Enjoy My Book Club: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Greetings! ❤

Let's start the year with fresh new way decluttering your life, start from your house!

This book is really inspired me to declutter all the things in my house. Start from clothes, books, papers, and all the small things inside the house. Somehow, in a tidy house, our life will be better too since all the trashes are gone.

I am trying to do this KonMari method for this year after reading this golden book of decluttering. She said, all the same things live in the same place. And to declutter the house, always start from clothes, then books, papers, then the last thing is small things inside your house. It's an effective way to decultter your house faster and efficiently.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: First Term at Malory Towers

Greetings!

This is my first reading list for 2017.

It's always fun to read all Enid Blyton books. First time read this book series when I was in elementary school. This series is all about girls school named Malory Towers. It's a boarding school which located near the sea and has four towers that named from the four cardinal directions: north tower, south tower, east tower, and west tower.

Although the books are related each other, but you can read them randomly. But since I am a bit OCD in organizing things, that everything must start from the very beginning, I choose to read the series volume by volume from the beginning of the story.

All the scene in this book is around year 1940's. When no students bring phones to school, no internet, and everything going on there was old school but I found it fun. The book tells us story from the main role like Darrel Rivers, Sally Hope, Alicia Johns, Mary-Lou, and Gwendoline Mary Lacey. Each role has different characters that made this book so rich and interesting to read. This book tells us about their first term in Malory Towers school. How Darrel, Sally, and Gwendoline faced their first time in Malory Towers, and all the adventure they have around the first term.

I think Enid Blyton was an adventure lover since all of her books are full of adventure stories. And all of them are fun to read!

Well, if you like to read books in 1940's style and school life, I recommend you to read this series.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Harper and The Scarlet Umbrella

Greetings! ❤

This book I read for the few last days before new year falls to Harper and The Scarlet Umbrella by Cerrie Burnell. It's a very interesting children book I've ever read about a young girl named Harper and her cat, Midnight.

Enough for the romance story for this week, I also love the children story because the book contains purity of a child soul and the innocence of their mind. Sometimes a child's mind amuse me because the simplicity is in their minds and they think everything is beautiful. This book also tells us about the bravery that Harper has in her soul. She didn't think what's the consequences for flying with the Scarlet Umbrella or fight with the Crazy Conductor. I love the good soul in this book.

The plot is so simple but interesting. I love books that describes all things in details, and this book became one of my favorite children books. If you love to clean your soul and reset your mind about a complicated life, this book is recommended for you. It's entertaining but also teach us to be brave for what we believe in and never give up.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Red Queen Book 1

Greetings! ❤

My next book list for this month is Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Well, I think lately I have falling in love in the story of  romance in the kingdom between the Princess and the Prince. Somehow, my book this week answered my thirst for this genre.

I think this book is similar to a modern era of Cinderella story, a poor girl from non-aristocrat group of people that somehow became the main role for silver blood Princess while she is a pure red blood. Story begins when she met the undercovered Prince for the first time. The plots are amuse me and drowns me deep enough to see directly how Mare, the red blood Princess entered the life of two Princes in their kingdom.

This book separate two group of people at first, silver blood and the red blood. Silver blood is a group of people that rules all the country and have special powers like fire and let them burn without feel in pain, spraying water and play with it, and even the power to bulletproof. While the red bloods are the ordinary people with no specialty except working for the resources.

The end of the book also surprises me, although I smell something isn't right at the middle of the book. The younger Prince, Maven, is an interesting person and too nice, but too suspicious about where he must stand. And there's the older Prince, Cal. A typical for a common desirable Prince. And there's Mare, the girl who fill the plot as a modern Cinderella.

The imagination of the author is really amuse me. I love how she describes all the role in the book, the places, and even the beauty of silver bloods power. I love this story not because of the romance, but also the adventure that fills the books so nicely.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Masquerade (Blue Bloods Series Book 2)

Greetings! 

