Tag: Goodreads

Down the TBR Hole – 06

Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

We’re back with another episode of Down the TBR Hole! My TBR is currently sits at a whopping 1,013 books. I’ll be reviewing 10 books again today and I’m hoping that maybe this week I’ll be cutting out more than one book!

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie. I’m a bit torn about whether I want to read this or not but it seems that a lot of my book loving friends love it, so I think it’s a keeper?

The Outlander Series (Outlander 1-7) by Diana Gabaldon. Okay, it’s ambitious to ‘keep’ all seven books on my list, but I do want to give this series a go because it’s so popular and seems like one I’ll enjoy? They’re all just slightly huge…!

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I honestly don’t even know why I haven’t read this one yet because it sounds 1000% like my kind of book.

Go Set a Watchman (To Kill a Mockingbird #2) by Harper Lee. I basically bought this the minute it came out and haven’t touched it since 😳 I’ve heard so many sad reviews about this and honestly, if I didn’t spend good money on it I’d probably say bye-bye-bye to it! But I’ll give it a chance.

The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1) by N.K. Jemisin. I’ve heard amazing things about this and I have a feeling I’ll really enjoy it!

Verdict: Bye-bye-bye!

Marley and Me: life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan. This movie had me feeling a hot mess but… I really don’t think I’m going to ever read the book! I shouldn’t be keeping this on my TBR just because of the pupperoni on the cover, right?!

A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri. Argh, this one was so difficult to decide on. It sounds pretty interesting but… I also don’t know when, if ever, I will pick it up. So bye for now!

One Day by David Nicholls. This was a tough decision because I loved the movie and it had me bawling like the biggest baby ever, but I tried reading the book once, twice, three times and my strayed every single time. I have no idea why. Maybe the movie is too much in my head so when it doesn’t match up I get a little miffed? I’m sorry to say bye-bye-bye!

The Royal We (Royal We #1) by Heather Cocks. I don’t think I’m really a fan of the ‘royal’ trope? Reading this synopsis didn’t appeal to me so much anymore so away it goes!

Marrow by Tarryn Fisher. Although there’s something about this cover I adore, I have one Tarryn Fisher book on my Kindle shelf and I want to read it first before deciding whether to read more. This one seems interesting but let’s see!

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WOO! I said bye-bye-bye to 5/10 books this week bringing my TBR tally to 1,008 books. Still a lot but we’re making progress with at least removing a few, right?! 😃 Some of these were a little tough to decide on since they do still sound interesting but I just don’t know when I’ll ever pick them up, which pretty much means never? LOL I gotta be real with myself; I already got an insanely overflowing actual TBR on my Kindle and physical shelves. I think I’m happy with my decisions!

Have you read any of these books? Would these make your keep list or would you say bye-bye-bye to them? Let’s chat!

Goodreads Monday – 04 November

Dini @ dinipandareads2 Comments

We’re back with another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. This meme invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you want to! I’ll be using a random number generator to pick my books from my insanely long GR Want-to-read list.

This week’s book is The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. I remember seeing this book mentioned on bookstagram once or twice, but I don’t remember adding it to my shelf in March 2019. The Sympathizer is Nguyen’s debut novel and it was also the winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It has an incredible 4.00 rating with 59,400+ ratings and 6,808 reviews! Impressive 😲

It is April 1975, and Saigon is in chaos. At his villa, a general of the South Vietnamese army is drinking whiskey and, with the help of his trusted captain, drawing up a list of those who will be given passage aboard the last flights out of the country. The general and his compatriots start a new life in Los Angeles, unaware that one among their number, the captain, is secretly observing and reporting on the group to a higher-up in the Viet Cong. The Sympathizer is the story of this captain: a man brought up by an absent French father and a poor Vietnamese mother, a man who went to university in America, but returned to Vietnam to fight for the Communist cause. A gripping spy novel, an astute exploration of extreme politics, and a moving love story, The Sympathizer explores a life between two worlds and examines the legacy of the Vietnam War in literature, film, and the wars we fight today.

