It's never too late for something good!

Been busy for this week as I just finally started a new job and the film festival me and my friends have been doing for the past year has also begun at the same time. Wow, isn't it?

And yes, I would like to remind you who also missed the special day or you remember but probably don't know the what's going on the other side of the wall. It's International Literacy Day.

Do you ever imagine living without books? Without the ability to read? Grammarly shared an interesting fact to me into this amazing infographics.



We should be happy, I guess. Coz what? We can read! How world can be a different big thing with reading one awesome book?

So here are cool things you can do to celebrate International Literary Day (like I said, it's never too late, so don't just do it for celebrating this special day---DO IT ANYTIME YOU CAN):

• Support Schools/Education Program
• Schools in need... it's not always about money, poor building and facility condition. You can volunteer! 
• In Indonesia, you can join programs like Kelas Inspirasi (Inspiration Class) where you can deliver stories of your amazing life and career so kids will get inspired to achieve more by dreaming bigger and higher, and of course, make it happen with education. There are also the fun Sahabat Anak and Indonesia Mengajar.
• Grammarly helps me to support to one of these wonderful organizations. Maybe (internationally), you can donate and support them: Reading is Fundamental, ProLiteracy, and First Book.

• Donate Books
• You can drop books directly to orphanage or SOS Village in your area. Some schools or district libraries maybe options for you. Even better (and easier), you can find some social media accounts who are organizing book charity. The more book available and accessible, people have more courage to learn to read/start reading/simply, read more. 
• I know people are trying to emphasizing their brands with CSR program and all that sweet things... but the good thing is you can have the opportunity if you don't know where. You can always check where the charity programs are going to deliver the books you donate. Find the appropriate books for the readers, whether they're all underage kids or do they need more textbook for school or dictionary or encyclopedia. Psst... make sure it isn't scam.

• You can make an App/Campaign/anything
• Whether it's an app to help people donate books, or crowdfunding in the internet to rebuild a library. Help by promoting issues like this... it's also a nice big thing! Limitless.

After reaching half of the book, I said to myself, why am I reading this one?

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Title: Grey - As Told by Christian Grey

Author: E. L. James

Publications: First edition, June 2015

Pages: 559

Published by Vintage Books

Language: English

Rate: 3.5





As Fifty Shades trilogy has been a major brouhaha that generates big fame for the writer, E. L. James surely won't let the fans feeling done and enough with Anastasia's story. Well, people has heard it and some have bought it.

Yep... Grey: As Told by Christian Grey is on the bookstore and also on my bookshelf!
What's even better? I pre-ordered it. And it made me feel more awesome.

Christian Grey, like many of you have known before, is a super rich and young man who has predilection on BDSM lifestyle. On one interview he is willing to give, things start to get twisted. So is his life afterwards. He meets the girl-next-door type, Anastasia Steele, who comes to replace her roommate who happens to be sick. The rest of the story is a complete fairy tale with an unexpected ending.

The readers will be taken to the journey of knowing that lust and love are only divided by fine line. Along the way, it is unique impression we readers get that E. L. James has successfully relive people's hope on true love. Anyhow, the mix of secret past of the main characters, the narrating mind, and the grey area in one's feeling become the attractions that lead readers along the way to the end.

But, that was what happened to me when reading the Fifty Shades trilogy. Yes, all three. I have read all of them.

What about Grey? What so special about it when you actually know the ending already?

It's the same story, but narrating on Christian Grey's side. You'll know how the days are like for Christian. It tells more stuffs that answer Anastasia's confusions and assumptions she got in mind. Something that used to be left answered is finally opened up in Grey.

Anyway, I found this one rather boring. That's it. Like I have told you before in previous post (On My Tray: Back to Grey). I know this is strange. It could be something wrong with me, with my reading habit. I was so giddy when the book arrived at my desk, but it took quite some time for me to finally get in the end. Funny, I read all Fifty Shades books---yes, all three of them---for only 2 days maximum for each book.

In fact, after reaching half of the book, I said to myself, why am I reading this one?

The Fifty Shades trilogy puts you as Anastasia Steele, depends on how you might feel or read it. Somehow, the effect the I got after reading Fifty Shades is... that Christian Grey is a mysterious guy, of which the mystery itself is what pushes me reading the book, loving it---the story, the character, the whole thing and even makes me want to keep reading it again and again. I'm obsessed, I know, right? I'd prefer to keep things about him... a mystery.

For you who might be quite obsessed, differently obsessed, I mean, you might want to know more about Mr. Grey. In Grey, you'll know what he actually thinks of Anastasia---and at first, that makes me quite annoyed with him, you might have read a sneak peek of it at the end of Fifty Shades Freed---and all of his musings, nightmares and childhood memories. Including on how he remembers Leila, the character that appears on book two, Fifty Shades Darker.

Speaking of the writing style, it wasn't that different with the previous three. Although I can feel the writer has tried to bring masculinity in Grey, but it's just not there yet. For example, I've read so many lines belong to Anastasia in the previous trilogy and I also find Christian narrates the story in almost the same style. Like when he said, "She smells of Ana and apples and sex.". That one is just so Anastasia. Or, the writer deliberately puts it like that to depict the two characters think of each other the same way?

You'd probably enjoy it, or you don't. Can't say that much. I did enjoy, only... not that much.

Tell me what you think. I'm waiting.

Waiting, while I'm still dreaming of my Mr. Grey...