Month: April 2019

#TopTenTuesday: Inspirational & Thought-Provoking Quotes from Books

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Welcome back to another Top Ten Tuesday! This meme was created by The Broke and the Bookish and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in 2018. Today’s prompt is: Inspirational & Thought-Provoking Quotes from Books. Who doesn’t love coming across a good inspiring or thought-provoking quote in the book you’re reading? I’ve never thought about ‘rating’ the quotes I find, so these aren’t really my top ten of all time, but they are quotes that sparked something in me. In no particular order…

“Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.” – Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind

“You can’t change just one part, can you? When you sit there and wish things had happened differently, you can’t just wish away the bad stuff. You have to think about all the good stuff you might lose, too. Better just to stay in the now and focus on what you can do better in the future.”– Taylor Jenkins Reid, Maybe In Another Life

“Whatever happens, love that.” – Maddie Dawson, Matchmaking for Beginners

“Human bodies are very complicated. Inside us there are all kinds of genes, hormones, and chemicals that affect our moods, and sometimes people have a certain combination of those things that makes them feel sad.” – Glendy Vanderah, Where the Forest Meets the Stars

“Once you figure out what matters, you’ll figure out how to be brave.” – Emily X.R. Pan, The Astonishing Colour of After

“Why wasn’t friendship as good as a relationship? Why wasn’t it even better? It was two people who remained together, day after day, bound not by sex or physical attraction or money or children or property, but only by the shared agreement to keep going, the mutual dedication to a union that could never be codified.” – Hanya Yanagihara, A Little Life

“People make a grievous error thinking that a list of facts is the truth. Facts are just the bare bones out of which truth is made.” – Greg Iles, Natchez Burning

“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts. There are seven words that will make a person love you. There are ten words that will break a strong man’s will. But a word is nothing but a painting of a fire. A name is the fire itself.” – Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” – Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

“It’s plausible to hypothesize that these patterns will be reflected in events and people in each dimension. That people who have met in one quantum reality will be likely to meet in another. Certain things that happen will happen over and over, in different ways, but more often than you could explain by chance alone.” – Claudia Gray, A Thousand Pieces of You

What are some of your favorite quotes? Have you also done a Top Ten Tuesday post? Leave a link to your post in the comments!

My Most Anticipated May Releases

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Now that May is just around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about my most anticipated releases for the month. There are a lot of books that I’m excited to get my hands on but I’ve managed to narrow down the list a little bit. I’ve already pre-ordered some of them but I’m hoping that my friends and family know me well enough (with a lot of wish-list hinting of course) to get me one or two of these for my birthday! 😉 So, without further ado, let’s get to it:

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle #1) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. I’m so excited for another collaboration between Kaufman & Kristoff. They are such a dynamic badass team! I’m so happy that I was able to pre-order a signed copy of this book and apparently my pre-order comes with a copy of Memento, so what’s not to love?! I can’t wait until this arrives at my door.

Finale (Caraval #3) by Stephanie Garber. I stayed up until 3:30am just so that I wouldn’t miss the chance to order the special Owlcrate box for Finale. This series has been one of my favorites and the way Legendary ended, I can’t wait to find out how this beautiful series ends. Do I want it to end? No, but I’m hoping that it’ll bring some satisfying closure to a fun series! The excitement is real, yo.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang. The Kiss Quotient was one of my favorite romance reads last year and I’ve heard from a few bookstagrammers and bloggers who’ve had the chance to read the ARC, that The Bride Test is just as good! I love the diverse characters and I’m expecting the romance to be just as funny, sexy and sweet as in Hoang’s debut!

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. This book has been hyped up down and around and while that makes me a little nervous, I’m more excited to read it! I’ve heard nothing but good things about this one.

Nocturna by Maya Motayne. This book has only fairly recently come on my radar thanks to the wonderful world of book blogs, but from what I’ve heard, this Latinx inspired magical world is one to definitely get excited about!

