Category: Top Ten Tuesday

#TopTenTuesday: Books with Extraordinary Titles

Dini @ dinipandareads31 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: extraordinary book titles (submitted by Elise @ A Book and a Cup). I struggled a little with this one because extraordinary? What exactly makes a title extraordinary? It’s completely subjective, and I’m sure what I’d find extraordinary wouldn’t be the same for someone else. But…here’s a list of book titles (read and unread) that I think are amazing!

READ

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. There was a bit of a trend with these kinds of titles in the last year, but the ½ in this title really intrigued me–how does someone die a half death? Unfortunately for me, I didn’t love the book as much as I enjoyed the title though I know a lot of other people did!

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini. Even if I didn’t know what this story was about, there’s something about this title that just completely pulls me in. I guess that makes it extraordinary to me?

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah. I don’t know if it’s just me, but the image that forms in my mind from reading this title is magical and thus, I think the title is extraordinary. I found the story to be just as enchanting, too!

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. The title of this non-fiction was what caught my attention because I just wanted to know what it could mean and then it ended up being one of my favorite reads of 2018! I was surprised by how quickly I was absorbed by Grann’s writing and highly recommend this if you’re interested in true crime and maybe even learning about the birth of the FBI!

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. I still haven’t written a review for this one, but rest assured I loved it. The build up was agonizingly good and the chemistry between our two MCs was so 🔥 !

UNREAD

Ten Thousand Doors of January by Claudia Gray. I think this title is extraordinary because it brings such a clear image to my mind, but it also makes me want to picture who exactly January is, where these doors lead and how they’re discovered in the first place.

The Library of the Unwritten (A Novel from Hell’s Library #1) by A.J. Hackwith. I mean, a novel from Hell’s Library? Why does that intrigue me so much and why does it make this a must read for me? Again it comes back to the imagery that the title conjures up in my head.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer. There’s something about this title that just pulls at my heartstrings because it brings such a clear image to mind about the characters and the story. I think it’s such an awesome title.

Beneath A Sugar Sky & Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children Series) by Seanan McGuire. To be honest, I find all of the titles for the books in this series absolutely compelling. That’s actually the reason why I wanted to pick it up the books in the first place 😂

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. I remember hearing about this book for the first time when I was a middle-schooler and I found myself absolutely mesmerized by it. The cover also makes me even more intrigued by the premise and title!

What do you think of these titles? What makes a title extraordinary to you? If you’ve done a TTT for today, please leave your links in the comments so I can mosey over to your blog and check it out! 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Falling in Love with Book Characters

Dini @ dinipandareads45 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: character traits I love to see in book characters/things that make me love a book character (submitted by Hannah @ Books Life and Other Oddities). and the minute I read the prompt, my mind drew a straight blank. Had I actually read any books with numbers in the title? Thankfully I have my awesome buddy that’s known as Goodreads to help me figure this out! I found a few titles but I’m not sure if there are enough to amount to ten, so let’s see how it goes!

Book Lover/Reader. This one doesn’t really need explaining right? I’m a sucker for someone who loves all thing bookish on the page, as much as I love finding them in real life too!

Not afraid to show their nerd. This might sound similar to the bookish trait, but it goes beyond just books. I love when a character isn’t afraid to nerd out about something they’re really passionate about, especially when I least expect it of a character!

Sassy/Sarcastic/Humorous. Give me all the sass, sarcasm and humor. Any character who can make me laugh already has me halfway to rooting for them — whether they’re main characters, side characters or even on the rare occasion, the villain!

Cinnamon rolls. When I think of characters who are cinnamon rolls, I always immediately think of Tanner from Autoboyography first. He’s such a pure sweetheart of a character who deserves so much and I love characters who make me want to scoop them up, hug them forever and keep them in my pocket wherever I go!

Grumpy/gruff exterior but a softy at heart. For the most part I’m thinking about the male leads of my favorite romances for this trait. I’m a total sucker for that grumpy bear of a lead whose walls slowly come down the more we get to know them, and who end up being total softies. Swoon! 😍

Sticks to their guns. I love a character who will basically stick to their convictions. Practice what they preach. Whatever you wanna call it. Wishy-washy characters give me a headache and drive me absolutely insane!

Acknowledging past mistakes and proving their maturity. I often read about characters who have ‘changed/grown up’ but their actions never speak to that growth. Give me a character who actively acknowledges what a spoiled, immature idiot they’ve been when they were younger, and who actually shows that they’ve matured through their actions!

