#TopTenTuesday: Settings I Want More of…

July 23, 2019July 24, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads35 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: settings I’d like to see more of. I think one of the reasons many of us love reading so much is because stories have the ability to transport us to places so far removed from our realities, whether they’re real existing places or fictional worlds that are so well built that they pretty much feel real. I mean, when you’re bogged down by #thatadultlife and can’t afford to travel to places you’re desperate to visit, there’s no better feeling than immersing yourself in a book that takes you there for a comparatively small price. 😉 Here are a few settings I’d like to see more of!

Space à la Illuminae Files and Aurora Rising
I mean, I really just want more space. Especially when it’s space like in these two amazing books!

Magical Libraries à la Sorcery of Thorns
Who doesn’t want more magical libraries? Especially if they’re full of magical books like in The Great Libraries of Sorcery of Thorns?! I would even take the grimoires that have all the evil power and can do bad things to a person. I’ll take it!

Caraval
The world of Caraval is honestly like a dream. But not only full of really beautiful, fun and magical things but also dangerous and sinister things. How gorgeous is this cover of the Taiwan edition?!

Red London of ADSOM
I’m tempted to even say that I want more of all the Londons from ADSOM? But I don’t think I’ll go that far. I just want more of Red London and Rhy, Kel, Lila and Alucard. Lol but really, I’d love more of this shade of london.

London Below of Neverwhere
I fell so in love with the otherworldly London Below. It was so cool to see this ‘other side’ to familiar stations and locations from when I used to live in the UK (and often visited London to meet friends). I’d love to spend more time in London Below and explore its dark and dangerous side some more!

Alaska
So maybe my view of Alaska is still on the more ‘romantic’ side but after reading The Great Alone, I’m not unaware of the harsh reality of living in such an environment. In my mind it’s a combination of terrifying nature and impossible beauty, especially with the Northern Lights! I’ve honestly always had this weird thing for Alaska!

Edinburgh, Scotland
I’ve only been to Edinburgh but in the almost-two-years that I lived in Norwich, I think I went up to visit the city four times? I couldn’t get enough. It’s such a beautiful city and I often miss the magic of it, although I get to experience it when I read books set there. I especially love when a book talks about a place that I’ve been to, seen, or heard of in real life. It makes it feel extra special 🙂

New York City
It’s manic but there’s a certain energy to NYC that so many people fall in love with. In reality I get incredibly overwhelmed with all the people around me, so what better way than to experience more of the city through a story? I find that stories in NYC are always so upbeat and full of hope 🙂

New Orleans.
This is another ‘weird’ one on my part lol I think back in the day when I started reading romances of the steamier variety I read a few that were set in New Orleans and I basically ended up falling in love with my impressions of this city. It’s old charm, superstitions, vibrancy and food! I definitely always end up wanting to read more of this city.

Winter/Christmas/Snow.
I love everything about this type of setting. Despite living in the tropics, I love the cold and snow and I especially love the feeling in the air when Christmas rolls around (in Western countries), when it’s cold but everything feels extra warm and cozy. There’s a feeling of comfort that comes from these settings and I love experiencing it through books, especially if I can’t IRL!

What settings would you like to see more of? If you’ve done a TTT this week, leave your link in the comments and let’s chat favorite locations!

#TopTenTuesday: Autobuy Authors

July 16, 2019July 16, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads37 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: autobuy authors. I tried to diversify my list a little bit instead of repeating authors and books that I’ve already mentioned on here countless times, but you can’t avoid the inevitable because these authors are my all time faves, so they’re bound to make an appearance! It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be to just recall all the authors I’d auto buy, so I had to do a little bit of rummaging around my memory (it’s really that bad) and came up with this list. Yay!

Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is a master of crafting words into incredibly bizarre and delightfully magical worlds within our actual world. I’m always left in awe of his stories. They’re dark, funny, did I mention bizarre, and oddly touching. When I read Neverwhere for the first time a few years ago there was no looking back. He’s been an autobuy since! I’ve really enjoyed everything of his that I’ve read including American Gods, The Graveyard Book, and The Ocean At the End of the Lane, to name a few!

Taylor Jenkins Reid. So I’ve only read two of TJR’s books: Maybe In Another Life and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Both took my feelings and ripped them to shreds and I loved every minute of it! These reads are so emotionally packed and I’ve found elements of relatability in both of them, which obviously made it more impactful.

Jodi Picoult. I’ve loved Jodi Picoult since I first discovered her in high school. I think my first book by her was The Pact and it just wowed me with the writing style and the storylines. Since I read most of her books in high school, I don’t think I fully appreciated the complexity of her characters and their situations. I’d definitely love to re-read my favorites at some point!

