Tag: Asian Book Blogger

Let’s Talk Bookish: Pros and Cons of Book Blogging

Dini @ dinipandareads29 Comments

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @Eternity Books  & Dani @ Literary Lion, where we get to discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! I’ve listed the upcoming topics in brief at the end of my post, but check out these pages for more information on November 2020 prompts & a list of past prompts!

This week is actually a ‘freebie’ and we could either go back and do a topic we missed or take a break. I decided to go waay back and do a prompt from September 2020!
Check out the other bloggers who already did this prompt too!

Now without further ado… This week’s topic asks us about:

the pros and cons of book blogging

Examples: What do you love about being a book blogger? What do you hate? What makes you stay in this community, and what’s one thing that could possibly drive you away? Do you feel appreciated as a blogger? Are book bloggers given enough credit?

IT’S A BLOGGER’S LIFE FOR ME

I decided to start my book blog after starting a bookstagram. I wanted a better platform for posting reviews and engaging with other readers, and while I was worried about starting another blog after the one I had for 15 years fizzled out, I found I really enjoyed talking about books and now here we are almost two years later!

there’s so much to love!

  • The community: The book community is truly the best! I’ve met so many amazing book lovers across the world and it has been so great to share our book loves and dislikes, and even tidbits about our personal lives. I don’t have (m)any book loving friends IRL, so it’s refreshing to be able to fully geek-out with people who understand why I’m freaking out over fictional events and characters in the first place 😂
  • Finding new favourites: I can’t even count the number of books and authors that I’ve discovered and ended up loving since joining the community. I’ve branched out of comfort zone more times than I can count and the result has almost always been positive. I don’t know how I used to find new books/authors before but there’s no going back now!
  • Sharing recommendations and getting others to try new books/authors: I’ve loved sharing my favourites on my blog and it’s always so exciting to see people mention that they’ve added books to their mountainous TBRs on my recommendation or because of a review I wrote. It’s a crazy incredible feeling especially when they love the book as much as I did! It kinda makes me feel like I’ve levelled up! 🤣
  • ARCs and Blog tours: NGL, one of the reasons I started blogging was because I wanted the chance to access ARCs! Who wouldn’t want to read the latest books before everyone else?! Then I discovered blog tours and discovered indie authors and got access to more new releases and well, the rest is history!
  • Becoming a smarter/better reader: Obviously it’s a process but I’ve definitely become a more conscientious and purposeful reader since I started blogging and that’s really thanks to the community. I never used to really pay much attention to what I was reading–I would just mindlessly consume for pleasure, and while I still do that, I’m also more critical of what I consume and I like to think its made me a better reader 😊

IT CAN GET HARD though…

As good as it’s been having a book blog and being part of the community, I’d be lying if I said it was all roses all the time.

  • It’s time consuming. No matter what anyone tells you, making posts takes a lot of work and eats up a lot of time! Even if I was better organised and actually scheduled ahead of time (cough), I’d still probably spend a big chunk of my free-time on it. I work full time so I mostly work on my blog before/after work or during work breaks, but a lot of my spare time does go toward blogging, including engaging with others! My friends/colleagues who know I have a book blog always comment on how it’s like a second job (albeit a very enjoyable one) and they’re not exactly wrong!
  • The pressure. I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to constantly be reading, churning out content and engaging with others in order to “stay relevant”. It’s not a competition but it can feel like it sometimes when everyone is trying to read more, review more, engage more, etc. All of this obviously comes as part of having a blog but at the same time, it does get overwhelming and can lead to serious burn outs too!
  • Kissing that hard earned money good-bye. As an international blogger, I don’t have access to the majority of ARCs or a library, so 90% of the books that I read are bought out of pocket. Plus, I rarely get book gifts because my family doesn’t believe I need more 🙄 While I’m happy to be discovering new books my savings certainly don’t feel the same way 😂 I’m really thankful to have a steady job that allows me to indulge in this increasingly expensive hobby and I do know how lucky I am!

FEELING APPRECIATED AS A BLOGGER…

I never put much thought into whether or not I’m appreciated as a blogger because I do it for my own enjoyment. It’s a topic that I’ve noticed frequently come up on socials when bloggers share how little they feel appreciated compared to bookstagrammers, booktubers and book-tokers (or whatever they call themselves). But it’s something that I personally try not to think too much about because it’d probably stop me altogether. 😂 There are definitely good days when stats don’t matter and those really bad days when I question what the hell I’m doing, but I do think it’s all part of the process. I don’t believe that people on other platforms don’t also feel the same way sometimes!

2020 has been a rough as year and reading and book blogging has really helped me push through the tough times, so right now my hope is that I won’t stop blogging anytime soon? Being part of the community and engaging with others really gives me the motivation to keep doing what I’m doing, and I’m still loving (almost) every minute of it! 😉

So, what. do you think about book blogging? Do you feel the same way about the pros and cons I listed? What do you love most about book blogging? Do you feel appreciated?

#WWWWednesday: 18 November

Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

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?

Since last Wednesday, I’ve managed to finish two one-ish book(s)! Whoops… I feel like I managed to read more over the last week but I guess my mind is just playing tricks on me 😂

Born at Dawn (Da’Valia Trilogy #1) by Christina Davis ★★★★☆
This was such a fun book and I sped through it so quickly! It was fast-paced and full of action from the very beginning and you can’t help but be sucked into the world that Davis creates. While the world building felt clunky at times, I really liked the characters and I’m so curious about what happens next! Check out my full review!

The Boy, the Wolf and the Stars by Shivaun Plozza ★★★★☆
Okay, I’m cheating a little bit with this one because I still have a teeny bit to finish, but unless something drastic and awful happens in the last 10% this is defo going to be a 4 star! It was so hard to put this down after my lunch break 😭 It’s such a great MG fantasy! My blog tour review is up tomorrow so be on the look out!

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#TopTenTuesday: Characters I’d Name a Pet After

Dini @ dinipandareads40 Comments

So, we’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: Characters I’d Name a Pet After!

When I first saw this prompt I came up against a solid wall and couldn’t think of a single character I’d like to name a pet after. In all my life, I think the only pet I’ve named after a character was my first cat when I was a kid and I very originally (cough) named her Totoro.

I was so sure that I was going to give this week a pass, but then I decided to challenge myself by having a look at my shelf to see if any names came to mind from the books staring back at me. Surprisingly, there were a few! I have two doggos in my life right now and it’s been years since I’ve had a cat, so it’s kinda funny that when I thought of these names, I actually pictured them all as names for cats? All of the characters I mention are some of my all-time favourites. Maybe one takes an animal form. Some are full of mischief. Others are very sweet and nerdy. Almost all of them have dry senses of humour and are as sarcastic as I can be IRL. Basically, they’re characters who have wormed their way into my heart and who made my reading experience that much better!

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Let’s Talk Bookish: When It’s Time to Hit the Breaks!

Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @Eternity Books  & Dani @ Literary Lion, where we get to discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! I’ve listed the upcoming topics in brief at the end of my post, but check out these pages for more information on November 2020 prompts & a list of past prompts!

Now without further ado… This week’s topic asks us about:

WHEN ARE READING BREAKS A GOOD IDEA?

(SUGGESTED BY LYDIA @ LYDIA SCHOCH)
Examples: Do you ever take breaks from reading? What causes you to take a reading break and how long are they typically? When would you recommend reading breaks to others? Do you think reading breaks help you to read more in the long run?

Do you ever take breaks from reading?

Just like with anything, I do think it’s good to take a break from reading every now and again. A break doesn’t necessarily have to mean taking a week or month away (and it also doesn’t necessarily mean putting a stop to perusing books in general 😉), but as a mood reader I find it really helps when I can’t settle on what to read next!

What causes you to take a break and how long are they?

Thinking back on when I’ve taken breaks, I’ve noticed that they’ve all pretty much been unplanned and I took them for various reasons. My most recent break, which happened at the start of the pandemic, was actually the longest I can recall taking and I ended up not really reading anything for about 1.5 months? And I mean I actively didn’t pick up a book during that time. This was mostly because of Animal Crossing LOL. 😂 But I know I’m not alone in saying that the pandemic stress really got to me at the beginning! Other times, I’ve taken weekend or sometimes week long breaks if I really got into a TV show that sucked up all my spare time. I don’t watch a lot of Netflix/TV so this rarely happens but when it does I zone hard on it 😅 I’ve also taken one day breaks a few times especially if I have a slight book hangover and I want to take a breather before diving into whatever I choose to read next.

When would you recommend reading breaks to others & are they helpful in the long run?

Obviously it’s pretty subjective. If you feel you need to take a break, you should definitely do it. As a mood reader, I find taking breaks helps me when nothing I pick up can hold my attention. Putting books aside for a little while does help me to feel refreshed again and eager to get back to reading. Also, as I’ve become more critical of what I read, I find that even when I’m reading something that’s not really heavy or intense, like a romcom, my mind is still always constantly buzzing, analysing and finding things to critique (if anything) and after a while, it does get pretty tiring because then everything feels unenjoyable. At that point, it does wonders to give yourself a break and let your mind rest!

I would recommend taking a break when:

  • Can’t decide what to read or are experiencing a book hangover, especially if it’s a big one!
  • You feel overwhelmed or stressed out about reading
  • You just feel like you need it–whether it’s because you’d rather watch TV or you want to game or whatever it is you want to do. Just do what’s best for you!

So, what do you think? I know that reading is a form of escapism for many of us, but do you ever take reading breaks? How long do they last for and do you find that breaks help you in any way?

#WWWWednesday: 11 November

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

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?

Since last Wednesday, I’ve managed to finish seven books, three of which were overdue graphic novel ARCs that I got on NetGalley. I don’t know why I put those off for so long but I’m glad that I finally read them and can tick them off my endless to-read list! 😂

Mistletoe & Mr. Right (Moose Springs #2) by Sarah Morgenthaler ★★★★☆
I loved the quirky weird charm of The Tourist Attraction, but I really connected with Lana and Rick and very quickly fell in love with their love in this book! I loved coming back to Moose Springs, although the townspeople were a little harder to love. Lana and Rick both stole my heart and I loved that they were such opposite characters but complemented each other so well. Check out my full review!

The Grémillet Sisters: Sarah’s Dream by Giovanni Di Gregorio, Alessandro Barbucci ★★★☆☆
I requested this because the artwork looked like my favourite kind and I wasn’t wrong! The art style threw me back to my good old W.I.T.C.H. comic reading days (anyone else remember that one?!) and I loved it. The dynamic between the sisters was relatable and the mystery intriguing, but I really wish we got more background… Check out my full review!

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#TopTenTuesday: Books Titles that Would Make Great Song Titles!

Dini @ dinipandareads26 Comments

So, we’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: Book Titles that Would Make Great Song Titles (submitted by Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse)

I don’t know about you but I’m so glad that this week’s prompt was so fun and easy to do because it’s only Tuesday but Monday already felt like a whole ass week! But I digress…

I ended up listing titles for books that are mostly still on my TBR and when I started thinking about what books would make great titles, I immediately thought back to my “emo” days when songs had titles like “Being from Jersey Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry”, “The Curse of Curves”, “When I Get Home You’re So Dead”, “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows”, “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From The Team)”, and so on… 😂 So I ended up going down this route for the song titles this week and I think I’d definitely stop to listen to these tracks if I came across these titles? 🤣 My curiosity would be piqued at the very least!

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Let’s Talk Bookish: Romance as a Sub-Plot

Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @Eternity Books  & Dani @ Literary Lion, where we get to discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! I’ve listed the upcoming topics in brief at the end of my post, but check out these pages for more information on November 2020 prompts & a list of past prompts!

Now without further ado… This week’s topic asks us about:

ROMANCE AS A SUBPLOT

(SUGGESTED BY DANI)
Examples: Why do you think romance is the most common subplot? Do you think romance subplots take away from the main story, or add to it? Do you prefer stories without any romance in them? Is romance better as a subplot or as a main plot?

I love love. I might come off as a little bit cynical or jaded when it comes to love in real life, but deep down I’m truly a hopeless romantic 😂 It’s pretty obvious how much I love the romance genre because when you take a peek at my Goodreads, my read list is full of it! I feel like when it comes to romance though there are a lot of people that seem to take issue with it and don’t like it in their stories, especially when it comes to YA, but perhaps that’s because it’s always there whether it’s “needed” or not.

Why is the romance sub-plot so popular?

I never gave it much thought before and I’m not really sure why… But perhaps it’s because at one point or another romance is something that many readers can relate to whether they’ve experienced it themselves, or they’ve seen others go through that experience. Or maybe it’s also those happy and heartwarming feelings that romance brings? I think it’s also probably the easiest device for authors to use to endear readers more to their characters and to make them more realistic–although whether its well done or not is another thing!

does a romance sub-plot take away from the main story, or add to it?

As I mentioned at the start, I’m all about the love and while before I would’ve said “romance makes everything better” *cough* I now think that it really depends on the story and how well the romance is written. If written well, the romance doesn’t take away from the main story but successfully adds to the character arcs and increases the stakes (in a good way). Maybe it’s because I read a lot of YA fantasy and contemporary but I feel like, more often than not, they always have a romance sub-plot that often doesn’t feel needed. It doesn’t necessarily take away from the main story, but it also doesn’t add anything. I think it’s really easy for romance to over-take the main story though, and I’ve seen it happen quite a few times. It gets tedious when the MC ends up constantly thinking about romancing their love interest, then they start making ridiculous non-sensical decisions, the love drama gets too intense, and then it basically ends up not being fun anymore. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Do you prefer stories without any romance in them?

There are times that I feel the author throws in romance because it’s expected and that’s when I find myself getting frustrated with the romance sub-plot. This is especially the case when the romance feels forced or when the romance exists ‘for the sake of having romance’. So I never thought I’d say it but I’m starting to prefer stories without the romance sub-plot in them! *Gasp! I know…* That’s not to say I won’t read fantasies or other genres without romance in them, but it’s also okay for those stories to just be fantasy or historical without romance. That said…

romance as the main plot for the win!

Let’s be real, I’m still all about the romance. I love the feel-good and heartwarming vibes that romance brings to a story. I love to swoon and giggle at the romantic (and steamy) gestures between our love interests, and I don’t think any of that’s gonna change anytime soon. But if I do go looking for romance, I’m going to seek it out in stories where romance is the main plot, whether it’s historical romance, contemporary romance, or romantic fantasy, because too often lately the romance sub-plot leaves me feeling more than a little “meh”.

So, what do you think? Is the romance sub-plot a yay or nay for you? Do you think it takes away from the main story? Do you prefer your stories without romance in them? Keen to hear your thoughts!

#WWWWednesday: 04 November

Dini @ dinipandareads13 Comments

It’s funny how an event on the other side of the world has been able to consume my day, as if I really have any stake at all in what’s happening over there. All my friends and many colleagues have been ridiculously preoccupied by the elections, and we’re all waiting with bated breath to see what happens next. It’s been tough watching and it’s still going, but I’m with you all in spirit and really thinking of you, friends! If you need to be distracted, please reach out!

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?

It’s still been pretty slow going on the reading front and I think it’s because I’m so distracted by all the books that I want to read and can’t decide which comes first. Since last Wednesday I’ve finished four books and I’m happy to say that all of them were really enjoyable and it was a week of solid fours!

Love Offline by Olivia Spring ★★★★☆
I read this for a blog tour and it was a really fun story full of realistic characters and relatable experiences! The romance was heartwarming and the chemistry between our characters was undeniable. Definitely recommended for those who love a contemporary romance that’s sure to make you laugh and is full of quirky charm! Read my review

The Highland Laird (Lord of the Highlands #8) by Amy Jarecki ★★★★☆
I swooped in on this after reading Julie’s review and well, I’m definitely sold on Scottish historical romances 🤣 I mean, oof. This was such a wonderful romance! The H/H were both great characters and they stole my heart. Despite being total opposites they understand each other more than anyone else, and they truly bring out the best in each other. I adored their love. Review to come!

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#TopTenTuesday: It’s not always about books…

Dini @ dinipandareads33 Comments

So, we’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: my non-bookish hobbies!

This week’s prompt shifts away from all-things-bookish-all-the-time and has us sharing more personal bits about ourselves so we can get to know each other better ☺️ While I definitely had to gear my brain up for the change in topic, I thought this was a fun prompt to do because it made me actually stop and think about the things that I enjoy doing aside from reading–although I’m not lying when I say that reading/books take up the vast majority of my time outside of work. 😂

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Top 5 Saturday: Books with Vampires

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

🍭🎃 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! 🎃🍭

Welcome back to another Top 5 Saturday! Just in case you don’t know Top 5 Saturday is a weekly meme created by Mandy @ Devouring Books and it’s where we list the top five books (they can be books on your TBR, favourite books, books you loved/hated) based on the week’s topic. You can see the upcoming schedule at the end of my post 🙂 This week’s topic is actually: vampires.

This topic was actually a tough one to answer because I honestly haven’t read that many books with vampires and neither is it usually what I gravitate towards. The same goes with other supernatural creatures too though, like werewolves. I’ve enjoyed the very few that I read (even Twilight all those years ago) but I don’t actively seek them out. I do still have a few books with vampires on my TBR though and I am looking forward to checking them out at some point, especially the ever popular Dracula! So without further ado…

(book covers are linked to the Goodreads pages!)

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