Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

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Well, when we don't have any idea about what to read, sometimes rereading our favourite book could be the best option. So, here we go. I would like to share some of the books that I love to reread when I need some escape.

Ps, most of it will be Indonesian books or manga

1. My Faded First Love (Kieta Hatsukoi) - Wataru Hinekure

I think, at this point, I won't hesitate to read Kiekoi again and again. The story is so wholesome and Aoki-Ida is indeed a very sweet couple. I still despise how they decided to end the manga next month, I still wanna read more about their story. Hope the author will take a further decision to continue this manga.

2. Harry Poter Series - J.K. Rowling

I mean, Harry Potter is one of my all time favourite series. So, it's not surprising if I choose this series as one of my comfort reads. The fantasy is great and not as high as LOTR for example. I still couldn't finish LOTR until now. Maybe high fantasy is just hard for me to digest.

3.Trilogi Mawar Merah (Red Roses Trilogy) - Luna Torashyngu

Mawar Merah is one of my all time favourite teen lit books. The story is about a female assassin, moreover, in Indonesia's setting, it's very rare to be found. Therefore, its uniqueness is the element that made this book my comfort read.

4. Eiffel, Tolong! (Eiffel, Help!) - Clio Freya

Another teen lit book that I really love. I could say that this book is the book that introduce me to an online book community. Therefore,  Eiffel, Tolong! is very memorable for me. The story is quite light even though there is a lot of uniqueness there. I mean, who would think about a spy story in the middle of Paris?

5. Let Go - Windhy Puspitadewi

This book is a book that I would love to reread because the friendship story is amazing. Sadly, it's hard for me to find a copy of it. The physical version has no longer available and the digital version is nowhere to be found. Sigh.

6. Restart - Nina Ardianti

For me, Restart is one of my favourite contemporary romances. I just love how Nina Ardianti tells her story. It's engaging and not confusing. I love how drama Syiana is and Fedrian is just a gorgeous male lead character.

7. Omen Series - Lexie Xu

Of every series made by Lexie Xu, my comfort reads would be the Omen Series. This horror story is a series that I didn't expect to like. Then, the twist in every story is also unexpected.

8. Dear Dylan - Stephanie Zen

The story about a celebrity who falls in love with a fan maybe sounds so cliche. But I found out that this book is interesting. The way Stephanie Zen portrayed both Dylan and Alice's stories is really great. I don't feel bored when reading it.

9. Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Series) - Marissa Meyer

Well, for now, if I want to reread something, I remember that this series is worth rereading. I love how Meyer turns the fairytale story into a modern version. Therefore, this story is captivating in some way. 

10. Fly to the Sky - Nina Ardianti, Moemoe Rizal

I don't know how many times I reread this book. Fly to the Sky, is really my comfort book. Edyta with her quirkiness and Ardian who is quiet but charming at the same time. Since I have the physical of it, I always choose Fly to the Sky whenever I got a reading slump.

Well, that's all for my story today. 7/10 of it is an Indonesian book. So, maybe you will have interested to read them. 

Sincerely,

Ra

Image: media matamata

Title: Twenty Five Twenty One

Director: Jung Ji-hyun

Writer: Kwon Do-eun

Stars: Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun-wook, Lee Joo-Myoung

Number of episodes: 16 episodes

Release date: February 12-April 3 2022

Watched on Netflix

"Twenty-Five, Twenty-One" tells a love story between Na Hee-Do (Kim Tae-Ri) and Back Yi-Jin (Nam Joo-Hyuk).

Na Hee-Do is a member of her high school fencing team. Due to the South Korean financial crisis, the high school fencing team gets disbanded. Getting through all the difficulties, she becomes a member of the sabre fencing national team.

The South Korean financial crisis also causes Back Yi-Jin’s father's business to go bankrupt. This leads to a life change for Back Yi-Jin, from living the life of a wealthy person to a poor person. While studying, he works part-time jobs like delivery newspapers. Later, he becomes a sports reporter for a broadcasting network.

While watching Business Proposal, I also watched Twenty-Five Twenty-One. Well, let's just call it 2521 since it's too long. Compared to Business Proposal, 2521 will bring a more serious side to a k-drama. It talked about friendship, dreams, and also love.

Yi-jin and Hae-do's Story

From the title, this story is about two people in their 20s. There's Yi-jin, your charming male lead character. Unfortunately, the 1998 financial crisis has led Yi-jin's family into bankruptcy. Consequently, Yi-jin should live by himself and try to find a job as soon as possible.  He must also drop out of college. Things that really broke my heart were when Yi-jin said he would promise not to be happy for the sake of his parent's employee, who should also suffer as a result of the bankruptcy.

