Sunday Post - 08/16/26

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.

Well our school year started this week. Monday was our first day back to school, and it was a great day. Big Girl had pitching lessons Monday evening. Tuesday, was not great. We did a little school in the morning, and then we went to my parent's house. We grabbed my grocery pickup. But attitudes, in one child anyway, were not good. Wednesday was a much better day compared to Tuesday. We went to church that night. Thursday, Big Boy started his nature school class that happens twice a month. We packed a lunch and went to the park with friends after his class. Thursday afternoon we still had some school left to do, and that was a struggle, but we managed. Friday, was again a better day overall. Saturday, the kids had baseball/softball evaluations. That went well, but boy it was hot.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of Soulgazer (The Magpie and the Wolf, # 1) by Maggie Rapier (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for The Kiss of the Season (Fairfax Sisters, # 4) by Michelle Kenney
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Let's Go for a Drive

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Best I Never Had by Amy Buchanan
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Thursday: Review ?
Friday: Homeschool Friday - A Panda in the Bamboo Forest

NEW BOOKS:

The Architect's House of Belonging (Brides of the Regency, # 4)

By: Isabel Jacobs

Expected Publication: March 25, 2026 by Grace Romance

329 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A restless young woman. A widowed architect. Could a summer gathering bring the healing only God can give?In this heartwarming Regency romance, a young woman longing for purpose crosses paths with a grieving widower whose little girl yearns for a mother’s love. Long summer days and starlit nights at a country estate may become the setting for new beginnings neither dared to imagine.

She cannot find rest …
Jane Davis came to London with her sister for a Season full of hope and promise. Now her sister is happily married, and Jane is left wandering quiet halls, her mind troubled and her heart unsettled. Disappointed in the shallow attentions of society’s gentlemen, she misses her family—and prays for peace. Then, one sleepless night, she meets a bright-eyed little girl who asks the question Jane never “Will you be my new mama?”

He cannot forget his loss …
Two years have passed since Barclay Thompson’s beloved wife died. Though the Earl of Saunton now calls him brother, Barclay’s nights remain long and lonely. Devoted to his daughter’s happiness, he never considered opening his heart again—until he meets a young woman whose kindness stirs hope in places he thought were gone forever. Yet his birth outside of marriage makes him wary; society would scorn a match between them, and he will not bring Jane harm.

Can three lonely hearts trust that God’s providence might weave them together into a family?

The Architect's House of Belonging is the moving first novel in the Brides of the Regency series by Isabel Jacobs. If you enjoy noble heroes, courageous heroines, and stories of romance woven with faith and emotional depth, then you will be captivated by this heartfelt tale of love, trust, and quiet redemption.

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!

Homeschool Friday - Let's Go for a Drive

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Let's Go for a Drive (Elephant & Piggie, # 18) (Biggie 1, # 4)

By: Mo Willems

Publication: October 2, 2012 by Hyperion Books for Children

64 pages

Genre: Children's, Animals, Level-1, Early Reader, Humor, Picture Books

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In Let's Go for a Drive Gerald and Piggie want to hit the road. But the best-laid plans of pigs and elephants often go awry.

Let's Go for a Drive is the fourth Elephant and Piggie story included in Biggie 1 even though Goodreads lists it as # 18 in the series. Elephant and Piggie books are books that my then seven-year-old wanted to read. They are lengthy books (64 pages) for this reading level. I love this. Most pages only have a sentence or two at most, so my son didn't feel overwhelmed and can read through the books quickly. These are all AR Level 1 (a couple of them are 0.5 and 0.6) so the words aren't complex or difficult.

Gerald gets the great idea to go on a drive and asks Piggie to go also. The realize they need a plan and a map. Then they need sunglasses. Piggie is great at getting the things they will need for their drive. Planning ahead means they may need umbrellas. The realize they have a lot to take with them, so they need bags to carry their stuff. Ultimately, they realize they don't have a car.

The illustrations for Let's Go for a Drive make the series and bring the words to life. Any book that can get my son to enjoy any part of the reading process is a win for me. Let's Go for a Drive gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Let's Go for a Drive. What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for The Kiss of the Season

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

The Kiss of the Season (Fairfax Sisters, # 4)

By: Michelle Kenney

Expected Publication: November 6, 2026 by One More Chapter

? pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--‘Worthy of Georgette Heyer…the most wonderfully satisfying five star Regency Romp’ Julie CaplinStern elder brother, and master matchmaker of the Fairfax family, Sir Thomas Fairfax intends to announce the marriage of his youngest sister, Matilda, at The Knightsbridge Christmas Ball.

Determined to defy her brother, Matilda persuades her friend Georgiana to accompany her on a bracing ride over a wintry Dartmoor so she can enlist as a nurse with the army instead. Yet, her plan fails when Georgiana falls and breaks her ankle, developing a fever that concerns them enough to send for her older, widowed sister, Miss Arabella Farrington.

From the moment the enigmatic Arabella arrives, it is clear that she and Thomas share a mysterious history. Faced with the secrets of the past, Thomas finds himself questioning the future he thought he knew…

Each book in the Fairfax Sisters series can be read as a standalone.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Soulgazer - Review

Soulgazer (The Magpie and the Wolf Duology, # 1)

By: Maggie Rapier

Publication: July 8, 2025 by Ace

451 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Pirates

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Every legend has a beginning.

With their freedom on the line, a young woman and a rakish pirate take their fate into their own hands as they attempt to find a lost mythical isle with the power to save their entire world.

