Yayaya, HAPPY FRIYAY, book lovers and friends 😍We’re back with another First Lines Friday! This is a weekly featurefor 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 areTHE 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!
First lines:
It turns out the Leteo procedure isn’t bullshit.
The first time I saw a poster on the subway promoting the institute that could make you forget things, I thought it was a marketing campaign for some new science fiction movie. And when I saw the headline “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow!” on the cover of a newspaper, I mistook it as something boring, like the cure for some new flu—I didn’t think they were talking about memories.
Do you recognize the book these first lines come from?
In the months after his father’s suicide, it’s been tough for sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness but with the support of his girlfriend Genevieve, he’s slowly remembering what that might feel like. When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron starts hanging out with a new guy, Thomas. Aaron’s friends notices, and they’re not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can’t deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself.
Since Aaron can’t stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute’s revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is…
Have you read More Happy Than Not or is it on your TBR? Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂
It’s another tag, book friends! I have so many that I need to do and if you’ve tagged me in something and I haven’t done it yet, please don’t think it’s because I don’t want to! I tend to overthink my answers and combined with my awful memory, it ends up taking me forever to finish any tag. 🙈I saw this tag on the amazing Emer’s blog: @ A Little Haze Reads and I decided to give it a go because it looked like some good ‘get-to-know-you’ fun! I’m not sure where this tag originated, but if you do know, please let me know!
What book has been on your shelf the longest?
If we’re talking about my current bookshelves, I think it’s my Canterbury Word Cloud Classic Edition of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. This edition is gorgeous and I love having it on my shelf but it is one helluva tome. It’s even more intimidating because it’s not only HUGE but the text is TINY 😅
What is your current read, your last read, and the book you’ll read next?
My current read, which I’m finally almost finished with, is The Priory of the Orange Tree! You can check out my last post, #WWWWednesday, to see the books I read last and what I hope to read next!
What book did everyone like, but you hated?
I actually don’t “hate” a lot of books, either in general or that other people loved. One book that is well loved, is known to have brought Latin American literature to the world and that won the 1982 Nobel Prize for Literature is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I was so excited to read this book but I think this is where my hate/sometimes love relationship with magical realism began. I just could not grasp it and it drove me to tears in boredom 🙈It just wasn’t my jam!
What book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?
Oof, this is hard to choose because who’s to say that I probably will never read it? But I probably will never read it 😂 If I had to pick it’d probably be something by Fyodor Dostoyevsky? I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to read his books lol
What book are you saving for retirement?
What a question! I wonder if this is something that people have actually thought about. Does anyone have a book they’re saving for retirement?! If I had to choose it’d probably be a ton of classics! That’s not a cop out to providing a real answer, alright? 😂
Last page: read it first, or wait ’til the end?
OMG MONSTERS! I had a colleague admit to me the other day that she always reads the last chapter/page first because she said if she doesn’t like the book or never finishes it, it’s OK because she knows what happened. I MEAN… I can’t 🙈 Haha reading it first just takes the whole fun out of the reading experience. Wait ’til the end!
Acknowledgement: waste of paper and ink, or interesting aside?
I admit that I don’t always read the acknowledgements, but when a book has really gripped me and has me enthralled, I will always read it to know who supported the author through the writing process. It’s lovely to see who the author thanks (and how too)!
Which book character would you switch places with?
Off the top of my head right now, I’d love to switch places with Lucy from The Hating Game. She’s at such an amazing point of her career, plus she’s doing something amazing and I’m envious of. PLUS, she has Josh. Can has the Josh in my life, please? 😂
Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life? (place, time, person?)
I have quite a few books that make me nostalgic for people and places. Harry Potter reminds me of when we were visiting America and Harry Potter came out for the first time. I remember looking through a store (I can’t remember which exactly) and the clerk recommending that mum get me Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone! It also reminds me of all the subsequent releases and how I’d be sure to get to the store as soon as mum would let me to buy the next book 😍 Funnily enough, although I wasn’t reading Jane Austen during the trip, her books (particularly Persuasion!) reminds me of when I visited Bath several years ago. I love that place 💞
Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way
Um… A few months ago I placed an order on Book Depository for a few books that were on sale. When my package arrived, I was super excited to open it and the first book that I pulled out of the box was…
It was the wrong order delivery, and even though they sent me the correct book, they still let me keep this gem. LOL It gave me a really good laugh! Haha
Have you ever given a book away for a special reason to a special person?
