Category: Top Ten Tuesday

#TopTenTuesday: Unpopular Book(ish) Opinions

Dini @ dinipandareads30 Comments

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is: unpopular bookish opinions (submitted by Kaitlin Galvan @ Somehow I Manage Blog).

I feel like this prompt is pretty open to interpretation–either I can talk about unpopular thoughts I have about certain bookish things, or I can talk about unpopular opinions I have about certain books. To be honest, I find both ways difficult to answer because, for the most part, I do agree with the majority of the bookish community! So I thought why not do a half-and-half? I’ll mention the five books I have unpopular opinions about, as well as five unpopular bookish opinions I have.

Unpopular Book Opinions

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. Y’all, I could cry for how much I ended up disliking this book. It made me so sad because everything about it sounded like something that I would fall madly, deeply in book love with, but that wasn’t what happened. I was confused, hopelessly lost and didn’t connect with any part of this. I struggled a lot with the magical realism in this book, and I’m pretty sure it’s why I’m not a fan of this much magical realism in books. It was a lot.

The Hobbit or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien. I’m sorry Tolkien fans, I did not enjoy this book at all. Maybe the problem is that I watched the movie before reading the book? Although tbh, I still think I would have struggled to get through it without watching the movie. I had high expectations but this really let me down. I found it so boring… My disappointment with this book is also the reason why I have yet to read The Lord of the Rings books.

The Magicians (The Magicians #1) by Lev Grossman. I found this book so boring. Everything about the blurb and the title and everything was so exciting to me, but when I picked it up I found it a slog to get through. Also, very melancholy (nothing wrong with that, I just didn’t feel it with this book).

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. A lot of people really enjoyed Rooney’s debut but I was definitely not one of them. I struggled to get through this one and I really wanted to DNF it, but of course, I didn’t. This book was highly depressing and the characters were so unlikable, and with such a character-driven book, this made it a big struggle for me. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed Normal People, but IMO the characters were much more relatable and likeable in it.

Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1) by Amanda Foody. I’ve heard a lot of people who read YA fantasy dislike this book because it reminded them too much of Six of Crows. Well, yes, it did a little bit but I really enjoyed a lot about this book. The characters, the world-building, the magic and mystery. It was a good book and I can’t wait to read the sequel King of Fools.

Unpopular Bookish Opinions

E-books are seriously the best. As much as I love having a physical book in my hands, the convenience of e-books is unmatched. I can carry thousands of books with me in one go, I can highlight my favourite passages and make notes without physically marring my books with highlighters/pens/pencils, and I can look them up with ease and upload them to my GR, easy as pie.

I don’t mind dog-eared pages…if I do it in my own books. Okay, I know this is highly hypocritical, but if it’s my book I’m okay with dog-earring its pages, but I absolutely hate it when people borrow my books and dog-ear the pages. I know it’s so weird, but I also make So most of the time I just tell people that I don’t like dog-earring pages so they don’t do it to the books they borrow from me!

I like to bend my book spines. Honestly though, how difficult is it to read a paperback and not bend the spine? When the spine doesn’t get bent I feel like I have to shove my face all in the novel just to read all the text! As much as I try not to bend them, it happens anyway, and the feeling of having a book open up all the way while reading is so satisfying. Yes, I’m a spine bender and I ain’t mad about it!

Graphic novels and audiobooks count as reading books (and so they count towards your GR reading goals). I don’t know if this is really a thing but I always see people ask whether audiobooks and graphic novels count as “reading”. I mean, yes? You tend to invest more time in audiobooks and even though graphic novels are shorter reads and thus you end up ‘reading more’, you’re still reading, right?

I like to watch shows or movies before reading the book and sometimes I even like it better than the book. One such example of this for me is Game of Thrones. I read four of the books but I don’t think I could re-read them and neither did I feel the need to continue reading them. Another one is also The Magicians TV show–I found the book so boring but the show? Super exciting, dark and creepy!

What are some of your unpopular book(ish) opinions? If you’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday post for today’s prompt, leave your link in the comments below! 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Books from My Favourite Genres

Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is: books from my favorite genre. I have to start by admitting that I don’t have just one favorite genre. Really, I don’t. Just like my taste in music, food, and many things in life, I like to love all sorts, and that definitely includes the types of books I read! There are some genres that I don’t read from at all (horror) or as much (NF), but for the most part, I read everything. However, I do gravitate towards a few genres more than others: contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy, so for today’s prompt, I’ll be introducing you to some of my favorite books from these genres!