Loyalty. Maybe it’s a little cliche but it’s such an important trait to me in real life and adds an incredible amount to the respect and attraction I feel for a person, so it obviously makes sense that I’d find this attractive in a fictional character too.

Kind. Plain, simple, kindness. I feel like being kind is underrated in a lot of books but give me a character who shows genuine kindness to others and I’ll be a definite fan.

What are some traits that make you love a character?
If you’ve done a TTT for today, please leave your links in the comments so I can mosey over to your blog and check it out! 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Books with Numbers in the Title

Dini @ dinipandareads47 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 with numbers in the title and the minute I read the prompt, my mind drew a straight blank. Had I actually read any books with numbers in the title? Thankfully I have my awesome buddy that’s known as Goodreads to help me figure this out! I found a few titles but I’m not sure if there are enough to amount to ten, so let’s see how it goes!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Read earlier this year, it is probably one of my 2019 favorites! I had a completely different idea of the book at the start, but wow, was I pleasantly surprised by what was served. TJR has a way of making you feel everything.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus. I devoured this story in one sitting (literally from 6pm – 4am) because I didn’t want to put this down! This was my first YA thriller and I was so pleasantly surprised with the Breakfast Club + Gossip Girl + HTGAWM vibes of the story. So good!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. There were some minor slow spots but I was so surprised by how quickly and how much I loved this book. RPO took me on a helluva 80s trip through music and gaming and it was incredible!

Marriage for One by Ella Maise. I still haven’t written a review for this one, but rest assured I loved it. The build up was agonizingly good and the chemistry between our two MCs was so 🔥 !

A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1) by Claudia Gray. I was immediately pulled by the gorgeous cover, then the title got my interest, and finally the premise just hooked me.

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo. I think I read this two years ago and while I remember genuinely loving it, I also can’t remember much of it now? 🙃 Writing reviews has done wonders for my memory, so I’m looking forward to reading this again, and reviewing it this time!

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. This was probably my fifth or sixth Jodi Picoult book after I discovered her in high school. You can do a lot of things in nineteen minutes and one thing is to get revenge. This is a story about a school shooting, and it was heartbreaking and extremely hard hitting.

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. My third TJR read of the year and it certainly solidified her as one of my auto-buy and new favorite authors! I was worried the hype would let me down, but I needn’t have worried because WOWZER. I loved it (and the full-cast audiobook)!

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini. This was the second Hosseini book I read and wow, did I cry or did I cry?! Hosseini doing what he does best with this story.

That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1) by Meghan Quinn. This was my first Quinn and won’t be my last. I’m a sucker for small town romances and this one ticked all the boxes I love!

Have you read many titles with numbers in them?
If you’ve done a TTT for today, please leave your links in the comments so I can mosey over to your blog and check it out! 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Books on my Autumn Possibility Pile!

Dini @ dinipandareads73 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 on my Autumn Possibility Pile! I recently did a similar-ish post for my Friday Favorites, where I listed some TBR reads that suited the Autumn mood! As you’ll know by now, I’m a mood reader so I’m not much for TBRs or seasonal reading. That said, I usually do like to think about books I wanna read over the course of a month if the mood strikes, and I like to think of it as my ‘possibility pile‘! I think of Autumn as going from September – November but I could also be completely wrong as I’ve lived in the tropics basically my whole life (and Australia saw six years of opposite seasons, plus I experienced two extremely warm fall seasons living in the UK so ‘autumn’ only showed towards mid-November/early Dec). A lot of what I’m thinking to read leans to the darker/spookier reads (for me anyway!), sprinkled with some lighter contemporaries and SFF!

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones. Even though I’m the biggest chicken and really can’t handle much ghosty-paranormal shtuff, I went out and immediately pre-ordered the book after reading Kibby’s review. It’s outside of my norm but it sounds so good and perfect for October!

Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle #3) by Jay Kristoff. I’m not ready for this series to end but I also don’t think that I can put it off for longer. Kristoff’s going to crush my soul either way, so I might as well get the #stabstabstab over with, right?! This series full of darkness, blood and gore has really grown on me and I’m TERRIFIED for how this’ll end. I actually haven’t seen any reviews yet 🤔

Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin. I’ve really only heard amazing things about this book and it honestly sounds really good. Also, apparently there’s no cliffhanger?! I’m definitely looking forward to reading this and not putting it off forever 🙂

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig. This book has received so much love, even by readers who don’t normally read YA or gothic tales, which makes me all the more excited to read it!

