background for this newest tendency:
the 25th of january marked the beginning of my
work-from-office time aka waking up at 5 am then commute to work by train for
one and half hours then your typical nine-to-five more often than not stretch
into 6 then going home by train for another one and half hours before taking a
shower then go to bed; or the usual every day’s worker life.
the three, sometimes four hour commute makes me glued to my
phone more than usual; those result
in my eyes getting Worse. so in a (pathetic) attempt to save these two eyes, I tried
to not read fanfic or watch anime on
train. surprise, its not working. It’s boooooring af.
so! i decided to start reading from real physical book again and that's how this story start.
disclaimer: I always think that every book that hooked me is a good book. some people may not like them for various reason, but if I manage to read it until the end and not get bored (in the beginning, middle, or near end) then it's a good book.
this is the books that i've read from january through march, and a little review:
1. The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson.
tbh i never read any book by James Patterson before, and its been a while since i read crime/action novel so this is gonna be a New Thing. didn't know what to expect. it's the 9th book of Alex Cross series, so there's some 'backstory' and 'inside jokes' that I didn't get. not too much, but most names and places are unfamiliar to me.
(+): Every chapter is short and easy enough to read even when I'm exhausted. The change of POVs are easy to maneuver because Patterson differentiate for every POVs, so there's no getting confused on that department. The plot hooked me from the start, and the pacing is moderate so I feel neither rushed nor bored. Also, the plot twist really surprised me but it didn't feel cheap or forced.
(-): The ending feels a little bit abrupted, like a roller coaster that went high and you expected going down with high velocity that fueled excitement and adrenaline but the reality was you only dropped a little. It's realistic enough, tho. Also, I didn't really 'get' Alex's characteristics, and there's some scenes that are not detailed enough.
Overall: A good crime/action book, solid 4/5 stars, recommended.
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Dubbed as one of the best Science-Fiction and Space Adventure story, with Clarke as one of the best Sci-Fi writer ever, the book didn't disappoint me one bit.
(+): The idea of the whole story is not unfamiliar, but still one of the best. Really have to appreciated the detailed of every technologies he described and created here, also the parallelism and connection between every part is chilling. I can actually predict what's going on next, but it still startled me and makes me gritted my teeth.
(-): Man, the language is so difficult. Need to re-read a few times to properly understand what's going on. Also, Clarke's 'weakness' is lack of the protagonist's characters depth. Not that the protagonist has the characteristic of wet blanket, but still not 'lively' enough (for me). Scary af, mayhap nearly (for me) as scary as 1984.
Overall: One of the best sci-fi, a 4.3/5 stars, very much recommended (but if you don't want to read it, they said the movie is just as amazing).
3. Stargate: Resistance by Bill McCay
Stargate: Resistance is the 5th and final book by McCay in the series, a spin-off of the first movie (season?) of Stargate: SG-1. The book described the Abydan's moving to the new planet, but of course, Murphy's Law play part and everything went FUBAR.
(+): Love the maturity of the characters (Daniel-Sha'uri, I'm talking about you). The description of when the alien's commander slowly descend into madness is fascinating to read. Also, it's entertaining to read how human being perceived by alien... yes ok we're weird HA. The plot and pacing are amazing too, moderate enough.
(-): THE ENDING. Man, I hate it. Why did you make the ending like 'that'? I was getting excited to an amazing ending, and it went like that? Also, why did I have to wait 260+ pages for O'Neil-Jackson interaction?
Overall: I love Stargate Series so much so of course I love this book. Despite the ending, a 4/5 stars. Recommended (but you need to at least read the 1st-4th books or familiar with the series).
4. The Big Four by Agatha Christie
Mom really love Christie's works, and finally after more than one and a half decades I decided to give her work a chance.
(+): The idea behind 'The Big Four' is fascinating. A little bit unrealistic, but hey, that's why they call it 'fiction'. The language is easy to follow, and by making the story a series of 'seemingly unrelated but actually not' events makes me want to read it non-stop. Hilarious on some parts.
(-): THE ENDING again. Why, oh why, did you make that kind of ending? It's too... simple and rushed and unrealistic. The plot twist through the whole story are plausible enough, but the ending... Also, I didn't really get Poirot's methods and train of thoughts, like, how and why? But maybe it's because the story was written from Hastings' POV so there's some biases and rose tinted glass and all.
Overall: A good book for leisure-reading, but a 3.8/5 stars, and recommended (if you like uncomplicated detective books).
5. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
I have wanted to read this for years because 'they' said this is one of the 'must read' book and frankly, this book didn't disappoint me one bit.
(+): The journey of how to find oneself is always fascinating to read. There are times when I'm afraid this book will bore me or made me stop reading bcs the 'cliché' trope and whatnot, but I keep going and I didn't disappoint. Some things hit a little too close to home, and regardless of some issues, I can't help but love this book and the story Coelho had woven. Realistic in some place, but still makes me want to dream (and make those dreams comes true).
(-): Didn't agree to some things, but it's a personal issue to me. The idea seems a little bit naïve but then I remember the main protagonist is barely a man, just a boy on a cusp of adulthood.
Overall: Amazing book, a solid 4.3/5 stars, very much recommended regardless whether you hate 'self-realization'/'self-help' book or not (even if I personally see this book as an adventure novel).
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So that's all I've manage to read and finish during the first quarter of 2021! Here's hoping to read more amazing books!
