Sunday Post - 08/23/26

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.

Monday was a normal day for us. I don't have much to report there. Tuesday started off rough. My oldest and youngest kids got their school work done early, so we could go to my parents' house like normal. But my middle child needed some extra time. My mom ended up coming to get the kids who were ready, and the middle child and I spent one on one time getting school done the right way. I went to get my groceries, and then I went by my parents' to pick up the other kids. Wednesady was a good school day, and then Big Boy had pitching practice. We also went to church. The boys decided last minute to stay home with Daddy this week. Thursday, Big Boy had nature class, but he got all of his school work done before we had to go to that. Big Girl and Little Boy got their school done also. Big Girl started her cooking elective, and she was so excited about it. I finally heard from softball and baseball coaches, and we now have practice and game schedules for fall ball. Practices start next week. Friday was another good school day, and I was able to take Little Boy on a one on one date to reward him for meeting his school goal. We will be switching his goal to earn dates to reading goals now as he is starting to read. Saturday was nice to get some stuff done around the house. I worked on vacuuming the pool so we could swim.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of The Best I Never Had by Amy Buchanan (3.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Ten Series I Need to Continue
Wednesday: Can't Wait for The Widow of Woodlark Cottage by Julie Klassen
Friday: Homeschool Friday - A Panda in the Bamboo Forest

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Pride Comes Before the Fall (Miss Prentice's Protegees, # 3) by Virginia Heath
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Thursday: Review ?
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Clifford for President

NEW BOOKS:

Love & Lidocaine

By: Kendra Hope

Publication: May 31, 2026 by Kendra Thomas Books

480 pages

Genre: Adult, Clean Romance, Contemporary

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--Virgin River meets The Love Hypothesis in this closed-door contemporary romance. Made for readers who love nail-biting slow-burns, forced proximity, and just enough tension to make you want to throw the book across the room.

Hope Elmswood has spent her entire life in a dental office, whether she wanted to or not.

A few months after graduating as a dental hygienist and preparing to submit her dental-school applications, she’s completely burned out. And after a frightening incident with her father’s neurotic dental associate, she realizes she has to get away from the dental world…now.

With nothing but a suitcase and a dream she’s never been allowed to chase, Hope flees to a small mountain town to stay in her brother’s off-grid survival cabin.

She’s finally going to find a job she doesn’t despise, with no dentist drama and no spit.

But her plans for a dental-free existence unravel when she literally runs into her handsome new neighbor, Jay Alarcón. At first, he seems harmless enough, until Hope discovers he just so happens to be the very thing she ran from: a dentist.

Hope wants absolutely nothing to do with her new neighbor. Dentists are her personal villain origin story. But when a series of mishaps forces her to accept a job at his clinic and rent his accessory apartment, Hope starts to wonder if maybe not all dentists are the same.

As Hope confronts her anxiety and workplace trauma, she begins to wonder if healing and love might be possible after all.

Content Consideration: Love & Lidocaine touches on anxiety, workplace abuse, and includes a brief conversation about a parent who died by suicide (brief mention and non-graphic). There is also a short high-stress moment involving a car accident near the end.

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 - A Panda in the Bamboo Forest

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.

A Panda in the Bamboo Forest (Animal Adventures)

By: Heather Horn

Illustrated By: Victoria Skakandi

Publication: May 1, 2024 by The Good and the Beautiful

72 pages

Genre: Children's, Animals, Level-2, Early Reader, Picture Books, Early Chapter Books, Science and Nature

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | the Good and the Beautiful )

*Note: The above link to The Good and the Beautiful is NOT an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--In the bamboo forests of China, there lives a giant panda named Chun and her little cub, Ming. Winter is coming, and Ming and Chun must leave their home high in the mountains for warmer parts of the forest. Come explore the world of Chun and Ming as they migrate down the mountain, meeting new friends and having adventures.

A Panda in the Bamboo Forest is a Level-2A chapter book from The Good and the Beautiful. The book starts with a list of challenging words and is 8 chapters long and 72 pages.

