The Consequence of Falling by Claire Contreras – #BookReview

August 4, 2019August 3, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

Goodreads: The Consequence of Falling
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating:

The list of things I hate is short. Not even my soon-to-be ex-husband is on that list. Nope. I save only the worst of the worst, the crème de la crème, the absolute I cannot even for this list . . .
1. Black coffee
2. Rude people
3. Nathaniel Bradley
Which is why when my father informs me that he’s making Nathaniel Bradley his new business partner, and in turn, my boss, I flip out.
1. He’s an annoying know-it-all.
2. He calls me a spoiled princess every chance he gets.
3. He disapproves of everything I do.
I go into this knowing I’ll hate every second in his presence. Except the longer he’s around, the more I find myself staring at his lips and remembering the one time they were on mine. I randomly find myself looking at his hands and wondering how they’d feel on my skin. I try to snap out of it, but I guess I’m not as smart as I thought I was. No matter how many times I remind myself of the times I’ve practically thrown myself at him and he’s pushed me away, I keep falling little by little. I’d always heard that it was a bad idea to mix business with pleasure and if that’s the case, this thing with Nathaniel has demise written all over it.

The build up in (sexual) tension between these two enemies was real in this one *fans self* but the characters could’ve used more depth and the story could’ve been much shorter (for what it was)!

I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance. It’s one of my favorite tropes! So, I was obviously keen to start this one, but I found that some of the issues outside of the romance made me feel a little ‘meh’ about it. But before getting into that, let me start with the good. This was a pretty fast paced romance. Presley appears as this spoiled brat on the surface (and well, she kind of is a little) but she also deals with a lot of insecurities which I could relate to. Nathaniel is your typical brooding love interest and he played the part well. The romance and banter between the characters was sweet and funny, and the sexual chemistry between them was really off the charts. This one definitely had the fans-self-steamy-scenes (lol) in the latter half of the novel! The story is told mostly through Presley’s POV with some very short chapters told by Nathaniel here and there, but I think it would’ve been so much better to have alternating chapters for both characters.

Now… for the parts that I didn’t really like. Minor spoilers(maybe?) and also, it might be a rant (sorry)!

Presley experiences a lot of sexism in the workplace from her father, Nathaniel and almost all the other men at the brewery. She was continuously kept out of discussions and meetings relating to the company because she was a woman. (Well, that was actually never stated outright but it’s what Presley thought and experienced). As these situations continued to happen, I really thought the author would have Presley’s character do something to prove that she had her shit together and that she could play in the same field as these men even though she was a woman, but that never happened! She just kept letting herself feel defeated and not doing anything about it. She claimed she wanted to learn but she never actively asked for help or showed people what she was capable of by taking initiative! It was very frustrating! Along the same lines, she kept getting annoyed with Nathaniel because he was always coming around and “reminding” her what work needed doing and she would always say she could handle the work herself, but then ended up doing nothing and let Nathaniel take care of everything. 🤦🏻‍♀️

It was also irritating that Presley kept finding things to get angry at Nathaniel over and continued to nitpick every little thing unnecessarily. Like, you’re already with the guy, it’s so clear that you’re in love with him, so why do you have to keep finding issues with him? I understand there’s a complicated back story to the characters and Presley has a lot of insecurities, but after Nathaniel proved himself time and again, I just got frustrated by her immaturity (despite wanting to be/seem mature) and seeming inability to grow up!

So, in the end though, if you can look past these things, it wasn’t a terrible romance. I’m torn between 2.5 or 3 stars (it’s rounded up on Goodreads)! While the characters aren’t wholly unlikable, I wanted more depth and development, which would’ve justified the book being as long as it was. This was my first read of Claire Contreras’ books, and while it wasn’t the biggest hit, I’m curious enough to see what other books she’s written!

Have you read The Consequences of Falling?
FYI: If you want to pick it up and have Kindle Unlimited, it’s on there!
Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Book Review: That Second Chance by Meghan Quinn

August 4, 2019October 12, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads3 Comments

Goodreads: That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1)
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Publication Date: 07 May 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating:

(4 pandas)

It was supposed to be an innocent night, celebrating my brother’s birthday. Nothing was supposed to go wrong. We’d vowed to be on our best behavior after all . . .
But it only took one rowdy night with my brothers to flip my world upside down. One unlucky encounter saddled us with a family curse and the promise of doomed relationships. I laughed it off immediately. “Yeah, right,” I thought. “A love curse. Ha!” Boy, was I wrong.