Historical Fiction

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I’ve literally just finished this book and I’m still wiping the tears off my face as I write this blog. I want to give this book ALL THE STARS. All the panda faces. Everything! This book tore my heart apart and slowly pieced it back together. I’m astounded that I can still be astounded by the cruelty of humans, and that infuriatingly, we haven’t really learned from our past. I already can’t recommend this book enough!

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. There’s a lot of mixed reviews about this book but I was on the side that loved it. It didn’t sweep me off my feet from the start, but it hooked me and kept reeling me in until the end. I became so attached to the characters and filled myself with their hopes, and it absolutely crushed me.

Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy #1) by Ken Follett. Historical fiction full of family drama, romance, politics and war. I was so invested in all the characters and I wanted them to survive so much. While the full trilogy was great, the first book of the series was my favorite of the three.

Natchez Burning Trilogy (Penn Cage #4-6) by Greg Iles. I don’t know how I stumbled upon the first book (Natchez Burning) in this trilogy but I was immediately hooked. This is a thrilling historical fiction set in Mississippi and covers history of the KKK, and the civil rights movement. The final book came out last year and it was the perfect ending to this mesmerizing thriller!

Contemporary Fiction

The Pact by Jodi Picoult. I first discovered Jodi Picoult’s books when I was in Year 12 and this was the first book of hers that I read. I was immediately sucked into her writing style and I couldn’t stop recommending her to everyone I met. I’m pretty sure that I only read Jodi Picoult for the rest of the year.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This is such an important and relevant book to everything that’s happening in American society today. But I think it also holds an important message for everyone worldwide. This was one of my top five reads last year and if you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you pick it up ASAP!

Fantasy

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. This was my first Gaiman book and there was no looking back afterward. This book hurtled Gaiman into a top spot as one of my favorite authors. It’s darkly enchanting, funny, and supremely magical. I loved how Gaiman created this otherworld parallel to modern day London, and I enjoyed picturing the tube stops and surrounding areas that I was freshly familiar with while reading this!

Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan. This was my first foray as an adult into fantasy and I fell head over heels in love with it. After I finished this series, I continued on with Canavan’s other series and scoured the public library shelves in Norwich trying to find other fantasy books that could sweep me away. I succeeded, but since discovering this series first, Trudi Canavan became my first favorite fantasy author!

Caraval Series by Stephanie Garber. Remember, it’s only a game. It’s a world that I’d love to visit but a game I don’t think I would survive playing. The world building is spectacular and so magical, and the game sucks you right in with its mystery and intrigue. It’s an adventure that I haven’t yet re-lived in Finale because I’m quite sad to see this series ending.

Monsters of Verity Duology by V. E. Schwab. I have yet to read a Schwab book that I don’t like, and while ADSOM has appeared countless times on my list as the ultimate favorite, I wanted to give more love to the Monsters of Verity series. The world and its monsters are terrifying, and the characters badass. It’s nightmare inducing, savage, haunting and simply beautiful. And honestly, I just love the titles of these books!

What are some books from your favorite genre(s)? Are you a fan of any of the above genres? If you’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday post for today’s prompt, leave your link in the comments below 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Books Released in the Last 10 Years

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme was suggested by Anne @ Head Full of Books and is about favorite books released in the last 10 years (one book for each year). I think choosing one book for each year will be so tough because I normally don’t pay attention to publication years–at least, not until this year–so I’m probably forgetting a slew of backlist books that I’ve read and loved only because I’m not sure of their publication dates 🙂 That said, I’m excited to give this one a go! Without further ado…

2009: Under the Dome by Stephen King. This was first published in November 2009, but I got the edition that was published in 2010, but I’m counting it! This was my first King novel and I remember loving it so much that I was convinced King would be one of my all-time favorites and an auto-buy author. Hodder & Stoughton had these really cool alternate cover editions with different characters and I got this guy, who I assumed was Dale Barbara.

2010: Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy #1)by Ken Follett. The Century Trilogy is probably one of my all time favorite series. A friend got really excited when she saw the third book of the series in the store one day and she immediately recommended him to me and I absolutely loved it. It’s historical fiction but told through various family lenses, there’s drama, romance, politics and mystery. I honestly loved this series much more than The Pillars of the Earth (which Follett is known for). Don’t come for me, but that one was a fair struggle to get through.