Romanov by Nadine Brandes. I’ve always found the history of the Romanovs so intriguing, so it’s no surprise that one of my favorite Disney movies (that I think is so weirdly underrated) is Anastasia. Sure, the dark tones of the animation got into my head and gave me sufficient nightmares for days, but it’s such a great story! I love historical fiction and when you combine that with fantasy, you better believe I’m here for it.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. Who doesn’t love Christina Lauren? I’ve almost read everything that they’ve put out and I always finish their books feeling good and happy. Their stories are always a great mix of comedy and romance, and really there’s nothing more to it than that.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. I love the idea of this book. Two people sharing a one-bedroom flat and never crossing paths because one works day shifts and one works night shifts. This sounds like the cute British romance that will worm its way into my heart and give me all the good feels.

What upcoming books are you most excited for? Have any of these books made it onto your list? Drop me a comment and let’s talk books 🙂

Sundays In Bed With… My #WeeklyWrapUp! [03]

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The Sundays In Bed With… meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

I’ve spent my Sunday literally in bed and even though I feel a little guilty about the on-off napping/reading, I’ve been getting such lousy sleep last week, I guess my body really needed it? To be fair, my weird ass woke up at 7:30AM (on a Sunday!) and I jumped out of bed thinking it was well into the afternoon; I hate waking up feeling so disoriented! Since I couldn’t get back to sleep, I let myself laze for a long as I wanted, browsing through bookstagram, blogs, and eventually picking up Little Darlings again. I won’t lie, this book is giving me next level anxiety feels and I’m getting frustrated with the MC, which is making it difficult to get into the book. I’m only 42% in and I don’t want to get creepy feelings when I get back in bed tonight, so I’ll leave it until tomorrow.

What are you currently reading?

It’s also that time to share my weekly wrap up! I think it’s been a pretty decent blogging week. I still haven’t really had much opportunity to diversify my blog posts outside of the regular weekly memes and occasional reviews because the work days have been long and my brain is mush by the time I get back; and I still haven’t mastered the art of writing my posts ahead of time 😅 So in case you’ve missed them, here are my posts from the past week:

First Impression Friday & The Friday 56: Little Darlings
Review: Normal People by Sally Rooney
WWW Wednesday: 24 April
Top Ten Tuesday: The First Ten Books I Reviewed
Mini Reviews Monday with A Lost Man, A Summer Friendship & Naughty Princesses!

This week I also watched Avengers: Endgame and let me tell you, my feelings were not ready to be so thoroughly fcked with. I was bawling my eyes out along with about 90% of the movie theater and when the lights came on and the credits started rolling, we all stood up and started clapping and cheering. It was a moment. After catching a morning showing, I walked through the rest of the day like a zombie–I was so emotionally drained! I had to do some major retail therapy to distract myself from my drowning emotions, so I guess that was a perk, but it didn’t really work because I couldn’t stop thinking about that ending! What a journey… Have you watched Endgame yet?

Hope everyone had a great week and a fun weekend! Can you believe it’s Sunday already? Here we go Monday… Have a great week ahead!

First Impression Friday & Friday 56 w/ Little Darlings (ARC)

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There’s a brand new meme hosted by JW Martin called First Impression Friday! It sounded like a fun way to reflect on a new book, so I thought I’d play along! Here’s what it’s about:

First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther.Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end. Did you think you’d love and ended up hating it? Or did you think you’d hate it and wound up loving it? Or were you exactly right?

I started Little Darlings (ARC) by Melanie Golding during my lunch break today and by the time lunch ended I got to about 5%. I won’t be continuing this tonight as I’ll be waiting for the sun to guide me through what I feel will be a fairly dark and creepy read! I’ve probably mentioned this a few times by now but supernatural thrillers are not my thing. I have an insanely wild imagination that gets away with me, so I like to stay away from things that I know will easily induce nightmares. However, when I requested this on NetGalley, I didn’t actually realize it had supernatural elements (otherwise I would’ve stayed far away, duh). My first impression: there’s a sinister air that hangs over the story from the beginning. I feel that Lauren Tranter might give me anxiety but also frustrate me, her thoughts so far remind me a little bit of a the mother’s nightmares from The Stillwater Girls by Minka Kent. I think I will end up giving this read a ★★★½☆☆ but I could end up surprising myself and really love it by the end. Anything can happen!

