The Prenup by Lauren Layne – #BookReview

July 13, 2019July 13, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareadsLeave a comment

Goodreads: The Prenup
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit
Rating:

My name is Charlotte Spencer and, ten years ago, I married my brother’s best friend. I haven’t seen him since.

Charlotte Spencer grew up on the blue-blooded Upper East Side of Manhattan but she never wanted the sit-still-look-pretty future her parents dictated for her. Enter Colin Walsh, her brother’s quiet, brooding, man-bun-sporting best friend, and with him a chance to escape. He’s far from Charlotte’s dream guy as but they need each other for one thing: marriage. One courthouse wedding later, Charlotte’s inheritance is hers to start a business in San Francisco and Irish-born Colin has a Green Card. Ten years later, Colin drops a bombshell: the terms of their prenup state that before either can file for divorce, they have to live under the same roof for three months. Suddenly this match made in practicality is about to take on whole new meaning…

Quick, fun and full of sizzling chemistry. The perfect romantic summer read!

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I admit that when I first started it I thought I would be too annoyed with the first person narrative and the MC to continue reading. Charlotte’s personality is pretty full on and when the book opens up you are thrown straight into the thick of her character-isms, but I told myself to give it at least a few chapters. I’m so glad that I did!

I ended up loving Charlotte. She had such a chatty and vibrant personality, her character exuded so much life! But what surprised me most was that I was not expecting for her to fully own up to her mistakes and to accept responsibility for her immature actions from her younger years. I was impressed and immediately taken. I find that a lot of the females in romances, while having “grown up”, aren’t really grown up in terms of owning their shit and trying to be a better person. The obvious maturity in her character made this story so enjoyable. Being the same age as her, I found myself admiring her success, how unapologetic she was for going what she wanted, but also her willingness to admit that she could’ve handled many things better. It was enjoyable to follow Charlie’s journey of discovering what love meant to her and what she’d do for someone she’d love. It was sweet!

Speaking of friendships, what made me enjoy this story even more were the healthy and supportive friendships and sibling relationships. There was so much positive energy between the friends and everyone was just being mature, which was honestly so refreshing lol! While Charlie had a rocky relationship with her parents at the start, their relationship grew a lot throughout the story and in the end became quite positive too. It was very heartwarming!

While I found the idea of Colin very attractive, his character was so one dimensional and I found myself getting just as frustrated as Charlotte when every single time she’d try to get to know him, he’d rebuke or ignore her. He could’ve been given a bit more of a personality–even a smidge more than what was shown in the last few chapters would’ve gone a long way to make him more likeable! That said, I’m a sucker for Irish men and while I amused myself by trying to read his parts in an accent, I also found my imagination of it very hot. I wished the story was also written from his POV because I would’ve liked to know more of what was going on in that brain and behind that stoic facade! I think it would’ve added a nice varied element to the story.

I’ve never read a Lauren Layne novel before but so many contemporary romances have a lot of steamy scenes in them these days, so I thought that this would be the same. So color me surprised that everything was kept above the belt! I’m actually glad that it was a traditionally ‘chaste’ romance because I feel it added to the build up. And let me tell you, just because it was ‘chaste’ doesn’t mean that the chemistry and tension was non-existent. Oh no, not. at. all! It was an incredibly slow-burn and the build up of sexual tension honestly had my heart racing as I read. It was intense and I was 100% there for it! Overall, a quick, fun and heartwarming read that you won’t want to put down. Perfect for the summer!

Have you read The Flatshare? Did it live up to the hype for you? Loved it? Hated it? Meh about it? Let me know in the comments and let’s have a little chat!

Blackbird, Vol 1. by Sam Humphries & Jen Bartel – Graphic Novel Review

July 12, 2019July 11, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Goodreads: Blackbird (Issues #1-6)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Rating:

Nina Rodriguez knows a hidden magical world run by ruthless cabals is hiding in Los Angeles. When a giant magic beast kidnaps her sister, Nina must confront her past (and her demons) to get her sister back and reclaim her life. Don’t miss the first collection of the smash-hit neo-noir fantasy series!

I’m very on the fence about this one! If I could rate this graphic novel based on the color palette and artwork alone it would’ve been a solid 5 stars. This is the type of artwork that I’m an absolute sucker for. Everyone and everything is simply gorgeous–the setting, the character expressions and personalities physically expressed. Jen Bartel’s work is seriously impressive.

