And The Winner Goes To....

Many creative and crazy ideas from my latest giveaway. Well, I am excited reading your imagination, and wish that someday you can realize your dream birthday.
I had no birthday party, but being surrounded by people who I love and love me is greatest bliss for me. For you too, I am sure. I feel so glad that I could share little happiness to all of you. Maybe I can choose you all to receive this gift(that's my biggest regret, I am so sorry), but you all have brought joy to me. I couldn't stop smiling while reading your answers. Birthday is special day, and you all wake my wildest dream to create an amazing birthday party someday.

So, here it is the winner of my giveaway.

1. If Only It Were True - Noor's blog (inside of me)
2. Paviliun Maria - Cie
3. Kembalinya Sherlock Holmes - miss bibliophile
4. A Little Princess - Fanda 
5. Matilda - Reni
6. The Hobbit - Winter 
7. The Opposite of Fate - papillonianz

You are having really nice dreams! well, actually you all are! But too bad, too bad.. I should pick just seven winners. Thanks for participating, and don't forget to always visit Books of Dela because I still have many ideas for giveaway! :)


For winners, congrats! Email your full name and complete address at yuliadeladacrea@yahoo.com, and I'll send your books soon. Enjoy reading, and keep telling me how the book is.

Marmut Merah Jambu by Raditya Dika

Have you joined my latest giveaway? I prepare seven free books, you have to join it if you haven't. :)

So, late reading, yes. My friend just brought me Marmut Merah Jambu by Raditya Dika. By reading his previous book, I was thinking it just another comedy book. Oh, yes it is. But let me tell you.

Thirteen short stories. Or should I say thirteen sweet love stories? Yes, a bit different from his previous books, Radith tried to insert some romantic favors here. Love is all around. Maybe, we used to see Radith as a comedian, hilarious person who always makes people laugh, weird act. But he's a human too. He's falling in love. He wants to being loved in return. He can be serious if he want to.

Too serious? Don't worry, Radith still comes with his usual jokes, fresh and amusing. Even in a very bitter ending, he's still able to find bright sides, and makes us rethink about what we've felt all this time. Are we falling in love? Have we found our soulmate?

From teenage love stories until mature ones, we are brought to see different life of Raditya Dika. The stories are similar with what happened to all of us, so it's like standing in the mirror, considering our own life. One of my favorite chapter called "How I Meet You, Not Your Mother". He says that we all are destined to meet somebody. Cosmos prepares it for us. He calls it cosmological coincidence. That everyone has their fate, their own line, and maybe sometimes the lines will intersect each other. How beautiful. :)

So, Raditya Dika has been succeed to bring out his mature side. I am falling for this book, hey, I even sacrifice my sleeping time for completing this book!! :)

BIRTHDAY BASH : Another Giveaway!!

Bad blogger. Yes, it's me. I am not going to ask apologize, it's really my fault, I couldn't spare some times for updating, even reading books in my rushing activities this month. But, I am gonna try something to compensate my hiatus.

ANOTHER GIVEAWAY! YAY!

So, this is it. By the end July, I will turn into 22. Wow, it's hard to believe that I've through such as many years in my life. I am so grateful and feel blessed of my life. That's why I arrange this giveaway. To share my happiness. With all of you. :)


Some people have suggested what book they want for this giveaway, and I really appreciate it. I am sorry (again), if I can't fulfill your wish. I have limited capability, but still, I hope you can participate here. So, these are books that I want to share FOR FREE.

1. If Only It Were True - Marc Levy, published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

2. Paviliun Maria - V Lestari published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

3. Kembalinya Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

4. A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett published by Wordsworth Classic.

5. Matilda - Rpald Dahl published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

6. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

 

7. The Opposite of Fate - Amy Tan published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

So, what you have to do is..
1. It'll be nice if you are one of this blog followers. :)
2. For Indonesian only, I am sorry... :(
3. Share with me, what is your craziest dream of birthday party? What do you want for its theme, who will you invite, or maybe the stars who will perform in your party? Be creative!
4. Share your dream in comments box, don't forget to choose ONE from those books above, and insert your email.
5. It will be very kind of you, if you want to tell your friends about this giveaway. :)


I will close this giveaway on July 30th, exactly on my birthday, :) and announce the winner in the beginning of August. So hurry, fill me up with your dreams!!!

Interview with Sitta Karina

I was very excited to feature this author. Sitta Karina, in my opinion, is one of best author in Indonesia. The way she writes, makes everyone who reading her story feel special. She writes many books, some of them are family related fiction, well-known as Hanafiah. Sitta tells story from every members of Hanafiah family attractively. Beside Hanafiah, Sitta also writes fantasy story, and some articles for CosmoGirl! Indonesia. Here is my interview with her. Lucky me, she was able to make time for answering some questions while she is busy with deadlines, and of course her pregnancy. :)

(image from sittakarina.com)

Hello Sitta. As everyone knows, you are famed by writing Hanafiah story. Hanafiah is recognized as wealthy family, who have sophisticated lifestyle. Well, I wonder if you have any idea to create another family story, but with different background, for example middle life?

Of course, and actually I've already had. Social background in "Kencana" and "Circa" is coming from middle circle, indeed. So will Syadiran and Aslan's family. Thing that should be concerned is there are some kinds of middle circle nowadays. Lot of people ride BMW and Benz, whereas they are coming from middle circle. But, they are strong middle class people, not old money people, like conglomerate or former official who settle in Menteng.

Some of Hanafiah character seems to be real for readers. They even have twitter account. Are they real? Or maybe Sitta was inspired by someone when creating them?

Basically, their characters are combination of a few people's character that I've already known and recognize. If it said real, yes, they are real. Although in the story, the characters are combined with my own imagination.