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda @Freda’s Voice, with the rules as followed:

– Grab a book, any book.
– Turn to page 56 or 56% on your eReader/book.
– Find any sentence (or a few, just don’t spoil it) that grab you.
– Post it.
– Add your (url) post here in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It’s that simple

Doctor Summer followed Patrick into the corridor. As the door to the therapy room was closed and locked behind them by the nurse, the doctor peered at each boy in turn, giving them a little squeeze.

56%, Little Darlings by Melanie Golding

What are you currently reading? Have you done a First Impression Friday or The Friday 56 post? Leave a link in the comments and let’s chat books 🙂

Book Review: Normal People by Sally Rooney

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Goodreads: Normal People
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in rural Ireland. The similarities end there; they are from very different worlds. When they both earn places at Trinity College in Dublin, a connection that has grown between them lasts long into the following years.

This is an exquisite love story about how a person can change another person’s life – a simple yet profound realisation that unfolds beautifully over the course of the novel. It tells us how difficult it is to talk about how we feel and it tells us – blazingly – about cycles of domination, legitimacy and privilege. Alternating menace with overwhelming tenderness, Sally Rooney’s second novel breathes fiction with new life. 

CW/TW: major depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, depictions of physical and sexual abuse, questionable consent, bondage.

This has been difficult to review because I was so prepared to dislike it only to end up really enjoying it. After reading both of her novels, Rooney’s writing style is very clear to me — simple, not very descriptive, astute observations about people, deep shuddering thoughts, lack of punctuation for speech. It’s not for everybody, and I know when I read Conversations with Friends, it was one of the things I really disliked; I felt nothing when I was ready to feel everything! Normal People was written in the same way, her characters even had similar attributes, and yet, I still managed to enjoy it way more than I could the former. I’m not even sure I can tell you why besides the fact the characters were much more likable but I’m quite thrilled to be proven wrong about not liking this!

I’m trying hard to articulate my thoughts in a way that flows well, but I’m finding it really tough because of the mood the book has left me in. There are some mild spoilers in this review but it’s quite difficult to write something without giving away some of the interactions. So the first thing that comes to mind is that it made me feel profoundly sad and slightly depressed (the CW at the bottom of this post is no joke, especially if you’re a sensitive reader like me). I don’t think it’s bad that the book made me feel this way but please consider this when you’re deciding to read it or not. I actually liked it because of how deeply I connected to the emotions and how I came to care for them so much; I was really invested in Connell and Marianne, which made it a more difficult but enjoyable read. If you can’t tell, I had lots of contradicting thoughts and feelings about it but simply put: I really liked it and I think it will stay with me for a while.

There’s not much of a plot or storyline to the book. As I mentioned above, Rooney’s style is very simple and her writing is a contrasting mix of detachment and very deep and intense feeling. At times this was such a painful read because the story was so packed with dark and heavy emotions but there was also an apathy to the text. I often had the urge to scream or cry because of how honest the writing was. Rooney created such raw and real characters with them and I completely empathize with what they went through. They are far from perfect but that’s also part of what made them more likable.

The book follows Marianne and Connell as they go from high school in a small Irish town to college in Dublin. In their hometown, Connell is middle class and extremely popular. Marianne is rich but considered a freak and is frequently bullied. When Marianne and Connell strike up a friends-with-benefits arrangement, they both agree to not act differently in public (i.e. they continue to ignore the other’s existence) but they find solace in their relationship and realize it’s when they can most be themselves. The book is a character study of these two very dysfunctional young people who can’t step out of each other’s orbits, no matter how far apart they go, but who can never summon the courage to be honest with their feelings for each other. The nature of their on-again-off-again relationship goes through so many repetitive cycles of friendship and romance, and even though their dependency and willingness to indulge the other was often unhealthy and problematic, you can’t help but feel invested in and comforted by what they have.

