihat wajah sahabatnya, yang biasanya tanpa ekspresi itu. Erik juga bisa membaca isi hati Freya, dan menebak tindakan selanjutnya (kayak paranormal aja si Erik).

Erik tidak terlalu suka pada Moses yang dianggapnya kurang perhatian pada Freya. Menurut Erik, Moses tidak mengerti pacarnya sama sekali. Tapi Freya yang keras kepala tidak pernah mengindahkan Erik tentang masalah ini, dan tenang-tenang saja mendampingi Moses.

Menurut Freya, Erik orangnya playboy - yang selalu gagal. Erik mudah jatuh cinta, baik dengan tetangga baru yang cakep atau murid kelas sebelah yang sudah punya gandengan. Erik selalu ditolak oleh cewek-cewek pujaannya karena Erik bukan tipe cowok populer seperti Adrian. Namun begitu, hati Erik sebenarnya hanya untuk Gia, yang tidak pernah membalas perasaannya karena dibutakan oleh cinta kepada Adrian.

Oh ya, gitu-gitu Erik kapten tim sepak bola lho. Selain itu Erik juga pintar bahasa Inggris, walau nilai pelajaran lainnya jeblok.

Latar belakang penulisan Remember When

An intro

Ide untuk menulis novel ini dimulai pada suatu malam, di awal tahun 2007. Idenya muncul dari inspirasi lama saya untuk menulis tentang persahabatan dan kisah cinta remaja SMA. Saat itu novel berbahasa Inggris saya yang berjudul Dragonfly (Chance), sebuah bagian dari trilogi novel yang saya rancang, baru saja selesai ditulis. Saya lalu mencari-cari lahan menulis baru, dan terbersit keinginan menulis novel bahasa Indonesia yang sederhana.

Waktu SMA saya masuk ke dalam kelas kecil untuk beberapa anak untuk menyelesaikan SMA dalam kurun waktu 2 tahun, sehingga tidak pernah benar-benar merasakan kehidupan anak SMA pada umumnya yang riuh rendah, saling berbagi, dan banyak aktivitas lainnya yang menyenangkan. Salah satu topik yang paling hangat di kalangan anak-anak muda adalah munculnya persahabatan, yang tak jarang adalah persahabatan sejati - dan juga jatuh cinta. Hal ini saya rasa sangat menyenangkan - sekaligus membingungkan, karena pertama kalinya mereka benar-benar merasakan cinta dan persahabatan yang tulus, namun tidak pasti bagaimana harus bertindak di situasi tertentu. Saat itu saya mengingat jatuh bangun teman-teman saya, termasuk saya sendiri, dalam dunia yang kami bangun sendiri - jatuh cinta, cinta monyet, patah hati, bersahabat.

Lalu muncullah empat karakter utama novel ini. Dalam chapter pertama saya memperkenalkan Freya dan sahabatnya Erik. Tokoh Freya ini begitu hidup di pikiran saya. Seorang gadis muda yang penuh dengan kesedihan, ketakutan, kontrol diri, sehingga dia menjadi begitu introvert, bahkan cenderung anti sosial. Sedangkan Erik adalah sebuah lawakan, seorang sahabat sejati yang sebenarnya juga sudah dewasa. Contoh murid SMA yang tipikal di kehidupan sehari-hari.

Lalu diceritakan tentang Moses. Karakter ini mungkin agak jarang ditemukan, terkadang anak-anak SMA pada umumnya masih mencari jati diri, jarang ada yang setegas Moses. Lalu muncullah dua karakter utama lain, Gia dan Adrian - sepasang kekasih yang sedang dimabuk cinta, contoh remaja yang tidak mempedulikan sekitarnya dalam masa keemasan mereka, contoh murid-murid yang dikagumi orang lain karena kepopulerannya.

