Waiting on 100 Hours

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

100 Hours (100 Hours, # 1)

By: Rachel Vincent

Expected Publication: March 28th 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books

368 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller

( 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--In this pulse-pounding new trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent, a decadent spring break getaway on an exotic beach becomes a terrifying survival story when six Miami teens are kidnapped and ransomed.

Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis’s entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami’s predictable social scene with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends.

While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty—like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens.

But paradise has its price. Dragged from their tents under the cover of dark, Genesis, Maddie, and their friends are kidnapped and held for ransom deep inside the jungle—with no diva left behind. It all feels so random to everyone except Genesis. She knows they were targeted for a reason. And that reason is her.

Now, as the hours count down, only one thing’s for certain: If the Miami hostages can’t set aside their personal problems, no one will make it out alive.

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

Top Ten Book Villains

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

This post is all about those characters we love to hate. I had to cull through some of the books and series where the enemy was a group of people or the government so that I could choose the books that truly had individual characters as villains.

1. Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter by JK Rowling
2. Queen Levana from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
3. Jackal & Octavia from Red Rising by Pierce Brown
4. Cersei Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin
5. Sebastian from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
6. Jonathan from The Breathing Series by Rebecca Donovan (not your typical villain, but man I hated that guy!)
7. Billy Dent from Jasper Dent by Barry Lyga
8. President Snow from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
9. The Darkling from The Grisha by Leigh Bardugo (note, I still haven't finished Ruin and Rising)
10. Sauron from The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien

There were so many villains to choose from. The hardest part was limiting myself and not including groups of people. Who made your list of top villains? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review - Split Second

Split Second (Pivot Point, # 2)

By: Kasie West

Published: February 11th 2014 by HarperTeen

360 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Source: Personal Kindle Library (Christmas present from my sister-in-law)

( 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--Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too... but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories... once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot... and a future that could change everything.

You guys, it's been 2 years since I read Pivot Point. That being said, I forgot A LOT about that book. I remembered that Addie could see both futures when presented with a choice, and I remembered that she chose the future that didn't include Trevor in order to save her best friend, Laila's life. I also remembered how every little detail was important to the overall story. However, the downside to that was that two years later it's pretty impossible for me to remember every little detail. I can't believe that it took me this long to read Split Second.

At the end of Pivot Point before Addie chose a path, she wrote herself a note to be opened on a specific date. She then chose her path and had Laila erase her memory of the other option. Unfortunately, Laila chooses not to give Addie the note that she wrote herself because Laila doesn't want to add any stress to Addie. This means that when Addie goes to visit her father and she meets Trevor she has no memory of him in the alternative life that she could have chosen.

I should have been, but wasn't, prepared for it to take as long as it did for Addie to get her memories back. On the one hand, that made Addie's storyline not as interesting to me, yet made Laila's even more interesting. And on that note, Laila is an added narrator in Split Second. I wasn't thrilled about this at first, but as it turns out, Laila's part of the story was my favorite part.

It's not just that Addison doesn't have any memories of her potential life with Trevor, but because she didn't actually live that life Trevor also doesn't have any memories of Addison. But unlike Addison, Trevor can't get back memories that he never had. That made things interesting because the two have to develop a connection and fall for each other all over again. They do begin to develop that connection before Addie even gets her memories back, but it just didn't quite feel the same to me this time.

This time, instead of Addie fighting to save Laila, Laila is working to save Addie. She has to learn how to even restore someone's memory that she's erased in the first place. And she ends up needing Conner's help. The chemistry between these two made the book for me. They're hot and then cold. It starts off as one of those relationship where the two can hardly stand each other. I really enjoyed it.

Favorite quotes:

-"Because you need me, and I've never needed anyone more than I need you."

I'd say write this one down as another win for Kasie West. Paranormal...contemporary...it doesn't matter. She's great at writing characters that I can't help but get invested in. I've noticed more in this series than in her contemporary work, but every single piece is important. She's never let me down. Split Second gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Split Second? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Sunday Post - 215 & Stacking the Shelves - 153

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.