That said, the storyline and characters didn’t work for me. I didn’t enjoy a single one of the characters and I was especially frustrated with Nina. I understand she went through a terrible thing in her childhood from the night of the earthquake to losing her mum at such a young age, and that those events basically spiralled until young adulthood to where she is now. But her character was incredibly annoying and weak. Trying to follow her thoughts and mood was like trying to catch a swing that’s going in the opposite direction as me all the time. The flow felt a little stilted and didn’t really connect. And her moods! Oh my goodness. For example, MINOR spoiler: one minute she’s hating on Clint hardcore and then the next minute, they’re holding hands and almost kissing? I’m sorry but what and why? I think Clint’s character might have been the only one who was half-decent, but we also don’t really know that much about him yet. Other than that he has great fashion sense lol

The story was also very reminiscent of The Wicked + The Divine. While I thought the powers of the paragons and the use of gems was a unique aspect of the story, I continued to feel confused throughout this whole volume. We didn’t really get any answers about anything, and I know that this is only the first six issues, so hopefully in the coming issues things will become more clear.

That said, as much as I enjoyed the artwork, I don’t think I’ll be continuing on with this graphic novel. I’ll just continue to enjoy the artwork 🙂

Have you read Blackbird? Love it? Hate it? Meh about it?
Let me know in the comments and let’s have a little chat!

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary – #BookReview

July 11, 2019July 11, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

Goodreads: The Flatshare
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit
Rating:

Tiffy Moore and Leon Twomey each have a problem and need a quick fix. Tiffy’s been dumped by her cheating boyfriend and urgently needs a new flat. But earning minimum wage at a quirky publishing house means that her choices are limited in London. Leon, a palliative care nurse, is more concerned with other people’s welfare than his own. Along with working night shifts looking after the terminally ill, his sole focus is on raising money to fight his brother’s unfair imprisonment. Leon has a flat that he only uses 9 to 5. Tiffy works 9 to 5 and needs a place to sleep. The solution to their problems? To share a bed of course… As Leon and Tiffy’s unusual arrangement becomes a reality, they start to connect through Post-It notes left for each other around the flat. Can true love blossom even in the unlikeliest of situations? Can true love blossom even if you never see one another? Or does true love blossom when you are least expecting it?

Just before deciding whether to pick up this book or not, I saw that someone said that reading this book was like receiving a (long) warm hug(s), and now that I’ve finished reading it I couldn’t agree more. This was a very fast, funny, heartwarming read but there’s also more depth to the story than I originally anticipated. Despite the darker elements to the story, I couldn’t resist (literally) laughing out loud through so many parts of the book. I love British humor and the characters were so adorable!

Content warning: gaslighting and abuse (emotional).

The story is narrated in alternating perspectives between Tiffy and Leon. A lot of people have commented on how annoying Leon’s chapters because of how they’re written, but I actually really enjoyed how it’s written to reflect his character. Not just in mannerisms, but how Leon thought was exactly how the chapter was written. I found that unique! I adored Tiffy’s and Leon’s characters and I really enjoyed how their relationship grew throughout the story. Their system of leaving post-it notes around the flat was not only so sweet, but I found it an interesting and intimate way to get to know a person. It’s like the short form of full on love letters, and even though they were often about mundane thoughts/observations, I thought their personalities managed to really shine through. Tiffy and Leon also reminded me a lot of other characters that I’ve read (and loved!) in different books.

Tiffy’s quirkiness, bright wardrobe, and total comfort in her skin reminded me a lot of Hazel (Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating) and Louisa (Me Before You)! I liked that she had a strong and vibrant personality. She obviously has her insecurities, and the further we read, the more things begin to unravel for Tiffy’s character. Her experiences left me feeling sad and so incredibly angry too; I definitely wanted to punch someone in the face on her behalf! But her character is so strong and seeing her stand her ground was very empowering.

Leon’s quiet character, the total opposite of Tiffy, reminded me a fair bit of Josh (Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating) and a bit of Khai (The Bride Test). His relationship with Richie was so heartwarming and the dynamics reminded me a bit of Khai and Quan too because yes, Richie reminded me of Quan and I WANTED MORE. Leon’s character grew on me very quickly. I related to how he didn’t waste his energy on just anybody but saved it for the people he cared about. Although he’s not always talkative, smiling and laughing, when it does happen it’s like magic. He lights up and I loved that! He’s really just a sweet, sentimental, hopeless romantic of a cinnamon roll and boy, could I relate.

The reason I’m not giving this a full five stars is because I was pretty annoyed with the reaction from Gerty towards the end, and similarly, I felt the conflict between Tiffy and Leon wasn’t necessary. They were all fairly mature characters throughout the story, so why then in the end did they have to jump to the worst conclusions? I completely understand it’s easy to do in the heat of the moment, but I felt that (at least for Leon) it was completely out of character. Plus, it was resolved so quickly that it might as well not have happened. Regardless, I really enjoyed this, it definitely lived up to the hype for me, and I would definitely read it again on days when I feel like I need a warm hug from a book. Now in all seriousness: can has a Leon in my life? 😅

Have you read The Flatshare? Did it live up to the hype for you? Loved it? Hated it? Meh about it? Let me know in the comments and let’s have a little chat!