Word spreads quickly in a town like mine; rumors about that night soon made us the most eligible yet untouchable bachelors in Port Snow, Maine. As a subject of endless gossip and speculation, I could kiss my dating life goodbye. It would have stayed that way if Ren Winters, the new girl in town, hadn’t crashed into my life. Brave, beautiful, and smart—her vivacious thirst for a fresh start has given me hope that maybe, just maybe, I can have one too. Everyone wishes for that second chance . . . but could this really be mine?

A funny and sweet story about second chances, featuring a hilariously embarrassing family full of meddlers, and a picturesque town that sweeps you off your feet!

This is a perfect light and fluffy romantic comedy that had me laughing out loud several times! Although I was initially wary what with the ‘love curse’, I’m glad that I kept on with it because it was exactly what I was looking for! The story is told through alternating POVs between Griffin and Ren and I really liked both of their characters. They have an almost immediate connection but thanks to Griffin’s wariness with the curse, they build a strong friendship before anything romantic happens. Their banter was so cute and sweet and gave me all the warm fuzzies (like stupid grin on face and giggles fuzzies). The build up in sexual tension was also great. There are some steamy scenes but the more explicit ones are minimal (I think there are two).

The best part of the book for me was the Knightly family though; especially the relationship between the four brothers who were all so sweet and funny. It was so refreshing to see how they all wore their hearts on their sleeves and how supportive and invested they were of Griffin’s love life (enough to meddle and boy, did they ever! It was too funny). They were genuinely good guys! Can I also say how cute and picturesque this town sounds? What with an adorable gift shop, pastel colored decorations dotting the town, and a lighthouse amongst other small-town landmarks? I love stories that involve small towns and this one basically had me wanting to move there myself!

Now let’s be real. Was it predictable? Yes, it was. But sometimes you just really need a good, easy read that makes you feel happy and hopeful, and this ticked all the boxes! Being even more real with you, I actually picked this up because of the guy on the cover (omg), so I’m really happy that I ended up loving this! I’m so looking forward to the reading the rest of the series and seeing how all the brothers defeat the ‘love curse’. I’m particularly excited about Rogan because he’s the “brooding brother” (weakness!) and I’m so curious to learn more about his back story!

Have you read That Second Chance or is it on your TBR?

Top 5 Saturday: Books with Asian Settings

August 3, 2019August 3, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

Hi friends, I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday! Just five minutes ago I discovered a ‘new’ meme on Leelynn’s blog and I’m so excited to take part in it. This Top 5 series was created by Mandy @ Devouring Books and it’s the Saturday meme I’ve been waiting for! The rules are simple:

Share your top 5 books of the current topic– these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated – you can do it any way you want.
Tag the original post
Tag 5 people

I won’t be tagging five people but I do tag anyone who wants to participate! This week’s topic is: books with Asian settings. I love this prompt but I’m also a little embarrassed to admit that compared to all the other books I read, I actually haven’t read many with Asian settings… It’s not that I don’t want to or that I’m not interested, I actually have quite a few sitting on my shelves, I just don’t make a conscious effort to pick them up? (that probably sounds really bad lol) BUT this year I am making more of an effort to diversify my reads and that means giving high priority to the Asian books on my shelf! For now, here are the books I’ve read and loved with Asian settings:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
One of the best books I’ve read. It’s heartbreaking but hopeful. It’s about family, friendship, and especially forgiveness. I learned so much about the culture and norms in Afghanistan. It’s not an easy read, but it’s a good one! It’s one of my all time favorites.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
This was one of my favorite books last year. I was really surprised by it because I had never heard of the author before and I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s a family saga set in Korea and Japan, and I learned so much about the relationship between the two countries through this book than I ever have anywhere else. It’s so good.

