Category: General Books

Pillow Thoughts III: Mending the Mind by Courtney Peppernell – #ARC #BookReview

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Goodreads: Pillow Thoughts III: Mending the Mind
Publish Date: 06 August 2019
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Genre: Poetry
Panda Rating:

In a voice that is inclusive and open to all, Courtney Peppernell presents a tribute to her readers in the third installment of her bestselling Pillow Thoughts series.
A beautifully raw and poignant collection of poetry and prose, Pillow Thoughts III continues the series from poet Courtney Peppernell. Fix yourself a warm drink and settle into Peppernell’s words as she pens a tribute to her readers who are bravely continuing their journey from hurt to healing.

I didn’t know that Peppernell was coming out with another Pillow Thoughts book, but when I saw that the title was “mending the mind” I knew I had to read it. I love a good book of poetry and prose that I can connect with and I’ve done that with Pillow Thoughts I & II, although I connected most with Pillow Thoughts I. I still enjoyed this read though. Peppernell’s poetry/prose is simple yet effective in reaching into the hearts and minds of her readers to either give a gentle nudge or hug. There is an undercurrent of hope that runs through the words and ties them together in this book. That said, I do wish that I felt more connected to the work in this book, but there was a lot here that I felt was a little ‘recycled’ and nothing that I hadn’t heard of before.

As always though, when Peppernell speaks a thought that resonates with me, it gets me hard, and right in the heart! I teared up reading the chapter on “if your mind needs repairing” and I felt hopeful reading “if your mind needs inspiration”. I’ve been struggling a lot with my mental health over the last few months and reading some of these passages really got to me. They were a small reminder to keep going and to believe and trust that I’m much stronger than I think I am; especially for making it this far in life when every single day is a struggle.

“There is nothing beautiful
about wishing
you’d never been born
There’s nothing poetic
about believing
you are a burden
There is nothing sadder
than thinking
you’re ruining the lives
of the people you love
But there is nothing
stronger than you
I am in awe of the way you live
even with all these dark thoughts
You are brave in the way
you begin again each day”

Probably my favorite part of this book is still the illustration of the jellyfish; which is me, and you, and us. I wish that the illustrations weren’t only shown at the start of each new section, but used throughout the book! Overall, even though this didn’t end up being a favorite, I’m still glad that I read it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is now available for purchase! Have you read any of Courtney Peppernell’s Pillow Thoughts? What do you think? Let’s chat in the comments!

#TopTenTuesday: Books I Want In My Physical Library

Dini @ dinipandareads20 Comments

It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: books I want in my personal library (perhaps you checked it out, borrowed it from a friend, received it for review, etc. and want to own it yourself). This week’s prompt was submitted by Annemieke @ A Dance with Books! If you haven’t checked out her blog yet I’d suggest you do it! She has awesome posts about all things fantasy 😊

For this week’s prompt, I decided to focus on books I want to add to my physical library specifically. Since purchasing a Kindle several years ago, I’ve started and finished many a book and series on it, but there are some that I want to add to my physical shelf because I enjoyed them so much! It was actually a little difficult to narrow this list down to ten books, especially when I’ve read at least a few hundred on my Kindle. I do have the physical paperback copies for two of these, but I want to splurge on special editions/hardcovers so they’ll last longer! Without further ado…. Here’s ten (e)books I love that I want to add to my physical library!

The Name of the Wind: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition by Patrick Rothfuss
This edition has loads of extra goodies that I want to get my hands on as soon as my budget will let me! It’s pretty expensive, but considering all the extras that we get inside plus the sprayed edges, I think it’s worth it. I’ve seen some of the illustrations and they’re BEAUTIFUL!

The Oremere Chronicles by Helen Scheuerer
I admit that I haven’t read the full series yet, but I read Heart of Mist (Book 1) and I loved it. I have the other two books in the trilogy already lined up, plus I’ve got 10 of the prequel stories that the author shared with her mailing list with the release of Book 3: War of Mist. The covers are beautiful and I think they’d look good on my shelf 🤪

A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3): Collector’s Edition by V.E. Schwab
I have the first two collector’s editions and the third one will be coming out in October 2019, so I’m excited to scoop that up. You (might) know by now that the Shades of Magic series is one of my all time favorites, and this collection is the first collector’s editions that I’ve added to my library. Yay!

