Top Twelve Red/White/Blue Book Covers

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 Red/White/Blue Book Covers.

1. A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 2) by Sarah J Maas
2. Sadie by Courtney Summers (review coming soon)
3. All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire
4. Long Way Home (Thunder Road, # 3) by Katie McGarry
5. Shadowcaster (Shattered Realms, # 2) by Cinda Williams Chima
6. If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L Armentrout
7. Winter (Lunar Chronicles, # 4) by Marissa Meyer
8. Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
9. The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett
10. A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 1) by Sarah J Maas
11. One Small Thing by Erin Watt
12. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, # 4) by Sarah J Maas

Which books are your top red/white/blue book covers (or whatever your country colors are)? Let me know!

Long Way Home - Review

Long Way Home (Thunder Road, # 3)

By: Katie McGarry

Published: January 31st 2017 by Harlequin Teen

448 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle 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--Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.

But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.

Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.

I read the first chapter of Long Way Home at the end of my copy of Walk the Edge. Obviously, Chevy and Violet have been secondary characters in the prior two books in this series, and their backstory has been set up all throughout the series. And then the publisher released a sampler (the first 60ish pages) on NetGalley. I didn't realize that it was a sampler until I downloaded it to my kindle. It was such a disappointment that it wasn't the full book, but since that 60ish pages ended at such a crucial part I decided to go ahead and preorder my copy. And I'm glad that I did. Katie McGarry is one of those authors that I can count on to be really consistent with her writing and characters.

I wasn't sure I was going to love Chevy and Violet. More Violet really. She was really angry with the club, with Chevy, in general after her father died. And she was kind of mean to Chevy when it was obvious that he only cared about her. Plus Violet's angry with the club for not treating her like one of the guys at times. I mean it's not like she wants to join the club, but she does want to be clued in to whatever information may pertain to her. And while I can respect that, I just got sick of her whining about not being treated how she wanted to be treated because she was a girl. If you've read the prior two books, you know that even Oz and Razor weren't getting all the answers they wanted and they were both guys. So I could understand Violet's point of view while also being a little annoyed with her issues at the same time.

Chevy was easy to like. He wants nothing more than to love Violet, but he knows how she feels about the club. Yet they are his family. I mean beyond friends that feel like family. They actually are his blood family. Yet even his mom isn't excited about him joining the MC. Chevy is being pulled in all different directions in this book, and I appreciated all that he was up against. I especially love the tie in with Isaiah from Katie's Pushing the Limits series. I want more more more information about this.

Katie McGarry does a good job or making the reader question the motives and intentions of the club with each book. You'd think that having been through two prior books where we find out that the Terror has nothing but good intentions for the characters they consider family that the MC would be beyond questioning, but with each book there's plenty to create doubt.

I also get so attached to Katie's side characters. Pigpen and Addison are both ones that I want more from. I hope she explores both of their stories in the future.

Favorite quotes:

-"I've got you, Violet. I swear to God I've got you."

-"The words out of your mouth aren't the only things she hears."

-"I'm secure in who I am and other people's definitions don't define me."

I do have to say that even though I enjoyed Long Way Home and read it quickly, this is not my favorite of Katie McGarry's books or even my favorite of the series. I want more of the side characters, and that's one of the best signs that I look for in a good series. Even without this being my favorite Katie McGarry book, Long Way Home gets 4 Stars. Have you read Long Way Home? What did you think? Let me know!

Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings Me 2016

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings Me 2016.

1. Long Way Home (Thunder Road, # 3) by Katie McGarry (releases Jan 31st so this would be a preorder)
2. An Elegant Facade (Hawthorne House, # 2) by Kristi Ann Hunter
3. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
4. Never Never Part 3 by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
5. Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty (Dangerous Beauty, # 2) by Angela Hunt
6. Built (Saints of Denver, # 1) by Jay Crownover
7. The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, # 3) by Mary E Pearson
8. The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett
9. Havoc (Mayhem, # 4) by Jamie Shaw (releases Feb 7 so another preorder)
10. The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles, # 2) by Mary E Pearson (already read, but don't own)

Which books do you hope Santa brings you this year for Christmas? Let me know!

Top Ten Character Names for a Pet

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Character Names for a Pet.

1. Kestrel from The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
2. Darrow from Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown
3. Sevro from Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown
4. Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
5. Dimitri from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
6. Oz from Thunder Road from Katie McGarry
7. Rhaegar from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin
8. Blue from The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
9. Jasper from Jasper Dent by Barry Lyga
10. Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

I'm very picky about kids' names. While I love books and book characters, I just can't see naming one of my children after a book character. I really want my kids' names to have specific meanings. Nothing's wrong with naming your kids after book characters, but that's just not my jam. However, I think naming pets after book characters is a great idea. And you can bit a bit more fun and funky with pet names as well. What are your top character names? Let me know!

Update: It was brought to my attention by Holly that perhaps I should offer some clarification here. I interpreted the topic of naming a child AFTER a character as just that...naming a child based on a character...not just taking the name of a character and leaving the character behind. In actuality, I first saw the name "Ever" in a book. It wasn't a particularly good book in my opinion and the character was neither particularly spectacular nor particularly bad either. Regardless, I liked the name and kept it in my back pocket. When the time came, "Ever" became the first name of my daughter. But that was because her first name is paired with the middle name "Lael" which means "belonging to God" in Hebrew. Her name together (Ever Lael) means "always belonging to God". So while in some ways I did name my child BECAUSE of a character in a book, I didn't name her AFTER a character in a book because the book was so far removed from me and the reason why I loved the name and chose it for my daughter.

