More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

Sinopsis:

Customer (holding up a book): What’s this? The Secret Garden? Well, it’s not so secret now, is it, since they bloody well wrote a book about it!

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops was a Sunday Times bestseller, and could be found displayed on bookshop counters up and down the country. The response to the book from booksellers all over the world has been one of heartfelt agreement: it would appear that customers are saying bizarre things all over the place - from asking for books with photographs of Jesus in them, to hunting for the best horse owner’s manual that has a detailed chapter on unicorns.

Customer: I had such a crush on Captain Hook when I was younger. Do you think this means I have unresolved issues?

More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops has yet more tales from the antiquarian bookshop where Jen Campbell works, and includes a selection of ‘Weird Things...’ sent in from other booksellers across the world. The book is illustrated by the BAFTA winning Brothers McLeod.

The Bad Beginning

Dear Reader,

I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

Why We Broke Up

Sinopsis:

I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Goodreads:

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Pushing the Limits

Dari Goodreads:

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

A Little Wanting Song

Title: A Little Wanting Song
Author: Cath Crowley
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Format: Ebook

Summary:

A summer of friendship, romance, and songs in major chords. . . .

CHARLIE DUSKIN loves music, and she knows she's good at it. But she only sings when she's alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus's Secondhand Record and CD Store. Charlie's mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she's visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and grieving family, and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She's got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she's not entirely unspectacular.

ROSE BUTLER lives next door to Charlie's grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke but can't wait to leave their small country town. And she's figured out a way: she's won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose's ticket out.

Told in alternating voices and filled with music, friendship, and romance, Charlie and Rose's "little wanting song" is about the kind of longing that begins as a heavy ache but ultimately makes us feel hopeful and wonderfully alive.

The Sea of Tranquility

Title: The Sea of Tranquility
Author: Katja Millay
Publisher: Antisocialite Press LLC
Pages: 380 p

Review:

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
Author: David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
Pages: 260 pages

Summary (from Goodreads):

"I've left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don't, put the book back on the shelf, please."

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the "New York Times" bestselling authors of "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist." Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

After Dark

Title: After Dark
Author: Haruki Murakami
Translator: Jay Rubin
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Summary (from Goodreads):

A short, sleek novel of encounters set in Tokyo during the witching hours between midnight and dawn, and every bit as gripping as Haruki Murakami’s masterworks The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore.

At its center are two sisters—Eri, a fashion model slumbering her way into oblivion, and Mari, a young student soon led from solitary reading at an anonymous Denny’s toward people whose lives are radically alien to her own: a jazz trombonist who claims they’ve met before, a burly female “love hotel” manager and her maid staff, and a Chinese prostitute savagely brutalized by a businessman. These “night people” are haunted by secrets and needs that draw them together more powerfully than the differing circumstances that might keep them apart, and it soon becomes clear that Eri’s slumber—mysteriously tied to the businessman plagued by the mark of his crime—will either restore or annihilate her.

After Dark moves from mesmerizing drama to metaphysical speculation, interweaving time and space as well as memory and perspective into a seamless exploration of human agency—the interplay between self-expression and empathy, between the power of observation and the scope of compassion and love. Murakami’s trademark humor, psychological insight, and grasp of spirit and morality are here distilled with an extraordinary, harmonious mastery.

Review:

Delirium

Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 441 p

Summary (from Goodreads):

THEY SAY that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them. Until now.

Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

Review:

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

Judul: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops
Penulis: Jen Campbell
Penerbit: Constable and Robinson
Format: e-book

Summary (from Goodreads):

From the hugely popular blog, a miscellany of hilarious and peculiar bookshop moments:

'Can books conduct electricity?'
'My children are just climbing your bookshelves: that's ok... isn't it?'

A John Cleese Twitter question ['What is your pet peeve?'], first sparked the 'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' blog, which grew over three years into one bookseller's collection of ridiculous conversations on the shop floor. From 'Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?' to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year's weather; and from 'I've forgotten my glasses, please read me the first chapter' to'Excuse me... is this book edible?'
This full-length collection illustrated by the Brothers McLeod also includes top 'Weird Things' from bookshops around the world.

Wanderlove

Title: Wanderlove
Author: Kirsten Hubbard
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: e-book

Summary (from Goodreads):

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry to this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.

Review:

Easy

Title: Easy
Author: Tamara Webber
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 316 p

Summary (from Goodreads):

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

Review:

Marie Lu's Legend

Title: Legend (Legend #1)
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 305

Summary (from Goodreads): 

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Review:
Love it. But the thing about dystopia books is, I always compare them to The Hunger Games. I love Divergent, but when I read it I couldn't help comparing Four and Peeta (yes, yes I know I should've compared Four and Gale.)

Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Publisher: MTV Books
Pages: 224 p

Summary:

standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective…but there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. since its publication, stephen chbosky’s haunting debut novel has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, grown into a cult phenomenon with over a million copies in print, and inspired a major motion picture.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. the world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. of sex, drugs, and the rocky horror picture show. of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

Review:

Dear Charlie,

John Green's The Fault in Our Stars

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 313 p

Summary:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Tumpukan Buku Minggu Ini

Habis lebaran THR-nya masih banyak sih jadi aja ngeborong.

Minggu lalu saya ke Jakarta bersama saudara-saudara sepupu. Saat ke Gramedia Mall Taman Anggrek (udah jauh-jauh ke Jakarta tapi mainnya tetep ke Gramed :)) ), saya menemukan buku ini. Tepat di bawah tumpukan buku Between The Lines-nya Jodi Picoult dan anaknya. (Yang, omong-omong, bakal saya beli kalau gak menemukan buku ini :p)

Dapat diskon 25% untuk buku-buku dari penerbit Elex Media dan GPU di Rumah Buku. :)

Direkomendasikan oleh Tirta. :) Saya pernah baca Antologi Rasa dan suka banget! Gak sabar baca ini. *lirik tumpukan buku*

Udah lama nyari buku ini dan akhirnya ketemu juga di Times BIP! Kecewa karena adanya yang movie tie-in, bukannya cover asli. :|

Stephanie Perkins' Lola and The Boy Next Door

Title: Lola and The Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 338 p.

Summary:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket—a gifted inventor—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Opening:

Love, looooove it! I love Lola, I love Cricket, I love the storyline, and I love the cover! Especially I even love it because it’s contemporary YA! (Yes, I am sort of bored reading fantasy, but somehow, that doesn’t stop me to borrow/buy them. Ha.)

Amy Efaw's After

Title: After
Author: Amy Efaw
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Pages: 350 pages

Summary: 

An infant left in the trash to die. A teenage mother who never knew she was pregnant . . . Before That Morning, these were the words most often used to describe straight-A student and star soccer player Devon Davenport: responsible, hardworking, mature. But all that changes when the police find Devon home sick from school as they investigate the case of an abandoned baby. Soon the connection is made?Devon has just given birth; the baby in the trash is hers. After That Morning, there?s only one way to define Devon: attempted murderer.
And yet gifted author Amy Efaw does the impossible? she turns Devon into an empathetic character, a girl who was in such deep denial that she refused to believe she was pregnant. Through airtight writing and fast-paced, gripping storytelling, Ms. Efaw takes the reader on Devon?s unforgettable journey toward clarity, acceptance, and redemption.

Review:
Okay, before I start, I didn't write the review 4-reasons-why-you-should-read-this like I always do. Actually, as you can see from the title, I happened to write a letter to the main character, Devon Davenport. And from that letter, you can see what I thought about the book, the characters, the plot, and the pace. :)

Prisca Primasari's Eclair: Pagi Terakhir di Rusia

Judul: Éclair: Pagi Terakhir di Rusia
Pengarang: Prisca Primasari
Editor: Kinanti Atmarandy
Penerbit: GagasMedia
Halaman: 236 hal.

Sinopsis:

Seandainya bisa, aku ingin terbang bersamamu dan burung-burung di atas sana. Aku ingin terus duduk bersamamu di bawah teduhnya pohon-berbagi eclair, ditemani matahari dan angin sepoi-sepoi. Aku ingin terus menggenggam jari-jemarimu, berbagi rasa dan hangat tubuh-selamanya.

Sayangnya, gravitasi menghalangiku. Putaran bumi menambah setiap detik di hari-hari kita. Seperti lilin yang terus terbakar, tanpa terasa waktu kita pun tidak tersisa banyak. Semua terasa terburu-buru. Perpisahan pun terasa semakin menakutkan.

Aku rebah di tanah. Memejamkan mata kuat-kuat karena air mata yang menderas. "Aku masih di sini," bisikmu, selirih angin sore. Tapi aku tak percaya. Bagaimana jika saat aku membuka mata nanti, kau benar-benar tiada? 

Pembukaan:
Saya berjanji ke diri saya sendiri, kalau sudah menyelesaikan Amulet Samarkand, saya akan membaca satu buku--realistis. Tidak ada fantasi maupun dystopia. Karena saya sendiri memang sudah agak bosan dengan jenis genre buku tersebut. :)) Tadinya ketika di rental untuk mengembalikan Amulet Samarkand dan meminjam buku lain, saya akan meminjam salah satu buku dari Glam Girls series, Reputation. Wajar sih, secara saya masih 16 tahun dan diam-diam senang Glam Girls. :) Tapi ketika melihat Éclair, saya jadi penasaran. Apalagi saya sebenarnya sudah lama ingin membaca buku itu. Jadi, saya pinjam deh.

Isi:
Bisa ditebak, saya memberi buku ini 3 bintang atau 3 burung hantu. Jadi saya akan memberikan 3 Alasan Mengapa Harus Membaca Buku Ini: