A Very Yuppy Wedding - Ika Natassa

Sinopsis

The life of a business banker is 24/7, dan bagi Andrea, banker muda yang tengah meniti tangga karier di salah satu bank terbesar di Indonesia, rasanya ada 8 hari dalam seminggu. Power lunch, designer suit, golf di Bintan, dinner dengan nasabah, kunjungan ke proyek debitur, sampai tumpukan analisis feasibility calon nasabah, she eats them all. Namun di usianya yang meninjak 29 tahun, Andrea mungkin harus mengubah prioritasnya, karena sekarang ada Adjie, the most eligible bachelor in banking yang akan segera menikahinya. So she should be smiling, right?

Not really. Tidak di saat ia harus memilih antara jabatan baru dan pernikahan, menghadapi wedding planner yang demanding, calon mertua yang perfeksionis, target bank yang mencekik, dan ancaman denda 500 juta jika ia melanggar kontrak kerjanya. Dan tidak ada Manolo Blahnik atau Zara atau Braun Buffel yang bisa memaksanya tersenyum di saat ia mulai mempertanyakan apakah semua pengorbanan karier yang telah ia berikan untuk Adjie tidak sia-sia, ketika ia menghadapi kenyataan bahwa tunangan sempurnanya mungkin berselingkuh dengan rekan kerjanya sendiri.

Welcome to the world of Andrea Siregar, the woman with the most rational job on the planet as she is making the most irrational decisions in her own personal life.

Do I love this book?

Hell yes! Hahaha, sebenarnya saya udah baca buku ini sejak beberapa tahun yang lalu, bersamaan dengan saya membaca Divortiare, buku karangan novelis yang sama. Makanya waktu Ulang Tahun GPU kemaren, dan box set-nya Ika Natassa dijual dengan diskon 40%, saya nggak mau ketinggalan dong buat beli, hehehe..

Alasan pertama kenapa saya suka buku ini karena tokoh utamanya banker! Dangkal? Yes. Hehe, pekerjaan Andrea sebagai relationship manager (baca: tukang kredit) salah satu bank di Indonesia benar-benar membuat saya bisa memahami segala keribetan dia dalam mengelola debitur, walaupun segmen dia korporasi sementara saya usaha kecil, tapi so far job desc-nya sama lah, jadi sering banget tuh saya lagi baca satu halaman dan bilang, "Iya, bener gila.. itu gue banget.", "Emang tuh debitur banyak maunya.." "Bos reseeek.." :))))) Dan nggak bisa nikah sama temen sekantor? Beuh. (not that I'm intrigued ya, I've already married with temen sekantor yang dulu, hahaha..)

Setiap novel Ika Natassa punya satu ciri khas yang sangat menonjol. Tokoh cowok yang bikin kita jatuh cinta setengah mati sama dia. Cakep, perhatian, rajin salat, karir bagus. Dan tanpa sadar, itu bikin kita (baca: cewek-cewek pembaca yang manis dan budiman) root for him. Dan ngenye-ngenyein tokoh ceweknya. Sekarang siapa sih yang nggak kesel, udah dikasi calon suami yang perfect-nya alaihim gambreng, si Andrea masih bikin segalanya jadi complicated, nuduh Adjie selingkuh, sok-sokan demi kerjaan boong sama calon suaminya beberapa minggu sebelum mereka nikah. Duh, big big mistakes.

Tapi segala konflik dan drama itu emang dibutuhkan dalam suatu novel kan, biar kita gregetan dan pingin nyekek si Andreanya? :)) Nggak ding, walaupun kadang dialog yang disajikan berlebihan (menurut saya), karakter yang ditampilkan juga terlalu berlebihan sih, irritating much, dan (serasa) bikin perkawinan itu hal yang tidak menyenangkan (it needs hard work indeed, tapi si Andrea ini sebenarnya cinta nggak sih sama Adjie sampe pengorbanan dikit aja nggak bisa dilakukan, grrr..), tapi mungkin itu biar emosinya bisa ketangkap kali ya. Trus emang ada ya karakter yang flawless kayak Adjie gitu? Terus scene terakhir yang fast forward membuat saya "Eh, udah nih, segitu aja? Baekan ni jadinya?". Ada blank page aja rasanya.