2011: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Miller’s lyrical prose combined with the mystifying, love story between Patroclus and Achilles left me a complete wreck by the end of this book. Miller’s ability to humanize one of the most famous Greek Gods blew me away. This was honestly the Greek myth retelling that I never knew I needed in my life, but I’m so glad that I picked it up because it’s now one of my favorites.

2012: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. This is actually a hard year to pick from because there are quite a few books that were published this year that I’ve absolutely loved! I actually didn’t realize that this was published in 2012, but I remember stumbling across it at the Norwich Public Library that same year, and thought it sounded like a cute read. I was not prepared for how emotionally drained it would leave me feeling.

2013: The Rosie Project (Don Tillman #1) by Graeme Simsion. This book surprised me with how much I loved it. Don is such a character and Rosie is so bad ass. They’re such opposites but they work so beautifully together. This is a funny and touching story that I think everyone should read at least once.

2014: The Girl with All The Gifts (The Girl with All The Gifts #1) by M.R. Carey. This was a tie with All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer. I loved both equally but I thought TGWATG was particularly unique. I’m not at all a fan of horror, but this one reeled me in very quickly and  I remember being equally grossed out, scared, and incredibly fascinated by the characters, setting and overall premise. I haven’t seen the movie yet and I’m not sure I want to… But I definitely want to reread this at some point.

2015: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara and A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab because I simply refuse to choose between these two books that are some of my all-time favorites. I can’t even begin to say how much A Little Life affected me while reading. This one gave me the biggest book hangover of my life. And ADSOM is very high on my favorite series list. Schwab has a way of pulling me in with her magical worlds and complex characters, and this solidified her as an absolute fave.

Side note: Seriously though, 2015 had some hella good books. It was so hard to choose and I know it’s not going to get any easier!

2016: The Dry by Jane Harper. I only read The Dry this year but it has hands-down been one of my favorite reads so far. Harper’s writing is deeply atmospheric and it’s almost like you can feel yourself standing in the middle of the dry heat of the outback, while you’re reading this book. It’s a slow burn mystery, but it’s undoubtedly worth it. I honestly can’t recommend this one enough! You can read my full review here.

2017: How do I choose between Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid? Tell me, how? I can’t (see, I told you I was really bad at choosing favorites). So… I won’t! The first two are non-fiction and I normally have a lot of trouble reading NF because of my very short attention span. But I had no trouble devouring these two; they are both so well-written! I only read Evelyn Hugo this year but so far it’s staying strong in my Top 5 for 2019.

2018: The Lost Man by Jane Harper. Yes, that’s right. Jane Harper has made it twice onto my list. I admit that I haven’t read many books published in the last two years, but after reading both The Dry and The Lost Man, I can’t wait to read more of her books. Her character driven stories full of murder, mystery, and family drama are so compelling and unputdownable. She makes me long for a place that I once called home (Australia) and makes me wish I never left in the first place. I highly recommend her!

Oh, wow. I knew choosing this list was going to be tough, but it was even harder than I expected! I’ve read so many amazing books since becoming part of the book community, both via bookstagram and my blog. Like many others who’ve recently joined the book gang, I’ve read so much more in the last two years than I have in at least eight years combined. To say that this book community has changed my life would be a massive understatement! If I could list all the books that have become my favorites, the books that have left its mark on me, and the authors that I’ve discovered who can transport me to new worlds, I think you’d be reading on forever. But I’m sure that many of you can relate to that, right? 😉

What are some of your favorite books published in the last 10 years? If you’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday post for today’s prompt, leave your link in the comments below 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Books That Are Off Limits

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

I took a short holiday over the last week and I still kind of feel like I’m stepping out of a fog and back into a world where everything is slightly blurred around the edges. I didn’t realize how much I wanted (or needed!) a break until my recent staycation at a very quiet location surrounded by rice fields. The place itself was so aesthetically pleasing, and being able to laze in bed in the mornings, and by the pool in the afternoons, was the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation. That did mean spending less time on social media and falling off completely with blogging, but sometimes we all just need to disconnect, right? Now I’m back and even before the holiday ended I was already feeling pre-post-holiday-blues, and I’ve been hitting struggle town real hard today while at work. But I’m doing my best to get back on track with everything I’ve missed; hopefully it won’t take me ages to get back into my routine! So without further ado…

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Books That Are Off Limits. I don’t have a lot of people in my life who love to read (and the ones that do aren’t anywhere near me so it doesn’t really matter)! Most of the books on my shelf right now are newer books that I’ve collected since coming back to Indonesia six years ago because moving every few years meant my parents gave away the majority of my things, books included. Maybe the books on my list aren’t some of the oldest or most well loved, but they are definitely some of the most beautiful books I own!

