I feel like I just posted my March wrap-up so how is it already time to post my April wrap-up!? 🫣 I honestly don’t have much to say about how April was because I really didn’t do anything. Coming back from Japan was rough and of course, getting back to work was diving straight into the deep end with no time to slowly sink back in (I’m pretty sure my office doesn’t know how to do that, lol)! It was tough but we managed. From my trip to Japan, I think I’ve developed a minor obsession with Pop Mart—the toy company that makes the popular Labubu dolls. I didn’t think I’d be into Labubu but after getting one in Japan, I’m finding them oddly adorable and hard to resist, lol. I’ve also developed a fascination with Hirono figurines! Please indulge me as I share photos of my small toy collection. 🥹
April wasn’t a much better reading month than March but I read 10 books this month. Happily, I found two more 5-star reads, one of which will be a 2025 favourite and it’s also my book of the month: 🥇 The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers! 🥇 I buddy read this with Leslie, and we both had an awesome time. We’ve already read the next book in the series and have plans to keep going until we complete it and I’m very excited about it! I can’t believe this was Chambers’ debut but it solidifies her in my auto-buy author list. 😍
It was another great month of co-hosting the Let’s Talk Bookish weekly meme. You can learn more about the meme, read all the discussions, and see the upcoming topics HERE.
*COVERS are linked to Goodreads and the TEXT is linked to my review, if available*
*books are arranged by READING ORDER from first to latest*
5 pandas
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, Unlocked by Courtney Milan
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
4 pandas
Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave, Regarding the Duke by Grace Callaway
3.5 pandas
The Dragon’s Apprentice by James Riley
(ARC) The Dragon’s Apprentice
3 pandas
The Duke Identity by Grace Callaway, One by One by Freida McFadden
less than 3 pandas (*or no rating for erotic romances)
Lucky for me, a few of the books I read in April fit several challenge prompts, so I was able to tick a few more off my lists! The Buzzword Challenge is the only one that I didn’t manage to read for—neither did I manage to catch up for March’s missed read either. Will have to try for all three in May!
✔ Goodreads Reading Challenge: 44/150 books
✔ Beat the Backlist: 📚 3 backlist books // 📱 0 backlist ARCs ⇢ 3 Bingo Spaces
❌ 2025 Buzzword Reading Challenge: April (“animals”) ⇢ Because dragons don’t count… I didn’t read anything!
✔ 2025 Year in Aeldia: April: Author has “W” in name ⇢ Grace Callaway
✔ 2025 Popsugar Reading Challenge: 2 books ⇢ Prompts 3, 8, 26, 28
And that’s it for April! How was your month and what was your favourite read? Did you read what you planned? I hope everyone is doing good and taking care. 💜
dinipandareads 
I love your Hirono figurines, especially Amnesia—she’s so cute!! I hope that this month you read more than the last two months, and you also find some more 5 star reads!
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Amnesia is the most adorable! The puddle he’s standing in the fat blob of tears on his right cheek 🥺 I love this little boo! 🥹 And thank you! Here’s to all the 5-star reads! Hehe
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my reading has been better this past month than others, I think just finishing 3 books made me so happy! I’m not sure why I’ve just been a super slow reader right now 😂✨ but I’m hoping to up my reading this month. Hope you had fun on your trip, what adorable collectibles!! 💕
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That’s amazing! Yay for finishing 3 books 😍 I totally feel you on not understanding why I’ve been reading so slowly this year but I’ve slowly started to just accept that it might be a 2025 thing, haha. 😂 I hope you are able to up your reading this month though and that you enjoy whatever you read!
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You didn’t do too badly considering you were away for part of the month. You figurines are really cute, I hope thy make you happy Dini. Here’s to a great May, with lots of good things happening to you.
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Thanks, Carla! I hope May will be an amazing month for you as well 🙂
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Oof coming back from vacation is the worst. We need a vacation to come back from it 🙈 hopefully it got better from there ahah!
Goodjob for your goals
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Yep, I do often feel the need for a vacation from my vacation 🤭
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It’s always hard to come back to reality after a holiday! Those figures are cute, I love the little sheep?? bird?? one in the middle photo.
You’re doing so well on your challenges! I really need to get better at keeping up with mine lol. I keep getting distracted by other things.
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It’s so hard coming back from a holiday! I want a holiday from my holiday most of the time 🤭 I love the Hirono figurines and yes, he’s a bird and his name is Birdy (like, actually the name in this series collection, haha). And thanks, I feel like I’m making steady progress on my challenges but I do want to catch up on a few that I’ve fallen behind on. I too keep getting distracted but by wanting to read brainless romances, haha 🫣
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Gah! Going back to work always sucks, especially when you’ve been somewhere as cool as Japan.. BTW those dolls are soooo cute and I can’t blame you for being obsessed.
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It’s always so hard getting back into the groove after any holiday, lol. I feel like I need a holiday after my holiday most of the time 🤭 I love seeing everyone here say that they’re so cute cos everyone IRL that have seen them have all been like “omg, they’re so scary? why do you like those?!” Haha, I’m too much of a sucker for the cute things.
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Scary? I don’t think they’re scary at all. I’m just back from a week long holiday and the slog is real…
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Your doll/figurine collection is cute. I like cute things. They make me happy.
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Thanks, Sam! 💜 Cute things make me very happy as well, which is why being in Japan was so dangerous because everything was so ridiculously cute. I wanted it all! 😂
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[…] Monthly Wrap-Up: April 2025 […]
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I’m sorry to hear that you had to dive straight back in at work after your trip but I’m glad you had a great time whilst you were away. I haven’t seen them before but if you only started getting them last month your Pop Mart collection is certainly growing quickly 😅 sometimes something catches your eye and you can’t help but go on to get other items within the range (I have Fairies and Willow Tree figures for that reason).
I’m thrilled that The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet was such a major hit. I’m definitely going to have to try it soon. And was the Freida McFadden book your first by the author? I want to try The Tenant but I see such mixed things about the author in general that I’m nervous 😂
Good luck continuing with your prompts. You’re doing fantastically with your challenges.
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I’m sorry you had a rough time getting back to work, I can imagine it was jarring immediately after your vacation! Your doll collection looks so cute though 🥰
I’m glad you enjoyed The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet! I’ve read the first two books and really need to continue this series 😄
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