Tadinya saya ingin membuat novel di mana cerpen-cerpen di dalamnya tidak saling bersambungan, sehingga menjadi semacam cerita ringan. Namun akhirnya saya memutuskan untuk membuatnya bersambung. Dalam tiga chapter pertama, saya meninggalkan draft ini begitu saja selama dua bulan, karena kehilangan inspirasi. Tapi akhirnya saya kembali dan menyelesaikannya di bulan Juni 2007. Hampir setiap hari saya menulis, membiarkan teman-teman membaca dan mengkritiknya. I enjoyed it.

Proses menulisnya sangat menyenangkan. Saya merasa terbawa dalam emosi dan karakter yang saya ciptakan. Saya bisa menjadi Adrian yang menangis saat sedih, Gia yang tidak mampu melepaskan, Erik yang menjadi penengah, Moses yang galau dalam mengerti ada hal yang di luar pengertiannya, dan Freya yang bingung memilih. Cinta atau persahabatan? Sangat menyenangkan menulis adegan bahagia, menyelipkan sedikit suspense dan kejutan kecil, juga menikmati proses menulis bagian yang sedih. Entah mengapa, menulis kisah ini mengalir mudah untuk saya. It's almost sad when I have to end it.

Lalu kenapa judul awalnya Kenangan Abu-Abu?

Judul pertama yang terbersit adalah Kenangan Abu-Abu. Pertamanya adalah karena saya merasa kisah persahabatan dan cinta ini ada dalam grey area. Berbaur antara benar dan salah, hitam dan putih. Namun seorang teman menyatakan bahwa judulnya pas, karena abu-abu melambangkan warna seragam SMA. Kini diterbitkan lagi dengan judul Remember When, yang menurut saya sangat cocok :)

Semoga kalian juga menikmati membaca karya saya :) Kritik dan saran sangat ditunggu.

Catatan: SMA sekarang disebut SMU. Saya terbiasa menyebutnya SMA.

Rabu, 06 April 2011

Quiz 2: posting quote dan buat resensi novel Winna Efendi!

Berhubung relaunch debut novelku terbit minggu ini, mari kita rayakan bersama! :)

Sebagai apresiasiku untuk teman-teman dan pembaca sekalian, aku ingin bagi-bagi novel gratis nih..

Caranya gampang:

  • Posting status/tweet yang berisi: resensi novel, quote favorit kamu dari novel Ai/Refrain/Unbelievable/Remember When/The Journeys, atau kesan pesan saat membaca novel-novel tersebut.
  • Untuk pengguna FB/Twitter/blog, bisa juga memposting foto kamu bersama novel tersebut :)
  • jangan lupa mention @WinnaEfendi dan judul buku yang kamu quote tersebut, atau tag Facebook account Winna Efendi

Gampang, kan? Tweet/status/posting/quote/resensi yang paling seru dan kreatif akan mendapatkan 1 copy novel Remember When plus tanda tangan dan kejutan spesial!

Quiz ditutup tanggal 15 April 2011 (diperpanjang hingga 30 April 2011). Pemenang akan di-contact langsung via email/twitter/fb untuk konfirmasi alamat. Have fun! :)

XOXO,

-winna-

Pemenang kuis #1 Remember When

Saatnya mengumumkan pemenang kuis pertama berhadiah 1 novel Remember When. Pemenangnya adalah Intan Nur Fadliilah. Selamat!

Saya cerita sedikit ya.. Intan sudah mengenal karya saya sejak Ai/Refrain. Intan sempat mengemail saya mengenai Kenangan Abu-Abu, yang sudah dicarinya ke mana-mana, menitip lewat kakak kelas, dan masih saja novel tersebut susah dicari :) berhubung novel tersebut kini di-launching ulang, saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Intan yang sangat setia mencari buku-buku saya, membacanya dan menikmatinya.

Semoga menyukai Remember When. Novelnya akan dikirim lewat pos. Bagi yang belum menang, nantikan kuis #2 dan #3 yang akan diposting menyusul. Hadiahnya nggak kalah seru kok :)

Minggu, 27 Maret 2011

(movie) Never Let Me Go


Okay. After I watched this, all I did was stare at the screen, watching the credits roll. It's always what a good movie does to me, like I'm too blanked out to touch the remote, and too caught up in thoughts to do anything else.

