Saturday, November 30, 2013

November EOM Wrap Up

I have read 8 books this month.

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (The Coincidence, # 3) by Jessica Sorensen
Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion, # 1) by Aimee Carter
Rome (Marked Men, # 3) by Jay Crownover
Uninvited (Uninvited, # 1) by Sophie Jordan
Almost by Anne Eliot
The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, # 3) by Richelle Mead
Between the Lines (Between the Lines, # 1) by Tammara Webber
Love & Respect in the Family by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

I reviewed 11 books this month.

Finding Cinderella (Hopeless, # 2.5) by Colleen Hoover
The Edge of Always (The Edge of Never, # 2) by JA Redmerski
Countdown by Michelle Rowen
Divergent (Divergent, # 1) by Veronica Roth
Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths, # 1) by KA Tucker
One Tiny Lie (Ten Tiny Breaths, # 2) by KA Tucker
Allegiant (Divergent, # 3) by Veronica Roth
The Bet (The Bet, # 1) by Rachel Van Dyken
Sia by Josh Grayson
Jet (Marked Men, # 2) by Jay Crownover
Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits, # 3) by Katie McGarry

My other post this month:

Sunday Post - 69 & Stacking the Shelves - 42
Sunday Post - 70 & Stacking the Shelves - 43
Sunday Post - 71 & Stacking the Shelves - 44
Sunday Post - 72 & Stacking the Shelves - 45
Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait to Get My Hands On
Top Ten Covers I Wish I Could Re-Design
Top Ten Books I'd Recommend to My Sister
Top Ten Things I'm Thankful For
Waiting on The Immortal Crown (Age of X, # 2) by Richelle Mead
Waiting on Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
Waiting on The Ever After of Ella & Micha (The Secret, # 3.5) by Jessica Sorensen
Waiting on Silver Shadows (Bloodlines, # 5) by Richelle Mead
3rd Annual Black Friday Book Bonanza Sign Ups
3rd Annual Black Friday Book Bonanza Giveaway
2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge
2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge - My Goals

Black Friday Book Bonanza

Goals Progress:

Read 123 out of 104 books
Read 6 out of 1-5 Witch & Witchcraft books
Read 21ish out of 12 Wishlist books
Read 45 out of 15 Sequels
Read 2 out of 6 Classics
Read 8 out of 6 Non-fiction books

Thursday, November 28, 2013

3rd Annual Black Friday Book Bonanza Giveaway

The end of the 2013 is creeping up (where did the time go?!), and it’s time to clear some space on those bookshelves! What better time to give away books than the holidays? Instead of running out to the stores on Black Friday, stay in and win new or new-to-you books. The hosts for this hop are Jennifer from The Bawdy Book Blog, Lisa from Alive On the Shelves, and Sandy from Somewhere Only We Know. The dates: 12:01 AM Friday November 29 through 11:59 PM December 1.

I'm choosing books I've enjoyed so much and am thus thankful for this year as the giveaway options. The winner gets to choose (1) of the following:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out the other giveaways:

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Waiting on Silver Shadows

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Silver Shadows (Bloodlines, # 5)

By: Richelle Mead

Expected Publication: July 29th 2014 by Razorbill

416 pages

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Vampires, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

After having finished The Fiery Heart earlier this week, Silver Shadows had to be my pick this week. What are you waiting on? Let me know!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Top Ten Things I'm Thankful For

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Things I'm Thankful For.

I don't normally blog about things non-book related aside from a paragraph a week in my Sunday Post, but while I'm thankful for books, that's just not ALL my life is about. So please pardon me while I take this time to show my appreciation for non-book related things. You'll be able to see that most of the "numbers" for my list below are people, because that's what I think is most important in this life.

