Tag: Book Blog

The Never Have I Ever Book Tag

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Hello book lovers, I’m excited to be back with another tag today! Leslie @Books Are the New Black recently tagged me to do The Never Have I Ever Book Tag and I swear that I’d done it before but apparently, I was wrong. So YAY because that means I didn’t have to spend ages deciding what tag to do today at the last minute (as always)! 😂 But I digress…

Thanks for the tag, Leslie! If you haven’t checked her out yet, she’s one of my favourite book lovers and has an awesome blog, so please stop by if you haven’t already. On that note, let’s get to the tag!

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#FirstLinesFriday: 24 March 2023

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!
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Blog Tour Review: Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

Hello, friends! I’m back with a blog tour review for Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam. Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it!

Thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

Meesh the Bad Demon
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 21 March 2023
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy Graphic Novel

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A tale of unlikely heroes and myths is made real in this debut graphic novel series about a “bad” demon trying to find her place in the underworld. But she’ll have to save it first!

Meesh is a bad demon. “Bad” meaning she always sees the good in those around her–which, strictly speaking, isn’t how a demon is meant to feel or act.

Bullied by the other demons, twelve-year-old Meesh is more likely to be found poring over Fairy World’s magazines and fangirling the fairy princesses. When disaster strikes and her family is threatened, Meesh must journey to the Fairy World to find a healing crystal that can save the underworld. And speak of the devil! She meets a fairy princess right away.

But things in the Fairy World aren’t so perfect either. As Meesh makes surprising new friends and unites a band of outcasts–including her bully–she learns there’s more to being a demon than being bad.

Sometimes the secret to real power is in loving yourself, faults and all.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Bullying, bigotry

📚 BUY A COPY!

TL;DR: The minute I finished Meesh the Bad Demon I immediately wanted more! I loved this illustration style so much. All of these characters were ridiculously adorable and it made the story even more fun to read. Meesh was an adorable demon who simply wanted to be good and I loved following her as she journeys beyond her world to save her home, makes unexpected friends along the way, and learns to love who she is. This is a story about being yourself, not judging others based on differences, and most importantly, it’s a story of friendship. It’s a funny, heartwarming and hopeful read!

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ARC Review: Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

Dini @ dinipandareads29 Comments

Special thanks to the author and Underlined for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Fake Dates and Mooncakes
Publisher: Underlined
Publication Date: 16 May 2023
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(2 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer.

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.

In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend… but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors—but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems.

Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Classism, death of parent (recounted), cancer, alcoholism

TL;DR: Fake Dates and Mooncakes was high up on my list of anticipated YA contemporary romances this year and I was beyond thrilled to get a digital ARC! Sadly though, for various reasons, this book really didn’t work out for me. I loved the cultural and food aspects of the story and Dylan’s family was great as well. That said, the romance was instantaneous and I didn’t really feel their romantic connection. The writing also read on the younger end of YA, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’m not sure that’s what the author intended and it also clashed with the more sexually suggestive overtones between Dylan and Theo. I wanted to see more of the mooncake competition but that played a woefully small part in the story. Overall, I’m sad that this didn’t end up being what I expected because I was genuinely looking forward to loving it!

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [181]

Dini @ dinipandareads20 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 curled up reading in bed with or which book you wish you had time to read today!

I’ll be wrapping up my Sunday in bed with Saint by Adrienne Young. This is a buddy read with Leslie and Julie and we’re all enjoying it although we’re scared that it’s gonna be a sad ending because we know what’s up from the Fable duology.

📖 SYNOPSIS

As a boy, Elias learned the hard way what happens when you don’t heed the old tales.

Nine years after his lack of superstition got his father killed, he’s grown into a young man of piety, with a deep reverence for the hallowed sea and her fickle favor. As stories of the fisherman’s son who has managed to escape the most deadly of storms spreads from port to port, his devotion to the myths and creeds has given him the reputation of the luckiest bastard to sail the Narrows.

Now, he’s mere days away from getting everything his father ever dreamed for him: a ship of his own, a crew, and a license that names him as one of the first Narrows-born traders. But when a young dredger from the Unnamed Sea with more than one secret crosses his path, Elias’ faith will be tested like never before. The greater the pull he feels toward her, the farther he drifts from the things he’s spent the last three years working for.

