We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is a Thanksgiving Freebie!
#TopTenTuesday: Warm fuzzy thankful feelings!
Birthstone Book Covers: November Topaz Edition!
Hello friends, I’m back today with another month’s edition for The Birthstone Book Covers series created by one of my favourites, Leslie. She created this at the start of 2022 and was born out of her curiosity about birthstone colours. It’s a fun way to show different book covers/titles corresponding to that month’s birthstone.
Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [165]
We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time curled up reading in bed with or which book you wish you had time to read today!
I’ll be spending my Sunday in bed with Witches Get Stitches by Juliette Cross. I’m on a roll with this Stay a Spell series and this is the third of six! I don’t know why I’m in such a paranormal romance reading mood since it’s not my usual but I’m enjoying the heck out of this series. It’s comforting, fun, and mostly “no thoughts, just vibes” (and I don’t mean that negatively at all!) and it’s perfect for me right now!
📖 SYNOPSIS
Violet Savoie has a plan. A dream, rather. To open her own tattoo shop, which caters to supernaturals in need of permanent charms. As a powerful Seer, she has the potent magic to cast every kind of spell. Except the kind to give werewolves control over their beastly side. And her business partner Nico needs help in the worst kind of way.
Nico Cruz has a secret. A motive, rather. To subtly stalk and seduce Violet until she finally recognizes they are fated to be together. Ever since their heated encounter in Austin on New Year’s Eve two years earlier, he’s been dying to get his hands—and his tongue—back on her body. He knows a woman like Violet can’t be courted in the usual way. Luckily, Nico has no scruples about misbehaving to get what he wants.
But when his former pack roams into town, and an old friend is far too interested in Violet, his focus shifts to the threat venturing into his territory. Nico may come across as the quiet, broody one, but the intruders are about to regret stepping foot in New Orleans. And when Violet goes missing, no charm or spell can keep Nico’s wolf at bay.
Life in Books Book Tag!
Hello, friends! I’m back with another tag today and it’s the Life in Books Book Tag! I apparently bookmarked this tag over a year ago (haha) when I saw it on Georgia @Lost in Neverland‘s blog. I was looking for a simple but fun tag to do and this one qualified so, without further ado, let’s get to it!
Also, no one seems to know who the OG creator of this tag is but if you do, please leave a comment below and I’ll add the info! 😃
Find a book for each of your initials
My initials might surprise some because my full name is quite long and complicated and I much prefer my nickname, Dini, to it. But for this prompt let’s stick to my full initials: MSK.
Count your age along your bookshelf—what book is it?
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
I feel like this is a book I talk about a lot or at least I always recommend it in my lists. It’s an exquisitely written piece of literary fiction and although I’m not big on magical realism, this book absolutely stole my heart!
Name a book set in your city/country?
Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto
I recently read this book and it’s the first mainstream trad-published YA book written by an Indonesian author set in Indonesia. I loved it! 💜 This was set in Jakarta (the city I live in) and Bali (the island my family is from)!
Name a book that represents a destination you’d love to travel to
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Well, I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say this book represents Alaska, but it’s a destination that I’d definitely love to travel to. I know, these books definitely romanticise it a lot but still, I’m curious!
Name your favourite childhood book
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
I had a lot of favourites as a kid but I loved the magical whimsy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was obsessed with finding a golden ticket and I wanted so bad to go to Willy Wonka’s factory despite knowing it didn’t actually exist! 😂
Name a book that’s your favourite colour
To Hate Adam Connor by Ella Maise
Purple is my favourite colour though I’m a sucker for the lilac, pastel purple, and lavender shades.
Which book do you have the fondest memories of?
Sweet Valley Series by Francine Pascal
I have so many fond memories of reading so many different Sweet Valley books growing up. Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley Junior High to University, Special Editions, Thriller Editions, Super Editions, I gobbled it all up and I could not get enough of these twins, their friends and the incessant drama!
Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?
William Shakespeare 😭
This was a tough prompt so I went with something that I read ages ago but would most likely still be relevant now. I gotta be honest, I’m not a huge Shakespeare fan because I struggle to get through these books without a guide and even then, it’s a struggle…
Which book in your TBR pile will give you the biggest accomplishment when you finish it?
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Not only is it the longest book on my TBR at close to 1,500 pages but it is also one of the books with the smallest text and that more than anything has put me off reading it. I don’t know when I don’t know how but I will tackle this book one day and I will feel bloody brilliant when I finish it! 😂
I won’t be tagging anyone but if you’re interested to do this tag, feel free to link back so I can read your answers! Have you read any of these books and if you have, do you have similar thoughts about any of them? Are any of these on your TBR?
Let’s Talk Bookish: Personal Reading Tastes
It’s been a hot minute since I did an LTB post because returning to a full-time job consumed all my active brain cells and any that were remaining died a swift death when I got COVID. But I’ve missed doing these posts so I’m going to dive back in with a past topic from the start of November because as much as I think today’s topic is really interesting, this one is just easier on my brain.
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits, and it’s where we get to discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! If you want to join in the bookish discussion fun, check out the November 2022 prompts!
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Book Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Celestial Kingdoms #1)
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Pub Date: 11 January 2022
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Panda Rating:
(3.5 pandas)
📖 SYNOPSIS
A fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e , in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm and sets her on a dangerous path—where choices come with deadly consequences, and she risks losing more than her heart.
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the powerful Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, untrained, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the Crown Prince, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the emperor’s son.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. When treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, however, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS
Attempted sexual assault, sexual harassment, blood & gore depiction, death of a parent, torture mentioned, kidnapping & captivity, war themes.
ARC Review: Untying the Knot by Meghan Quinn
Special thanks to Meghan Quinn and her team for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
#WWWWednesday: 16 November 2022
Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
- What did you read last?
- What are you currently reading?
- What will you read next?
#TopTenTuesday: November Possibilities… Sorta!
So, we’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is actually Favorite “Aww” Moments In Books (Share those sweet/cute moments in books that give you warm fuzzies.).
Book Review: The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
The Ex Hex (Ex Hex #1)
Publisher: Headline Eternal
Pub Date: 28 September 2021
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Panda Rating:
(4 pandas)
📖 SYNOPSIS
The Ex Hex is a spellbinding rom-com with a twist, think Practical Magic in the Gilmore Girls Stars Hollow…
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins, writing as Erin Sterling, casts a spell with a spine-tingling romance full of wishes, witches, and hexes gone wrong.
‘You broke my heart, Rhys Penhallow. And we curse you. You and your whole stupid, hot line.’
Vivienne Jones handled the biggest break-up of her life the way that any witch would: vodka, bubble baths, and a curse on her ex.
That was nine years ago. Now Rhys Penhallow, descendant of the town’s founders, breaker of hearts and still irritatingly gorgeous, is back. Rhys has returned to the quaint town of Graves Glen to recharge the ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival. But when his every move results in calamity, Vivi realises that hexing her ex might not have been so harmless after all…
As the curse starts to affect the magic of the town, resulting in murderous wind-up toys, an outraged ghost, and a surprisingly talkative cat, Vivi and Rhys must put their personal feelings aside and work together to break the curse and save not just the town, but also Rhys’s life.
⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS
Parental death (recounted)
dinipandareads 