The last time I wrote a monthly wrap up was all the way back in March so I’m not gonna lie, I’m feeling kinda overwhelmed at the thought of making one now? Plus, although the last time I shared a ‘bigger’ life update was months ago, not a whole lot has really happened since. I guess I can share some highlights:
- I went on a mini break (which extended to a several months) at the end of April
- I turned a year older in May — 🎵 I don’t know about you but I’m feeling
3233! 😉 - I took a short trip to Bali for a funeral and a birthday in June
- I got fully vaccinated at the end of July — yay!
- We’ve been in semi-lockdown for almost three months as Indonesia’s COVID cases soared to a terrifying 50k+ daily cases towards the end of June. The situation has gotten better now and things are slowly opening up again…
- I’ve done a lot of baking and managed to make soft pretzels and cinnamon rolls for the first time!
- I’ve been doing quite a few paint-by-numbers kits and I even started doing drill diamond paintings but I still have yet to finish one 😂
I made “my comeback” to blogging in early August and it has been so good to be back! I don’t think I realised how much I missed blogging until I started again but the long break I took was something I really needed so I don’t regret it—I just missed this community!
This month I ended up reading 18 books and a lot of them were novellas, which is quite surprising as I’ve always struggled to enjoy novellas! I’ve found new novella favourites though, but the top spot goes to Sing Anyway, an adorable queer romance that had my heart singing!
Another surprise is the fact that I don’t have a 5-star read this month! I don’t know if it’s just my mood being a bit wonky but that doesn’t mean I haven’t read some great books! I think my favourite was The Will Darling Adventures and I feel like I’ve gushed a lot about this series already but… just in case you (somehow) missed it: this is a trilogy set in the Golden Era (1920s) and it’s a mystery and MM romance with amazing characters (including the supporting ones), a murderous criminal gang, infuriating aristocracy, and deliciously steamy romance! I would definitely recommend checking it out, plus at roughly 250 pages per book they’re the perfect reading length! The majority of my reads this month fell in the ‘4 pandas’ range so I’m really not too mad about it. I had hoped to read a few more ARCs than I did but towards the end of August I started to stray from that goal (as usual 🥲) but I did tackle more than I thought I would so that at least is good. Hopefully I’ll continue making steady progress on my ARCs as the year progresses.
Book covers are linked to Goodreads and the title text is linked to my reviews, if available!
4.5 pandas
(ARC) With You Forever (Bergman Brothers #4)
(ARC) Fireborn
The Sugared Game (The Will Darling Adventures #2)
Subtle Blood (The Will Darling Adventures #3)
4 pandas
(ARC) Small Spaces
Tempt thy Neighbor (Roommate Romps #4)
(ARC) Under the Whispering Door
Surrender
Sing Anyway (Moonlighters #1)
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
3.5 pandas
Slippery Creatures (The Will Darling Adventures #1)
I Think I Might Love You (Love Sisters #1)
3 pandas
(ARC) Revenge of the Sluts
Taken to Lemora (Xiveri Mates #6)
My Dirty Duke
(ARC) Dark and Shallow Lies
2.5 pandas
(ARC) Shadow Frost (Shadow Frost #1)
(ARC) The Meeting Point
1 panda
So… I thought I had bookmarked some posts that I read in the last month but apparently I didn’t or if I did, I don’t know where they are because I searched and couldn’t find them 🥲 I remembered a few off the top of my head so this is gonna be a very smol list of some community faves! There are so many great posts out in the blogosphere and I’m sure I miss so many with my sporadic blog hopping so let me know what some of your favourites have been lately as I’d love to check them out!
- J @ Midnight Book Blog – Discussion Post: Everything I Hate (and Love) About Goodreads
- Malka @ Paper Procrastinators – What Makes Us Love Tropes
- Charvi @ Not Just Fiction – My Sister Blurbs Books Based On Their Covers
- Beth @ Books Nest – Women in Translation: Book Recommendations and TBR
- Adira @ Introvert Interrupted – Unhauling Books: Letting Go of The Reader I Used To Be
- Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books – 10 YA Books Without Romance
- Katja @ Life and Other Disasters – Are Chris Evans and I Compatible Readers?
- Evelyn @ Evelyn Ding – Why Don’t Teens Read YA Anymore?
And that’s a wrap on August! Sorry if this book was a bit lengthy and rambling (what’s new though really lol)! What are your reading/blogging plans in September? Hope you’re all doing well and staying safe/healthy, friends ❤️
dinipandareads 
Soft pretzels and cinnamon rolls sound AMAZING! It’s a shame you didn’t have any 5 star reads this month – maybe September will have double the number of 5 star reads to make up for it?