I’m gonna have to disappoint you with a boring answer here because I’ve never given a book away that I’ve loved to someone special. I would though, probably. On what would depend on the person lol
Which book has been with you most places?
I’d say anything that’s on my Kindle but for physical books it has to be the complete work of Jane Austen. It’s a chunk of a book but it’s precious to me! I took the cover off for this photo but it’s gorgeous, pink and flowery! It’s come with me from Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines and now Indonesia 🙂
Any “required reading” you hated in secondary school that wasn’t so bad two years later?
OK, I can’t actually answer the second part of this question because I don’t recall reading anything in high school that I loved reading again two years later. The book I hated reading was The Lord of the Flies–no offense to anyone that loved that book but it was just not my jam. I do wonder whether I’d enjoy it if I read it again now… Maybe one day 🙃
Used or brand new?
I love both equally. I love used books for the old book smell and sometimes I find things (receipts or bookmarks or notes) in them that make me wonder about who had the book last, what they thought of it (maybe they hated it coz it they gave it away), and where they were from. But also, nothing beats the pristine look, feel and smell of a brand new book!
Have you ever read a Dan Brown book?
Oh yeah! I was obsessed with his books for a while back in 2010. I read all of his books and I loved Digital Fortress and Deception Point just as much as The Da Vinci Code! I haven’t read any of his more recent publications, but I do have one sitting on my shelf 😬
Have you ever seen a movie you liked more than the book?
I can’t think of a movie but the first TV show that comes to mind is The Magicians! I love that show but I found the book so boring; which really surprised me because of how exciting the show was (imo)!
Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks included?
Oh yes! I love a book where the characters eat all these delicious foods. I think books that can make me hungry just from reading it get automatic star points from me. The first ones that come to mind are The Ingredients of Us, Pumpkinheads, The Cruel Prince, The Astonishing Color of After and even The Priory of the Orange Tree! 🤤And obviously, cookbooks. How can you read one and not get hungry?!
Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?
There’s not just one person but so many book friends I’ve met through bookstagram and blogging! Sorry if this is a totally boring answer, but it’s true! Lol one reviewer who comes to mind and whose book opinions/ratings I most often gel with is Larry! He’s such a sweet person and his reviews are fantastic!
Is there a book out of your comfort zone (e.g., outside your usual reading genre) that you ended up loving?
I wouldn’t necessarily say non-fiction is ‘out of my comfort zone’ but I do tend to struggle with them more often than not. So I was completely blown away with how quickly I read Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, and I was shook by how much it shook my feels. I absolutely loved it and will always recommend it, especially if you love true crime!
I TAG WHOEVER IS READING THIS!YES, YOU! (Soz, I’m a lazy panda tonight)
Yayaya, HAPPY FRIYAY, book lovers and friends 😍We’re back with another First Lines Friday! This is a weekly featurefor 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 areTHE 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!
First lines:
“The Nazi officers are dressed in black. They look at death with the indifference of a gravedigger. In Auschwitz, human life has so little value that no one is shot anymore; a bullet is more valuable than a human being.”
Do you recognize the book these first lines come from?
Based on the experience of real-life Auschwitz prisoner Dita Kraus, this is the incredible story of a girl who risked her life to keep the magic of books alive during the Holocaust. Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the librarian of Auschwitz. Out of one of the darkest chapters of human history comes this extraordinary story of courage and hope.
Have you read The Librarian of Auschwitz or is it on your TBR? Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂
Yayaya, HAPPY FRIYAY, book lovers and friends 😍 I’m including a new meme to my Friday post line-up today with First Lines Friday! This is a weekly featurefor 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!
First lines:
There’s something haunting about a body touched by magic. Most people first noticed the smell: not the rot of decay, but a cloying sweetness in their noses, a sharp taste on their tongues.
Do you recognize the book these first lines come from?
Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned. Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony. The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made. And love makes fools of us all.