Why do I want to read it?

I’m slightly embarrassed to admit it but I actually don’t read a wide variety of diverse books, especially those written about and by Asian authors. This isn’t for any particular reason other than I don’t always make a conscious decision to broaden my reading scope and not because I don’t enjoy diverse books/stories. I lived in Vietnam for around three months several years ago and I’ve visited the country often, so it’s not as if I’m ignorant of the country’s history. That said, sometimes I feel like I take that experience for granted by not pushing myself to learn more and it also applies to my own knowledge and experience relating to other countries in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. I’m determined to making a more conscious effort to diversify my reads and this book sounds like a gripping and fascinating story that I look forward to trying!

Have you read The Sympathizer or is it on your TBR too? Let’s chat!

Down the TBR Hole – 05

Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

We’re back with another episode of Down the TBR Hole! Y’all, I’m proud to say that I’m down to 1,014 books. Over the last two weeks I’ve only reviewed five books each week and haven’t managed to cut out any books. It’s getting harder to do, friends. The pressure is definitely on! 🙈I’m back to reviewing ten books this week though, so let’s see how this goes…

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. I’m a bit torn about whether I want to read this or not but it seems that a lot of my book loving friends love it, so I think it’s a keeper?

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. I love historical fiction and especially books set during WWII. Everything about this book essentially falls under “things-I-love” so I honestly don’t know why I’ve been hesitating to pick it up.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I absolutely loved this movie and have been curious about the book. It’s got amazing reviews but I’m honestly a little nervous that I won’t enjoy the book as much as I loved the movie.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Everything about this book screams at me to read it ASAP!

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. A classic that I feel like I’ve read in middle school but I honestly can’t remember… It sounds like a book I’ll love and I love the title; it always grabs my attention!

East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Just like Grapes of Wrath this is a book that I’ve had sitting on my shelf for a very very long time but it intimidates the heck out of me so I’ve been super hesitant to pick it up. It’s staying on my list though.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. This is another tome that’s been on my physical TBR for an age but I’m too intimidated to pick it up. One day… One day (I swear)!

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I mean… It’s an insanely popular classic that I don’t want to pass up reading. When will I get to it? Eventually…

Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy #1) by Chinua Achebe. I remember reading this in high school but for the life of me I can’t remember anything about it except the fact that I enjoyed it. So technically it’s a book I’ve read?

Verdict: Bye-bye-bye!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I found out about the movie before knowing it was a book first, and I was so excited to get into it. It’s got some really great reviews, but there’s just something about it that makes me also not want to read/watch it. So for now, I think I’m gonna say bye-bye-bye!

bluepanda

Alright friends, it’s safe to say that this week was another not so great week of cutting out books from my Goodreads TBR. I managed to remove 1/10 books 🙈It’s just so hard? All of these books are ones I really do want to read, I’m just either too intimidated to read them or they slip my mind because they’re so far back on my backlist. Oh well, next week is another week to try eliminating books? Lol

Have you read any of these books? Would these make your keep list or would you say bye-bye-bye to them? Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Goodreads Monday – 28 October

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

We’re back with another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. This meme invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you want to! I’ll be using a random number generator to pick my books from my insanely long GR Want-to-read list.

This week’s book is The Furies by Katie Lowe. This is one of the more recent additions to my want-to-read shelf on GR (April 2019). I think I was adding books to my tbr like crazy at this point but I do remember hearing of it and liking the sound of it. It has a 3.21 rating from 1,159 ratings and 517 reviews!

In 1998, a sixteen-year-old girl is found dead on school property, dressed in white and posed on a swing, with no known cause of death. The novel opens with this image, as related to us by the narrator, Violet, looking back on the night it happened from the present day, before returning to relate the series of events leading up to the girl’s murder.