Over all, I'm enjoying this book like I'm enjoying all chicklits I've ever read, buktinya baca buku ini sekali jalan beres. Buat analis kredit slash relationship manager semua bank di Indonesia, coba deh baca buku ini! :D

PS. I know for sure, Adjie is supposed to be Jawa tulen, but why oh why I keep thinking of Aiden Mathis while reading about him?

Test Pack by Ninit Yunita

Ninit is one of female writer who can make me laugh out loud reading her books. Her writings is funny, but always have simplified meanings. Test Pack is one of her old story, I read it once when I was in high school, and I found myself happy when she announced that they'll republish it.

It is love story about married couple, Tata and Rahmat, who has lived this marriage for seven years. As other ordinary couple, they wish to have baby soon. Tata desperately tries every way, even when she realizes that when you've already married, child is an unmentioned successful symbol for women, symbol of perfection. Rahmat, who also wants a baby so bad, but still looks calm, just to settle down his wife. What will they do if their patience has reached its limit, and everything turn to rage?

One thing for sure, I learned a lot from this book. This story is very real, we can also live their life. There are many "what if" in marriage, that could bring us to failure. One of them is the existence of kids. This book asks us to rethink our true reason to get married. Do we get married just for having kids? Or, do we get married to complete our life by spending the rest of our life with our soulmate? There is no right or wrong answers because we all have our own perception of marriage purpose. So do Tata and Rahmat.

So, I am not exaggerating when I say "Don't get married before reading this book!" (as Hagi Hagiromo says in its cover). For you who will get married soon, it's not too late to rush to the nearest book shop and get a copy! :D


Happy reading, couples!

Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella

Few days ago, when I was writing a post for MINDCUBE, suddenly I was reminded to my Shopaholic collection. They are settled peacefully in my book shelf at home. Coincidentally, I was going to go home that day (for you, who haven't known yet, now I stay in Jakarta, while my hometown is in Sukabumi, little town, which is 4 hours-distance from Jakarta. Ah, google it. :) ) So, yesterday, I dismantled my collection to find out those books, and re-read them.

There are five books, include:

1. Confession of Shopaholic

2. Shopaholic Abroad

3. Shopaholic Ties The Knot

4. Shopaholic & Sister

5. Shopaholic & Baby

First, I was gonna to post each series in different posts, but well, I thought about it again, and revealed that they are must united. They essentially tells about life of Rebecca Bloomwood, a journalist from England. She loves to shop, oh, who's the girls on earth don't? But Becky, that's what she used to be called, has addiction about it. She has a thousand reasons to shop continuously. Nothing can stop her. Even, when her bank manager mails her, and say she has exceeded her credit card limit, she still find a way to get chance for shopping. Becky, oh Becky, I am sure, most of you, girls, will be grinning while reading the book, and think, "Oh, it's so me!". Well, i do that! Except, credit card part, and lying part.

First book share us life of single Becky, who spends her money irresponsibly, whereas she works as financial journalist! Ironic, huh? Then, she meets Luke, who's gonna be her soulmate later through funny accident. And, how finally she gets so much trouble because of her shopping habit. (Girls, read it carefully!)

And in second book, for the first time, Becky goes abroad! She visits New York, in order to Luke's job (oh yes, they are getting more serious here), and goes mad when she hangs out, and find a lot of fancy shops there! Branded things with cheap prizes! Madly, Becky always assume dollar as toy's money, because it's look unreal than poundsterling! Ooooh, big problem! When she finally faces bankruptcy, she realizes that her relationship with Luke is also broken. How can she fix it? Becky, of course can do it!

Well, short story (oh, please apologize for my laziness to review all of book), next three books tells phases of Becky's life later. How she gets married with Luke (even their marriage run dramatic! Should I say that Becky can't choose one of dress to be her wedding dress? She buys five! Holy moly), then she finds that actually she has a sister (who doesn't like to shop at all. I am serious. Can you imagine how disappointed Becky is, where she has imagined to shop together with her sister?), and gets a baby!!! Lucky baby, as a mother, Becky has bought a lot of things to you. She even plans to bought baby box with NASA technology! Superb!

Oh, well, I am a bit overjoyed. Shopaholic series are light, simple readings, you don't have to think too hard while reading them. But, the spirit (ladies, be prepared! you'll read many brands that could make you drooling over!), and messages included there. It's not about shopping, and spending your money to unimportant stuffs. We can find many messages here, affected with family and friendship, and love relationship of course. You'll learn what's most important in life, and take care of it carefully.
Interesting, funny, hilarious. One complete package for you. And, oh, guys, maybe you should read them too to know what's inside girl's head.

