Top 5 Saturday: Apocalyptic Books

December 5, 2020December 7, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

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: apocalyptic books.

Well, I guess it’s about time I did a prompt for (post-)apocalyptic books this year, huh? I’m actually surprised I haven’t done one yet 🤔 Though in all honesty I can’t recall for sure right now because I’m operating on like 10% battery 😅 But I digress! All save one of these titles have been on my TBR for a while now and I did have plans to read either one or two of them this year but I haven’t been in the right mood for them (unsurprisingly). I do usually really enjoy post-apocalytpic stories though, so I’m hoping to get to these at some point in the hopefully not too distant future! So, on that note, here are the books I’m keen to read:

(book covers are linked to the Goodreads pages!)

#WWWWednesday: 02 December

December 3, 2020December 7, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

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

I don’t know y’all… Reading has been hard lately 😂 and since last week I managed to finish these two books:

The Price of Temptation by Harmony Williams ★★★☆☆
I was really looking forward to this one so I was disappointed that I didn’t love it more. I had trouble connecting with the characters and empathising with their situations. There were inconsistencies in character and plot that took me out of the story, and while the con-artist aspect was intriguing, I found the overall execution fell short. Review to come.

Gargantis (The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea) by Thomas Taylor ★★★★☆
I loved coming back to the aptly named Eerie-on-Sea for another mystery with Herbie and Violet. We reunited with many familiar faces but are introduced to a host of new characters, including a wickedly creepy nemesis, Deep Hood. It was great to learn more about the legends and old fishermen’s tales in this action-packed and extremely fast-paced adventure! Check out my review.

#5OnMyTBR: Shorties (Under 150)

December 1, 2020November 30, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

Hello Mondays, welcome back to #5OnMyTBR, a meme created by the wonderful E @ The Local Bee Hunter’s Nook. This bookish meme gets us to dig even further into our TBRs by simply posting about five books on our TBR! You can learn more about it here or in the post announcing it. You can find the full list of prompts (past and future) at the end of this post!

This week’s prompt is: Shorties (under 150 pages).

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

November 29, 2020November 29, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads11 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!

Just like in last week’s update, I’ve also read very little this weekend! 🙈 But I’m about 90% of the way through Gargantis, which I started on a whim at 2AM last night when I couldn’t sleep. This is such a fast-paced and action-packed MG fantasy and it feels good to be back at Eerie-on-Sea with Herbert Lemon and Violet Parma! But once I finish this tonight I think I’ll go back to Spellbreaker!

There’s a storm brewing over Eerie-on-Sea, and the fisherfolk say a monster is the cause. Someone has woken the ancient Gargantis, who sleeps in the watery caves beneath this spooky seaside town where legends have a habit of coming to life. It seems the Gargantis is looking for something: a treasure stolen from her underwater lair. And it just might be in the Lost-and-Foundery at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, in the care of one Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder. With the help of the daring Violet Parma, ever-reliable Herbie will do his best to figure out what the Gargantis wants and who stole her treasure in the first place. In a town full of suspicious, secretive characters, it could be anyone!

What are you currently reading?

Top 5 Saturday: My Favourite Cover Buys

November 29, 2020November 28, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads19 Comments

Listen, we all claim to not judge books by their covers but let’s be real–we totally do and we’re not alone in doing so! And sometimes, when we get a little book crazy, we do buy books based on their covers. Well, I guess I should just speak for myself on that one 😅

I think this week’s topic is pretty self-explanatory. While all of these titles were eye-catching because of their gorgeous covers, I did eventually read the synopsis to make sure that I wasn’t just throwing my money away like it grows on trees 😂 These are probably the most beautiful books on my shelf and although I still need to read them (heh…😬), I have zero regrets about indulging in a little splurge for them! We all deserve to treat ourselves now and again, right? So without further ado…

(book covers are linked to the Goodreads pages!)

#WWWWednesday: 25 November

November 26, 2020November 25, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

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

Is it just me not reading anything this month or is anyone else also hitting struggle town? I feel like I’ve been reading but I’m clearly very mistaken. Since last Wednesday I’ve managed to finish two books.

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus ★★★★☆
I had so much fun with this and I literally couldn’t stop thinking about it when I had to put it down. I’m a fan of McManus’ YA mysteries and this one was probably my favourite. Our main characters are easily likeable and although not super action packed, the twists this story takes was a thrilling ride! I defo said my fair share of “OMG NO!” while reading! 🤣 My review for the blog tour is up Saturday!

A Scandalous Bargain (The Pretenders #2) by Darcy Burke ★★★½
This was another enjoyable historical romance by Burke! I loved the feisty heroine and our slightly “tortured soul” hero. It was fun to watch them get close as friends and eventually give into the sizzling chemistry–because oof, it was fire 🔥 There were some loose ends that I wish had been better tied up but overall, this was an entertaining story. Check out my review!

#5OnMyTBR: Non-Fiction dun dun dun

November 24, 2020November 23, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads15 Comments

This week’s prompt is: Non-Fiction

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

November 22, 2020November 22, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

I’ve read very little this weekend… But I’m looking forward to ending my Sunday in bed with The Cousins. I’ve really enjoyed all of McManus’ YA thrillers/mysteries and unsurprisingly, this one has captivated my attention very quickly! I’m already intrigued by the mystery of the Story family and I’m looking forward to seeing how these characters grow!

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point–not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious–and dark–their family’s past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over–and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

What are you currently reading?

Top 5 Saturday: Books with Two Authors

November 21, 2020November 21, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads20 Comments

I think the first book that I read written by two authors was the Illuminae Files. Actually, it was probably Christina Lauren before I even knew they were two people 😂 But I don’t read a lot of books that are written by two authors although I do have a surprising number of them on my TBR! I’m gonna keep this introduction short and simple and there’s really no need for a lengthy introduction 😉

(book covers are linked to the Goodreads pages!)

#WWWWednesday: 18 November

November 18, 2020November 18, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

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

Since last Wednesday, I’ve managed to finish ~~two~~ one-ish book(s)! Whoops… I feel like I managed to read more over the last week but I guess my mind is just playing tricks on me 😂

Born at Dawn (Da’Valia Trilogy #1) by Christina Davis ★★★★☆
This was such a fun book and I sped through it so quickly! It was fast-paced and full of action from the very beginning and you can’t help but be sucked into the world that Davis creates. While the world building felt clunky at times, I really liked the characters and I’m so curious about what happens next! Check out my full review!

The Boy, the Wolf and the Stars by Shivaun Plozza ★★★★☆
Okay, I’m cheating a little bit with this one because I still have a teeny bit to finish, but unless something drastic and awful happens in the last 10% this is defo going to be a 4 star! It was so hard to put this down after my lunch break 😭 It’s such a great MG fantasy! My blog tour review is up tomorrow so be on the look out!