Oh my goodness you guys! It's finally October, which means All Things Halloween is back here at Somewhere Only We Know. I only have one review per week scheduled like I've been doing this entire year, but they are all within genres appropriate for Halloween. October also means a busy busy month for us. My dad's birthday is tomorrow. My husband's birthday the 10th. Baby Girl's birthday party will be on the 15th. Then her actual birthday on the 20th. My nephew's birthday on the 22nd. And then of course, Halloween. My head is spinning already. Tuesday we had someone come give us an estimate on remodeling our bathrooms. We're normally DIYers, but we know that what would take us 6 months could take a professional about a week to complete. Plus with Baby Girl having a construction zone for 6 months isn't a good idea. That being said OH MY WORD bathrooms are expensive! We're still planning to get a couple more estimates before we make any decisions. Wednesday and Friday I was able to swing by my sister's to visit with her and my niece. I love that we live close enough to be able to do so. And finally we got some cooler temps this week which was glorious.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Sunday: 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge - September Wrap Up
Monday: Review of The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep (4.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Fall 2016 TBR List
Wednesday: Waiting on Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, # 3) by Jenny Han
Saturday: September EOM Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: All Things Halloween Review of Split Second (Pivot Point, # 2) by Kasie West
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2016 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, # 1)

By: Sarah J Maas

Published: August 7th 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Children's

404 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic

Source: Borrowed from Holly

( 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--After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

By Your Side

By: Kasie West

Expected Publication: January 31st 2017 by HarperTeen

352 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (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--In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

Shadowcaster (Shattered Realms, # 2)

By: Cinda Chima Williams

Expected Publication: April 4th 2017 by HarperTeen

560 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

( 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--Alyssa ana'Raisa is the reluctant princess heir to the Gray Wolf throne of Fells, a queendom embroiled in a seemingly endless war. Hardened by too many losses, Lyss is more comfortable striking with a sword than maneuvering at court. After a brush with death, she goes on the offensive, meaning to end the war that has raged her whole life. If her gamble doesn't pay off, she could lose her queendom before she even ascends to the throne.

Across enemy lines in Arden, young rising star Captain Halston Matelon has been fighting for his king since he was a lýtling. Lately, though, he finds himself sent on ever more dangerous assignments. Between the terrifying rumors of witches and wolfish warriors to the north and his cruel king at home, Hal is caught in an impossible game of life and death.

Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series, this is a thrilling story of the unfathomable costs of war, the allure of dark magic, and two principled and conflicted characters, drawn together despite everything they stand to lose.

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!

September 2016 EOM Wrap Up

I have read 5 books this month (not including children's books). *These qualify for the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
*November Rain (Bad Bloods, # 1) by Shannon A Thompson
Losing It (Losing It, # 1) by Cora Carmack (not pictured)
Faking It (Losing It, # 2) by Cora Carmack (not pictured)
Finding It (Losing It, # 3) by Cora Carmack (not pictured)

I have reviewed 4 books this month. *These qualify for the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
Me Before You (Me Before You, # 1) by Jojo Moyes
*The Crown (The Selection, # 5) by Kiera Cass
Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, # 1) by Simone Elkeles
The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep

Other Posts:
Sunday Post - 211 & Stacking the Shelves - 152
Sunday Post - 212
Sunday Post - 213
Sunday Post - 214
Top Ten Fall TV Shows I'm Ready to Watch
Top Ten All-Time Favorite Fantasy Books
Top Ten Audiobooks
Top Ten Fall 2016 TBR List
Waiting on Bloom by Estée Lalonde
Waiting on RoseBlood by AG Howard
Waiting on Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, # 3) by Jenny Han
2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge – September Wrap Up

Goals:
I'm on schedule for my daily Bible reading.
I've read 71 out of 52 books (of course several of those are children's books).
I've read 9 out of 10-12 series enders.