Sunday Post - 2/11/18

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.

We've had a bit of a rough week sleep wise. I had hoped we'd turned the corner, but it seems we've taken a step back. However, I didn't struggle as much being up for 2 and 3 hours in the middle of the night because I couldn't stop thinking about what my friend Amanda was going through with her daughter who had brain surgery this week. Not much to make you thankful for the little things like a 2 year old needing brain surgery. Friday my mom took off work to spend the day with us. While I had a babysitter I ran Baby Boy to get his 3 months pictures taken. No new books this week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for A Defense of Honor (Haven Manor, # 1) by Kristi Ann Hunter
Friday: Discussions Only We Know: Mountains Out of Molehills

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of PS I Like You by Kasie West
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Thursday: Mountains Out of Molehills: Personal Jesus

Don’t forget to link up for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2018 to sing 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!

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!

Discussion Only We Know: Mountains Out of Molehills

Discussions Only We Know

Mountains Out of Molehills

Have you guys ever been reading a book, you're bee-bopping along making good progress, things are going well, and then WHAM one little sentence is included that has NOTHING to do with the book, the events, the plot, the character, the conflict, or well...anything at all? Has this ever happened to you? Because it's happened to me. Several times.

From the times that I've taken note of this happening, the comments tend to be religious or political in nature. And this leads me to believe that because the statement has absolutely nothing to do with the character, plot, or conflict that these statements are only here for the author or publisher to influence the reader in a direction or thought process they want to impose on the reader. If that's not the case, then why are these statements included?

Example:

-"I'll plunge my bare feet right into the snow, to numb them!" cried a colonial lady from the southern isles.
"Oh no," smiled a naughty young man. "Let me warm them instead."
The entire scene looked pretty and fun...and fake. Who knew if that flirty young mane even liked the lady--or if he liked ladies at all. Kestrel wasn't the only person at court who planned to marry someone she didn't want. --The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

And because these are usually one line statements that don't impact the overall story (because they don't actually have anything to do with the story), I always struggle with whether or not to mention them in my reviews. It feels passive aggressive on behalf of the author/publisher to include them in the first place, and calling out passive aggressiveness usually only makes you look like the jerk not the other way around. So what do you do? Do you let these comments go because addressing them turns a molehill into a mountain? Or does letting them go allow the author to turn a molehill into a mountain?

We all have seen comments or posts or maybe mentioned on the news briefly about how things influence us. I'm thinking about how for my generation when video games like Mortal Kombat were first released a big deal was made about the amount of violence in them--especially because blood was now introduced. People said that these video games would lead to XYZ negative side effects. I personally blew off these kinds of ideas. Not just about video games, but in general about how these inputs (TV shows, movies, video games, books, music) influences could have such a great impact on our lives and our thinking. But I've been recently changing my mind a bit. Of course, I don't literally mean because you play video games such as Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed that you'll turn violent. Nor do I mean that because you listen to hard core hip hop or heavy metal, that you'll turn into a drug addict with no job and beat your children. Nor do I mean that if you read books with a political agenda that you'll be swayed into public protests. BUT I do think that what we input into our minds matters.

Otherwise why would we spend time trying to learn in school? Why would we study any one subject? Why do we bother? We do it because it matters. We do it because the more frequently we're exposed to a subject or content or theory or idea, the more it becomes concreted into our brains. That's not to say that we can't overcome or disagree with things we're repeatedly exposed to, but it does mean that these things matter.

So I'm curious. Do these out of the blue statements that have nothing to do with the story you're reading bother you? Or is it just me? Does it only bother you when these statements go against your personal views? Or do you always find them distracting? Do you think they probably just don't matter? Or are you as put off by the author/publisher trying to influence you with their personal views as I am? I'm really curious! Let me know!

Also, I'll actually be turning this Discussions Only We Know topic into a feature all its own. Mountain Out of Molehills the feature will showcase any quote or topic that I come across in my reading life that is totally random and out of the blue or seems to be sending a particular political or religious message of some sort to influence the reader.

Can't Wait for A Defense of Honor

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.

A Defense of Honor (Haven Manor, # 1)

By: Kristi Ann Hunter

Expected Publication: June 5th 2018 by Bethany House Publishers

352 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Regency

( 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--Forced to run for her life, Kit FitzGilbert finds herself in the very place she swore never to return to--a London ballroom. There she encounters Lord Graham Wharton, who believes Kit holds the key to a mystery he's trying to solve. As much as she wishes that she could tell him everything, she can't reveal the truth without endangering those she loves.

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

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart - Review

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart

By: Jenn Bennett

Publication: November 3rd 2015 by Feiwel & Friends

304 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--Beatrix Adams knows exactly how she’s spending the summer before her senior year. Determined to follow in Da Vinci’s footsteps, she’s ready to tackle the one thing that will give her an advantage in a museum-sponsored scholarship contest: drawing actual cadavers. But when she tries to sneak her way into the hospital’s Willed Body program and misses the last metro train home, she meets a boy who turns her summer plans upside down.

Jack is charming, wildly attractive, and possibly one of San Francisco’s most notorious graffiti artists. On midnight buses and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who Jack really is—and tries to uncover what he’s hiding that leaves him so wounded. But will these secrets come back to haunt him? Or will the skeletons in her family’s closet tear them apart?