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
I read this earlier this year and it broke my heart. While some of it is set in the US, the majority of it is set in Taiwan. Pan’s writing makes it easy to imagine yourself standing in the sweltering humidity of a bustling city. Plus, the food (omg the food) and the culture is so richly illustrated and adds a great deal to the atmosphere of the novel.

Monstress Series by Marjorie M. Liu
Yes I did include a graphic novel on this list. This book is set in a steampunk matriarchal Asian society in the 1900s. It has some of the craziest and darkest world building I’ve ever seen and while some of it, especially the art work, is creepy AF, it’s just so freaking cool! Since the content is pretty dark I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone but if you’re at all curious and want to appreciate stunning art work, pick this up!

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
This was one of the books that I read at uni and I remember falling deep into it. It follows the story of an escaped Australian convict that tries to disappear on the streets of Bombay (modern day Mumbai), and we follow him as he teaches in the slums, appeases the mafia, falls in love with Bombay, bollywood and an enchanting woman. It’s written so vividly that you fell yourself being pulled into the gritty streets of Bombay, and then you surprise yourself by finding that you don’t want to leave. Although it’s really long, it’s worth it.

Do you have any favorite books with Asian settings?
Let me know in the comments and let’s chat!

Friday Favorites: Sequels

August 2, 2019August 2, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

Hi friends! It’s time for another Friday Favorites hosted by Kibby @ Something of the Book! This weekly meme is where you get to share a list of all your favorites based on the list of prompts on Kibby’s page. Sounds fun, right? This week’s prompt is: favorite sequels. So… I didn’t think I’d struggle this one but… It made me realize that while I thought I’ve read quite a lot of series in full, I actually haven’t? There are a few series that I’ve started and even though I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, I still haven’t read the sequel. There’s no particular reason for that other than there are just so many books and too little time! I’m sure many of you can relate. Here are just some of my favorite sequels!

Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman

This book was just… Insanity! That ending? I can’t even! And the fact that we’ve had to wait for what feels like FOREVER for the next book to come out is killing me. I’m so ready for November 2019! *Remember, remember the 5th of November* and all that jazz.

Legendary (Caraval #2) by Stephanie Garber

I didn’t think that anything could top my love for Caraval but then Legendary came out and I was INVESTED. I thought Tella was a great heroine and I can’t even with Dante (yes, I am on his team). Ugh, that ending! When it ended and I realized that there was actually three books I almost cried because that was painful. Talk about a cliffhanger! So, why haven’t I read Finale yet? 🙈

Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

I don’t even think I have to explain here. The Illuminae Files is one of my all time favorite series (and actually Sammie of The Writerly Way has made a list of 10 reasons to read the book, so I suggest you head on over there to learn why you should read it, then GO & READ IT!) and after the first book, I didn’t think I could love this series any more, but I was dead wrong. Just when you think this series couldn’t get any crazier and creepier, it really does! Ugh, my feels…

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab

This is one of my all time favorite series and I loved the sequel to ADSOM just as much. The incredible world building expands, there’s a lot more great character development and oh, the adventures! I also loved all the new characters that were introduced in this one, namely Allucard!

Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

Am I trash for this series? Yes, yes I am! My love for Throne of Glass only continued to grow with every sequel that I read in this series. Although the series is so freaking long I actually liked it a lot more than ACOTAR! There are so many incredible characters and storylines and I was here for it. I admit I haven’t read the last book yet because I don’t want this series to be over!

Bonus: Sequels I’m looking forward to reading

There are so many sequels I’m really looking forward, some already released and some that I’m waiting desperately for, some that are even not fantasy but contemporary romance too. I would name them all, but we might be here forever, so these are just some of the ones that I’m very excited to get my read on with 🙂

What are some of your favorite sequels? Would any of these make your list? Leave me a comment below and let’s chat sequels!

July Monthly Wrap Up!

August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads15 Comments

Another month is already over so it’s time for one of my favorite posts: my monthly wrap up! July was a pretty awesome reading month for me. I did cut down on reading graphic novels compared to the previous month, although I continued to read them in between my longer reads, which I think made it easier for me to move onto something new and different; I think of it as a little bit like a palate cleanser! I’ve enjoyed alternating between full length novels and graphic novels, so I’m pretty sure that I’ll continue doing that as much as I can! In July, I read a total of 25 books.

