Tag: Book Community

Top 5 Saturday: People on the Cover

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

I just had a look for when I did my last Top 5 Saturday and it was back in April! It’s been a long time but earlier this week Mandy announced that they’re bringing back the weekly meme and I’m happy to be taking part in it again! As usual, I’ll be listing the new topics at the end of the post.

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: People on the cover.

This week I’ll be listing five books from my Goodreads TBR! I’m not always a fan of people on covers, especially when they’re “real” people but I am a huge fan of illustrated characters on covers. I don’t know if I can say that this trend is illustrated people on covers trend is quite new but I have noticed it more and more in contemporary romances over the years, and now in a lot of other genres, too. I hope that these covers will continue being made (especially in romances!) because they’re absolutely some of my favourites 😍 On that note, here are some of my most recent adds to the TBR with people on the cover!

Love and Other Disasters

The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut “that is both fantastically fun and crack your heart wide open vulnerable.” (Rosie Danan, author of The Roommate)

Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she’s focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money.

After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan.

As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after. 

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Let’s Talk Bookish: A Blogger Identity Crisis

Dini @ dinipandareads8 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! You can check out these pages for more information on August 2021 prompts & a list of all prompts!

Now without further ado… The topic asks:

HAVING A BLOGGER IDENTITY CRISIS

(SUGGESTED BY RUKKY @ ETERNITY BOOKS)
Prompts: Have you ever had a blogger identity crisis? What triggered it? How did you get over it? Has an identity crisis ever led you to significantly change the direction for your blog? Do you think having an identity crisis every once in a while can help you become a better blogger, or is it just a sign of insecurity?

Have you ever had a blogger identity crisis? What triggered it? How did you get over it?

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost three years since I made my first post on this blog! Over the years I’ve taken a couple of breaks and I think most of them were a result of feeling overwhelmed by everything, rather than because I had a blogger identity crisis. That said, there have been plenty of moments where I’ve been swamped by feelings of ‘imposter syndrome’ and I gotta be honest, it can be pretty debilitating! These feelings are always triggered when I look at other bloggers who create fantastic content, whether it’s amazing reviews, thought-provoking posts, and even new original tags—whatever it is, it usually leads me to think to myself: what are you even doing here when there’s no way you’ll ever compare to that?! Yikes, I cringed typing that sentence because I really hate the comparison game but… Here we are? 🙈

I don’t know if I can say I’m “over” the imposter feelings as they tend to come and go, which also depends on my head space in general, but I’ve dealt with it by acknowledging that as long as I enjoy what I do, does anything else really even matter? Obviously, accepting this attitude/mindset is often easier said than done, but even if I don’t grow a big following or don’t make any kind of lasting impression on readers, at the end of the day, I’m sharing my passion for books because I want to. If others decide that they enjoy what I have to share then that’s absolutely brilliant and I thank you all so much for following along on this mad journey! At the end of the day though, if it makes me happy to do what I do that should be enough, and on most days I’m really okay with that 😊

Has an identity crisis ever led you to significantly change the direction of your blog?

I can’t say that having an identity crisis has led me to changing the direction of my blog. As this is a book blog my content is always going to be about books and I don’t foresee that changing in the near future. Maybe I’ll have a sprinkling of ‘real life’ content in some posts as I get more comfortable being part of this community but it won’t go beyond sprinklings, I think. Admittedly, these moments always make me want to push myself to create more fun and engaging content and although it doesn’t always work (or at least not for long) I do feel better whenever I manage to do something new when I make a ‘comeback’.

Do you think having an identity crisis every once in a while can help you become a better blogger or is it just insecurity?

Personally, I know that a lot of my crisis moments stem from my massive self-doubt and insecurity but I do think that having these ‘shake ups’ every once in a while can be helpful. It’s especially good if you’re able to take a step back and handle the situation constructively without letting it overwhelm you and stop you from moving forward.

Have you ever had a blogger identity crisis? How do or did you deal with it? Do you think it can be helpful to experience a crisis now and then?

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

#TopTenTuesday: Re-reading 5-star Books Like It Was the First Time!

Dini @ dinipandareads58 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: Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time.

I don’t even know if this title makes sense… But I decided to twist the prompt a little today, so instead of books that I wish I could read again for the first time, I decided to look at books I rated 5-stars but can’t remember much about anymore, and so if I re-read them it would be like reading them for the first time (again)! That’s a mouthful and I think the title sounds much better than what I just said (maybe)? 😂

Anyway, I feel like I harp on a lot about how bad my memory is and well, it’s true! Lol, I tend to easily forget book details, especially if I read them quickly or I don’t take the time to properly let my thoughts/feelings settle before moving onto the next book. I read most of these before I started writing reviews, so despite giving them all 5-stars, you can probably imagine just how little I remember about these titles!

