Mini Panda's Book Reviews

The Sad Truth I'm taking myself away from blogging for a while. For a long time, especially in the past month, I've lost all my motivation for reading. I can't seem to pick up and finish a novel. This whole year has been terrible for me. I've had to force myself to read and while I have had small bursts of great reading time I can't seem to shake this pressured feeling to have to read. It's not fun. I don't want to keep up this charade. So I regret to inform that I'm taking a step back from this blog. I want to find my spark (no matter how cliche). I want to find the reason I started this blog. I barely post on here as it is and I think that's part of the problem. It's a never-ending cycle of feeling guilty that I haven't posted so I force myself to read/post and then that in turn makes me not want to post/read less. I may post once in a while on my Twitter and Instagram so follow me there if you want updates. I don't know when I...

#(Late)Read-O-Rama TBR June 11th 12:00 am - June 17th 12:00 am This is a complete last minute thrown together TBR for #Read-O-Rama. I figured I had a lot of free time this week and it would be a great time to get some reading down. Challenges: Read a book with RAMA in the title and/or author's name Read a book with water on the cover Read a short book (150 pages or less) Read a graphic novel Read a book you've been anticipating Read an own voices novel Read a book released in summer of any year Read 7 books My TBR: Long Way Home  by Katie McGarry A Court of Wings and Ruin  by Sarah J. Maas  The Seafarer's Kiss  by Julia Ember Saga Volume 2  by Brian K. Vaughan The Hate You Give  by Angie Thomas  There Are Monsters Here  by Cameron Chase Bonus: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban  by J.K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire  by J.K. Rowling

Summer Plans Re-read: So Zoe over at readbyzoe  is doing a summer long re-readathon of the entire Harry Potter series. I haven't reread the series in a long while minus the first two books which I reread recently. I'm really excited to keep on re-reading the series. The third book is the one that I plan on reading next and it just so happens to be my favorite one. Here is Zoe's reading list schedule: Monday, May 22nd - Sunday, May 28th (one week): Philosopher's Stone, FB screenplay, FB textbook Monday, May 29th - Sunday, June 4th (one week): Chamber of Secrets, Quidditch Through the Ages Monday, June 5th - Sunday, June 11th (one week): Prisoner of Azkaban Monday, June 12th - Sunday, July 2nd (three weeks): Goblet of Fire Monday, July 3rd - Sunday, July 23rd (three weeks): Order of the Phoenix Monday, July 24th - Sunday, August 6th (two weeks): Half-Blood Prince Monday, August 7th - Friday, September 1st (four weeks): Deathly Hallows, Tales of ...

My 2017 Reading Challenge I am already planning on doing    Around The Year in 52 Books Goodreads Challenge  which I have a post about pinned on the top of my blog already but I'm also gonna be doing another year long challenge. This one is called Diversity Bingo. The goal is to actually read a book that fits each box. So far I've read one book but I thought that this was a good idea especially with the situations and people in politics right now. But mainly because it's important to read widely and see from different perspectives. 

#TBRTakedown 5.0 Wrap Up (February 6th - February 12th) I actually read a book!! I did it finally! I finished two books actually and started another two during this readathon.  I'm really happy considering lately my streak with readathons hasn't been all that great. I am busy with work and finding time to read has been hard but I did it! TBR Challenges: A book that's been on your TBR Shelf Over a Year! A book from your most recent book haul. The first book in a series. Catch up in a series. An "out of your comfort zone" book. I completed 3/5 of the challenges and 1/4 of the books from my original TBR. But I also finished a book that wasn't on my TBR before that I felt like reading. Challenges Completed: A book that's been on your TBR Shelf for over a year and the first book in a series. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis  ★ ★ ★ I gave this book 3/5 stars. It was fine. I have watched the movie before (when it ...

#TBRTakedown 5.0 February 6th (12:00 am) - February 12th (11:59 pm) I've taken part of the last few TBRTakedown's so this one is no different. I'm gonna do the TBRTakedown 5.0 Challenge. It is hosted by  @leaninglights  as always. I'm really excited to participate. I haven't finished a book this year yet and I'm ready to finish one already.  TBR Challenges: A book that's been on your TBR Shelf Over a Year! A book from your most recent book haul. The first book in a series. Catch up in a series. An "out of your comfort zone" book.

