Ten Books I'd Gladly Throw Into the Ocean

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week's topic is Top Ten Books I'd Gladly Throw Into the Ocean.

1. Mr. President by Katy Evans
2. Lies We Believe About God by William Paul Young
3. Stealing Parker (Hundred Oaks, # 2) by Miranda Kenneally
4. The Body Electric by Beth Revis
5. Left Drowning by Jessica Park
6. The White Coat Diaries by Madi Sinha
7. Revived by Cat Patrick
8. Things I Can't Forget (Hundred Oaks, # 3) by Miranda Kenneally
9. Song of the Fireflies by JA Redmerski
10. Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

Which books would you like to throw into the ocean? Let me know!

Four Days of You and Me - Review

Four Days of You and Me

By: Miranda Kenneally

Expected Publication: May 5th 2020 by Sourcebooks Fire

352 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--A new swoon-worthy romance following a couple's love story on the same date over four years.

Every May 7, the students at Coffee County High School take a class trip. And every year, Lulu’s relationship with Alex Rouvelis gets a little more complicated. Freshman year, they went from sworn enemies to more than friends after a close encounter in an escape room. It’s been hard for Lulu to quit Alex ever since.

Through breakups, make ups, and dating other people, each year’s class trip brings the pair back together and forces them to confront their undeniable connection. From the science museum to an amusement park, from New York City to London, Lulu learns one thing is for sure: love is the biggest trip of all.

Miranda Kenneally and I have had a rocky relationship. Of course, she's completely unaware of this--our relationship or the rockiness of it. Some of her books I've loved and others I've straight hated. So I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one. One thing has become clearer and clearer to me and that is that Miranda Kenneally's books tend to have a political agenda. And I can 100% say that I despise this. Write stories that feel authentic and stop trying to go through a checklist of current political issues to address.

I very nearly DNF'd Four Days of You and Me very early. Clues were dropped that Max, Lulu's best friend, was gay but I decided to wait things out until it was confirmed. And then by the time it was confirmed, I felt too invested in Lulu and Alex. My issue comes from how it seems almost impossible in YA literature today for best friends of the opposite sex to be anything but in love with each other or one of them to be gay.

I almost felt like Miranda Kenneally made Lulu be a political activist as a means to cover all of these issues that she wanted to be sure and touch on. But perhaps the most frustrating thing for me with her books and characters has always revolved around her portrayal of Christians. In this case, there was only mention of characters that go to church. Yet there's a feeling I get any time she mentions these characters. A hostility. Or maybe a passive-aggressiveness. Or just the impression that she views all Christians or "church-goers" as hypocrites.

Ironically, this is the 2nd book in a row that was really conceptual focusing on large gaps of time in between scenes between the main characters. Maybe This Time by Kasie West was the other. I liked the ideas but the execution is a different thing. Maybe This Time covered a year and there was little interaction between the characters in between the moments shown in the story. Four Days of You and Me covered one day each year for four years but also had flashbacks between these four days that showed the characters interacted in between the main 4 days and gave a better sense of life for the characters.

I liked Lulu despite her constant political causes. She's working on a graphic novel and I always enjoy seeing pieces of the publication process. Her rollercoaster ride of a relationship with Alex felt so realistic to me. And that's one thing I feel Miranda Kenneally does really well in her books. Alex was more enjoyable to me but I find myself feeling this way about the male leads often. It could simply be the difference in who is narrating. But I often feel that way with dual narration books too.

Being from Alabama, I've visited Six Flags over Georgia many times in my life. Granted the last time I visited was when Husband and I were dating so that was over 11 years ago. But some things mentioned about the theme park were just flat out wrong. The Scream Machine does not have any loops or places where it goes upside down. It is an old wooden coaster that was built in 1973. One of the--it not the oldest--coasters left at SFOG since the Cyclone was torn down and replaced. Goliath was mentioned that your feet dangle and this is only partly true. There's still a floor beneath your feet--unlike Batman--but you are sitting in bucket-like seats that do allow your feet to dangle a bit. It really takes minimal research to get these minor details correct. I mean I know probably the majority of readers haven't been to SFOG and won't know the difference, but for those of us who have, it's a little discouraging to see these inaccuracies. And it's ironic because Lulu mentions taking notes on their trip to London about things she might need to reference again if she ever decided to write a story in that setting. I mean a park map would have told you the Great American Scream Machine does not go upside down. A few other small things didn't line up with my experience or knowledge of the park. But I think I've proven my point.

