Dari sederet rilisan buku, baru atau lama, yang telah kita baca, kita mempunyai alasan tersendiri kenapa kita tertarik terhadap suatu cerita tertentu. Untuk merayakan Hari Buku Sedunia yang jatuh pada tanggal 23 April lalu, kami mengumpulkan beberapa buku favorit.
KEN JENIE
Editor
What:
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Description:
One of my favorite novels of recent memory is this year’s Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. The story revolves around an artificial friend named Klara who was adopted by a family to accompany their only daughter, and a family drama unfolds as we read through the android’s naive perspective. Emotional and endearing, the story reads like the best Pixar movie – anchored in the character’s drama while contemplating about broader subjects such as artificial intelligence, capitalism and gene-editing. Definitely worth a read and re-read.
FEBRINA ANINDITA
Editorial Staff
What:
“Rumah Kopi Singa Tertawa”
Description:
Udah jarang banget baca buku dan kalau ditanya buku favorit, bingung juga ya. Gue cuma inget buku yang pilihan bahasanya mudah dimengerti banyak orang, dan entah kenapa buku dari Yusi Avianto Pareanom yang muncul pas ngetik ini.
Buku dia ada banyak sih. Ada kumpulan cerpen dan novel yang tebal. Tapi kayaknya buku dia yang pertama gue baca jadi favorit gue: “Rumah Kopi Singa Tertawa”. Kumpulan cerpen ngehe yang bikin emosi naik-turun.
EMMA PRIMASTIWI
Editorial Staff
What:
Florence in Ecstasy
Description:
Di umur yang ke-25 ini, bukannya hidup lebih terarah, malah makin bingung (curhat). Setelah kelar baca Call Me by Your Name, i am sucked into another Italian holiday themed book, kali ini centered on an American girl who has an eating disorder and is fed up with everything in her life so she ran away to Florence. I’ve just started so I can’t say much yet, but so far it’s a good read.
A lot of her internal conflicts remind me of my own, and I think a lot of girls my age will relate to her as well. Hopefully this book lives up to the premise.
JANUAR KRISTIANTO
Heart Attack
What:
The Book of Human Insects
Description:
Tak disangka-sangka diluar karya masifnya seperti Astro Boy, mangaka & animator legendaris asal Jepang Osamu Tezuka menyimpan sisi out there, dark dan liar lewat The Book of Human Insects. Dekade 70-an diproyeksikan sebagai momen penuh intrik, suspense yang tercermin dalam kompleksitas karakter manusia; salah satunya saat ambisi mengambil alih sepenuhnya human conscience, sounds all too familiar? This is definitely one of the most interesting reads I’ve engaged myself in, worth a try! Instant classic!
CLARISSA AMABEL
Art Director
What:
Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore
Description:
Because Ghina said it’s World Book Day, I shall recommend a book about books. I read this in 2013–and while I have pretty much forgotten the plot, I remember the story was a lot of fun. Therefore, I shall paste an excerpt of my Goodreads review from EIGHT YEARS AGO:
“1. The main protagonist is a GRAPHIC DESIGNER (yes! someone to tell our tale, finally)
2. The story beautifully engulfs you in the world of typography (yes!! my favourite part of graphic design)
Add to that a completely engrossing plot and exciting characters, and you’ve got yourself a really splendid novel.
I believe the enjoyment of a story is very subjective, as everyone starts reading with different personal backgrounds and will then relate differently to the story. I think Robin Sloan’s novel is interesting for most people, with the Da Vinci Code-like mysteries and, um, codes. This book becomes dear to me because most of the things mentioned are really close to home. I’m a daily user of Google and classic serif typefaces (still true in 2021), I loooove books and old indie bookstores, and I’ve actually been to an old printing institution and seen those magnificent printing presses that has as much history as the layers of ink left on its surfaces (holla to St. Bride’s Library in London :).
Please please write more books that feed my graphic designer ego and bibliophilia, Robin Sloan. Xoxo.”
TIANA OLIVIA
Graphic Design
What:
Normal People
Description:
Randomly picked this book without reading any reviews or the synopsis of it. And I’m glad I did! TBH, I’m not much of a reader, but I finished this in 2 days lol. It’s a really lonely and depressing sad story, tho. But I really like the way the writer tells the story of every ups and down from the main characters. (Disclaimer, I read this before the series came out).
MARDHI LU
Graphic Design
What:
Katalog Ikea
Description:
Mungkin ini buku yang ga masuk kategori yang dimaksud. Tapi gue sangat seneng banget sama katalog ikea lol. Melihat gambar ruangan yang secara detail di dekor dan matching itu sama seperti high fantasy yang ga akan terwujud di real life (meskipun terwujud, di titik itu ga akan 1 set Ikea semua furniturenya) Kayak baca buku fiksi, tapi karakter utamanya itu furniture.
SABRINA FARIZKY
Marketing & Partnerships
What:
A Time to Kill
Description:
Novel pertama dari Grisham ini kayaknya jadi salah satu novel paling memorable untuk gue, karena cukup banyak punya historical value, antara lain:
Ini adalah novel pertama yang gue beli waktu gue pertama kali sampai di Finlandia pas mau kuliah, dan lumayan memorable karena nemenin di masa-masa apartment masih kosong.
Ini adalah novel John Grisham pertama yang gue punya, dan akhirnya bikin gue sempet lumayan ketagihan bacain novel-novel Grisham lainnya.
Meskipun intriknya yang cukup berat dan sudah pasti, unpleasant untuk dibaca, tapi novel legal thriller yang satu ini menurut gue sama sekali ngga bikin ngantuk dan bosen.
