World Book Capital

On Sunday, May 10 2009, I just read there is World Book Capital. Choose by UNESCO to promote books and reading and dedication of all players in the book industry for whole year. 2009 is Beirut’s year. International book conferences, library seminar, reading corner seminar, audiobooks dialogs for blind people, poems and prose festivals.

With those, Beirut invite author-writers-novelists, publishing houses, book designers and illustrators, book stores from around the world. How ironic. We know that Beirut is in crisis because it lies in Middle East, but they can perform spectacular book events. It proves that Beirut deserve to be considered as literature city.

2001: Madrid
2002: Alexandria
2003: New Delhi
2004: Antwerp
2005: Montreal
2006: Turin
2007: Bogota
2008: Amsterdam

Next 2010: Ljubljana (Slovenia)

Brisingr, a novel by Chistopher Paolini

Eragon Shadeslayer is back. Focusing on the story too much, Christopher Paolini wrote this third book long enough so he has to divide it into two (I hope the last book is out next year). There isn’t Inheritance trilogy anymore, but Inheritance cycle, instead. I’m happy cos I can join Eragon and Saphira a little bit longer.

Riding a dragon. I couldn’t imagine if it happened to me. I ride on Saphira’s back and fly high on the sky. It’s cool, isn’t it? Unfortunately, there is no dragon in our world. I have to stop dreaming like that. I’m no kid anymore.

Eragon hold heavy burden on his young age. He isn’t an adult yet, but the destiny of his people depends on him. It’s not fair to a boy like him. Eragon suppose to fall in love to ordinary girl then marry her then blablabla. That’s happened if the book is about love and romance. This book is about good vs evil in epic genre. Romance only gives small amount of Eragon’s life. It’s not just light literature for teens. This is more likely The Lord of the Rings in simpler version with half human-elf as the center.

I do hope Arya will like Eragon, love him better. I think in this book, Arya will show her feeling to Eragon a little bit mnore. But, nope. Arya is still straight to her goal: as Islanzadi’s representative helping Varden get victory.

When can I see Arya’s love? In few scenes, Arya looks like giving more attentions to Eragon (it looks like that to me). But Chistopher Paolini didn’t give them chance to know each other deeper. Eragon and Arya has different paths so they have to separate.

I love reading Eragon and Saphira’s scenes together. I read them slowly to feel their journey. But when I was on Roran’s scenes, I read them faster (I prefer elf to human—even half elf and prefer sword to axe; it’s just simple reason).

I’m waiting for the unforgetable climax in book four: big war between every race in Alagaesia, fire from dragons’ breath, magic and mental attacks. And Eragon’s marriage to Arya, of course. Please, Chistopher, make that happen. I will be waiting patiently.

Inkheart, a novel by Cornelia Funke

Meggie’s father, Mo, has an wonderful and sometimes terrible ability. When he reads aloud from books, he brings the characters to life--literally. Mo discovered his power when Maggie was just a baby. He read so lyrically from the the book Inkheart, that several of the book’s wicked characters ended up blinking and cursing on his cottage floor. Then Mo discovered something even worse--when he read Capricorn and his henchmen out of Inkheart, he accidentally read Meggie’s mother in.

Meggie, now a young lady, knows nothing of her father's bizarre and powerful talent, only that Mo still refuses to read to her. Capricorn, a being so evil he would "feed a bird to a cat on purpose, just to watch it being torn apart," has searched for Meggie's father for years, wanting to twist Mo's powerful talent to his own dark means. Finally, Capricorn realizes that the best way to lure Mo to his remote mountain hideaway is to use his beloved, oblivious daughter Meggie as bait!
- Amazon.com -

First book of Inkworld trilogy (Tintenwelt, Ger). The story is flowing slowly. Funke told in details what happened with the characters too much. But it’s the interesting part. I can imagine how Mo read the story out loud with good pronunciation and deep comprehension, how Basta and Black Jackets sit in front of Mo listening to him. It’s really like the characters jumped out of the book.

Unfortunately, the ending isn’t too good (because it’s still have two more books). Dustfinger had to go to find other reader to read him back to the book. Poor Dustfinger. The good thing is Farid and Gwin are with him so they can accompany Dustfinger.