Mini-Reviews: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Field Notes on Love, and I Hate Fairyland – #BookReview

July 10, 2019July 10, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood #1) by Becky Albertalli
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Simon was a heartwarming, LGBT romance and I feel like the whole book was the epitome of the high school experience. This story was full of great friendships, hilarious and very quirky family relationships, as well as awkward and sometimes cruel high school experiences. I think Albertalli did a really great job of capturing the mind of a closeted gay teen and his struggles with coming out. Simon’s character was so endearing. He was sweet, caring, a bit of an oddball and actually pretty wholesome. I loved that everyone was so supportive of him! His exchanges with Blue were adorable and I really enjoyed how their relationship transformed from flirty friends to love as they opened up to each other. They were so pure and I wanted to give them all the hugs! That said, parts of this story really bothered me, and it specifically related to the friendship between Simon and Leah, who was his supposed ‘best friend’, but was almost wholly absent in his story. Having already read Leah’s book, I have my issues with her character as well, but for claiming that they’re so close, they’re not really? For some reason this really bothered me a lot 🙂 In the end, everything (obviously) sorted itself out and it was an uplifting story that left me feeling happy and content.

“I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these tiny ways… And every freaking time, I have to reintroduce myself to the universe all over again.”

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Romance

Field Notes on Love is everything I thought it would be and then some. I loved the idea of a book being set on a train, two strangers coming together, and with ‘love’ in the title of the book, you know romance plays a big part of this story. Surprisingly, this was more than just a fluffy love story; it was about family, friendship, vulnerability and ultimately finding out who you are, what you want and what you’re willing to do to get it. The story was told in alternating perspectives. I liked that both Hugo and Mae were such down-to-earth characters, who were enjoyable as individuals as much as together. The almost instant connection between Hugo and Mae, which I would normally find cheesy and annoying, didn’t feel at all contrived. The family relationships were proper #familygoals. All their interactions were full of kindness, understanding, support and encouragement, plus I found Hugo being one of sextuplets very interesting. The siblings only make minor appearances throughout, but you can feel the love and connection between them, and their individual personalities shone. The banter within both families made me laugh out loud multiple times! Although the plot was fairly predictable, sometimes you just need a happy and fluffy read that leaves you feeling good after you finish the last page. The characters really won this book for me. If you’re looking for a good quick summer read, I’d highly recommend it!

“They could be anywhere and nowhere, but they’ve somehow found themselves here, and she’s suddenly grateful for it, all of it, for the extra ticket and the way it brought them together despite everything, the bigness of the world and the unlikeliness of a moment like this.”

I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After (I Hate Fairyland #1) by Skottie Young
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Humor

The thing that drew me to this graphic novel was the artwork. The level of detail, the vibrant rainbow colors, and the cute characters that inhabit fairyland all made me want to pick up this comic! I loved how the bright colorful artwork juxtaposed with the very gore-filled story as we followed Gertrude’s bitter journey through fairyland to find the key to take her home. I guess I’d be bitter too after so long. Her tirades and deft “dispatching” of basically every character she crosses in fairyland, while admirable if you like that sort of thing, does get old after a while though. The storyline didn’t reveal anything new about why she’s still there after all these years, and I kind of wish we got to see more of the start to her journey, before she completely lost her mind, and became a bitter young woman trapped in a child’s body. I also wished we learned more about how and why children get abducted to fairyland in the first place! But maybe that’s too logical and serious for a graphic novel such as this? While I did enjoy it, Gertrude’s trajectory was basically the same through all scenes, so I’m not sure if I’d continue on with the series. I will say I’m curious to see what happens next, although considering it’s Gertrude fairyland may end up looking like a killing field sooner rather than later!, I just don’t know if I’m curious enough. The art work is definitely amazing though—I’m always attracted to bright splashy colors and the various inhabitants of fairyland!

Have you read any of these? Would love to know your thoughts on them if you have! Leave a comment below and let’s chat books 🙂

Book Review: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

July 8, 2019October 12, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Goodreads: Sorcery of Thorns
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: 04 June 2019
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

Have you ever experienced the struggle of writing a review because you loved a book so much? That’s happening to me right now. I think Sorcery of Thorns might be one of the best YA fantasies I’ve read in a long time and I loved it so much that all I can think about saying is: ALL THE STARS. READ IT NOW! I honestly don’t think I disliked anything in this book, and as book lovers and readers, I think we can all agree on how rare it is to say something like that. TL;DR: The story, the characters, the world building and magic, and THE BOOKS IN THE BOOK made for an incredibly fun and magical adventure that everyone should read!