TWO DAYS UNTIL I CLOSE MY GIVEAWAY!

The Village Bride of Beverly Hills by Kavita Daswani

Summary

After matchmaking in India, Priya moves with Sanjay, her husband to Los Angeles, and share their house with her husband’s family. Responsibility as daughter in law from traditional family requires her to complete all household task, cooking, cleaning and tidying house, and because she hasn’t got pregnant, she ought to seek a job.
Anyway, she gets expected job, but unfortunately her parents in law are bothered with this. Priya should survive with double life, as an obedient wife, and as a journalist, which is kept quiet from her parents in law.
Uneasily, Sanjay obey his parents far too much. What makes it more complicated, Sanjay has discerned with Priya just for a week before marriage! Could their fragile love survive against of collision between tradition and ambition?

Two thumbs up for Kavita Daswani! She successfully accumulates complicated life, which is happened to a family who still heading towards tradition. The setting takes India family; Daswani tells us that it’s so familiar if every marriage began with matchmaking. Daughters, especially, should receive her spouse that have been chosen for her in all modesty, and believe her family has decided the best for her. Priya is one of them. With her elder sisters’ failure in marriage, she has to try not repeating it, or she’ll disappoint her parents.
First, we’ll be brought to see how excited Priya is, when she first go abroad from India. She get a bit disoriented when she have to live in big city, it is fun to read how she learns everything one by one. Problem comes, when she doesn’t get pregnant, her mother in law forces her to look for a job. We can see she is kind of confused; India wives shouldn’t get a job besides taking care of their husband. But Priya has no other choice, for pleasing her parents in law; she tries to find a job.
It’s annoying to witness how Sanjay’s parents intruded into Priya and Sanjay’s marriage. Priya doesn’t have any authority to manage her own life, and for honor sake, she follows every Sanjay’s parent’s rules. It is described that frequently Priya tries to put her relationship with Sanjay, which is broken because of Sanjay’s parents’ accusations, back together, but seemingly Sanjay trusts his parents more than everything. Priya often think to come back to India, but she doesn’t want disappoint anyone from her family. In India, divorced widows are having bad reputation. She’s petrified with that.
I’ve learned a lot from this story. Obviously, it’s presenting for women. Living in developing country, where many families still hold on old tradition, it clearly tells that wife should obey her husband. Husband is leader of family, his words is law. But, after all, we should be strong. As a woman, we still have right to maintain our quality life. I am not a feminist, I still believe, serving our husband is our duty. But, don’t forget to think about yourselves. Are you happy? Is your opinion heard? Many women are scared of neighborhood rumors if they are getting brave and demand for her rights. Priya teaches me lot. I don’t want what has been going on with Priya, falling on all of us. It’s important to know better your husband-to be, discuss about your future life, what you will reach in life.
Good lesson. One of educating chicklit, and must-read items for you who will get married, or even for you who married!!

I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson

Are you a career woman? Or a housewife? Any choice that you've picked, of course, you've already known its consequences.

Kate Reddy. A working mom with two beautiful children. Cute Emily, 6 years old, and Ben, 18 months. Kate works as hedge-fund manager, lives her life across the continent, between London, Washington, Rome, and still fight to prepare her daughter needs for school. Can you imagine how messy her life is?

Drama which been lived by most of woman now. Choose to get work, but abandon big part of your life behind, or stay at home, and replace all your knowledge that you've got difficultly in college by home and child-caring skill. Kate tries hard to get through both of them, but at least, each can only catch a half from her quality. Imagine, if you just fly across the country, having a jet lag, and when you arrive at home, you find an invitation from your daughter's school that tomorrow, she has to bring her home-made food for a festival? Would you like to buy something in department store and fake it, so it seems like your cooking, though it means you lie to your daughter and her friends? Or you just try reunite all remain materials in your kitchen, and make something with your remain power? You'll see this trouble in Kate's daily life, and for you, mom to-be, maybe it's your life then.

Not intend to scare working mom, who I know, must be trying hard to get the best for their children, but this book give you the fact. Children need you too, they need your time, they need you to come to their parents meeting, they need you to make them cookies, they need you to choose what color will they wear for this day. And this book will force you to believe, no matter how oldies it is, a wife must act like a home for her family.

PS. Ring a bell, ring a bell!!! Follow this blog, and you'll get a chance to get free books from my first giveaway, after it reaches 20 followers!!