They are both mired in their own depressions but for different reasons and to varying degrees. Class and social status play a defining role in their relationship, with one always feeling like they’re less adjusted, more awkward, less popular, and more alone than the other. Marianne’s is an all consuming emptiness that’s (self)perpetuated by her masochism. Unlike Connell she doesn’t seek anyone’s approval but she has deep seated issues with playing a role that confirms her own views of how she fits in. There were so many times where I felt frustrated with her character and the decisions she’d make, but at the same time, I longed to help her. I was hoping that she would’ve experienced more growth by the end, but in a way it was also fitting that she didn’t because it meant keeping the cycle going. Connell’s character was also far from perfect, but he grew a lot throughout the novel and I found I enjoyed experiencing it. Seeing him go from this awful character in high school who was so consumed by what others thought of him that he treated Marianne like trash, to confronting his depression and anxiety and learning to be more communicative was very rewarding. I don’t think he was with Marianne for the right reason — the “hero complex” was strong with this one — but I do think he was the most honest with himself with her, and that her support really helped him grow. Even if he very much used their relationship to satisfy his own ego.

One of the main frustrations I had was the epic miscommunication between the two. The misunderstandings between what they were saying and what they heard was so infuriating. Oftentimes they never really listened to each other. Yet time and again, they’d fall back together and I’d be there cheering them on; feeling hopeful that they’ve grown enough to overcome their distrust and problems, and to finally FINALLY find happiness with each other.

This would’ve been a five star read for me but several reasons, especially the ambiguous ending, brought it down to a four. Can I please reiterate how much I don’t like these types of open-ended conclusions where it feels the characters are cut off mid-thought or action? I wasn’t ready for the book to end when it did and the abruptness left me full of angst over all the ‘unfinished business’.

SPOILER THOUGHTS

In a way I do understand why Rooney left it like that because both characters, Marianne especially, still had a lot to overcome between themselves for there to be a happy ending, and that’s if there ever could be one between them. It really hurt to see how Marianne accepted the happiness that Connell brought into her life over the last several months, but was so quickly willing to let it go due in large part (I believe) to her masochism and how she feels the only time she is worth anything is if she’s feeling pain. It’s very sad, and again perpetuates the cycle between the two, but I think of how Marianne feels he won’t come back and I do believe that if Connell leaves he will find a better life for himself on the other side of the pond.

END SPOILER THOUGHTS

Sorry for the ramble 😬Have you read Normal People or Rooney’s debut, Conversations with Friends? If you read either of them, I’d be curious to know your thoughts!

#WWWWednesday: 24 April 2019

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

We’ve come to the last Wednesday of April! I’ve seen a lot of people posting about trying to fit in their last few reads for the month and I am too! I think it’s been a pretty decent reading month though and I think it might even be comparable to March! Hope everyone has been going well with their April reads too! But without further ado, let’s get back to it… It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven (Monstress #3) by Marjorie M. Liu. I discovered this gem earlier last year when I started exploring graphic novels. If you can’t tell by the name and the cover, it’s a pretty dark tale. Set in a matriarchal 1900s steam-punk Asia, the story is full of violence, magic, and supernatural monsters. While the story is still a little bit confusing, the world building is mind-blowing and the artwork by Sana Takeda is so beautifully gothic. We follow Maika Halfwolf, who’s on the run from coalition forces and who embarks on a journey to learn about her late mother’s secrets, and to learn how to cope with the monster living inside her. If you don’t mind a bit of a twisted gorey read, I would definitely recommend this to you!

What are you currently reading?

Normal People by Sally Rooney. When this book exploded on my bookstagram feed earlier this month, I was quite hesitant to pick it up because of how I felt about Rooney’s debut novel, Conversations with Friends. It was one of my least favorite reads last year and it left me feeling angry and full of discomfort, and I was sure that I wouldn’t pick up another of Rooney’s books again (a big statement, I know). So when I was facing my two-book hangover last week and picked this up on a whim, I didn’t think it would be the one to pull me in, but I was hooked from the start! It’s honestly shaping up to be one of my favorite reads so far this year, although it should come with a trigger warning for major depression, suicidal thoughts, depictions of physical and sexual abuse, and consent.

I’ve also started The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides on the side. I’m only a few chapters in but I can sense that this is going to be a thrilling and fast read that will be keeping me on my toes until the very end! This is another book that’s been very hyped everywhere, so I’m hoping it’ll live up to my expectations!

What will you read next?