Saoirse yearns to be powerless. Cursed from childhood with a volatile magic, she's managed to imprison it within, living under constant terror that one day it will break free. And it does, changing everything.

Horrified at her loss of control, Saoirse’s parents offer her hand to the cold and ruthless Stone King. Knowing she'll never survive such a cruel man, Saoirse realizes there is only one path forward…she must break her curse.

On the eve of her wedding, Saoirse seeks out the legendary Wolf of the Wild—Faolan, a feral, silver-tongued pirate. He swears to help rid her of the deadly magic, if she’ll use it to locate a lost mythical isle first. Crafted by the slaughtered gods, it’s the only land that could absorb her power.

But Saoirse knows better than to trust a pirate’s word. With the wrath of her disgraced father and scorned betrothed chasing them, Saoirse adds one last condition to protect if Faolan wants her on his ship, he'll have to marry her first.

Saoirse picked up a soulstone as a child, and ever since then, she and her family have believed her to be cursed. After touching her pregnant mother's belly, her baby brother died. After touching her older brother, he drowned. But it isn't every human touch that seems to condemn someone to death. So that part was a little confusing to me. Since these incidents, Saoirse has been cast into a cottage to live alone for years. Her father is one of the kings of this realm, and he's treated her unkindly since he lost two children "at her hands." But he still plans to use her for a political match. I don't see how that's possible exactly, but he was keeping the details of her "curse" to himself and not sharing it with the man he basically wants to sell her off to. At the same time, her father has been attempting to bind her magic.

Saoirse has existed on tales of the Wolf and his escapades, as her older brothers used to tell her his stories. When Saoirse is allowed out of the cottage for a yearly ceremony, she runs into the Wolf himself. He just so happens to be looking for the exact magic that Saoirse is capable of. Only her magic is now stifled due to her father's bindings. Saoirse knows that her only protection from the bethrothal that her father has arranged is if she's married to someone else. So she and Wolf get married as a marriage of convenience. Although no one but them knows that--not even his crew.

You see, the Wolf, Faolan, is a pirate. He's been working for his queen, his cousin, to pay a life debt. But his time to find an island that can't be found is running out. He needs Saoirse's magic in order to find it. Of course, Faolan and Saoirse begin to develop feelings that go beyond convenience.

The magic of this world is unique. Saoirse isn't the only one who holds magic, but her kind is feared because people don't understand it.

Favorite quotes:

-The Wolf's hold falters as I buckle forward, choking on the waves of it because I know him, this stranger. I see a hundred different versions of his face, feel the weight of his hand upon my chest--I know that I'm going to tear through his world like an arrow through flesh, and he will bear those scars for the rest of his days. I will steal his rest, and he will rob me of mine. We are going to break each other.

-Legends may not die, but stories always end.

As per usual, we can't have side characters without trying to check all of the boxes. I can't say more because AI bots will block my reviews on various sites where I post my reviews. But know that the alphabet is present in this one.

All of that being said, I never had an issue with the world-building. I don't avoid "witch" books per se, but I have found that none of them particularly satisfy what I'm looking for in a story. I've felt the same about time travel and mermaid books. I just haven't found one that works for me. And this world isn't about witches in the sense of casting spells. But when I read the author's note at the end of the book, I felt a conviction not to continue the series. I can't explain it. There was nothing in this book that turned me off exactly. There was no content that I can point to. But afterwards, when I went to pick up the next book, I just felt a strong conviction not to read it. And I know that it came outside of myself because my preference was to read book 2. I enjoyed book Soulgazer enough to want to continue the series. But I've also learned to listen to these "instincts." So I won't be continuing the series.

Soulgazer had a unique magical world that I'd not seen before. It's one of only two pirate books that I've enjoyed. It wasn't without faults. The diversity for diversity's sake is always frustrating to me. But the conviction I felt not to continue the series leaves me feeling like I can't exactly recommend this book to others either. Soulgazer itself gets 4 Stars. The conviction I felt didn't come until I'd finished this book. Thus, I won't be continuing the series. Have you read Soulgazer? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 08/09/26

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 was our last week of summer break from school. Monday we ended up not having pitching practice. Tuesday, I took the kids to my parents, but then I had to run to the dentist. After I got the kids, we picked up groceries, and then headed home. I did end up taking Big Girl to pitching practice Tuesday night. My mom gave me a fall diamond art, and I decided I wanted to work on that before school started back, so I spent a lot of time this week listening to audiobooks and doing diamond art. Wednesday was a pretty chill day. We went to church that night. Thursday, the kids had a neighborhood friend who spent most of the day with us. Friday, I last minute decided to use a gift card to a new indoor playground facility in our area. It was much bigger than the others nearby, and it had more things for older kids I think. We actually ran into two different boys that have played baseball with Big Boy in the past--although never all 3 on the same team before. Saturday, I mopped my entire house while listening to an audiobook, and I push-mowed the backyard. Husband grilled steaks for us that night. I can't believe school starts back tomorrow. It'll be our 4th year of homeschooling.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of Embrace (Off the Ice, # 4) by Bal Khabra (4 Stars)
Tuesday: Ten Books I Was Reading On This Day Over the Years
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Peculiar Stars by Rebecca Yarros
Friday: July 2026 EOM Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Soulgazer (The Magpie and the Wolf Duology, # 1) by Maggie Rapier
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Thursday: Review ?
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Let's Go for a Drive

NEW BOOKS:

No new books this week!

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!