I'm enchanted by the performances of Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan, both powerful actresses. Knightley has been greatly missed! I am not so sure about Andrew Garfield, I don't understand his passion, his fears, his feelings. I'm not sure if it's how it's supposed to be, or am I just not passionate about his acting.

The plot is simple, and I like the compacted version more than the book. The beginning grips audience right from the start, and the whole movie is just sort of left for your own interpretation - about love, about life, about letting go, and about giving up. I'm sure each of us has our own understanding about the whole thing, and that's the beauty of it :)

Love the poster so much, btw. 4/5 stars.

(book) Before I Fall


I'm new to Lauren Oliver's books, and this is the first I've read since I heard so many rave reviews about it, and YA bookclub on GoodReads chose it for February read. I was late in obtaining a copy, but it was worth the read.

I was gripped right from the very first chapter. It's about Samantha Kingston (love the name, sounds so posh), who dies on her way home from a party, and wakes up the next day reliving her last day. I guess it's no spoiler because the synopsis mentions that she relives it seven times.

It got a bit boring somewhere in the middle because of so many details, so many repeated occurrences, even though some were altered according to Sam's choices. I also didn't get what she needed to do at first, like Sam herself didn't know what to do, and understood that her initial response was gladness that she thought it was all just a dream, and then tried to repair whatever it was she needed to do without knowing what it actually was, and eventually got so angry because she still messed it all up. Slowly, though, she (and us readers) started getting the depth of the story, some untold secrets, the dark side of the characters, and that was when I found the magic of this book.

Nearing the end, it was almost impossible to put down. The ending was a little shocking, because it was never what we expected it to be. But it all made perfect sense, somehow, and I thought about it long after I put it down. Haunting, beautiful, despite its flaws. And yes, I describe mellow books/movies I love with the words haunting and beautiful, every single time.

I think the whole idea is pretty genius. What would make more sense is that Sam should at least try to tell somebody about the whole thing, because it wasn't just logical that she didn't tell anyone. And despite a lot of people hating on Lindsay and the rest of the girls, I felt like I understood them, and that was what Lauren Oliver succeeded in doing - for making everything seem real, and for us to sympathize with and understand the characters.

3/5 stars.

Look forward to Delirium!

Jumat, 25 Maret 2011

Rumah Beratap Biru

Pada hari kamu pergi, aku masih meyakinkan diri bahwa aku akan baik-baik saja. Toh, selama ini kita pun berdiri di sudut yang berseberangan, bukannya berjalan berdampingan sambil berpegangan tangan seperti yang seharusnya.

Semalam pun, aku masih menjalani rutinitas seolah-olah tidak terjadi apa-apa. Masuk ke dalam mobil, memastikan aku aman terkunci di dalamnya, menstarter mesin, menyalakan radio dan memilih stasiun yang kusuka, kemukamun mengecek status bensin sebelum berkendara pulang. Seperti yang selalu kulakukan, ada maupun tanpa kamu.

Aku melewati jalan yang biasa - dua kali lampu merah, menikung ke kiri, melewati bagian belakang pasar basah yang pada malam hari dijadikan tempat berkumpulnya anak-anak tetangga untuk bermain kartu, kemukamun berhenti di depan rumah beratap biru.

Rumah beratap biru ini kita beli bersama, walaupun kita tidak pernah menyebutnya sebagai 'rumah kita'. Memang kamu yang lebih dulu menabung, dan menyetor uang mukanya. Tapi kemudian aku pun mulai rutin menyisihkan sebagian besar penghasilanku untuk rumah ini, meski kamu tidak pernah memintaku melakukannya. Lalu, beberapa tahun yang lalu - waktu itu bulan Mei - kita pun sama-sama meninggalkan tempat tinggal lama kami untuk pindah ke rumah beratap biru tersebut. Seingatku, kita bahagia.

Aku selalu mengeluh bahwa rumah ini terlalu kecil. Ruang paling besar yang ada di dalamnya adalah kamar tidur, itu pun ukurannya tidak seberapa. Kamu berkata, ruang yang sempit pun dapat terkesan luas jika kita mampu menatanya sedemikian rupa. Jadi kita pun memasang sebuah tempat tidur dan melapisi lantainya dengan karpet, juga meninggikan rak dan memindahkan segala benda lain yang hanya akan menyesakkan ruangan.