★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★½
★★★★½
★★★☆☆
★★¾
★★★★★
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★★☆☆
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★★★☆
★★★¾
★★★☆☆
★★☆☆☆
★★★½
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★½
★★★★☆
★★★☆☆

Compared to previous months, there was an almost equal split of reading physical (12) and e-books (12) this month. As I mentioned above, my reads continue to be a mixed bag including seven graphic novels, five of which were e-ARCs. I’ve continued to slow down my requests on NetGalley, limiting myself to either short reads and mainly graphic novels, so that I don’t feel even more pressure that I just can’t deal with in my life right now. I think I’ll be participating in ARC August this month so keep an eye out for my post on what needs reading ASAP! Looking at what I read, I honestly don’t think that I could pick just one favorite, but if I had to pick a Top 3 they’d be:
Daisy Jones & The Six
The Great Alone
Sorcery of Thorns

Notable mentions for me are also Aurora Rising, I’m Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come and The Bear and The Nightingale (for which I still haven’t been able to write a half-decent review for)! I think I read some great books that I really connected with emotionally this month, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to continue this streak in August!

As I mentioned in my previous wrap up, I achieved my Goodreads reading goal last month and obviously I have continued to exceed the number I set out for myself. I had already changed my reading goal from 75 to 90 in May and I didn’t feel like changing it again in June, so I think by the time 2019 ends, it’ll look like I’m really overachieving this year when in reality I’m just too lazy 😅 That said, I’ve now read 128 books and it’s only August! I don’t think I’ve ever read this much perhaps ever, and I really attribute this to immersing myself in the book community. It’s amazing how this community keeps me so motivated and eager to keep turning pages. I couldn’t be happier that I took the leap to start this blog and to really give 1000% towards improving my bookstagram!

I’ve written reviews for most of these so if you want to see what I thought of them, you can follow the links below! Most of the e-ARC reviews are going to be posted closer to the publication date! Am I the only one that does that? I feel kinda like a noob for doing that but I’ve done that from the start? Lol Anyway, that’s all for now, friends. I hope everyone’s reading month was super duper!

ARC Graphic Novel Review: The Magicians: Alice’s Story by Lilah Sturges and Lev Grossman
ARC Graphic Novel Review: Double Vie (Rose #1) by Denis Lapière and Émilie Alibert
Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (unpopular opinion time!)
Review: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Review: Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Review: The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
ARC Review: Sorry I’m Late I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan
ARC Graphic Novel Review: The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2) by Katie O’Neill
Review: Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Review: The Prenup by Lauren Layne
Graphic Novel Review: Blackbird, Vol. 1 by Sam Humphries & Jen Bartel
Review: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
Mini-Reviews: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Field Notes On Love & I Hate Fairyland
Review: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

How was your reading month? What was your favorite read?
Come drop me a comment below and let’s chat books 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 31 July

July 31, 2019July 31, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads13 Comments

Friends, it’s August tomorrow. We’re eight months into the year and… I don’t even know what I’ve done with my year besides read! I think it’s kind of scary how quickly time is going. Don’t you think? Or is it really just me? Lol It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

What did you read last?

My recent ‘big finish’ was Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Daisy Jones is probably one of the most hyped up books in 2019 and I admit to a great load of wariness in picking it up because even though I’ve loved everything that I’ve read by TJR so far, I was worried this one would let me down. Let me put those shameful thoughts to rest right now because wow, I really had nothing to worry about. I absolutely LOVED it. I will be posting a longer review on my blog soon (because I really can’t stop gushing about it) but for now, you can read my review up on Goodreads! After finishing Daisy Jones on Monday, I was a little worried about having an epic book hangover so I decided to read a fluffy romance (or two). I finished That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1) by Meghan Quinn and The Consequence of Falling by Claire Contreras. Reviews coming soon!

What are you currently reading?

I’m kind of not reading anything at the moment? I really can’t decide what to pick up next after finishing The Consequences of Falling earlier today. I feel like I’m still in that ‘book hangover zone’ from Daisy, so I’m wondering if I should stick to romance (The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker), move on to some thrilling YA (Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson) or if I should just pick up a fantasy that I’ve been wanting to read for a while (We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal)? I might be reading all three of these before the night is over 😬

What will you read next?