Y’all, this story was about libraries and books–but not just any old books–but magical books (grimoires) that have thoughts and feelings and are alive. Books that have been made of the most gruesome of things (eyes, faces, teeth), full of dark and evil. Books that need to be stored in Great Libraries so that they can be protected from the world, but also so that the world can be protected from them. Books that, if damaged, can turn transform into frightening and unstoppable monsters that ravage towns and steal lives. But there was also so much adventure, magic, sorcerers, demons, mystery, murder, plotting, friendship and romance in the story.

Books, too, had hearts, though they were not the same as people’s, and a book’s heart could be broken; she had seen it happen before. Grimoires that refused to open, their voices gone silent, or whose ink faded and bled across the pages like tears.

I was blown away by the worldbuilding and magical system that Rogerson developed in Sorcery. Her writing was spellbinding (yes) and the towns and winding paths of the library floors full of thousands of grimoires, came so much to life that I felt like I was there, surrounded by the intoxicating smells of ink, paper, and aetherial combustion. I loved that not everyone had magic in this world and the ones who did had to give a piece of themselves away for it. All sorcerers are bound to high-born demons from who they draw their powers from. No demon, no magic. The demons were sufficiently creepy and forming a bond with a demon would obviously result in some not-so-good stuff happening (duh). I should note here that there is an element of predictability in the mystery of the story, and it wasn’t surprising at all when you find out who the evil characters are, but that didn’t make me enjoy it any less.

“Ink and parchment flowed through her veins. The magic of the Great Libraries lived in her very bones. They were a part of her, and she a part of them.”

The characters were also just as amazing as the world and magic. Elisabeth was such a wonderful lead character. She was fierce, strong and determined, intelligent, open-minded and compassionate. Having (literally) been raised as an orphan in one of the Great Libraries, she has a strong affinity and connection with grimoires. The love and respect she had for them, and the sense of belonging she felt when surrounded by books was so relatable, and the relationship she had with them felt incredibly special. She wasn’t a perfect character but she was very real. Prior to the events of the book, she had never experienced the ‘outside world’, and didn’t know any different from what she was taught by the people who raised her, and those she looked up to at the library. Was her attitude and prejudice frustrating? Sometimes, yes. But her behaviour was so normal for someone with her background.

“Of course .” A wicked gleam entered his eyes. “But I only turn girls into salamanders on Tuesdays. Luckily for you, it’s a Wednesday, which is the day I drink a goblet of orphan’s blood for supper.”

Then we have Nathaniel and Silas, who were also fantastic characters that brought so much to the story. Nathaniel’s laidback attitude towards basically everything that came his way, even the situations Elisabeth ropes him into, made for some comedic interactions. He might be seen as typically fulfilling the trope of “warm-hearted character acting cold to protect others” but I was all for Nathaniel being that character trope! His sassy streak was strong and it provided some great levity to situations; not to mention how he so casually reveals that he’s queer! Pretty sure I fell in love with Nathaniel too. Plus, his relationship with Silas defies the odds of who they both are, and that made it so much more heartwarming. When it comes to Silas, I don’t know how anybody couldn’t love him by the end of this story! UGH. THAT ENDING. So. Much. Love. For. It!!!

Perhaps the only thing that I didn’t like about this book is the fact that it ended. I’m so glad but at the same time so sad that this was a standalone–there’s relief from not having to wait ages for a sequel, but regret that the story has ended and I have to leave this world behind. I really hope that Rogerson revisits this beautiful world she has created in Sorcery so we can come back for a new story!

Have you read Sorcery of Thorns or is it on your TBR?

The #UltimateBlogTour: The Written by Ben Galley – #BookReview

June 30, 2019June 30, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads3 Comments

Goodreads: The Written (Emaneska #1)
Genre: Fantasy (Epic Fantasy)

His name is Farden.
They whisper that he’s dangerous.
Dangerous is only the half of it.
A spellbook has gone missing from the libraries of Arfell – a very old and extremely powerful spellbook from the time of dark elves and demons. Five scholars are dead, the magick council is running out of time and options, and the Arka is once again on the brink of war with the Siren dragon-riders. It falls to Farden the Written mage to keep the world from falling into chaos. Entangled in a web of lies and politics, Farden must recover the spellbook before an ancient enemy rises, even if it takes journeying halfway across icy Emaneska and back. In his fight for answers, Farden will unearth a secret that not only shakes the foundations of his world, but threaten the entire future of Emaneska. Sorcery, death, drugs and the deepest of betrayals await. Welcome to Emaneska.

