Tag: 2025 Reads

The End of Year Book Tag – 2025 Edition

Dini @ dinipandareads3 Comments

As with every year, I end up putting this off for far longer than I mean to. 😂 This year has just been absolute chaos, and I’m kind of shocked that we’ve already reached the end of it. So, it’s time for the End of the Year Book Tag — 2025 Edition! After the absolute madness this year, I’m kind of scared about what’s coming in 2026, but I’m also hopeful that it will be much better! 🤞🏽

Check out the End of Year Book Tag in previous years:
2019 | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024

Let’s get on to the book tag now and see what’s up with 2025…

This tag was originally created by booktuber Ariel Bissett.

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

Oh, yes. My “paused” shelf on my Notion tracker has been steadily growing throughout the year! 😅 I’m going to narrow it down to the top 5 that I hope to finish before the year ends.

One by One by Ruth Ware, I Killed the King by Rebecca Mix & Andrea Hannah, The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli, Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Same answer as previous years, I’m not much of a seasonal reader, but I think I read a few books this year that make good transition reads!

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron, Waltzing with Witches by Hazel Mack, The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt, The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni

Is there a new release that you’re still waiting for?

I honestly can’t think of any new releases I’m still waiting for at this point! I don’t think there are…

What are three books you want to read before the year ends?

At this point, I have no idea what I’m likely to read before the year ends because my reading mood has been all over the place! That said, it would be pretty nice if my mood could pick up so that I can read these three books… At least!

Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell, A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna, In A Second by Kate Canterbary

Is there a book that you think could still shock you and become your favourite of the year?

There are a couple of 2025 releases that I think have high potential to become my favourite this year. I think of the few I’m thinking of, two of them would be the biggest contenders and they are: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow and Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang.

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow, Blood Over Brighthaven by M.L. Wang

As I’ve mentioned though, my mood and focus has been all over the place so I don’t know if I should pick them this year. I’m currently attempting to read the latter but I’m just feeling very confused with the magic speak right now and that makes me a bit sad? Haha. 😂

Have you already started to make reading plans for 2026?

I actually do have some reading plans for 2026 already. Unsurprisingly, I don’t have many ARCs to read because I’ve almost completely stopped reading them this year and have been very selective with them. I currently have one 2026 ARC to read, that said, I still have tons of backlist ones to get to! 🫣

I’m currently decided on one year-long reading challenge (Buzzword (Title) Challenge) but I’m not sure what other one I’ll do (or if I’ll do another one). Other than that though, Leslie and I are hosting a massive group read for Dungeon Crawler Carl! We’re doing all seven books until the release of the eighth—starting with books 1 and 2 in January! 🎉 I can’t wait to dive back into the books and see what I missed the first time around, lol.

I’m not tagging anyone but I’d love to see your answers if you do it! How was your reading in 2025? Are there any books that you hope to get to before the year ends? Any that could possibly be a new favourite?

#WWWWednesday: 17 December 2025

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

Leslie and I are planning a group read for Dungeon Crawler Carl starting in January 2026! Find more details on Leslie’s page or at the end of this post!

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:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?
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Book Review: Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

Water Moon
Publisher: Random House
Pub Date: 14 January 2025
Genre: Cosy Fantasy / Magical Realism

Panda Rating:

(3.75 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Abortion (mentioned), blood, death of a parent (recounted), murder & physical assault (mentioned)

TL;DR: Water Moon was a whimsical and magical read that evoked such vivid imagery that was strongly reminiscent of Ghibli movies. For what’s considered a cosy healing fiction fantasy, I thought this was fast-paced and action-packed. There were gorgeous moments that filled you with just as much awe and wonder that our MMC felt seeing this other-world unfold before him, but also heart-pounding moments being chased by soulless and sharp-taloned entities who were ready to rip our characters to shreds. The romance relies heavily on the “fated” trope, which was conveniently used to excuse away the instant love connection that forms between Hana and Kei in a matter of days. I can’t say that I was a fan, but Water Moon is one of the rare exception where the whimsy of the world-building was captivating enough for me to still be able to enjoy the overall story despite not enjoying the romance or feeling overly invested in the characters. If you’re looking for a cosy fantasy with some grittier elements set in a magnificently whimsical and magical world, I would recommend checking this out!

