Tag: Currently Reading

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [14]

Dini @ dinipandareads15 Comments

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme, and this time it’s actually Sunday when I write this! 😉 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 been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

Today has been a bit of a long day. I’m in Jakarta visiting my family as my sister has just moved back from the US last week. I haven’t seen her in about a year so it was nice to spend time with her. Unfortunately though, she fell prey to the infamous stomach bug and so she’s been in bed all day and it’s just been an awful time. I didn’t get as much reading done as I hoped to, but last night I finished The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (which left me a blubbering hot mess, thanks Kristin Hannah) and so today I finally started my second buddy read for the month: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I can’t really say much about it so far since I just started, however, shit just hit the fan (in the book, not IRL lol). I’m sure everyone has heard about this book by now, but just in case you haven’t, you can read the blurb below!

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.

The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

What are you currently reading?

So we’re pretty much almost to the end of July. Another month gone and really, where does the time go? My reading month has continued to be great, and I think my blogging has been pretty constant as well. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my journey into and with the book community via blogging, bookstagram and Twitter (just a bit) and I feel so grateful for all the people that I’ve met who share a passion and love for the same things as me, and who just get it. I hope that the friendships, bookships and everything else continue to flourish and stay strong as my blog gets “older”. Wow, that wasn’t meant to be as weepy as it sounded? I hope that wasn’t awkward! Haha 😂Anyway, back to the blogging bit, just in case you missed it, below are the posts I’ve made this week. Its been a pretty great blogging week, if I do say so myself 🙂

If I Joined The Reading Rush…
The Sunshine Blogger Award
Friday Favorites: Summer Reads
Review: Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Review: The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
#WWWWednesday: 17 July
#TopTenTuesday: Autobuy Authors
ARC Review: Sorry I’m Late I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan
Goodreads Monday: 15 July
ARC Graphic Novel Review: The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2) by Katie O’Neill

How has your reading and blogging week been?
Come let me know in the comments and let’s have a chat 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 17 July

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

Omg, is it only Wednesday?! Welp, my brain keeps tricking me into believing it’s Thursday and that there’s only one more day standing between me and my beloved weekend. Well, on that note, it’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

Yaaas, I finally finished Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff and I kind of hate myself for not reading it right away, but also for not waiting even longer to read it because now book two feels even further away. #bookwormproblems or is it just me? Anyway, I absolutely loved and adored this book and Squad 312, and I wrote a super gushing review about it stuffed full of artwork taken from Jay Kristoff’s website. So if you want to read my review, follow this link! I also recently finished The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James (review coming) and e-ARC for The Tea Dragon Festival by Katie O’Neill, which was a really cute prequel to The Tea Dragon Society! You can read my review of it here.

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, Marriage for One by Ella Maise, Evidence of the Affair: A Short Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, and I’m still going with The Good Kill: A Killian Lebon Novel by Kurt Brindley. The Great Alone and RW&RB are buddy reads on Instagram. It’s been slow going with both of these books, probably because I’m reading five books at once, but I’m making them top priority right now.

What will you read next?

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult and This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel are two other buddy reads that I totally forgot I said I would join this month so after I finish my two current buddy reads, these will take priority because I wanna get them read! I’ve been looking forward to both and I’m hoping the buddy reads will give me motivation to finally pick them up.

What are you currently reading? Have you read any of these books?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [13]

Dini @ dinipandareads3 Comments

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme, and this time it’s actually Sunday when I write this! 😉 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 been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

Today I’ve spent half the day in my reading nook with The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James. I actually ended up finishing this book today and let me tell you, it was not at all what I expected! It’s YA science fiction but the author keeps the scientific details of space travel simple and to a minimum (as much as it’s possible in a book set in space), which I was really thankful for! This story was full of thrilling twists that kept me on the edge of my seat and had me quickly flipping through the pages to find out just what the hell was going on! You’ll definitely want to go into this one knowing as little as possible, but let me just say that whatever you think will happen after reading the blurb/ synopsis (below!), chances are you won’t anticipate what actually comes your way. Keep an eye out for my full review in the coming days!

The daughter of two astronauts, Romy Silvers is no stranger to life in space. But she never knew how isolating the universe could be until her parents’ tragic deaths left her alone on theInfinity, a spaceship speeding away from Earth. Romy tries to make the best of her lonely situation, but with only brief messages from her therapist on Earth to keep her company, she can’t help but feel like something is missing. It seems like a dream come true when NASA alerts her that another ship, the Eternity, will be joining the Infinity. Romy begins exchanging messages with J, the captain of theEternity, and their friendship breathes new life into her world. But as the Eternity gets closer, Romy learns there’s more to J’s mission than she could have imagined. And suddenly, there are worse things than being alone….

