Friday Favorites: Nerdy Characters

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

It’s time for another Friday Favorites hosted by Kibby @ Something of the Book! This weekly meme is where you get to share a list of all your favorites based on the list of prompts on Kibby’s page. Sounds fun, right? This week’s prompt is: favorite nerdy characters. Ooh, yay, fun! I always love reading about nerdy characters with their quirks and humor. They’re characters that I always relate to on some level as well! I’m going to try mentioning characters/books that I haven’t done before with this list of my top five favorite nerds!

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Whisper Man by Alex North – #BookReview

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

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

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

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

Likes:

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

Dislikes:

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

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

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

#WWWWednesday: 21 August

Dini @ dinipandareads17 Comments

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:

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

What did you read last?

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

What are you currently reading?

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

What will you read next?

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

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

#TopTenTuesday: Favorite TROPES!

Dini @ dinipandareads27 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Goodreads Monday – 19 August

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

We’re back with another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners that invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you’re feeling it!

The random number generator landed on book #470 so this week’s book is: Dry by Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman. I’m a little shocked/embarrassed to admit that I added this book to my GR TBR in September 2018, and since that time I’ve added another whopping 400+ books to my list! HOW INSANE?! I don’t own all the books on my list (thankfully 😅) but I think my fingers might be a little quick on the “Add to” list because that’s a ridiculous number of books!

When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions for her family in this harrowing story of survival. The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers. Until the taps run dry. Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbors and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive.

Why do I want to read it?

I’ve only read Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe series but I loved it so much that I knew that I wanted to read more by him! When I read the synopsis for Dry, it sounded really intriguing and frighteningly enough, this scenario isn’t impossible to imagine considering climate change and what’s been happening around the world. It’s a chilling prospect! Developing countries have been facing issues with access to clean water for decades already, but now water shortages are also becoming a problem that more developed countries are also facing too. How long will it take for us to end up in a situation where we’re fighting wars over resources such as water? And on that note, I’ll end it here before I get too serious and ramble on about the realities of the hole we’ve dug for ourselves 🙃Basically, I want to read this because I’m keen to read more by Shusterman, plus I’ve heard that they’re adapting it for the big screen?!

Have you read Dry? Is it on your TBR too?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and let’s chat books!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [18]

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

I’M AWARE IT’S MONDAY! But I went completely MIA this weekend because of wedding shenanigans and I totally spaced on scheduling posts in advance (I’m so disorganised), so I totally missed out on Top 5 Saturday (gutted) and my weekly wrap up! I thought I’d still share my weekly wrap up anyway, and hopefully sometime this week I’ll share my Top 5 Saturday post (better late than never, amiright!?) So here’s another Sundays Mondays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This weekend, I took a leap out of my comfort zone and start reading The Whisper Man by Alex North. Going by the title of the book, it’s supposed to be a creepy thriller and it definitely lived up to it! I was constantly getting goosebumps while reading this, and even now thinking about the book has me breaking out in shivers! It also has a touch of the paranormal in it which I usually stay away from big time, but I have no regrets reading this because I think it was the kick up the slump ass that I needed. I think switching to a completely different genre might’ve totally worked, friends! 😃Stay tuned for my review coming up this week!

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

What are you currently reading?

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

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

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

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

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

ARC Review: Elma: A Bear’s Life by Ingrid Chabbert

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Special thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads: Elma: A Bear’s Life: The Great Journey (Vol. 1)
Publish date: 17 July 2019
Publisher: Europe Comics
Genre: Children’s Fiction, Graphic Novel

Rating:

Elma is a joyful, free-spirited child who is being raised by her father. But Papa Bear is hiding a secret, and the close-knit duo must make a long and perilous journey to begin a mysterious new life beyond the forest. Adventure and danger are in store as they discover the secrets of Elma’s past and future.

