Seven Wonders - The Colossus Rises - Peter Lerangis

I guess when your Blackberry died on you, good thing can come out of it.  Like reading a book that you've bought long time a go.

Yup.  My Blackberry died yesterday.  Or presumed be dead.  It came back on again tonight.  Yeah...my bad.  I guess when your unconscious mind is so set on iPhone5, the moment your Blackberry went off, you can't think of anything else other than "I need to change my mobile phone".  I just think of other option about why my Blackberry was dead, was when I took a shower in the afternoon.  And now, my Blackberry is back on.  And still no iPhone5 for me hahaha...

As I said before, since my Blackberry was dead yesterday, I decided to read this book.  I don't know why I chose to read this one, I haven't even finish reading The Great Gatsby.  Maybe after this.

Seven Wonder - The Colossus Rises is book one of the series.  I think the series called Seven Wonder, and the title of book one is The Colossus Rises.  A little bit like Percy Jackson series.

Bought this book because my friend, Sherley, want to know if this book is any good.  When I went to Kinokuniya, months ago, I read the first chapter and like it.  So I decided to buy. After 3 chapters, I stopped.  Not because I didn't like the story, but because I didn't have the time.  Until yesterday.

 Just one boy . . .
Jack McKinley is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. 

In six months, Jack is going to die.

Just one mission . . .
After Jack collapses in the middle of a busy street, he's whisked off to a strange hospital in a strange place. There are armed guards and weird kids and fantastic creatures, not to mention no parents, no phones, and no possibility of escape. The place is run by an odd professor named Bhegad, who tells Jack that what's killing him is a genetic trait inherited from the prince of a long-lost civilization. It's destroying Jack by making him too strong too fast. He'll need to stay strong, though—because it's up to him to save the world.

Just one problem . . .
That long-lost civilization sank when seven magic Loculi were stolen and hidden around the world. Now Jack and his friends must find the Loculi before they fall into the wrong hands. If they don't, they'll never be cured, that lost world will rise, oceans will be displaced, and life as we know it will pretty much end.

Seven wonders
No one ever asked Jack if he wanted to be a hero. He just has to be one. One kid. One mission. One big problem. 

Meet Jack McKinley. The story was told from his point of view. Later, Jack will meet Cass, who loves to talk backward (emosewa), Aly, the only girl who can hacked any computer since 9, and Marco, 13 years with a body like 16 and really really really god at any sport.

At first, what Jack really wants was to get back home (obviously), or at least get to call his dad, but alas...he can't.  After that, he found that even Cass, Aly and Marco doesn't even like being in the compound.  So, they try to run away. Apparently, that wasn't a good choice.  They get caught and have to back to the compound.  

It's not that Prof. Bhegad was a bad guy, they just didn't believe it.  I think it's right for them for questioning Prof. Bhegad, because the four of them can't even call on their parents or anyone, it likes they were kidnapped. 

Prof. Bhegad told them that they were descendants of the ruler of Atlantis.  The genetic trait they have called G7W, and mostly of them who has this trait, this marker on their DNA, can't live past age 14.  And for them to keep alive, is having a medical treatment, provided by Prof. Bhegad, and find elements of Atlantis power.  

Realized that they have no choice, the begin their training.  Marco trained martial arts, Aly trained with computer, and Cass...Cass is a human GPS, he can memorize any map, any route.  While Jack...well...he doesn't know what he can do.  He just know that he can do some tinkering, but along the way I think we all know what he can do.

Even though they're a little reluctant to trust Prof. Beghad, they begin to learn more about the Atlantis, about the elements of Atlantis power, and why the Atlantis was gone. And so, their adventure begin.
 

Reading the book, made me feel like I was playing "Mystery Case Files" without the hidden objects thing, and straight to the puzzle part.  The four of them need to solve quite a lot puzzle, or even create their own puzzle.  

If you like Percy Jackson series, I think you'll like this one too.  Full of adventure, along with some historical place and information. I really enjoy myself reading this book.

I can't help myself for comparing this story to Percy Jackson.  Maybe because Rick Riordan tells that this book is good, I don't know. Compared to PJ, the back story of Seven Wonders I think a little bit complicated.  I mean, until the end of the book I still don't know if Prof. Beghad really a good guy or the bad guy.  And the history about Jack, Cass, Aly, and Marco as the descendants of Atlantis King and Queen is also not quite explainable.  And the end of book one, is a cliffhanger.  Not like PJ series, where each book end with a finished quest, SW is not.  Maybe because PJ, like HP (why do I have to think back to HP??), each book is happened on certain set of times; summer camp, school term.