One of the books I am going to stop waffling over and will definitely be picking up at the weekend is the e-ARC for Little Darlings by Melanie Golding. When I requested to read this on Netgalley, there was no mention in the description that it would a supernatural thriller, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have requested it. Supernatural horror is really not my jam. I’m not even gonna lie, I’m weak like that and I’m absolutely okay with it, so the thought of reading this is making my imagination jump from 0-100 and I’m basically just shit scared. Hopefully it won’t be as bad as I think but best believe I’ll be reading this under the full light of day and I’m aiming to finish it before sundown!

Have you read any of these or are you planning to?
What are you currently reading? 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: First Books I Reviewed

Dini @ dinipandareads26 Comments

Welcome back to another Top Ten Tuesday! This meme was created by The Broke and the Bookish and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in 2018. Today’s prompt was submitted by Rissi @ Finding Wonderland and asks us to list the (First Ten) Books I Reviewed.

Prior to setting this blog loose into the great big blogosphere two months ago, I was writing reviews on Goodreads. I wrote my first review in April 2018 (yep, I’m pretty much still a hatchling compared to many of you). When I first started I didn’t write one for every book I read; I don’t know why not or how I chose which books to review either, but looking through my list, I’m surprised there are plenty that I skipped. It makes me want to go back and write the ones I missed, although with my notoriously terrible memory, I doubt I’d be able to without a re-read and that’d be a helluva list! 😅

Ready, Player One by Ernest Cline – ★★★★.5☆

This book was amazing! If my inner geek was a dragon (maybe it is), reading this was like diving into a cavernous treasure trove. I loved the 80s nostalgia and the crazy amazing world Cline built!

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz – ★★.5☆☆☆

I wasn’t particularly impressed with this one. Even though Diaz’s writing flowed like poetry, I couldn’t connect to the characters or what they were going through. It was a let down!

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann – ★★★★★

I don’t often read non-fiction and when I do it usually takes me ages to finish. I read this one in a night (#noregrets) and it’s still one of the best NF I’ve ever read!

A Reaper At the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir – ★★★★☆

One of my favorite series! Love the complexity of the characters, the world building, the magic. It took a while to really sink into this again but it was worth it!

Carter & Lovecraft (Carter & Lovecraft #1) by Jonathan L. Howard – ★★★★☆

I’m not into horror and I know Lovecraft is one of the masters of horror, but this was more creeping weird-things horror rather than paranormal shocking-ghosty horror, and I surprisingly loved it!

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart – ★★★★☆

Even though I managed to guess what happened (not how though!) this was still a deliciously shocking YA mystery! Also, I still cried buckets (of course).

Thunderhead (Arc of A Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman – ★★★★★

I’m still crying waiting for the next installment to come out especially after THAT ENDING. Neal, mate, I hope you’re working hard kicking that sequel’s butt!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – ★★★★★

Is there really anything else to say except this book seriously blew my mind? Amazing doesn’t even begin to cover it! Still haven’t seen the movie — should I?

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows – ★★★★☆

Not my favorite storytelling style, but this was such a feel good story and by the end the characters felt like old friends I was sad to leave behind. I also haven’t seen this movie — should I?

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon – ★★★★★

This had the hopeless romantic in me swooning left, right and center! Such a touching story and I am so taken with the idea of fate/destiny too, so this definitely ticked lots of my boxes! I think I’m excited for the movie 😅

Well, that was a nice stroll down memory lane! Do you remember your first review(s)? If you’ve also done a Top Ten Tuesday post, drop your link in the comments below!

#MiniReviews Monday with A Lost Man, A Summer Friendship & Naughty Princesses!

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In several attempts to get over my two-book hangover, I actually finished and started a few books over the last few days. These “palate cleansers” took a few days for me to get through but as we’re starting a brand new week, I think my being is finally ready to move on from the outback!

The Lost Man by Jane Harper – ★★★★.5☆

Honestly, this deserves more than a mini-review and I’ll probably post my full review later on in the week, but to cut to the chase: Jane Harper also stole my heart with this story (hence the two-book hangover). This was another slow burn mystery set in the outback and that was just as atmospheric as her debut–the rich imagery put me right back in the unforgiving heat where I lost myself completely to this story. CW: physical and sexual abuse. The Bright family was full of complex characters that were endearing, frustrating and terrifying. My theories about whodunit were (of course) dead wrong but it only served to make the reveals a surprising whirlwind that delighted me when it all finally clicked. I also found myself delighted to stumble across a connection between the characters in The Dry and for a short flashback, we got to revisit Kiewarra and learn more about a family there. Harper did a fantastic job bringing all the elements together and the final scene, although maybe a little too easily resolved, left me feeling hopeful about second chances and a fresh start for the Bright family.