This time I had a chance to read one of one of my favorite book about vampires' world that written in the book so wonderfully. Compared to Twilight Saga, I'd rather reading Blue Bloods series. The romance is so complicated yet interesting and I think it's very romantic. I think this is the best vampires book series.

I don't know why, I always get the chance to read the 2nd book first, while I'm still hunting the other book series. It's a little bit hard although the book published not that long ago. But since there are so many books have been published lately, the Blue Bloods series in my local bookstore seems disappeared. So sad, but I'm not give up. 😀

The story begins when Schuyler van Alen's adventure to find her Grandfather in Venice. The description about Venice is so detail that wows me that much. I always love Venice with its masquerade festival. And how the author, Melissa de la Cruz, creates a plot of mask party in New York that is decorated in such a beautiful way, an old classic decoration.

And the romance between Schuyler van Alen and Jack Force is really complicated but beautiful. I really want to read the rest of the book series so bad. They have a thing but they can't against the destiny that Jack is with Mimi Force for now, I think.

Well, wish me luck to get the other books and read the whole story before I share with you. If you love to read vampires' books besides Twilight Saga, then this book is so recommended for you.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: The School for Good and Evil Book 1

Greetings! ❤

I choose to add The School for Good and Evil as one of my book list that I must read this year. At first I think this is a book of magic like Harry Potter, or vampires school story, and stuffs, but after reading it, the book surprised me that well.

This is a story that you can't expected the end of the book. When the all in dark clouds girl, Agatha entered the school for Good, the Ever, and her best friend, Sophie, entered the school for Evil, the Never. The plots are so interesting like I don't want to stop reading the book. I know the book is thick, but I love reading it whenever I can.

Although the book is all about romance story to get the Prince for Sophie, Agatha brings a true friendship story when she wanted Sophie and her back to the reality world in Gavaldon. The book ends in an unexpected plot. And I love how the author, Soman Chainani, describes all the places in the book.

If you love a magic story about good and evil, friendship, and also romance between Prince and Princess, then you must read this book. This book is so entertaining your free time as a booknerd. Never get bored to read this one. We'll see in Book 2. I hope the story goes well like the first one.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Les Milliards d'Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc

Greetings!

The story of Arsène Lupin is one of my favorite detective story besides Sherlock Holmes. Created by the genius, Maurice Leblanc. Originally posted in a serial in French newspaper.

Arsène Lupin actually a thief, a clever thief that always helps poor people. He is one of the greatest fiction character in Europe at that time, besides Sherlock Holmes. It's so different between the character of Arsène Lupin and Sherlock Holmes. Arsene Lupin always portrayed as a dandy man, a French aristocrat, who always deals with the police but have a gentle heart. While Sherlock always portrayed as a genius and a little bit serious man, loves to wear outfit in his style, and he's a detective.

What I love about this book is how Arsène Lupin sacrifice his life to help a woman named Patricia Johnston from New York to runaway from a cold blooded killer because she knows too much about a murder in one night in New York that involved her bosses. Not only that, Patricia also knows so deep about the organization Maffia that leads to death of some important people in the world's business.

It's really amazing to read how Maurice Leblanc's story of Arsène Lupin. How he described the France's situation at that time and sometimes you can imagine how beautiful France at that time. I love reading a detailed books full of imagination.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Blog inc. by Joy Cho

Greetings!

It's good to have a FUN Thursday again on House of Smichi. I have finished my book for this week, a very nice book about how to run a Blog properly and knowledge that I didn't know before about running a Blog.

I love how Joy Cho write the book and make it easily to read for a lack-of-English person like me. She used simple words that anyone can understand easily. Most important things is she added some bloggers' experience so the book contains not only the author's view only.

This book also gives the readers about how to create a community from the Blog. Either you are a passionate baker, cool fashion blogger, or trusted seller of DIY stuffs, reading this book can help you grow more. I learn from this book too.

For anyone who needs more knowledge about running a Blog, this is a recommended book for you to read.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Trik Juara Mengatur Waktu by Zivanna Letisha

Greetings!

First time I found this book, I didn't know that from the first page to the very last page are really inspiring. It is an Indonesian book version from a lovely Indonesian author, Zivanna Letisha.