Many loyal readers are waiting for next Hanafiah story. Who is next character who will be appointed to your next book?

I am actually having a "break" in writing Hanafiah. But to fulfill your request, there is novelette about Reno Hanafiah, titled "Dunia Mara", which will published as E-Book.

From all of your character, I personally love Austin Hanafiah in Titanium. If someday, Titanium will be filmed, who's most appropriate actor to perform Austin?

Honestly I have no idea. I think there's no suitable local actor to perform Austin's role now.

Last question. Beside writing, what's you favorite activity in spare time?

Playing with my husband and son. They are my center of life. :)

That's it! Thank you Sitta, we're absolutely waiting impatiently for your new book! :) You can reach Sitta Karina by visiting her website, or follow her twitter!

Can You Help Me?

I've been busy this whole week, and it could be said that I almost had no time for reading. So, please apologize if you haven't found any newest reviews here.

Well, June is coming! I had great May, and hopefully June will be as well too. I'll arrange a HUGE GIVEAWAY in July. I will prepare A LOT OF BOOKS. Hahaha, hope you all interested. My birthday is on July, and of course I am gonna sharing my happiness to you. Well, I am growing older, but it really doesn't matter right?

To make sure that you are going to get happy, I'd like to invite you to tell me what books should I prepare for the giveaway. Maybe you have to wait for a month, but feel free to share what books do you want to get for free. Comment here, share, you can insert one, two, three, as many as you can! XD

Waiting for your entries here. Or you can tweet me @deladacrea!


X
Dela

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

What does it mean to be a good mother?
How far would you go in the name of love -- and justice?

Summary

In the course of her everyday work, career-driven assistant district attorney Nina Frost prosecutes child molesters and works determinedly to ensure that a legal system with too many loopholes keeps these criminals behind bars. But when her own five-year-old son, Nathaniel, is traumatized by a sexual assault, Nina and her husband, Caleb, a quiet and methodical stone mason, are shattered, ripped apart by an enraging sense of helplessness in the face of a futile justice system that Nina knows all too well. In a heartbeat, Nina's absolute truths and convictions are turned upside down, and she hurtles toward a plan to exact her own justice for her son -- no matter the consequence, whatever the sacrifice.

I was crying while reading this book. I swear I never felt heart-broken before while reading a book. In middle of page, I even put off it and almost decided not to finish it. It's too hurting. But, as I am a bookworm, I took it back, and started reading again. For everyone, who have read Sister's Keeper, or Salem Falls, should have known how Picoult aware about morality and law, how it can be opposite but sometimes mistakes should be executed to get better life. Maybe we have to take very hard decision, which break a law, but we think that it should be done for our future.

That's what Nina Frost does. She is an attorney, but also a mother. Her feeling is broken when she knows Nathaniel, her son, becoming sex violence victim. While Nathaniel is traumatized, he becomes mute, and not able to inform who had performed it to him. Nathaniel, who was active kid before, like to ask around, talkative, turns to vegetative boy, silent, and often try to do suicidal.

When Nathaniel finally tells Nina who's the offender, Nina must take reality that imperfect States law of sex assault can give freedom to suspect. So, Nina takes a decision, brave decision, which able to change her life forever.

I even can't choose side here. I know that Nina is doing mistakes, very huge one, but for God sake, she is doing it for her son. I'll have no idea what am I gonna to do, if I am in her position. Nina have to sacrifice everything to protect her son, and maybe other children, who maybe will be treated the same, if they release the suspect. So once again, right and wrong is gray area, huh? We'll never know the difference. It always change in different condition.

Vice Versa by Alanda Kariza

'

" Koreksi saya jika salah, tapi saya merasa Tuhan telah memilihkan kamu untuk saya." (Yudhis - Bunga)

Do you believe in love at first sight? Or fairy tale, which states that you'll meet your prince charming and live happily ever after? That's what Diandra believes inside her heart. That someday, she will find her prince, marry him, and live happy life together. So, what's going on next, when she should marry with Yudhis, her mother's choice, man coming nowhere, and she even hasn't known him before! Will their marriage work? Or, maybe Diandra will leave Yudhis, and try to find her true love?


That's synopsis of Bunga, one of 18 short stories written by young writer, Alanda Kariza. Remember her? I was once interviewing her a moment before her stories compilation is published. I was so excited for waiting her book launching, but too bad because of some family business, I couldn't be there. But still, I bought her book, without any expectations.

Be honest, I was assuming this book as teenlit. You know, some love story for teenagers, which is always ending happily, or impossible love that happened between two teenagers, but finally after all they can reunite. But, when I read first story, Vice Versa, I know I've been wrong. Yes, it's a book of love story, but Alanda writes it maturely. The characters are varied, from adults, teens, even kids. Variety love is written here. Love to our lover. Love to our family. Love to our dream. Every stories have different ending, and they're all meaningful. Honestly, I don't believe it's all coming out from 19's Alanda. It's compliment, dear! :)


My favorite piece is Bunga, love story between Yudhis and Diandra, which is shared above. I obviously learn a lot from their relationship. Then, 98. Breathtaking. Rumah Impian Annisa. Touching. Buku dan Gula Ayah. Inspiring. Oh, should I mention them one by one? I am pretty sure you'll love this book. I've only spent an hour to read this book, but after that I reopen it from beginning and start to re-read my favorite story. Thank you, Alanda. I have learned a lot from you in an hour. :)

Good job, Terrant! And if I may give a little suggestion, I think this book is a bit expensive. Well, I know you provide extra discount for ordering it in your website, but some people have more satisfaction when they go to bookstore, and pick and buy it by themselves. But anyway, don't bother it. Keep publishing our young's creations.