Saga Series Book One & Book Two by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
This series was my first foray into graphic novels (as an adult) and I haven’t been able to stop raving about it since I picked it up. Saga isn’t finished yet and it ended in THE WORST CLIFFHANGER OF CLIFFHANGERS EVER and I’m just dying to know what happens next. But Vaughan and Staples are taking a break right now (since last year, actually) and I’m trying to ever so patiently wait for the next issue/volume to come out. For now, I want these two babies in my personal library. They’re $$$!

An Ember in the Ashes Series by Sabaa Tahir
I started this series on my Kindle because at the time I don’t think An Ember in the Ashes was available in the bookstores here. I’ve continued to get the new books on my Kindle because living in Indonesia means I don’t get newly released books for ages, even if I pre-order them! 😭 It sucks but I’m so grateful to have a Kindle so that I don’t have to wait impatiently, not knowing if and/or when the book will ever arrive! 😅

The Sixth World Series by Rebecca Roanhorse
This series isn’t finished yet (two more books to go!) and I also haven’t picked up the second book? But I loved the first book and I think it’s one of the more underrated series, which is unfortunate because people are missing out on awesome story based on Native American mythology, a badass female lead, and insane world building with gods and demons alike. It’s so so good.

The Getting Lucky Series by Meghan Quinn
Throwing in a contemporary romance series because I don’t actually have many (I can only think of one) on my physical shelves! The second book in the Getting Lucky series was just released today (WOOHOO! I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR IT!) and there should be two more after this. But I know I’m going to love this series because it’s full of tropes that I love in a romance and I’m already a total sucker for the Knightly family, the brothers especially! Duh. 😬

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
I read Eleanor Oliphant last year before I joined the book community and before the crazy hype for the book really took off. I absolutely loved it! This story broke my heart and filled it back up again. I definitely want to add this to my physical shelf because I think it’s a story I’ll want to revisit often!

Sourdough and Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
I think Robin Sloan is another author whose books are unfortunately underrated. They’re both such feel good, slightly bizarre, highly improbable stories with a quirky cast of characters that worm their way into your heart. I feel like I can read Sloan’s books repeatedly whenever I need a pick me up!

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
Mrs. Everything was released earlier this year in May and I thoroughly enjoyed this multi-generational family saga following the lives of the Jo and Bethie Kaufman. The sisters experience so much in their lives and so the book covers a wide range of issues that shaped the sisters as much as it shaped America from the 50s until the present(ish) day. It’s an emotional historical fiction but I think it’s one I’d like to keep on my shelf because it’s full of hope!

What are books that you want to add to your physical library?
If you’ve done a TTT for today, don’t forget to leave your links in the comments below and let’s chat 🙂

Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini – #BookReview

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Goodreads: Sea Prayer
Genre: Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Picture Book
Rating:

A short, powerful, illustrated book written by Khaled Hosseini in response to the current refugee crisis, Sea Prayer is composed in the form of a letter, from a father to his son, on the eve of their journey. Watching over his sleeping son, the father reflects on the dangerous sea-crossing that lies before them. It is also a vivid portrait of their life in Homs, Syria, before the war, and of that city’s swift transformation from a home into a deadly war zone. Impelled to write this story by the haunting image of young Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose body washed upon the beach in Turkey in September 2015, Hosseini hopes to pay tribute to the millions of families, like Kurdi’s, who have been splintered and forced from home by war and persecution.

A short but impactful read. Hosseini knows how to tug on readers’ heartstrings even in a book as short as this one! This touches upon on issue that will remain relevant in many years to come!

Sea Prayer isn’t so much a book as it is actually a heartfelt prayer. One that has undoubtedly fallen off the tongues of the countless thousands who have fled their communities, homes and families to avoid war, death and destruction, for a chance of survival in an unknown land. This story was inspired by Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy who died when his family fled across the sea. That little boy whose body washed upon the shore in 2015, and whose image was splashed across newsfeeds all over the world for months, that called desperate attention to the refugee crisis.

It’s so easy for us watching from thousands of miles away to feel sadness, frustration and despair when hearing/reading/watching the news about the war and refugee crises taking place in parts of the world the majority of us have never been to, and most likely never will. It is easy to think that we can understand the plight of these families based on what we’re fed, but really, imagining what it’s like to be forced to flee the only life you’ve known just to ensure that you and your family stay alive? That’s a different kind of fear. In this short story book filled with beautiful illustrations, Khaled Hosseini, with his ability to transport and immerse readers into foreign worlds with his words, was able to give us an idea of what the fear might be like. But he not only captures the fears, but the beautiful memories and the hopes.