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Soft pretzels and cinnamon rolls are the best! 🤤 Yummo… I’m glad that despite not having any five-star reads, I’ve still read some pretty great books, though ! 😍
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Good to hear that things are improving there and things are starting to open back up. I’m jealous of your mad baking skills! And I volunteer as taste-tester. 🙂 I’m so excited for With You Forever. Bring on Axel’s story!
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Haha, I wouldn’t say my baking skills are mad but I’m quite chuffed I made pretzels and cinnamon rolls! Honestly, I’d love for someone to help me eat all of this 😂 I hope you love With You Forever—Axel and Rooney are just 🥰
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Thank you for including me in your community post wrap up, Dini! 🙏🏿
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My pleasure! Your post is great, Adira! ❤️
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I’m so happy to hear that you are fully vaccinated and that things are looking better. I really got into baking the last year too and I love it. It’s my happy place. I need more food pics, Dini! And happy belated birthday!
I’m excited to finish up the Will Darling books and also read TJ Klune and the new Chloe Liese.
I hope you have a great September!
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Baking is definitely a happy place for me, too! I wanna try doing more fancy stuff but I really can’t be arsed either 😂 I hope you enjoy the Will Darling books and Chloe Liese’ latest! So totally unexpected but I adored them ❤️ Hope your September is grand, as well!
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Loved the little summary of the past months leading up to August! I’m glad you were able to get the vaccine and still hold hope that the world will eventually get its sh*t together. I miss just being able to go out and do things.
Thanks so much for including one of my posts!!!
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Ah, I hold hope that the world will get it’s shit together as well! Here’s to hoping, eh! ❤️
Also, absolutely lovely our post—the Tom Hiddleston one sent me on a binge of listening to him read all the things 😂 Haha!
I hope you have a great September!
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You cannot imagine the rabbit hole of Tom audio clips I went down before I posted that thing haha he has such an amazing voice!
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Diamond paintings are a lot of fun! My daughter did a cool dragon one last year. It looks like you had a great reading month.
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I still have my library one to finish up but I’ve taken quite a break from doing it to go back to paint by numbers painting! I think I was overly ambitious and picked one that was too big for a newbie to do quickly 😂 Hope you have a fab September, Deanna!
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Great wrap-up! Oof. It’s a bummer about The Meeting Point. It looked interesting lol.
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Well, it seems like I’m the only one that felt that way about the book cos everyone else seemed to *really* love it? I don’t know, maybe it’s just me a thing 😂 It does have a super cute premise though!
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Thank you for including my post!!
I’m glad that the covid situation is getting better for you in Indonesia 🙂
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Loved your post and it has inspired me to do one with my sister and cousin (credits to you of course)! 😊 Hope you have a great September!
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Oh that’s great, can’t wait to read it ☺
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[…] 5 Saturday: Intimidating BooksFirst Lines Friday: 03 September 2021August Monthly Wrap Up!Book Tour Review: Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain#TopTenTuesday: New Fictional […]
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Great wrap up! Glad you’re back, I feel like I’ve not properly been present on here for a few months!
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With how quickly the months have gone I’m not surprised! I can’t believe my break ended up being as long as it did but ah well, it was much needed (especially with everything going on in the world)! Hope you have a great September ❤️
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I’d love your soft pretzel recipe! That’s a favorite at our house. I need to check out the Will Darling books. I keep seeing great reviews for them.
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Ooh, I definitely recommend Sally’s Baking Addiction for recipes. She explains everything really well and for someone who’s not used to baking complex things, she keeps it simple and easy. I’ve been baking a lot of her recipes lately and they’re always winners! Those pretzels I made were very much like Auntie Anne’s (which I love) so big yay for me 😂
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Paint-by-numbers and drill diamond paintings sound super relaxing. I’m tempted to get one, don’t know which one I’d pick, just to try it but I’m kinda scared of falling down the rabbit hole. 😂
Great wrap up, Dini!
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I feel like many bloggers have been taking breaks of various lengths this year, and while I sometimes miss their content, I’m glad that everyone is taking care of themselves! So I’m happy that your mini hiatus was refreshing and I hope that the past month has treated you well!
I really should read Sing Anyway, because I’ve heard great things in general, and I’m really excited for the author’s upcoming release, Love & Other Disasters! Maybe if I’m in the mood of a shorter read, I’ll pick it up!
Also, thank you so much for mentioning my post! The fact that it was memorable enough and enjoyable enough for you to share with others means the world to me! 💕
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