Robin Sloan. Sloan’s books are so odd, intriguing, and full of quirky loveable characters that worm their way into your heart! Sourdough is probably one of my all time favorite books — no joke. It just makes me feel warm and so happy. Mr. Penumbra’s was also such a fun-tastic adventure with BOOKS and who wouldn’t love that?! I wish it were easier to get my hands on more of his books!

Helen Hoang. Hoang has only put out two books (The Bride Test and The Kiss Quotient) so far but I’ve loved both of them dearly! I love the diversity of her romances. They’re awkward, funny, sweet, (so) steamy, and have left me feeling light-hearted after each read. I am also eagerly looking forward to reading about QUAN in her next book, The Heart Principle. She describes it as: “kind of a cross between a gender-swapped Sabrina and Say Anything” … I MEAN C’MON. All the 😍 emojis.

Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. I’m a little embarrassed to mention this but I’ve only ever read anything by both authors that they’ve written together. So that’s The Illuminae Files and Aurora Rising. It’s not that I don’t want to read what they’ve written separately, there are just SO MANY books and so few waking+non-working hours! But I will buy anything these two write together. They are the ultimate dynamic writing duo and slay me with their stories and characters!

V.E. Schwab. After finishing ADSOM I immediately knew it’d be one of my all-time favorite series and Schwab immediately jumped onto my auto buy authors list. I loved the writing, storyline and characters. The magic really came to life! I’ve since read and loved her Monsters of Verity and Villains series.

Christina Lauren. It’s as simple as I love CLo and pretty much everything that I’ve read from them! Josh and Hazel‘s Guide to Not Dating is undoubtedly one of my all-time favorite romances. This duo never fail to make me laugh, swoon, squeal, and generally have the most fun reading experience with their books. I’m so looking forward to reading Twice In A Blue Moon when it comes out!

Jane Harper. I discovered Harper this year after reading The Dry and there was just no looking back. Her writing is just stunning. It’s so deeply atmospheric, reading her stories takes you straight into the punishing dry heat of the Australian outback. Although her books are classified as thrillers, I’d say they’re more mystery, but they kept me guessing right up to the end.

Brian K. Vaughan. He’s the writer of my all time favorite graphic novel series, Saga. I’ve mentioned this one countless times already on my blog but it’s seriously so freaking good. Anytime someone asks me for graphic novel recs, Saga is the first one I mention. He’s also written Paper Girls, which I enjoyed!

Who are your auto buy authors? If you’ve done a TTT this week, leave your link in the comments and let’s chat auto buy authors!

#TopTenTuesday: Bookish Characters I’d Like to Befriend!

July 9, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads37 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 is a Character Freebie and since I’ve just finished reading a book that reminded me why I love reading about books in books and characters who are passionate about books, I thought I’d do my post today on bookish characters that I’d like to befriend. Most of these characters might be from my more recent reads, since they’re fresher in my mind. Either way, I’d love to be friends with these fellow book lovers–I think we’d have so much fun reading?! Without further ado, here we go!

Elisabeth Scrivener from Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. This book and this lady is my inspo for choosing today’s topic. I would probably feel safe being Elisabeth’s friend in a library because I know she’s bad ass enough to protect me, if I can’t protect myself 🙃 She just seems like a really cool girl. Also, Sorcery has fast become one of my favorite reads this year so all I’m going to say is (please) READ IT!

Kya Clark aka Marsh Girl from Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Kya is… one of the strongest characters I’ve read in recent years. Her development and growth blew me away and I would love to hang with her in the marsh, exploring the beauty of nature that she captures through her books. I think she’d be an amazing friend to have, which is one of the reasons my heart broke so much when reading this book.

Tanner Scott from Autoboyography by Christina Lauren. It’s pretty obvious Tanner is a bookish character, especially since the book revolves around him writing a book within four months. Tanner sounds like he’d be so much fun to hang out with and his heart is so pure, I’d love to have him as a friend (so we can talk about books, boys and everything else).

Cath from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I think the title of this book pretty much sums it up. Cath is a super relatable character (book nerd and fangirl) and I’d love to have met someone like her at uni (or even now, really). I feel your thoughts, girl.

Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. Although this book appears so often on my blog, I would be remiss to not include both the character and book in this list because Elizabeth is a classic bookworm. I love this book, and her character and I love that she values books and reading so much! I don’t know what it’d be like to befriend her, but I really want to be 😂

Penny Lee from Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi. She’s awkward, full of anxiety and totally absorbed in her make believe worlds, but I’d absolutely love to be Penny’s friend. I think she’d definitely make you work to be her friend, but it would be 100% rewarding. Buried deep under all that outer awkwardness, I think she just wants to be a cinnamon roll.