The Goodbye Summer (ARC) by Sarah Van Name – ★★★☆☆

I will be posting my full review later this week closer to the publication date (01 May 2019). I think this is the first YA novel I’ve read in a while where I can say that I get people who say they no longer read YA because it’s just not targeted to them. While I didn’t dislike it, I know I would’ve enjoyed the story much more had I read this in middle/high school. This was very character driven but I unfortunately found myself feeling frustrated with Caroline, the MC, more than anything else. I did enjoy the blossoming summer turned lifetime friendship between Caroline and Georgia. It was a solid, supporting and positive relationship that changed the MC for the better, and her obvious growth as a result was satisfying to witness. That said, the pace was slow and I thought how it was written made this better suited to be a TV show rather than a book. Despite the pace, this was a fairly short read that I’m sure many young adults will be able to enjoy and perhaps relate to!

The Naughty Princess Club (Series) by Tara Sivec – ★★★★☆ (Overall)

At the Stroke of Midnight (Book 1) was the first book I picked up after finishing both Jane Harper’s novel and I honestly couldn’t have picked a more different book if I tried! 😂 It really took awhile for me to get into the story and I almost stopped at one point, but I’m so glad that I pushed through because I ended up loving this series! The books were super sexy, romantic, funny and actually very empowering. It was great to read about Cindy, Ariel and Belle, as they worked hard to get themselves out of their “men-made funks” by starting a home stripping business called The Naughty Princess Club. I loved their friendship and how they supported each other throughout the series and their close bond reminded me of what I have with my besties. Sure, it was a bit cheesy at times but it had me breaking out in belly-aching laughs so often and made me feel lighter after each book ended! If I had to pick a favorite of the three it’d have to be Kiss the Girl (Book 3) about Ariel (obviously), even though she was actually my least favorite character at the start. I related the most with her issues, but I also really loved the sweet, easy-going and supportive relationship between her and Eric! Fair warning though: if you’re into steamy reads, this series isn’t for you!

Hope you enjoyed my mini-reviews! Have you read any of these? I hope you’re having a great/good Monday wherever you are in the world!

Sundays In Bed With… My #WeeklyWrapUp! [02]

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

The Sundays In Bed With… meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

Fellow book friends, I’ve been suffering heavily from an intense two book hangover and it’s all absolutely Jane Harper’s fault! After finishing The Dry, I immediately started The Lost Man as part of an instagram group read hosted by @travelingfriendsreads, and I devoured it faster than I did her debut. My whole being is basically stuck in the Australian Outback and it is with great reluctance that I even think about leaving. As a result, I’ve been heading fast into a spiraling slump and before that actually happens, I’ve tried picking up several books in the hopes that one of them will bring it to a halt! How do you get past a book hangover?! All tips and recommendations much appreciated! This Sunday I’ve been in bed with… these lovelies:

What are you currently reading?

On that note, I thought I’d share my weekly wrap up of posts from this week, just in case you missed any! It’s been a pretty mediocre blogging week, but I hope to pick up with more reviews in the coming week!

Review: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Top Ten Tuesday: Rainy Day Reads
WWW Wednesday
Review: The Dry by Jane Harper

Also, before I forget, if you’re part of the bookstagram community on Instagram, I’m hosting my first international giveaway to celebrate 700 followers! I’m quite excited about it because I honestly never thought 50 people would even follow me, let alone 700 people! My mind is a little blown, and my heart is very happy! Check out my post below if you’d like to enter for a chance to win!😊Happy Sunday, book friends 🥰

Book Review: The Dry by Jane Harper

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Goodreads: The Dry
Genre: Crime, Mystery/Thriller
Rating: ★★★★★

In the grip of the worst drought in a century, the farming community of Kiewarra is facing life and death choices daily when three members of a local family are found brutally slain. Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk reluctantly returns to his hometown for the funeral of his childhood friend, loath to face the townsfolk who turned their backs on him twenty years earlier. But as questions mount, Falk is forced to probe deeper into the deaths of the Hadler family. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret. A secret Falk thought was long buried. A secret Luke’s death now threatens to bring to the surface in this small Australian town, as old wounds in bleed into new ones.