What book are you currently reading?

Who here can believe we’re already pretty much hitting the middle of July?! I know I can’t and I’m honestly still trying to figure out what I do with all my days! Although I haven’t been very productive this weekend, it was a pretty great reading weekend! Actually, this whole month so far has been pretty great for my reading, especially considering that I spend my weekdays at the office wishing I was in bed with a book! I think I’ve read 10 books so far and I hope to keep this streak going! I’ve struggled the past few months to really jump from one book to the other without taking at least a one-day break in between, so the fact that I’ve been able to consistently finish a book and pick up a new one right away, makes me feel good! But it also means that I’ve been slacking off a bit with writing my reviews… Oops? I’m working on it though!

That said, here’s a list of the posts I’ve done this week, just in case you missed it!

Review: Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Review: The Prenup by Lauren Layne
Friday Favorites: Books Outside My Usual Genre
Graphic Novel Review: Blackbird, Vol. 1 by Sam Humphries & Jen Bartel
Review: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
#WWWWednesday: 10 July
Mini-Reviews: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Field Notes On Love & I Hate Fairyland
#TopTenTuesday: Bookish Characters I’d Like to Befriend!
Review: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

How has your reading and blogging week been?
Come let me know in the comments and let’s have a chat 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 10 July

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

I just finished reading The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary last night and I absolutely LOVED IT. Reading this book was like receiving all the warm hugs. I honestly loved Tiffy and Leon so much and I really enjoyed the way their relationship grew. Tiffy’s character went through a significantly bigger development/change in the story, but I liked how Leon’s character opened up too, yet still remained true to himself. I still have to write my review for this book, which I thought I could squeeze in today, but no. Why is it always so hard to write reviews? I also finished I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After by Skottie Young last night. Read my mini-review!

What are you currently reading?

IT’S HAPPENING, FOLKS. Yes, I know I’ve said it one or twice before, but this time, it’s really happening. I’m finally picking up Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff! I started reading at the tail end of my lunch break and I’ve already laughed out loud several times, enjoyed imagining the first cheeky character we’re introduced to and I can’t wait to find out what else is in store! Is it too soon to claim that I’m invested after only reading the first chapter? I’ve still going with The Good Kill: A Killian Lebon Novel by Kurt Brindley. Really hoping to finish it soon! 🤞🏽

What will you read next?

Next up are three books that I’ve been looking forward to reading with some buddies over on bookstagram. I might actually pick up Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston before the other two, seeing as I know I will speed through this one. I think I’ve only read one not-so-shining review of RW&RB, but all the others have been positively glowing, so I’m excited to see if this lives up to the hype! I’m looking forward to reading The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. This’ll be my second book by her, but if it’s anything like The Nightingale, it’s going to slaughter me 😂 I haven’t heard that much about A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult, but Picoult has been a long time favorite of mine since high school. She has a wonderful way of telling stories that always immediately sucks me in. The topic she covers in the book is also very relevant to today’s sociopolitical climate too, so it should be an interesting read!

What are you currently reading? Have you read any of these books?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [12]

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

I know that it’s Monday, but my Sunday ended on a really awful work-related disaster (for which I got a call at 9pm for), which absolutely drowned my mood with anxiety and anger, so I didn’t end up writing and posting my wrap up. But I still wanted to share my weekly recap. So, here we go with another Sundays Mondays In Bed With… meme, which dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

It’s Monday, I’m moody AF because of last night’s news combined with sleep deprivation, and I wish I was still at home reading the book that I started this morning: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. I finished my last read (The Bear and The Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy #1) by Katherine Arden–review coming soon!) in the wee hours of the morning today, and I felt like reading something ‘lighter’ before I have to start on some upcoming buddy reads of ‘heavier’ books. I’ve heard so many good things about the book that I’m giving myself a pat on the back for picking it up so soon after adding it to my physical shelf! 😂 I have a feeling it’s going to be a read that I’ll really love; I’m just a hopeless romantic like that. Curious to know what it’s about? Read the synopsis below:

Tiffy Moore and Leon Twomey each have a problem and need a quick fix. Tiffy’s been dumped by her cheating boyfriend and urgently needs a new flat. But earning minimum wage at a quirky publishing house means that her choices are limited in London. Leon, a palliative care nurse, is more concerned with other people’s welfare than his own. Along with working night shifts looking after the terminally ill, his sole focus is on raising money to fight his brother’s unfair imprisonment. Leon has a flat that he only uses 9 to 5. Tiffy works 9 to 5 and needs a place to sleep. The solution to their problems? To share a bed of course… As Leon and Tiffy’s unusual arrangement becomes a reality, they start to connect through Post-It notes left for each other around the flat.
Can true love blossom even in the unlikeliest of situations?
Can true love blossom even if you never see one another?
Or does true love blossom when you are least expecting it?