I feel like I might’ve done a similar post sort of recently (perhaps in the last year?) but I can’t remember… So we’re just gonna roll with it! Without further ado…

THE NAME OF THE WIND

Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

A high-action story written with a poet’s hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

I read this well before I even learned of the massive online book community and adult fantasy was still quite new to me, but I remember being absolutely taken in by the world and characters. I was enchanted by the magic and I loved Kvothe! It’d probably be about 85% new to me if I read it again?

The girl with all the gifts

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her “our little genius.”

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh.

Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children’s cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she’ll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn’t know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.

The Girl with All the Gifts is a sensational thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Justin Cronin, and Neil Gaiman.

I remember being surprised by how emotional this made me and how invested I became in Melanie’s story. This was not at all what I was expecting but I recall very little about their journey. I remember being terrified (I mean, zombies—who wouldn’t be terrified?) but on re-read this would be 98% new to me?

mistborn trilogy

What if the whole world were a dead, blasted wasteland?

Mistborn
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the “Sliver of Infinity,” reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler’s most hellish prison. Kelsier “snapped” and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld’s elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel’s plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she’s a half-Skaa orphan, but she’s lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

I think I read this around the same time I read Name of the Wind and I was still new to adult fantasy. I remember it being slow but the next thing I knew, I was deeply invested in the characters and loving their journeys. I read the trilogy back-to-back and now only remember minor details… It’d probably be 90% new to me on re-read!

american gods

Days before his release from prison, Shadow’s wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You’ll be surprised by what – and who – it finds there…

I picked this up immediately after reading Neverwhere, my first and favourite Gaiman. I was living in this mad world that Neil Gaiman created and I loved it so much. That said, I have forgotten a lot of details… I feel like I’d recall details as I read but it’d still probably be 85% new to me?

under the dome

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester’s Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener’s hand is severed as “the dome” comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when—or if—it will go away.

Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens—town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician’s assistant at the hospital, a selectwoman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing—even murder—to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn’t just short. It’s running out.

This was my first Stephen King book and I read it in 2010/11? I actually remember not being intimidated by this chonkster and I think I sped through it pretty quickly. It wasn’t supernatural ghost horror so that was fine but I do remember being really grossed out by some scenes. It’d be 98% new to me on re-read though!

graceling

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing.

Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa’s life. Yet she remains defiant: when the King of Lienid’s father is kidnapped she investigates, and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap the old man, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced man whose fighting abilities rivalled her own?

The only thing Katsa is sure of is that she no longer wants to kill. The intrigue around this kidnapping offers her a way out – but little does she realise, when she takes it, that something insidious and dark lurks behind the mystery. Something spreading from the shadowy figure of a one-eyed king… 

I honsetly didn’t even remember this book was on my Goodreads? I don’t remember a single thing about it and even the synopsis doesn’t ring any kind of bell for me. I think this would easily be a ‘new read’ for me if I decided to read it again at some point in time…

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded. Wouldn’t you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you?

Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man’s life. Knowing he was dying of ALS – or motor neurone disease – Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final ‘class’: lessons in how to live.

 

I remember first coming across this book when I was in high school (I think I was a freshman) but it was one of those books that everyoen talked about having read, even if they hadn’t read it. I did read it and I remember crying over it but it would be 100% new to me if I read it now! I remember nothing 🙈

ripper

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing.

Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa’s life. Yet she remains defiant: when the King of Lienid’s father is kidnapped she investigates, and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap the old man, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced man whose fighting abilities rivalled her own?

The only thing Katsa is sure of is that she no longer wants to kill. The intrigue around this kidnapping offers her a way out – but little does she realise, when she takes it, that something insidious and dark lurks behind the mystery. Something spreading from the shadowy figure of a one-eyed king… 

I had no idea who Isabel Allende was when my friend leant me her copy of this book so I had no idea this book was the first in a different genre for her. I don’t remember that much about it but I do remember being sucked in and enjoying Allende’s writing. I was so impressed and I was disappointed that there weren’t more thrillers by Allende… This would probably be 98% new to me if I re-read it?