Chapter one spends time describing the area of China that the pandas are from. It also introduces us to the first panda in the story, Chun. Chapter two is about what pandas eat. In chapter three, we are introduced to Chun's little cub, Ming. So this chapter covers mother pandas and baby pandas. Chapter four focuses on Ming's play and how Chun teaches her cub through play. In chapter five, it snows. This chapter also contrasts pandas with other types of bears like polar bears or grizzlies. Chapter six is about finding their way down the mountain to where the weather is warmer. In chapter seven, we meet a red panda. It talks a little about their differences, and then a snow leopard is spotted. Chun worries about the snow leopard spotting Ming, but it ends up going after a blue sheep. Finally, in chapter eight, Chun and Ming are back home. Ming is celebrating his birthday, and he will leave Chun to make his own way soon. The chapter ends with a mention of the disappearing bamboo forest and those who work to help pandas survive.

A Panda in the Bamboo Forest is both full of knowledge and facts about pandas as well as telling a story by following Chun and Ming. With chapters like these, the child gets a taste of bigger and longer books without overwhelm. A Panda in the Bamboo Forest is a great addition to our level-2 library. I know my youngest will read this when he gets to this reading level as well. I'm giving A Panda in the Bamboo Forest 4 Stars. Have you or your child read A Panda in the Bamboo Forest? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for The Widow of Woodlark Cottage

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 Widow of Woodlark Cottage

By: Julie Klassen

Expected Publication: December 1, 2026 by Bethany House Publishers

384 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Christian 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--Young widow Elizabeth Eaton resides with her late husband's cold, critical family. When she learns her estranged father, a writer and naturalist, has died in a rented cottage on the North Devonshire coast, Elizabeth reluctantly agrees to travel there to claim his belongings and notes for a new book.

When she reaches the cottage on the grounds of an estate, she is told the nearby manor house is empty, yet she sees candlelight flickering within, giving Elizabeth reason to doubt her eyes--and her safety. Finding her father's final manuscript nearly complete, Elizabeth decides to stay long enough to finish it, hoping to make amends for cutting him out of her life. As she does, she meets two very different men, a charming seafarer who fills her head with local legends, and an aloof man of business with his own agenda. Strange, frightening incidents begin to occur, and Elizabeth must decide which man to trust when her life--and her heart--are in danger.

Award-winning and bestselling author Julie Klassen pens another captivating romance set in Regency England and brimming with intrigue.

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

Ten Series I Need to Continue

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 Ten Series I Need to Finish

1. Crescent City by Sarah J Maas - House of Sky and Breath & read House of Flame and Shadow
2. The Spice Road Trilogy by Maiya Ibrahim - Spirit Lands
3. Kindred's Curse by Penn Cole - Burn of the Everflame
4. The Empyrean by Rebecca Yarros - Threshing Day, Book 4, Book 5
5. Red Rising by Pierce Brown - Dark Age, Light Bringer, Red Gold
6. ACOTAR by Sarah J Maas - Books 6-8
7. The King's Men by Connilyn Cossette - Throne of the Heavens
8. Dark Inheritance Trilogy by Rebecca Robertson - Book 3
9. The Wolves of Ruin by Sable Sorensen - Ruin Bond
10. The Ashes of Thezmarr by Helen Scheuerer - Silver & Smoke

I think this was intended to be series that you're just behind on, and not series that aren't complete. But these were the series I am in the middle of that I am more excited to continue reading. Which series do you need to catch up on? Let me know!

The Best I Never Had - Review

The Best I Never Had

By: Amy Buchanana

Expected Publication: August 18, 2026 by St. Martin's Griffin

320 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

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--They staged a romance, faked a breakup, and this time around, anything can happen—even something real.

Thea Pappas has always been the storm in her own life—fiery and unpredictable—traits that led her and her younger sister, Addy, through a series of foster homes. But with Addy's whirlwind engagement, Thea is determined to be the perfect maid of honor, even if she finds it odd that she hadn't heard of the fiancé until the ring was on Addy's finger. She believes she can survive a week in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a group of strangers without causing any trouble.