There is, on the other hand, Hae-do. A young talented girl who adores fencing. Fencing has been a part of her life since she was a child. It's also a part of her last memories of her father. Due to the financial crisis, Hae-do's school decided to close their fencing club once. This decision enraged Hae-do. So, she attempted to transfer to another school, specifically Go Yu-rim's, a young fencer whom she idolized. 

She hoped to become friends with Yu-rim and improve her skills. Unfortunately, those fantasies will not become a reality so smoothly. Hae-do's mother opposed Hae-do's wish to transfer. Then, when Hae-do finally meets Yu-rim, she is surprised that Yu-rim is so cold and harsh towards her.

Perhaps it was fate that brought Yi-jin and Hae-do together. I believe they require each other's presence to achieve their goals. Yi-jin for resolving all of his family's problems, and Hae-do for her determination to be Korea's greatest fencer. At first glance, I believe this drama will not be overly focused on the romance aspect, and I am quite right about it. 2521, in my opinion, is about dealing with life and achieving your goals as best you can.

The Story and The Diary

The story started when Kim Min-chae, Hae-do's daughter, opened and read Hae-do's diary. Starting from there, Min-chae finally knows that what her mother has accomplished is far from a flowery path. Min-chae learned about Hae-friendships do's with Yu-rim, Moon Ji-ung, and Ji Sun-wan in addition to the fencing journey. Anyway, I enjoy watching their friendship. Don't forget to include Yi-jin in the same frame.

To be honest, despite its comedic elements, I would say that this drama has a serious tone. Mbak Dewi ever told me that this drama is interesting because of the "Mistery of Mr. Kim." Yes, as you can see, Min-chae's surname is "Kim." Meanwhile, Baek Yi-jin, the male lead character who has a love interest in Hae-do, has the surname "Baek". So, who is Min-chae's father? I heard that many fans worked hard to solve the mystery. Even 2521 has an alternative title because of it. Yeah, it's called "Finding Mr. Kim".  They observed every detail of the drama to find the clue. Unfortunately, we won't know who Mr. Kim is until the very end.

And apart from their wholesome story, the ending of this drama is hugely essential. I believe that the majority of viewers would agree that the ending of 2521 is terribly frustrating. For this, I must quote MbakDew... "2521 is the story of two people. How could they not mention Yi-jin at the end of the story?" Yes. I fully agree. The production team is extremely cruel. They provided no information about Yi-jin. There is also no hint of the "now" Yi-Jin at all. It really frustrated me.

I mean, I like the story; the main message is wholesome, the friendship story is something I wished for, and Hae-do and Yi-jin's relationship is fluffy but not overly so. But, with such a vague ending....? This is not your typical k-drama, that will give you a second season, please. Sigh.

Conclusion

Aside from my frustration at not being able to see the "now" Baek Yi-jin, I still enjoy the story. Every episode is intriguing, and the story is very interesting. Yeah, I love their execution for 2521. Oh, I should also mention the ost for this k-drama is really good. My favourite would be "Your Existence" by Wonstein. You should check this out.

Anyway, I still have a lot of movies and dramas to review, so please bear with me.

7 out of 10 stars.

Sincerely,

Ra

Image: WeTV

Title: Cherry Blossoms After Winter

Director: Yoon Joon Ho

Genres: Romance, Youth, Drama

Number of Episodes: 8 episodes

Watched on WeTV

The death of his parents forces a seven-year-old boy named Seo Hae Bom to move in with an adoptive family who have a young son of the same age named Jo Tae Seong. Seo Hae Bom is in awe of Jo Tae Seong – he considers the boy to be everything that he is not: tall, handsome, popular, caring, and worthy of love and attention. The diminutive Seo Hae Bom thinks himself inferior and is humbled by the kindness of the family that took him in. Things become slightly different for the duo, however, after Seo Hae Bom and Jo Tae Seong end up in the same high school class. All of a sudden, they are spending more time than ever together at home and at school. An unexpected romantic spark ignites between the two – but what will Cupid have to say about all this?