PRETTY GIRLS

Twenty years ago Claire Scott’s eldest sister, Julia, went missing. No one knew where she went – no note, no body. It was a mystery that was never solved and it tore her family apart.

Now another girl has disappeared, with chilling echoes of the past. And it seems that she might not be the only one.
Claire is convinced Julia’s disappearance is linked.

But when she begins to learn the truth about her sister, she is confronted with a shocking discovery, and nothing will ever be the same…

This was my first (and only until now) Karin Slaughter book and I was wowed. It is pretty dark and well, if you’re not good with blood, gore and other very gruesome/grisly details, this won’t be for you. What I do remember is that it was disturbingly dark and twisty but I loved every second of it. I think it’d be like 95% new to me if I re-read it.

natchez burning trilogy

Growing up in the rural Southern hamlet of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned everything he knows about honor and duty from his father, Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor is accused of murdering Viola Turner, the beautiful nurse with whom he worked in the early 1960s. A fighter who has always stood for justice, Penn is determined to save his father.

The quest for answers sends Penn deep into the past—into the heart of a conspiracy of greed and murder involving the Double Eagles, a vicious KKK crew headed by one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the state. Now Penn must follow a bloody trail that stretches back forty years, to one undeniable fact: no one—black or white, young or old, brave or not—is ever truly safe.

This trilogy is actually one of my favourite mystery/thrillers but I have forgotten so many details that I feel like a fraud claiming it’s a favourite. I’m pretty sure that if I re-read this it’ll feel 90% new to me (probably). That said, I was so impressed by this series? I don’t read a lot of this genre but I do remember this being nauseatingly terrifying and heartbreaking and I had a very hard time putting it down!

I realise that most of the lasting impressions I have of these books were how they made me feel but I wish I was better at remembering details about what made me love them so much! What book(s) did you rate 5-stars but remember so little of they could be ‘first time reads’ on re-read? Or is this just me? 😂

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

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

Dini @ dinipandareads7 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 time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

I’ve spent a chunk of my Sunday on my reading chair getting into Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I’ve seen quite a few people talking about this over the last few weeks and I was so intrigued that I decided to get it when I saw it going for a decent price at my local store. I’m just about half-way through now but I’m taking my time to really savour this one because I feel like it’s a story that’s meant to be consumed slowly and be allowed time to quietly wash over you. The bit I’m at right now is so heartbreaking because it’s a situation that my family is starting to go through and well, cue the waterworks! So far though, the hype is real and I’d definitely recommend it.

What would you change if you could go back in time?

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.

In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the café’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer’s, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.

But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold…

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful, moving story explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?

What are you currently reading?

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The Last Ten Books Tag

Dini @ dinipandareads28 Comments

It’s been ages since I’ve done one of these and the long list of tags that I need to do have been growing and sending me into a mild panic, so I figured now is as good a time as any to start cutting it down! I decided to go with something a little simpler to ease me back into the groove of doing tags so I’ve decided to do The Last Ten Books book tag that Kerri @ Kerri McBookNerd tagged me in last month.

Thanks so much for the tag, Kerri! If you haven’t already done so, do check out her blog for awesome reviews, spotlights and other great bookish content! 😍

Now, let’s get down to business…

After doing a little internet sleuthing, I found that this original tag was created by booktuber: Marc Nash and you can watch his original video below. Thanks for creating such an awesome tag! 😊

THE LAST BOOK I GAVE UP ON

This took me a little while to figure out cos I actually couldn’t remember the last time I DNF’d a book. So I had to dig deep into my archives and I realised the last book was Relentless Habit by Karen Renee. It was a sexy romance but I found it neither sexy nor romantic… So 🤷🏻‍♀️

THE LAST BOOK I REREAD

Oof, this is another thing I haven’t done in months! I think the last book I re-read was Aurora Rising in preparation for my buddy read with Sammie for book two, which we finished earlier this year. I listened to the audiobook with my re-read and it was fantastically done with a full cast and I loved it!

THE LAST BOOK I BOUGHT

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker. I am so incredibly excited to start this book because I’ve been seeing reviews for it everywhere lately and the hype is big, friends! I took a peek at the first few paragraphs last night and I could already tell I’m going to love it 😍

THE LAST BOOK I WROTE IN THE MARGINS OF

I’m going a bit rogue on this one because I don’t ever write in the margins? But I did write sticky notes and place them along the margins for a few books this year and the last one was Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman. This one came in like a wrecking ball and I needed to chronicle my feels.