When all is said and done, Four Days of You and Me was a mixed bag. On the one hand, I liked the characters and their stories. I liked Alex. I liked Lulu. I liked most of the side characters. The story felt authentic to teenagers of today. But what didn't feel authentic was the constant political causes that Miranda Kenneally included. And I say this not because Lulu was a political activist but because Miranda Kenneally has included these types of things throughout several of her books. I also don't enjoy the hypocritical way she portrays Christian characters or any character that "goes to church". Even though it is clear to me that Miranda Kenneally knows how to write and craft a story, I don't believe I'll personally be reading any more of her books in the future as I'm sure she's not going to back off including these aspects in her work. Four Days of You and Me gets 3.5 Stars from me. Have you read Four Days of You and Me? What did you think? Let me know!

Top Ten Books for Back to School

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Back to School Freebie.

I decided to go for books that I've read recently (within the last two years) that focused on a school setting (high school and college).

1. PS I Like You by Kasie West (high school) - review coming soon
2. Bright Side (Bright Side, # 1) by Kim Holden (college) - review coming soon
3. Punk 57 by Penelope Davis (high school)
4. These Things I've Done by Rebecca Phillips (high school)
5. Coming Up for Air (Hundred Oaks, # 8) by Miranda Kenneally (high school)
6. Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist (high school)
7. By Your Side by Kasie West (high school)
8. Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, # 1) by Simone Elkeles (high school)
9. Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, # 2) by Simone Elkeles (high school)
10. Walk the Edge (Thunder Road, # 2) by Katie McGarry (high school)

This was harder than I expected when I looked at how many books aren't set in school at all (mostly fantasy) and how many might have mentioned school but it wasn't really a focus. What books are your favorites that really focus on a high school or college setting? Let me know!

Coming Up for Air - Review

Coming Up for Air (Hundred Oaks, # 8)

By: Miranda Kenneally

Expected Publication: July 1st 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire

320 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic try out, so she feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to lose to win?

I've been all over the place in my feelings for this series, but one thing has been pretty constant. I love the sports themes throughout each of these books (minus Jesse's Girl). And Coming Up for Air was no different. I've enjoyed how each book has covered a different sports. Miranda Kenneally does a great job of having the sport be such a large part of each book without taking completely over. Coming Up for Air covers swimming.

Maggie and Levi are both competitive swimmers, but they're not just on their high school teams only. They're striving for a chance to swim in the Olympics. And swimming at this level requires nothing but the utmost commitment. I loved that Maggie and Levi's friends are all committed to their own sports so they make a great team. None of them get angry because the others aren't there for them when they're busy with sports things, yet they all make an effort to continue to meet up on Friday nights--the only night they all have off--and hang out. Maggie and Levi are best friends and Hunter and Georgia are best friends. But they are all friends with each other. I enjoyed how they were able to be there for each other in unique ways but also call each other on their crap when need be.

Maggie hasn't had any time to have any kind of boyfriend or relationship because she's been so focused on swimming. This means she doesn't have any emotional experience or physical experience. The description makes it seem like Maggie makes out with Levi one time and then discovers that she has feelings for Levi. I don't want to spoil too much, but that's a bit prettier than the actual events. Maggie feels like some physical experience will give her the confidence she needs to go into college. Maggie's obsession with the physical isn't my preference, but it did ring true for what I feel like teenagers these days can relate to. I particularly laughed out loud over one scene in the beginning of Coming Up for Air because while I've never been in the situation Maggie finds herself in, I'm sure many of girls have.

I do, however, have a soft spot for best friends turned more stories. And even though the emphasis on the physical isn't my favorite, I very much enjoyed the building of Maggie and Levi's relationship. Stories where a couple has a physical encounter without any emotional foundation often get on my nerves, but Maggie and Levi have plenty of emotional foundation even if they never thought of each other in a romantic way until they moved their relationship into the physical realm.

Coming Up for Air had plenty of other aspects to factor in as well. There's the competitive swimming, practices, meets, Maggie's nemesis. Hunter's relationship with Shelby (Jack's younger sister from Racing Savannah). Georgia's baggage from being cheated on in the past. The quad going off to college/boot camp after graduation. And probably even more pieces that make Coming Up for Air a complete story.

Favorite quotes:

-He knows I want to make out, right? Not read aloud to each other.

-"Most people are so busy thinking about themselves they aren't worried about other people. It's human to think that everyone is always watching everything we do, but they aren't."

-"If you aren't comfortable enough to tell a guy what you want, you shouldn't be in bed with him."

-"By hooking up without the commitment, you set your own value short."

-"I can't let what other people do affect me."

I do have to say that I was up and down with the pop-culture references. It's a pet-peeve of mine to outright mention name brands, celebrities, current TV shows, etc because I feel like it automatically dates a book. However, I do love little nuggets that may or may not have been references to pop-culture. Like there's a reference to a cheerleader in a "tiny black and blue uniform that says Ravens" who happens to be a huge flirt at one of Georgia's cheerleading competition. Could this be a reference to Brooke or Rachel from One Tree Hill? Black and blue cheerleading uniform that says Ravens? I think it's highly likely, but it isn't spelled out. Perfect reference Miranda Kenneally. However, she turns around and mentioned a couple using Maggie's parents to plan them a "Game of Thrones-themed wedding." I guess this could go both ways for either the book or the TV show. For some reason, the book references don't bother me as much as TV references because books are a bit timeless. But even with her reference to The Raven Boys, Divergent, and some warlock book that I'm not familiar with, I just felt like these references were too much. (Also a reference is included to the movie Tangled.)