“But that life, that time,
seems like a dream now,
even to me,
like some long-dissolved rumor.

First came the protests.
Then the siege.

The skies spitting bombs.
Starvation.
Burials.

These are the things you know.” 

This is a heavy book. It literally took me 5 minutes to read this but within those 5 minutes, Hosseini was able to evoke in me feelings of hope, sorrow and despair. Of course, my eyes were no longer dry. He paints a vivid picture of a bustling city life and the war torn communities that suffer the consequences of the actions of those filled with greed, hatred and pride. Often times we become so desensitized to the news we hear every day that we forget these people who are fleeing and suffering have stories of a life just the same as you and me. They are not just a large group of people with nowhere to go. Each and every refugee that makes it across that sea is not just another number to add to the growing masses. Every refugee is human. With all the bad news that makes it to our screens every day, sometimes I think we forget that they are people who each have their own story; and this is simply one of them.

Short but impactful, this book feeds into a dialogue that will continue to be relevant for many years to come. Khalid Hosseini will donate all proceeds from this book to the UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) and The Khaled Hosseini Foundation to help fund lifesaving relief efforts to help refugees around the globe.

Have you read Sea Prayer? What did you think of it?
Leave me a comment below and let’s chat!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [19]

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

It’s Sunday again already?! I don’t think I’m ever going to stop questioning how my weekends go so quickly. I only wish that the weekdays would do the same 😂 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!

I spent the majority of my day finishing my first Marina Zapata book (review coming soon!) but I’m now in a contemporary romance mood. I think I’m going to pick up From the Start (Walker Family #1) by Melissa Tagg next. I’m a sucker for small town romances and from this week’s TTT, which looked at favorite tropes, I came across quite a few other book bloggers who loved the same trope and gave some book recs that sounded up my alley.

Kate Walker used to believe in true love and happily ever after. While her own love life may have left her brokenhearted, it hasn’t kept her from churning out made-for-TV romance movie screenplays…until a major career slump and a longing to do something meaningful send her running back to her hometown of Maple Valley. 

Permanently sidelined by an injury, former NFL quarterback Colton Greene is temporarily hiding out in a friend’s hometown to avoid the media and the reminders of all he’s lost. Maple Valley seems like the perfect place to learn how to adjust to normal life. The only trouble is he’s never really done normal before.

While Kate plays things safe and Colton is all about big risks and grand gestures, they both get what it’s like to desperately need direction in life. An unexpected project gives them both a chance to jumpstart their new lives, but old wounds and new dreams are hard to ignore. Starting over wasn’t part of the plan, but could it be the best thing that’s ever happened to them? 

What are you currently reading?

I’m officially out of my book slump and this week has probably been my best reading week since August started. I spent my Saturday out and about with my bestie on the island and ended up going a little crazy with the retail therapy! I wasn’t looking to buy anything but I managed to come home with four bags full of shoes, clothes, beauty care and general knick knacks for home. I shocked myself (and my friend!) by walking into a book store and walking out without a purchase though! Who am I even?! It might’ve been the rampant shopping I’d already indulged in prior to stepping into the bookstore that made me feel a little guilty so I managed to hold myself back! I think I’m going to do a post-summer Marie Kondo of my closet and bookshelf next weekend, just to clear up the clutter that’s hanging around my tiny flat!

Overall it’s been a pretty good week. Work didn’t drive me too mental. I had some issues with my laptop that I took care of. I’ve started reading again. I’ve also been listening to Lover all weekend. I wasn’t fan of a few songs on the album when it came out on Friday, but as I expected, they’ve all mostly grown on me now. Have you been listening to the album? Do you have a new favorite track? Cornelia Street and Death by A Thousand Cuts might be new faves but Lover has really grown on me! I’ve still got quite a few reviews to catch up on but I’ll be working on posting those in the coming week! I also have quite a few book tags that I want to do from when I was tagged over the last few weeks! I find that I always just take forever to think of answers and then questions to ask 😂 It’s not been my greatest blogging week but I’m okay with that–life happens after all! On that note, here’s what I did manage to post last week, in case you missed it:

Top 5 Saturday: Dragons
Friday Favorites: Nerdy Characters
Review: The Whisper Man by Alex North
ARC Review: Probably the Best Kiss in the World by Pernille Hughes
#WWWWednesday: 21 August
#TopTenTuesday: Favorite Tropes
Goodreads Monday: 19 August

How has your reading and blogging week been?
Come let me know in the comments and let’s have a chat 🙂

Friday Favorites: Nerdy Characters

Dini @ dinipandareads7 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 nerdy characters. Ooh, yay, fun! I always love reading about nerdy characters with their quirks and humor. They’re characters that I always relate to on some level as well! I’m going to try mentioning characters/books that I haven’t done before with this list of my top five favorite nerds!

Lazlo Strange from Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor
I mean, it’s Lazlo who lives in the library, lives in stories and has great dreams. His knowledge about the city of Weep literally launched him into the greatest adventure of his life and made his dreams to visit Weep come true (as corny and simplified as that sounds)!

Belle from In Bed With the Beast (Naughty Princess Club #2) by Tara Sivec
Belle was an adorable little book nerd who had a propensity to blurt out random facts that cemented her nerd status whenever she was nervous. She was an adorable character who lived to save her library and I loved her story!

Khai Diep from The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2) by Helen Hoang
I honestly love all the characters in Hoang’s books and Khai won me over very quickly! He’s super smart but his autism means he processes emotions differently, and because of that he doesn’t think he is capable of love. Oh, little dumpling of hotness. He’s one of my favorite nerds ever!

Audrey Rose Wadsworth from Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco
So, I’ve actually only just started reading Stalking Jack the Ripper. It’s still early days but I already really like Audrey’s character and I have a feeling I’m going to love her throughout the series! I hope I’m right (lol) and I mean, what’s more nerdy than sneaking off to learn about medicine and bodies by doing autopsies with “Uncle Cadaver”? 😂

Hermione Granger from Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
I mean… I’ve no doubt that everyone who has to answer this question will mention Hermione, but I think she’s the epitome of nerdy characters. Sometimes her know-it-all attitude can be grating, but I still love her. She’s unabashed about her knowledge and has a great thirst for knowledge, and how many times did her brilliance come through in the story!?

What are some of your favorite nerdy characters? Would any of these make your list? Leave me a comment below and let’s chat!

The Whisper Man by Alex North – #BookReview

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Goodreads: The Whisper Man
Genre: Thriller, Crime Mystery
Rating:

After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank. But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.
Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter’s crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man.
And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window…

A creepy thriller with supernatural elements that will have you questioning what’s real and what’s not. This one will have you sleeping with the lights on and making sure that all the doors and windows are locked tight!

I’m a big scaredy cat, so when I read the tagline for this book, my brain immediately shouted in big bold letters: DO NOT READ! But then I saw it everywhere on bookstagram and… I guess FOMO and bookstgram made me do it? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Also, I was trying everything possible to get out of my two-week book slump! In the end, I’m really glad that I didn’t listen to my inner whimp because this turned out to be more of a thriller with some supernatural elements, rather than the full blown horror story that the tagline would have you believe. And at least for me, that wasn’t a bad thing at all! I still totally slept with the lights on and kept all doors/windows firmly shut though 😅 Sorry in advance for the possibly shoddy review that won’t tell you much about this book 🙃

If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken.
If you play outside alone, soon you won’t be going home.
If your windows left unlatched, you’ll hear him tapping at the glass.
If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.

The Whisper Man wasn’t the fast paced thriller I was expecting, but it still hooked me from the start. The story is told from multiple perspectives: DI Pete Willis was the original detective who caught The Whisper Man, but he has been haunted by his own personal and professional perceived failures. DI Amanda Beck is the new detective in charge of finding the new missing boy and catching the copycat.Tom and Jake Kennedy are grieving the loss of wife/mother and have moved to a new town, home and school to start fresh. We also get short chapters from the killer’s perspective, which was interesting albeit a bit sad/pitiful. I thought North did a good job developing all the character arcs and there were a few surprises that I didn’t expect at all! Maybe it’s because I also haven’t read a thriller in several months (and honestly, I think I just really suck at guessing whodunit from the start), but I only figured out who the killer was shortly before the characters in the story did too. There were a few swear out loud ‘oh shit’ moments that kept me on my toes and racing towards the end to find out what happened, and I have to say that I was pretty satisfied with how it ended the story. It was pretty creepy and I would hate knowing that was coming for me!