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2025 Spotify Wrapped Book Tag

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

It’s that time of the year where we’re wrapping things up and that means, of course, it’s time for the Spotify Wrapped posts to take over our feeds, lol. 😂 So why not add the Spotify Wrapped Book Tag to the mix? I had lots of fun doing it this tag for the last three years so it’s time to do it again now! I wonder if it’ll be easy to find good book matches for some of my favourite tunes this past year? Let’s find out! 🎶

Check out my previous posts: 2024 | 2023 | 2022

This tag was originally created by Rosina @Lace and Dagger Books!

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#WWWWednesday: 10 December 2025

Dini @ dinipandareads21 Comments

Leslie and I are planning a group read for Dungeon Crawler Carl starting in January 2026! Find more details on Leslie’s page or at the end of this post!

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:

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

Book Review: The Midnight Shift by Cheon Seon-Ran

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

The Midnight Shift
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Pub Date: 14 August 2025 (Original: 11 June 2021)
Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Panda Rating:

(3 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death, suicide, dementia, blood, drug abuse, debt, murder

TL;DR: I loved the premise The Midnight Shift more than I did the execution. I don’t actually have that much to say about the book—it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me in the way that I thought it could’ve. It’s an interesting take on a vampire story and one that I don’t recall having read before, but overall, I felt so little emotional connection to the story, that it just fell flat-ish.

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#WWWWednesday: 3 December 2025

Dini @ dinipandareads20 Comments

Leslie and I are planning a group read for Dungeon Crawler Carl starting in January 2026! Find more details on Leslie’s page or at the end of this post!

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:

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

Monthly Wrap-Up: November 2025

Dini @ dinipandareads23 Comments

November… What even happened in November? I honestly can’t tell you! Seriously though, where did the month go? Because it feels like it just started and now we’re already wrapping up. This is the same old song I sing every year but it still boggles how quickly time flies. Here’s (a very boring) gallery of images from November:

Work was busier than usual as we had several events, with one more to go to complete this year! I think that definitely made time go faster because it felt like there was no moment for rest, lol. Aside from that, there really wasn’t much going on. As I’ve mentioned before, I have no social life whatsoever, so whenever I’m not at work, I’m a gremlin in my cave, sitting with my books, refusing to meet people, and being an all-around lazy panda, haha. I didn’t do any baking this month either because I’m nothing if not a professional procrastinator. 😅

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#WWWWednesday: 26 November 2025

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Leslie and I are planning a group read for Dungeon Crawler Carl starting in January 2026! Find more details on Leslie’s page or at the end of this post!

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:

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

Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Dini @ dinipandareads20 Comments

Remarkably Bright Creatures
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Pub Date: 3 May 2022
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death (of a secondary character, off-page, recounted), cancer (of a secondary character, off-page, recounted), grief, loss, childhood abandonment, substance abuse/addiction (of a secondary character, brief mentions), animal captivity

TL;DR: I knew this was a well-loved novel, but I didn’t know what to expect from it other than the fact that there’s a sentient octopus, and a woman who’s still trying to come to terms with the tragic and unexplained death of her teenage son three decades ago. I wasn’t expecting to fly through these pages, but it was compulsively readable, and I was keen to see how the storylines intersected. Van Pelt did not disappoint! Tova, Cameron and especially Marcellus were great characters, and the other members of the Sowell Bay community that we meet along the way were equally entertaining (and so cheeky)—especially Ethan and the Knit Wits! This was a wonderfully written and heartfelt reflection about loss, grief, love, connection, and above all, family in all its forms.

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