Waktu itu, aku tidak sadar ruang yang kamu maksud adalah hati.

Setelah tiba di rumah, yang kulakukan adalah memastikan dua kali bahwa semua pintu dan jendela telah terkunci, kemukamun merangkak ke atas tempat tidur, masih dalam pakaian lengkap. Aku sering melakukan itu; dan biasanya kamu akan memelukku dari belakang, menghidu aroma parfum yang sudah pudar, saru dengan bau keringat. Dan biasanya, apa pun keletihan yang kukumpulkan dari pagi hari akan pupus menjadi tak bermakna. Tapi malam kemarin, aku tidak punya tenaga untuk memikirkan tentang biasanya. Aku masih merasa aku akan baik-baik saja.

Tapi lalu mimpi itu datang.

Kata orang, mimpi adalah bunga tidur. Mencerminkan harapan, ketakutan, pertanda, dan apa pun itu yang pernah melintasi pikiran bawah sadarmu.

Semalam, aku bermimpi tentang kamu. Tapi aku tidak dapat melihat wajahmu - hanya punggung yang berjalan menjauh, siluet yang semakin lama semakin samar, sampai akhirnya menghilang seluruhnya. Entah fatamorgana, entah apa. Kamu hilang bersama salju yang merintik dari langit.

Aku tidak bisa tidur lagi setelahnya. Semalaman, aku memandang langit-langit, memperhatikan retakan halus dan sarang laba-laba yang mulai merembeti sudut kamar. Aku mencoba mematikan lampu, tapi kegelapan membuatku takut. Sampai akhirnya, aku terlelap, dalam usahaku untuk tidak memikirkan kamu.

**

Biasanya, apa pun yang kita ributkan, baik masalah kecil maupun besar, akan berakhir dengan saling berpelukan, di atas tempat tidur mungil dalam rumah beratap biru. Mungkin aku yang terlalu naif dalam mengira, masalah kali ini sama seperti sebelum-sebelumnya, dan dalam beberapa jam aku akan melihat kamu, dalam rumah beratap biru.

Tapi kurasa dalam hati aku tahu, saat kamu bilang kamu akan pergi, kali ini kamu tidak main-main.

Mungkin kami sudah terlalu lama menganggap satu sama lain sebagai properti. Sudah terlalu lama saling memiliki, dan sudah menyerahkan setiap bagian dari diri kepada satu sama lain. Setiap jejak di permukaan kulitku adalah milikmu, setiap serat dari rasa pernah kamu sentuh. Kamu pernah masuk ke dalam ruang paling gelap dalam diriku, begitu pun aku pernah melihat saat-saat terburuk maupun terbaikmu.

Namun, itu saja ternyata tak cukup untuk saling memiliki.

Terkadang, rasa saling memiliki yang terlalu kuat justru membuatku terlalu yakin bahwa kamu tidak akan pergi. Dan kali ini, seperti yang kubilang, kamu tetap pergi.

Aku tidak menangis. Aku tidak tahu apa yang harus kutangisi - apakah aku harus tersenyum, tertawa, marah, apa? Yang kutahu adalah rasa kosong di dalam dada yang terasa sesak. Jika aku menangis, apakah rasa itu akan hilang? Jika aku tertawa, apakah rasa itu juga akan hilang? Aku hanya butuh sebuah alasan untuk melakukan salah satu. Jadi aku pun tertawa.

Rasa itu tetap ada.

**

Kadang, aku yakin kamu akan kembali ke rumah beratap biru. Kadang, aku tak terlalu yakin.

Kemarin, seorang tetangga menanyakan perihal kamu. Katanya, ada sesuatu tentang berkebun yang ingin ditanyakannya.

Aku bilang, kamu sudah pergi.

**

just felt like writing this piece, Friday 16.05 p.m.
written using Ommwriter for Windows