2012 Book Resolution

I’m currently in Bali, and I’ve been telling myself to start blogging about my days in Bali, yet have also been procrastinating so far, so I thought I’ll just write something in between.

So earlier today, my mom’s friends and I have been relaxing in the hotel, as we’ve occupied ourselves in the previous days with heaps and heaps of activities. So today’s theme is definitely relaxing. Then later today, finally we went out shopping (well, most of us) in Kuta Square, and so my mum and I went inside Matahari in Kuta Square only to draw some cash from the ATM machine. Apparently, as we strolled along, we passed Times.

Oh the stupid nerd, geek, silly old me.

Just in case you have no idea what is Times or what ‘Times‘ I’m talking about, Times is a bookstore.

Uh-oh.

A bookstore selling only imported books, and most of them are English.

UH-OH with big letters.

So why it mattered?

Because that’s where my mum had to suffer and stuck with me for a while as I spent hours browsing with hungry eyes, the books and novels.

Lord sweet Lord, they have Coelho’s By The River of Piedra I Sat Down and Wept!

My mum left me for a while to do some window shopping, and by the time she got back, I still haven’t finished.

Oh, seriously, like she doesn’t know me at all.

So as she waited impatiently, I finally ended up buying Coelho’s and boy, they have Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro too!

I swear I was jumping in excitement–literally–in Times.

* * *

Now I’m taking a short break in The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf near Matahari, and while I was browsing the internet, opening facebook, resuming my downloads, I also remembered that earlier in Times I saw a novel that seemed interesting. Yet, because I’ve never heard of the title, nor the author alone, I decided it would be quite risky to buy it. I’d probably get disappointed–especially because the book is quite expensive, considering I already had two books in my hand, and I had not the slightest intention to let them go.

So, if I should make any New Year’s resolution, the only resolution that I would make is probably a new reading list. It’s the least I can do, considering I’m an excellent procrastinator. I can tell myself that I’d definitely stop scratching my pimples, or stop cutting my hair, but I don’t even have the faith in myself. With books and novels, it’s different. At least, out of–let’s say… 10 books, I could at least make 7 by the end of next year. So here goes my list for books that I want to have, or at least read:

• Map of the Invisible World by Tash Aw
  
  This is the book that I saw earlier in Times, and then browsed in the internet for the review. The review and summary quite interest me, so I thought I’d give it a try. Maybe next time I go to Times. Or I could always find the ebook. Perhaps anyone who’d ever read this can confirm how good this book is?
• Any book by Jostein Gaarder
  He’s definitely my favorite author, and I would love any of his book. ANY.
•  The Year Living Dangerously by Christopher Koch
  
  Watched the movie, and now getting curious of the  novel.
• The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
  
  A friend told me about this book after a vivid conversation about books that we like. Apparently we have something in common: we both like similar themes about cross-cultural understanding. And then she gave me this title.
•  Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
  
  As I wrote my Bird by Bird journal, a blogger friend recommended this book to me. As I’m making it a habit to read things that are recommended and offered to me, this book is definitely on my list.
• Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
  
  I thought this one is also by Lamott, but as I googled it, apparently Natalie Goldberg wrote it instead. My Safari’s still loading while I’m gathering information about this book, but similar to Traveling Mercies, this was also recommended by a fellow blogger when she read my Bird by Bird journal.
• Daughters of Shame by Jasvinder Sanghera
  
  I was considering this book before I finally bought Ugly by Constance Briscoe. This one seems interesting, and this is also related with the cross-cultural theme that I’m into, so I’m not crossing this out yet.
• Room by Emma Donoghue
  
  This too, was into the consideration before I bought Ugly. I saw this one as well earlier in Times, but oh well, Coelho won. I just need to save some more money to buy this one later. Perhaps someone could give me more teaser about this book?
• The Quiet American by Graham Greene
  
  Another recommendation by a friend. She saw me reading Monkey Bridge by Lan Cao, followed by a conversation, ended up with me telling her that I want to get my hands on Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley (got the book already now, thanks to Danielle), and then she told me about this book. Still on my list!
• Juktaposisi: Cerita tuhan mati by Calvin Michel Sidjaja
  
  A recommendation from a friend as well. As soon as he found out that I’m also interested in themes revolving in religion/agnosticism/atheism (which should explains why I love Gaarder’s The Castle in the Pyrenees so much), he told me about this philosophical book.
• 170.8 FM Radio Negeri Biru by F. X. Rudy Gunawan
  
  Recommended by the same friend who told me about Juktaposisi. Reading the review, I suppose this one is also philosophical. About God. About life. Not crossing this one out.
•  Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
  
  Reading the plot summary in Wikipedia (didn’t finish reading, though), this seems like a heartbreaking story. And a tearjerker as well. I usually love stories with intense emotions. But I usually avoid tearjerker as well. Not that I hate it, it’s just… I’d usually prefer to avoid it. As a proof, even after several months possessing Flags of Our Fathers, the book that I’ve been dreading and dreading for months, I still haven’t touched it. Because I know my eyes would swell just like when I was watching the movie Iris. By the end of the movie, you could see a huge pile of tissue next to my bed, and ON my bed as well. I’d probably read this after I read the other books.

I think that would be all. I’d probably update it once I got another recommendation. But whew! Now that I finished the list, I finally realized how long it actually is! Not to mention I still want to collect Phillipa Gregory’s books. Now how the hell should I actually accomplish this resolution?