Have you read Serpent & Dove or is it on your TBR? I’m sooo excited to read this book. WBU?Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂
After Taylor Swift launched her latest album Lover, Sara @ The Bibliophagist decided to create her very first tag for the songs on the album. I don’t know much about TS outside of her music and what I learn about her through the songs, but I’ve really enjoyed her last three albums. Since this one released I’ve been listening to it on repeat and you can bet that as I answer this tag, I’m listening to it yet again. Thanks for the tag, Sara! 💞
There are tons of books that I remember reading and loving as a kid but don’t remember anything about now. The covers will look familiar but that’s about it! Julie of the Wolves is one.
CRUEL SUMMER: The worst book you’ve read this summer
JOSH AND HAZEL. They’re still one of my favourite couples and I love their hilarious & awkward banter. I’m sure there are also some other great couples out there, but I always think of them first!
THE MAN: A book with a badass female main character
I honestly don’t think I can think of a more badass female MC than Mia Corvere in Nevernight. She’s flawed, to be sure, but she’s also a super skilled, sleuth, and badass assassin with a not-cat and not-wolf as shadowy fear-eating companions. I mean…
THE ARCHER: A book with great character development
Isabelle and Vianne went through so much in The Nightingale, it was inevitable they would go through major character development. They learn so much about themselves, what they’re willing to give and how far they’re willing to go for those they love. I thought it was so well done!
Is it really fair to have me choose only ONE fictional crush? I mean… There are so many? I really live vicariously through my books 😂I’m going to choose the sky cowboy, Jonah, from The Simple Wild.
MISS AMERICANA & THE HEARTBREAK PRINCE: A book set in high school
I’ve come to realise that I really don’t read a lot of books set in high school. But in Autoboyography, Tanner and Sebastian meet in Seminar (a high school class), and it obviously sets the ball rolling for their complicated, heartbreaking and hopeful relationship. So, that definitely counts, right?
So many books to fill this prompt but Leon and Tiffy absolutely deserved that sweet and heartwarming happy ending in The Flatshare. They deserve everything!
There are just way too many settings to choose from but I think I’m going to go with one from our real life: Alaska. The brutal, breathtaking and unforgiving landscape of Alaska was so incredibly brought to life in The Great Alone. It’s actually one of my favourite book settings.
DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS: A book that broke your heart
Daisy Jones seriously broke my heart. There was so much heartache, longing and hurt. Even in the format the story is told, which you’d think would make it feel impersonal, I felt everything. I was so damn torn up about the characters–I hated and loved them and it was a rollercoaster!
LONDON BOY: A setting that plays a big role in the story
The space and space ship setting in The Loneliest Girl in the Universe played a huge role in the story. The book wouldn’t have been half as psychologically creepy/eerie if the setting had been different!
I’m a weepy reader. It doesn’t take much for me to cry! Even though I really didn’t expect it, The Grace Year had me proper crying at the end. It wasn’t all sad tears though!
After the intense build up of chemistry between Jack and Rose (yes, I know), the sexy scene that *finally* happened in Marriage for One was ALL FIRE (seriously, wooh 🔥)!
YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN: A book featuring an LGBT romance
Adam Silvera has become a favorite when it comes to LGBT romance. If you can’t tell from the title, They Both Die At the End kinda shreds your feels (just a little bit)! It’s not a happily ever after ending but I loved the romance. But I especially loved Mateo’s character, as he was honestly just too pure!
I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a second-chance romance until That Forever Girl at the end of August. Their chemistry was waiting patiently bubbling under the surface!
Ugh, it’s so hard to answer this question. I really don’t have one? But if I’m really being forced to choose, I’ll say Pride and Prejudice because duh.
IT’S NICE TO HAVE A FRIEND: Your favourite friends-to-lovers book
Love and Other Words is a great friends-to-lovers story but it’s also a great second-chance romance. This was my first CLo book and ugh, my feels! I was really not expecting it.
I’m tagging: Rissi | Leelynn | Nen & Jen | Veronika | Alys | YOU! No pressure to do this tag if you don’t want to, but if you do, I’d love to see your answers!
Yayaya, HAPPY FRIYAY, book lovers and friends 😍 I’m including a new meme to my Friday post line-up today with First Lines Friday! This is a weekly featurefor 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!
