Welcome to August, guys! But also, how is it August already? I swear the year just started a week ago or something. Now, before we move on to a new month, let me give you a little recap: July was the month when I bought the most books. So much so, that I nearly broke the bank, so to speak. By the end of it, I wondered where all my money went and, after careful calculation, it turns out I spent nearly IDR 770.000,- (which is equivalent to US$47, though I guess in dollars it don’t feel like a lot, but trust me—it’s a lot!). In exchange, I got myself 8 new volumes to add to the shelf, so it’s not all bad, actually.
Since it feels like such a large number, I thought I would pay tribute to…spending? (LOL idk) in a blog post. The books vary greatly, actually. There are a few classics, a translated book (from Dutch!), a nonfiction, a graphic novel and even an art book! Huh, looking back it has been such a great choice to spend on this bunch. Plus, most of them are bought secondhand and the new one was to support an idol/online friend (lol manifesting here)—super proud of myself for that. So here you go!
Welcome to August, guys! But also, how is it August already? I swear the year just started a week ago or something. Now, before we move on to a new month, let me give you a little recap: July was the month when I bought the most books. So much so, that I nearly broke the bank, so to speak. By the end of it, I wondered where all my money went and, after careful calculation, it turns out I spent nearly IDR 770.000,- (which is equivalent to US$47, though I guess in dollars it don’t feel like a lot, but trust me—it’s a lot!). In exchange, I got myself 8 new volumes to add to the shelf, so it’s not all bad, actually.
Since it feels like such a large number, I thought I would pay tribute to…spending? (LOL idk) in a blog post. The books vary greatly, actually. There are a few classics, a translated book (from Dutch!), a nonfiction, a graphic novel and even an art book! Huh, looking back it has been such a great choice to spend on this bunch. Plus, most of them are bought secondhand and the new one was to support an idol/online friend (lol manifesting here)—super proud of myself for that. So here you go!
The Dinner
by Herman Koch
Bought from In Love with Books
This is the book I’m reading as we speak. Ever since I heard Sanne (Books and Quills) talk about it, I’ve been pretty curious to read this title too.
This Dutch book tells the story of one fateful, double-date dinner joined by two brothers and their wives one summer’s evening in Amsterdam. We read the story from the point-of-view of Paul Lohman, whose brother Serge Lohman is—as far as I can deduce–is a famous political figure. Although from the start the dinner seems innocent enough, the telling of the story and the narrator’s sentiment towards everyone else slowly but surely reveals something more sinister underneath. Such a hard book to put down, the suspense is killing me. As I understand it, this book was turned into a movie in 2017.
The Dinner
by Herman Koch
Bought from In Love with Books
This is the book I’m reading as we speak. Ever since I heard Sanne (Books and Quills) talk about it, I’ve been pretty curious to read this title too.
This Dutch book tells the story of one fateful, double-date dinner joined by two brothers and their wives one summer’s evening in Amsterdam. We read the story from the point-of-view of Paul Lohman, whose brother Serge Lohman is—as far as I can deduce–is a famous political figure. Although from the start the dinner seems innocent enough, the telling of the story and the narrator’s sentiment towards everyone else slowly but surely reveals something more sinister underneath. Such a hard book to put down, the suspense is killing me. As I understand it, this book was turned into a movie in 2017.
Bring the Noise
by Simon Reynolds
Bought from In Love with Books
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about music before, but I’ve always been intrigued by the industry—even more so now with a boyfriend who’s an avid enthusiast and an office filled with musicians. So when I saw this book at a local, online used bookstore, I had to have my hands on it right away.
Written by Simon Reynolds, a proficient music writer, this book chronicles hip hop and alternative rock’s competing claims to be the new sound of music in the early 2000s—through interviews, reviews, essays and features. I think it’s easy to see that I have a horse in this race—alternative rock is my absolute jam!—but I’m also interested to learn more about hip hop, since my boss loves the genre so much. Here we go!
Bring the Noise
by Simon Reynolds
Bought from In Love with Books
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about music before, but I’ve always been intrigued by the industry—even more so now with a boyfriend who’s an avid enthusiast and an office filled with musicians. So when I saw this book at a local, online used bookstore, I had to have my hands on it right away.
Written by Simon Reynolds, a proficient music writer, this book chronicles hip hop and alternative rock’s competing claims to be the new sound of music in the early 2000s—through interviews, reviews, essays and features. I think it’s easy to see that I have a horse in this race—alternative rock is my absolute jam!—but I’m also interested to learn more about hip hop, since my boss loves the genre so much. Here we go!
Life As I Know It
by Emte
Bought from Dialogue Artspace
If you read my previous blog post or watched my recent vlog, you will know that one of my idols Emte launched his second book this month—and I was invited to the book launch. Of course, I had to buy the book then. The book was signed and doodled, making it ever more precious.
While the first book celebrates our pre-pandemic era, the second book highlights the joy of being alone or enjoying one’s own company. The difference with its prequel is its text-heavy preface—making it not entirely without words. It contains around 250 illustrations, encompassing different aspects of life and all of which are painted with watercolour. I love how Mas Emte uses colour, creating different palettes for different sections of the book. Simply brilliant!
Life As I Know It
by Emte
Bought from Dialogue Artspace
If you read my previous blog post or watched my recent vlog, you will know that one of my idols Emte launched his second book this month—and I was invited to the book launch. Of course, I had to buy the book then. The book was signed and doodled, making it ever more precious.
