Category: General Books

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [20]

Dini @ dinipandareads2 Comments

Can someone tell me how it’s already the first of September? Like… How? 👀 So we’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This Sunday, I wished I were in bed with two of my current reads: Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1) by Jay Kristoff and The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black. I’m re-reading TCP because I remember jack-nada from when I read it last year. Elements of the plot are coming back to me and while I found Jude slightly annoying at the start, she’s really growing on me? I’m listening to Nevernight on Audible while following along to it on my Kindle and I’m honestly LOVING this book so much. It took a little while to grow on me, but it’s really grown on me (at 16%). This book is surprisingly hilarious (although maybe I shouldn’t be surprised because Kristoff) and it’s making it such a pleasure to read alongside the darker and more murder-y stuff!

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.
Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.
But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.
The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.
The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

What are you currently reading?

Did I already mention how baffled I am that it’s already September? I honestly don’t know where time flies to, especially on weekends! It’s like the more relaxed I am, the faster time goes? I had grand plans to bring my bookshelves/TBR carts to some semblance of order on Saturday but ended up spending all day under my doona, lost in a book. I realized at around 9pm that I had yet to eat or prepare any of my Saturday blog posts. Oops! So I sprang out of my cocoon, whipped up dinner while finishing up the audiobook for Naturally Tan, and then proceeded to write my blog posts while eating and watching Back-to-Back Chef with Carla Music on the Bon Apetit channel on YouTube. I was multitasking like a boss last night 😏 By the way, this cooking show is AWESOME (basically celebrities of all cooking abilities come on and cook with Carla with only vocal instructions from her and they can’t peek at each other’s stations)! It’s actually hilarious and I’d 100% recommend! I’ve also still been listening to Lover on repeat all week and I just can’t get myself to stop. I think my new favorite is Daylight because of how it ends on such a sweet, fresh and positive note! Contrary to what my last two posts may indicate, I’m not obsessed with Taylor Swift, but with her last two albums I’ve found that I have a great appreciation for her pop music, and Lover has certainly solidified that appreciation for me!

I think this week has been a pretty good one for reading! I managed to finish five books, including one audiobook that I’ve been listening to for a while, and I ended up having one 5★, one 4½★, one 4★, and two 3★ reads! It’s also been pretty freaking awesome on the blogging front this week! I actually didn’t realize how much I’ve posted this week and looking at the long list below, I think I’ve set myself up for failure if I want to do the same next week 😂 I also have to say sorry to everyone who has engaged with me and left comments on my blog this week. It’s been a pretty weird week in terms of my mental health and I’ve been wanting to retreat big time at the end of every work day, so even though I’ve been posting, I haven’t been engaging and I’m sorry about that! I just needed a bit more time off the laptop and the interwebs. That said, I’m hoping to catch up on more blogs and on comments in the coming week, so I’ll be getting back to you all soon 😊 On that note, here’s a recap of my posts from this week, in case you missed any:

August Monthly Wrap Up!
Review: The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
Top 5 Saturday: Road Trip!
Friday Favorites: Books Read in School
First Lines Friday: 30 August
Graphic Novel ARC Review: The Avant-Guards Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin, Noah Hayes
Wrapping Up: Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge & ARC August
The (Double) Liebster Award!
Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco
#WWWWednesday: 28 August
ARC Review: Pillow Thoughts III: Mending the Mind by Courtney Peppernell
#TopTenTuesday: Books I Want In My Physical Library
Review: Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini
Goodreads Monday: 26 August

How has your week been? Hope everyone has/had a great weekend!
Let me know how you’re doing in the comments and let’s chat 🙂

August Monthly Wrap Up!

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

With how much I’ve been whining about my reading slump this month, it should be pretty obvious that it was not the best month. The slump came swooping in very close to the start of August and continued for almost two weeks! Yikes. It definitely threw off my reading game, especially since I was hoping to really kick ARC August’s ass, but it is what it is. In the end, I managed to read: 14 books.

  • ★★★★★
  • ★★★★☆
  • ★★★★½
  • ★★½
  • ★★★☆☆
  • ★★★½
  • ★★½
  • ★★★★★
  • ★★★★☆
  • ★★★★½
  • ★★★½
  • ★★½
  • ★★★☆☆
  • ★★★★☆

Out of these 14 reads, I managed to get in five ARCs, which is better than none but definitely not my best! Looking back on the month, it seems pretty clear that I’ve been on a contemporary romance streak. I always do like a good romance and since coming out of my slump, it seemed like the only genre of books that I could stick to fairly easily. I only had two 5★ reads and I have to say The Grace Year by Kim Liggett was my favorite for the month, and it might also be one of my favorites for the year. My review for it will be posted sometime this week so be on the lookout. It was such a surprising book and I can’t wait until it comes out early October so that everyone can read it! It’s claimed to be a cross between The Handmaid’s Tale and The Lord of the Flies, and it’s a pretty spot on description of this wild story!