He is dangerously close to repeating his mistakes and he’s seen first hand how vicious the jealous sea can be. If he’s going to survive her retribution, he will have to decide which he wants more, the love of the girl who could change their shifting world, or the sacred beliefs that earned him the name that he’s known for―Saint.

Author Adrienne Young returns to the world of The Narrows with Saint, a prequel to Fable and Namesake.

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The In or Out Book Tag

Dini @ dinipandareads27 Comments

Hello, friends! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a book tag but I’ve been seeing the In or Out Book Tag making the rounds lately and I was also recently tagged by Laurie @Laurie is Reading, so thanks for the tag!

The rules are simple enough according to the original creator Rick MacDonnell over on his YouTube channel:

With the In or Out book tag I quickly go through classic tropes and book features and talk about whether I’m “In” (I like them) or I’m “Out” (I don’t like them). Feel free to tag yourself! Change up the prompts in your videos [or blogs] if you’d like, or just use mine. Up to you.

So on that note, let’s get to it!

1. Reading the Last Page First

GET OUTTA HERE! Sorry, not sorry. I remember when my former colleague told me she reads the last chapter before starting any book and I was speechless. I can’t imagine doing this ever because why would you want to spoil the story this way? 😫 No, thank you!

2. Enemies to Lovers

Always in! Ah, I love this trope so much, especially when it’s done well. I know much of the gripe around this trope is that it’s not really “enemies to lovers” more hate to love, etc. but I love it all!

3. Dream Sequences

I think I’m half-half on this. I’m not particularly fussed but it’s easy to get confused if the transitions aren’t done well and you don’t know whether you’re still in a dream sequence or not. 😂

4. Love Triangles

OUT! FOREVER OUT! I’m vehemently against love triangles. I just… Can’t get into it and even a hint of a love triangle can put me off very quickly! 😂

5. Cracked Spines

In for me because I can never avoid cracking the spine of a book I’m reading. Seriously, I’m genuinely curious how people manage to not crack the spine of books when they’re so tightly bound because attempting to not crack the spine means I can only open the book to like 30% and how do you read that way???! 😂

6. Back to My Small Town

In! I love stories set in small towns, especially when they’re romances! There’s just something so cosy about going back to small towns that stem from the close relationships within the community and the inclusion of quirky characters that makes it so much fun to read!

7. Monsters Are Regular People

Totally in if it’s meant in the fantasy sense. But I am fascinated by shows like Criminal Minds and by books about true crime, so I guess that means I’m also “in” for the “real” regular people sense?

8. No Paragraph Breaks

NOAR. WHY? NOAR. This not only reminds me of those overly long and dry texts that you have to read for school but it’s just… intimidating? I always find it super intimidating and it puts me off even reading a book. Paragraph breaks are always good!

9. Multi-Generational Sagas

In! Although sometimes the angst of multi-generational sagas gets to me, I always end up really enjoying them!

10. Re-Reading

In! Although I rarely do it. I want to re-read more and I even have a re-read project but I’m failing miserably at it. 😂

11. Artificial Intelligence

In! I don’t read a lot of books with AI but I have enjoyed most of the ones I’ve read with it.

12. Drop Caps

In! When I started my blog I used drop caps and eventually stopped because I was too lazy to format it. But it’s cute, I Like!

13. Happy Endings

Always in! Who doesn’t want a happy ending?! I’m all for the happy endings, please. Give me those warm fuzzy feelings and happiness that the characters deserve! 😍

14. Plot Points That Only Converge At the End

In… As long as it’s done well! Nothing is more disappointing than when you get to the end of a story only to be completely unsatisfied by how everything is resolved. 🥴

15. Detailed Magic Systems

In, mostly. I enjoyed detailed magic systems if they aren’t overly complex or if they are complex they are well explained. However, I can get easily confused sometimes so that kind of puts me off overly detailed magic systems. Mostly though, I like it!

16. Classic Fantasy Races

I’m in but I really don’t have any preference about the inclusion of classic fantasy races. I don’t mind them, I like it when they’re in books, it doesn’t personally bother me.