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I found Cherry Blossoms After Winter, a BL miniseries on WeTV. This mini-series, in my opinion, is perfect if you're looking for a fluffy romantic story. The series followed Hae Bom (Ok Jin Uk), who has been residing at Jo Tae Seong's (Kang Hui) house since his parents passed away. As a humble person, Hae Bom tried not to take the kindness of the Tae Seong family for granted, especially Tae Song's mother, Ha Eun Sun (Lee Hyun Kung). As a result, after Hae Bom graduates from high school, he plans to move out.

Jo Tae Seong is a typical main male protagonist. He is tall, attractive, intelligent, well-liked, compassionate, and deserving of love and care. Tae Seong decides to get closer to Hae Bom after learning of his plans to leave his house. After all, he had never thought of Hae Bom as a brother or a friend. Tae Seong has a feeling to Hae Bom for quite some time

My Thought

This miniseries is based on a webtoon of the same name. Because this is a short series, it's natural to compress the plot into only 8 episodes. The plot is not particularly complicated. The central conflict of the series concerns how Hae Bom and Tae Seong resolved their misunderstanding their coming-out to Mrs. Ha. Nevertheless, Haebom does not want to let her down.

This miniseries is an okay drama in my opinion. I can't think of a single likeable character that I adore. When I originally saw the first episode, I thought Hae Boom appeared to be extremely awkward. It's difficult to imagine their romantic side because they appear like Hyung and Dongsaeng.

Because I also read the webtoon, the story has been shortened because there are so many plot lines that need to be cut. I'm not sure if there will be a second season, but I believe their college years will be more meaningful because there will be so many conflicts.

Nonetheless, I admire Tae Seong's efforts to justify his feelings for Hae Bom. It's one of my personal favorites. Apart from that, I'd like to point out that Jin Ah (Johyun) and Yong Hee (Cha Gun) are two other great friends in the BL universe.

Conclusion

CBAW is a really light and fluffy BL story that you can watch. However, please be cautious of the level of cringiness here.

5.5 out of 10 stars

Sincerely

Ra

Image: Goodreads, edited by me

Judul: Terpuruk dan Melarat di Paris dan London

Judul asli: Down and Out in Paris and London

Penulis: George Orwell

Penerjemah: Djokolelono

Tebal buku: 288 halaman

Tahun terbit: 2021

Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Baca di Gramedia Digital

Sebelum menjadi pengarang terkenal lewat buku Animal Farm dan 1984, George Orwell pernah hidup miskin di dua kota besar—Paris dan London. Di Paris, dia menjadi tukang cuci piring, dan di London, sambil mencari pekerjaan, dia banyak bergaul dengan gelandangan dan orang-orang jalanan, dan tinggal di rumah-rumah penampungan. Dengan narasi yang jujur dan seringkali humoris, buku semi autobiografi ini mengisahkan kehidupan Orwell pada masa-masa sulit sebagai orang melarat dan berbagai masalah yang mesti dihadapinya.

Down and Out in Paris and London adalah rekomendasi buku dari Kak Bree untuk 12 challenge yang aku buat di awal tahun. Berhubung aku yakin pembahasan dari DOPL akan serius, sama seperti novel Orwell lainnya, maka aku memutuskan untuk pelan-pelan membacanya di awal tahun ini. Untungnya, buku ini tersedia di Gramedia Digital. Jadi, mudah banget untuk mengaksesnya.

Tokoh Aku dan Kemiskinan

Sebetulnya, aku agak ragu ketika mau membaca DOPL Beberapa tahun lalu, aku mencoba untuk membaca 1984, dan gagal. Aku belum sempat menyelesaikannya. Satu-satunya novel Orwell yang bisa kuselesaikan adalah Animal Farm. Novel alegori politik ini terasa lebih mudah diikuti dibandingkan 1984. Alhasil, aku mencoba membaca DOPL dengan harapan bisa mendapatkan experience yang mirip saat aku membaca Animal Farm.

Akhirnya? Yaa, enggak selancar itu juga sih, bacanya. Tapi, seenggaknya bisa selesai juga meski butuh waktu 1.5 bulan. 

Pada dasarnya, DOPL adalah kisah autobiografi dari Orwell. Tokoh 'aku' adalah Orwell sendiri. Berhubung tidak terlalu banyak kisah autobiografi yang kubaca, ku rasa Orwell mampu menyajikan kisah yang unik melalui DOPL. Kisah yang ia sampaikan tidak terlalu kaku dan memiliki alur cerita yang mengalir.