I’ve now read 142 of 90 books and I’m already thinking what I should set as my Goodreads goal next year. I might make it 100 just in case 2020 will be a complete turn around from 2019. But if I also surpass the 100 books before the end of the year, I think I’d bump it up to 120. I hope my reading keeps on the up 🙂

I’ve seen other people do this in their monthly recaps too so I thought I’d do the same. Below is a list of all the posts I’ve made this month case you want to read them and happened to miss them! Happy reading, friends. Hope September will either be a better reading month for you or that your good reading streak will continue!

Goodreads Monday

05 August // 12 August // 19 August // 26 August

Top Ten Tuesday

Cover (Re)Designs I Love/Hate // Book Characters I’d Love to Be Besties With // Favorite TROPES! // Books I Want In My Physical Library

WWW Wednesday

07 August // 14 August // 21 August // 28 August

Friday Favorites

Sequels // Books That Define You // Underrated Books // Nerdy Characters // Books Read in School

First Line Fridays

30 August

Top 5 Saturday

Books with Asian Settings // Books about Assassins // Dragons! // Road Trip!

Sundays In Bed With…My Weekly Wrap Up!

04 August // 11 August // 19 August // 25 August

Book Tags

Who Am I Book Tag // The (Double) Leibster Award!

Book Challenges

ARC August TBR // Wrapping Up: Goodreads Summer Reading and ARC August

Reviews

Review: The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
ARC Graphic Novel Review: The Avant-Guards Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin, Noah Hayes
Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco
ARC Review: Pillow Thoughts III: Mending the Mind by Courtney Peppernell
Review: Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini
Review: The Whisper Man by Alex North
ARC Graphic Novel Review: Elma: A Bear’s Life: The Great Journey (Vol 1) by Ingrid Chabbert
ARC Review: A Random Act of Kindness by Sophie Jenkins
ARC Graphic Novel Review: Sparrowhawk #1 by Delilah S. Dawson
Review: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Review: The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill
Review: A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
Review: The Consequence of Falling by Claire Contreras
Review: That Second Chance by Meghan Quinn

Come and drop me a comment about your reading month and tell me what your favorite read was in August 🙂

Book Review: The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

Goodreads: The Simple Wild
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: 07 August 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

Calla Fletcher was two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this new subarctic environment, Jonah—the quiet, brooding, and proud Alaskan pilot who keeps her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. As time passes, she unexpectedly finds herself forming a bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago. It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.

If you’re like a sweet enemies-to-lovers romance, with a bit of family drama & a few ‘finding yourself & learning about forgiveness’ moments, all set in a beautiful Alaska, then this is for you!

The Simple Wild was a heartwarming, beautifully romantic story set in the Alaskan wild. I don’t know what it is about me and Alaska, but I’ve been low key obsessed with (the idea of) it since I read a book set there a few years ago. Yes, some books romanticize it, and to an extent this was one, but I’m not blinded to the harsh reality Alaskan life. BUT I DIGRESS! I just wanted to say that this book made me fall even more in love with the simple, terrifying, harsh and beautiful place that is Alaska.

What can I say about The Simple Wild other than I loved it?! I’ve already shared how much I love the setting, but the characters and their stories also quickly grew on me. I’ll admit that I wasn’t Calla’s biggest fan at the start. She was a spoiled and entitled millennial who thought life didn’t exist without the internet, and who wouldn’t stop spouting about how expensive everything in her luggage was. It became eye-roll inducing at one point. That said, her character growth was so satisfying to witness! It wasn’t exactly a quick adjustment, but I loved that she slowly let her city girl go, and slowly found her place in the close-knit community in Bangor. If there’s one thing I learned from reading stories set in Alaska, it’s that community and the support you get from it, is a big part of surviving up there. It was great to see her finally realize that it is possible to survive without a full face of makeup and access to internet 24/7. I also enjoyed how her relationship with Wren, her father, also grew and healed. Calla felt a lot of resentment, insecurity and abandonment issues because of his decision to stay in Alaska and her childhood without him, but it was so heartwarming to see both of them let their guards down and be open with each other about their feelings. I’m so glad that they were able to build up their relationship and form a touching father-daughter bond, despite many years of not talking or seeing each other. Wren and Calla’s mother’s story was so bittersweet and heartbreaking.