After an accident involving her Dad and sister, Violet joins Elm Hollow Academy, a private girls school in a quiet coastal town, which has an unpleasant history as the site of famous 17th century witch trials. Violet quickly finds herself invited to become the fourth member of an advanced study group, alongside Robin, Grace, and Alex – led by their charismatic art teacher, Annabel.

While Annabel claims her classes aren’t related to ancient rites and rituals – warning the girls off the topic, describing it as little more than mythology – the girls start to believe that magic is real, and that they can harness it. But when the body of a former member of the society – Robin’s best friend, with whom Violet shares an uncanny resemblance – is found dead on campus nine months after she disappeared, Violet begins to wonder whether she can trust her friends, teachers, or even herself.

Why do I want to read it?

I don’t read many thrillers and when I do they’re definitely not YA, so I’m always looking for more from this genre to read. The synopsis is giving me minor The Craft vibes, a movie that scared the holy schnitzels out of me when I was a kid and saw it on TV. As an adult the thought that this could be “craft-like” creeps me out but also has me curious, and it does sound more murder-mystery than paranormal possession, so that’s always good because the latter is definitely not my jam! The cover also always pulls my eye (this one especially, I don’t really like the other cover). I’ve heard tons of mixed reviews about this one though, with many people saying they were disappointed by it and that it wasn’t what they were expecting. I’m still curious though so I think I’ll keep it on my TBR.

Have you read The Furies or is it on your TBR too? Let’s chat!

Goodreads Monday – 21 October

Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

We’re back with another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. This meme invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you want to! I’ll be using a random number generator to pick my books from my insanely long GR Want-to-read list.

This week’s book is The Snowman (Harry Hole #7) by Jo Nesbo. I think I vaguely remember adding this to my list after seeing Michael Fassbender on the movie poster (in 2018) and realizing it was a book before it was a movie 🤣I unfortunately only managed to get my hands on the movie-tie-in cover but it’s not the worst I’ve seen… The book has a pretty great rating of 4.08 stars with 96,300+ ratings and 7,700+ reviews!

Soon the first snow will come

A young boy wakes to find his mother missing. Outside, he sees her favourite scarf – wrapped around the neck of a snowman.

And then he will appear again

Detective Harry Hole soon discovers that an alarming number of wives and mothers have gone missing over the years.

And when the snow is gone…

When a second woman disappears, Harry’s worst suspicion is confirmed: a serial killer is operating on his home turf.

…he will have taken someone else

Why do I want to read it?

I had no idea this was book seven of a series but I also heard that this was the best of the series? I do like a good thriller and this one definitely sounds like it’ll be a good one! It obviously doesn’t get cold here but I think it’d be perfect to read over the Christmas holidays or as a winter read. I think I do want to watch the movie as well, but I definitely want to read the series first. I don’t actually know if the movie is any good (I haven’t seen reviews) although it was in the cinema for a while, if I’m not mistaken.

Have you read The Snowman or any books in the series? Do you want to?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Down the TBR Hole – 04

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

We’re back with another episode of Down the TBR Hole! Y’all, I’m proud to say that I’m down to 1,015 books. PROUD PANDA 🐼Last week was a really quick post of five books and I think this week will be the same too because, life is still life! Let’s see if I manage to cut any out this week!

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. I remember seeing this one so much back in the day but never ended up purchasing it. It has a lot of amazing reviews, plus the premise sounds like something I’d really enjoy. Nothing in the blurb gives away why it’s called The Memory Keeper’s Daughter either, so I’m even more intrigued!

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. This is one of those books that you keep hearing people talk about. I do enjoy a good family saga and this one sounds like it has a bit of a mystery to it, so I’m definitely intrigued. I don’t know when I’ll get to it but it’s one of the books I want to read at some point!

