Book Review: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

July 9, 2026 Dini @ dinipandareads1 Comment

Wild Dark Shore
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pub Date: 4 March 2025
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Mystery/Climate Fiction

Panda Rating:

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📖 SYNOPSIS

A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A storm gathering force.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny weather-lashed island that is home to the world’s largest seed bank. As Shearwater risks being lost to rising sea levels, the island’s researchers have fled, and only the Salts remain.

Until, during the worst storm in living memory, a stranger washes ashore. The family nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, but it seems she isn’t telling the whole truth about why she’s there. And when Rowan stumbles upon sabotaged radios and a recently dug grave, she realises that she’s not the only one on the island with a secret.

A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love.

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS

Blood, detailed description of wounds, adult/minor relationship, infidelity, deaths of loved ones (spouse, partner, sibling), suicide (on page, recounted), suicide ideation, grief, drowning (of a child, recounted), severe climate anxiety, wildfire (recounted), attempted murder, imprisonment, physical abuse, grooming

TL;DR: This book took me completely by surprise. Although it has a relatively ‘violent’ beginning, it is a slow burn. There are so many secrets and somewhat poor communication (or just choosing not to communicate really), but let me say the payoff was worth the journey. I found this to be such a beautiful character driven story that is about so many things—parenthood, motherhood, coming-of-age, love, climate change, a bone deep appreciation of mother nature, biodiversity, and the planet we inhabit. There are definitely parts where you have to suspend your disbelief, but I was fully into it and found that those parts didn’t bother me at all. If you’re willing to be patient and allow yourself to sink into the bones of this story, I really wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

November 24, 2025 Dini @ dinipandareads20 Comments

Remarkably Bright Creatures
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Pub Date: 3 May 2022
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

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📖 SYNOPSIS

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death (of a secondary character, off-page, recounted), cancer (of a secondary character, off-page, recounted), grief, loss, childhood abandonment, substance abuse/addiction (of a secondary character, brief mentions), animal captivity

TL;DR: I knew this was a well-loved novel, but I didn’t know what to expect from it other than the fact that there’s a sentient octopus, and a woman who’s still trying to come to terms with the tragic and unexplained death of her teenage son three decades ago. I wasn’t expecting to fly through these pages, but it was compulsively readable, and I was keen to see how the storylines intersected. Van Pelt did not disappoint! Tova, Cameron and especially Marcellus were great characters, and the other members of the Sowell Bay community that we meet along the way were equally entertaining (and so cheeky)—especially Ethan and the Knit Wits! This was a wonderfully written and heartfelt reflection about loss, grief, love, connection, and above all, family in all its forms.

Book Review: A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman

November 10, 2025November 16, 2025 Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

A Man Called Ove
Publisher: Atria Books
Pub Date: 15 July 2024
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

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📖 SYNOPSIS

Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, bullying, deadly bus accident (recounted), pregnancy loss (recounted),

TL;DR: Oh my days, what can I say about this book that everyone else hasn’t already? I’m extremely late to the Ove party, but I’m more than thrilled to be joining the ranks of readers who fell in love with this book—as well as those who got seriously emotional while reading it. This is a story about loss, love, loneliness, friendship and family, and it’s undoubtedly a massive tearjerker! If you’re an emotional reader like me, I’d caution you to not read it in public because it’s liable to make you cry (big ugly tears) unless, of course, you don’t mind being a hot mess in front of everyone, lol. Ove is a wonderfully grumpy and messy character written with so much heart and complexity and while I was unsure at first, this curmudgeonly old man completely won me over in the end. All the stars!

Blog Tour Review: Saint Catherine by Anna Meyer

May 1, 2025May 1, 2025 Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Hi friends, I’m back for another blog tour today! I’m excited to share my thoughts as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours for Saint Catherine by Anna Meyer.

Thanks to Labyrinth Road for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!