Earlier this year, Noly @The Artsy Reader asked me if I wanted to join the biggest ever blog tour organized by Dave @TheWriteReads for the author Ben Galley, and I got so excited because I’ve never participated in one before so of course, I said YES and I’m so glad I did! There were four books to choose from and they all sounded great, but I decided to go with Galley’s debut: The Written. I haven’t read a fantasy yet in 2019, so I wasn’t really sure if I was in the right mood to read this or if I’d enjoy it, but holy wow, I loved this book! This book has everything that makes fantasy fun: adventure, raging asshole bad guys, magic, vampires, werewolves, elves, gods and daemons, mythical creatures, and best of all: DRAGONS. It reminded me of all the reasons why I love fantasy so much and diving back into the fantasy world felt a bit like coming home.

As this is the first book of the Emaneska series, there’s obviously plenty of worldbuilding. I thought Galley did a great job at describing the different regions of Emaneska, the cities/villages, the magick, and the creatures, and I felt myself becoming fully immersed in all the scenes. We also get to learn a bit more of Emaneska’s history through epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter, which I really enjoyed. I did find though that the pace tended to dip a little at times because it could get very descriptive. The story itself was pretty fast paced, especially the last 50% of the book, and a lot happens in a very short amount of time.

You know that moment you think you know who the bad guy is, but then you think that’s too obvious, so then you become suspicious of someone else, and then everything starts playing out how you think it will, but in an even more epic way? That’s what happened with this book. The twists were so good and still shocking, and the fact that my suspicions were proven right didn’t make it less of an enjoyable reveal. There’s also some good humor thrown in the text that had me laughing out loud a few times, so that as a nice surprise I wasn’t expecting!

I was honestly a little ‘meh’ about Farden’s character when he first appears, but the more I read, the more I loved him. He’s kinda the typical fantasy novel hero–big, strong, gruff on the surface but caring deep down, but he’s also got a short fuse, is often reckless, and has a seriously bad and dangerous habit that I was worried would plague his character throughout the book. He’s also a bit of a loner and mostly doesn’t prefer the company of people, which I can relate to, but he has a few close friends who he greatly appreciates and respects. He’s really just a good guy battling his own demons, and the latter half of this book had me really emotional for him. I loved many of the others we’re introduced to in the story–Durnus, Eyrum, Lazy–but I have to say that my favorite were THE DRAGONS (Farfallen and Brightshow especially). The dragons could talk. They were magical, wise, and kind. Overall, they were just very awesome and I wanted to be their friend.

The only thing I can think of that really bothered me when I encountered it while reading were the various typos (once there was a chunk of text that didn’t belong in the middle of a paragraph). Confusing at times, but for the most part okay, I’m just a bit of a stickler for these things!

The Written was a great fast-paced adventure and it excites me that this is just the beginning. I think I’ll continue on with this series right now, as I don’t feel like I’m ready to leave Farden and Emaneska just yet. At least, not before finding out more about what happens next!

About the Author

Ben Galley is an author of dark and epic fantasy books who currently hails from Victoria, Canada. Since publishing his debut The Written in 2010, Ben has released a range of award-winning fantasy novels, including the weird western Bloodrush and the epic standalone The Heart of Stone. He is also the author of the brand new Chasing Graves Trilogy.

Thanks to Ben Galley for giving me a digital copy of the book as part of this Ultimate Blog Tour!

Special thanks to Dave for the tremendous effort of organizing this tour of 100+ bloggers?! Amazing! 🙌🏽 Be sure to check out the other bloggers who’ve participated in the #UltimateBlogTour coz there are loads of great posts out there! You can find their posts on Twitter @TheWriteReads OnTour. Happy reading, friends!

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren – #BookReview

June 26, 2019June 26, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

Goodreads: Autoboyography
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, LGBTQ+, Contemporary, Romance

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah. But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar—where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester—Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity. It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

I’ve seen a lot about Autoboyography everywhere; it’s been mentioned as a favorite on many lists and has received a lot of praise. I’ve loved much of what Christina Lauren has written and this was no exception. Although I have to admit that I didn’t initially love it as much as I thought I would; perhaps because I didn’t connect to the characters as much at the start and I sometimes found their attitudes/actions frustrating (hello, Autumn!). But the more I think about the book now, the more I really appreciate Tanner’s and Sebastian’s story and realize just how much I enjoyed it.

“Oh, man,” Autumn mumbles from beside me. “His smile makes me stupid.” Her words are a dim echo of my own thoughts: His smile ruins me.