THE LAST BOOK THAT I HAD SIGNED

Well, I do have quite a few signed editions thanks to being subscribed to a book box (which has now changed so I’ll definitely miss that)! The last ‘signed’ purchase that I made was the Brown Sisters Series by Talia Hibbert. It’s a digital signature though, which is kind of a bummer, but still counts, right?

THE LAST BOOK I LOST

It’s been a very long time since I last lost a book—which is actually kind of surprising to me considering I’m pretty forgetful 😂 The last book I lost was The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice. I think I might’ve left this on a plane or airport back in 2009/10 and it made me pretty sad cos I was getting really into it!

THE LAST BOOK I HAD TO REPLACE

I had to request a replacement copy of The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen from BD last year because my order was so water damaged and ripped that I couldn’t even open the book! This is my interpretation of the question lol

THE LAST BOOK I ARGUED OVER

Oh… Um… Have I ever argued over a book before? I don’t think that I ever have… At least not that I can actually remember 😂

THE LAST BOOK I PRE-ORDERED

As an international reader, I don’t actually pre-order a lot of books unless it’s for a special signed edition or for pre-order goodies because most of the time I get them late anyway. 😂 But according to my records the last book I pre-ordered was Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan! It looks and sounds so good and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

TAGGING:

ARC Review: Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Dini @ dinipandareads18 Comments

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a buddy read with the wonderful Leslie @ Books are the New Black and I’m so glad we read it together! We sped through the book in less than two days and we both laughed, cried and surprisingly, also had the same thoughts and feelings about the ending! Definitely a fun one to read together 😊

Goodreads: Under the Whispering Door
Publisher: Tor Books
Publish Date: 21 September 2021
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Light Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop’s owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told with TJ Klune’s signature warmth, humor, and extraordinary empathy. 

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

TL;DR: TJ Klune has such a knack for writing books that are cosy and feel like warm hugs while also being able to shatter your feelings, and this book delivered all of that in spades! I had some long and loud laughs but it also tore at my feelings and had me ugly crying for… a good chunk of that ending. Safe to say, this was quite the emotional journey but I honestly didn’t expect it’d be anything different! If you enjoy Klune’s charming writing, witty humour, and endearing characters, then I have no doubt that you will enjoy this book. I want more of Hugo, Wallace, Mei, Nelson, Apollo and Charon’s Crossing Tea and Treats, please!

CW/TW: Death of a parent, death of a child, suicide, murder (stabbing), car accident

“We live and we breathe. We die, and we still feel like breathing. It’s not always the big deaths either. There are little deaths, because that’s what grief is.”

Considering that The House in the Cerulean Sea was my favourite read of 2020, I went into this book with fairly high expectations and anticipation. This was a real slow-burn of a story but with it’s simple and compelling writing, it was still a relatively quick and easy read. There were moments when the writing did more “telling” than “showing”, which made it feel a bit clunky and detached at times, but the story is infused with TJ Klune’s witty and humorous charm, and I loved it!

Fitting with the pace, I felt this was more of a ‘quiet’ story—it’s not flashy but it’s full of heart and it creeps up on you with a grounding sort of comfort. I wouldn’t necessarily say this was uplifting either but it does explore worthwhile topics like death, loss and grief, and poses questions such as what does it mean to be alive, what constitutes a well-lived/fulfilled life and how to cope with death. The story has platitudes aplenty about living your best life, being kind to others and being the best person that you can be, and I have to admit that there was little subtlety in the telling. But while I don’t think it introduced anything new or groundbreaking to the discussion I personally had no problem with that and still managed to thoroughly enjoy the story for the cheesiness it does bring.

“She brightened. “Oh, and I’m your Reaper, here to take you where you belong.” And then, as if the moment wasn’t strange enough, she made jazz hands. ‘Ta da.'”

What made my enjoyment of this story so full however was the amazing cast of characters that Klune brings to life. They are quirky and endearing and they wormed their way into my heart so quickly! I took some notes while reading and 90% of them were variations of: “OMG STAHP I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH!!!” (I’m not even kidding lol.) The found family trope is one of my all-time favourites and there is big found family energy in this that makes it so easy to feel invested in these characters and their stories. Wallace, Hugo, Mei, Nelson and the adorkably clumsy ghost-doggo, Apollo, tugged so hard on my emotional strings. They had me laughing and crying and all I wanted was to hang out at the tea shop and be friends with them.

“We’re here to make sure they see that life isn’t always about living. There are many parts to it, and that it continues on, even after death. It’s beautiful, even when it hurts.”