Coming Up for Air was a multi-layered book that had me blowing through the pages. While all of the aspects weren't my favorite, as Miranda Kenneally books go, Coming Up for Air was definitely a winner for me. Maggie and Levi were both likeable even when I wanted to bop them each in the head. I loved the swimming pieces that surround the story. Coming Up for Air gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Coming Up for Air? What did you think? Let me know!

Ten Books I Loved More Than I Expected

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books I Loved More Than I Expected.

1. Making Faces by Amy Harmon - My sister-in-law recommended Amy Harmon to me in the past (a different book), but I did not expect this book to be so layered and deep and beautiful and sad and happy. It has all the good things.
2. Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life's Storms by Tim Tebow - I'm not a football fan, but this book is one of the few non-fiction books that I've read in a day.
3. The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep - This particular time in history isn't my favorite to read about, but something about arranged marriages just seem to hook me.
4. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles - I wasn't sure I'd like a story where the main male character was in a gang, but turns out I did.
5. Faking Normal by Courtney C Stevens - I'd read a different book by Courtney C Stevens before this one and it was just okay for me so I wasn't sure I wanted to read more by her, but that book had a chapter from Faking Normal at the end of it and I was hooked that quickly.
6. The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West - Kasie West is one of my favorite authors, but this one just seemed to have a little something extra.
7. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick - I saw a ton of bloggers who loved this book when it first released. I was late to the game, but I expected it to be good. Yet somehow it was even better than I expected.
8. Unbreakable by Rebecca Shea - Colleen Hoover recommended this one on Facebook a couple of years ago. And come on...it's CoHo. She ought to know a good book when she reads on. Yet since I'd never heard of this author, I wasn't sure.
9. Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks, # 1) by Miranda Kenneally - I wasn't sure I would like a book about a girl who plays football, but I really really did.
10. Red Rising (Red Rising, # 1) by Pierce Brown - The description of this one didn't really hook me at all, but I kept seeing bloggers give it 5 Stars, so I thought maybe this book was more than meets the eye. And turns out that it's now one of my favorite series.

What about you guys? Which books did you expect to like more or less than you did? Let me know!

Ten Books for Back to School

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books for Back to School.

Ok so it's been twelve years since I graduated high school. (I know I'm totally giving away my age here.) I guess college can qualify here too, but that wasn't really my college experience as once I started I never stopped until I finished. And even then I graduated from college more than 5 years ago. Point being, it's been a while since I did the back to school thing. But I'm including my favorite books with high school and college settings here.

1. Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, # 1) by Simone Elkeles (review coming soon)
2. Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks, # 1) by Miranda Kenneally
3. Slammed (Slammed, # 1) by Colleen Hoover
4. Easy (Contours of the Heart, # 1) by Tammara Webber
5. All Lined Up (Rusk University, # 1) by Cora Carmack
6. Reason to Breathe (Breathing, # 1) by Rebecca Donovan
7. Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, # 1) by Katie McGarry
8. To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, # 1) by Jenny Han
9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
10. Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, # 1) by Richelle Mead

What are your favorite back to school books? Let me know!

Racing Savannah - Review

Racing Savannah (Hundred Oaks, # 4)

By: Miranda Kenneally

Published: December 3rd 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire

304 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports

Source: Borrowed from the Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--They’re from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

I think you guys know by now that I've had a rocky relationship with Miranda Kenneally's books. But I'm not going to focus on that, I'm just going to focus on Racing Savannah.

Savannah's mother passed away a few years back and her medical bills have really been tough on Savannah's father. He has been struggling to make ends meet and on top of that, his newish girlfriend is pregnant. But things are looking up as he's gotten a job as the head groom on the Goodwin's farm. And Savannah knows that she needs to try to get a job there as well to help with the bills and for herself. Yet she's never thought much about the future or what she wants.

Jack is trying so hard to prove himself to his father. His father's given him the run of the farm for the year. All decisions are Jack's, but it's a great opportunity for his father to help mentor him. While there's a lot of pressure on Jack, he manages pretty well. And he's not quite what everyone seems to think he is.

So that's the surface level stuff. But here's where we go deeper. I really liked both Savannah and Jack. Like really liked them. Savannah takes on burdens and responsibilities that shouldn't be hers. Instead of whining and moping all of the time, she takes on a huge part of her families problems. I respect Savannah mostly because of the level of respect that she had for herself. When Jack wasn't ready to go public with their relationship, Savannah doesn't stand for it. She's not fine being stuffed into the closet physically or metaphorically. Jack literally runs his father's farm. He's making big time decisions. He's helping his mother with a cookbook. His sister seems to adore him. I was just mostly impressed all around with these two.