This is a coming-of-age love story, but it wasn’t all the butterflies, rainbows and good/easy things that normally feature in CLo’s novels, and that really made it more authentic and believable. Tanner is a bi-sexual high school senior who was out of the closet when his family lived in California, but had to “go back in” when they relocated to heavily Mormon Utah during his sophomore year. No one in town knows he’s queer, not even his best and closest friend Autumn, and it’s been easy to hide until Sebastian walks into his life. Tanner was easily my favorite character. He was immature at times and made some questionable (and typically high school) decisions, but he was also a cinnamon roll who has so much love to give. The support of his parents lent him an air of maturity and he understood consequences. By far my favorite part of the book was his parents and their support for him. Their completely transparent relationship with each other was so enviable and absolute #familygoals. It brought so much comfort and happiness to the story and clearly played a very big role in making Tanner who he is.

“I don’t actually care if you break my heart, Sebastian. I went into this knowing it could happen and I gave it to you anyway. But I don’t want you to break your own. You have so much space in your heart for your church, but does it have space for you?”

On the other hand we have Sebastian, who comes from and was raised in a hardcore LDS home. He struggles with his identity and thinks that by denying who he is, it’ll make him acceptable and different from other queer people. He loves and continues to turn to the faith that he was raised in, but he’s confused with how to reconcile that with what he feels for Tanner; especially when to him it feels completely right, even when everyone and everything he loves and knows tells him otherwise. As I was reading Sebastian’s struggles and vehement denials of being queer, my heart really broke for him. I want to say so much more, but I also don’t want to give any more away. I will say: read it!

I know there are probably many young teenagers/young adults and maybe even adults who struggle with reconciling their faith with how they identify, and it made me sad to think that we still live in a world where you can expect to be ostracized or abandoned if you choose to be yourself, no matter who that is. Although I can’t speak to the experiences in this book, I believe that CLo did a great job in researching and writing about such a sensitive and complex topic. I think a lot of people will really be able to connect with their stories, especially (maybe) Sebastians’ struggles of coming out, and they’ll find comfort in knowing they’re not alone; that others are struggling, scared and don’t know what to do because they don’t want to lose everything and everyone they love just because of who they are.

“But missing him every day for the rest of my life was still easier than the fight Sebastian had: to stuff himself inside a box every morning and tuck that box inside his heart and pray that his heart kept beating around the obstacle. Every day I could go to class as exactly the person I am, and meet new people, and come outside later for some fresh air and Frisbee. Every day I would be grateful that no one who matters to me questions whether I am too masculine, too feminine, too open, too closed. Every day I would be grateful for what I have, and that I can be who I am without judgment. So every day I would fight for Sebastian, and people in the same boat, who don’t have what I do, who struggle to find themselves in a world that tells them white and straight and narrow gets first pick in the schoolyard game of life.”

Christina Lauren does it again! They really know how to write stories that are not only enjoyable, but cover important issues and make you think and feel all the feels. I’m really glad that I finally read this.

Have you read Autoboyography? What did you think about it?
Let me know in the comments and let’s have a little chat 🙂

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – #BookReview

June 24, 2019June 24, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

Goodreads: Where the Crawdads Sing
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fiction

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. She’s barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark. But Kya is not what they say. Abandoned at age ten, she has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life lessons from the land, learning from the false signals of fireflies the real way of this world. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world–until the unthinkable happens.

Friends, I loved this book so much. I’m so glad that I finally read it because in my opinion, it is worth all the hype around it! I have to say though that I can understand those who said that they didn’t love it or DNF’d it. Even though I’m obviously not surprised that this book received so much praise because I really loved it, it’s not the typical “fast-paced” novel that normally receives so much love in the book sphere.

“Sometimes she heard night–sounds she didn’t know or jumped from lightning too close, but whenever she stumbled, it was the land who caught her. Until at last, at some unclaimed moment, the heart-pain seeped away like water into sand. Still there, but deep. Kya laid her hand upon the breathing, wet earth, and the marsh became her mother.”

Where the Crawdads Sing is a deeply atmospheric, coming-of-age love story/murder mystery set in the 50s-70s, in the marsh land along the North Carolina coast. Through Delia Owens’ writing, the richness of the marsh and its surroundings that teem with creatures big and small, in the water, on land and in the sky, fully come to life. The story is quite heavily descriptive and full of metaphoric prose about nature that it sometimes reads like a love letter to nature itself. As I mentioned above, I see why people would find it boring or just couldn’t get into it because the descriptive prose made it a slow read and often quite dense. When I started I also wasn’t sure whether I’d love it, but it honestly didn’t take too long for me to realize just how quickly I sped through the chapters and how much I was looking forward to picking it back up again when I had to put it down. Owen’s writing was so captivating and poetic.