    1) Always first and foremost is my Savior dying on the cross to pay the price for my sins. Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death..." and Hebrews 9:22 says "...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Jesus shed His blood and gave His life so that I don't have to spend eternity apart from Him. I didn't deserve it. I don't deserve it. I can't earn it. But boy am I thankful for it--for Him, and for God's plan.
    2) In line with that, I'm thankful for the Bible because without it, I wouldn't even know that salvation is available to me.
    3) I'm thankful for Husband. He isn't perfect, but neither am I. God brought us together to help each other make it from Earth to Heaven. Russ counterbalances me in every way. Where I am logical, he is feeling. Where I assume, he questions. Where I plan and set goals, he is laid back, goes with the flow, and forces me to be spontaneous. He is everything I'm not, and I can't think of anyone who would be better suited to be my partner for the next 60 years.
    4) I'm thankful for my parents. They raised me to believe in God and that alone is worthy of praise and thanksgiving. But they're just generally great people. My dad is the social butterfly. He's literally the opposite of me in every way just about. Where were haven't always had the closest relationship because we're so different, we've gotten a lot closer over the years, and I'm coming to value him more and more with each day that goes by. I think I've taken my mom for granted over the years. She's not a lot of fuss. It doesn't take much to keep her happy. And because of this, sometimes she fades into the background. But she's always been there. She's been so many things throughout my life, from mother, teacher, and friend. The older I get, the more I appreciate everything she's done for me. And I'm sure that's going to keep growing once I'm a mother as well.
    5) My siblings. My brother and I are so much alike. It's crazy. But he's wise and has been such a good influence for me over the years. I really appreciate his leadership and guidance. My sister has been my partner in crime and this may be obvious, but one of my most constant friends. I'm so thankful that she lives closer again.
    6) My in-laws. Holly has become as much of a sister as if she was born into our family. I couldn't have asked for better in-laws on Russ's side. They've really been great and I know we haven't even touched the surface of our relationship together. When a snake somehow made it into my tub and Russ was at a business conference, I didn't have to ask twice before they came to my rescue. And Tonya and family just don't live close enough.
    7) Nieces and nephews. Jessie, Caleb, Austin, Ethan, and Ashlyn (listed by birth order). I love them each and wish I could spend more time with them. I've really enjoyed seeing them grow into their own with each passing year. I can't wait to see the young adults they are going to become.
    8) My closest friends. In order of how long I've known them, Jennifer, Lacy, Kay, Paula, Amanda, Arin, Kim. These are all ladies who have taught me so much. They're people who want to grow which I so appreciate and try to surround myself with. I know these are the people who have my back no matter what, and I hope they feel the same.
    9) This probably shouldn't be number 9 on my list, but you know how that goes. My spiritual family. That's another great thing about Jesus. He brings together people from all different backgrounds into one giant family. I have spiritual family all over the world. People who all have the essentials in common. And more times than not, these people have lifted me up when I've been down. I couldn't be surrounded with better extended family.
    10) All other extended friends and family. If I named them all by relationship and individual name, I'd be here for ages because I'm surrounded by so many great and wonderful people.
    11) In keeping with my "people" thing, I'll lump all people book related in this one. Authors, publishers, bloggers, readers of my blog, and readers all around. This hobby wouldn't be the same without all of the wonderful people involved in this community. Authors who have these magnificent ideas and understanding about human nature. Publishers who polish the ideas and bring them to the masses. Bloggers who share the same love that I have. And readers as well who make sharing books so special. Love and thanks to you all.

What are you most thankful for?

Monday, November 25, 2013

Crash Into You - Review

Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits, # 3)

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: November 26th 2013 by Harlequin Teen

474 pages

Genre: YA, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

*contented sigh*

I didn't really like Isaiah at all in Dare You To. At all. I thought he was a real jerk to Beth. And so on the one hand, I wasn't really looking forward to Isaiah's story. On the other hand, it's Katie-friggin-McGarry! It's going to be good. You know?

Crash Into You had me hooked from way early on--like 5 or 7% or something. I would have finished it within 24 hours if I wasn't forced to put it down due to real-life obligations.