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I made the mistake of lending out my well-loved copy of A Little Life to a friend last year and although I trusted her to take good care of my book, it did come back in a condition that I wasn’t pleased with. I won’t be lending this book out to anyone again, even though I’m planning to get the hardcover to add to my collection.

A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab (Collector’s Edition). There’s no way this one is going anywhere but my shelves. This collector’s edition is beautiful and even I’m reluctant to touch and read it because it’s so lovely!

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab (Collector’s Edition). Basically the same as above. These are the first collector’s editions that I’ve purchased and they’ll be staying right where they are 🙂

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab. This hardback is the UK version and I’m in love with the white cover. When I bought it they only had two copies and there were already some imperfections that I noticed on the sleeves, so I chose the less obviously damaged of the two. It was that or not buy it and I knew I couldn’t leave the store without it!

Finale (Caraval #3) by Stephanie Garber (OwlCrate Special Edition). Caraval is one of my favorite series and when OwlCrate announced they’d be doing this special edition box, I set my alarm at 3:30am on a Monday morning to place my order. I’m so excited for this one to finally get in, and when it does, it isn’t going anywhere!

Owlcrate Signed Editions. I’ve been subscribed to OwlCrate for six months now and all the signed special cover editions are absolutely gorgeous. The books from this years’ boxes have been especially incredible and I wouldn’t want anyone borrowing them.

Persuasion by Jane Austen (Canterbury Classics Flexibound). I have a beautiful edition of this Austen and it’s my all time favorite alongside Pride & Prejudice. Even though I think Austen should be read by all, they won’t be reading this copy of mine!

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James. Simply for the fact that this hardcover is simply too gorgeous to share. Sorry, not sorry! The jacket itself is beautiful, but the naked cover is one of my favorites that I’ve seen and I’m not risking anyone borrowing it!

The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (Barnes & Noble Edition). I recently got this one from my best friend for my birthday on Sunday and it’s an absolutely gorgeous edition with silver sprayed edges and a dazzling cover. I haven’t even opened it to read myself but with how beautiful this one is, no one else is allowed to touch it unless they do it in front of me at home!

All the Books by Christina Lauren. They’re not special editions or signed books but this is more to do with the steamy romance in the books. My friends and family all have this idea in their head that I don’t dabble in romance, when in fact, I “dabble” a lot. The steaminess in some of these books would definitely (probably) shock them! 😅

Do you have any books that you won’t allow others to borrow? If you’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday post for today’s prompt, leave your link in the comments below 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Books to Movies/Shows!

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

Thanks to the crappy internet at my apartment tonight, I basically finished writing up my post but the page got stuck “auto saving” the draft for 30+ minutes. I thought I copied all my content before pressing refresh, but turns out… I didn’t and so I lost my post. 😭 I’m hella frustrated, I’m so bleeding knackered and my brain is honestly chugging along at 50% right now. I wanted to forget about posting tonight but I thought screw it, I’m just gonna keep it short. Sorry for the crappy post and the whingeing just now. 🙈 It’s been a long day and clearly, it’s not ending my way, but tomorrow will be a better day. Right?!

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday post today. This meme was created by The Broke and the Bookish and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in 2018. Today’s prompt is: Page to Screen Freebie. Surprisingly, or maybe not, I haven’t watched that many movies/shows that were originally books that I have read or vice versa. Since this is a freebie, I’m going to just compile a favorites list off the top of my head of the books that were made into movies/shows that I may or may not have watched… and whose books I may or may not have read. Are you just as confused as I am with how I’ve decided to answer this prompt? I have a tendency to complicate my own life… But without further ado, here’s my list:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The Keira Knightley version is my absolute fave! And omg the smiles in this scene… How do I not swoon and love them?!

A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. Any explanation necessary? It’s one of my all time favorites. I’ve only read four of the books because I binged them and absolutely exhausted my quota of brutal killings, war, politics, and weird sex. But the show will live on forever as one of my favorites!