What book are you currently reading?

Despite the annoying ending to my Sunday, I had a pretty decent week. I traveled to Jakarta for work, got to visit my favorite bookstore (Kinokuniya) and brought home a small haul of books that I’m very pleased with! Most are recent releases that I’ve been wanting to read, but I also found In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, which I’ve been wanting to add to my shelf forever, I just couldn’t find any copies on this crazy little island! I also had a pretty decent reading week. I finished four books, but considering that I work full time, and I had a big workshop that I was preparing to facilitate last week, I’m quite happy with my reads. That said, I was pretty quiet on the blogging front but I hope to get back into the grind this week; especially since I have a few book reviews that I need to post!

Friday Favorites: Books about Rebellion/Freedom
#WWWWednesday: 03 July
#TopTenTuesday: Childhood Favorites
June Monthly Wrap Up!

How has your reading and blogging week been?
Come let me know in the comments and let’s have a chat 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 03 July

Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

I recently finished Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith and I really enjoyed it. I loved the idea of a book set on a train, two strangers coming together, and with ‘love’ in `the title of the book, you know romance plays a big part of this story. Sure, it sounded cheesy and maybe improbable in real life (kids, don’t try this at home), but it was enough to get my hopeless romantic heart thumping in excitement at the thought. What are books for if not to let your imagination run a little free? Surprisingly, this was more than just a fluffy love story; it was about family, friendship, vulnerability and ultimately finding out who you are, what you want and what you’re willing to do to get it. You can read my review up on Goodreads and I’ll be posting it up on my blog with a few other mini-reviews later this week!

What are you currently reading?

Oops, I did it again… I’ve currently got four reads going! I’ve gotten through big chunks on three of them: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson, I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After by Skottie Young, and Fix Her Up (Hot & Hammered #1) by Tessa Bailey. I couldn’t wait to pick up Sorcery because I’ve heard lots of great things (what’s not to love about magical libraries and books that come to life?!) and I’m 1,000% loving it so far. Fairyland is absolutely bizarre and the contrast between the gorey content and the bright colors and mostly innocent characters oddly really works? I’ve heard a lot about Fix Her Up–both the problematic things but also about the steamy scenes that are apparently really… steamy? Haven’t come up to those scenes yet, but I’m not sure I’m loving any of the men in this book. I’ve just started reading The Good Kill: A Killian Lebon Novel by Kurt Brindley just the other day. This was an ARC that released 01 July, but due to life in June being completely insane that slipped through the cracks but I’m hoping to finish reading it by this weekend! 🤞🏽

What will you read next?

So these have been on my list since the previous WWW because I’ve pushed them back (SORRY AURORA RISING) but I really want to get to them after I finish my current reads. I’m enjoying mixing up graphic novels with my other reads and I want to continue doing that! The graphic novels are Sparrowhawk (Sparrowhawk #1) by Delilah S. Dawson and The Magicians: Alice’s Story by Lev Grossman & Lilah Sturges. I’m really going to prioritize reading Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff soon too!

What are you currently reading? Have you read any of these books?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [11]

Dini @ dinipandareadsLeave a comment

We’re back with another Sundays In Bed With… meme, which dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

I’ve spent my Sunday in bed with The Written by Ben Galley. I read this for the #UltimateBlogTour for Ben Galley, organized by Dave @TheWriteReads on Twitter. I’ve never been part of a blog tour before, so when I got asked if I wanted to join earlier this year, I obviously said yes. I’m so glad that I did! As life really got in the way this month, I didn’t have time to read it before this weekend though. It took some time for me to get into it when I picked it up yesterday and that had me worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish it before today, but it was for nothing. I sped through this book and basically didn’t leave me house (*cough* or bed *cough*) all day! You can read the synopsis below and you can read my full review here.

His name is Farden. 
They whisper that he’s dangerous. 
Dangerous is only the half of it. 
A spellbook has gone missing from the libraries of Arfell – a very old and extremely powerful spellbook from the time of dark elves and demons. Five scholars are dead, the magick council is running out of time and options, and the Arka is once again on the brink of war with the Siren dragon-riders.
It falls to Farden the Written mage to keep the world from falling into chaos. Entangled in a web of lies and politics, Farden must recover the spellbook before an ancient enemy rises, even if it takes journeying halfway across icy Emaneska and back. In his fight for answers, Farden will unearth a secret that not only shakes the foundations of his world, but threaten the entire future of Emaneska. Sorcery, death, drugs and the deepest of betrayals await. Welcome to Emaneska.

What book are you currently reading?

