Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

August 22, 2021August 22, 2021 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?

#WWWWednesday: 18 August 2021

August 18, 2021August 19, 2021 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?

Since last week, I’ve managed to finish four books and I’m happy to say that all of them were ARCs—yay! 😍

(ARC) Shadow Frost (Shadow Frost #1) by Coco Ma ★★☆☆☆
I’m honestly quite proud for having finished this book because it was a bit of a… slog at times. I’m still very impressed Coco Ma wrote this when was 15?! Mind blown! 🤯 Sadly, I think younger me would’ve loved this much more than adult me did. It’s chock full of YA fantasy tropes (which isn’t bad if you like them!) but it was the characters that were more of a miss for me than anything else. Check out my full review.

(ARC) Fireborn by Aisling Fowler ★★★★½
Revenge of the Sluts was an interesting YA contemporary that had a bit of a mystery to it. It’s not a fast-paced book but it was engaging enough and the writing simple enough for me to quickly work through the pages. While I didn’t think any of the characters stood out, and neither did I like the representation of the MC, I think it’s a book that can generate discussions about privacy, cyberbullying, revenge porn, slut-shaming, toxic masculinity and society’s double standards, especially amongst the targeted young readers! Check out my full review.

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

August 15, 2021August 15, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

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?

#WWWWednesday: 11 August 2021

August 11, 2021August 19, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads10 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 week, I’ve managed to finish four books and all but one were ARCs—yay!

Tempt Thy Neighbor (Roommate Romps #4) by Teagan Hunter ★★★★☆
This was another fun, fast and super-steamy second-chance/enemies-to-lovers romance by Teagan Hunter! It was a little hard to buy into the romance at the very beginning with how vehemently Holland hated on Sutton and with how he came across as pretty douchey, but they did grow on me in the end. Hunter really built up the sexual tension in this book and it was explosive! RTC.

(ARC) Revenge of the Sluts by Natalie Walton ★★★★½
Revenge of the Sluts was an interesting YA contemporary that had a bit of a mystery to it. It’s not a fast-paced book but it was engaging enough and the writing simple enough for me to quickly work through the pages. While I didn’t think any of the characters stood out, and neither did I like the representation of the MC, I think it’s a book that can generate discussions about privacy, cyberbullying, revenge porn, slut-shaming, toxic masculinity and society’s double standards, especially amongst the targeted young readers! Check out my full review.

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

August 8, 2021August 8, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads21 Comments

I spent the majority of my Sunday on my cosy couch reading my ARC of With You Forever by Chloe Liese. This is the fourth book in the Bergman Brothers series and if you’ve been following me for a little bit, you’ll know that this series is one of my all-time favourites! Chloe Liese writes such amazing inclusive romances full of emotion and so much heart, and this one about Axel and Rooney was no different. I swooned at least a thousand times and thought it was a fantastic way to wrap up my weekend. I’ll be posting my review closer to pub day (14 September).

Axel

Rooney Sullivan is sunshine incarnate. Warm, bright, always smiling, she’s everything I’m not and the last person I have any business desiring. Desperate to hide a hopeless attraction, I’ve done everything possible to keep my distance…until a charades game gone wrong brought that to a grinding halt.

Since then, steering clear of Rooney has been impossible. In a matter of months, she’s kissed me speechless, commandeered my art career, and infiltrated not only my dreams but my home. The woman who was once avoidable has become the last thing I needed: temptingly within reach.

Rooney

Axel Bergman is a gorgeous grump who doesn’t have the time of day for me. Thankfully, I’ve kept my crush under wraps…well, until I kissed him. Charades got away from me, okay? It was an accident! I haven’t seen him since, which is for the best. My life is a mess, and the last thing I need is to embarrass myself further with the man who avoids me like that’s his job rather than painting modern masterpieces.

It seems the universe, however, has a different plan. When Axel and I unexpectedly find our paths—and problems—converging, a marriage of convenience proves the perfect solution. At least, until I’m facing my most serious problem yet: a once-loveless marriage of convenience that’s inconveniently become a love match, after all.

With You Forever is a sunshine and grump, marriage of convenience romance about a shy artist on the autism spectrum*, and a smiley smartypants who has a chronic IBD. Complete with combustible cooking lessons, interfering family and friends, and a steamy slow burn, this standalone is the fourth in a series of novels about a Swedish-American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their wild adventures as they each find happily ever after.
*This is an #OwnVoices story for its portrayal of autism by an autistic author.

What are you currently reading?

#WWWWednesday: 14 April 2021

April 22, 2021August 11, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads14 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 week I’ve managed to finish five books (and I’m still behind on my blog tour reads—how does time get away from me so quickly?)!

Aurora Burning (Aurora Cycle #2) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman ★★★★☆
This was my buddy read with Sammie and we finally finished the book last week! Both of us raged just a *tiny bit* at that ending—I mean, I really love Squad 312 but oh my, how they angered me at the end 😂 What was that? Not cool, that’s what! 😒 Overall, I still really enjoyed the book as we get a good look into Zila and Kal’s histories, plus we also learn more about just what exactly the squad is dealing with. There were also some delicious twists that had me gasping. I can’t wait until the final book is out and it has lovely bb Finian on the cover! RTC (maybe)?

Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries #4) by Martha Wells ★★★★½
Yay for Murderbot! Yay for reuniting with our favourite OG humans! Yay for more feelings that we don’t want to be feeling! Honestly, at this point I’m starting to terrify myself with how much I identify with Murderbot? Just as with all the other books in this series, the intensity of the action quickly escalated and of course, Murderbot’s signature sarcastic humour was still so very on point! Leslie and I are gonna continue our buddy read for this series, and though we didn’t realise book 5 was a full-length novel, we can’t wait. 😍 Series RTC!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

April 18, 2021June 23, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

I’m spending the rest of my Sunday in bed with Unwritten. I’ve been struggling to focus so I’m a little behind on the four blog tours next week. Welp! I started this earlier today and although it was a little confusing I’m getting into the story. I love the premise though (I mean, this synopsis is like every reader’s dream! LOL) so I’m hoping that the execution pulls through! 🤞🏽 Also, can we talk about how gorgeous this cover is? I love it 😍

Books whisper to Beatrix Alba. But they aren’t the reason she has never fit in. Bullied at home and school, she keeps a secret—a power of violence and darkness.

When the spell that keeps her hidden fails, she’s catapulted into the Zweeshen, a realm where all tales live, and her dream of meeting her favorite characters comes true. But wishes are tricky, and behind its wonder and whimsy, the Zweeshen is under attack. A character is burning bookworlds in pursuit of a weapon to rule both stories and storytellers. To succeed, he needs a riddle in Beatrix’s keeping.

Now he’s hunting her down.

Joining forces with William, a cursed conjurer, Beatrix must face an enemy who knows her every weakness in a realm where witches play with time, Egyptian gods roam, and Regency heroines lead covert operations. And with her darkness as the only weapon, she may have to sacrifice everything to save a world that rejects her.

What are you currently reading?

#WWWWednesday: 14 April

April 15, 2021June 23, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads17 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?

Although I have actually been *reading things* over the past week, I’ve only managed to finish two books. One of which I’m already confident in saying will be my favourite read this month!

Jade War (The Greenbone Saga #2) by Fonda Lee ★★★★★
Friends, I honestly have nothing bad to say about this series. My level of investment in No Peak and the Kaul family is ~~almost~~ at an unhealthy level but y’know what? I don’t care because these characters, this story, this world deserves everything. Although Fonda Lee continues to mercilessly hack away at what little feelings I have left, I can honestly say that I’d let her do it every single time cos that’s how much I love this book/series. This was another buddy read with Jess and we already have future plans to buddy read (or maybe even group read, if anyone’s interested?) Jade Legacy when it comes out in December. I just… I love this so much 😭 If you’re going to read this series I’d highly recommend the audiobooks! RTC.

The Lore of Prometheus by Graham Austin-King ★★★¾
I can count on one finger how many military urban fantasies I’ve read and although this was quite a step outside of my comfort zone (it’s a very dark read!) I still really enjoyed it. Austin-King makes it easy to visualise the real world setting while still managing to seamlessly introduce fantastical elements without making it seem out of place. The characters were realistic and so easy to root for and the humour woven into the story brought great and much needed comedic relief that balanced the story out well. I can definitely see why this book won the BBNYA 2020. Check out my blog tour review!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

April 12, 2021June 23, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

I’ll be spending my Sunday night in bed with The Lore of Prometheus. I’m reading this for a blog tour next week with The Write Reads gang and although it admittedly took me a little while to get into the story, the pace started to really pick up around the 40% mark and I’m now at 75% and I’m invested in the well-being of these characters. My gosh, this is definitely not for the faint-hearted because there’s a lot of torture and experimentation and… It’s some kinda dark. 🙈 That said, I am enjoying how different it is to anything I’ve read before and I can see why it was the BBNYA 2020 winner!

John Carver has three rules: Don’t drink in the daytime, don’t gamble when the luck has gone, and don’t talk to the dead people who come to visit.

It has been almost five years since the incident in Kabul. Since the magic stirred within him and the stories began. Fleeing the army, running from the whispers, the guilt, and the fear he was losing his mind, Carver fell into addiction, dragging himself through life one day at a time.

Desperation has pulled him back to Afghanistan, back to the heat, the dust, and the truth he worked so hard to avoid. But there are others, obsessed with power and forbidden magics, who will stop at nothing to learn the truth of his gifts. Abducted and chained, Carver must break more than his own rules if he is to harness this power and survive.

What are you currently reading?

#WWWWednesday: 07 April

April 7, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads12 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 really haven’t been reading much since last week because it has been weird vibes ALL AROUND and I’m just ready to sleep. In the last week, I’ve read 3 books and one of them was the worst book I will read in 2021 and ever. So that was fun 😂

Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1) by Tirzah Price ★★★★☆
This was an entertaining and fast-paced murder mystery and it was definitely a fun take on one of my all time faves! It’s a very loose retelling of Pride and Prejudice but I enjoyed Price’s writing and clever additions of Austen’s classic lines in the story. The characters stayed very true to their original traits and it was fun to see them in a new and more modern (not to mention murder-y) setting! Check out my review.

Den of Vipers by K.A. Knight ★☆☆☆☆ (and that’s me feeling generous!!!)
There was literally no point to this book. I saw Gavin @ How to Train Your Gavin mention it in one of his booktube videos and my curiosity was *piqued*. When I saw it was available on Kindle Unlimited I added it to my library and picked it up on a whim—and wow, I must really hate myself cos I finished this book and WHY? 😂 I’m linking Gavin’s vlog and review cos same. This was 80% horrifyingly bad smut and 20% murder, torture, blood and gore, and 0% good writing. It was a cycle of bad. There was no plot, no character development, nobody worth rooting for and are you also questioning why I didn’t DNF? Curiosity definitely killed this cat 💀 DON’T READ IT. I would recommend it to NO ONE. Also, I’m truly sorry if you have read and loved this book and I’d (genuinely) be interested to know why!