The Magicians by Lev Grossman. The book was such a slog for me but the show is absolutely amazing! Would definitely recommend if you like freaky magical worlds, good vs evil battles and often dark magic.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Freaking loved this book but haven’t seen the show (not for any particular reason). The trailers and snippets I’ve seen have all been super cool, I just haven’t got around to it yet.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. One of my all time favorite books but I haven’t seen the show yet. Again, not for any particular reason!

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Unfortunately, I did not love this book. Maybe it was because I watched the movie first and there was so much action and dialogue, that when I picked up the book I was just so disappointed. It was a slog 😦 Sorry, fans!

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. The series is one of my all time favorite movies to watch when I’m feeling lazy, need to switch off my brain and just want to absorb comfort. I haven’t read the books because of how I felt about The Hobbit, but one day I definitely will!

Coraline by Neil Gaiman. This movie is so creepy and fantastic and so utterly Gaiman. I actually hadn’t discovered Gaiman when I watched the animation for the first time, but when I found out it was by him, I wasn’t the least surprised.

The Green Mile by Stephen King. This movie is amazing and was so heartbreaking at the end that it made me ugly cry in public. I actually didn’t know this was based off a King novel though. Fun fact: Did you know King originally published this book as a series of weekly chapbooks published in magazines and only later compiled it into a novel? I thought that was a cool fact 🙂

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman. I’m still reading this book right now but I’m so freaking excited for the show. A few weeks back Gaiman shared the TV poster for it and it looked crazy good! It comes out 31 May! Who’s gonna be watching with me?!

What are some of your favorite adaptations? Have you watched/read any of these titles? If you’ve answered today’s TTT, leave your link in the comments below! 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Characters That Remind Me of Myself

Dini @ dinipandareads19 Comments

Welcome back to another Top Ten Tuesday! This meme was created by The Broke and the Bookish and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in 2018. Today’s prompt is: characters that remind me of myself. This week’s prompt is actually quite tough for me to answer and I wasn’t sure I could come up with a list. It’s not uncommon for me to stumble upon bookish characters I relate to but I am now struggling to remember exactly which books and characters I felt that way about! I’ve decided to loosely interpret this prompt, so here’s what I’ve come up with…

  • ★★★★☆
  • ★★★★☆

Roxane Gay, Hunger: A Memoir of My Body by Roxane Gay. Do real people count in this list? Because I’m counting Roxane Gay. I didn’t have the same harrowing experience as her as a child, but it’s like she plucked the thoughts and emotions right out of me in regards to how she sees, thinks and feels about her body and more importantly, how society sees and thinks we should feel about our bodies.

Hannah Martin, Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I recognized and connected to Hannah’s character from the moment she’s introduced. We’re roughly the same age and her confusion about what she wants to do in life and trying to find the place to call home really resonated with me as someone who has moved around a lot in my life.

Unnamed Narrator, Chemistry by Wieke Wang. As an Asian girl, I related so much to how the unnamed narrator navigated her way through parental expectations, and letting herself choose her own path, rather the one expected of her. This experience is something I went through as well.

Nina Zenik, The Shadow & Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. Basically, her love for food and how unabashed she was about it. I love food so much and I don’t care who knows it!

Belle, In Bed With the Beast (The Naughty Princess Club #2) by Tara Sivec. I saw myself in the quiet, nerdy book girl who has a close relationship with her family and who is so eager to please them, while also trying to find a way to step out and discover herself. I also related to how she transforms from this quiet girl to someone who takes no crap from anyone, especially when standing up for the ones she loves most.

Ariel Waters, Kiss the Girl (The Naughty Princess Club #3) by Tara Sivec. She uses her brash and bold persona to cover up her insecurities that actually really run deep, which really reminds me a lot of how I can act sometimes (okay, a lot of the times).

Daniel Gold, The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. Daniel has a deep love for his family but he is also unable to appropriately express himself and his feelings, which is something I struggle with too sometimes. I saw myself in his quiet, serious character whose family sees as very put together.

Griffin, History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera. I saw myself in Griffin’s sentimental character, and his experience of heartbreak and loss, as well as his fear of change and letting go of the past to move forward.

Quinn, All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover. I can’t relate to what Quinn experienced in her marriage, but I did relate very much to her internal processing of her experience. It’s so easy to fake being happy and to dance the “everything-is-okay” dance, rather than to be open about your thoughts and emotions. It’s not the most positive trait but how she kept everything she was going through inside of her really reminded me of how I used to deal with my mental health.