First lines:
The stranger came out of the sea like a water ghost, barefoot and wearing the scars of his journey. He walked as if drunk through the haze of mist that clung like spidersilk to Seiiki. The stories of old said water ghosts were doomed to live in silence.”
Do you recognize the book these first lines come from?
A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens. The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.
Have you read The Priory of the Orange Tree? What’d you think of it? Let me know in the comments below and let’s chat 🙂
The amazing Emer @ A Little Haze Book Blog nominated me for the The Blogger Recognition Award last month and I was a little speechless. Thank you does not begin to cover my appreciation for being nominated, but THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! When I started this journey, I honestly didn’t expect to meet and interact with so many amazing book bloggers who have been so accepting and inspiring! Emer is one such inspiring blogger/bibliophile, so if you aren’t following her yet, I’d say GET ON IT!
Aaaand with that gushing out of the way, let’s get to the goods, eh?
The Rules
Thank the blogger/s who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Write a post to show your award.
Give a brief story of how your blog started.
Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
Comment (or pingback) on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.
How dinipandareads came to be
Ah, the origin story! I’d been toying with starting a book blog a few months before I actually built up the courage to do it. I used to have a personal blog for years before I stopped blogging due to lack of motivation, so I was hesitant to start a book blog in case the same thing would happen again!
I started writing reviews on Goodreads mid-2018, so in the grand scheme of things, I’m still pretty much a noob, aye?! Then when I took the plunge and started a bookstagram November last year, I discovered the magic of ARCs. I won’t lie and say that had nothing to do with my motivation!
little did I know that as an international blogger living somewhere as obscure as Indonesia, where publishing rights are extremely limited if not completely non existent, it hardly makes a difference since there aren’t many I can request anyway… 👀
But I mostly started blogging because I enjoyed sharing my thoughts on books and wanted to connect with others who were on the same wavelength. I’m fairly introverted so I don’t have much of a social life and it’s hard for me to connect with people and even more rare that I meet book lovers IRL!
Obviously dinipandareads is still a major work in progress. There are tons of things I want to do to improve it and to make my posts more interesting and less monotonous, but I find there’s always so little time at the end of every day (especially with a full-time job)?! Slowly though, slowly 🙂
Advice for new bloggers
I don’t really know if I am qualified enough to give advice because it’s only been a few months and I’m very much a noob myself. But… I’d say: pace yourself and try not to get overwhelmed. Starting a new blog can be exciting but also overwhelming. When I started I felt there was so much to ‘catch up’ on–memes, tags, challenges, reviews, recommendations! It’s a lot. Starting with reviews is great, but slowly adding weekly memes so that your blog has a steady stream of content, even if it’s not every day, can help you settle into a routine. Try not to do too much at once though or you could easily burn out the blog mojo!
Blog hop. Half the fun of being part of this community is meeting others who like the same books as you and discovering new books to add to your never-ending TBRs! I’m a big believer of reciprocating the blog love–whether it’s just likes/comments. I’m pretty wordy (if you can’t tell) so I’m always peppering people with my signature long-ass comments 😂 But if you want people to make time for you, you should make time for them, no?
Be respectful and be yourself. Putting your thoughts and opinions out on the internet is scary! But everyone has different opinions and it’ll be impossible to think everyone will always like the same thing. As long as you’re respectful and not outright bashing others, don’t be afraid of sharing your thoughts. Rest assured though, you’re not the only one who’s nervous about sharing a negative or unpopular opinion! LOL
Yayaya, HAPPY FRIYAY, book lovers and friends 😍 I’m including a new meme to my Friday post line-up today with First Lines Friday! This is a weekly featurefor 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!
First lines:
People often shit themselves when they die. Their muscles slack and their souls flutter free and everything else just … slips out. For all their audience’s love of death, the playwrights seldom mention it.
Do you recognize the book these first lines come from?
In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.
Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.
Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.
Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?
Have you read Nevernight? I’m trying to read Nevernight & Godsgrave before Darkdawn releases so very soon! Reckon I can do it?