Saint Catherine
Publisher: 23rd St.
Publication Date: 29 April 2025
Genre: Adult Contemporary Graphic Novel

Rating:

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📖 SYNOPSIS

A relatable adult graphic novel about a woman who skips Sunday mass for the first time in her life only to discover she’s possibly being possessed by a demon.

As a recovering Irish American Catholic, she has mostly traded the world of communion and confessionals for the “city-girl” struggle of work-life balance, family, and her relationships. The only thing she has not been able to shake is her fear that something bad will happen if she misses Sunday mass.

But her fears become a reality when she skips mass for the first time and discovers she is now being possessed by a demon claiming to be the prince of hell. As she takes matters into her own hands and attempts to exorcise these demons (both the paranormal and emotional kind), Catherine must face her buried guilt and what it truly means to be good.

A cathartic and engaging view into the messy life of an urban women in her early twenties, Anna Meyer’s Saint Catherine is truly a story of letting go of guilt and taking responsibilities for your desires, hopes, and mistakes.

📚 BUY A COPY

This was a great graphic novel that I think will appeal to readers of all ages, especially the adults but perhaps even some older YA readers. I think it will also appeal to those who have a non-linear relationship with religion. I didn’t think that a story about a young woman who believes she’s possessed by dozens of evil spirits because she missed church one time could be so entertaining. However, the author did a fantastic job bringing Catherine’s story to life. I didn’t expect to feel a slew of emotions from frustration and shock to heartbreak and overwhelming sadness to healing contentment, but Meyers made me feel it all!

Book Review: The Storied of Life A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

November 7, 2024November 2, 2024 Dini @ dinipandareads3 Comments

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
Publisher: Abacus
Pub Date: 1 April 2014
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

_{(4.5 pandas)}

📖 SYNOPSIS

A.J. Fikry, the grumpy owner of Island Books, is going through a hard time: his bookshop is failing, he has lost his beloved wife, and a prized rare first edition has been stolen.

But one day A.J. finds two-year-old Maya sitting on the bookshop floor, with a note attached to her asking the owner to look after her. His life – and Maya’s – is changed forever.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Character experiences multiple absence seizures (on the page), cancer (brain) resulting in aphasia, car accident (on the page, minor details) resulting in the death of a side character, death of a spouse as a result of a car accident (recounted), suicide (off-page), alcoholism, child abandonment, infidelity, suicide ideation, miscarriages (recounted)

TL;DR: I was looking for a book that would make me cry and well, this definitely got the job done! 😅 The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is every bit as wonderful as everyone told me it would be and I’m so happy that I’ve finally read it! I definitely understand why it’s so well-loved by many. There’s something about Zevin’s storytelling that’s so compelling, emotional and human—flaws and all. I would recommend this to those who enjoy a character-driven slice-of-life story that takes place over part of a lifetime, and for those who love a book about books!

ARC Mini Review: A Night at the Tropicana by Chanel Cleeton

August 12, 2024 Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Special thanks to Amazon Original Stories for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Night at the Tropicana
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Pub Date: 20 September 2022
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

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📖 SYNOPSIS

Cuba in the 1930s is the backdrop for a vibrant short story about the rhythms of the heart and the twists of fate that echo through time by the New York Times bestselling author of Next Year in Havana.

Havana, 1939: It’s opening night at the famed Tropicana nightclub. Cuban American college student Natalie Trainer, on vacation from Miami, is watching from the sidelines—as usual. Then comes an invitation to dance from a handsome stranger named Antonio. Normally cautious and reserved, Natalie somehow finds herself saying yes. A tiny thrill of rebellion, of taking a chance, and Natalie’s in heaven. Will her first step into this unfamiliar realm set a new course for her life, or only tonight?

Book Review: The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

April 1, 2024March 31, 2024 Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
Publisher: Random House UK
Pub Date: 1 June 2021
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

_{(4.5 pandas)}

📖 SYNOPSIS

Life is short.

No-one knows that better than seventeen-year-old Lenni. But as she is about to learn, it’s not only what you make of life that matters, but who you share it with.