Then we come to the love interest. Jonah was your typical grumpy mountain man, full with Yeti-styled fashion, with the biggest, warmest heart underneath! He was an absolute cinnamon roll and everyone who told me that I’d love him was SPOT ON! Damn those sky cowboys and their ability to steal your heart! I LOVED the relationship between Calla and Jonah! It was sweet and their progression from enemies-to-lovers was just SO GOOD. The build up was well-paced and wholly satisfying. I loved that Jonah wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is, no matter how difficult it was for Calla to hear. He had zero issues putting her in her place, especially at the start, but I liked that he was also able to admit to his faults if he did wrong. Their banter was hilarious and when she did *that thing* in revenge, I was breathless with laughter; especially because it also resulted in a great ice-breaking moment between Calla and Wren! On the heat scale, I would say this book is on a 2-3 out of 5. There was one mildly explicit sex scene, with other shorter steamier moments, but not much.

“Up here it’s about having enough food to eat, and enough heat to stay alive through the winter. It’s about survival, and enjoying the company of the people that surround us. It’s not about whose house is the biggest, or who has the nicest clothes, or the most money. We support each other because we’re all in this together. And people either like that way of life or they don’t…” 

The reason why I took off half a star was because I felt the end was wrapped up so quickly! It obviously wasn’t an unpredictable story or ending, but I still wish that it was a little less abrupt. I also wished that we got to see Calla interact more with the Alaskan natives because of how big a role they play in certain characters’ (Jonah and Wren) love and respect for Alaska and those who live there! Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one (long) night! It was my first Tucker read but it won’t be my last and I’m keen to check out more of what she’s written.

Have you read The Simple Wild? Do you have a thing for Alaska too? 😂 Leave me a comment below and let’s chat!

Friday Favorites: Books Read in School

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

It’s time for another Friday Favorites hosted by Kibby @ Something of the Book! This weekly meme is where you get to share a list of all your favorites based on the list of prompts on Kibby’s page. Sounds fun, right? This week’s prompt is: favorite books read in school. Thinking up my favorite reads from my school days was a bit difficult (yay for Goodreads, amiright?) but this was such a nice walk down memory lane. It’s amazing though how hearing a book title or seeing a book cover can bring memories rushing back! For this prompt, I’ve chosen to focus on the required readings we were assigned. English/Humanities was always my favorite class and I was that student who’d eagerly anticipate the start of a school year and learning about the books we’d be reading and the discussions we’d have! Ah, good times 🙂 I’m going to keep this week sweet & simple with photos and in no particular order!

Just a note: I read many of these books over 13 years ago (I’M OLD) and while I remember enjoying these books, I don’t know if I’d feel the same if I read them now. Maybe I wouldn’t with many for them, but I’m thinking about what I thought then!

What are your favorite reads from school? Did you read any of these in school? Leave me a comment below and let’s chat!

First Lines Friday – 30 August

Dini @ dinipandareads2 Comments

Yayaya, HAPPY FRIYAY, book lovers and friends 😍 I’m including a new meme to my Friday post line-up today with First Lines Friday! This is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are THE RULES:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First lines:

People often shit themselves when they die.
Their muscles slack and their souls flutter free and everything else just … slips out. For all their audience’s love of death, the playwrights seldom mention it.

Do you recognize the book these first lines come from?

Okay, okay, calm yourself Loki man... *drumroll please!*

The book is: Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, Book 1) by Jay Kristoff

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.

Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.

Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.

Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?

Have you read Nevernight? I’m trying to read Nevernight & Godsgrave before Darkdawn releases so very soon! Reckon I can do it?

The Avant-Guards Vol. 1 by Carly Usdin, Noah Hayes – #ARC #GraphicNovel #Review

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Goodreads: The Avant-Guards
Publish date: 03 September 2019
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Sports, LGBTQIA+
Rating: ★★★★★

When Charlie transfers to the Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics, she struggles to find her feet, but winds up exactly where she belongs…in the school’s (terrible) basketball team. As a transfer student to the Georgia O’Keeffe College for Arts and Subtle Dramatics, former sports star Charlie is struggling to find her classes, her dorm, and her place amongst a student body full of artists who seem to know exactly where they’re going. When the school’s barely-a-basketball-team unexpectedly attempts to recruit her, Charlie’s adamant that she’s left that life behind…until she’s won over by the charming team captain, Liv, and the ragtag crew she’s managed to assemble. And while Charlie may have left cut-throat competition in in the dust, sinking these hoops may be exactly what she needs to see the person she truly wants to be.