The story follows Kya or “The Marsh Girl” as she’s known to the townspeople of Barkley Cove. Abandoned by her family at the age of 10, Kya is left to fend for herself in the small shack that was her family’s isolated marsh home. She relies on the marsh and the sea to provide her a means for survival, and spends as much time exploring the natural land and begins collecting feathers, shells, and other special artifacts. Over time, she meets a boy, who teaches her how to read and write, brings her biology books and poetry, explores the marsh with her, and shows her what it’s like to not be lonely, and to love. But when promises are broken, she closes off her heart and retreats to her isolation, although her desperation to be in another person’s company sends her straight into the arms of Barkley Cove’s darling, who is a notorious ladies’ man. Just as with the other disappointments in her life, things don’t turn out the way she’d hoped and years later, when this man is found dead, she finds herself the primary suspect in his murder trial.

“Please don’t talk to me about isolation. No one has to tell me how it changes a person. I have lived it. I am isolation,” Kya whispered with a slight edge.”

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking. Kya’s solitude and her loneliness was such a raw and desperate emotion that was deeply woven into her storyline. Her character was so pure, sweet and smart, and completely misunderstood. I cried, I laughed, I loved and I rooted for Kya to survive. To read of her abandonment by everyone who was supposed to love her, because they thought she was too wild or untamed for civilized society, was so heartrending; I often wanted to reach through the pages and scoop little Kya up to give her the love she needed. But her character’s strength and resilience was awe-inspiring. That she was able to make a life for herself and to overcome so many barriers in her way to find success made me love her character even more. Although Kya didn’t have many interactions with people, most of the characters who came into her life, especially Tate, Jumpin’, Mabel, and even Jodie, stole my heart just as much as she did. Even though some of them made pretty awful decisions when they were younger, they gave and showed her the love, respect and appreciation she deserved. I was thrilled when they proved they were there to stay in her life no matter what.

While the ending had a bit of a twist, I wasn’t really surprised by it (not necessarily in a bad way). I think I always felt that I knew the truth of what happened and that’s why it wasn’t shocking. Also, I don’t know how else I would’ve liked for this book to end, so I was quite satisfied with it. I loved how the title was woven into the storyline several times and kept coming back, and how the cover is a perfect representation of the book. I honestly would recommend this to everyone because I loved it so much, but I do know it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. That said, I can’t wait to read more from Delia Owens and I can’t believe this was her debut! It’s absolutely stunning. Definitely a strong contender for my top read this year!

Have you read Where the Crawdads Sing? Did it live up to the hype for you?
Let me know in the comments and let’s have a little chat 🙂

ARC Review: When the Light Went Out by Bridget Morrissey

June 22, 2019May 1, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareadsLeave a comment

Goodreads: When the Light Went Out
Publish date: 01 June 2019
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Book Panda:

Do we change or does the world change us? Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise. Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life. But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?

When I picked this up I was expecting an adventurous mystery where a group of friends discover long-held secrets and answers as to what happened in the lead up to the day one of their friends died. While you do get somewhat of an adventure amongst friends, this ended up being less of a mystery and more of a look into how grief affects youth.

When the Albany Street kids lose their group leader Marley in an accidental shooting one summer day, they’re all deeply affected but none more so than Olivia and Nick; Olivia because she idolized Marley and watched the shooting happen, and Nick because he was the one who pulled the trigger. After that day, they all drift away from Olivia and Nick is shunned in the community. But on the fifth year deathiversary, a plan is set into motion by Marley’s spirit via Olivia and the group comes back together to undertake one last adventure and to understand what really happened the day Marley died.

Honestly, I was deeply confused for a majority of the book, especially at the start. The writing felt very jumbled up and to me it read like stream of consciousness, without any clear demarcation of where one thought ended and another began. I don’t know if there was meant to be any magical realism elements in the story as well, especially when Marley was referred to in basically everything — in the sky, the wind, the ground, the air– and since I’m not such a big fan of magical realism, this only served to add to my confusion. The story started to get a bit more clear for me at about the 80% mark, and the last 20% of the book is the reason why I’m giving this book a 3.5 star rating because it resolves a lot of the irritation I felt while reading. Olivia was so young when Marley died in front of her, and the abandonment by her friends, and the rigid structure that the parents’ enforced after her death, only served to isolate Olivia and make her retreat into her own world, one where Marley was guiding her every move; one where she embraced and became Marley. There was a twist towards the end of the book that was a bit of an “aha!” moment when you realized just how affected Olivia has been all these years. I thought this story painted a poignant picture of how grief can really affect a person when they experience it at such a young age.