But upon arrival, Thea realizes these aren't strangers. Among the familiar faces is Owen Hayes—the man who, three years ago, paid her to pretend to be his girlfriend at a family wedding. Now, he's looking at her with the same panicked expression.

Owen's life has always been about control—managing his mother's matchmaking schemes, his family's expectations, and the career path he never truly chose. Thea was his one rebellion, a beautiful lie that ended with a "heart-destroying" fake breakup. Now, with his younger brother's wedding underway and his mother on the prowl, Owen begs Thea to reprise their roles. One week. Same fake breakup. No feelings.

But as old sparks reignite and the lines between pretense and reality blur, Thea and Owen will have to choose: carry on their greatest performance yet or admit the truth—that it was never fake at all.

The Goodreads book description tells us a lot. Thea once fake-dated Owen for cash she desperately needed, and he needed to get his mom off his back about dating. Little does she know that he's been milking a fake-broken heart ever since. But truth be told, he was interested in staying in touch with Thea, and maybe even making a go at something real, but Thea deleted her number from his phone in hopes of a clean break. Now Thea's little sister is marrying Owen's brother. I find it hard to believe that even without knowing his last name, Thea wouldn't have been tipped off about Addy dating his brother, but I didn't want to question it too much. When Thea shows up and realizes that Owen is her sister's soon-to-be new brother-in-law, they decide to continue the charade. They aren't fake-dating again, but they are pretending to be exes. Except this time, Addy specifically asks Thea to stay away from Owen, all the while his mother is constantly trying to throw them together in hopes of getting them back together.

The Best I Never Had has some pet peeves of mine. We've got a pregnant lesbian couple. And there's also a gay male couple that isn't as prominent. Oh, and we have the trifecta with the bisexual (I think) best friend. Diversity for diversity's sake...CHECK! The language was a lot. And the on-page spice was more than my preference. You can skip ahead if this isn't your cup of tea, like me.

Favorite quotes:

-"I like to know what pain I'm getting into before it hits."

-"I--I lash out. When I'm feeling vulnerable. Always have. It's easier to hurt other people than face my own [stuff], but I don't want to do that to you. I don't want to be someone who hurts you. So I'm sorry."

-"I ask for your help trying to connect with the family, then resent you for becoming close with them. I worship you, then get jealous of the things I idolize."

This entire book was a study in how different people handle trauma. For Owen, his dad died, and his mom pushed him to succeed with the company to carry on his father's legacy. He also had to step up and take care of his younger brother. He sacrificed his own wants and needs to take care of others until that became his default, and he rarely ever sought after anything he wanted for himself. Owen's mom was so heartbroken over her husband's death that she couldn't cope and do all of the things she needed to do as a mother. She ended up trying to micromanage and control her sons, at least Owen, to the point of alienating them both and becoming manipulative. Thea was always fiery. Her mom died from a drug overdose. And Thea and Addy went into the foster care system. Thea had a habit of lashing out in anger over everything when she felt vulnerable, and this pushed many people away. Addy grew up with such a complex over moving from place to place that she could barely be herself for fear of constant rejection from others, at least until Harrison. These are all messed-up people that sound exactly like real people with flaws, messed-up backstories, and childlike coping mechanisms.

I ended up enjoying the overall story of The Best I Never Had. I felt like some pieces didn't make a lot of sense. Owen's mom went from being Team Thea to Anti-Thea pretty easily. I was annoyed with Addy for wanting Thea to get close to the family and then getting mad at her for doing exactly that, but all of that was at least addressed. Owen and Thea had a good relationship development, and I liked that they mostly handled their situation with maturity. Until the forced conflict, anyway. The Best I Never Had did check a bunch of the diversity checkboxes. Diversity for diversity's sake has always annoyed me. But in the end, I'm giving The Best I Never Had 3.5 Stars. Have you read The Best I Never Had? What did you think? Let me know!