Books I Read During the First Year of Parenthood

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It's been over a year since I last published a non-review post on this blog! 😮 I also find it hard to believe I've been a parent for over a year. As a reader, I naturally turned to books for parenting advice (after asking my friends who have become parents first). Since I don't have any more book reviews left to write at the moment, I want to take this opportunity to share some parenting books I've read during my first year of becoming a parent. In this post, I will only write short reviews for each book and talk about whether it's helpful for me or not. Hopefully, this post can help those planning to have a baby or about to have one 👶.

Book Review: Nonik Jamu by Rina Suryakusuma

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BOOK review

Started on: 6 July 2024
Finished on: 14 July 2024

 

Nonik Jamu by Rina Suryakusuma

 

Title: Nonik Jamu

Author: Rina Suryakusuma
Publisher: Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Pages: 272 pages
Year of Publication: 2024
Price: Rp 79,100 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 4/5

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"Kini ia percaya, tak ada yang mustahil dalam hidup. Jangan pernah batasi mimpi. Biarkan langit menjadi pagarnya."

Sejak kecil, Kinanti selalu membantu kedua orangtuanya menjaga toko kelontong milik keluarga mereka di Wonosobo. Ia memiliki impian agar suatu hari orangtuanya tidak perlu lagi bekerja terlalu keras seperti yang mereka lakukan selama ini. Seiring dengan bertambahnya usia Kinanti, ia menemukan tujuan hidup yang ia inginkan, yaitu menjadi peracik jamu. Pertemuannya dengan Pandu, anak pemilik Gudang Rempah, seolah menjadi pertanda bahwa semesta mendukung Kinanti mencapai impiannya. Namun dengan cara yang menyakitkan, Kinanti menyadari bahwa tidak semudah itu tujuannya dapat tercapai. Hingga Arumi muncul, dengan tekad untuk membalas sakit hati orangtuanya sekaligus mewujudkan mimpi yang tertunda selama bertahun-tahun. Dengan keteguhan dan kegigihan, Arumi bertekad untuk menggapai impian itu, apa pun taruhannya.

"Ia tetap berpegang teguh pada tekadnya, pada mimpinya untuk memetik bulan bagi ibunya."

Book Review: Funny Story by Emily Henry

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BOOK review

Started on: 5 June 2024
Finished on: 4 July 2024

 

Funny Story by Emily Henry

 

Title: Funny Story

Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 387 pages / 395 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2024
Price: Rp 410,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 5/5

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"If you don't give other people responsibility for your feelings, you can have a decent relationship with most of them." 

Daphne is about to marry her fiancé, Peter, who suddenly realizes he's actually in love with his childhood best friend, Petra. This is how Daphne's new chapter begins: stranded in Waning Bay with no friends or family, working as a children's librarian, and becoming roommates with the only person who could understand her predicament: Petra's ex-boyfriend, Miles. With his bright and friendly personality, Miles is the opposite of practical and buttoned-up Daphne—who doesn't let people know much about her. The two of them mainly avoid each other until they decide to form a plan, which involves posting misleading photos of their summer adventure together. They didn't expect their public display of affection to ignite a new chapter in their romantic life because it would be a funny story for Daphne to tell if she fell in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex.

Book Review: The Journey of Storytelling: Menghidupkan Cinta Lewat Cerita by Poetri Soehendro

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BOOK review

Started on: 31 May 2024
Finished on: 4 June 2024

 

The Journey of Storytelling: Menghidupkan Cinta Lewat Cerita by Poetri Soehendro

 

Title: The Journey of Storytelling: Menghidupkan Cinta Lewat Cerita

Author: Poetri Soehendro
Publisher: Kawan Pustaka

Pages: 176 pages
Year of Publication: 2024
Price: Rp 71,550 (https://www.gramedia.com/)

Rating: 4.5/5

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"Di situlah letak manfaat storytelling, contoh-contoh baik jadi lebih cepat masuk ke hati. Nasihat pun diterima dengan ikhlas. Apalagi sambil menikmati kehangatan bonding dengan Moms & Dads, maka trust untuk nasihat yang disampaikan akan terdengar indah di telinga anak."

Pada tahun 2000, Poetri Soehendro bekerja sebagai penyiar pagi yang bertugas dari jam 06.00 hingga jam 10.00 pagi. Salah seorang produser memberi ide untuk melakukan storytelling sebagai selingan. Klip storytelling 5 menit itu diberi nama Dongeng Pagi. Hal tersebut menjadi sebuah pengalaman manis baginya, terutama ketika mendengar bagaimana anak-anak yang mendengarkan Dongeng Pagi itu jadi punya jembatan komunikasi dengan orangtua mereka. Hingga suatu hari, Poetri Soehendro membangkitkan kembali talenta storytelling-nya dengan menuliskan buku ini. Melalui tulisannya, ia menyuguhkan beberapa riset terbaru terkait storytelling yang menarik untuk dibaca oleh para orangtua. Karena ternyata storytelling memiliki begitu banyak manfaat dan orangtua adalah storyteller terbaik untuk anaknya.

"Masalahnya, banyak orangtua mengejar storytelling justru untuk melemparkan macam-macam pesan moral pada anaknya. Bahkan ada yang disampaikan dengan cita rasa 'ngomel'. Kesempatan untuk ngomelin anak tipis-tipi. Anak itu sebenarnya paham kalau dia lagi disindir atau diomelin halus. Hebatnya anak itu tidak protes, hanya diam saja. Tapi, tanpa kita sadari lama-lama dia akan mengunci telinga dalam batinnya."

Book Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

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BOOK review

Started on: 2 May 2024
Finished on: 29 May 2024

 

Happy Place by Emily Henry

 

Title: Happy Place

Author: Emily Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 400 pages / 395 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2023
Price: Rp 260,000 (https://www.periplus.com/)

Rating: 4.5/5

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"I couldn't have imagined being any happier, loving anywhere else as much.

Not until Sabrina brought us here, to her family's summer home on the coast of Maine. Not until I met Wyn."

Harriet and Wyn have been together for almost ten years since they met in college. However, they broke up a few months ago and still haven't told their best friends. After not seeing each other for months, they suddenly had to share a bedroom at the Maine cottage where their friend group had held a yearly getaway for the last decade. It has been their annual escape from the real world, a blissful week when they could leave behind their daily lives and enjoy their time with the people closest to them. This year, Harriet and Wyn had to lie to their best friends while trying to hide the fact that they still desperately wanted each other. And because the cottage is for sale, this will be the last week they'll have together in this place. The two of them couldn't bring themselves to break their friends' hearts, so they decided to fake their relationship for one week in front of the people who knew them best.

"Think of your happy place, Harriet."

Book Review: Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

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BOOK review

Started on: 21 April 2024
Finished on: 2 May 2024

 

Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

 

Title: Untethered Sky

Author: Fonda Lee

Publisher: Tordotcom

Pages: 152 pages / 152 pages (e-book)
Year of Publication: 2023
Price: $5.99 (https://subterraneanpress.com)

Rating: 4/5

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"What I would give to return to those days, riding together across the country on a perfect morning, a roc balanced in the air above us like an angel guarding our happiness."

A manticore ruined Ester's life when it devoured her mother and baby brother, leaving her with nothing but her father's silence and the overwhelming need to kill the monster that took her family. And so she begins her journey in the King's Royal Mews, where giant rocs are flown to hunt manticores by trained and courageous ruhkers. Ester was paired with a fledgling roc named Zahra, with whom she found purpose and devoted her life to a calling that demanded absolute sacrifice. Their partnership leads Ester on the empire's most dangerous manticore hunt—which will challenge her perseverance.