Lois Clary, Sourdough by Robin Sloan. I could really relate to her thoughts in terms of wondering at being a part of something more; something significant and important. I think that’s what we all go through in our 20s, 30s (and well, some even longer), especially as we finish university and start looking for a job and try to find more meaning in our lives.

Wow, this was a tough one to answer! What characters remind you of yourself? If you’ve done a TTT post for today’s prompt drop your link in the comments!

#TopTenTuesday: Inspirational & Thought-Provoking Quotes from Books

Dini @ dinipandareads28 Comments

Welcome back to another Top Ten Tuesday! This meme was created by The Broke and the Bookish and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in 2018. Today’s prompt is: Inspirational & Thought-Provoking Quotes from Books. Who doesn’t love coming across a good inspiring or thought-provoking quote in the book you’re reading? I’ve never thought about ‘rating’ the quotes I find, so these aren’t really my top ten of all time, but they are quotes that sparked something in me. In no particular order…

“Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.” – Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind

“You can’t change just one part, can you? When you sit there and wish things had happened differently, you can’t just wish away the bad stuff. You have to think about all the good stuff you might lose, too. Better just to stay in the now and focus on what you can do better in the future.”– Taylor Jenkins Reid, Maybe In Another Life

“Whatever happens, love that.” – Maddie Dawson, Matchmaking for Beginners

“Human bodies are very complicated. Inside us there are all kinds of genes, hormones, and chemicals that affect our moods, and sometimes people have a certain combination of those things that makes them feel sad.” – Glendy Vanderah, Where the Forest Meets the Stars

“Once you figure out what matters, you’ll figure out how to be brave.” – Emily X.R. Pan, The Astonishing Colour of After

“Why wasn’t friendship as good as a relationship? Why wasn’t it even better? It was two people who remained together, day after day, bound not by sex or physical attraction or money or children or property, but only by the shared agreement to keep going, the mutual dedication to a union that could never be codified.” – Hanya Yanagihara, A Little Life

“People make a grievous error thinking that a list of facts is the truth. Facts are just the bare bones out of which truth is made.” – Greg Iles, Natchez Burning

“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts. There are seven words that will make a person love you. There are ten words that will break a strong man’s will. But a word is nothing but a painting of a fire. A name is the fire itself.” – Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” – Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

“It’s plausible to hypothesize that these patterns will be reflected in events and people in each dimension. That people who have met in one quantum reality will be likely to meet in another. Certain things that happen will happen over and over, in different ways, but more often than you could explain by chance alone.” – Claudia Gray, A Thousand Pieces of You

What are some of your favorite quotes? Have you also done a Top Ten Tuesday post? Leave a link to your post in the comments!

#TopTenTuesday: First Books I Reviewed

Dini @ dinipandareads26 Comments

Welcome back to another Top Ten Tuesday! This meme was created by The Broke and the Bookish and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in 2018. Today’s prompt was submitted by Rissi @ Finding Wonderland and asks us to list the (First Ten) Books I Reviewed.

Prior to setting this blog loose into the great big blogosphere two months ago, I was writing reviews on Goodreads. I wrote my first review in April 2018 (yep, I’m pretty much still a hatchling compared to many of you). When I first started I didn’t write one for every book I read; I don’t know why not or how I chose which books to review either, but looking through my list, I’m surprised there are plenty that I skipped. It makes me want to go back and write the ones I missed, although with my notoriously terrible memory, I doubt I’d be able to without a re-read and that’d be a helluva list! 😅

Ready, Player One by Ernest Cline – ★★★★.5☆

This book was amazing! If my inner geek was a dragon (maybe it is), reading this was like diving into a cavernous treasure trove. I loved the 80s nostalgia and the crazy amazing world Cline built!

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz – ★★.5☆☆☆

I wasn’t particularly impressed with this one. Even though Diaz’s writing flowed like poetry, I couldn’t connect to the characters or what they were going through. It was a let down!

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann – ★★★★★

I don’t often read non-fiction and when I do it usually takes me ages to finish. I read this one in a night (#noregrets) and it’s still one of the best NF I’ve ever read!

A Reaper At the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir – ★★★★☆

One of my favorite series! Love the complexity of the characters, the world building, the magic. It took a while to really sink into this again but it was worth it!

Carter & Lovecraft (Carter & Lovecraft #1) by Jonathan L. Howard – ★★★★☆

I’m not into horror and I know Lovecraft is one of the masters of horror, but this was more creeping weird-things horror rather than paranormal shocking-ghosty horror, and I surprisingly loved it!