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Everything about this sounds completely up my alley. I didn’t remember it when I saw it on my list but it seems a lot of friends have read it and rated it very highly.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I honestly think the only reason I’m keeping this book on my list is because I have the physical copy (I got it from a former colleague who was giving away books) and I’m thinking: since I already have it I might as well read it, right? Lol

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I remember really enjoying this movie and wanting to read the book after watching it. Never did get to it (obv) but I think I’m still interested in reading it!

bluepanda

Okay, that’s it folks. I clearly spoke too soon about being on a roll with taking books of my TBR list because it’s another week of reviewing five and removing none 😂 All of these do sound good (well, I’m still on the fence about the Poisonwood Bible) and like stories I’ll enjoy reading so… 🤷🏻‍♀️

Have you read any of these books? How easy is it to cull your TBR list? Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Down the TBR Hole – 03

Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

We’re back with another episode of Down the TBR Hole! Y’all, I’m proud to say that I’m down to 1,016 books (four lower than last count). PROUD PANDA 🐼That said, this week is going to be a really quick post of five books because life!

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. The title alone has me hooked and wanting to read this. The premise also totally sounds like something I’ll absolutely love. Who doesn’t love a good SFF romance!?

The Thief Taker by C.S. Quinn. I love historical fiction and enjoy a good dark murder mystery, so I’m really digging the sounds of this one!

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. So… I tried reading Americanah and just couldn’t get into it at the time; I put it down and still haven’t picked it back up again yet. But this is one of Adichie’s most widely praised books and I feel like I might really like it, so I’m planning to give it a chance!

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Same as above really.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. So I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I can’t remember whether I’ve read this or not. I think I might have read this in school but I actually can’t remember either 🙈I know the story though because I’ve seen the movie but I also know that it freaked me out and gave me a little bit of anxiety hahaha

bluepanda

This week I reviewed 5 and got rid of…. NONE! 😂 Yeah, I’m not booting any of these off my TBR for now… but who knows how I will feel later on if I don’t get to them anytime soon!

Have you read any of these books? How easy is it to cull your TBR list? Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Goodreads Monday – 14 October

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

We’re back with another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. This meme invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you want to! I’ll be using a random number generator to pick my books from my insanely long GR Want-to-read list.

This week’s book is The Woodcutter by Kate Danley. I honestly really don’t remember adding this to my list on in October last year but the author’s name does ring a bell (not sure from where because I know I haven’t read her books before). This has a rating of 3.69 stars with 9k+ ratings and around 1k+ reviews.

Deep within the Wood, a young woman lies dead. Not a mark on her body. No trace of her murderer. Only her chipped glass slippers hint at her identity.

The Woodcutter, keeper of the peace between the Twelve Kingdoms of Man and the Realm of the Faerie, must find the maiden’s killer before others share her fate. Guided by the wind and aided by three charmed axes won from the River God, the Woodcutter begins his hunt, searching for clues in the whispering dominions of the enchanted unknown.

But quickly he finds that one murdered maiden is not the only nefarious mystery afoot: one of Odin’s hellhounds has escaped, a sinister mansion appears where it shouldn’t, a pixie dust drug trade runs rampant, and more young girls go missing. Looming in the shadows is the malevolent, power-hungry queen, and she will stop at nothing to destroy the Twelve Kingdoms and annihilate the Royal Fae…unless the Woodcutter can outmaneuver her and save the gentle souls of the Wood.

Blending magic, heart-pounding suspense, and a dash of folklore, The Woodcutter is an extraordinary retelling of the realm of fairy tales.

Why do I want to read it?

I LOVE re-tellings and this one sounds like it’s a magical mix of many from the fairy tale realm. I saw the author answered a question by someone asking about a fairy tale and she answered it was a Nordic fairytale, so it seems like she also includes fairy tales from other countries, and more obscure ones too. I’m definitely curious to see how all the stories will come together. My interest is piqued once more!

Have you read The Woodcutter? Do you want to?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Down the TBR Hole – 03

Dini @ dinipandareads20 Comments

We’re back with another episode of Down the TBR Hole! Last week I mentioned how I went up to 1,022 books and after removing a few, and then adding some more, this week I’m at a solid 1,020. Still a lot but at least it’s not more than last week, right?! 😂I didn’t do so well with removing books last week, but let’s see how we do with this week’s 10! I’m trying out a new format that I saw someone else do on their blog, which will make the whole process much quicker.

