Book Tags / General Books

Meet the Book Blogger Tag!

Dini @ dinipandareads38 Comments

Hello, lovely people! How is everyone doing? I hope you’re all doing okay 💜

A few months ago and also just the other day I was tagged by Kerri @Kerri McBookNerd, Leslie @Books Are the New Black and Jordyn @ Jordyn Reads to do the Meet the Book Blogger Tag! If you’re not following them yet then what are you waiting for? They always post great content, have awesome blogs and are super fun to interact with. Thank you Kerri, Leslie and Jordyn for tagging me to do this cos it looks super fun!

The Rules

  • Thank the blogger who tagged you ☝🏽
  • Mention the creator: Lauren @Lala’s Book Reviews
  • Tag as many (or as few) people as you’d like
  • Have fun and get to know one another!

INTRODUCTION

Introduce yourself

I’m so awkies with these intro things but… Hi, fellow readers. I’m Dini, I love to read, I love pandas and that’s how this blog name was born! I’m from Indonesia and have lived here for the last 8 years but I spent the first 25 years of my life moving around and I’ve lived in six countries that I considered home while growing up. In the real world, I work at a Dutch NGO as the regional communication officer for Southeast Asia! 😊

Something most everyone wants to know…do you have any pets?

I do! Tripper and Cookie have been with us since we adopted them off the streets of Cambodia in 2010. They’re pretty well-travelled doggos and maybe slightly spoiled but I just can’t help it—I love them so floofing much! We aren’t sure what breed they are but think that Tripper is part Lhasa Apso and Cookie part Terrier?

Tripper
Cookie

What is your favourite thing to drink?

Um, I guess it depends? Living somewhere perpetually hot, I always like to have a cold drink. Usually, it’s ice-cold water or a cold brew with extra ice! If I’m treating myself, I go for an iced caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso! 😍

What is your favourite thing to drink?

I miss the days when I used to live somewhere with four seasons cos now it’s just hot and hotter. I miss AUTUMN because sweater weather! I really miss wearing jumpers and other cool-weather clothing cos I love to bundle up and be comfy but I literally sweat looking at jumpers these days cos it’s SO HOT! 🫠

Do you have any special talents?

Um… Not really anymore? Lol. I used to play the viola in the school orchestra and I was also a soprano in the chamber choir at several of the schools I went to, which was fun because we got to travel to different countries in the region for international school competitions! Don’t know what I’d be like now 😂

BLOGGING

When and why did you start your blog?

I set up my blog in January 2019 but I didn’t post anything until a few months after in March 2019. I was so nervous! 😂 No lies, I started this blog so I could gain access to more ARCs when I first discovered them, without realising the limits that international readers face, but I have no regrets because I discovered this amazing community!

What is something that you wish you knew about blogging when you first started?

I mean, I should’ve known really but I guess I wished I knew how much work it actually took and how many hours a week I’d have to spend to create a presence in the community. I’m still a small fish in this ocean of amazing creators but I didn’t realise just how much time I’d spend doing all of it. Don’t get me wrong—I loved it and still do but it was very time consuming especially when I was working full time.

What has been the hardest part about blogging?

I think this is very much a “me” thing as I simply excel at procrastination but… Finding enough time to create posts, respond to comments, and blog hop every day! I’ve tried preparing posts in advance but it’s just no, so I end up doing things on a whim (such as this post)! This leaves very little time and brain juice for me to blog hop and engage with others every day after I finish posting and it does bum me out cos I know I miss out on a lot but I try my best! 😅

What has been the most rewarding part of blogging?

The friends. I didn’t come into this community expecting anything and it amazes me that I’ve found people who want to engage with me and it just makes me SO happy having these new friends in my life. I’ve really met some amazing people through the book blogging community who make me so thankful that I started this journey. 🥰

Do you write your posts ahead of time or write them the day of posting?

Haha, see the answer above where I mention that I excel at procrastinating. I’ve successfully prepared a few posts in advance but most of the time it’s the day of (like now)! 😂

READING

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Oof, this is a tough one!

  • V.E. Schwab
  • Fonda Lee
  • Talia Hibbert
  • Meghan Quinn
  • Taylor Jenkins Reid

What genre do you read the most?

It would definitely be romance now but I still read my share of fantasy (MG/YA/Adult).

What genre surprised you by how much you love it?

I have to pick the historical romance sub-genre. I picked up my first historical romance last year and wow, I did not expect to love it so much! I can’t wait to read more! 😍

Which popular book didn’t live up to the hype for you?

Um, don’t come for me when I say this, alright? The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I enjoyed it well enough but I went expecting to fall rapturously in love with it, so I couldn’t have been more disappointed when that never happened! 🥺

Who are some popular authors you haven’t read?