While the first book celebrates our pre-pandemic era, the second book highlights the joy of being alone or enjoying one’s own company. The difference with its prequel is its text-heavy preface—making it not entirely without words. It contains around 250 illustrations, encompassing different aspects of life and all of which are painted with watercolour. I love how Mas Emte uses colour, creating different palettes for different sections of the book. Simply brilliant!
The Time Is Noon
Dragon Seed
The Three Daughters of Madame Liang
by Pearl S. Buck
Bought from Thriftboox
I bought this as one set from Thriftboox‘s clearance sale. Pearl S. Buck is one of the many authors that have piqued my interest, since I found her name in Romancing the East—a book that lists a bunch of Western authors who’ve written about Asia under various lights. This book has been guiding my TBR for almost 10 years—and I haven’t even made a dent. Not going to lie, none of these titles are the ones listed in the aforementioned book, but I thought I’d dip my toe in PSB’s portfolio a little bit. That being said, two of them are set in Asia or have an Asian background, so I think it’ll give me a good idea of how she writes about the continent.
The Time Is Noon
Dragon Seed
The Three Daughters of Madame Liang
by Pearl S. Buck
Bought from Thriftboox
I bought this as one set from Thriftboox‘s clearance sale. Pearl S. Buck is one of the many authors that have piqued my interest, since I found her name in Romancing the East—a book that lists a bunch of Western authors who’ve written about Asia under various lights. This book has been guiding my TBR for almost 10 years—and I haven’t even made a dent. Not going to lie, none of these titles are the ones listed in the aforementioned book, but I thought I’d dip my toe in PSB’s portfolio a little bit. That being said, two of them are set in Asia or have an Asian background, so I think it’ll give me a good idea of how she writes about the continent.
Lord Jim
by Joseph Conrad
Bought from Thriftboox
Another one from Thriftboox‘s clearance sale, and another author mentioned by Romancing the East—only this time it’s the exact title mentioned in the book. Unlike Pearl S. Buck, though, Joseph Conrad doesn’t intrigue me as much. However, upon reading the synopsis of this book—literally just now—I’m super excited to read it.
The story follows a young British seaman—named Jim, of course—who becomes first mate on the Patna, a ship full of pilgrims travelling to Mecca for the hajj. When the ship unfortunately faces disaster, Jim and the other crew members follow the captain’s lead in abandoning the ship and its passengers—a choice he has to face later on.
Lord Jim
by Joseph Conrad
Bought from Thriftboox
Another one from Thriftboox‘s clearance sale, and another author mentioned by Romancing the East—only this time it’s the exact title mentioned in the book. Unlike Pearl S. Buck, though, Joseph Conrad doesn’t intrigue me as much. However, upon reading the synopsis of this book—literally just now—I’m super excited to read it.
The story follows a young British seaman—named Jim, of course—who becomes first mate on the Patna, a ship full of pilgrims travelling to Mecca for the hajj. When the ship unfortunately faces disaster, Jim and the other crew members follow the captain’s lead in abandoning the ship and its passengers—a choice he has to face later on.
Lunar Boy
by Jes & Cin Wibowo
Bought from Transit Bookstore
For ages, I feel like I’ve been super intrigued by this graphic novel. Written by twin Indonesian illustrators, this book was curiously published by a US publisher—I suppose, due to its subject matter that wouldn’t fly in this godforsaken country.
It’s a coming-of-age story of a boy named Indu who lives on the moon and has to live on earth with his new blended family. However, he finds it hard to fit in and doesn’t feel like he belongs. This, I believe, is an analogy on the immigrant experience—with little hints of queerness that doesn’t make this a coming-out story. I love how they mix the languages, using English and Indonesian to really emphasise the language barrier and culture shock. I’m so excited to read it!
Lunar Boy
by Jes & Cin Wibowo
Bought from Transit Bookstore
For ages, I feel like I’ve been super intrigued by this graphic novel. Written by twin Indonesian illustrators, this book was curiously published by a US publisher—I suppose, due to its subject matter that wouldn’t fly in this godforsaken country.
It’s a coming-of-age story of a boy named Indu who lives on the moon and has to live on earth with his new blended family. However, he finds it hard to fit in and doesn’t feel like he belongs. This, I believe, is an analogy on the immigrant experience—with little hints of queerness that doesn’t make this a coming-out story. I love how they mix the languages, using English and Indonesian to really emphasise the language barrier and culture shock. I’m so excited to read it!
Flip through the Pages
These days if I go to a regular bookstore—not used ones, I would look at the titles and recognise almost none of them. I realise that I’ve been so out of the loop of the pop, mainstream book market. Even as my friends at work talk about titles they’re excited to read, I haven’t heard of most of them. Perhaps it’s also because the genres we read differ greatly as well—is this a sign of my getting old? All that is to say that I’m happy with shopping on used bookstores, especially stores that sell vintage and rare books. I’m so happy to find a few places like that this year—the ones mentioned here are only a tiny example. If you’d like, I might compile them into a post sometime. But let me finish these titles first, please.
What are you currently reading?
Do share in the comments!
These days if I go to a regular bookstore—not used ones, I would look at the titles and recognise almost none of them. I realise that I’ve been so out of the loop of the pop, mainstream book market. Even as my friends at work talk about titles they’re excited to read, I haven’t heard of most of them. Perhaps it’s also because the genres we read differ greatly as well—is this a sign of my getting old? All that is to say that I’m happy with shopping on used bookstores, especially stores that sell vintage and rare books. I’m so happy to find a few places like that this year—the ones mentioned here are only a tiny example. If you’d like, I might compile them into a post sometime. But let me finish these titles first, please.
What are you currently reading?
Do share in the comments!