Book Blogger Insider Tag

Hello, friends! Tag Thursday is a thing, right? I haven’t done a fun tag in a while because I’ve been so picky with the ones I do (I want easy and fun since I’m too lazy and tired to do more recently) but the Book Blogger Insider Tag didn’t look too difficult so I’m glad I remembered to bookmark it after discovering it on Ashlee’s blog Books Are 42 …last year. 😂 So let’s get straight to it!

Rules:

Where Do You Typically Write Your Blog Posts?

As with most things I do at home, at my desk. It’s where I feel most comfortable and I love using my keyboard to type (the sound keeps me going!) so that’s where I always end up doing the most. And yes, I’ll use this as an opportunity to share my most recent desk set-up—it’s only missing my latest Panda keyboard though!

How Long Does It Generally Take You To Write A Book Review?

Um… Ages? I always tell myself to just throw out a quick and dirty review but I can’t do it (which is why my mini-reviews are rare and also not always very mini, lol). It’s not that I tend to go back and forth gathering my thoughts, writing and deleting, rinse and repeat. It’s more that I also do a million things at once while writing and continuously take breaks to come back more refreshed to continue writing.

When Did You Start Your Book Blog?

I published my first blog post in March 2019 but I remember starting to set this blog up in January 2019. I was really nervous about starting it and wasn’t sure what to write! It took me two additional months to gain the courage to finally post something! It’ll be 6 years of this blog in 2025 and in all that time I don’t think I’ve celebrated once because I keep missing the anniversary date (so sad)! 😂

What Is The Worst Thing About Having A Book Blog In Your Opinion?

Probably the time that it takes to properly keep the blog going (often it’s just time that I don’t have anymore)! Writing, engaging, and blog hopping all take up a considerable amount of time. It’s also time that you need to dedicate if you’re serious about growing your blog. As work and general fatigue take over my life, I know I don’t do half as much as I used to and it often doesn’t feel like enough. Running a blog takes a lot!

What Is The Best Thing About Having A Book Blog In Your Opinion?

You folks, of course! *cheesy but true* 🤭

Seriously, the community is the best thing about having a book blog. Borders aren’t a thing and getting to connect with so many readers from around the world has been such an amazing experience. I hope one day I get to attend a book bloggers meet-up or something cos that would be amazing (I think, lol)! 😍

What Blog Post Have You Had The Most Fun Writing So Far?

Is it a cop-out to say that I can’t think of any off the top of my head? 😅 I honestly can’t say that there’s just one. Here are a few from my Bookish Thoughts category that I really enjoyed writing:

What Is Your Favourite Type Of Blog Post To Write?

As much as I love writing reviews and discussion posts, my favourite type of post to write (and also read!) are the weekly/monthly memes: IMWAYR, Top Ten Tuesday, #WWWWednesday, Weekly Wrap-Ups, Monthly Wrap-Ups—I love them all! 😍

When Do You Typically Write?

As a PR of Procrastination nation, I generally don’t schedule posts in advance. This means that I write most of my posts at night after work (like right now it’s 9:30PM, lol). The main exception is the weekend when I write my Sunday posts in the late afternoon after spending the day relaxing!

Do You Review Every Book You Read?

This is something I’ve tried to do ever since I started seriously book blogging. There were pros and cons about doing this—pros being that I keep track of all my thoughts of the books I read; cons being that I didn’t pick up a new book until I finished writing my review because that’d risk me forgetting details in the book I just read. I’ve become more lax about it in the last two years since life has been stressful enough without me adding more for myself. I still try to review as many books as I can, if not on the blog then at least on my Goodreads!

How Do You Write Your Book Reviews? With A Cup Of Coffee Or Tea? With Netflix? Cuddled With Your Fur Baby?

If I’m writing a review in the morning then I usually have a cup of coffee on hand. Most of the time though it’s just me and my phone either in bed (especially if I finish late at night/in the morning and need to immediate thoughts down before sleeping, lol) or on the way to work. If I’m writing my review at my desk I need zero distractions so that means no music, Netflix, YouTube, etc. Just plain silence as I get started!

When Do You Write Your Book Reviews? Right After Finishing The Book? Two Weeks After Finishing The Book?

I’ve learned over the years that immediately or 1-2 days after finishing a book is the best time for me to write my review. I can still easily and clearly capture the thoughts and emotions I experienced while reading but I’ve had time to process everything that happened too. I feel like when I wait too long it becomes obvious since the review becomes less detailed and is generally more restrained (at least, I think so)!

Ngl, it’s mostly to do with the memory thing though cos I tend to forget important things very quickly (even with books I love, lol)! *shakes fist* Damn you, memory!

How Often Do You Post?

I used to post once or sometimes even twice a day (at my most ambitious and free). Now, I still try to post daily but I end up missing 1-2 days every week. I’m teaching myself to not feel guilty about it and I’m slowly learning to be kinder to myself and not self-pressure to do more than I can.

And that’s it for the Book Blogger Insider Tag! I’ll tag Leslie, Anna and Yolanda but even if you’re not tagged, feel free to do it anyway and link back cos I’d love to see your answers!

Blog signature that reads: Let's Chat! xoxo, Dini

#TopTenTuesday: Assigned Reading Wins!

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

This week’s topic is Books I Was Assigned to Read in School (These can be books you loved or hated. Or just tolerated. Bonus points if you give us a tiny review of your thoughts!)

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [252]

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!

I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday in bed reading Mirrored Heavens. Becky and I are onto the final book of this series buddy read! Despite starting it on Friday, I haven’t made as much progress as I hoped but I’m loving all the POVs we’re getting and answers! We’re slowly getting answers to things that happened in the past and about the magic! 😂

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Let’s Talk Bookish: Am I a Mood Reader?

