Mini Panda's Book Reviews

#TOMETOPPLE READ-A-THON TBR April 7th 12:00 am - April 20th 11:59 pm Here we are again! Yet another # TOMETOPPLE readathon. I have just gotten out of a reading slump so let's see if this is a terrible idea or not (hopefully not).  Challenges: Read more than one tome (500+ pages) Read a graphic novel Read a tome that's part of a series  Buddy read a tome Read an adult novel My TBR: The Name of the Wind  by Patrick Rothfuss 662 Pages Heir of Fire  by Sarah J. Maas  562 Pages The Book Thief  by Mark Zusak 550 Pages

Review: Dragonfly in Amber  by Diana Gabaldon Format (That I Read It): Book/Audiobook Summary: From the author of Outlander... a magnificent epic that once again sweeps us back in time to the drama and passion of 18th-century Scotland... For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland's majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones ...about a love that transcends the boundaries of time ...and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his .... Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire's spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart ...in a race to thwart ...

#TBRTakedown 4.0 June 20th (12:00 am) - June 26th (11:59 pm) I took part in the TBRTakedown 4.0 Challenge. It is hosted by  @leaninglights . Now this time, around with TBRTakedown it was a lot more difficult to read. When this readathon started I just one, finished up another readathon, and two I had just gotten back from my vacation.  TBR Challenges: A book that's been on your TBR Shelf Over a Year! An unread sequel sitting on your TBR shelf. The first book in a series on your TBR shelf. An "out of your comfort zone" book. A book from your most recent book haul. A book that's been on your TBR Shelf Over a Year: The BFG  by Roald Dahl ★★★★ This book was super cute! Sophie and the BFG's relationship was just too adorable but the book did have darker undertones that I wasn't expecting. I mean I know that the book was about one friendly giant and a whole slew of evil ones but I didn't expect it to be darker than the giants eating ...

#TOMETOPPLE READ-A-THON June 5th 12:00 am - June 19th 11:59 pm Thoughts on Tomes  came up with this read-a-thon. It focuses on big books. Most read-a-thons focus on reading as many books as possible. I have many big books that I want to tackle so when I heard there was going to be a read-a-thon about reading as many pages as you can I wanted in.  WRAP UP: This read-a-thon didn't go as planned. I knew going into it that I would be on vacation the last week of the read-a-thon so I had a plan to read majority of my books the first week. That didn't happen. I did read some but not as much as I like. I had family issues going on that had stopped my reading and once that had settled I was on vacation. Again I read as much as I could. Challenges: Read more than one tome (500+ pages) &  Read an adult novel For these two challenges I read Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. I started reading this book at the beginning of the month. I made quite a bit...

Recommendations: If you like this.... (TV Shows) you'll like this.... (Books) ~All suggestions are my own opinion~ My recommendations go both ways. If you like the book then I think you will like the show. Both the TV shows and books I recommend are ones that I've watched/read and really enjoyed. Some of the shows have ended which I will indicate (by this *) but all the rest are currently ongoing.   If you like Dexter*  you will like You by Caroline Kepnes. Both of these are very similar in my mind. I was getting a lot of Dexter vibes when I was reading You . They both revolve around anti-heroes. Both of the main characters are people you love to hate. They also involve similar things, albeit Dexter is quite a bit darker with Dexter being a serial killer and Joe being a stalker. Both show and book are creepy and make you rethink who you can actually trust.  If you like  Outlander  you will like  The Bronze Horseman  by Paul...

The Intimidating TBR Book Tag!  ( Source ) 1.What book have you been unable to finish? Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson was one of the few books that I've DNF'd. I tried to read this book several times and I couldn't seem to get through it. It just couldn't seem to hold my interest. Maybe someday I'll finally finish it. What book have you yet to read because... 2. ... you haven't had the time? All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I absolutely LOVE  historical fiction and I can't wait to read this book because I've heard so many fantastic things. The problem I have is there so many other books that I've been reading and so hopefully soon I will get to this soon! 3. ... it's a sequel? Even though I read the first two books and LOVED them (it even became some of my favorite books of all time) I have yet to read Morning Star by Pierce Brown. I pre-ordered this book and got really upset when I didn...

#TBRTakedown 3.5 April 8th (12:00 am) - April 10th (11:59 pm) I took part in the TBRTakedown 3.5 Challenge. It is hosted by  @leaninglights . Normally TBR Takedown is a week long readathon but this is just a mini-readathon that is three days long.  TBR Challenges: Standalone  Most Recent Haul Catch Up in a Series TBR Shelf Over a Year (Or the Longest) *MINOR SPOILERS BELOW* Day 1: Catch Up in a Series The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan ★★★★ I loved getting back into the world of Percy Jackson. The humor was still there in places but there was something about this book that made me not like it as much as the first two books. I mean it still was fantastic but it didn't live up to the other two. The story was mainly setting up for the last two books in the series. That probably is because I was spoiled her major plot points that occurred. The story was mainly setting up for the last two books in the series. Another thing that sort of ruined t...

Review:  The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons Format (That I Read It): Book Summary: The golden skies, the translucent twilight, the white nights, all hold the promise of youth, of love, of eternal renewal. The war has not yet touched this city of fallen grandeur, or the lives of two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanova, who share a single room in a cramped apartment with their brother and parents. Their world is turned upside down when Hitler's armies attack Russia and begin their unstoppable blitz to Leningrad. Yet there is light in the darkness. Tatiana meets Alexander, a brave young officer in the Red Army. Strong and self-confident, yet guarding a mysterious and troubled past, he is drawn to Tatiana—and she to him. Starvation, desperation, and fear soon grip their city during the terrible winter of the merciless German siege. Tatiana and Alexander's impossible love threatens to tear the Metanova family apart and expose the dangerous secret Alexander so ca...