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart – ★★★★☆

Even though I managed to guess what happened (not how though!) this was still a deliciously shocking YA mystery! Also, I still cried buckets (of course).

Thunderhead (Arc of A Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman – ★★★★★

I’m still crying waiting for the next installment to come out especially after THAT ENDING. Neal, mate, I hope you’re working hard kicking that sequel’s butt!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – ★★★★★

Is there really anything else to say except this book seriously blew my mind? Amazing doesn’t even begin to cover it! Still haven’t seen the movie — should I?

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows – ★★★★☆

Not my favorite storytelling style, but this was such a feel good story and by the end the characters felt like old friends I was sad to leave behind. I also haven’t seen this movie — should I?

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon – ★★★★★

This had the hopeless romantic in me swooning left, right and center! Such a touching story and I am so taken with the idea of fate/destiny too, so this definitely ticked lots of my boxes! I think I’m excited for the movie 😅

Well, that was a nice stroll down memory lane! Do you remember your first review(s)? If you’ve also done a Top Ten Tuesday post, drop your link in the comments below!

#TopTenTuesday: Rainy Day Reads

Dini @ dinipandareads21 Comments

Welcome back to another Top Ten Tuesday! This weekly meme is hosted by That Artsy Girl and today’s topic is about Rainy Day Reads. I don’t generally read according to the weather or season but I can imagine what type of books I’d feel like picking up when it’s raining outside. When I think of rainy day reads, I don’t necessarily think of books with dark or gothic themes. On the contrary, I think I’d prefer lighter or more comforting reads that’ll make cozying up in bed, snuggled under my doona, with a cuppa on my bedside table, a more pleasant experience. These are the stories that I wouldn’t want to leave the bed for until absolutely necessary, but they’re also the reads that I wouldn’t mind putting down for five minutes to stare up at the ceiling or out the window just to listen to the rain fall. Off the top of my head, here are some of my top rainy day reads!

1 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. P&P is one of my favorite books of all time and my familiarity with its story and characters makes it one of my go-to comfort reads. People look at me like I’m crazy when I say that, but I love this book.

2 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Actually, I think any TJR book would do for a rainy day. I’ve only read two of her books so far but I loved them both so much that TJR is now one of my auto-buy authors. Her stories are absorbing, it’s so easy to forget that you’re reading about fictional characters, not to mention that they’re relatable.

3 Persuasion by Jane Austen. I read Persuasion during a rough point in life when I was feeling incredibly lost and alone. This book made me feel hopeful again and it brought me feelings of such contentment, just like Pride & Prejudice, I’ve read it so many times that it has become one of my go-to comfort reads.

  • ★★★★★

4 The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. This is one of my favorite fantasy reads. Every time I read it, I find myself transported to a cozy fireside reading nook where I’m being read to by Kvothe (the MC). It’s soothing, magical, a little scary and amazing! Why not add a little rain and nice warm cup of cocoa to that scene in my head?

5 Memories (Collection) by Lang Leav. Reading poetry on a rainy day seems a little melancholy but I could definitely picture myself reading Memories, a collection of Lang Leav’s poems from her various books. Most of these ones really make me feel all the feels, especially the ones about love and loss.

6 The Dry – Jane Harper. Ironically, it rained heavily this past Sunday and I cancelled my morning plans to stay in bed getting into The Dry. Jane Harper creates an amazing atmosphere with her vivid descriptions of the Australian Outback and the pervasive heat that has made life in a quiet farm town unlivable. It surprisingly made for a very comforting read while listening to the rain fall.

7 Arc of A Scythe Series by Neal Shusterman. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this up, but I was so pleasantly surprised by it! With its fantastic dystopian world building and intriguing concept, I absolutely couldn’t put it down. If you’re into YA, fantasy, sci-fi and dystopian books, and you still haven’t read this book, my question to you is: what are you waiting for?!

8 Shades of Magic Series by VE Schwab. I have loved pretty much everything that V.E. Schwab has come out with and the Shades of Magic series is one of my all time favorites. I love the world building, the complex characters and relationships, the magic and adventures. This is definitely a perfect rainy day read when you have all the time in the world to get lost in this one!

9 Saga (Graphic Novel) by Brian K. Vaughan. Saga is just simply the best. I could binge all the volumes in this crazy addicting series in one very cozy rainy day. If you’re looking to try out a graphic novel and love space, sci-fi, fantastic characters and world building, and beautiful artwork, you have to read Saga!