Matilda Wormwood from Matilda by Roald Dahl. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be friends with this adorable, witchy little bookworm? It’d be so much fun! Would avoid diabolical Trunchbull and her weirdo “parents” at all costs though!

Belle from In Bed with the Beast (Naughty Princess Club #2) by Tara Sivec. If you can’t tell, this is a retelling of Beauty & the Beast. This Belle works at a library and as the title suggests, gets to share a bed with a very sexy beast. I loved Belle’s nerdiness and all the facts she would spew at very inappropriate moments! If we were friends, I reckon I’d be laughing and reading 24/7, not to mention I’d learn so much!

Lazlo Strange from Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor. So at the end of this book, Lazlo becomes something more than just a Junior Librarian, so it’d be amazing to have a friend with such powers. But on the real, Lazlo is such a genuinely sweet, good guy who loves books and the stories as much as all of us book lovers (if not more)!

Honorary Mentions:
(The OG) Belle and Hermione Granger. Obviously these two have to make it onto this list because they’re classics just as much as Elizabeth Bennett is and I’d love to be both their friends. Hermione would teach me so much magic (and just knowledge in general lol) and I would get lost in Belle’s (and Beast’s) library and basically end up living in that grand place.

Would you want to befriend any of these bookish characters?
What character freebie have you done for today’s Top Ten Tuesday? Leave your link in the comments and let’s chat characters!

#TopTenTuesday: Childhood Favorites

July 2, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads29 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 theme is: Childhood Favorites. Wowow. Did I love this walk down memory lane or did I love it? Writing this post was so much fun! Honestly, with my very terrible memory, I’ve pretty much forgotten the majority of what I used to read as a kid. But yay for Goodreads and Google because it really helped to jolt my memory. As a kid I would spend hours in the library; during play breaks and over lunch mostly to avoid bullies, and I’d beg mum to let me stay late after school so I could spend more time in there. It was my refuge and for always books have given me a sense of comfort and protection from the outside world. Here are some of the favorites that used to line my bookshelf at home.

Little Critter Series by Mercer Mayer.
I loved this little guy. The stories were so sweet and cute and just looking at these covers makes me wish that I still had copies of these books. I read all of them multiple times!

Arthur Adventure Series by Marc Brown.
Who doesn’t love Arthur, his friends, family and daily adventures?! I loved the TV series just as much as I did reading the books.

The Magic School Bus Series by Joanna Cole.
The magic school bus was magical and I learned so much through this series. I always wished science was as fun as this in real life and that my teacher would be as cool as Ms. Frizzle. On the Ocean Floor was absolutely my favorite. I had a real thing for the ocean when I was a kid. At one point one of my childhood dreams was to become a marine biologist.

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
Do you remember the first book to ever make you cry? I’m pretty sure this book was the first one to make me bawl so hard. This was also the book that taught me that having dogs in books is not always a good thing because more often than not, your heart breaks at the end. I still remember how excited I was when I came home with this book–it was my treasure! Oh, the memories 🥰

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein.
Oh my goodness, Silverstein’s books were my absolute favorite. These were the books that made me love poetry and the magic of playing around with words and rhyming. I’m pretty sure I checked out this book and Where the Sidewalks Ends from the library dozens of times. I definitely want to add all of Shel Silverstein’s books to my shelves!

Goosebumps Seriesby R.L. Stine.
Anyone who knows me now would never believe that there was once a time I’d voluntarily read scary books. I’m pretty sure it was reading Goosebumps that turned me into the ultimate chicken because now I can’t stand the stuff—I’m just not made for it (sorry 🤷🏻‍♀️)! That said, my younger self used to love scaring the bejeezus out of myself because I had a whole load of these books. My favorites were the ones where you could “pick your own adventure” (basically a nightmare) and I’d go through the books again and again to read all the different endings. Fun times!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1) by Roald Dahl. My love for this book will never die. I remember being so blown away with the idea of this book — that there could be such magic in a factory full of choccies, sweets and all the wonderfully sweet (and unfairly forbidden) treats that I loved as a kid. This book and Charlie’s adventures in Willy Wonka’s factor was absolute magic to me and to this day, thinking about it still reminds me of how happy reading this story made me as a kid!