I have a feeling that my buddy read for A Spark of Light has fallen through because nobody is saying anything in the group chat (lol) but if I’m in the mood for it, I think I’ll still pick it up. There are also some ARCs that I want to get to and I’m considering participating in ARC August(?) that I’ve seen a few people mention. I’ve got a few that are fairly overdue and my guilt is kind of eating away at me but I’m also so good at ignoring it? This is why being a mood reader can be so frustrating sometimes!

What are you currently reading? How do you avoid a book hangover?! Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

#TopTenTuesday (Freebie): Books from A Genre I Want to Read More of…

July 30, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads27 Comments

It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: a freebie! You’d think this would be easy, right? But it actually took me quite some time to figure out what I wanted to post. I was tossing up a few topics that sounded fun, including some older TTT posts from when I hadn’t started blogging yet (there are tons!) but after some deliberating, I settled on: books from one genre that I’d like to read more of. It’s not the most exciting topic but I’ve been feeling a bit low on inspiration lately (see: severe sleep deprivation due to sleep issues). Every year I tell myself that I’m going to read more non-fiction and while I do make some effort, meaning I add a few non-fiction books to my shelves, I still end up only reading one or two at the most. It’s not that I don’t like NF, but I always find that unless it’s written in a very compelling fiction-esque way, my attention will waver faster than you can say go. But here are ten books that I’d love to pick up (soon?) from this genre that always eludes me 🙂

Side note: You’re very quickly going to see a pattern develop on my list today because I love true crime. Actually, it doesn’t even have to be true crime. There’s just something about these wickedly disturbing people and the horrifying things they do that compels to read all about it. I just want to know everything (pls don’t judge me. I’m not a creepy sociopath or serial killer, I promise).

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
This has been on my wishlist for forever and I finally got my hands on it a few weeks ago. I really hope that I don’t let this one languish too long on my shelf. 🙈

The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story by Ann Rule
This is another one that has been on my wishlist for ages. Ted Bundy is terrifying but I’m just so curious to know more about how he functioned. Ann Rule was his close friend. I can’t even imagine what it’d feel like to realize that someone close to you is a serial killer. *shudders*

Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Edward Douglas & Mark Olshaker
Criminal Minds featuring the BAU of the FBI is one of my all time favorite shows EVER. I find criminal profiling incredibly fascinating. Fun fact: I thought I wanted to be a criminal behaviour specialist when I majored in Behavioural Studies for my BA. Criminal Behaviour was my fave class!

Columbine by Dave Cullen
As far as I recall, this was the first time I’d heard of shootings in American schools and it was unfathomable to me that a massacre could occur in high school to kids my own age. It will never get easier to hear about these things. There’s a lot of praise for this book, so I’m looking forward to learning more about what happened that day.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
I actually started this on audiobook but there was a lot of information to take in. I felt I needed to have the physical book to follow along to so I put it aside. It’s tragic that McNamara never got to see what came of her years of work, but I’m glad that her husband, Patton Oswalt, saw it through.

The Lost City of Z: A Legendary British Explorer’s Deadly Quest to Uncover the Secrets of the Amazon by David Grann
I read my first David Grann book last year, Killers of the Flower Moon, and I shocked myself with how quickly I devoured it. I finished it in one day! Grann’s writing is the perfect example of NF that reads like fiction and I was completely hooked. Of course I had to add this to my shelf right away!

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore
Call me ignorant, but I’d never heard of The Curies’ use of radium in the products until I (somehow) stumbled across this book title earlier this year. It’s absolutely shocking and vile that they denied the nasty side effects of RADIUM on their workers. I’m so curious to know more about what happened.

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
I’d seen this a lot in the bookstores when it came out but it never occurred to me to pick it up. Of course now that it’s no longer readily available in book stores here, I want it desperately. I heard it’s not only very funny (I mean, look at that cover) but it also gets very real about depression.

Becoming by Michelle Obama
I actually have this on audiobook but I’m really bad with audiobooks. So I’m waiting for my physical copy to come in (which I coincidentally just bought this morning as it was on sale)! There’s no way I’m not reading this one. I’m very excited. Michelle Obama is so inspiring!