10 Natchez Burning Trilogy by Greg Iles. I don’t even know if I’d have the words to do this trilogy justice. I picked up Natchez Burning without knowing anything about the author or the MC, who was in three books prior to this one, but I fell deep into this consuming story about lies, crimes, and secrets from the past. This series combines two of my favorite genres (thriller/mystery and historical fiction) and were all jaw-dropping page turners.

Now I’m kinda wishing tomorrow as a rainy day so I could stay at home and cozy up under my covers with some of these books!

Would any of these make your list of rainy day reads? Have you done a Top Ten Tuesday too? Leave your link in the comments below!

#TopTenTuesday: Crazy Things I Do For Books!

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

We’re back for another Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt asks us to list the Outrageous/Crazy/Uncharacteristic Things I’ve Done for the Love of Books. I don’t know if anything on my list is really particularly outrageous or crazy but it’s definitely uncharacteristic. Sometimes my love of books definitely makes me do things I wouldn’t normally do, and I’m sure (I hope?) a lot of you book lovers will get me when I say that! In no particular order…

1 Did a Marie Kondo on the rest of my apartment (clothes, knick knacks, kitchen items) so there’d be more space for books. Really, it wasn’t just about more space for books, it’s so that I could feel better about having so many book piled around my teeny tiny flat. I’m definitely not getting rid of all (or any!) of the books (yet!) but the rest can go!

2 Spent a full day reading a book at the office because I couldn’t (read as: didn’t want to) stop. In my defense, this doesn’t happen a lot… But there’s been a time or two where I’ve secretly opened my Kindle App on another desktop to surreptitiously read rather than do actual work.

3 Pretended that I was sick from work because I had to keep reading. Yes, I had to. No, this also doesn’t happen a lot. Also, I swear that I normally have a very good work ethic. The need to keep reading just makes me do these crazy things!

4 Planning my visits around which bookstore I want to go to. This applies to when I go on visit friends/family on a break or when I have to travel for work. I usually like to arrive a day or two earlier or stay a day later so that I can visit a specific bookstore and stock up on books that I can’t find in Bali. Even if it costs me more, at least I get books? 🤷🏻‍♀️

5 Similar to the above, I’ve adjusted my “countries to visit list” based on bookstores that I want to see. For example, even though I went to the States last year, I’d love to visit again this year for a couple of weeks, just so I can go back to The Strand and to finally check out Powell’s Books! Ugh, look at all that money flying out my bank account–it hurts, but it’s so worth it?

6 Spending copious amounts on books. Retail therapy has always been my thing so maybe this isn’t so uncharacteristic, but I don’t think it’s ever gotten so out of hand. Like, I just can’t control myself. It’s a little scary sometimes.

7 Setting alarms for ridiculous times to buy special edition book boxes. I’ve actually done this once (ok, twice). It’s hard enough for me to get up every morning when my alarm clock goes off at a normal time, but I have absolutely no issue waking up at 3:30AM to jump online for these boxes! Welp.

8 Had very public and uncontrollable reactions while reading a book. I’m very introverted/shy so I normally do everything in my power to go unnoticed. However, there have been several times I’ve read a book in public and I’ve ended up having reactions (i.e. crying, groaning in frustration or laughing really loudly) that garner so much unwanted attention. Tell me you’ve done this as well?!

9 Overpacking books. I used to travel with one or two (physical) books when I have to take short trips, but these days, I’m traveling with a minimum of at least five books, plus my Kindle. It doesn’t matter if I’m only gone for 3-7 days or that I always find a bookstore and end up buying another small stack of books. Truth is also that I never get through half the books that I bring with me.

10 Setting unreal expectations for my love life because of all the romance I read. I’ve always been a hopeless romantic, but all these romance novels full of rough, rugged, caring, intellectual men only serve to ruin my love life because I know I will never find a man like that IRL. But hey, at least I have these book boyfriends and all the book cuddles to keep me company, right?

As I’m reading through my list, I’m really getting the impression that I’ve officially lost the plot, and all because of books–hah! I swear that despite what I’ve written on this post, I’m really not crazy. Please tell me some of you out there do some of these things too? 😂

What are some outrageous/crazy/uncharacteristic things you’ve done for the love of books? If you’ve made a Top Ten Tuesday post this week, leave a link in the comments below and let’s chat all things books 🙂