Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [42]

February 9, 2020December 4, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads4 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 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 the majority of today reading the Texting Series by Teagan Hunter and as of now I’m on the fourth book Text Me Baby One More Time. I’ve got mixed feelings because of the male MC. He was introduced in book one and what he did was beyond gross so I don’t know how I feel reading his HEA? I’m curious about the female MC though so let’s see if I make it through this one… This series has been so much fun to read though and it’s given me all the light-hearted geek humour and laughs that I needed this weekend!

I love you, he said.
Forever, he said.
Turns out, he lied.

When he leaves me high and dry after a cross-country move, I push him out of my life as much as I can, which is hard to do when the guy who broke your heart also happens to be the most famous dude in town.

After a disastrous year, he’s aiming to rehab his reputation, and I just so happen to be aiming for a promotion at the paper. So, we strike a deal, and it’s a win-win all around. Besides, what’s the harm in a few dates to charity galas anyway?

He’s arrogant, a total jerk. There’s no way I’ll fall for him…again.
I used to love him. Now I hate him…I think.

What are you currently reading?

Top 5 Saturday: Mental Illness Rep

February 8, 2020February 9, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads19 Comments

We’re back with another Top 5 Saturday! I might’ve missed last week’s topic but I will come back to it at some point 🙂 Just in case you don’t know Top 5 Saturday is a weekly meme created by Mandy @ Devouring Books and it’s where we list the top five books (they can be books on your TBR, favourite books, books you loved/hated) based on the week’s topic. You can see the upcoming schedule at the end of my post 🙂

This week’s topic is: mental illness. I have so many books with mental illness rep on my TBR and it’s so hard to just pick five. I think these are the ones that I’d like to read as soon as possible though, plus they’re all already on my physical/Kindle shelves! I also just realised all of my picks are YA?

I’ve only read one book by John Green although of course I’ve heard plenty of rave reviews about his books, this one included. I’ve heard that the mental health rep is very well done!

Friday Favourites: Non-Human Characters

February 7, 2020February 9, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads18 Comments

Welcome back to another Friday Favourites, dear friends! Last year this weekly meme was hosted by the wonderful Kibby @ Something of the Book! However, this year Kibby has passed the torch on to Lorraine @ Geeky Galaxy. This week’s topic is: non-human characters.

Can you believe that for a couple of minutes I actually sat staring at this prompt thinking that I have no idea what to write about? Pfft. These drowsy meds are really getting to my head because WHO AM I KIDDING? Of course I have favourite non-human characters and in fact I have plenty of them! But for the sake of brevity, I’ll be sticking to a top five for this post? I’m not sure it’s all that fair to say ‘top five’ but these are also in no particular order!

Mr. Kindly

This list would be an incomplete fail of a list without Mr. Kindly in it. How can I not love this not-cat and his sharp, witty and sarcastic comments? Let’s not forget his dry humour that had me in giggling fits all throughout the Nevernight Chronicles. Plus, who actually wouldn’t love to have a not-cat shadow companion that eats all your fears? I mean, sign me up, please!

#WWWWednesday: 05 February

February 5, 2020February 5, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

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?

Despite still being sick and ordered on bed rest by the doctor, I haven’t been able to read very much since last Wednesday and only managed to finish three books (one e-ARC and blog tour book)!

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead ★★★★★
This was a book I was expecting to be five stars and I’m so glad I was right. This was an incredible read. I hadn’t read anything by Colson Whitehead until this book but I’m very eager to read his previous and future books now. He writes so simply but with words that cause such a big impact. I found myself tearing up constantly while reading about the Nickel Boys and their mistreatment. I know that these things have happened in the past and in some countries still continue to happen, but gosh, my heart. It makes me feel so sick to think about what these children go through. It’s a tough and painful read, but so worth it! Review coming soon.

Let’s Get Textual (Texting #1) by Teagan Hunter ★★★★★
This was the much needed light read I needed after finishing my previous read. This was a fun, fast and absolutely hilarious romantic comedy with two loveable and nerdy MCs that I was constantly rooting for! Zach is now also my latest fictional man crush because yeah, who doesn’t love a hot nerd with fantastic nerd humor?! Check out my full review.

(e-ARC) The Queen’s Assassin (Queen’s Secret #1) by Melissa de la Cruz ★★★☆☆
I was lucky enough to be chosen as part of The Fantastic Flying Book Club (FFBC) blog tour for The Queen’s Assassin and it’s my first of quite a few that I’ll be joining this year! I just finished this book today with time to spare to prepare my blog post for Saturday–so be on the look out for that post coming up soon! 😉

#TopTenTuesday: Five-Star Predictions on my TBR!

February 4, 2020February 4, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads49 Comments

It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: books on my TBR I predict will be five star reads!

I’ve just been thinking about the books I’ve been reading lately and… I’m kind of shook to realise that I haven’t really been giving out a whole lot of 5★ ratings to my reads lately. It’s funny because prior to joining the book community I’m pretty sure that the majority of my ratings were 4★s or 5★s… It makes me wonder whether I’ve not become more critical of the books I read or am I just not as easy to please as I was before? These thoughts actually made me realise how difficult this week’s TTT prompt is for me. It took some stewing over my want-to-read list but I think I’m happy with these predictions…

Goodreads Monday – Educated by Tara Westover

February 3, 2020February 3, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

It’s the first Goodreads Monday of 2020, friends! 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.

This week’s book is Educated by Tara Westover. This book was all over bookstagram and the book community has hyped it up extremely. Plus I absolutely love this cover (another illustrated cover but it’s also the small details that I love)! 😍 It has a very high 4.48 average with 535k+ ratings and 52k+ reviews.