I LOVED this one! Oh my goodness, I want more issues/volumes now! This was a super fun and inclusive graphic novel about females playing college basketball. It’s a simple premise, and there’s a love story that’s quickly involved, but it’s all sweet. I really enjoyed the characters, how they’re all queer and how their personalities and ethnicities were all mixed. The friendship group reminded me a lot about my own friendship group from uni and how we were always together and sticking by each other’s side. Although Charlie’s character is a bit sullen at first, I love seeing glimpses of her happy side but also about her past–it seems like something big and bad happened to her that badly affected her trust, and I really can’t wait to find out what her reason was for moving schools (I don’t believe it’s only because of no longer playing basketball?)! Liv’s character, while mildly annoying, was also sweet and I loved seeing her vulnerable sides. She’s such an exuberant, high energy character that seems confident 100% of the time but it’s nice to read from her perspective as well.

I really enjoyed the artwork. The work gave me old(ish) school Archie Comic vibes, also with the text/speech bubbles. I loved the colors that are used in the comic, it lends the story an even happier vibe. I liked that there were some moments with a lot of text, but not too often, and that the text wasn’t so squished into speech bubbles that they were illegible. Also, did I mention how much I love the name of the comic and the basketball team? Super cool! There were four issues in this volume but I just want more now. I can’t wait for people to read this one because it is funny, quirky and a little bit romantic!

Thanks to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for the free copy in exchange for an honest review! This graphic novel is out 03 September 2019.

Wrapping Up: Goodreads Summer Reading and ARC August

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Since I posted my last update about the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge at the end of July and then announced joining ARC August at the start of this month, I hit a pretty big reading slump that derailed basically all of my plans to keep my amazing July reading streak going. Thankfully, I’m past it now, but since August and therefore summer too is over, I thought I’d put these challenges to bed and see what the rest of the year has to bring!

Goodreads summer reading challenge

The GRSRC had 11 ‘For Beginners’ prompts and I completed 8 of those! While I was sure that I’d be able to finish this challenge, I’m not mad at what I did finish. I mean, yeah, there were only eleven prompts, but I feel like August didn’t even count 😂 So here are the ones that I managed to tick off the list:

Short & sweet: Read a book with less than 100 pages (or a book you can finish in one sitting) – The Woods, Vol. 1: The Arrow by James Tynion IV | (my review)

On the bandwagon: Read one of the most read books right now on Goodreads & New voices: Read a debut novel – Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens | (my review)

Actually want to read: Read a book that’s been on your Want to Read shelf for more than a year.
This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel | If I’m being honest, this was the book that set off my slump this month. I didn’t review this book yet because it took me ages to get through, but I really did love the characters and Claude/Poppy’s story. I think it was the meandering writing and very floaty? dreamy? writing style that I didn’t gel with. So in this case, I think it was definitely a ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ moment.

In the friend zone: Read a book that a friend has recommended – The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary | (my review)

It takes two: Read a co-authored book – Autoboyography by Christina Lauren | (my review)

Wheel of format: Read a book in a format that you don’t normally read in (­a graphic novel, poetry, a play, an audiobook, etc.). – Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Full disclosure, I’m cheating a bit with this one because while I did listen to Daisy Jones on audio, it wasn’t the audio I set out to finish when I made my list! I’m still counting it though because flexibility and all that, right?! This is another review that I haven’t gotten around to blogging yet, but I did gush about it on Goodreads, so you can check it out there.