Cover Reveal/Waiting on Long Road Home

Being released on January 31^st, 2017, the highly anticipated third book in Katie McGarry's Thunder Road Series has a cover that we can't wait to share with you! LONG WAY HOME is a Young Adult Contemporary Romance being published by Harlequin Teen! Pre-order your copy of the next book in this emotionally charged series, and don't miss Violet and Chevy's story!

Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.

But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.

Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.

"An intoxicating and unforgettable story that kept me glued to the page."

—Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling author, on Walk the Edge

 

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

 

LONG WAY HOME Pre-Order Links:

Amazon | Kobo | BAM | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | IndieBound

   

And Don’t Miss the First Two Titles in the Thunder Road Series!

NOWHERE BUT HERE

WALK THE EDGE

 

Katie McGarry Bio:

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.      

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads

   

Walk the Edge - Review

Walk the Edge (Thunder Road, # 2)

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: March 29th 2016 by Harlequin TEEN

384 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--One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

After reading Nowhere But Here, I was so excited to read Razor's story. I mean the quiet, brooding guys are always so much fun to delve into. That being said, I wasn't let down at all.

Razor is all about the Reign of Terror MC. He's just about as die hard as they come. However, when someone offers him potential proof that the club has been keeping some secrets from him he begins to wonder whether they deserve his loyalty or not. Razor has always been a little bit of a loose cannon so this knowledge can really cause some waves with him and the club.

Breanna is the middle child out of nine. She's used to being ignored, looked over, and not fitting in. She doesn't fit into the older group of her siblings, and she doesn't fit into the younger group either. Her mind works in a unique way that causes her to keep quiet in school so as to not draw attention and ridicule.

When Breanna's family forgets to pick her up from a school event one day, Razor steps in to see if she needs any help. The two begin a friendship. Only a compromising picture that looks like more than it is causes them to depend on each other and their relationship begins to get deeper.

Katie McGarry has several storylines and pieces all coming to play here. It's almost impossible to figure everything out, but there were a few things that were obvious or easily guessed. I did love how Katie McGarry touches on some topics like social media, online bullying, blackmail, and various other topics in a way that displays their dangers without really feeling like she was preaching a message against these things.

One of my favorite aspects of Walk the Edge was when Razor and Breanna have a fight. Everything is going well and good and then all of a sudden wham! They're fighting about things that I don't think they're really even angry about. It felt so real to me. I've so had these moments in my own life.

Favorite quotes:

-Everyone thinks they know me, but no one sees me.

-I find it challenging to follow as much as I find it challenging to lead.

-"I can't continue to kill myself in order to save you."

-I never knew that being fearless could be so terrifying.

Walk the Edge was really enjoyable for me. I blew through it. I connected to both Razor and Breanna and easily rooted for their relationship. I was intrigued by Breanna's mind, and I loved Razor's journey. Even though there were a few aspects that were really similar to Nowhere But Here, Walk the Edge gets 4 Stars. Have you read Walk the Edge? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on Walk the Edge

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

Walk the Edge (Thunder Road, # 2)

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: March 30th 2016 by Harlequin TEEN

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( 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--Razor knows his family is haunted by secrets of the past…

High school senior Thomas "Razor" Turner knows his family has a dark history as part of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, especially when it comes to the secrecy surrounding his mother’s death.

When Razor starts to dig deeper into his mum's case he turns to the unlikeliest source for help: classmate Breanna Miller, the shy, smart girl he's never looked twice at. But the more time they spend together, the more they realise they actually have in common, and how attracted to each other they really are.

When secrets from the past are revealed can their newfound feelings survive?

I love Katie McGarry, and Razor intrigued me from book 1, Nowhere But Here, so I'm excited to get my hands on this one! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Waiting on Nowhere But Here

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

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road, # 1)

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: May 26th 2015 by Harlequin Teen

400 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( 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--An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

I absolutely love Katie McGarry's writing. She pulls me in and the one word I keep repeating in all of my reviews of her books is "hook"...she hooks me every time! Since Breaking the Rules had a chapter from Nowhere But Here at the end, I'm already hooked into Nowhere But Here. I can't wait to pick up this book! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Top Books I'm Excited About in 2015

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books I'm Excited About in 2015.

But you guys know that I have a hard time keeping my lists down to ten. So...I'm not even calling this a "Top Ten" post.

1. The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles, # 2) by Mary E Pearson
2. Winter (Lunar Chronicles, # 4) by Marissa Meyer (no cover yet)
3. Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
4. Confess by Colleen Hoover
5. Forever Summer (Summer, # 4) by CJ Duggan
6. Becoming Rain (Burying Water, # 2) by KA Tucker
7. The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
8. All the Rage by Courtney Summers
9. Six of Crows (The Dregs, # 1) by Leigh Bardugo (no cover yet)
10. Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road, # 1) by Katie McGarry (no cover yet)
11. P. S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, # 2) by Jenny Han (no cover yet)
12. Deep (Stage Dive, # 4) by Kylie Scott
13. Unrequited (Woodlands, # 4) by Jen Frederick (no cover yet)
14. Asa (Marked Men, # 6) by Jay Crownover (no cover yet)
15. Untitled (The Fifth Wave, # 3) by Rick Yancey (no cover yet)
16. Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, # 1) by Cassandra Clare (no cover yet)
17. The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines, # 6) by Richelle Mead

You guys, I’m sure I’m not even touching the surface of the amazing books set to publish in 2015. But this is quite an impressive list isn’t it? I’m so excited to get my hands on each and every one of these! Which books are you looking forward to most in 2015? Let me know!