Hugo was such a soft, empathetic cinnamon roll who lived for tea and to do his best to help those who’ve passed to cross over. Mei is a reaper who brings souls to Hugo and I loved her so much from the moment we meet her. She’s loud and hilarious and so full of life that it just beams off the pages! Much like Wallace, Nelson and Apollo are ghosts and semi-permanent residents of Charon’s Crossing Tea and Treats. Nelson is Hugo’s grandfather and I loved this man so freaking much! He was fun-loving, mischievous and delightfully cheeky, as many endearing grandfatherly characters are. Being so big-hearted, generous and patient made all the characters complete opposites of Wallace, but in finding himself surrounded by them, it was great to see him come to the realisation that being kind and selfless reaps greater rewards than being cold and cruel, and that perhaps being surrounded by love and warmth is better than having everything and still, nothing. The romance between Wallace and Hugo was also heart-achingly sweet. It’s a slow burn that grows steadily from wary strangers, to steady friendship and builds up to a great love. Their inability to interact normally created a feeling of such bittersweet longing and oh, my. They were easy to ship!

“If this is a way station, if this is just one stop on a journey, you’re the better part of it.”

Although the plot was predictable and it was clear where the story was heading, I was still a little disappointed that it ended the way it did. I know a lot of people will love it and I probably would’ve too had I read this a few years ago because who doesn’t want that well-rounded happy ever after? However, I felt that it was just too neat and simple (idealistic even?) and in a way I felt that it even took away some of the story’s power. But did it stop me from being completely emotionally devastated? No. Was I still quietly ugly crying into my pillow at 2AM and wondering how I could make it all hurt less? Yes! Did it still leave me wanting moremoremore of these characters and other stories from the Charon’s Crossing Tea and Treats shop? Abso-freaking-lutely!

Have you read Under the Whispering Door or is it on your TBR?

#TopTenTuesday: My Favourite Places to Read

Dini @ dinipandareads38 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: Favourite Places to Read.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read anywhere other than at home but even looking back at all the places I have read or used to read, I’m still not sure I can come up with a list of ten! It can get particularly tricky for me because most of the time I do need a quiet space to read, or at least a space that makes me feel calm and comfortable, otherwise I’ll end up focusing on everything but my book! Anyway, let’s see how far I can get 😊

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Blog Tour Review: Fireborn by Aisling Fowler

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Hello, hello friends! I’m so excited to be back with another blog tour with @TheWriteReads gang! Today I’m sharing my review for an awesome middle grade fantasy: Fireborn by Aisling Fowler. Don’t forget to check out all the other bloggers participating in this tour: here! 😍

Special thanks to Harper Collins Children UK for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads: Fireborn
Publisher: Harper Collins Children UK
Publish Date: 30 September 2021
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

Lyra. Lucy. Percy. Once in a generation, a hero emerges whose story enthralls readers worldwide.

Fireborn is an epic quest, perfect for fans of the His Dark Materials and The School for Good and Evil series, that will spin readers into a magical world like no other–and introduce them to an unforgettable new heroine named Twelve.

Ember is full of monsters.

Twelve gave up her name and identity to train in the art of hunting them–so she says. The truth is much more deadly: she trains to take revenge on those who took her family from her. But when Twelve’s new home is attacked, she’ll find herself on an unexpected journey, where her hidden past is inescapably intertwined with her destiny–and the very fate of her world.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon
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BOOK DEPOSITORY
INDIEBOUND
INDIGO
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Goodreads Monday – To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

Welcome back to Goodreads Monday! It’s been a very hot minute since I did one but I figured I might as well get back into it! This weekly meme was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners and it 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 want to! I’ll be using a random number generator to pick my books from my insanely long GR Want-to-read list.*

*Sorry if a book has been featured twice. I need to make better note of which ones I’ve done already!

This week’s featured book is To Best the Boys by Mary Weber. It’s a YA fantasy/dystopia that came out in 2019 and has an average rating of 3.71 on Goodreads.

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

Dini @ dinipandareads9 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 time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

I’m spending the rest of my Sunday reading the ARC for Under the Whispering Door. I’m buddy reading this with Leslie and I’m so excited to dive in! I’ve ticked quite a few books off my TBR this year thanks to these buddy reads and I’ve been enjoying them so much, and I can’t wait to see what we both think of this book. Expectations are quite high but we do feel like we’re probably gonna love it!

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop’s owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told with TJ Klune’s signature warmth, humor, and extraordinary empathy.

What are you currently reading?

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