Two weeks ago I was nominated for the Leibster Award by Amanda @ if there’s a haunted house in it, i’ll read it and by Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads! When I first started blogging I saw quite a few very popular bloggers being tagged for this award and I never in my wildest thought I’d ever be nominated for it even once, let alone twice! Thank you ladies for even thinking of me and putting my blog just a little bit further out there on the radar! Deciding to start blogging again, this time focusing solely on books, was one of the best decisions I’ve made this year. I’m so thankful for all the friends I’ve made and for finding an online community where I can just happily be my geeky, fan-girling, bookish self with others who just really get it.
By the way, if you’re not yet following either of these two ladies, what are you even doing!? They’re so sweet and engaging, plus they have really great bookish content on their pages. So, go follow them now!
Since I’ve been tagged twice, I’ll be answering two sets of questions, so this might be a bit of a long one but hope you’ll stick around until the end 😬 Without further ado, let’s get to it!
THE Rules
Say thank you to the person who has nominated you for the Award.
Answer the 11 questions the person has asked you
Nominate 11 people
Ask the people who you have nominated 11 questions
AMANDA’S QUESTIONS
What’s your favourite movie?
I honestly can’t say I have one favorite movie (of all time). I have a few that I watch time and again, but there’s not just one that I favour most… I’m going to choose Spirited Away! I love Sen/Chihiro, Haku, all the incredible spirits, and creepy AF and deeply misunderstood No-Face and Boh. Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate how freaking amazing the food looked in this?! Just thinking about it makes me salivate 🤤 Ah, I can watch all of Miyazaki’s movies forever and they’re all very close to my heart.
Who was your favourite childhood author?
This is another tough one! There are so so many 🙈 One of them that’s high on my list is Shel Silverstein. His books were my first taste of poetry and I still remember reading his poems over and over again because I loved how they were clever and cute rhymes! Where the Sidewalk Ends is one of my favorites!
What’s your favorite guilty pleasure read?
There’s not just one guilty pleasure read, for me it’s more one guilty pleasure genre? Which is romance. And by romance I mean the ones that have those extremely heated scenes (not erotic fiction per se) but I do love a good sexy romance! 😏 Yes, I admit it, and no, I’m not embarrassed to say that I love it! It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s one of mine 🙊 hehe
Where would you like to travel?
Um… Everywhere? 😂 But the places that have been topping my list over the last three years are New Zealand and South America (specifically Nicaragua, Colombia, and Peru).
Do you have any pets? Share pictures, if you do! If you don’t, do you want pets?
TRIPPER
COOKIE
YES HI I DO! 🙋🏻♀️ I love my floofy boofs,Tripper and Cookie. We got them when we moved to Cambodia in 2010 and since then they’ve traveled with us to the Philippines and Indonesia. They’re pretty well travelled doggos but hate it so much! I think one of the hardest things I’ve had to do was to say bye to them when I left for the UK in 2012. I’m pretty sure I cried harder leaving them than I did leaving my fam (lmao, I’m sure many can relate to this right?)! Unfortunately, I haven’t lived with them since then… It makes me sad, but bringing them to Bali would be too complicated. I try to see my bubbas whenever I can though!
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be many things including a vet but I’m pretty sure that I wanted to be a marine biologist for the longest time. I was in the marine biology club at school for 4 years, until I moved to Australia for boarding school and had to leave it behind! Since then my imagination started getting the best of me and I now can’t stop imagining Jaws attacking me in the ocean. No dice!
I have to say Autumn/Fall. I know it’s ironic since I live in the tropics and only get one season: HOT. But when I lived in Australia and the UK I loved experiencing the changing temperatures. I love cold weather more than hot weather (you can wear more clothes, but you can’t walk around naked! Well, you can but…)
Do you listen to music while reading?
Sometimes. If I’m in the mood for some background noise, I put on my favorite reading playlist that I found on YouTube. It has some of my favorite classics and it’s the perfect reading playlist (and it’s also perfect for writing)!
Are there any books you would never read?
I’m not a fan of horror. I just can’t with the supernatural (ghosts) and haunted houses, and all that stuff. It just ain’t my jam. Also, gore! The descriptiveness of American Psycho is probs my hard limit 🙈
Why do you like blogging?
I’ve always kept a diary when I was a kid, then when I was 16 I started my first blog. I switched sites a few times over the years but stopped blogging about 3 years ago. I started the book blog because I love sharing my book thoughts and connecting with others over books. I tend to blabber a lot (even in writing lol) but I enjoy getting it all down/out. It comforts me, plus I meet so many cool people 🙂
leelynn’s QUESTIONS
What is your favorite mythical creature and would you want to be one?
