Tag: Books

Friday Favorites: Nerdy Characters

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

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 nerdy characters. Ooh, yay, fun! I always love reading about nerdy characters with their quirks and humor. They’re characters that I always relate to on some level as well! I’m going to try mentioning characters/books that I haven’t done before with this list of my top five favorite nerds!

Lazlo Strange from Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor
I mean, it’s Lazlo who lives in the library, lives in stories and has great dreams. His knowledge about the city of Weep literally launched him into the greatest adventure of his life and made his dreams to visit Weep come true (as corny and simplified as that sounds)!

Belle from In Bed With the Beast (Naughty Princess Club #2) by Tara Sivec
Belle was an adorable little book nerd who had a propensity to blurt out random facts that cemented her nerd status whenever she was nervous. She was an adorable character who lived to save her library and I loved her story!

Khai Diep from The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2) by Helen Hoang
I honestly love all the characters in Hoang’s books and Khai won me over very quickly! He’s super smart but his autism means he processes emotions differently, and because of that he doesn’t think he is capable of love. Oh, little dumpling of hotness. He’s one of my favorite nerds ever!

Audrey Rose Wadsworth from Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco
So, I’ve actually only just started reading Stalking Jack the Ripper. It’s still early days but I already really like Audrey’s character and I have a feeling I’m going to love her throughout the series! I hope I’m right (lol) and I mean, what’s more nerdy than sneaking off to learn about medicine and bodies by doing autopsies with “Uncle Cadaver”? 😂

Hermione Granger from Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
I mean… I’ve no doubt that everyone who has to answer this question will mention Hermione, but I think she’s the epitome of nerdy characters. Sometimes her know-it-all attitude can be grating, but I still love her. She’s unabashed about her knowledge and has a great thirst for knowledge, and how many times did her brilliance come through in the story!?

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

Friday Favorites: Underrated Books

Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

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 underrated books. So, I think this is a pretty interesting topic because before joining the book community towards the end of 2018, I never paid much attention to book ratings or reviews. I kind of find that hard to believe now since I rely so much on them, reviews especially, to help me pick my next read or which book to add to my shelf next! Admittedly, it was a bit tough to come up with a list (even a short one as this!) because my memory is truly the most awful thing 😅That said, here’s a quick Top 5 of some of my favorites that I think are underrated! HAPPY FRIDAY BOOK FRIENDS!

Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse
This is a dystopian fantasy based on Native American mythology. It’s a world where humans live alongside Gods and monsters. It’s a dark and raw world that only the toughest can survive in and all of it blew me away! Before I read this last year I don’t think I’ve ever read anything based on Native American mythology and I honestly wanted to smack myself over it because it’s INSANE (in the best way)! Both this book and author are so underrated and I think more people need to read it!

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
I honestly don’t even remember how, when or where I first heard about this book but I’m really glad that I did because it’s a really creepy YA space thriller that had me gripping the edge of my cushion seats and made me want to tuck my feet up tight under me. As if the vastness of space isn’t already creepy (but mind-blowing) enough, imagine being a teenager stuck in space, completely alone and lightyears away from Earth or any kind of help, and you’ve just found out (too late!) that you’re deep in some creepy shit. Are you trapped? How do you escape? IT WAS THRILLING in the best worst way possible. The tension was so real. You can read my review here.

A Piece of Cake: A Memoir by Cupcake Brown
When I started uni I basically stopped reading because I was too busy being the worst student the world has ever seen™️ but on days when I was too hungover to do much of anything else, I did manage to pick up a few books; one of which was A Piece of Cake (the other was Twilight LOL)! I also don’t remember how I first heard about this book but ugh, it was heartbreaking and so so disturbing! It’s the story about a young woman’s journey through addiction, sexual abuse, and ultimately of survival.

Natchez Burning (Penn Cage #4) by Greg Iles
I don’t know if this would be considered ‘underrated’ because it has a fair few thousand ratings on Goodreads but I also never actually see Greg Iles mentioned much (or at all) in the book community. Natchez Burning is a thrilling historical fiction set in the south (Mississippi) that goes back between the present day and the past (1960s). There’s a big focus on the KKK faction the Double Eagles, their history in Natchez, and race relations in the south. This one really sucked me in and fast too!

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
I’ve mentioned a few times now that I’m not a big NF reader but last year I picked this up on a whim and it’s the fastest I’ve devoured a NF. I finished it in one night (hello 7am sleeping time!) but it was so worth it because my mind was blown with how much I learned. It’s disheartening and maddening how history can so easily get swept under the rug! This read like fiction and I think Grann did a fantastic job writing it! Unfortunately, I don’t see many mentions of this book, but I absolutely believe this deserves more attention!