Animorphs Series by K.A. Applegate. OK, seriously, who remembers this crazy cool series!?Because I was legit obsessed with the Animorphs when I was in middle school. I loved the idea of shape shifting and generally kicking ass. I guess you could say this was my first foray into Sci-Fi. They were the best.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. Looking back now I realize how strong a character Karana is. I loved this story of survival and it was just a bonus that it was a story with the ocean and dolphins. I 100% would have perished on that island lol

A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle.
I think this was the first book that I read in my early teens where I fell in love with romance in books. I was obviously already into boys and had loads of crushes, but this book made me want that summer love so bad! I was also part of the marine biology club in school at the time, so the fact that this story involves the ocean was even better. Funnily enough, every time I think about books I loved when I was younger, this cover is the first one that comes to mind, though I could (sadly) never remember the title, but bless Google. It’s amazing what you can find!

Did you read any of these as a child? What are some of your favorite childhood books? If you’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday post for today’s prompt, leave your link in the comments below and let’s chat 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: My Summer 2019 TBR!

June 25, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads25 Comments

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is: Books On My Summer 2019 TBR. YAY! I love these types of list and coincidentally, I’m also doing the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge so this post is going to be fairly painless to write 😂 (lucky for me since my brain still isn’t at 100% capacity after last week’s insanity)!

Since I live on a tropical island it’s basically summer all year round, but this time of the year is actually the nicest time to visit Bali (FYI for any travel lovers out there), as it’s winter in Australia and we get nice cool winds coming up to temper the blazing heat of the southern sun! When I think of summer reads I picture something along the lines of “lighter” contemporary fiction, romantic comedies, and even some thrillers; although I’m not averse to “heavier” reads either. I’m sharing a question that I asked in my GR summer reading challenge post: What months make up summer for you? It’s fun to see what everyone says because it’s quite different worldwide. I’ve always thought of summer as June – August! Anyway, without further ado, here are some of the books I hope to tackle in the coming summer months that we have left!

The Flatshare Beth O’Leary. I’ll be reading this for the GR challenge prompt: In the friend zone: Read a book that a friend has recommended. I’ve heard some mixed reviews about this one, although still mostly positive. It honestly sounds like something I’ll love though (I have a feeling it’ll tug on my heartstrings), so I’m really keen to finally read it!

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim. Ok, so this one isn’t really a “light summer read” but it’s one of my most anticipated ones of this year! It’s still not out in Asia, and I don’t know when it’ll ever be, so when I won a giveaway last month, I didn’t hesitate to request it! It finally arrived in the mail two weeks ago and with work and other book ‘obligations’ (i.e. ARCs and book club reads) I haven’t got around to it. SOON THOUGH 😍

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. I’ve been looking forward to this book for a while and it’s been on my TBR for some time too. I’ve heard many rave about it, and it’s on my pride month reading list, but unfortunately I don’t think I’ll get to it before June ends. So, summer it is!

The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves. This has been a little hyped on bookstagram, but there’s something about this book that I feel like I’ll love–probably because it will rip my heart to shreds and I’m a crier and a total sucker for pain (Kidding! Sort of).

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. Doesn’t this cover just scream summer? And also death, and possibly death in the water? But definitely summer vibes!

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas. I started reading a bit of this the other day when I was lounging around on my couch and feeling too lazy to go into the bedroom to grab my current read. Not only did the blurb pull me in but what I read so far has me intrigued!

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. This duo won me over with the Illuminae Files and honestly, I’m not expecting any different with this one. I’m ready for my feelings to get sucker punched–BRING IT ON!

More than Words by Jill Santopolo. Aside from being unable to take my eyes off the cover of this book, the blurb sounds like something that I’ll really enjoy. I’ve never read any Jill Santopolo before, but I’ve heard good things from quite a few people!

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith. I adore this cover, the story sounds really sweet/cute, and it’s not a very thick book, which makes it perfect for light pool/beachside reading!

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. I’ll be reading this as a group/buddy read in July and I’m also reading it for one of the summer reading challenge prompts: Armchair traveler: Read a book set in a destination you want to visit. So, I’m lowkey obsessed with Alaska and I have no idea when that obsession started. But yeah, I want to go there. Definitely a bucket list location!

What are some of the books on your summer TBR?! If you’ve done a Top Ten Tuesday post for today’s prompt, leave your link in the comments below and let’s have a chat 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Unpopular Book(ish) Opinions

June 11, 2019July 18, 2022 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! 🙂

Blog signature that reads: Let's Chat! xoxo, Dini

#TopTenTuesday: Books from My Favourite Genres

June 4, 2019May 1, 2021 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

May 28, 2019May 1, 2021 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

May 21, 2019May 1, 2021 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!

May 14, 2019May 1, 2021 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! 🙂