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [41]

February 2, 2020December 4, 2022 Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

I’ve spent this Sunday in bed with The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz. I’ve been reading it on and off throughout the whole day as my health is still not so great. I honestly wasn’t sure how I felt about it initially but I think I’m enjoying it now. I’m participating in my first blog tour hosted by FFBC for this book on 09 February and I’m quite excited to have a spot on it, so be on the look out for my review + favourite quotes!

Caledon Holt is the Kingdom of Renovia’s deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in brawn or brains, which is why he’s the Guild’s most dangerous member and the Queen’s one and only assassin. He’s also bound to the Queen by an impossible vow–to find the missing Deian Scrolls, the fount of all magical history and knowledge, stolen years ago by a nefarious sect called the Aphrasians.

Shadow has been training all her life to follow in the footsteps of her mother and aunts–to become skilled enough to join the ranks of the Guild. Though magic has been forbidden since the Aphrasian uprising, Shadow has been learning to control her powers in secret, hoping that one day she’ll become an assassin as feared and revered as Caledon Holt.

When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they’re forced to team up as assassin and apprentice to hunt down a new sinister threat to Renovia. But as Cal and Shadow grow closer, they’ll uncover a shocking web of lies and secrets that may destroy everything they hold dear. With war on the horizon and true love at risk, they’ll stop at nothing to protect each other and their kingdom in this stunning first novel in the Queen’s Secret series.

What are you currently reading?

Friday Favourites: Bookish Quotes

January 31, 2020January 31, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

Something I don’t often do is keep track of the quotes that I come across while reading but that’s especially the case with physical copies. One of the best things about having a Kindle is the ease with which I can highlight quotes and make notes. Lucky for me (most of the time), Goodreads also has a section for quotes that I often take a peek at, in case one of the quotes I like was also highlighted by someone else. My memory is notoriously bad so my answers for these types of prompts are always pretty short! Here are a choice few quotes thanks to Goodreads, Google

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”
A Dance with Dragons, George R.R. Martin

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”
Khalil Gibran

“Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.”
Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
The Diary of A Young Girl, Anne Frank

“He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.”
Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy

“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling

What are your favourite bookish quotes?

#WWWWednesday: 29 January

January 29, 2020January 29, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads15 Comments

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?

Well, finally my “just finished reading” pile is looking a little bit more lively than earlier on in the month and lookie! That’s three e-ARCs done and dusted 🥳 I’ve been whining a lot about how sick I’ve been lately but being cooped up in the hotel room meant I was able to read more than I expected to!

The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman ★★★★☆
This conclusion went in a direction that I didn’t expect but it was wholly satisfying! I wish that the original characters, Citra and Rowan, got way more face-time than they did in this conclusion, but I did appreciate the new POVs that we’re introduced to. I was particularly fond of Jericho! All the pressing questions were answered and Shusterman ends it in such a way that short spin-offs can be made in the future! Check out my full review here.

(e-ARC) Manga Classics: The Count of Monte Cristo by Stacy King, Crystal S. Chan ★★★★½
The Count of Monte Cristo is one heckuva intimidating tome but after reading this manga classic I’m very eager to pick up the original novel! King & Chan did an amazing job at condensing a complex story into a 400-page manga, while still retaining the essence of the story and presenting it in a clear and logical order. Would highly recommend reading this if you’re intimidated by the original! Check out my full review here.

(e-ARC) Bitter Falls (Stillhouse Lake #4) by Rachel Caine ★★★½
Bitter Falls was a fast-paced and action-packed story full of what we’ve come to expect from Caine in this series — there’s family drama, an intriguing mystery, lots of killing, explosions and near-death experiences, and a somewhat happy ending. This was an enjoyable continuation of the Stillhouse Lake series but after reading this, I think my time with Gwen and her familia has run its course. The continuing over-the-top drama seems just a little too unbelievable for me now. Check out my full review here.

Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars #1) by Elizabeth Lim ★★★★½
Why did I wait so long to read this one? I don’t know but I was definitely surprised by how much I enjoyed it! While it wasn’t perfect there was certainly a lot to love (imo). I didn’t think I would get so attached to Maia and Edan but I really did and I was a solid shipper! What I did want was a better understanding of the magic though. Also, I’m gutted that I didn’t double check the release date for book two because now I must suffer waiting until July?! Check out my full review here.

(e-ARC) How to Build A Heart by Maria Padian ★★★★☆
The more I let this book sink in I realise I enjoyed it more than I didn’t. Does that sound weird? Maybe. I had some issues with the MC, Izzy, and how one of the main friendships was treated and while I wasn’t 100% pleased with the resolution of that conflict I also recognise that her character experiences satisfying growth by the end. She made questionable decisions but she’s also a teenager and I know I wasn’t immune to making more than my fair share of those! I thought the cultural representation was well done and was the most enjoyable aspect of the story for me. Padian delivers a sincere and well-written coming of age story full of family, friendships, finding yourself and learning where your heart belongs. Review coming very soon!

#TopTenTuesday: Favorite Illustrated Covers (Cover Freebie)

January 28, 2020 Dini @ dinipandareads38 Comments

It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: a cover freebie!

The first topic that always comes to mind are the prettiest covers and while I wanted to keep the topic easy enough for myself today (as I’m finally traveling home–YAY!), I thought that’d also be too easy. Plus, I kinda already did something like it at the end of 2019. After some thought I decided to focus on my favorite illustrated covers, which is a trend I’ve been noticing lately and loving a lot! 😍 I’m a sucker for illustrated covers and I’m definitely guilty of judging a book by its cover when it comes to them 😅