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

#TopTenTuesday: Book Characters I’d Love to Be Besties With

Dini @ dinipandareads31 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: book characters I’d love to be besties with (submitted by Michelle @ Pink Polka Dot Blog). Fun! There are so many bookish characters that I’d love to be besties with, but these are the first ones that popped into my head!

Tanner Scott from Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
Tanner is one of the ultimate cinnamon rolls and I think being besties with him would be so awesome. Not only is he a reader (and a writer, duh), but he’s funny, sweet and so caring.

Elisabeth, Nathaniel and Silas from Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
I know I should probably just pick one of these characters, but honestly, they’re like the Three Musketeers and I can’t imagine being besties with one without expecting to become besties with the others too! I love these characters so much!

Hannah Martin from Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Hannah Martin is just like me in so many ways. I think we’d be able to relate on so many levels.

Jessica Pan, author of Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come
Jessica Pan is a real person but she’s featured in her memoir, which I loved, so this totally counts, right? Honestly, I’d love to be besties with Jessica Pan because not only is she absolutely hilarious but I feel like we’d get on well because we’re both (sh)introverts and going through a lot of similar things people in their early 30s go through? Lol I’m not tryna be creepy though 🙈

Hazel from Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
Hazel is hands down one of the most hilarious and unapologetic characters I’ve had the pleasure to read. She’s loud, she’s clumsy, she’s always into doing her own thing, even when everyone else thinks it’s weird, but she does it anyway. I think we’d have the best time hanging out!

Mateo Torrez from They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera
Mateo is so freaking pure. He’s so selfless and I just want to protect him at all costs. What better way to do that than by being his bestie!?

Knightly Brothers from That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1) by Meghan Quinn
As much as I’d love to find myself in a relationship with either one of these amazing brothers who believe in a crazy love curse, I also really love their very different personalities and their hilarious banter. Although I’d probably get teased and pranked to no end, they’d be so much fun to hang with!

Lois Clary from Sourdough by Robin Sloan
I really love how passionate Lois is about everything and I admire how she dives into even the most unprecedented things and fights her way through to the other side. She’s so full of life and energy, plus she makes a really mean sourdough! We’d have awesome adventures in San Francisco!

The Illuminae Files Gang from The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Um, do I really need to have a reason why being besties with ALL OF THEM would be so fun? I love all their personalities and I mean, tbh, if I were going to be living in space, and finding myself fighting crazy battles for survival, these are the people I’d trust to keep me safe lol

Raymond from Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
I loved Raymond so much. He has the biggest heart and to be honest, he kind of reminds me of a bestie I lost several years ago to a horrible freak accident. I think being besties with Raymond would bring so much warmth and comfort into my life.

What characters would you want to be besties with? Would you wanna be friends with any of these characters? If you’ve also done a TTT for today, don’t forget to leave your links in the comment and let’s chat 🙂

Who Am I Book Tag

Dini @ dinipandareads20 Comments

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 most probably 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!

Friday Favorites: Books That Define You

Dini @ dinipandareads16 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 books that define you. Since this week has been so super busy with family time after office hours I’m going to keep this one really short. Here are the books that come to mind when I think of reads that have impacted my life in some way. Some have made appreciate the privileged life I lead more. Some have made me consider how I see the world and what role I can play in making it ‘better’ place to live. Some have made me question my own thoughts and opinions. Some have got me through some really hard times. Some have fuelled my love for books and magic. All I have learned so much from in one way or another.

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

#TopTenTuesday: Cover (Re)Designs I Love/Hate

Dini @ dinipandareads30 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: cover redesigns I’ve loved/hated. Okay, I admittedly struggled with this one because I realized that I’m actually not very aware of what book covers have been redesigned. Are different editions of books considered cover re-designs? Like, international vs US vs UK editions? I’m still not very clear on it but I’ve made a list of some covers that I’ve loved and hated. I think most of the time when a cover changes I’m pretty okay with it, although sometimes, I’m disappointed that the original covers get pulled and we mere mortals won’t ever have the chance to get our hands on it without kissing our monies goodbye! *drama*

Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo
I know that a lot of people have commented that they like the original cover so much more, but I actually really like the redesigned cover more. I think this is mostly because of the colors!

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
I like the cover redesign so much better than the original cover. It’s just honestly so much more bad ass and fitting of the fierce killer character that Celaena is introduced as!

Northern Lights (His Dark Materials #1) by Philip Pullman
This one also has a different name: The Golden Compass but I prefer The Northern Lights name and cover much more. There are so many versions of both titles but I think these are my two favorites!