This book contains some useful knowledge about time. Introduction about time, types of time that we can experience, and about how to manage your time at weekdays and weekend. I love this book because the author not only write based on encouragement she wants to give to the readers, but also by the need of managing times that she shared also in the book. So the book become more interesting.

Zizi (nickname for Zivanna Letisha) also arrange the book so well organized, from the beginning of the basic knowledge about time, up to tips and tricks to use the times well. So, we can easily read it and try to applied one of the tips. Trust me, the tips and tricks are so useful! I hope foreign readers also can read this one to if there's an English version of the book because it published in Bahasa Indonesia only.

Like most of you, I also have a hard deal with time everyday. We only have 24 hours, but we have a loads to do list to be done everyday. Sometimes I have 20 something to-do-list to be done everyday, from daily house cleaning, cooking, take a break, and especially working. Sometimes, I am easily bored and don't want to deal with time at some time. It's because I take care the time in a wrong way.

By reading this book, my knowledge about time is increasing and I hope with lots of learning, I become a better person who manage my times well. Well, for my Indonesian fellows, you can buy this book and read this to improve your life. You can get it in your local bookstore and in some online bookstores, that you can see in Zizi's Instagram bio.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: The Introvert Advantage

Greetings!

First time I realized that after the whole times in my life I am in introvert is last month. It's kinda late isn't it? But I think it's better late than never realized it.

Thank God, I can get a chance to read The Introvert Advantage - How to Thrive in an Extrovert World by Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D.

Actually I decided to bought and read the book is a coincidence when I refresh myself in a local book store and see this book for the first time, I think I want to try to read it. After read the book for the first few pages, it's like a bell ringing in my head that after all this time, I have this characteristic as a human being.

This book can make you realized what temperament you have in your soul, extrovert or introvert. Well, if you are truly extrovert, you can read this book as a knowledge of other kind of human being. At the first chapter of this book, there are some questions, introduction, and explanation about innies (introvert) and outies (extrovert). So, this book is the basic book you have to read first before you read the other amazing introvert books (my next book list to read is Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain).

This book is arranged systematically, from the introductions, what problem that introverts might have, how to handle and solve the introverts problems, and how to raise the characteristic properly. It's a very good book!

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon with another amazing books that I read in 2016.

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club - UNSTOPPABLE - The Incredible Power of Faith in Action

Greetings!

I've decided to set my Enjoy My Book Club day in Thursday because it's a FUNThursday! This week I've read Unstoppable by Nick Vujicic.

This book is really blessed me a lot with incredible stories from people who act in faith. Inspired me a lot to be more carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero. Nothing's gonna stop us today to do something good and get the positive vibes.

So many positive messages that Nick tells us in his book. If you have faith and a will to do something, just trust it will be done. Just that simple. But our acts is not complete without prayer and God's will. Like Mother Theresa said, ora et labora!

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Queen at War

Greetings!

It's weekend and it's time to finished my unfinished book for the last days. And this one is a special book because I was searching the book everywhere and I have to contact the publisher (but they kinda haven't reply my email up to now). So I am glad I can find the 2nd book of Chronicles of The Tempus, Queen at War by K. A. S. Quinn.

I found this book in an unexpected moment when I tried to find good cheap book at the book bazaar. Finally I can read the 2nd book! Yeay!

OK. This book tells us about the Tempus, Katie that can travel through times, from the New York in 21st century to the England in Victorian era. It's so lovely about the friendship between the three characters in the book, Katie, Princess Alice, and James.

This time Katie, Alice, and James are taken by Florence Nightingale (yes, that Florence Nightingale!) into the war zone as nurse, nun, and young doctor. How Katie meet Jack, James' brother, how they struggle to face the war situation and meet new people. It's a very interesting story about what happened in the past time.

K. A. S. Quinn wrote the book beautifully about the details of Victorian era and the war conditions. I can't wait for my journey to get the 1st book and know what happened from the earlier book.