We were going to be safe here.
We were going to be happy.
And for the first week, we were.

I actually didn’t know there would be supernatural elements in this as there’s no hint of it in the synopsis. When I realised, fairly quickly, that this was going to have those elements, I did push myself to continue and not put it down. It wasn’t the scariest I’ve ever come across, but it was still spine tingling, especially when they move to the new house! And I always think scary stories with children involved in them are just… The worst lol But I did appreciate how Alex North revealed the importance of these supernatural events; it was surprising and touching. Also, it’s very creepy to know that this story was inspired by the author’s son who one day claimed that he was playing with ‘the boy in the floor’….Um… yeah. Excuse me, what? 👀

Overall, I’m really glad I read this book. The Whisper Man isn’t only about a serial killer and psychopath, it also explores the important relationship between parent and child, particularly between fathers and sons, and I think North did a great job of exploring the topic. I’ll definitely be keen to read more by him in the future!

Have you read The Whisper Man? Loved it? Hated it? Felt ‘meh’ about it?
Leave me a comment below and let’s chat!

Probably the Best Kiss in the World by Pernille Hughes – #eARC #BookReview

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Goodreads: Probably the Best Kiss in the World
Publish date: 12 April 2019
Publisher: Harper Impulse and Killer Reads
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit
Panda Rating:

Jen Attison likes her life Just So. But being fished out of a canal in Copenhagen by her knickers is definitely NOT on her to do list. From cinnamon swirls to a spontaneous night of laughter and fireworks, Jen’s city break with the girls takes a turn for the unexpected because of her gorgeous, mystery rescuer. Back home, Jen faces a choice. A surprise proposal from her boyfriend, ‘boring’ Robert has offered Jen the safety net she always thought she wanted. But with the memories of her Danish adventure proving hard to forget, maybe it’s time for Jen to stop listening to her head and start following her heart…

I’m on the fence with how I feel about this one because there were obviously things that I really enjoyed but also things I strongly disliked, and I”m not sure which one is winning my feelings right now. I’m ngl, the cover is what had me picking this book up because the colors are fun and the design is super cute. It gives me cozy vibes and to an extent that does match with the contents of the book. I also love the title!  The story and the romance wasn’t anything new, and wasn’t entirely unpredictable, but I liked the setting and the general storyline. Minor spoiler alert for the content ahead as there’s a part of the storyline that I’m just never going to get on board with and that’s cheating. But first, let’s start with what I liked.

Likes:

I really enjoyed the banter between Jen and Yacob and their meet-cute was, well, cute. I thought they were good together and I really wish that the story of how they met was different. I think the side characters really stole the show for me. Lydia, the MC’s sister was a daredevil and go-getter who didn’t let her disability hold her back in anyway. She was feisty and full of humour and I kind of wished that the story was about her. Alice and Max were also great supporting characters and their shop sounded really cool. It would also be remiss of me to not mention the hot Danish man! Yacob was honestly the perfect package — smart, handsome, compassionate, and caring. I love how he was so supportive of Jen’s passion and always encouraged her to never give up. Can has Yacob in my life, plz? Another thing I loved was loved Jen’s passion — The Passion. Jen’s enthusiasm and love for brewing and beer shone strongly through the words of the text and it was wonderful to experience. I can absolutely relate because reading is something I’m super passionate about and when you really love something, it shines through. I’m glad she stood up for what she loved to do and didn’t give it up (for a man no less!) and I enjoyed that she didn’t let the fact that she was one of the few women who brew, stop her from winning. Go girl!

Dislikes:

Cheating. As someone who has been cheated on, I don’t support characters who do this for whatever reason and it’s always gonna be a turn off, and it’s enough to make books lose stars. Despite knowing that it would be wrong and claiming that she isn’t a cheater, the MC went and did it anyway. I personally thought she had absolutely no good reason to do what she did and it was inexcusable. She had every out, especially with everyone telling her the fiancé shouldn’t be her fiancé, and because even her subconscious was rebelling against the engagement! I just wish she would’ve been honest. Admittedly, I also wasn’t the biggest fan of Jen, especially at the start. She was obstinate and overbearing, especially with her sister and especially when it came to beer. It’s one thing to have an opinion but it’s another to be as rude with it as she was.