Vicious (Villains #1) by V.E. Schwab
One of my biggest book related regrets is not buying that original/first edition cover of Vicious before the series became popular. I don’t know why I didn’t do it, but I was a silly duck. I do love the editions that I have now, but the details in the first edition are awesome and if I were to buy one now, I’d have to sell an arm, leg and liver for it (probz, you know) 😅

  • ★★★★☆

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
This probably doesn’t count but I’m making it count because I’ve only been able to find the movie cover locally and I don’t know why they’d ever change it. That first cover is gorgeous!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1) by Laini Taylor
I don’t know what to say about that cover with the mask except I really hate it. I also hate that it was actually the redesign? Or is it just the the US edition? Whichever it is, I’m really not here for it lol

The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves
While I don’t dislike the cover with all the hearts on it, the colors are beautiful and stand out, but I like the simple cover with the girl on the front so much more.

The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid’s Tale #1) by Margaret Atwood
I actually do love the original cover, but I don’t hate the cover of the modern vintage edition.

An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) by Sabaa Tahir
I actually don’t mind both covers although I do love the redesign because I love seeing the characters’ on the front and I love seeing how they change through the rest of the book covers!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J.K. Rowling
Obviously depending on where you’re from and what edition you’re reading, it’s also The Philosopher’s Stone! The HP books have gone through so many cover redesigns/editions but the ones I will always love most are the first (US) ones. It takes me back to my childhood and I’m not so much a fan of the newer editions (sorry not sorry)!

Do you like cover redesigns or different cover editions? Are any of the ones you’ve liked/hated on this list too? If you’ve also done a TTT for today, don’t forget to leave your links in the comment and let’s chat 🙂

Top 5 Saturday: Books with Asian Settings

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

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!

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

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!

Friday Favorites: Tropes

Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

So I actually had the backbone of this post ready for me to finish off after work on Friday, but when I got home I just felt so completely drained that I didn’t even have the energy to open my laptop again. I’m going through some stuff in life at the moment that’s making me question a lot of things and it’s really been affecting my sleep. I’m already a bad sleeper (oh how I love sleep, but sleep definitely doesn’t love me!) but the past two weeks have been really bad for my sleep. I’ve been functioning on 2-3 hours of sleep every night for the past two weeks and I think I finally reached the end of my tether this weekend? I just didn’t have the energy to do anything and for the first time in what feels like the last 5 years, I slept in until the afternoon without even trying. Granted, I did end up falling asleep at 5AM, but while I usually wake up again at 9AM, this time I woke up at 1PM! It threw me off completely but I guess my body really needed it? So I know it’s Sunday and this blog post is also a bit bare boned, but I wanted to post it anyway 🙂

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 tropes. I thought this was a fun prompt to answer! Before I started writing reviews and taking the time to think about what I’m putting into my brain, I wasn’t aware of these terms for books, like ‘tropes’. All I really knew is that I hated love triangles (lol), but I didn’t realize there was a term for plot elements/lines. That probably sounds really stupid and ignorant (lol again) but I really used to consume books without ever thinking too much about what I read, liked and didn’t like. Thinking about that now sounds really weird and I don’t even know how that’s possible? But like I said, all I really knew was that I hated love triangles LOL So after educating myself over the last few years, here are the first tropes I love that come to mind:

Enemies-to-lovers.

Would it be surprising to see this on a lot of peoples’ lists? Nope (at least it wouldn’t be for me lol). I love this trope so much and if done right always gives me such feels! The tension that runs through these types of relationship changes is always SO charged. Oo, I get goosebumps just thinking about it!

Friends-to-lovers.

This is another one that I love and yes, I know these first two tropes are found predominantly in romance stories but hey, I’m a hopeless romantic and love me a good romance! The tension in this type of romance is always high too, but I love seeing the transition from friends to lover. They’re best friends and then they become more and a lot of the times it’s super sweet.

Villain redemption.

I admit to not having read a lot of books where there’s a a good redeemed villain storyline but there are a few that made my heart melt and my eyes get a little teary. Lookin’ at you Snape!

Brooding characters who are really cinnamon rolls with marshmallow hearts.

Okay this is another one found a lot in romances, but there are also characters in non-romances like this (please don’t ask me right now because my brain is still half-shrouded in a fog. That said, I am so trash for dark broody characters as long as they’re not acting like downright assholes 90% of the time until their marshmallow hearts are shown.

Epic friendships formed during trying times.

I don’t know even know if this is a trope? But I love how really tough times and situations can bring a seemingly random group of acquaintances or even strangers together and strengthen/solidify them as a badass group of friends that will get each other through the craziest adventures. Yes, I admit to thinking a lot about Squad 312 as I’m writing this answer 😂

What are some of your favorite tropes? What about least favorite tropes? Leave me a comment below and let’s chat tropes!