Oh, there are so many and it’s not cos I don’t want to it’s just so many books so little time? Becky Chambers, Seanan McGuire, Rick Riordan, Jasmine Guillory, Olivia Dade, Jhumpa Lahiri, N.K. Jemisin, Tasha Suri, S.A. Chakraborty, Sara Desai, Pierce Brown… The list can go on ∞! 😂

What upcoming release are you excited to read?

Omg, there are so so so so so many!?

book cover: amari and the great game by b.b. alston
book cover: a taste. ofgold and iron by alexandra rowland
book cover: siren queen by nghi vo
book cover: strike the zither by joan he
book cover: two wrongs make a right by chloe liese
book cover: the ones we burn by rebecca mix
book cover: saint by adrienne young
book cover: a botanist's guide to parties and poisons by kate khavari

Do you listen to music while reading?

Not often, no. If I’m in the mood for music + reading, I usually leave a favourite lofi playlist on in the background or my favourite classical music for reading playlist!

Where else can we find you online?

TAGGING

No pressure to do this tag if you’re not feeling it or don’t do tags! 😊

That’s it from me, folks! If I haven’t tagged you but you wanna do this tag anyway, please do and link back so I can check out your post! As always, thanks for reading, engaging with me and hanging around! I appreciate you sm. 😍

38 thoughts on “Meet the Book Blogger Tag!”

  4. Your doggos are so precious!! I really like these kind of posts, where you just get to know something different about people. I think I’m the opposite to you in some ways, like I often *have* to read to music while reading haha This was fun! (I might steal it?)

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    • YES! Steal away! I’d love to read your answers 😍 I’d be curious to know what music you listen to while reading—I wish I could do it more often but I have to really be in the right mood and it has to be the right music otherwise I’ll get distracted and forget about reading, haha.

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  5. Aww, the pups are too cute. I would dread living somewhere without sweater weather. I don’t have the massive collection I once did, but I am all about the sweaters. I agree that the best part about blogger is the community/friends, and it is hard to find that time with all life’s responsibilities.

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    • Haha, I love my pupperonis. They are the best floofs! 💜 Ugh, Sam, I can’t tell you how much I miss living in places with sweater weather. I miss snuggling in cosy wear! As difficult as it is to find enough time some days for all of life’s responsibilities + blogging, I enjoy it so much. I feel like it’d be so weird to not blog or be part of this community anymore lol

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    • OMG I KNOW. The minute I saw the Saint cover I shared it with Leslie and we fangirled over it! 🤣 Didn’t think it could get any better than the Fable covers but oof, this is defo *chefs kiss*!

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  11. We really need to cross Becky Chambers off our list of authors we haven’t read yet!!! I can’t wait for Saint!! You definitely should visit the States sometime in the Autumn! ❤

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    • YES WE DO!!! I don’t know why we haven’t read her yet? I’ll actually be buddy reading one of her novellas starting tomorrow and I’m very excited. Can’t wait 😃 And YES, I think if I ever do visit it’ll definitely be in time for some sweater weather moments haha 💜

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      • Ohhh, isn’t A Psalm?? I’ve heard so much about that one and I just got a free book of it! I’ll have to read it soon. I look forward to what you think of her writing style!!

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    • Hehe, they are the best fluffos and I love them to bits! 💜 How amazing does Saint look? I really can’t wait to read his story—I hope it will be epic (and all the swoons lol). Looking forward to reading your answers if you end up doing the tag!

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  14. AHHH YOU FILLED IT OUT, YAY!! I’m so glad you did. I loved learning more about you — your doggos are absolutely precious. I think you’ll absolutely LOVE A Taste of Gold and Iron. That’s definitely up there for one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year. THE YEAAAARNING!!

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    • Aaah, I can already FEEL IT! I’m so excited and I’m so glad to hear you that you loved it so much (your review made me look forward to getting my hands on it even more)! 😍 I really had fun answering this tag so thank you for tagging me! 💜

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  16. Everyone definitely needed to see those doggos 😍 Also, I DNFd The Night Circus, and it has turned me off of all circus- or carnival-themed books for the last many years (ex Caraval? More like CRAPaval in my mind. All thanks to The Night Circus. Water For Elephants is also a no-go.) Thanks for the tag!

    Also so far, EVERY SINGLE COMMENT mentions the dogs. xD Clearly we want more Cookie & Tripper content 😍

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    • HAHAHA YES, my fluffos have definitely stolen the show here 😂 but they are the best and I love to see all the love they get!!! 💜 And omg, I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who didn’t get into The Night Circus as much. I didn’t hate it (I think I rated it 3) but I was expecting to be so wowed it was so disappointing when I didn’t! 🙈 I can’t say the same about the Caraval books cos I did enjoy those when I read it years back but that sucks that its turned you off circus/carnival themed books cos I think they have such potential to be magical! But Water for Elephants is also one I don’t think will work for me lol. I can’t wait to read your answers if you do this tag!

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  17. thank you so much for the tag!! i love this post and i love your dogs!! please pet them for me!! 😀

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