When I initially read the description for The Anatomical Shape of a Heart it reminded me of Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley which I really enjoyed. The two stories don't have much in common beyond the secret graffiti artist, but I enjoyed them both.

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart had such a unique set of characters. Bex's fascination with anatomy and her unique interest in drawing medical textbook diagrams is something that I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I've never encountered before. I loved how individual Bex was all around. She's typically a follow-the-rules kid, but her mother's lack of support for her desire for this type of art has her beginning to sneak around. And this is where she meets Jack.

Bex and Jack have a moment the first night they meet, but Bex is a bit too practical to throw caution to the wind. But Jack is charming and he hunts her down in a non-stalkerish kind of way. I actually loved the mystery behind these two in the beginning. They both purposefully flirt in a way that keeps much of themselves secret from the other. But of course, over time that wears down and the two find out more and more about each other through the more time they spend together.

Speaking of Jack, there's so much more to him that meets the eye, but I loved how he didn't really beat around the bush when it came to Bex. He pursued her. He was pretty open about how he felt about her even when he was closed off about what was going on in his life.

Favorite quotes:

-"You're an interesting girl." "Says Jack the vegetarian Buddhist jewel thief."

-What did it mean? Yes, it was my birthday, so clearly it was a nod to that. But for the love of Pete, just send me a Have a Terrific Day! messsage online. No need to bring a felony charge into the mix.

-Mom says you should never ask for advice you aren't willing to take. I wasn't sure I agreed. Having an unbiased pair of eyes point out a sensible solution was helpful. But the sensible thing and the right thing weren't always the same choice, and no one but you could truly understand the difference.

-"Trust me?" "You ready to give me a reason to?"

-"Art shouldn't be practical. It should be emotional and expressive."

-We were both frantic and fevered, and it was the first kiss I'd ever had that felt like a fight. And the way he made my body ache made me think I'd been doing it all wrong until now.

Jenn Bennett's writing style in The Anatomical Shape of a Heart reminded me a lot of my friend Jennifer which I consider to be a good thing. Her words were flowing and smooth. I was hooked easily and quickly. The characters were rich and complex. And I loved so many unique features that she included in this book.

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart does have some language, some (though not too explicit) sexual scenes, as well as a gay side character. There's mental illness and suicide touched on. All of these are potential triggers for some readers in case these are issues for you in your reading preferences.

I enjoyed The Anatomical Shape of a Heart very much. I didn't want to put it down and actually risked getting car sick to finish it on our trip home from Gatlinburg so that I could keep reading until the end. I loved the unique characters and situations presented. And I appreciated Jenn Bennett's voice. I'll definitely seek out more of her books. The Anatomical Shape of a Heart gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Anatomical Shape of a Heart? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 2/4/18

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.

Not much happening the first half of this week. Wednesday was my mom's birthday. Thursday I had a dentist appointment so I loaded up the kids to take to my mom's house so Husband could watch them while I was at the dentist. My mom lives 5 minutes from our dentist compared to the 40 minutes away that we live. That was quite the hectic day. Friday, Baby Boy and I had another appointment at the chiropractor. I will say that the days in between his two visits have been the best we've had. I don't know if it is a coincidence, his age, or actually seeing the chiropractor that has made the difference. Whatever it is, I'm thankful. Little Girl spent a few hours at Grammy's house while we were gone. If you're the praying kind, please keep a little girl named Priscilla in your prayers tomorrow as she will be having brain surgery. She's the daughter of a friend of mine. She's 2 years old and such a sweet little girl.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of An Elegant Facade (Hawthorne House, # 2) by Kristi Ann Hunter (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for The Smallest Part by Amy Harmon

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2018 to sing 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.

In Another Time

By: Caroline Leech

Publication: August 28th 2018 by HarperTeen

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

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--Love is worth the fight

It’s 1942, and Maisie McCall is in the Scottish Highlands doing her bit for the war effort as a Women’s Timber Corps lumberjill. Maisie relishes her newfound independence and her growing friendships—especially with the enigmatic John Lindsay.

As Maisie and John work side-by-side felling trees, Maisie can’t help but feel like their friendship has the spark of something more to it. And yet every time she gets close to him, John pulls away. It’s not until Maisie rescues John from a terrible logging accident that he begins to open up to her about the truth of his past, and the pain he’s been hiding.

Suddenly everything is more complicated than Maisie expected. And as she helps John untangle his shattered history, she must decide if she’s willing to risk her heart to help heal his. But in a world devastated by war, love might be the only thing left that can begin to heal what’s broken.

Wild Blue Wonder

By: Carlie Sorosiak

Publication: June 26th 2018 by HarperTeen

368 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--There are two monsters in this story. One of them is me.

Ask anyone in Winship, Maine, and they’ll tell you the summer camp Quinn’s family owns is a magical place. Paper wishes hang from the ceiling. Blueberries grow in the dead of winter. According to local legend, a sea monster even lurks off the coast. Mostly, there’s just a feeling that something extraordinary could happen there.

Like Quinn falling in love with her best friend, Dylan.

After the accident, the magic drained from Quinn’s life. Now Dylan is gone, the camp is a lonely place, and Quinn knows it’s her fault.

But the new boy in town, Alexander, doesn’t see her as the monster she believes herself to be. As Quinn lets herself open up again, she begins to understand the truth about love, loss, and monsters—real and imagined.

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!