Blog Tour Review: Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir

March 4, 2022March 4, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Today is my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir.
Special thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the amazing bloggers on tour!

Goodreads: Anne of West Philly: A Modern Retelling of Anne of Green Gables
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 01 March 2022
Genre: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

Anne of Green Gables with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and The Secret Garden on 81st Street, this full-color graphic novel moves Anne Shirley to modern-day West Philadelphia, where where she finds new friends, new rivals, and a new family.

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where she’s going to find it. Armed with a big personality and unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. But as Anne starts to get comfortable, she discovers one thing she wasn’t looking for: a family.

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Monthly Wrap Up: February 2022

March 3, 2022December 6, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads39 Comments

Another month has come and gone and honestly, good riddance to February! 🙊

Hmm… I think it’s safe to say that February was kind of a shite month? Personally, things are much better now than they were mid-month. Globally, things definitely turned to shite towards the end of the month and my heart feels so heavy, especially with regards to what’s happening in Ukraine. Every day more and more people show their disrespecting asses with their whole gd chest on that freaking bird app and this month it has just been more tiring than usual. 😮‍💨

But on a more positive note… Here are a few good things that happened this month:

#WWWWednesday: 02 March 2022

March 2, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads23 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’ve finished six books since last Wednesday and most of them were shorter reads (>300). It’s been quite a restless reading week with me picking up and then quickly abandoning many books because nothing took. I did have two 5-star reads (one a re-read) though so I guess there’s that? 🤷🏻‍♀️

The Best Men (The Best Men #1) by Sarina Bowen & Lauren Blakely ★★★☆☆
I read the prequel Super Hot Wingman (#0.5) and wasn’t entirely feeling the chemistry between our MCs but thought that’d change once I started The Best Men. Sadly, it never really got there. It wasn’t a bad read but I just wanted a bit more of their backstories, connection, everything?

Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir ★★★★☆
I read this graphic novel for an upcoming tour. It’s a modern retelling of Anne of Green Gables which I admittedly haven’t read but I still enjoyed it! The art was wonderful and the character growth was fantastic. My blog tour review is coming this Friday!

#TopTenTuesday: Books I Enjoy But Haven’t Mentioned On My Blog

March 1, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads40 Comments

So, we’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s prompt is: Books I Enjoyed, but Have Never Mentioned On My Blog

Hmm, I think this week’s topic is gonna be pretty easy (hope this doesn’t come around to bite me lol) because there are lots of books that I’ve loved and never mentioned on here. I think! Anyway, let’s head to Goodreads to find some titles… *5 minutes later* Okay, that wasn’t too painful! I rated the following books 4-5 stars and as far as I can remember have never mentioned them on my blog! I read most of these years ago so I admittedly remember close to nothing about many of them and I also have the feeling that if I read them now my ratings would be drastically different… But that’s neither here nor there! 😬 Here’s what I’ve got:

ARC Review: Chef’s Kiss by Jarrett Melendez, Danica Brine (Illustration)

February 28, 2022March 1, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads17 Comments

Special thanks to Oni Press for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: Chef’s Kiss
Publisher: Oni Press
Published: 12 April 2022
Genre: Graphic Novel

Panda Rating:

_{(5 pandas)}

Watch things start to really heat up in the kitchen in this sweet, queer, new adult graphic novel!

Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn’t even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he’s got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it’s only temporary…right?

When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear.

TL;DR: This was an absolute treat to read and I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a wonderfully illustrated graphic novel about new beginnings and finding your way in the world, with wonderful characters and great friendships that are sure to make you smile!

Let’s Talk Bookish: Changing Book Ratings/Reviews

February 26, 2022August 13, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads30 Comments

This was actually the prompt on 18 February and I wrote the post but apparently, I was too emotionally compromised by my current read at the time that I didn’t realise I never scheduled it to post… Oops! 😂 I wasn’t entirely feeling this week’s topic and didn’t want to waste this post that I’d already written, so up this one goes now!

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where we get to discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! You can check out these pages for February 2022 prompts & a full list of the past prompts!

Now without further ado… The topic asks us about:

CHANGING BOOK RATINGS/REVIEWS

(SUGGESTED BY NICOLE @ THOUGHTS STAINED WITH INK)
Prompts: Do you ever change your rating/review for a book? When or why would you consider doing so? Do you think people should be allowed to change their ratings/reviews? Is it important to make it known what the previous rating/review was if you’re changing it?

ARC Review: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

February 24, 2022February 24, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads24 Comments

Special thanks to Travis Baldree for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: Legends & Lattes
Published: 22 February 2022
Genre: Cosy Fantasy

Panda Rating:

_{(5 pandas)}

High Fantasy with a double-shot of self-reinvention

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.

However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.

A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.

TL;DR: If you’re looking for a feel-good fantasy that’s full of cosy emotion and a heartwarming message, and immersive writing that will make you feel like you’re right there at this cafe with its wonderful found family of characters, then I would immediately recommend getting your hands on a copy of this book! Trust me when I say you won’t regret it. Also, snacks. Bring snacks!

#WWWWednesday: 23 February 2022

February 23, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads19 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’ve managed to read three books since last Wednesday.

Jade Legacy (The Green Bone Saga #3) by Fonda Lee ★★★★★ <– ALL THE STARS
OH, HOW I WEPT. This induced full-body heaving sobs. This book… I just… 😮‍💨 I truly have no words. Trust Lee to write such an epic conclusion that spans over 21-years and still make me feel like it’s not enough. I want more of the Kauls and yet no matter what we get I don’t think it’ll ever be enough. The Green Bone Saga is one of the best fantasies I’ve ever read and it’s top-shelf forever. I don’t have anything else to say cos literally no words! 😂 I’m so glad I went on this journey with Jess cos there was much crying involved, haha! 💜

These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights #1) by Chloe Gong ★★★★☆
I’m so glad I buddy read TVD with Leslie cos she kept me on track while I dealt with the emotional devastation from JL, lol! I’m also glad I finally read this cos I finally get the hype! It was action-packed and much darker than I expected but Gong’s writing was stunning and I loved the slow-burn lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers doomed romance between Juliette and Roma. 😍 My review will go up next week!

#TopTenTuesday: 10 Favourite Dynamic Friendship Duos!

February 22, 2022August 11, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads58 Comments

So, we’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s prompt is: DYNAMIC DUOS (Submitted by Elley @ Elley the Book Otter)

With so much focus on romantic couples this month, I wanted to stick to friendship duos for this week’s prompt and I have to admit, I struggled (oh, this weak memory of mine)! 😂 I was tempted to go in the same direction as Leslie this week but although it took me *a while* to do it, I eventually managed to come up with a list of ten of my favourite dynamic friendship duos! Without further ado, let’s get right to it…

Goodreads Monday – Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

February 21, 2022February 21, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

Welcome back to Goodreads Monday! It’s been a hot minute since I did one of these but I’m excited to shine a spotlight on and talk a little bit about this book, which is coincidentally going to be released tomorrow (22/02/22)! Stunning. 😍

This weekly meme was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners and it 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.*

*Sorry if a book has been featured twice. I need to make better note of which ones I’ve done already!

This week’s featured book is Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. This is an upcoming release (as I mentioned above, it’s out tomorrow!) and it’s a “novel of high fantasy and low stakes”. It’s only got a few ratings on Goodreads so far but it seems well-loved!