Sesuai dengan judulnya, maka DOPL berisikan kisah 'aku' saat menghadapi kemiskinan, baik di Paris dan London. 'Aku' adalah seorang berkebangsaan Inggris, yang aku lupa kenapa, terdampar di Paris. Saat berada di Paris, 'aku' tinggal di hotel yang otomatis membuatnya harus membayar sewa setiap seminggu sekali. Sayangnya, ia tidak memiliki pekerjaan. Maka dari itu, perjalanan tokoh 'aku' untuk bertahan hidup, dalam arti mencari uang untuk makan dan sewa tempat tinggal dimulai.

Kalau aku boleh meringkas kehidupan tokoh 'aku' di Paris adalah dengan mencari pekerjaan dengan berjalan kaki berkilo-kilo, menggadaikan pakaian saat sudah tak punya lagi uang untuk membeli roti, dan mendapatkan pekerjaan di restoran sebagai plongeur--yang sesungguhnya sangat menyiksa.

Ketika tokoh 'aku' memutuskan untuk kembali ke Inggris, karena ia merasa hidupnya di Paris hanya dihabiskan untuk bekerja non stop dan istirahat berarti hanyalah tidur. Selain itu, tokoh 'aku' juga dijanjikan pekerjaan yang cukup mapan di London. Bukan sebagai plongeur yang menguras jiwa dan tenaga. 

Sesampainya di London, B, kawan 'aku' yang menjanjikan pekerjaan berkata bahwa 'aku' baru bisa memulai pekerjaannya bulan depan. Otomatis, tokoh 'aku', yang juga masih miskin dan melarat, memulai kehidupannya untuk mencari rumah singgah setiap malam untuk bermalam. Pekerjaan? Tidak ada pekerjaan tetap yang bisa ia lakukan. Alhasil, kehdiupan tokoh 'aku', sama menyedihkannya saat ia tinggal di Paris.

Ketika Kemiskinan Tak Terhindarkan

Aku lupa tepatnya, yang pasti tokoh 'aku' di sini mengajak kita untuk memahami bahwa kemiskinan yang terjadi bisa saja bukan karena kita tidak bekerja keras. Ketika kemiskinan merupakan bagian dari struktur yang lebih besar, sekeras apapun seseorang bekerja, ia tak akan mudah lepas dari kemiskinan. Layaknya lingkaran setan, mau banting tulang 12-15 jam sehari, mencari-cari sumber penghasilan lain, ataupun upaya lainnya, tak akan menolong. Kemiskinan bisa begitu menghantui.

Ada banyak hal yang baru kupahami melalui kisah Orwell ini. Mulai dari pekerjaan di hotel yang punya banyak sekali tingkatan, hingga konsep rumah singgah yang ada di London. To some extent, aku jadi penasaran apakah konsep rumah singgah ini masih ada sampai sekarang? Kalau aku coba searching singkat sih, sepertinya memang masih ada.

Untuk cerita di balik restoran, aku tidak tahu seberapa parah sebetulnya, atau apakah keadaan yang demikian masih ada sampai sekarang. Akan tetapi, bagian itu membuatku memahami betapa tingkatan kelas pekerja terasa begitu nyata.

Ahh, mungkin itu juga ciri khas dari Orwell. Ia selalu menyisipkan konsepsi kelas dalam karya-karyanya. Animal Farm secara jelas menggambarkan kelas-kelas di peternakan binatang, dan di DOPL, Orwell juga menggambarkan hal yang serupa. 

Orwell dan caranya berkisah

Salah satu strong point dari cara Orwell berkisah adalah saat ia menggambarkan apa yang ia amati di sekitarnya. Orwell mampu menggambarkan dengan begitu detail dan seolah mengajak pembaca untuk benar-benar ikut mengamati. Kisah kehidupan sehari-hari telah ia gambarkan dengan runut. Kisahnya saat bekerja di restoran, mencari rumah singgah di London, atau upayanya saat mencari pekerjaan di Paris terasa begitu nyata.

Oh, iya, meskipun aku membaca versi terjemahannya, aku merasa detail-detail tersebut bisa tersampaikan dengan baik. So, kudos to Djokolelono yang menerjemahkan novel ini dengan apik.

Meskipun novel ini tidaklah semudah aku mencerna Animal Farm, DOPL menjadi kisah unik yang layak dibaca, Sebuah autobiografi yang luwes dan menarik untuk diselami lebih lanjut.

Kesimpulan

Kalau kamu mencari kisah autobiografi yang unik dan tidak kaku, maka DOPL bisa menjadi jawaban.

4 out of 5 stars.

Sincerely,

Ra