Past love: Reread a book you loved when you were younger – Party Weekend (Sweet Valley High #143) by Francine Pascal | (my review)

Armchair traveler: Read a book set in a destination you want to visit – The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah | (my review)

The three prompts that I didn’t manage to complete were: Good as gold: Read a book that won a Goodreads Choice Award | The book is better: Read a book being adapted for TV or film this year | Not from around here: Read a book set in a different culture from your own. I’m surprised that I haven’t even picked Vengeful up yet, but I’m not surprised by my reluctance to get into the other two. The Goldfinch has sat unfinished on my shelf since February and I finally picked it up again to take with me to a doctor’s appointment to read while waiting, but I didn’t even touch it 😭 I’m still determined to finish it before the movie comes out coz I really do wanna know what happens!

arc august

I’m actually really bummed that I only managed to read 5 ARCs for ARC August. FIVE ARCs IN ONE MONTH. I’m quaking with disappointment 😫 It’s not like I planned to only read ARCs in August, but I still hoped to make a bigger dent in my pile! While I might not have ‘fast-tracked’ my progress, I hope to get a 100% rating before the end of the year! Is it ambitious? Yah. Though I’m not taking or making new requests at the moment, let’s see how long I can resist the urge 😅 I’m hoping I can cut down at least five *cough* more ARCs before I cave! LOL

So what other challenges are there for the rest of the year? I think I heard about one called Series September, which involves wrapping up a series or reading the next book in the series, to get caught up. I could be completely making this challenge up based on something I heard in passing and my fragmented memory just pieced it together as this challenge, but it kinda sounds like a good idea! There’s also Non-Fiction November, which I think will be fun because I’m always looking to read more NF and a challenge will give me some good incentive to do it! There’s also the PopSugar Reading Challenge, which I’ve been doing since the start of the year, although I’ve been (unsurprisingly) horrible at actually keeping track of my progress! I did take a peek at the prompts the other day and realized that I’ve made a pretty good dent in the basic challenges, so I’m quite happy with that! I’ll probably make a post for that challenge soon too.

And that’s wrap folks! Sorry for blabbering so much 🙃

Did you participate in the summer reading challenge or ARC August? Will you be participating in any other challenges this year? I’d love to know your progress! Leave me a comment and let’s chat about it!

The (Double) Leibster Award!

Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

Two weeks ago I was nominated for the Leibster Award by Amanda @ if there’s a haunted house in it, i’ll read it and by Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads! When I first started blogging I saw quite a few very popular bloggers being tagged for this award and I never in my wildest thought I’d ever be nominated for it even once, let alone twice! Thank you ladies for even thinking of me and putting my blog just a little bit further out there on the radar! Deciding to start blogging again, this time focusing solely on books, was one of the best decisions I’ve made this year. I’m so thankful for all the friends I’ve made and for finding an online community where I can just happily be my geeky, fan-girling, bookish self with others who just really get it.

By the way, if you’re not yet following either of these two ladies, what are you even doing!? They’re so sweet and engaging, plus they have really great bookish content on their pages. So, go follow them now!

Since I’ve been tagged twice, I’ll be answering two sets of questions, so this might be a bit of a long one but hope you’ll stick around until the end 😬 Without further ado, let’s get to it!

THE Rules

  • Say thank you to the person who has nominated you for the Award.
  • Answer the 11 questions the person has asked you
  • Nominate 11 people
  • Ask the people who you have nominated 11 questions

AMANDA’S QUESTIONS

What’s your favourite movie?

I honestly can’t say I have one favorite movie (of all time). I have a few that I watch time and again, but there’s not just one that I favour most… I’m going to choose Spirited Away! I love Sen/Chihiro, Haku, all the incredible spirits, and creepy AF and deeply misunderstood No-Face and Boh. Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate how freaking amazing the food looked in this?! Just thinking about it makes me salivate 🤤 Ah, I can watch all of Miyazaki’s movies forever and they’re all very close to my heart.

Who was your favourite childhood author?

This is another tough one! There are so so many 🙈 One of them that’s high on my list is Shel Silverstein. His books were my first taste of poetry and I still remember reading his poems over and over again because I loved how they were clever and cute rhymes! Where the Sidewalk Ends is one of my favorites!

What’s your favorite guilty pleasure read?

There’s not just one guilty pleasure read, for me it’s more one guilty pleasure genre? Which is romance. And by romance I mean the ones that have those extremely heated scenes (not erotic fiction per se) but I do love a good sexy romance! 😏 Yes, I admit it, and no, I’m not embarrassed to say that I love it! It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s one of mine 🙊 hehe

Where would you like to travel?

Um… Everywhere? 😂 But the places that have been topping my list over the last three years are New Zealand and South America (specifically Nicaragua, Colombia, and Peru).

Do you have any pets? Share pictures, if you do! If you don’t, do you want pets?