Skyward (Skyward #1) by Brandon Sanderson. The second book in this series comes out on 26 November, and I’ve been telling myself that I haven’t been neglecting this book on my shelf, I’ve just been waiting for the perfect moment to read it 😜 The time has come!

Wicked Saints (Something Dark & Holy #1) by Emily A. Duncan. This was one of the more hyped YA releases earlier this year and I’ve heard so many mixed reviews for it. I’m getting the impression that you either loved/hated it, with little in between. I just got approved for the e-ARC of Ruthless Gods last week though, so I’m VERY EXCITED for this perfectly dark, possibly wicked, Autumn read!

The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman. This has already appeared in several of my posts recently but honestly, I can’t wait. I’m SO READY to see what happens next and to see how this fantastic dystopian series will end!

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo. The colors of this cover match perfectly with the season! But in between all of these darker reads I know I’ll need something lighter to make me a little less melancholy. I think this book will give me the warm fuzzies, and I love books with cooking/food!

Twice in A Blue Moon by Christina Lauren. I am so excited for this book which releases 22 October. I still haven’t read a few of the CLo books on my shelf *cough* but this one sounds mega sweet!

Malamander by Thomas Taylor. I don’t often read MG but the cover on this one had me picking it up almost immediately 😬 I’ve heard some really great things about it too so I’m keen!

What’s on your Autumn Possibility Pile/TBR?
If you’ve done a TTT for today, please leave your links in the comments so I can mosey over to your blog and check it out! 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Things to Eat/Drink/Listen to While Reading/Blogging!

Dini @ dinipandareads52 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 things to eat/drink while reading (submitted by Jana’s mom). As you can tell by the title of my blog, I’ve changed the original prompt up a little bit by adding music and blogging! I don’t generally eat/drink a lot while reading or blogging, but I do put on some tunes, especially while blogging, so I thought I’d share some choons (also, I obviously like to make quick/easy posts more work for myself 🙄LOL)!

Venti Iced Caramel Macchiato
This is my go to coffee drink. I must consume it at least three times per week? It’s a hefty habit but it’s just too hard to resist. I LOVE iced caramel macchiatos. That’s defo one way to my heart! 😍

Ferrero Rocher
Ferrero has been my favorite chocolate ever since I was a kid. Once I start it’s so hard to stop eating!

This song is just so chill and so beautiful. I could have it on repeat in the background all day.

Peach Iced Tea
For some reason I always have peach tea bags stored away in my cupboard, so I frequently have a bottle of this sweet deliciousness sitting in my fridge. Perfect for those hot afternoons!

Thick cut chips
By chips here I mean fries. And not the shoe string kind. I’m a fan of the thick cut chips COZ MORE CARBS IN ONE BITE lol so good (but obviously eaten with one hand so the other is grease free!)

I shared this song on Sunday but I can listen to it forever. HER VOICE and the vibe. It’s SO CHILL.

English Breakfast Tea (with milk) + Custard Creams
I’m more of a coffee girl, but there’s just something so comforting about having a nice warm cuppa with CUSTARD CREAMS the best biccies! Everything about the combo screams cozy comfort!

I love this song and how it makes me feel. It’s like I need to go dancing down the street, and people will dance with me, offer me food and drinks, as we all sing and laugh… It’s a montage in my head LOL but also surprisingly great to have playing in the background while writing and reading 😂

Oreos (with milk obvi)
Another comforting snack that gives me throwback vibes to my middle school days when I would obsessively eat Oreos every chance I got. I don’t indulge in these all that often now but still good!

What do you like to eat/drink/listen to while reading/blogging?
If you’ve done a TTT for today, please leave your links in the comments so I can mosey over to your blog and check it out! 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Avoiding Books on my TBR!

Dini @ dinipandareads52 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 on my TBR that I’m avoiding. Ooh, I think this is a pretty interesting topic and I had to have a proper scour through my shelves to see what’s on there! I have to admit that a high percentage of the books on my actual shelves haven’t been read yet, and that’s not even including the books that are on my Kindle! 🙈 I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but I know I won’t be judged by anyone here, right!? 👀 It’s not like I’m intentionally avoiding these books though… I just find that after giving into the excitement of adding them to my actual shelves, I usually find that I move on to other books that’ve already been there… Or maybe even newer books that’ve caught my attention… Do I have a problem? Maybe. I prefer to think of it as just me being a very moody mood reader though! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas
I honestly just don’t want this series to end. Plus, with my shoddy memory it feels like an age since I read Tower of Dawn and the other books in the series, so I want to refresh my memory before finishing it. Makes sense right? Really, I’m not just putting it off!

Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices #3) by Cassandra Clare
This was my first Cassandra Clare series. I don’t know much about this world but I still really enjoyed the first two Dark Artifices books. I haven’t read this yet simply because I don’t want it to end! 😂

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
This book has been insanely hyped and FOMO made me go out and get this right away! My dad even got me a signed edition when he was in NY. I always enjoy family sagas, so I think I’m going to love it, but I’m also nervous that it won’t live up to the hype for me!

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
This is another very hyped book all over bookstagram and again #fomomademedoit. Literally everyone has been praising it though, and it honestly has so many elements I usually love. I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy it but I also just keep pushing it off month after month?!

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I struggle with non-fiction reads (but also that my goal is to try reading more of them each year)! Sapiens sounds really interesting and several of my colleagues have borrowed this and loved it. I’m just worried I’ll find it dull 🙈

Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
I haven’t read it yet because I’ve heard that the MC is massively unlikable (and not unlike our real life A.J. Finn) and I always struggle with stories with unlikable characters!

With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Magical realism is kind of intimidating and it doesn’t always gel with me. I am still keen to read this, but I’m proceeding with caution! 😅

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
I have a feeling this book will S-L-A-Y my feelings and so I feel like I really need to be in the right mood to read and process my feelings.

Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars #1) by Elizabeth Lim
I went on for ages about this book before it arrived with my July Owlcrate box! I haven’t touched it since because I think I’ve been craving darker fantasy lately (i.e. The Nevernight Chronicle)!

How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
This is another book that I’m 100% sure that I have to be in the right frame of mind for before reading because I have no doubt that it’ll leave me a hot emotional mess.

What books have you been avoiding on your TBR?
If you’ve done a TTT for today, please leave your links in the comments so I can mosey over to your blog and check it out! 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Books I Enjoyed Outside My Comfort Zone

Dini @ dinipandareads24 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 enjoyed outside my comfort zone. If you’ve been following me for a little while, then I’m sure you’ll have come across my mentions of the genres that I don’t read often or are out of my comfort zone: non-fiction, horror and magical realism (I know that last one isn’t a genre, but never mind that lol). As I don’t read these genres often I don’t have that many books on my lists to list. I’m always trying to read more NF though, and I’m not entirely opposed to more magical realism if it’s the right book for me!

The Ocean At the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
I think Gaiman treads a very fine line between fantasy and magical realism and sometimes I honestly don’t know which to classify his books by. Most of the time I just say it’s fantasy though because the stories are too fantastical to be otherwise. I think The Ocean falls onto the magical realism side of the spectrum. Set in the English countryside, this is one of the eeriest children’s stories I’ve read!

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
I’ve tried reading Cloud Atlas a dozen times but have struggled hard to keep going. I didn’t think Mitchell’s writing was for me, so I don’t know why I picked up The Bone Clocks. I think I was looking for something outside the box and this fit the bill. It was incredibly weird, but Mitchell’s writing quickly sucked me in and I found myself growing very fond of the characters! This has a heavier dose of magical realism than I normally enjoy, so I’m surprised that I absolutely loved it!

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
I’m pretty sure that I’ve mentioned this book a million times by now but it’s honestly one of my favorite non-fictions (disregarding the fact I hardly read NF so the list is short). It read like fiction and sucked me in completely. Never did I think I’d read a NF so fast (one night) but I couldn’t put it down!

Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan
I read this e-ARC earlier this year and it was a joy to read! It was a bit like chatting to a friend and listening to them regale their mishaps and triumphs over the last year that you haven’t seen them. Pan is absolutely hilarious, and I found myself clutching my stomach with laughter at the situations she found herself in and most especially, the thoughts that ran through her head (because same). As a (sh)introvert I related to this so much and would 100% recommend it! Check out my review.

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
I really don’t know how I didn’t realize this book had magical realism in it but I’m glad I didn’t because otherwise I would’ve put off reading it and I would’ve missed a beautiful & heartbreaking story. I loved the Asian representation, and the exploration of grief, acceptance and healing. It was touching!

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
This book… Was just. This book! It’s an uncomfortable and difficult read as Gay is brutally honest and doesn’t hold back in the telling of her story. But so many of her words felt like a punch in the gut with how much they hit home. Really one of the best I’ve read this year! Check out my review.