While I actually didn’t like many of the characters at the start of the novel, some of them really did grow on me, while others remained somewhat side characters (even though they were part of the friendship group) because they didn’t get a lot of ‘page time’ or growth. I have to say that my least favorite character was actually Olivia. She was always acting so competitive and felt this desperate need to always be seen as the person who comes up with great ideas and who’s the leader and it just came off as very irritating and immature. Yes, she’s only 16 in the present day, but I found this part of her personality very annoying. I really liked Nick, although I wish that we had learned more about him throughout the novel, and not as just the person who accidentally fired the gun all those years ago, and not as the boy who Olivia had a crush on. I think it would have been interesting to have some chapters from his PoV seeing as how his presence essentially played such a big role in what happened.

Overall, this wasn’t what I was expecting, and although the narrative was confusing for the most part, it was a fairly easy read (I finished it in 1.5 days).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. Have you read it or is it on your TBR?

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner – #ARC #BookReview

June 15, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareadsLeave a comment

Goodreads: Mrs. Everything
Publish date: 11 June 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary, Historical, LGBTQ+

I was not expecting the emotional punch that I would get while reading Mrs. Everything. I always enjoy family sagas and the relationship between two sisters/siblings, and this book was no exception. I loved the glimpse of modern American history that we got while journeying with the Kaufman sisters from the 1950s to 2022. This was a beautiful story about coming-of-age, getting lost and discovering and accepting yourself, finding and losing love, building a life, motherhood, and a poignant look at the role of women in society throughout the decades.

Told in alternating chapters between Jo and Bethie, Weiner’s prose and style was simple and easy to read but immersive. I often found myself transported to the different periods of history, standing beside Jo or Bethie, while they were picketing or getting high at a party or standing on the porch of a commune. I also enjoyed how Weiner incorporated key events in America’s history into the story. As the story covers an extended period of time, the plot does jump locations fairly often, especially at the beginning, but it mainly centers around: Detroit, Avondale, and Atlanta.

You’re thrown into the center of the narrative from the start. Jo was the tomboy who doesn’t conform to her mother’s or society’s idea of how a lady should look/act. She was more comfortable in trousers playing sports. Bethie was the sweet darling, the natural beauty with a charming voice. She was the good girl and it seemed almost certain that their lives would follow the paths they’d been on as children, with Jo living as a free spirit, making a difference, and Bethie settling down and becoming a mum. But tragic things start happening to both sisters, and we see how one loses herself, only to learn how to embrace her past and “come out new”, while the other struggled to hide her sexual orientation, found and lost love, and decided to settle for normal. I honestly loved both sisters and my heart broke when tragedies would befall them, and soar whenever either one triumphed. Being a character driven story, you get a chance to see how they grow over the years. The Kaufman sisters are strong in their own ways, but they’re also very flawed and simply human.

“We lose ourselves,” she repeated, forming each word with care, “but we find our way back” Wasn’t that the story of her life? Wasn’t that the story of Bethie’s? You make the wrong choices, you make mistakes, you disappear for a decade, you marry the wrong man. You get hurt. You lose sight of who you are, or of who you want to be, and then you remember, and if you’re lucky you have sisters or friends who remind you when you forget your best intentions. You come back to yourself, again and again. you try, and fail, and try again, and fail again.

Within the first 30% of the novel, Jo and Bethie already go through so much hardship that was so heartbreaking, but everything that happened to them throughout their lifetime was also completely believable. It was nothing spectacular in the sense that it’s a story that women have experienced and can relate to. Although it explores important issues about the role of women in society, it doesn’t feel preachy or like Weiner is trying to push a message down your throat. It’s very well-woven into the storyline and comes to play an important role in the latter part of the sisters’ lives. Even for an Asian woman such as myself, I found I could relate to some of their experiences, and a lot of what is discussed in this book. This story is so relevant to the social climate of today with the #metoo movement and rising feminism (not only in America but slowly worldwide too) and I think it’ll resonate with a lot of women who read it.

I’m giving this 4 stars because while I didn’t feel that any part of the story was unnecessary, I thought the middle lagged just a little, and the end felt a bit rushed. I thought we missed a key part of one of the main characters’ life in her later years of life, as it related to her sexuality and her family. I was surprised that Weiner didn’t write about it, as I think it was a pretty big deal for her character, and it just felt glossed over and made everything feel too neatly wrapped up. Still, this had a satisfying ending and although I’m a crier in general, I didn’t think I would be with this book. I was obviously proven wrong because I was crying hard at the end. 😅

Overall, I really enjoyed Mrs. Everything and I’m so glad that one of the ladies in my group read chats mentioned that this was available to “Read Now” on NetGalley because otherwise I probably would’ve missed it. I think it will stick with me long after I finish. This was my first book by Jennifer Weiner and I really enjoyed her writing, so I’m looking forward to reading more of what she has written. Fabulous book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner? What did you think of it? This book is now out everywhere if you’re interested in picking up a copy!