  • TRIPPER
  • COOKIE

YES HI I DO! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I love my floofy boofs,Tripper and Cookie. We got them when we moved to Cambodia in 2010 and since then they’ve traveled with us to the Philippines and Indonesia. They’re pretty well travelled doggos but hate it so much! I think one of the hardest things I’ve had to do was to say bye to them when I left for the UK in 2012. I’m pretty sure I cried harder leaving them than I did leaving my fam (lmao, I’m sure many can relate to this right?)! Unfortunately, I haven’t lived with them since then… It makes me sad, but bringing them to Bali would be too complicated. I try to see my bubbas whenever I can though!

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be many things including a vet but I’m pretty sure that I wanted to be a marine biologist for the longest time. I was in the marine biology club at school for 4 years, until I moved to Australia for boarding school and had to leave it behind! Since then my imagination started getting the best of me and I now can’t stop imagining Jaws attacking me in the ocean. No dice!

What’s a book you recommend to everyone?

There are quite a few that I try to recommend to everyone, but also depending on who I’m recommending books to. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara and Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon are some of the books I recommend for different genres.

What’s your favorite season?

I have to say Autumn/Fall. I know it’s ironic since I live in the tropics and only get one season: HOT. But when I lived in Australia and the UK I loved experiencing the changing temperatures. I love cold weather more than hot weather (you can wear more clothes, but you can’t walk around naked! Well, you can but…)

Do you listen to music while reading?

Sometimes. If I’m in the mood for some background noise, I put on my favorite reading playlist that I found on YouTube. It has some of my favorite classics and it’s the perfect reading playlist (and it’s also perfect for writing)!

Are there any books you would never read?

I’m not a fan of horror. I just can’t with the supernatural (ghosts) and haunted houses, and all that stuff. It just ain’t my jam. Also, gore! The descriptiveness of American Psycho is probs my hard limit 🙈

Why do you like blogging?

I’ve always kept a diary when I was a kid, then when I was 16 I started my first blog. I switched sites a few times over the years but stopped blogging about 3 years ago. I started the book blog because I love sharing my book thoughts and connecting with others over books. I tend to blabber a lot (even in writing lol) but I enjoy getting it all down/out. It comforts me, plus I meet so many cool people 🙂

leelynn’s QUESTIONS

What is your favorite mythical creature and would you want to be one?

I’d love to be a mermaid because growing up Ariel was one of my faves. I’ve always loved the idea of being able to swim underwater without needing to surface for air and I get a thrill every time I think of exploring the deep unknown!

Would you rather be a professional singer, or a professional actor?

Professional singer! I’ve always loved to sing. I used to be in the chamber choir in high school and we’d travel to different countries to compete with other international schools. I’m way too self-conscious to willingly make a fool of myself by acting lol

Take a picture of the view outside your building today (or if you’re outside right now, the view in front of you). Do you feel at peace?

I’m at home finalizing this post and since it’s evening, there’s not much of anything you can see if you look out. But this was my view looking out over the office pool earlier in the day from when I was having lunch! Did I feel at peace then (or now)? Well, actually I wasn’t 😅 as I’ve had a splitting migraine for two days now and it’s draining me of all my energy and ability to function. I hope that it’s gone by the time I wake up tomorrow or I might just have to take the day at home.

Do you prefer to read ARCs or backlist titles?

So… one of the reasons I started blogging was in the hope of being able to access more ARCs. That said, it hasn’t been easy. There are tons of limits because of my international status (especially living in an obscure publishing country like Indonesia LOL), plus I’m a mood reader and the pressure to read ARCs by a certain date always gets to me and it’s no bueno. But I’ve really enjoyed getting ARCs and the challenge of reading them before time! Obviously with #ARCAugust I haven’t been so successful… But I’m making a dent!

Which book character do you wish could be your real life best friend and why?

Um, tough question! Off the top of my head I’d wish to be BFFs with either Elisabeth (Sorcery of Thorns), or Hazel (Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating). I’d be able to totally geek out in the Great Libraries with Elisabeth, and I’d have no doubt that Hazel would be able to always cheer me up by making me laugh at her hilariously loveable self. I also think they’d both be very loyal friends. This question actually reminds me of the TTT from a few weeks ago!

Would you rather be a superhero, super villain, or an anti-hero?

I’m not gonna lie; I think being a super villain might be really really fun, even if I’ll probably die some horribly satisfying death at the end. It’d be fun to unleash unholy terror for a book’s length of time 😈😂 Muahahaha

What book or type of book would you turn to during a dark time?