Let me start of by saying WOW I absolutely loved this book. There’s something about reading a story based in a country I used to live in for six incredible years that has struck a very nostalgic chord in me. I’m surrounded by a lot of Australians here in Bali, so it’s not like I’ve missed the accent or the people or anything like that. Granted, I was also as city as you could get living and studying in Melbourne, but reading about the outback and the environment really brought out a familiar sense of longing for a home that I’ve missed. It’s a feeling I haven’t felt in years! …And with that little bout of nostalgia out of the way, let’s get to the review! 😬

With this book, Jane Harper has written such a spectacular story that drew me in completely from the start with her riveting and hypnotic prose. It’s definitely a slow burn murder mystery, so if you’re expecting a fast paced thriller, this isn’t for you; but the journey was so worth it! What impressed me the most were her descriptions of the punishing temperatures of the Australian outback. The pervasive drought that struck Kiewarra, the small Australian farming town where the story is set, and the surrounding area has sucked all the moisture out of the ground and most of the life out of its citizens. There’s a sluggishness and desperation in the people that’s been created as a result of their environment, and never has a spotless blue sky been so agonizing and terrifying. There’s no escape from the dry heat that seeks you out through every small crack and crevice. Harper has created an almost tangible atmosphere with her vivid descriptions, which serve to add to the sense of wrongness that surrounds the town, and it is woven so brilliantly through all parts of the story.

“To look out and see not another soul between you and the horizon could be a strange and disturbing sight.”

The characters were complex with interesting backstories. There were those with the typical small town mentality, the usual assholes and douchebags, and the few good guys that made the town more bearable, which contributed to understanding what living in such a small ‘town’ would feel like; where everyone knows each other and incidents from twenty years ago are still deeply etched in memories. I found myself really invested in Aaron Falk’s character. His backstory and past connection to the town was so compelling, and it created such a well of sympathy in me for him. I just really wanted to reach out and give him a hug most of the time (lol). Also, unpopular opinion time but I also found myself liking Luke’s character. There were times I’d find reading about his attitude disturbing, but there was a magnetism and charm in the way that Harper wrote him that made his character so appealing. Both sides of Luke’s person was painted so vividly, that it was easy to understand how quickly people could demonize him, but also be so enthralled by his attention. I loved how Harper’s characters really came to life for me, and made me feel connected to them.

“He stood on shaky legs, his vision blurred, as all around the cockatoos whirled and screamed into the scorching red sky. Alone, in that monstrous wound, Falk put his face in his hands and, just once, screamed himself.”

The big reveal was something that I honestly didn’t see coming. Maybe I’m just really bad at figuring out the whodunnits in thrillers? But I think with about 80% of the thrillers I read, it’s usually pretty predictable. Even though at one point I pretty much suspected everyone Falk came into contact with, the culprit took me so much by surprised that it was refreshing to be fully thrown by it! Even if you might’ve figured out the who, I’m not sure you would’ve figured out the why. It literally had me exclaiming in shock while reading on my lunch break—you can bet my colleagues found my reactions amusing. The pace in the last 30% of the book really sped up and rapidly fed detail after detail of the reveal that had me racing through to get to the finish. In the end, the conclusion to the story was pretty satisfying and gave me a sense of peace knowing the truth of what happened, and that it would be brought to light so that after 20 years, justice could finally be served.

If it isn’t clear by now, I was completely taken with this book. The characters, the setting, and the story all made this a consuming, thrilling and unputdownable read. Harper was able to create one of the most atmospheric works I’ve ever had the pleasure to read and it’s really hard to believe this was her debut novel. It makes me so excited to find out what else she has in store for us with Force of Nature and The Lost Man (which I’m currently reading and equally loving!). I have no doubt that this will be one of my top reads this year and if all her books get the same reaction from me, it’s safe to say Jane Harper has made it onto my auto buy authors list!

Have you read The Dry or is it on your TBR? I’d love to know your thoughts!