That's all for today. We'll see you again soon! Wish me luck to get my 1st book. :D

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Theodosia Throckmorton Book 2

Greetings!

This is the 2nd book of the adventure of Theodosia Throckmorton against the Serpent of Chaos.

I am so happy that I can read the 2nd book of Theo. Well, the story is so fiction but what I love is all about ancient Egypt story that is full of mystery and curse. Most interesting part is about the history and art of the ancient Egypt.

This book tells us that Theodosia is a very smart girl with a very good rational minds. She gains all of the information to fill her head because her parents often leave her alone at the museum. And the museum contains so many books and things to be learned. So Theo does.

I am waiting for the 3rd book. I hope they published it quickly in Bahasa Indonesia version.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

Greetings!

This is my book of the day.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff by Richard Carlson.

It took little bit longer to read non-fiction book for me. Not because it's boring, but the contents is really good to be missed so I think I need to understand the book well. I'll take the good advice, but not the rest.

This book taught us not to be perfect. Since we are born with no perfection, we must accept all things unconditionally and learn to not "sweat the small stuff" that drain our energy to over-think about everything. Just do one by one and let it flow.

Of course not all things you can take it slowly, sometimes you have to be fierce too. That's why I said earlier that I'll take the good advice in uncontrolled situations. When you have too many things in mind, when you feel like people treat you bad, or maybe all things aren't going like you want. Hey, take it easy and enjoy the moment. Don't forget to grateful too!

This book is dedicated for most of people lately with so many jobs to do and wanted perfections in everything, and even easily annoyed to people who can't treat you better. There are two basic rules: 1. Don't sweat the small stuff. 2. It's all small stuff.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Fantastic Beasts & Where To find Them

Greetings!

It's the time to enter the beasts in Harry Potter's world by reading Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, or you can say it will  always be J. K. Rowling behind all the stories of this world.

Of course many of have read this great book.

This book is one of the school book in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It provides all the students with knowledge about creatures in the magic world. From the good ones to the very beasts, from the cute ones to the very scary ones.

Reading the book makes me like one of the students in Hogwarts too. It's so fun to know every creatures in the wizard world. And I'm saying Rowling is one of the brilliant author of fiction book with her Harry Potter. Her imagination is really unbelievable incredible with the names and how the creature's look like.

I can't wait to watch the movie! It's because Eddie Redmayne also play one of the cast in the movie! Excited!

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Theodosia Throckmorton Book 1

Greetings!

My reading that I finished the book today is a great story that reminds me of some artistic art from ancient Egypt era. This time I choose to read Theodosia and the Serpent of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers.

How I first noticed the book is really lovely. I think I can tell it like love at the first sight. With the book. I found it in kids section. It has a very intriguing cover design and when I read a synopsis at the back of the book, I know this is the right book I will read whenever I get the chance to.

The book tells us about Theodosia, a gifted eleven years old live in the year 1906, is a girl who can sense bad feelings whenever she look at her parents' museum collections. Theo's parents love to collect all the artifacts that they got from Egypt.

The book became more interesting especially when her Mom is back from Egypt bringing The Heart of Egypt - a legendary amulet belonging to an ancient tomb - that really has a black curse inside of it. She must fight with all the difficulties she had when the precious artifacts is missing. And she must take it back to where it belongs.

I love this book because it filled of so many ancient Egypt knowledge. Hieroglyphs, Egypt gods, how to counter the curse, and the imagination of the artifacts look like descriptions. I am enjoying myself reading the book.

Well, the book is already published on the fourth story. I am waiting for the Bahasa Indonesia version. I hope the book will be published soon!

That's all for today. 

I am now reading Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander. Oh, I mean J.K. Rowling. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: The Adventure of Tom Sawyer

Greetings!

This time, I enjoyed myself deep in reading the classic novel by Mark Twain, The Adventure of Tom Sawyer.

Since a long ago, I had a desire to read one of the Mark Twain's masterpieces, The Adventure of Tom Sawyer and The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. But then, my choice  to The Adventure of Tom Sawyer begins my journey to read more his gorgeous books.