I’m that person who compulsively listens to sad music, reads sad books, and watches sad movies when I’m feeling low. I try to watch happy and funny things but it just doesn’t do anything for me. I need to completely immerse myself in the sadness in order to let it go ❄️ It doesn’t even have to be like insanely sad stuff; it can just be a heart tug and I’m off. But it definitely helps me to feel better (albeit slowly).

What is the latest book you’ve read that made you extremely happy?

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. This book filled me with so much warmth and good feelings. It was cute, sweet, heart warming and all of the things I’m a sucker for in romance. Plus, I loved the characters too and became so invested in them! This left me with a satisfying & lingering happiness!

What’s one advice you would tell your past self about reading?

Don’t let other people’s judgements about the books you read make you feel like any less of a reader or that you should be reading something different. Just because you’re not reading “super serious” “highly intellectual” books or the greatest classics, doesn’t mean that you’re less of a reader or shouldn’t be considered a reader at all. Read whatever you like because screw what people think of you! You gotta do the thing that makes you, and not them, happy!

What’s a genre that you didn’t like at first, and what was the book that changed your mind on that genre?

I don’t know if it’d be classified as a genre(?) but I’ve always struggled with magical realism. I don’t know if I can claim a 100% change of heart but after reading books like Shadow of the Wind and The Astonishing Color of After and absolutely loving both, I’m definitely more willing to try books with magical realism.

What kind of diverse rep are you wanting to see more of in books, and which book out now has that rep that you recommend?

I’m going to say (Southeast/East) Asian rep specifically because it’s so rare to read mainstream or popular books with Asian representation; especially in romances and YA books! With books such as the Crazy Rich Asians series, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Helen Hoang’s Kiss Quotient Series, Pachinko, and The Astonishing Color of After (to just name a few), it has been so refreshing to read about people who look like me and who’ve grown up in more similar cultures to my own. I’d obviously love to see Indonesian rep in these books, but seeing more Southeast/East Asian rep in general is already a good step in the right direction!

MY QUESTIONS

  1. Do you have a bucket list? If yes, what are the top five items on your list? If not, what do you think would be in your top five?
  2. What is a song you listened to recently that you haven’t been able to get off your mind?
  3. What are three things you love most about the book community (blogs, book twitter, bookstagram)?
  4. What’s on your Top 3 list of favorite books you’ve read this year?
  5. What’s your phone background?
  6. What popular/hyped book have you been put off reading?
  7. If you could have one super power or magical power, what would it be?
  8. What’s a book that everyone loved but you didn’t?
  9. If someone was going to cover your travel expenses to anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?
  10. What book do you wish you could forget, just so you could read it again for the first time?
  11. If you didn’t have to work another day for the rest of your life or think about money, what would you love to do with your time?

I nominate the following bloggers:
Sammie | Joanna | Emer | Sailor | Kibby | Ali | Holly | Rissi | Brittany | Nen & Jen
And you too reader, if you want to do it!

Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco – #BookReview

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Goodreads: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Young Adult Fiction
Rating:

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

This book has received a lot of love in the community and I think I had pretty high expectations going into it, so I was little bit flummoxed that it ended up being very different to what I expected. That’s not necessarily in a bad way, but I think this might be a big case of it’s not you, it’s me. I mean, I liked it well enough but I didn’t love it. I read this as part of a big group read on Twitter, and they’re continuing on with the series throughout the month but I think I’ll put off continuing it for now.

SJTR was told through the perspective of Audrey Rose Wadsworth, who was smart, fiercely independent and very ahead of the times for that period, and she wasn’t at all shy to show it. I found her rebellious and spunky character refreshing. I love that she was a bit of a nerd, who just wanted to do cool things like autopsies and solve murders, but that she also loved fancy clothes and dressing up. She spends the majority of the story with her uncle, a famous doctor who people think is insane, and Thomas Creswell. Everyone who has read this book seems to have loved Creswell’s character the most. He definitely gave me Sherlock vibes, with his observant deductions and brilliant mind, but I liked that he was also sassy, sarcastic and bold. I felt a little like the romance between Audrey and Thomas was a little insta-love and I wasn’t actually here for it (sorry, please don’t kill me)! I just didn’t feel any spark between them and because of that their romantic interactions fell flat and felt forced! With how quickly the romance evolved between Audrey and Thomas, it was easy to forget the period which this was set in. If it was realistic, half the things that happened with Audrey traipsing around on her own, and especially alone with men, would not have happened. I mean, we’re talking the late 1880s here, so it’s a bit unrealistic. While the more modern tones of the story made it a much easier read than it would’ve been otherwise, I think it also detracted from the whole vibe/setting of the story.