That's not to say that Savannah and Jack didn't have their issues. Jack is sometimes more interested in his father's approval and appearances. Whereas Savannah had some insta-crushing going on. I also think these two were hasty in the physical department, but I felt like that is fairly realistic for teens these days. I enjoyed the side characters, particularly Rory and Vanessa even though they moved even quicker than Savannah and Jack.

Racing Savannah is not perfect, but the characters were some of the more respectable ones in YA literature despite their quick physical progress. I enjoyed the cameos from prior series characters. And I liked the story. Racing Savannah gets 4 Stars. Have you read Racing Savannah? What did you think? Let me know!

Defending Taylor - Review

Defending Taylor (Hundred Oaks, # 7)

By: Miranda Kenneally

Expected Publication: July 5th 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire

304 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor’s always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that’s what is expected of a senator’s daughter. But one impulsive decision—one lie to cover for her boyfriend—and Taylor’s kicked out of private school. Everything she’s worked so hard for is gone, and now she’s starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor’s escape from the pressures of school and family, but it’s hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she’s going through is her older brother’s best friend, Ezra. Taylor’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it’s hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?

You guys, I never do this, but I finished Defending Taylor about two weeks before I sat down to write this book review. I've always had a self imposed rule of letting no more than 48 hours go by without writing my review for fear of forgetting too much. Of course, that also was from a time when I was reading much more frequently, and that amount of time might have had me finishing one or maybe even two other books in that time frame. So I apologize if this review isn't one of my better ones.

As the description says, Taylor made a mistake. But the biggest mistake she made was taking the fall for something that she didn't do. It was an honorable choice but one that wasn't without dire consequences. My biggest frustration with Taylor was how bitter she ended up being with the person who was at fault. If you're going to take the fall for someone then you can't exactly get mad when things go south for you. I mean it sucks, but that's a part of the choice that you made.

Ezra is Taylor's brother's best friend. So he's pretty much always been around. And well, Taylor has had a crush on him for years. She thought they might be moving toward something back when she turned 16, but Ezra missed his chance. Of course there was a misunderstanding that caused a long portion of time and distance between the two. The thing I really enjoyed about Ezra was his determination to find his own path. Despite his parents' money, he chose to follow his own desires. Yet, sometimes we really should ask for help, and Ezra could have made things easier on himself if he'd done just that.

Miranda Kenneally's books have been up and down for me. For the most part, I really like them or really hate them. I've really enjoyed Catching Jordan, Breathe Annie Breathe, and Jesse's Girl, but I really took issue with Stealing Parker and Things I Can't Forget. While Stealing Parker and Things I Can't Forget are much more in your face with their view of God, Miranda Kenneally decided for a much more subtle approach with Defending Taylor. My issue with this is that the comment wasn't necessary at all. It didn't further explain the characters or situations that the characters were facing. It was just placed there with no real benefit to the story. Even though Parker and Kate had more obvious things I took issue with at least their opinions can be defended against. The little "nugget" placed in Defending Taylor was so small it could easily be ignored. And I probably would have ignored it had it not been for my prior experience with Miranda Kenneally's work.

Other than that one thing, I really didn't have any problems with Defending Taylor. I was pretty interested in the storyline and read it as quickly as can be expected for my current stage in life. I liked the lessons that the characters learned even if I didn't fully love Taylor's bitterness from taking the blame no one asked her to take. Overall, I'd give Defending Taylor 4 Stars. Have you read Defending Taylor? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on Defending Taylor

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

Defending Taylor (Hundred Oaks, # 7)

By: Miranda Kenneally

Expected Publication: July 1st 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire

304 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor’s always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that’s what is expected of a senator’s daughter. But one impulsive decision—one lie to cover for her boyfriend—and Taylor’s kicked out of private school. Everything she’s worked so hard for is gone, and now she’s starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor’s escape from the pressures of school and family, but it’s hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she’s going through is her older brother’s best friend, Ezra. Taylor’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it’s hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?

Miranda Kenneally and I haven't had a perfect author/reader relationship. Seems like I either really like or really hate her books. This one sounds pretty good to me though. I guess we shall see. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Top Ten New to Me Authors I Read in 2015

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten New to Me Authors I Read in 2015.

1. Jamie Shaw
2. Pierce Brown
3. Cora Carmack
4. Susan Ee
5. Rebecca Shea
6. Huntley Fitzpatrick
7. Courtney C Stevens
8. Jennifer Anne Davis
9. Jen Hatmaker
10. Miranda Kenneally

Who are your top ten new to you authors that you've read this year? Let me know!