Naturally Tan by Tan France
I love Queer Eye. Like, I would do things for that show! It’s hilarious, it’s heartwarming, it’s like free therapy and I’m HERE FOR IT. With that out of the way, I’m so glad that I read Tan France’s memoir. It was funny AF and pretty inspirational. If you’re curious about Tan and want to know more about how this Brit came to be in America in QE or if you’re just looking for a light NF read, go to the bookstore and get this one now!

Born A Crime: Stories from A South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
This was my first audiobook and it blew me away. Everything about listening to Trevor Noah tell his story was perfection. I love his comedy so deciding to listen to his book wasn’t a hard decision. His stories were terrifying, hilarious, and astounding, and it was very inspiring to see how far he’s come!

Sourdough by Robin Sloan
This book brought me a surprising amount of joy! I loved Mr. Penumbra’s, my first Sloan book, but I didn’t have (m)any expectations about this one. I didn’t think I’d fall in love with the incredibly quirky characters and events, or with the weird but oddly charming elements of magical realism!

The Ruins by Scott Smith
This book was bloody terrifying. Like, I didn’t look at nature the same way again for quite a while. Despite knowing I’ll be shit scared, I’m a sucker for stories set in Mexican jungle cause you just know bad shit is gonna happen. This was gruesome and horrifying and while it’s maybe not a favorite, I can’t believe I still managed to enjoy it (while being simultaneously super duper creeped out)!

What are books you enjoyed outside your comfort zone?
If you’ve done a TTT for today, please leave your links in the comments so I can mosey over to your blog and check it out! 🙂

#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 🙂

#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 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Book Characters I’d Love to Be Besties With

Dini @ dinipandareads31 Comments

It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: book characters I’d love to be besties with (submitted by Michelle @ Pink Polka Dot Blog). Fun! There are so many bookish characters that I’d love to be besties with, but these are the first ones that popped into my head!

Tanner Scott from Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
Tanner is one of the ultimate cinnamon rolls and I think being besties with him would be so awesome. Not only is he a reader (and a writer, duh), but he’s funny, sweet and so caring.

Elisabeth, Nathaniel and Silas from Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
I know I should probably just pick one of these characters, but honestly, they’re like the Three Musketeers and I can’t imagine being besties with one without expecting to become besties with the others too! I love these characters so much!

Hannah Martin from Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Hannah Martin is just like me in so many ways. I think we’d be able to relate on so many levels.

Jessica Pan, author of Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come
Jessica Pan is a real person but she’s featured in her memoir, which I loved, so this totally counts, right? Honestly, I’d love to be besties with Jessica Pan because not only is she absolutely hilarious but I feel like we’d get on well because we’re both (sh)introverts and going through a lot of similar things people in their early 30s go through? Lol I’m not tryna be creepy though 🙈

Hazel from Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
Hazel is hands down one of the most hilarious and unapologetic characters I’ve had the pleasure to read. She’s loud, she’s clumsy, she’s always into doing her own thing, even when everyone else thinks it’s weird, but she does it anyway. I think we’d have the best time hanging out!

Mateo Torrez from They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera
Mateo is so freaking pure. He’s so selfless and I just want to protect him at all costs. What better way to do that than by being his bestie!?

Knightly Brothers from That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1) by Meghan Quinn
As much as I’d love to find myself in a relationship with either one of these amazing brothers who believe in a crazy love curse, I also really love their very different personalities and their hilarious banter. Although I’d probably get teased and pranked to no end, they’d be so much fun to hang with!

Lois Clary from Sourdough by Robin Sloan
I really love how passionate Lois is about everything and I admire how she dives into even the most unprecedented things and fights her way through to the other side. She’s so full of life and energy, plus she makes a really mean sourdough! We’d have awesome adventures in San Francisco!

The Illuminae Files Gang from The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Um, do I really need to have a reason why being besties with ALL OF THEM would be so fun? I love all their personalities and I mean, tbh, if I were going to be living in space, and finding myself fighting crazy battles for survival, these are the people I’d trust to keep me safe lol

Raymond from Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
I loved Raymond so much. He has the biggest heart and to be honest, he kind of reminds me of a bestie I lost several years ago to a horrible freak accident. I think being besties with Raymond would bring so much warmth and comfort into my life.

What characters would you want to be besties with? Would you wanna be friends with any of these characters? If you’ve also done a TTT for today, don’t forget to leave your links in the comment and let’s chat 🙂