I’ve always had a morbid fascination with the ‘legend’ of serial killers and murderers, and Jack the Ripper is one of the most infamous even until now. While reading, the names of his victims were familiar, but since the last time I went into a spiral binge of reading up on The Ripper was over a decade ago, I didn’t actually remember all the details of what he did to them. So I really enjoyed the fictional liberties that Maniscalco took to develop this story around his legend, while still remaining as close to what happened as possible. I also appreciated Maniscalco’s author’s note that detailed what she took liberties with. That said, I was a little shocked by how easily I deduced who Jack the Ripper was. I won’t say that I figured it out from the very beginning, but it was like a lightning strike moment when I figured it out and I was a little upset that Audrey didn’t see the <b>very obvious</b> clue that was like a big, bright red waving flag in front of her. I ended up wanting to shout at her for the rest of the book because it was SO OBVIOUS and the fact that Thomas didn’t pick up on it when he’s supposed to be a genius who sees everything, was kind of disappointing. I thought the ending was also a bit too rushed, and I was a little disappointed with how it was so… easily resolved and a little too picture perfect happy for such a horrifying story!

Another thing I appreciated was the detail of added photos to some of the chapters. I always find black and white photos a little creepy, even when they’re innocent, and these fit so well with the content of the story. I think only one of them, which I wasn’t expecting at all, gave me a right fright when I was reading this at around 3am on Friday/Saturday, and so I made sure to check the photos ahead of time (during the day!) so I wouldn’t get another shocker. I will say though that this book was a lot darker and more gory than I anticipated, so a word of caution if you’re looking to pick it up and aren’t so good with gore!

I was thinking about going straight into Hunting Prince Dracula, but I’m glad that I didn’t because it would’ve been too much for me. Apparently as I get older my constitution gets weaker LOL I am interested in continuing the series eventually though. So while I did enjoy this thrilling historical fiction, I felt a little too detached from the characters to really fall in love with the story. I’d still recommend it to anyone who likes a thrilling mystery, historical fiction, quirky characters and great banter, as well as a strong female lead ahead of her time.

Have you read Stalking Jack the Ripper? Did it live up to the hype for you? Leave me a comment below and let’s chat!

#WWWWednesday: 28 August

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

Over the last week I managed to read these five books. While it’s not crazy impressive, I’m happy that I managed to keep the reading momentum going! Probably the Best Kiss in the World was okay but it wasn’t what I expected and felt a bit let down by it; you can read my review here! I still have to write my reviews for Stalking Jack the Ripper, Luna and the Lie and The Simple Wild, which I only finished last night, but completely loved! Luna and the Lie was my first Mariana Zapata and holy mother of slow burns! I mean, I’m all for a slow burn romance but when it gets to 80% mark and nothing indicates something more will happen between the characters, I felt a little miffed. Did I mention that this is probably the longest romance that I’ve ever read? It comes in close to 600 pages, and yet thanks to my sleeping issues, I managed to finish it in one day! SJTR was… interesting. Different to what I expected and while I enjoyed it, I’m sorry to say that I didn’t love it 😫 All reviews coming soon (I hope)!

What are you currently reading?

Although I’m not in a slump I’m still finding it difficult to choose what to read next, which is why I’ve been sticking to contemporary romances that I know won’t give me too much bother. That Forever Girl (Getting Lucky #2) by Meghan Quinn just released yesterday and I’m planning to start it tonight! I’m trying to get out of the romance stream, so I’ve also picked up Miracle Creek on a whim! This was one of the highly anticipated additions to my physical shelf since it released and it’s still been sitting untouched for a few months now 😅 I’ve also still got My Lovely Wife going but haven’t picked it back up again since SJTR was gorier than I expected and I needed a break (is this my age speaking?)!

What will you read next?

I feel like I’ve failed epically with #ARCAugust but I’m going to continue steadily whittling my ARCs down as I go. I recently put myself on a requesting ban but a whole bunch (that I forgot about since it’s been months since I requested them) got approved last week and whelp, here we go again! 😅 But September is coming up and with it a buddy read and a blog tour that will take priority! I’ll be participating in my second TheWriteReads blog tour this time for A Different Time by Michael K. Hill and I’m really looking forward to it! My date is set for the first week of September so I have to get cracking on that read soon. I’ll also be doing a buddy read for The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, which will take place over the month of September coz have you seen the size of that tome?!

What are you currently reading? Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