Although the story wasn’t what I expected, especially the beer part, I’m glad that I did read it. Parts of it were cute, but overall, it wasn’t anything new to me or the romance genre. I wish that there wasn’t any cheating but, oh well. One thing I do know is that now I want to drink all the craft beers I can get my hands on!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is now available in stores!
Have you read Probably the Best Kiss in the World? What’d you think of it?
Come let me know in the comments and let’s chat!

#WWWWednesday: 21 August

Dini @ dinipandareads17 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 talking about:

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

What did you read last?

So… I think I’m finally out of my reading slump thanks to these two great books right here! Despite the wedding shenanigans over the weekend, I managed to start and finish The Whisper Man by the time I landed back in Bali at midnight on Sunday. I’ll be honest and say that based on the insane horror hype it’s been getting on bookstagram, I thought this would be a lot scarier than it was. It was still sufficiently creepy, especially that rhyme (I mean c’mon), and there were some paranormal aspects that had me cowering, but for the most part it was okay. I survived! 🙌🏽I then picked up the ARC for The Grace Year by Kim Liggett afterwards, thinking it would be something completely different, and while it was, the story was also a lot creepier and horrific in comparison to The Whisper Man! I wasn’t expecting it, so I was a little shook, but WOW. THIS BOOK. I have no words for it. It might be one of my favorite reads this year. It’s dark, horrifically gory, but also beautifully crafted and carries a strong and important message that I think many (women especially) will be able to relate to. I can’t wait for everyone to read this book when it comes out in October! I’ll be posting my review for both these books soon, so be on the look out!

What are you currently reading?

I’m not reading nothing anymore (woot!) and I’ve actually got two books that I’ve been reading at different times during the day since yesterday, and I’m adding one more to the mix for a group read for Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalo that I completely forgot about! I’m hoping to start that tonight as I think we’re discussing the first book at the end of this week before starting the second book in the series on Sunday. My current reads are: Probably the Best Kiss in the World by Pernille Hughes and I’m enjoying it so far. I forgot that it’s based in Edinburgh and uhm, have I mentioned that I’m a sucker for books set there?! My other read is My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing and all I can say is it’s so twisted, holy wow. It’s had its fair share of hype too, but I’ve gone into this only knowing the blurb. I was initially a little confused by what I was reading because why do I feel a little sympathy for this guy(?), so I felt compelled to keep reading to find out if I’m just a psycho myself 🙃 or if this guy is just that good at not letting his creep and psycho shine through. The truth is slowly coming out!

What will you read next?

I was tempted to join the #Owlcrateathon since 90% of the Owlcrate books from when I started subscribing late last year have been sitting unread on my shelf (the books must hate me)! But since I’ve just come out of my reading slump, I’m trying to take it easy and go with whatever strikes my mood at the moment! I think I’m leaning towards some contemporary romance, although the one that I’m desperate to read doesn’t come out for another week! But I downloaded a few off KU that I’m looking forward to try. Also, I’m still going to try to tuck away more ARCs for #ARCAugust so… MORE BOOKS YAY!

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

#TopTenTuesday: Favorite TROPES!

Dini @ dinipandareads27 Comments

It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: favorite tropes. Does the topic of tropes feel overdone? Maybe, but it’s still fun to do every now and again! I know I’ve actually done a post on favorite tropes last month, (Friday Favorite: Tropes) but I also only listed five, so I thought I’d list another five on this post because there are always more tropes that I find I love and hate every time I open a book. TL;DR my other trope post, I’ve already listed: enemies-to-lovers, (best) friends-to-lovers, villain redemption, brooding characters who are actually cinnamon rolls with marshmallow hearts, and friendships formed during trying times.

Small Town Romance
I love a good romance and I especially love a good romance that’s set in a small town. You know, the ‘old-timer’ meets the ‘new-comer’, they’ll probably clash because they don’t see eye-to-eye, they’ll find the other incredibly attractive but they’d never admit it, and everyone and their friend will be scheming to get them together or pull them apart. Families play a big role in these types of dramas too! It’s got a good mix of many things that I love and I’m always here for it!

Found Family
I know this sounds very similar to ‘friendships formed during trying times’ but I see it as a step beyond that, when friendship groups turn into family. This trope is always so heartwarming and I will always love a good story with a found family!