I felt like these characters were so real--the situations they're in also. Rachel was born as a replacement daughter for the one her family lost to cancer. She's faced with the fact that she's not her dead sister. She's never going to be her dead sister. And no matter how hard she tries to be, she just ends up failing at this. I think this is such a real-life situation that I've not seen in the books that I usually read. Rachel is searching for someone to see and to love her for exactly who she is. And of course that's exactly what Isaiah does.

Isaiah...well he's the same way. He's been in the foster care system since he was six. He's never known who his father was. His mother is in jail. After being passed from home to home, he just wants someone to choose him. He wants to be worthy of being loved. And he doesn't want to be alone. He's found family in Noah, Echo, and at one time, Beth, but now Noah's in college. And with Echo, Noah seems to be starting his own family. He and Isaiah are still family...but it's just that things are changing.

I loved that in Crash Into You, Isaiah and Rachel weren't playing this game of denial with themselves or each other. They meet. They have a connection. They have some pretty intense moments with each other, and while everything isn't peachy all the time, they don't spend too much time fighting the fact that they like each other. That was so refreshing to me. Just openly admit that you like someone and see where it goes. No games of cat and mouse. And while Isaiah and Rachel both have issues that they need to work out, I liked how they handled each other and how the battles they were fighting (for the most part) weren't against each other. They were working as a team (again for the most part) against a common enemy/conflict.

The secondary characters are just as alive as Rachel and Isaiah. We see Noah and Echo--though not as much as I'd like. Even Beth and Ryan. But we've got Logan, who we met in Dare You To--Ryan's best friend. Abby who turns out is Isaiah's longest standing friendship. Can I just say that I loved her! She's so quirky. You never know what she's going to say. And I just adore how she attached herself to Rachel so quickly. And then there's Rachel's brothers, mostly Ethan and West, but also Gavin and Jack. I can't wait to read West's story, Take Me On, and I would love to read Logan and Ethan's as well. Abby too. Oh boy...Katie McGarry could be writing from different characters from this series for the rest of her career, and I'd be okay with that.

Memorable quote that's not spoilerish but isn't going to make any sense out of context:

"I now understand why so many deer are hit by cars." - Rachel

There were a couple of things that I noted as being too convenient. I think Katie McGarry skirted some issues and might have even been doing some back pedaling, but these weren't big enough to change my opinion of the overall story.

Crash Into You gets 4.5 Stars from me. I debated on giving it 5, but I've been stingy with the 5 Stars this year. I definitely enjoyed Crash Into You better than Dare You To, and possibly almost as much as Pushing the Limits. Great addition to the series. Have you read Crash Into You? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Sunday Post - 72 & Stacking the Shelves - 45

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

This week has FLOWN by I tell you! And truth be told, I've been in a really excellent mood. And I can't wait for Thanksgiving this week. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving as well. Of course, I went to see Catching Fire Friday night with Husband, SNL, Holly @ Words Fueled by Love, and my friend Paula. It was GREAT! You guys seriously! I think it was better than the first movie. There are some differences from the book--as there always are. But it was really well done. I wanted to do a movie review and post that yesterday, but after seeing the movie, I realized how much I need to do a re-read before I could do a legit movie review. But time just did not allow me to re-read it before seeing the movie. Have you guys seen it? What did you think? Also, how about the newer and longer Vampire Academy trailer and the Divergent trailer. So glad to see those in the previews and looking forward to seeing both movies in the theater.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Bet (The Bet, # 1) by Rachel Van Dyken (3 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Recommend to My Sister
Wednesday: Waiting on The Ever After of Ella and Micha (The Secret, # 3.5) by Jessica Sorensen & 3rd Annual Black Friday Book Bonanza Sign Ups
Thursday: Review of Sia by Josh Grayson (2.5 Stars)
Friday: Review of Jet (Marked Men, # 2) by Jay Crownover (4 Stars)
Saturday: 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge Sign Ups

Black Friday Book Bonanza

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits, # 3) by Katie McGarry
Tuesday: Top Ten Things I'm Thankful For
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
Friday: Black Friday Book Bonanza Giveaway Hop (Ends 12/1/13)
Saturday: November EOM Wrap Up

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, # 4)

By: Richelle Mead

Published: November 19th 2013 by Razorbill

438 pages

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Vampires, Fantasy

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Saturday, November 23, 2013

2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge - My Goals

This challenge is for all of you series readers who are scared to death of that last book in the series. You anxiously await it. You stalk it. You get your hands on it as soon as possible. But then…you put off reading it for fear that it might not be everything you thought it would be. Or, maybe you just have a backlog of series started and you need to finish that last book.