17. Unreliable Narrators

Eh, I don’t read a lot of mysteries and stuff but 99% of them have unreliable narrators, I find, and it kind of stresses me out? 😂 So I guess I’m half-half on this!

18. Evil Protagonists

I mean, I don’t know if I’m keen on EVIL evil protagonists you know? But ones that are morally grey or if we’re reading a villain origin story, sure, why not? I’m in!

19. The Chosen One

I’m actually not fussed about this trope so I guess I’m in? I know a lot of people feel it’s overdone but I think that as long as it’s well done and I enjoy the story, I don’t mind it.

20. When the Protagonist Dies

Naaaaah, I’m out. 😂 I just… I mean, I guess it’d be OK if I didn’t actually like the protagonist but… if I love them? PLEASE. I beg. Don’t do it! I break. I sob. 😭

21. Really Long Chapters

Out. I prefer my chapters short so it’s okay if there are more chapters but I feel like short chapters keep the pace moving quickly, you know? I always feel like the book is a slog when the chapters are really long—there are obviously exceptions but short chapters are still my pref!

22. French Flaps

In, I guess? I’m honestly not fussed either way with these french flaps (I just learned what these were called, lol)! 😂

23. Deckled Edges

In! I don’t have a lot of books with deckled edges but honestly, I don’t mind them. I think they look cool and different!

24. Signed Copies by the Author

All the way IN! I love signed copies by authors and I’ve been lucky to be able to afford the international rates for getting book boxes and special edition books. I’m especially chuffed whenever I can get my hands on signed books by my favourite authors—the way I desperately hit that BUY NOW button when The Green Bone Saga books went on sale!

25. Dog-Earing Pages

It’s out for me personally but I mean, if people wanna do it… I guess, go for it? 😂

26. Chapter Titles Instead of Numbers

Ooh, in! I love chapter titles instead of numbers, especially when the titles are quirky and funny because it always gets me excited for what’s to come in the chapter! 😍

I’m tagging:

That’s it for the tag, folks! What tropes are you “in” or “out” for?

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

#FirstLinesFriday: 17 March 2023

Dini @ dinipandareads21 Comments

Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!
Read More »

Blog Tour Review: The Next New Syrian Girl by Ream Shukairy

Dini @ dinipandareads13 Comments

Hello, friends! I’m back with a blog tour review for The Next New Syrian Girl by Ream Shukairy. Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it!

Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

The Next New Syrian Girl
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 14 March 2023
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Rep: Syrian, Muslim

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Khadija Shaami is a Syrian American boxer fed up with the expectations of being the perfect Syrian daughter. Saddled with a monstrous ego and a mother to test it, she will stop at nothing to leave Detroit and travel the world with her best friend.

Leene Taher is a Syrian refugee enraptured by the lavish lifestyle of the Syrian girls in Detroit. America is her fresh start, if only her haunting past will let her move on.

When their worlds collide, the result is catastrophic: To Khadija, Leene embodies the tame, dutiful Syrian ideal she’s long rebelled against. And to Leene, Khadija is the strong-willed, closed-off American who makes Leene doubt her place in the world.

But as Khadija digs up Leene’s past, a startling discovery brings the two of them closer together. As the girls secretly race to unravel the truth, their blossoming friendship challenges what each knows about the other and herself. And what they find takes them all the way across the world, back to the place of Khadija’s memories and Leene’s nightmares.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Islamophobia, the Syrian Revolution, depression, suicide (off-page), reality of socioeconomic gaps, generational trauma, PTSD, Syrian refugee.

📚 BUY A COPY!

Note: The quotes below are taken from an advanced copy and are subject to change in the final version.

TL;DR: This was a complex and emotional coming-of-age story about family, identity, and belonging. It shines a pointed light on the impact of the Syrian War on the Syrians in Syria, Syrian refugees, and Syrian Americans. This story is rich in culture and is packed with love for Syria as highlighted by the experiences of Khadija and Leene, two Syrian teenagers whose families may come from the same country but have entirely different life experiences. I loved how they learn from each other and grow together and the strength of the friendship that they form was really heartwarming! This took me on a complex journey of emotions and overall, I thought it was a great debut novel!

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