Um, OKAY. How dare this graphic novel end on such a cliffhanger!? Nooo… I want to know what happens to Elma and Papa Bear! Do they make it?! Where are they going? Is he bringing her back home? Why is the fores seemingly conspiring to take Elma away from Papa Bear? SO MANY QUESTIONS! I kind of feel a little bit like Elma right now because the curiosity and need for answers is strong!

I adored this graphic novel. First of all, that cover is a wonderful representation of the stunning art work that you’ll find inside the pages. The colours are autumnal, so they’re warm and very comforting. I could seriously just look at the pages all day because the work is beautiful, and I enjoyed that there was limited dialogue so it didn’t detract from the art. This is targeted at children, however, at one point Elma does lose all her clothes and her full body (including genitalia) can be seen. It’s one scene and then she’s covered up again in the next. I don’t think it was done distastefully, but I just thought I’d leave a warning anyway.

I found the start of the storyline just as enjoyable as the art. It obviously has “Jungle Book” vibes (of course, abandoned child in forest raised by an animal that’s meant to be a predator) and although I admittedly am not the biggest fan of that story (don’t hate me), I really enjoyed this one! I’m a little sad this was only the first volume/chapter, as reading the blurb led me to think it might be the full story. Still, I’m glad I stumbled across it because so far it’s a sweet story, although it does raise many questions I hope will be answered in the next volume!

The relationship between Elma and Papa Bear was very sweet, and you can feel through their dialogue, interactions and the art that they really care for and love each other like father/daughter. Elma is full of life and so much sass and Papa Bear is this big calming force looking out for her. I love a story where animals can talk and this was definitely no exception! I thought their story really fit with the art work because it effused the same warmth the colours in the art work gave me. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on more of this graphic novel and I would 100% add this to my physical shelf because it’s beautiful book and the story is shaping up to be too!

Have you read Elma: A Bear’s Life or is it on your TBR?
What are some of your favourite graphic novels?

Friday Favorites: Underrated Books

Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

It’s time for another Friday Favorites hosted by Kibby @ Something of the Book! This weekly meme is where you get to share a list of all your favorites based on the list of prompts on Kibby’s page. Sounds fun, right? This week’s prompt is: favorite underrated books. So, I think this is a pretty interesting topic because before joining the book community towards the end of 2018, I never paid much attention to book ratings or reviews. I kind of find that hard to believe now since I rely so much on them, reviews especially, to help me pick my next read or which book to add to my shelf next! Admittedly, it was a bit tough to come up with a list (even a short one as this!) because my memory is truly the most awful thing 😅That said, here’s a quick Top 5 of some of my favorites that I think are underrated! HAPPY FRIDAY BOOK FRIENDS!

Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse
This is a dystopian fantasy based on Native American mythology. It’s a world where humans live alongside Gods and monsters. It’s a dark and raw world that only the toughest can survive in and all of it blew me away! Before I read this last year I don’t think I’ve ever read anything based on Native American mythology and I honestly wanted to smack myself over it because it’s INSANE (in the best way)! Both this book and author are so underrated and I think more people need to read it!

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
I honestly don’t even remember how, when or where I first heard about this book but I’m really glad that I did because it’s a really creepy YA space thriller that had me gripping the edge of my cushion seats and made me want to tuck my feet up tight under me. As if the vastness of space isn’t already creepy (but mind-blowing) enough, imagine being a teenager stuck in space, completely alone and lightyears away from Earth or any kind of help, and you’ve just found out (too late!) that you’re deep in some creepy shit. Are you trapped? How do you escape? IT WAS THRILLING in the best worst way possible. The tension was so real. You can read my review here.

A Piece of Cake: A Memoir by Cupcake Brown
When I started uni I basically stopped reading because I was too busy being the worst student the world has ever seen™️ but on days when I was too hungover to do much of anything else, I did manage to pick up a few books; one of which was A Piece of Cake (the other was Twilight LOL)! I also don’t remember how I first heard about this book but ugh, it was heartbreaking and so so disturbing! It’s the story about a young woman’s journey through addiction, sexual abuse, and ultimately of survival.