Educated by Tara Westover
So I’ve actually been seeing a few mixed reviews about this book now that the incredible hype surrounding it has died down a little. People are saying it’s not authentic? Westover’s background is world’s away from what I’m familiar with, and her journey sounds very inspiring, so I’m looking forward to finally reading it (hopefully this year)!

Have you read any of these non-fiction books? What’d you think of them? So curious to know what others have come up with for their TTT freebie this week! Don’t forget to leave your link in the comments below so I can swing by your page and we can have a chat!

Goodreads Monday – 29 July

July 29, 2019July 29, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

It’s time for another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners that invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you’re feeling it! I think from this week’s post onward, I will use a random number generator to choose the books for this weekly meme!

This week’s book is: What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon. This is book #747 on my GR ‘to-read’ list and it’s actually one of the more recent additions to my list (01 March 2019).

Anne Gallagher grew up enchanted by her grandfather’s stories of Ireland. Heartbroken at his death, she travels to his childhood home to spread his ashes. There, overcome with memories of the man she adored and consumed by a history she never knew, she is pulled into another time.

The Ireland of 1921, teetering on the edge of war, is a dangerous place in which to awaken. But there Anne finds herself, hurt, disoriented, and under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith, guardian to a young boy who is oddly familiar. Mistaken for the boy’s long-missing mother, Anne adopts her identity, convinced the woman’s disappearance is connected to her own.

As tensions rise, Thomas joins the struggle for Ireland’s independence and Anne is drawn into the conflict beside him. Caught between history and her heart, she must decide whether she’s willing to let go of the life she knew for a love she never thought she’d find. But in the end, is the choice actually hers to make?

Why do I want to read it?

This is a romantic historical fiction with a big time travel twist. The time travel part of the synopsis vaguely reminds me of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, but I haven’t read that book yet so I can’t be sure. That said, I love a good romance and historical fiction, and the added element of time travel was a nice surprise because I wasn’t expecting to see that in the description! On top of that, I haven’t read many books set in Ireland but that’s one place that I’ve always been interested in reading more about it. I think this book represents a perfect combination of likes and wants!

Have you read What the Wind Knows or is it on your TBR?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and let’s chat books!

The Magicians: Alice’s Story by Lilah Sturges and Lev Grossman – #ARC #GraphicNovel #Review

July 29, 2019July 29, 2019 Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

Goodreads: The Magicians: Alice’s Story
Publish date: 16 July 2019
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Rating:

Alice Quinn is manifestly brilliant, and she’s always known that magic is real. During her years at Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, she rises to the top of her class, falls in love with Quentin Coldwater, and witnesses a horrifically magical creature invade their dimension. It’s not soon after graduation when Alice, Quentin, and their friends set their sights on the idyllic setting of Fillory: a place thought to only live in the pages of their favorite children’s books. A land where magic flows like rivers . . . But in this magical realm nothing is what it seems to be, and something darker lies behind the spellbinding facade. It is in the darkness where Alice will discover her true calling and her life, and those friends, forever changed.

Having read the first book in The Magicians series, I was able to follow along with the story pretty well. It’s very much to the book, which I appreciated. I thought the artwork was well done, a little dark coloring, with darker and imperfect lines to fit the tone of the story. One of the things I liked most was that the characters in the graphic novel were true to the descriptions in the book (unlike in the TV show). I liked them better this way.

I always found myself having a love/hate relationship with Alice so I thought it’d be interesting to learn more about her and to experience things through her eyes. That said I wish that the story covered more than just following along with exactly what happened in the novel. I thought this would cover more of her at home life, her odd relationship with her parents (which was really a sticking point for her in the book) and how the loss of her brother affected her. That loss really turned her life upside down and I wish that more of the effect it had on her was explored. I also felt the ending was a little rushed. While the graphic novel does stay true to the original book, I thought it really lagged at times. It honestly gave me the same feeling I had when reading the original novel, which I admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of because it felt a bit dull. I thought reading it in graphic novel form would make it better, and it was but only slightly.