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! Check out all the past topics if you want to join in the bookish discussion fun.

Since October does not yet have topics, I’m going back to an LTB topic from August:

Prompts: Do you consider yourself a mood reader? Are you constantly switching books and genres depending on your mood? Or do you always stick to a very specific TBR? If you’re a mood reader, do you ever wish you could better stick to TBRs?

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#TopTenTuesday: Autumn Possibility Pile

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

This week’s topic is Bookish Brags (or Confessions!) (what are you proud of or… not-so proud of in your bookish life?) [submitted by Lydia]… But I’m going ROGUE today!

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ARC Review: A Captured Cauldron by R.K. Ashwick

🎉 HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO A CAPTURED CAULDRON! 🎉

Special thanks to the author for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Captured Cauldron (Side Quest Row #2)
Publisher:
RK Ashwick Books
Pub Date: 7 October 2024
Genre: Adult Cosy Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Why steal a potion when you can steal a potioneer?

Grumpy potioneer Ambrose Beake has only one social event marked on his the country’s three-day Potion Convention. Alchemists from all over the world pour in to discuss their life’s work, and Ambrose eagerly dives into the excitement. Greeting old friends, speaking on panels, hopping into heated debates…

And getting kidnapped by an underground crime syndicate.

The criminals demand that Ambrose brew an impossible illusion potion—but the Guild’s protocol for such kidnappings is clear. He must agree to do the work, then delay the project as much as possible, while above ground, his boyfriend Eli and best friend Dawn plot to save him. They’re not alone in this venture, either—a beautiful journalist arrives to cover the rescue, just as eager as they are to investigate, infiltrate…and ignite a few sparks in Dawn’s heart along the way.

But while Dawn struggles to ignore those sparks and Eli struggles to save his beloved, Ambrose delves into the syndicate’s secrets—and finds something far more impossible hidden within its depths.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Kidnapping, drugging (recounted), captivity, indentured servitude, abuse of minors (off-page)

TL;DR: With tons of magical brewing, kidnapping, scheming mischief, and plenty of found family moments, A Captured Cauldron is a fun, action-packed sequel in this cosy fantasy series. I loved getting Dawn’s POV, and meeting new characters (one has become a new fave) and spending time with the beloved Rosemond Street shop owners from book one. I have a feeling that this is still only the beginning of the (mis)adventures for our crew and I can’t wait to come back again for more!

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [251]

Sorry if this update is more rant and less book/blog-ish 😂

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!

I’ll be spending my Sunday night in bed reading The Prospects. This came in one of the final Illumicrate Afterlight boxes that I subscribed to and it’s a beautiful, very sporty edition. I hardly know about baseball and this goes into more detail than I expected, but I’m still able to enjoy it and I’m curious to see where it goes!

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Blog Tour Review: Blood Price by Nicole Evans

Hi friends, I’m so excited to share my thoughts on Blood Price as part of the blog tour hosted by the author, Nicole Evans! I’m so lucky to be part of the group that got to read this book early and I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on it!

Before I dive into my review though, I wanted to take a moment to say how proud I am of Nicole and that she’s publishing her debut! 🎉 I can’t remember when I first discovered Nicole’s blog, Thoughts Stained in Ink, but it is always a pleasure to visit her blog, and I quickly grew to love her writing. Let’s just say that the wonderful quality of her writing is evident in this story. Congratulations, Nicole! This is a banger of a debut. 😍

Blood Price (Prices Asked and Paid)
Publication Date: 1 October 2024
Genre: Adult Fantasy

Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

The law of the gods is those who kill must pay for it in blood.

In the land of Armadin, where nine clans exist in a fragile peace, Ashilde is one of the few chosen to pay the blood price. Through it, she becomes a warrior, capable of killing to protect her clan—alongside her hunters, who provide the essential animal sacrifice, lest they become the next clan to suffer the gods’ wrath.

When an attack wipes out their few remaining hunters, Ashilde must find a way to protect her clan and still appease the gods, despite her shaken faith. But when her monthly bleeding stops, she can no longer kill. Cast out by the gods’ decree, she’s given a single task: travel to the gods’ realm, atoning for the failures of the clan and herself alike. If she dies, another will be sent in her place, until the demanded atonement is fulfilled or her clan is wiped out. Entirely.

Bound by a promise to protect her people above all else, Ashilde embarks on a quest driven for answers. Aided only by a pair of animals and a small child she meets along the way, Ashilde must battle the elements, her pursuers and her own mind to reach the gods’ realm.

To save her people, Ashilde’s journey forces her to answer the ultimate is she willing to pay the price asked of her, now that she can no longer pay in blood?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Please note that some content in the novel may be triggering. A list of warnings, to be best of my knowledge, are listed below and will be updated as necessary.

On the page: Verbal abuse, anxiety, blood, graphic injury, death, murder, trauma, depression, guilt, death of a parent, death of a sibling, death of a child, pregnancy, animal death, foreplay
Mentioned: animal sacrifice, child abuse (past, referenced), war
Minor: hunger (starvation)

📚 BUY A COPY

TL;DR: If you’re looking for a fantasy with a uniquely developed matriarchal societal system, a world based on Nordic mythology, and a tough-as-nails FMC warrior who is relentless and has a huge bone to pick with her Gods, then look no further than Blood Price. This was a well-written debut set in a richly developed fantasy world with characters, both human and non-human alike, that will grow on you. I’m so curious to see where this story leads and how Ashilde will triumph.

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