But despite it all, I still enjoying myself reading this book. 

Quartet

I read about this movie on a magazine and truthfully, I was interested about it instantly.  Simply just because its about four people, although it's four old people, who used to be a great musicians (opera singers) and now they have to live on a home for retired musicians.  Just read the word musicians my interest is pique right away hahaha...

I'm not a musicians, I can't even sing acapella, but I do love music.  Who doesn't?

So, Quartet is about Reg (Tom Courtenay), Wilf (Billy Connolly), Cissy (Pauline Collins), and their other friends, all of them are retired musicians, live on Beecham House.  They're going to have a gala on behalf of Verdi's birthday.  Everyone was expected to contribute something to the gala, either by singing or playing something. Preparation for the gala was having a bit of difficulty, since most of the prominent singers either died or choose not to participate. Until Jean (Maggie Smith) arrived.  Jean was (or still is) a diva.  The fact that she has to retire and live on a retired home, even its home for retired musicians, is really a humiliation for her.  And then, there's Reg.  Reg used to be married to Jean.  He didn't like that Jean was at the same home with him.  But, not only Reg who has connection with Jean.  Reg, Wilf, Cissy, and Jean used to be on Rigoletto together, and they were considered as THE Rigoletto of the post-war era. So, now having the quartet at the same time, at the same home, the director (Michael Gambon) really wish that the four of them willing to sing together.  Everybody agree, except Jean.

Even though it's a story about old people, but since it's about old musicians, I think I'll make an exception hahaha.  What I love about the movie is that it shows how music is still be a large part of their daily lives.  They teach kids, children about music, teach them piano or violin.  The play violins, piano, flute, almost all the time.  I know, there are other things than music on their mind, like getting old, forgetfulness, being sick, etc.  But I think it just show that they (old people) still have their lives, they still live.

And the music.  Can't forget the music.  Although most of it was operas, some of them are really familiar.

In the end, while the credit title was rolling, the pictures of the residents of Beecham House who is really a musicians was showed, including the picture when they were young.

And the ending of the movie...is really typical for English drama movie, although I remember that the director was Dustin Hoffman, who is an American...so...I think you should see it hahaha. The end is a happy end for me, but I can't help that I wish for oh I don't know...another five or ten more minutes....hahaha.
 

Rapid Fire Question

Oke...mau norak dulu sebelum menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang buanyak hahaha...

Mau norak karena...udah pernah liat yang model kayak beginian (saling lempar pertanyaan) dan seru juga pas baca di blognya orang-orang dan biasanya makin lama makin banyak yang baca...karena biasanya pertanyaan tersebut bakal digulir ke orang lain...dan gue seneng karena akhirnya ada yang ngajak ikutan hahaha...

Hm...mau ngomong lebih banyak sih...tapi mungkin nanti aja kali ya hahaha...kebiasaan banget nih ngoceh...

So...let's the questions be asked and answered!

Oh...I got this from my friend...Mia...thank you darling!

1. nambah atau ngurangin timbunan?
sejauh ini selalu nambah dan jarang ngurangin timbunan.  Kecuali kalo memang pas lagi clean up buku-buku lama (yang biasanya adalah buku-buku lama jenis harlequin yand dibeli taun 2000-an dulu)

2. pinjam atau beli buku?
90% beli buku soalnya males kalo kudu pinjem, suka lupa balikin.  bakal nyesel kalo ternyata demen sama ceritanya, malah berasa sia-sia kalo kudu beli lagi karena merasa udah baca.  lebih rela beli buku dan kemudian dikasih ke orang kalau kemudian enggak suka sama ceritanya.

3. baca buku atau nonton film?
selalu lebih memilih baca bukunya dulu baru nonton filmnya, tidak pernah nonton filmnya dulu baru baca bukunya.  memilih langsung nonton filmnya kalau enggka suka sama bukunya, tapi tertarik dengan jalan ceritanya dan filmnya (contoh Hunger Games - dsytopia is not my cup of tea)

4. beli buku online atau offline (ke toko buku yang temboknya bisa disentuh)?
kalo untuk urausan komik dan buku lokal, udah pasti langsung ke toko bukunya.  kalo untuk buku luar, 50-50.  Kadang ke toko bukunya, kadang online.  online kadang bisa lebih murah dan pilihannya lebih banyak.

5. (penting) buku bajakan atau ori?
hahahaha....tergantung.  buku ori jelas lebih bagus, tapi mengingat harga yang enggak bisa dibilang murah, buku bajakan jelas menggoda, terutama untuk pengarang yang belum pernah dibaca sama sekali.  Ujung-ujungnya, kalau memang tertarik banget, pasti beli ori-nya, apalagi kalau berseri.