The book begins to tell us about who is Tom Sawyer. His family, where he lives, and what he does in life. This plot reminds me when I read Life of Pi by Yann Martel, in a very different story and meanings.

I love reading a story from the era of late 1800's. The improvement of technologies, the movement of sub-urban people to the city, and how the villagers live. And this book entertains me about the imagination of living in that era.

Well, by reading this book, I can learn more to be wise in everything I do and always be who I am in every situations. Always be honest with myself and keep do the nice things because life is better when we have a peace in mind.

In the other hands, the book also taught me to brave and have courage to live this life. It's really a fun story about a naughty little boy named Tom Sawyer.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: The Queen Alone

Greetings!

Today I finished a very interesting book named The Queen Alone as the last book of Chronicles of The Tempus by K. A. S. Quinn.

It's a story about a New York girl who can travels through the times to the Victorian era in England. She was destined to change some history by changing the decision of wars and conflicts from the past era. Written beautifully by K.A. S. Quinn makes me never want to stop reading.

Unfortunately, I read the last book first. I've searched all the local book stores and found nothing for the first and second book. And I am eager to read the whole book! Hahaha... Because I thin kit's a wonderful story about time traveler, friendship, and history. With a little bit love story among the stories.

I recommend the book for those who loves the time traveler story with mysterious characters and amazing imaginations of magic.

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!

Enjoy My Book Club: Queen of Hearts Volume Two - The Wonder

Greetings!

I finished this book last night and it makes me hungry to read more about this series.

Actually I read directly to Volume Two after looking Volume One for nothing in every book store in town. And because I know that there's a book like this by seeing this Volume Two first. By the way, if you have any information about this series, especially if you've ever seen Volume One at Jabodetabek local bookstore, please contact me. :D

The story I read is when Dinah, the Discharged Princess from Wonderland Castle, wandering around the forest because she's running away from her father, King of Hearts, for being accused of her brother's death. And the in the middle of the way, she got some help from a cannot be trusted friend and bring them into a journey to Wonderland Castle's enemy, the Yurkei.

The most interesting thing is the imagination that the author give in this book is brilliant. It's not a happy imagination like in Alice's Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll, although the author inspired by the story, but the book gives us another scary part and paranoid part of the surround nature.

And I love about the friendship between Dinah and Morte, a black war horse, who help Dinah fight with the white hungry bear at the beginning of the book. At first they cannot understand each other, because Morte was born to kill and fight, so the enemy called him The Black Devil. Until one point they need each other.

I recommend this book for those who loves beyond compare imaginations, Alice's Adventure in Wonderland, and ancient era story.

I cannot wait to read what happen next to Dinah and the rest of the character in this book. Keep following the author, Colleen Oakes, through her Instagram to get more update about the next story.

OK, that's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Enjoy My Book Club: Living An Enriched Life

Greetings!

This afternoon finally I have a chance to finished my third book for this week, Living An Enriched Life by Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. I've been reading the book since Monday night and here's my note about the book.

Reading this book is like me having a motivation seminar session with Dale Carnegie team. This book tells us about how to live a better life. 

How we must challenge ourselves to have a better attitude and see life in positive ways. The have the courage to set the goals and reached them. And finally if we haven't met with the goals, we must set the alternative ways to stand up once again and get there.

The editor, Dr. Arthur R. Pell also nicely to give some illustration what are the problems and how to face them to get them done. Not only that, he also fill some pages with some short quotes from Dale Carnegie himself as motivations to the readers. For me, that is so important to know what the expert say about the topics.

And finally, this book is nicely arranged by introduction to a winner attitude, set the goals and make them "on fire", how to fix everything around us including ourselves, how to be motivated and stay positive, then finally do whatever the goals we set, and if we face the failure, we can face them wisely.

I am highly recommend this book for anyone who has a less confident about how to live a life and make it better. 

That's all for today. We'll see you all again soon!

Thank you for reading!

Remember,

think interior design, think House of Smichi!