I like Farid. At first, he is like coming from ancent isolated tribe. He doesn’t know car, doesn’t like wearing shoes, like learning to manipulate fire from Dustfinger. And then he helps Mo rescueing Meggie, Teresa and Elinor. He is such an interesting character. He has bad life inside the book but honest and pure boy in the real life. The opposite of Dustfinger, he doesn’t want to read back to the book. This world is too beautiful to be abandoned to him.

Resep Cherry, a novel by Primadonna Angela

Becoming a Cinnamon Cherry is not easy. At home, she don’t lives calmly. There is Lavender Rosemary who is cleverer, more beautiful and be more loved. She doesn’t good in treating her customers. She wants to hit her tedious customer instead of being kind. Becoming a good bestfriend? Why does it look very difficult? Looking for the best guy? Cherry is having a headache because she fallsin love with father with a kid.

Once, how difficult Cherry’s life, she can share it with Eva. Unfortunately, since having a boyfriend, Eva keeps a distance from Cherry. When she found bruise in Eva’s body, can Cherry be still? And can she sacrifice her aspirations and her future when Kenichi Kobayashi propose to her?

The book is still full of recipes. And this is the second book of Cherry. I prefer this one than the prequel. Because the book is more thick, the story can flow smoothly. Cherry’s maturity appeared in facing her problems and Eva’s, clearly. How she treats Kaz, what she thinks about Eva and Aidan, how’s her feeling to Kenichi. The time setting is longer so I can see Cherry’s crush change to love.

I like Kenichi. He looks good, mature, kind but a little childish. He has to be a stalker—in smooth ways (moves to Basil’s ex-house) to attract Cherry’s attentions. It’s funny to imagine a guy in his age—middle 20’s—with performance like his, acts like falling in love teenagers. Sending flowers, chocolate, teddy bear. But I like him. He shows his will to get Cherry’s love although in a sudden proposing Cherry without having a good relationship, first.

The book told the end of Basil, too. I’m happy with that. Unfortunately, no Maya Renggo there. I wanna know what happen with her. Did her family become poor? Then what did she do?

Can You Keep a Secret? A novel by Sophie Kinsella

Emma is sitting on a turbulent plane. She's always been a v. nervous flyer. She really thinks that this could be her last moment. So, naturally enough, she starts telling the man sitting next to her - quite a dishy American, but she's too frightened to notice -all her innermost secrets.

How she scans the backs of intellectual books and pretends she's read them. How she does her hair up like Princess Leia in her bedroom. How she's not sure if she has a G-spot, and whether her boyfriend could find it anyway. How she feels like a fraud at work - everyone uses the word 'operational' all the time but she hasn't a due what it means. How the coffee at work is horrible. How she once threw a troublesome client file in the bin. If ever there was a bare soul, it's hers.

She survives the flight, of course, and the next morning the famous founding boss of the whole mega corporation she works for is coming for a look at the UK branch. As he walks around, Emma looks up and realises... It's the man from the plane. What will he do with her secrets? He knows them all - but she doesn't know a single one of his. Or... does she?

Everybody has secrets. Kinsella caught a good idea and make it as the main theme of the book. Still using first person point of view, Emma is common young woman in common situation. Having average life but suddenly her life is turning upside down because her boss—Jack Harper showed up everywhere she goes.

It’s funny when I read Emma told every secret of her to someone stranger in the same flight. I laughed at her stupidity. But in reality, there are a lot of people like her; broken dustbin. And most of them are women.

I can’t believe if there isn’t other Jemima out there. Emma’s friend that stop seeing a guy if there is no chance of being giving diamond ring. And don’t forget she is a paranoid. If someone hurt you, get revenge to him. Back to him to get on the plan, if needed. It’s because her mom often being hurt by a guy she sees. Jemima has her own tabloid reporter, too. What a revenge-obssesed woman!

I don’t care with Jemima because Jack had forgiven Emma and he wanted to tell Emma his dirty secrets. That means Jack openly make relationship with Emma. That should couples do to build a good and positive relationship (don’t tell him/her too much. If s/he knows too much, our relationship won’t be attractive anymore).