We’ve come to the end of another month, friends! How are the months going by so quickly? I don’t even understand where time goes. Outside of my reading life, this week has been pretty okay. It’s a whole lot more relaxed than last week, and I have a feeling that this last week is going to set the tone for much of the rest of the year! In terms of blogging, it’s been a pretty decent week. Here’s what I posted this week, in case you missed it:

Review: The #UltimateBlogTour: The Written by Ben Galley
Friday Favorites: Books Set in Space
Most Anticipated Releases of 2019 (Latter-Half)
#WWWWednesday: 26 June
Review: Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
#TopTenTuesday: My Summer 2019 TBR!
Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

How has your reading and blogging week been?
Come let me know in the comments and let’s have a chat 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 26 June

Dini @ dinipandareadsLeave a comment

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

I recently finished Autoboyography by Christina Lauren and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Both were reads for pride month that have been sitting on my shelf for a while, and I’m really glad that I finally picked them both up. While both are books about LGBTQ+ characters with stories that many readers have praised and found they can relate to, I feel like I connected more with the characters and the story in Autoboyography. Speaking of which, you can read my full review of it here. Stay tuned for my review of Simon coming soon!

What are you currently reading?

I can’t decide what I want to read right now, friends! I finished Simon last night and what with work, I haven’t had the time to think about what I want to read next. I do have a book that I need to finish before 30 June as I’m part of my first ever book tour, so I’ll obviously prioritize The Written (Emaneska #1) by Ben Galley. But I also want to pick up Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff and I think I might just do it!

What will you read next?

I think I want to read some graphic novels after this, and I’ve been approved for two on NetGalley the other day, so I’ll be getting to Sparrowhawk (Sparrowhawk #1) by Delilah S. Dawson and The Magicians: Alice’s Story by Lev Grossman & Lilah Sturges. I will also (finally) tackle Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven by Marjorie M. Liu.

What are you currently reading? Have you read any of these books?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [10]

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

We’re back with another Sundays In Bed With… meme, which dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This Sunday, I’ve been in bed with Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekywood #1) by Becky Albertalli. I’ve heard a lot about this book and pretty much every review I’ve read is full of so much praise for it! I’ve already read Leah on the Offbeat, which technically comes after Simon’s book, so I kind of already know what’s going to happen at the end of this book. That said, I’m excited to learn more about the characters, especially since Simon was a favorite of mine in Leah’s book! You can read the synopsis for it below.

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised. With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

What book are you currently reading?

As mentioned in last week’s wrap-up, I pretty much went completely MIA this week because I just didn’t have the mental or physical capacity to deal with all the work stress and anxiety, as well as writing blogs throughout the week. Thankfully, I survived the week (Ha). I think I got a measly 6 hours of sleep from Mon-Thurs, and due to my already bad sleep issues, I didn’t even sleep in on the weekend because my body wouldn’t let me! Still, I’m so relieved that the nightmare weeks leading up to this is finally over. The stress left my body in a huge rush on Friday and I could’ve wept with relief if I hadn’t been surrounded by my boss(es)! Despite the high anxiety that I faced thinking about giving my presentation, I did end up enjoying myself at the conference; I met a lot of like-minded individuals, people I could even see being friends outside of work, and even an old high school classmate from Bangladesh. It’s such a small world!

Since I didn’t check in on my blog this week, I’ve only made three posts but I’m really looking forward to getting back to blogging from now. Yay! Just in case you missed them:

The Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag (2019)
ARC Review: When the Light Went Out by Bridget Morrissey
Friday Favorites: Character Deaths (That’ll Never Leave Me)

How has your reading and blogging week been?
Come let me know in the comments and let’s have a chat 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 12 June 2019

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

I recently finished What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera and I binged the twelve issues for Fence by C.S. Pacat too. I read both of these for pride month, and I loved them a lot! You can read my review for What If It’s Us here and for Fence here. I can’t wait for the Fence series to continue because that last issue ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger, so I have a feeling the action and drama is really about to get started!

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading Mrs. Everything (ARC) by Jennifer Weiner. As I mentioned before, I’m super behind on my ARCs and this is one of them. Although I’m only about 30% in, this book is already pulling at my heartstrings! Jo and Bethie have already gone through so much and I’m excited to find out what happens with them next. I love family sagas, especially reading about the relationship between sisters, so I have a feeling I’m really going to love this one. This book is now out everywhere (published 11 June) so go get your copy!

What will you read next?

I’ve already started Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens but I put it aside to read Mrs. Everything. Once I’m done with that book I’ll definitely be picking this up again because I want to finally tick it off my TBR! Plus, I’ve loved what I’ve read of it so far. It’s slow moving, but the writing is so well done and atmospheric!

What are you currently reading? Have you read any of these books?