6. gratisan atau diskonan?
hm...belum pernah dapet buku gratisan, tapi enggak nolak kalo dikasih.  diskonan? udah pasti kalap dan udah pasti belanja.  acara diskonan biasanya merupakan kesempatan untuk beli buku yang awalnya ragu-ragu untuk dibeli.

7. beli pre-order atau menanti dengan sabar?
sejauh ini, buku yang selalu beli pre-order adalah Harry Potter series, lalu satu kali (karena udah enggak sabar) Percu Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus yang Mark of Athena, dan terakhir yang akan datang Dan Brown punya karena iming-iming harga lebih murah. Jadi kalo disuruh milih antara pre-order atau menanti dengan sabar...kecuali Harry Potter bakal keluar lanjutannya, lebih milih menanti dengan sabar...toh tanggal rilis itu buku tetep sama antara yang pre-order dan yang tidak hahaha

8. buku asing (terjemahan) atau lokal?
buku lokal dan hanya pengarang tertentu.  Semenjak kuliah, sudah jarang banget baca buku terjemahan, terasa asing di mata *halah*.  Lebih milih langsung baca buku lokal daripada baca terjemahan yang kadang suka nyebelin terjemahannya.

9. pembatas buku penting atau biasa aja?
termasuk jarang yang pake pembatas buku.  entah kenapa.  mungkin karena enggak telaten juga kali ya, jadi selalu dibiarkan begitu saja.  

10. bookmark atau bungkus chicki?
bungkus chicki?? OMG! hahaha...enggak lah.  enggak dua-duanya juga :D

pertanyaan dari Mia
1. Haruki Murakami atau Pearl S. Buck
huhuhu...belum pernah baca dua-duanya...tapi kayaknya enggak dua-duanya deh...Murakami sepertinya termasuk kategori bacaan berat dan S. Buck too much drama dan puanjang....

2. buku motivasi yay or nay? kalau iya apa?
buku motivasi? sebenernya sih nay, tapi sempet baca the secret dan ternyata suka juga, meskipun enggak tamat juga sih bacanya hahaha.  tapi the secret termasuk buku motivasi bukan? 

3. review buku yang panjang, pendek, atau sedang.  alasannya?
semua buku.  panjang, pendek, atau sedang enggak masalah.  Kalao bukunya memang termasuk yang pantas dipuji (atau dicaci maki) ukurang enggak jadi masalah hahaha...

4. buku yang paling berkesan (yang paling lucu? yang paling bikin mewek?)
wah apa ya? yang paling berkesan...The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson.  terlalu kompleks untuk dijawab disini, tanpa membuat jawaban pertanyaan ini menjadi review buku The Gargoyle.

5. beli buku di mana, pilih salah satu dan apa alasannya. Amazon, Kinokuniya, Periplus, Book Depository, Better World Books?
haduh...cuma boleh jawab 1 ya? milih yang mana ya....soalnya semua udah pernah belnja, kecuali BWB.  Semua ada pro dan kontra nya...tapi kalo suruh milih mungkin Kinokuniya.  Kenapa? Karena ini yang pilihannya paling banyak dibandingkan Periplus.  Meskipun Book Depository lebih murah, tetep lebih seneng ke toko bukunya langsung hahaha...

ok...sekarang lima pertanyaan dari saya...
1. pernah nyoba audiobook? kalau belum, apakah tertarik? kalau sudah pernah, apakah masih tertarik?
2. selain alasan review dan/atau ringkasan cerita di cover belakang dan/atau nama pengarang, apa yang mendorong buku itu dibaca atau dibeli?
3. kapan saja baca buku? setiap ada waktu luang? sebelum tidur? atau ada waktu khusus?
4. buku apa yang dibaca langsung dari awal sampai akhir tanpa istirahat (kecuali untuk makan dan mandi dan urusan kamar mandi atau hal-hal emergency)?
5. buku apa yang meskipun ada versi filmnya tapi memilih untuk tidak menonton versi filmnya? Dan buku apa yang tidak dibaca tapi lebih langsung menonton filmnya?

yak demikian dari saya...RFQ ini saya lempar ke 3 orang saja, yang memang saya tahu mereview buku...semoga RFQ ini tetep bergulir...

Olivia at Little Red Riding Hood
Fica at It's Time to Read!
Elisa at Elle Goes Nerd - just for you...I think it's alright if you want to translate this RFQ into english :D


Kalo udah dijawab...let me know yahhhh.  Leave a comment on this post.