Challenge Guidelines:

    1) This challenge will run from January 1, 2014 until December 31, 2014.
    2) Anyone can enter. You don’t have to have a blog just as long as you review your books somewhere: on your blog if you have one, Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.
    3) Any genre, length, or format is acceptable as long as it is the last book in a series where all books in the series have been published and no more books are currently intended to be published in the series. If an author makes a decision somewhere during the year to add on to the series, we will count both the original last book in the series and the “new last” book in the series assuming the author isn’t going to write more than one additional book. Last book published in a series doesn’t count if more books are expected to be published.
    4) You can list your series enders ahead of time or do a singular wrap up post. If you decide to list them up front, feel free to change them throughout the year as necessary.
    5) When you sign up in the linky, please use the direct link to your post about joining the 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge. If you don’t have a blog, please post about it on Facebook or Twitter and include that direct link as your sign up.
    6) You can sign up until December 15, 2014. This allows you to join the challenge at any time during the year.
    7) On the 25th of every month, we will post a wrap up on both Somewhere Only We Know and Words Fueled by Love with a giveaway and a place for you to link up your reviews for the month. The monthly giveaway will be open until the next wrap up post goes up (ex. From January 25th 2014, to February 25th 2014). For each link to a review, you will get an (1) entry into a drawing for that giveaway. This will be open internationally.
    8) If you miss a wrap-up post and giveaway, you can link your review the next month. Please do not try to link to one review twice. We will be verifying these.
    9) December will be the wrap up for the entire year. All reviews linked from January through December will be entered into a Grand Prize giveaway.
    10) You don’t have to follow Somewhere Only We Know or Words Fueled by Love to participate in the challenge, but you do have to follow both of us in order to be entered in the giveaways.

Levels: (how many series enders you are planning to read)

Level 1: 1 – 5
Level 2: 5 – 10
Level 3: 10 – 15
Level 4: 15+

Check out the sign up post to join the challenge.

This reading challenge is hosted by Somewhere Only We Know & Words Fueled by Love.


My Goals:
  1. Finale (Hush, Hush, # 4) by Becca Fitzpatrick
  2. Rapture (Fallen, # 4) by Lauren Kate
  3. The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey, # 4) by Julie Kagawa
  4. Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, # 3) by Laini Taylor
  5. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments, # 6) by Cassandra Clare
  6. Ceaseless (The Existence Trilogy, # 3) by Abbi Glines
  7. Ruins (Partials, # 3) by Dan Wells
  8. Requiem (Delirium, # 3) by Lauren Oliver
  9. The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, # 3) by Michelle Hodkin
  10. Forever (Temptation, # 3) by Karen Ann Hopkins
  11. Ruin & Rising (The Grisha, # 3) by Leigh Bardugo
  12. Sinner (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, # 3.5) by Maggie Stiefvater
  13. Updated:

  14. Strange and Ever After (Something Strange and Deadly, # 3) by Susan Dennard
  15. Taking Control (The Kerr Chronicles, # 2) by Jen Frederick
  16. Blood of My Blood (Jasper Dent, # 3) by Barry Lyga
  17. A is for Abstinence (V is for Virgin, # 2) by Kelly Oram
  18. Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin, # 3) by Robin LaFevers
  19. Breakable (Contours of the Heart, # 2) by Tammara Webber
  20. Shatter (True Believers, # 4) by Erin McCarthy
  21. Five Ways to Fall (Ten Tiny Breaths, # 4) by KA Tucker
  22. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, # 3) by Steig Larsson
  23. Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, # 6) by Richelle Mead