Writing: Nanowrimo Update.... Nanowrimo is a lot harder this year than years past. It's day 8 now and I've gotten very discouraged. The first two days were fine and I felt really excited to be writing but then it hit. This sudden slump. On day three I went out and instead of writing I went shopping (Which I'm really, REALLY happy with my purchase ) but I didn't write all day. I barely made a dent in my daily word count that day. Ever since then it's like I hit a wall. I don't know what to write. I've tried shipping around to write other scenes I know but that's only gone so far. After I write those scenes I'm stuck again. I don't feel motivated and I dread having to write more. The problem is I don't want to quit. It seems too early to quit but I'm so busy this month and I also still have a large TBR that I have to finish if I want to meet my Goodreads goal. I've fallen behind in everything and I don't know what to do....

#DiverseAThon Wrap Up September 12th  (12:00 am) -  September 19 th (11:59 pm) I did better and worse than the last readathon. I didn't finish any books but I started two. I guess that counts for something right? The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. This is the first book that I tried to read. I only got about 80ish pages into it. Then I got very sick (I still am) and so most of my time was spent either at work feeling like absolute crap or I was home sleeping and trying to get better. It was towards the beginning of the readathon too so it kind of went all down hill from there. But so far I like The Raven Boys . I can't really judge it all that mush since I didn't get very far but I will be finishing it soon.  Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire. I didn't finish this one either. But this one was different than The Raven Boys . One, it was VERY apparent that this book was a diverse novel. The main character is asexual and we have...

#DiverseAThon TBR September 12th  (12:00 am) -  September 19 th (11:59 pm) #DiverseAThon is hosted by Whitney @whittynovels , Monica @shemightbemonica , Christina @krazytina05 and Joce @squibblesreads . They decided to make this readathon happen in response to a rant about diversity that was just horrendous. I thought that I would take part and try to expand my reading a bit.  Last readathon I didn't do so well so hopefully this time around I can do a bit better. I'm really excited and now I'm going to do some reading!! Some I Hope To Get To:

Review: It Ends With Us  by Colleen Hoover Format (That I Read It): Book Summary: Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened. Initial Tho...

Review: November 9  by Colleen Hoover Format (That I Read It): Ebook Summary: Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist. Initial Thoughts: I remember being so excited when I heard this book was coming out. I've only read one Colleen Hoover book and that was Ugly Love.  I was most excited and only knew it was about two people meeting on the same day every year. One of them is writing a book. Review: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ I didn't expe...

#Bout of Books 17 TBR August 22nd  (12:00 am) -  August 28 th (11:59 pm) The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 22nd and runs through Sunday, August 28th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 17 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog . - From the Bout of Books team YOU CAN SIGN UP HERE.  DON'T WAIT TOO LATE IT CLOSES Tuesday, August 23rd at 11:59pm CST. I have to work this week but my hours should allow for some reading and my days off I will spend reading I don't have much of a TBR but there are at least two books I want to get to: Some I Might Get To:

Discussion: Life/Adulting           It's been a crazy lately. I've had a lot of things happen all at once. Around the middle of July, I applied and interviewed for a job which I ended up getting. So now that it's been a month I'm really trying to get everything settled and sorted out. I've had to sort things out for work. Then training and working, etc.           Another thing that happened at the end of July was that I finished Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I know that doesn't seem like a big deal but reading anything nowadays is huge because I'm still in a really weird place. I'm in and out of reading slumps. I'm not sure what is going on. After I finished Cinder I couldn't figure out what I wanted to read. It took me about two weeks to actually read a book. I know I shouldn't feel this way but I felt really bad (like it was wrong of me) to not be reading something, Then after deciding to keep pushing through A Court of Mist...

Ten Things I Want To Read Before 2016 Ends The rest of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas I've only read the first book and I have the second one on my TBR for this month but I want to catch up on the series before Empire of Storms comes out next month but I'm not sure if that would happen. The Hammer of Thor ( Magnus Chase #2) by Rick Riordan The Hammer of Thor is so freaking beautiful! It, like the first one, has a beautiful mix of colors that work well together. I'm really excited to see how the story plays out too. I love Norse mythology! It's my favorite out of all mythology.  Gemina ( Illuminae #2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff Illuminae last year shocked me with how great it was. When I started the beginning of the book it wasn't that great. I started the audiobook to hopefully add to the story and I was not disappointed. I probably will buy Gemina but wait and listen to the audiobook. I want the visuals as well as ...

Review: Morning Star  by Pierce Brown Format (That I Read It): Book Summary: Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within. Finally, the time has come. But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glo...