Natchez Burning (Penn Cage #4) by Greg Iles
I don’t know if this would be considered ‘underrated’ because it has a fair few thousand ratings on Goodreads but I also never actually see Greg Iles mentioned much (or at all) in the book community. Natchez Burning is a thrilling historical fiction set in the south (Mississippi) that goes back between the present day and the past (1960s). There’s a big focus on the KKK faction the Double Eagles, their history in Natchez, and race relations in the south. This one really sucked me in and fast too!

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
I’ve mentioned a few times now that I’m not a big NF reader but last year I picked this up on a whim and it’s the fastest I’ve devoured a NF. I finished it in one night (hello 7am sleeping time!) but it was so worth it because my mind was blown with how much I learned. It’s disheartening and maddening how history can so easily get swept under the rug! This read like fiction and I think Grann did a fantastic job writing it! Unfortunately, I don’t see many mentions of this book, but I absolutely believe this deserves more attention!

What are some of your favorite books that define you? Would any of these make your list? Leave me a comment below and let’s chat!

A Random Act of Kindness by Sophie Jenkins – #eARC #BookReview

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

Goodreads: A Random Act of Kindness
Publish date: 13 June 2019
Publisher: Avon Books UK
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit
Panda Rating:

It only takes a moment, to change a life for ever…
Fern is too busy making sure other people feel good about themselves to give much thought to her own happiness. But somehow, without her noticing, life has run away from her. Suddenly, Fern realises her vintage clothes business is struggling, and the casual relationship she’d always thought she was happy in doesn’t look so appealing. But sometimes, karma really does come through. And when Fern goes out of her way to help 85-year-old Dinah, little does she realise their new friendship will change her life. Dinah may have troubles in her past, but she’s lived and loved to the full. Can Dinah show Fern that even the smallest acts of kindness can make the world a better place?

This was a fairly easy, fast and fluffy read. It’s a heartwarming romance about finding yourself, learning to stand on your own two feet, letting go of fears and opening up your heart. It was an enjoyable, sometimes funny read that left me feeling content when I finished it.

I liked Fern’s character and her passion for fashion (specifically her vintage wear). She’s very focused on making other people happy by finding them the perfect fit to ‘lift’ them as she’s a strong believer that how you dress yourself can change how you think and feel. However, she faces a lot of insecurities and really puts herself down mostly because of her parents (particularly her mother who, frankly, was really awful). While she was very tolerant and understanding of her mother who treated her so badly, I do wish that Fern had the strength to stand up for herself.

I wish that we got to learn more about David. As Fern’s love interest, I felt he fell a bit flat. We don’t really get to know him other than he’s quirky, quite serious and maybe even boring, and that he’s got model handsome good looks. I liked his character but wished that he was given more dimension.

There are a lot of characters and I sometimes felt myself getting confused at how they were being introduced and how they’d suddenly appear in Fern’s life, however, I ended up really looking the eclectic bunch and I think Jenkins did a good job of including characters of all ages, genders and sexualities. For the most part everyone was also friendly, maybe sometimes almost perfectly so, but it really added to the ‘feel-good’ quality of the story. I also really enjoyed how the fashion was mixed into the story, although it was difficult for me to picture the clothes because I’m not that big on fashion; so I will say if you’re not interested in the stuff, it might not be for you.

[MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD]

One thing that I didn’t particularly understand was why we got Kim’s POV instead of Dinah’s. I understand that Fern really made a big impact on Kim’s life and that he was the reason the big show happened at the end. However, it felt a little bit random to me because so much of the story revolved around Dinah and Fern. I liked how everyone came together and became friends because of Fern, however, I felt a little unsure about Kim’s chapters and (sorry but) I didn’t feel it really added a whole lot to the story. 

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