I hope to read more than this, but these are just the ones that I know for sure are going to be available as the last in the series throughout 2014. Some series the author hasn't clearly stated how many more will be released or when the publication date is going to be for the last book in the series. I'm keeping my eyes out for Bloodlines # 6's publishing date (by Richelle Mead), how many more will be in the Lux series (by JLA), The Secret series and The Coincidence series (by Jessica Sorensen), and not sure if Five Ways to Fall (Ten Tiny Breaths, # 4) by KA Tucker will be the last or not, and then how many more in the Cambion series (by Shannon Dermott) there will be. All of these are ones I'm keeping my eyes out for more information. Also, I'm sure I'll come upon a series or two during the year were all the books are already published, and I can make my way through them all throughout the year. We'll see.

Updated: 10/18/14

2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge

This challenge is for all of you series readers who are scared to death of that last book in the series. You anxiously await it. You stalk it. You get your hands on it as soon as possible. But then…you put off reading it for fear that it might not be everything you thought it would be. Or, maybe you just have a backlog of series started and you need to finish that last book.

Join us in knocking out those pesky last books in a series. This is your chance. Here’s your motivation. Better than that, we’ve got prizes!

Challenge Guidelines:

    1) This challenge will run from January 1, 2014 until December 31, 2014.
    2) Anyone can enter. You don’t have to have a blog just as long as you review your books somewhere: on your blog if you have one, Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.
    3) Any genre, length, or format is acceptable as long as it is the last book in a series where all books in the series have been published and no more books are currently intended to be published in the series. If an author makes a decision somewhere during the year to add on to the series, we will count both the original last book in the series and the “new last” book in the series assuming the author isn’t going to write more than one additional book. Last book published in a series doesn’t count if more books are expected to be published.
    4) You can list your series enders ahead of time or do a singular wrap up post. If you decide to list them up front, feel free to change them throughout the year as necessary.
    5) When you sign up in the linky, please use the direct link to your post about joining the 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge. If you don’t have a blog, please post about it on Facebook or Twitter and include that direct link as your sign up.
    6) You can sign up until December 15, 2014. This allows you to join the challenge at any time during the year.
    7) On the 25th of every month, we will post a wrap up on both Somewhere Only We Know and Words Fueled by Love with a giveaway and a place for you to link up your reviews for the month. The monthly giveaway will be open until the next wrap up post goes up (ex. From January 25th 2014, to February 25th 2014). For each link to a review, you will get an (1) entry into a drawing for that giveaway. This will be open internationally.
    8) If you miss a wrap-up post and giveaway, you can link your review the next month. Please do not try to link to one review twice. We will be verifying these.
    9) December will be the wrap up for the entire year. All reviews linked from January through December will be entered into a Grand Prize giveaway.
    10) You don’t have to follow Somewhere Only We Know or Words Fueled by Love to participate in the challenge, but you do have to follow both of us in order to be entered in the giveaways.

Levels: (how many series enders you are planning to read)

Level 1: 1 – 5
Level 2: 5 – 10
Level 3: 10 – 15
Level 4: 15+

If you have any questions, please contact us at: Sandy's Email or Holly's Email

To join the challenge:

    1) Write a blog post about joining the 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge on your blog. For those of you who would like to participate but don’t have a blog, post about it on Facebook or Twitter.
    2) In your post, please include: the button, a link back to the sign up page, a link to both Somewhere Only We Know and Words Fueled by Love, the level you hope to achieve, and (optional) a list of the series you hope to complete.
    3) Place the button for the challenge in your sidebar (use the “grab this code” at the bottom of the post here).
    4) Link up in the linky using the direct link to your post/tweet/etc.

And that’s it! Welcome to the 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge. Good luck!

This reading challenge is hosted by Somewhere Only We Know & Words Fueled by Love.