Down the TBR Hole is a weekly book meme created by the wonderful Lia @ Lost in a Story that attempts to organize our ridiculously long Goodreads TBR list by choosing either to keep or eliminate the books we’ve saved on there. Here’s how it works:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go

Verdict: Keep

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. Seeing as how I only read my first Kristin Hannah books this year, I’m surprised to find that I added this one to my list in 2012! Both her books are candidates for my favorites of the year, so I’m quite excited to see if I feel the same about her others!

Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah. Wow, another Hannah I added in 2012! I’m keeping this on for the same reason as the above. The premise of this sounds eerily similar to Where the Forest Meets the Stars which I read (and loved!) earlier this year…

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa. All I needed to read was this, and I knew I’d have to keep this because I love The Kite Runner: “A heart-wrenching, powerfully written novel that could do for Palestine what The Kite Runner did for Afghanistan.”

Verdict: Bye-Bye-Bye

Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock. I’m actually really intrigued by the so-called ‘big twist’ that’s mentioned in the synopsis, but if I’m honest, I don’t know if I’ll ever pick this up…!

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. This is a classic but I’m just not interested anymore?

Verdict: Keep

Loving by Henry Green. I think I added this book around the time that I was watching (and loving!) Downton Abbey because reading the synopsis gives me major downstairs-of-the-house DA vibes. I’m a little intimidated but I’m keen to try it.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. This has been on my bookshelf for so long and I know there is so much controversy around it but I think I definitely will read this book. I’m very curious to see what it’s like and what I’ll think of it. I’m terrified!

1984 by George Orwell. I’m honestly not even sure why I haven’t read this yet. I think I’m just worried I won’t like it even though I do usually enjoy the genre. I will read it though! *determined face*

Verdict: Bye-Bye-Bye

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. It’s a classic but I’m just not that interested in it…

Heartsick (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #1) by Chelsea Cain. It sounds interesting, especially since it’s got a female serial killer but I don’t think I’ll be reading it anytime soon…?

bluepanda

Damn, people… I’m really sucking at removing books from my TBR! I’m keeping 6/10 books from this week’s round and I’m really hoping that I’ll read the ones that I’ve decided to keep 😂

Have you read any of these books? How easy is it to cull your TBR list? Leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Goodreads Monday – 07 October

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

It’s the first Monday of September and we’re back with another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. This meme invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you want to! I’ll be using a random number generator to pick my books from my insanely long GR Want-to-read list.

This week’s book is Enchantée (Enchantée #1) by Gita Trelease. I added this to my list in January 2019. I remember seeing the cover for the first time and thinking WOW, must have! This book has a rating of 3.74 stars with almost 4k ratings and 1,183 reviews.

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—and magicians…

When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic—la magie ordinaire—Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

With dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. There, she gambles at cards, desperate to have enough to keep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer she stays at court, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile her resentment of the nobles with the enchantments of Versailles. And when she returns to Paris, Camille meets a handsome young balloonist—who dares her to hope that love and liberty may both be possible.

But la magie has its costs. And when Camille loses control of her secrets, the game she’s playing turns deadly. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, freedom or magic—before Paris burns…

Why do I want to read it?

I’ve already mentioned it but honestly, this was 80% a cover buy for me 😂I have no shame! Not surprising that I didn’t know it was a series beforehand haha But I love historical fiction and I don’t often read ones that are also a mix of fantasy, so this combination already has me even more intrigued! The whole thing sounds like a proper magical adventure, with a little bit of mystery and I’m always on board for those kinds of stories. I’ve heard some pretty mixed reviews about it though and I have a feeling that it’s either love or hate, but I’m still looking forward to reading it.

Have you read Enchantée? Is it on your TBR too?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat!