Tag: Book Blog

The End of Year Book Tag – 2025 Edition

Dini @ dinipandareads2 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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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [310]

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

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 reading in bed or wish you had time to read today.

Unexpectedly, I seem to have found myself in a slump? I’ve picked up several books over the past few days and nothing has really leaped out at me. I do have one read that’s been ongoing for over a week, and I’m enjoying it, but it’s feeling a bit slow thanks to the anxious ‘end-of-year’ mood that has crept over me. I’m feeling jittery and incapable of focusing, so I’m having a hard time sticking with anything. Here’s what I’ve got going on:

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone, Death in the Spires by KJ Charles, Better Not Pout by Maren Moore

I’m about 30% in Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, and again although I’m enjoying it, I’m not making heaps of progress very quickly even if I do manage to read at least 2 chapters a day… I keep picking up and putting down A Merry Little Meet Cute, Death in the Spires and Better Not Pout, and while I like each one, my mind feel settled when I read them either—it’s so hard to focus! 🫣 I don’t know what other reads to try… 😮‍💨

What book are you spending your Sunday in bed with?

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Let’s Talk Bookish: The Goodreads Choice Awards

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

✨ Welcome back to another week of LTB! ✨

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and myself! In this discussion meme, participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! Learn more about LTB, past topics and future topics HERE.

This week’s topic is:

Goodreads Choice Awards

Prompts: The 2025 Goodreads Choice Award winners were announced on December 4th! Do you vote for or keep up with the awards? Have you read any of this year’s winners or nominees? The categories have also changed in recent years, creating some controversy: the Romantasy category was added in 2024, and the Children’s and Middle Grade category was removed. What do you think about these changes? What categories would you like to see go away or come back? Are there any other changes to the awards that you’d like to see?

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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 »

#TopTenTuesday: Let it Snow!

Dini @ dinipandareads41 Comments

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s topic is a: Books Set in Snowy Places (If snow isn’t your thing, pick another kind of place and share books set there!)

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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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