I’m glad that I read this though. I am curious to know what happened to Alice after the ending. She does make a reappearance in the TV series but I’m not sure about the book (because I stopped reading it). That said, it would be interesting to know if there’s anything sentient left. This was not a quick graphic novel read, but it was still enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me the e-ARC for an honest review.
Have you read Alice’s story? Loved it? Hated it? Meh about it? Come let me know in the comments and let’s chat!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [15]

July 28, 2019December 4, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme, and this time it’s actually Sunday when I write this! 😉 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 been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

I’m pretty sure that we’ve all heard about one of the most hyped books of the year: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’ve read a few of TJR’s books this year and I’ve loved every single one of them, so I don’t know why I kept putting off reading Daisy for so long. Then I woke up this morning and I started to listen to the audiobook on a whim. It’s read by a full cast and I felt myself immediately hooked into the story. My attention span is pretty crap though and I’m still trying to find the best way to listen to audiobooks without getting distracted, so I decided to pick up the physical book to follow along. The audiobook is pretty amazing but I ended up focusing too much on wondering who was reading which character’s part and I might have ended up on a bit of a Google spree trying to figure out the who’s who. I think the narrators are perfectly cast and I love how it’s bringing the story to life even more than reading the physical book already does. I’ve found myself constantly wanting to put down the book to bring up Spotify on my phone so I can play some of their songs, only to remember that this is a fictional band! WELP. TJR doing her thing yet again! In case you don’t know about it, the synopsis is below:

Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity…until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend. The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies.

What are you currently reading?

Well, it’s been a pretty funky week for me. I made a note on my late Friday Favorites post about how I had to take a break from the blog (and social media) because life and my anxiety has been particularly crippling this week. I think I really reached a ‘breaking point’ on Friday and I couldn’t muster up the energy to re-open my laptop after I got done with work, let alone finish writing my Friday post. I’ve always had issues with sleeping and it suddenly got worse two years ago, so I started to take melatonin to help me sleep. However, my metabolism is so slow that if I don’t take it at least a good 2-3 hours before I want to sleep (i.e. midnight-ish) then I won’t fall asleep until well past midnight and I’ll wake up feeling even more tired than before. Over the last two weeks I’ve not been taking melatonin because whenever I remember that I should have taken it, I find that it’s already 11PM, and because of that I’ve been running on 2-3 hours of sleep every night. For two weeks. I think my body finally gave up on me on Friday so I’ve been feeling pretty lousy and unmotivated this weekend. That said, I got a good lie in (6 hours!) on Saturday and today, so I’ feeling a bit better now. Obviously this means that my blogging has been pretty much on the ‘meh’ front this week, but thanks to the reading rush I did manage to read quite a few books this week. You’ll find a recap of what I read for the rush after my post recap below!

Friday Favorites: Tropes
ARC Graphic Novel Review: Double Vie (Rose #1) by Denis Lapière and Émilie Alibert
Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (unpopular opinion time!)
Review: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Reading Update: Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge (June-July)
#WWWWednesday: 24 July
#TopTenTuesday: Settings I Want More of…
Goodreads Monday: 22 July

If you read my post last week, you’d know that I was thinking about joining The Reading Rush (formerly known as the Booktubeathon) but wasn’t sure because of time and life etc. But then I caved pretty quickly and jumped on the challenge wagon and I’m glad that I did! Considering my state-of-mind this last week, I’m actually quite proud that I managed to read four books for the challenge (on top of other ARC reads) and that I also earned quite a few badges (more than I actually thought I would)! I did end up reading everyone’s a aliebn to fulfill three prompts, but hey, that’s okay 🤷🏻‍♀️While I’m happy that I took part in the challenge, it made me realize just how much of a mood reader I really am. I was fighting the urge to pick up any random book by the time I finished my second book, so I’m proud that I managed to finish four. Sticking to TBR lists just isn’t my jam! Since today’s the last day of the challenge, I thought I’d call it in and I’m glad that I did.

Here are the books that I managed to read for the #ReadingRush:

Here are the badges that I earned:

How has your reading and blogging week been? Did you also join the Reading Rush Challenge? Are you happy with what you’ve read/achieved?
Come let me know in the comments and let’s have a chat 🙂