I’d love to be a mermaid because growing up Ariel was one of my faves. I’ve always loved the idea of being able to swim underwater without needing to surface for air and I get a thrill every time I think of exploring the deep unknown!
Would you rather be a professional singer, or a professional actor?
Professional singer! I’ve always loved to sing. I used to be in the chamber choir in high school and we’d travel to different countries to compete with other international schools. I’m way too self-conscious to willingly make a fool of myself by acting lol
Take a picture of the view outside your building today (or if you’re outside right now, the view in front of you). Do you feel at peace?
I’m at home finalizing this post and since it’s evening, there’s not much of anything you can see if you look out. But this was my view looking out over the office pool earlier in the day from when I was having lunch! Did I feel at peace then (or now)? Well, actually I wasn’t 😅 as I’ve had a splitting migraine for two days now and it’s draining me of all my energy and ability to function. I hope that it’s gone by the time I wake up tomorrow or I might just have to take the day at home.
Do you prefer to read ARCs or backlist titles?
So… one of the reasons I started blogging was in the hope of being able to access more ARCs. That said, it hasn’t been easy. There are tons of limits because of my international status (especially living in an obscure publishing country like Indonesia LOL), plus I’m a mood reader and the pressure to read ARCs by a certain date always gets to me and it’s no bueno. But I’ve really enjoyed getting ARCs and the challenge of reading them before time! Obviously with #ARCAugust I haven’t been so successful… But I’m making a dent!
Which book character do you wish could be your real life best friend and why?
Um, tough question! Off the top of my head I’d wish to be BFFs with either Elisabeth (Sorcery of Thorns), or Hazel (Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating). I’d be able to totally geek out in the Great Libraries with Elisabeth, and I’d have no doubt that Hazel would be able to always cheer me up by making me laugh at her hilariously loveable self. I also think they’d both be very loyal friends. This question actually reminds me of the TTT from a few weeks ago!
Would you rather be a superhero, super villain, or an anti-hero?
I’m not gonna lie; I think being a super villain might be really really fun, even if I’ll probably die some horribly satisfying death at the end. It’d be fun to unleash unholy terror for a book’s length of time 😈😂 Muahahaha
What book or type of book would you turn to during a dark time?
I’m that person who compulsively listens to sad music, reads sad books, and watches sad movies when I’m feeling low. I try to watch happy and funny things but it just doesn’t do anything for me. I need to completely immerse myself in the sadness in order to let it go ❄️ It doesn’t even have to be like insanely sad stuff; it can just be a heart tug and I’m off. But it definitely helps me to feel better (albeit slowly).
What is the latest book you’ve read that made you extremely happy?
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. This book filled me with so much warmth and good feelings. It was cute, sweet, heart warming and all of the things I’m a sucker for in romance. Plus, I loved the characters too and became so invested in them! This left me with a satisfying & lingering happiness!
What’s one advice you would tell your past self about reading?
Don’t let other people’s judgements about the books you read make you feel like any less of a reader or that you should be reading something different. Just because you’re not reading “super serious” “highly intellectual” books or the greatest classics, doesn’t mean that you’re less of a reader or shouldn’t be considered a reader at all. Read whatever you like because screw what people think of you! You gotta do the thing that makes you, and not them, happy!
What’s a genre that you didn’t like at first, and what was the book that changed your mind on that genre?
I don’t know if it’d be classified as a genre(?) but I’ve always struggled with magical realism. I don’t know if I can claim a 100% change of heart but after reading books like Shadow of the Wind and The Astonishing Color of After and absolutely loving both, I’m definitely more willing to try books with magical realism.
What kind of diverse rep are you wanting to see more of in books, and which book out now has that rep that you recommend?
I’m going to say (Southeast/East) Asian rep specifically because it’s so rare to read mainstream or popular books with Asian representation; especially in romances and YA books! With books such as the Crazy Rich Asians series, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Helen Hoang’s Kiss Quotient Series, Pachinko, and The Astonishing Color of After (to just name a few), it has been so refreshing to read about people who look like me and who’ve grown up in more similar cultures to my own. I’d obviously love to see Indonesian rep in these books, but seeing more Southeast/East Asian rep in general is already a good step in the right direction!
MY QUESTIONS
Do you have a bucket list? If yes, what are the top five items on your list? If not, what do you think would be in your top five?
What is a song you listened to recently that you haven’t been able to get off your mind?
What are three things you love most about the book community (blogs, book twitter, bookstagram)?
What’s on your Top 3 list of favorite books you’ve read this year?
What’s your phone background?
What popular/hyped book have you been put off reading?
If you could have one super power or magical power, what would it be?
What’s a book that everyone loved but you didn’t?
If someone was going to cover your travel expenses to anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?
What book do you wish you could forget, just so you could read it again for the first time?
If you didn’t have to work another day for the rest of your life or think about money, what would you love to do with your time?
A few weeks ago, Leelynn@ Sometimes Leelynn Reads tagged me to do this fun tag and I’m just now getting around to answering it! I love tags (y’all can tag me in all the tags!) but I’m quite horrible at making time to answer them (and it always takes me a while to think of the answers, I’m slow like that)! I’m glad I’ve finally gotten around to answering this one.
If you were a book genre, what would it be?
I’d probably be a contemporary, and mostprobably a contemporary romance because I’m a hopeless romantic. A big one! Despite going through the wringer and having all the bad luck when it comes to love myself, I’m still a fan of the mushy, gushy stuff and I’m one of those people that normally don’t mind having romance storylines in whatever I read (most of the time). I live for unrealistic expectations and being swept off my metaphorical feet!
What villain from a book do you identify with the most?
I always have such a hard time answering these types of questions. I’m going to go and say Victor Vale from Vicious (Villains #1) by V.E. Schwab, but also, Holland Vosijk from Schwab’s Shades of Magic series.
What protagonist are you most similar to?
It’d be too difficult to choose just one character I’m most similar to, but the first one that pops into my head is Hannah Martin from Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I resonated with so much of what Hannah felt, thought and experienced.
“I think I have to believe that life will work out the way it needs to. If everything that happens in the world is just a result of chance and there’s no rhyme or reason to any of it, that’s just too chaotic for me to handle. I’d have to go around questioning every decision I’ve ever made, every decision I will ever make. If our fate is determined with every step we take . . . it’s too exhausting. I’d prefer to believe that things happen as they are meant to happen.”
Which book did you connect with in the past that you no longer do?
There are actually a lot that I don’t connect with anymore but I think the biggest ones might be Twilight and Divergent. To be honest, my disconnect with Twilight really happened with all the movies. I mean no offense to anyone who loved the movie(s), but that was the first and only movie that caused me to walk out of the cinema LOL 🙈it just really wasn’t my jam. I never watched the Divergent movies for that reason. There are also a lot of romances that I used to read and love with all the angst in my 5’1″ body, but when I think of them now I cringe so hard!
What recent book would you love to be a character in?
I would love to experience the magic of the grimoires and the Great Libraries from Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. Also, I’d just totally love to meet Elisabeth, Nathaniel and Silas. I’d be terrified but simultaneously excited by the prospect of stepping into one of these places. Knowing my luck though, I’d probably be hypnotised and lured in by some Class 8 grimoire that gruesomely kills me, but you know, I just want to have the experience of seeing and feeling these books come to life! 🤷🏻♀️
How do your reading habits show off in your personality?
I tend to get intensely stuck in the zone when I’m reading and I think that definitely shows off in my personality. Also, even though I tend to gravitate towards certain genres because they’re in my comfort zone, I’m also not averse to trying a wide variety or something completely new, and I think that’s similar to how approach most of the things in life!
What book taught you something about yourself?
There’s really not one book that I can pinpoint for this answer. I think that I take something away from all the books that I read, including the fantasy ones! There are just too many books that I’ve read in my lifetime that have taught me something for me to choose one. Shameless self-promotion: I did post about books that have shaped me the other day, so you can check that out here if you’re curious to see it!
I’m tagging a few friends (no pressure if you don’t do tags by the way, just ignore me!) but to whoever is reading this, if you want to do it too, feel free to join! Amanda | Emer | Joanna | Sammie | YOU!
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