Dodging doctor’s orders, she joins an art class where she bumps into fellow patient Margot, a rebel-hearted eight-three-year-old from the next ward. Their bond is instant as they realize that together they have lived an astonishing one hundred years.

To celebrate their shared century, they decide to paint their life stories: of growing old and staying young, of giving joy, of receiving kindness, of losing love, of finding the person who is everything.

As their friendship deepens, it becomes vividly clear that life is not done with Lenni and Margot yet.

An extraordinary friendship. A lifetime of stories. Their last one begins here.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Cancer, child death (recounted), war, PTSD, Alzheimer’s, death of loved ones

TL;DR: For some reason, I feel like this is an underrated book… It’s one of those reads that’ll pull on your heartstrings. It’s simple but beautifully written and packs quite an emotional punch. It’ll make you appreciate life and wonder at death, it’ll make you cry but it’ll also make you laugh and feel joy. It’s heartbreaking at the end—after all, it is set in a hospital and tells the story of two terminally ill people who form an unlikely friendship that spans their combined lifetime of 100 years. While the ending may be predictable and the story didn’t wow me with wild plot twists and turns, it did leave me with a sense of peace and gratitude.

Book Review: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

January 9, 2023September 1, 2023 Dini @ dinipandareads13 Comments

Convenience Store Woman
Publisher: Granta Books
Pub Date (Original): 27 July 2016
Genre: Translated Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

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📖 SYNOPSIS

Meet Keiko.

Keiko is 36 years old. She’s never had a boyfriend, and she’s been working in the same supermarket for eighteen years.

Keiko’s family wishes she’d get a proper job. Her friends wonder why she won’t get married.

But Keiko knows what makes her happy, and she’s not going to let anyone come between her and her convenience store…

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Ableism, misogyny

TL;DR: I think I’m coming in with a slightly unpopular opinion here but I know I’m one of very few who didn’t fall in love with this book. Convenience Store Woman ended up being just okay for me and I was slightly disappointed because I think I was expecting more. Keiko is an interesting character who does stand out after having read this book and while I agreed with the social commentary, I don’t think this will stick with me in the long run. Still, this was a well-written and engaging novella and I’m not mad that I gave it a try—I’m only sad that I didn’t love it as much as everyone else seemed to!

Book Review: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

December 10, 2022January 5, 2023 Dini @ dinipandareads24 Comments

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Pub Date: 5 July 2022
Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction

Panda Rating:

_{(5 pandas)}

📖 SYNOPSIS

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

In this exhilarating novel two friends—often in love, but never lovers—come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Childhood cancer, suicide (graphic, on-page), student-teacher relationship, abuse, sexism, racism, parental death, car accident, workplace shooting

ARC Review: Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting

May 16, 2022September 10, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads: Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House #2)
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publish Date: 10 May 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

_{(3.5 pandas)}

Charming, hilarious, and emotional, Starry-Eyed Love is Helena Hunting at her very best!

Having just broken up with her boyfriend, London Spark is not in the mood to be hit on. Especially not when she’s out celebrating her single status with her sisters. So when a very attractive man pays for their drinks and then slips her his number, she passes it right back to him with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’. As the business administrator for their family’s event hotel, the Spark House, London has more important things to worry about, like bringing in new clientele.

As luck would have it, a multi-million-dollar company calls a few months later asking for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership, and London is eager to prove to her sisters, and herself, that she can land this deal. Just when she thinks she has nailed her presentation, the company’s CEO, Jackson Holt, walks in and inserts himself into the meeting. Not only that, but he also happens to be the same guy she turned down at the bar a few months ago.

As they begin to spend more time together, their working relationship blossoms into something more. It isn’t until their professional entanglements are finally over, that London and Jackson are finally ready to take the next step in their relationship. But between Jackson’s secretive past and London’s struggle with her sisters, London must question where she really stands – not just with Jackson, but with the Spark House, too.