Multiverses / Alternate Dimensions
I don’t know how I became obsessed with the idea of multiverses and alternate dimensions but I can’t get enough of stories that have multiple dimensions or universes where multiple yous and outcomes are infinitely possible. I’m not a science person, so I don’t know the accuracy of whatever is being spouted, but to be honest, I don’t care as long as it’s enjoyable!

Quests/Hunts
I love it when a book includes a good quest or hunt to find the truth about something. I love the search for clues, trying to decipher meanings, but also the bonds that form in the characters throughout their journey!

Magical Competitions
I’m definitely thinking along the terms of Harry Potter’s Triwizard Tournament and The Essen Tasch from Gathering of Shadows! Who doesn’t love a good magical duel (and obviously the part where the MC impossibly kicks the rude opponent’s ass)?! Yaaas!

What are some of your favorite tropes? If you’ve also done a TTT for today, don’t forget to leave your links in the comment and let’s chat 🙂

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [18]

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

I’M AWARE IT’S MONDAY! But I went completely MIA this weekend because of wedding shenanigans and I totally spaced on scheduling posts in advance (I’m so disorganised), so I totally missed out on Top 5 Saturday (gutted) and my weekly wrap up! I thought I’d still share my weekly wrap up anyway, and hopefully sometime this week I’ll share my Top 5 Saturday post (better late than never, amiright!?) So here’s another Sundays Mondays 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 weekend, I took a leap out of my comfort zone and start reading The Whisper Man by Alex North. Going by the title of the book, it’s supposed to be a creepy thriller and it definitely lived up to it! I was constantly getting goosebumps while reading this, and even now thinking about the book has me breaking out in shivers! It also has a touch of the paranormal in it which I usually stay away from big time, but I have no regrets reading this because I think it was the kick up the slump ass that I needed. I think switching to a completely different genre might’ve totally worked, friends! 😃Stay tuned for my review coming up this week!

If you leave a door half-open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken…
Still devastated after the loss of his wife, Tom Kennedy and his young son Jake move to the sleepy village of Featherbank, looking for a fresh start. But Featherbank has a dark past. Fifteen years ago a twisted serial killer abducted and murdered five young boys. Until he was finally caught, the killer was known as ‘The Whisper Man’. Of course, an old crime need not trouble Tom and Jake as they try to settle in to their new home. Except that now another boy has gone missing. And then Jake begins acting strangely.
He says he hears a whispering at his window…

What are you currently reading?

Roped my sister into helping me for the book gram with this shot! IG: @dinipandareads

As I mentioned, this weekend was insanely hectic because I was in Jakarta for my cousin’s wedding! Because I thought I’d have time during the day between the wedding and the evening’s reception, I didn’t schedule any posts, so I didn’t end up posting anything past Friday! Oops, bad planning 🙊But I had a really great time with my family, plus we hadn’t seen many of our cousins for years, so it was nice that all of us finally got the chance to come together *as adults* and party the night away! I got pretty sloshed on Saturday (I might have abducted a wine bottle or two from the bar) and it’d been a while since I drank like that, so Sunday saw me feeling pretty sluggish (although thankfully only mildly hungover)! It was totally worth it though. I’m glad that even on top of feeling a little below par and having to get up early for a Sunday brunch with the family, I still managed to finish The Whisper Man on the flight back home, so GO ME 😂Sometimes it’s just the little things in life! LOL

Due to the annoying reading slump last week, which I’m sorry I’ve been so vocal about(!), I really didn’t manage to read much, so very few reviews were posted. But I’m feeling a little bit of a reading kick now, so I hope that I’ll be reading and reviewing more in the very near future! On that note, here’s what I did manage to post last week, in case you missed it:

ARC Graphic Novel Review: Elma: A Bear’s Life: The Great Journey (Vol 1) by Ingrid Chabbert
Friday Favorites: Underrated Books
ARC Review: A Random Act of Kindness by Sophie Jenkins
ARC Graphic Novel Review: Sparrowhawk #1 by Delilah S. Dawson
#WWWWednesday: 14 August
#TopTenTuesday: Book Characters I’d Love to be Besties With!
Who Am I Book Tag
Goodreads Monday: 12 August

How has your reading and blogging week been?
Come let me know in the comments and let’s have a chat 🙂