Top Ten Books That Were Hard for Me to Read

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books That Were Hard for Me to Read.

Books are hard to read for many reasons. Perhaps the story line is a struggle for whatever reason. Sometimes the topic is heavy or painful. Sometimes I don't connect with the characters. Or maybe the pacing is slow. Or the book is just long in general. There's a myriad of reasons why a book can be difficult to read. Here are the ones that I've struggled through:

1. Jane's Harmony (Jane's Melody, # 2) by Ryan Winfield - (review coming soon)
2. Blindness by Ginger Scott - Cliches, cheesy, and annoying characters.
3. Saving Quinton (Nova, # 2) by Jessica Sorensen - Drug addiction. Book 1 was difficult, but this book took these characters to a whole new low that was stomach churning at times.
4. The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys, # 1) by Abbi Glines - The characters, stupid decisions, and cheating.
5. The Perfect Games (The Perfect Game, # 1) by J Sterling - Cheating, self sabotage disguised as self sacrifice, and characters making generally stupid decisions.
6. Before We Fall (Beautifully Broken, # 3) by Courtney Coles - Almost DNF'd due to graphic content.
7. Song of the Fireflies by JA Redmerski - I hated these characters all around.
8. Alienated (Alienated, # 1) by Melissa Landers - Cliche.
9. The Wager (The Bet, # 2) by Rachel Van Dyken - Cliches, repetitive story line (too similar to first book)...I have a list of about 7 issues with this one.
10. The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, # 2) by Julie Kagawa - Extremely slow pacing.
11. Jenny Pox (The Paranormals, # 1) by JL Bryan - This was just a really painful read for me.
12. Entice (Need, # 3) by Carrie Jones - Also painful through and through for me.

Which books have been difficult for you to read? Let me know!

Burying Water - Review

Burying Water (Burying Water, # 1)

By: KA Tucker

Expected Publication: October 7th 2014 by Atria

368 pages

Genre: New 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--The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away.

Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?

Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried.

The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

I’ve read KA Tucker’s entire Ten Tiny Breaths series and I enjoyed each book. Ten Tiny Breaths was my favorite of all, but each book was pretty enjoyable, easy to read, and sucked me in quickly. That being said, Burying Water is very different from the Ten Tiny Breaths series. And I have to admit that I struggled with Burying Water a little bit. I wanted to love it. I wanted to get sucked in quickly, but that’s not exactly what happened for me.

Burying Water is told from two different narrators and in two different time periods. Jesse narrates the past or “then” and Water/Jane/Alex narrates the present. I’ve read other books in the past that were very similar to this. Colleen Hoover’s Ugly Love comes to mind where Miles narrates the past and Tate narrates the present, and I loved that book. But I found myself getting annoyed with the chronological jumps in Burying Water. I had trouble connecting to both time frames, but I specifically found myself disappointed when the narration would swap back to the past. Maybe that was because of the events taking place in the past. Alex is married to a huge jerk, and while I think she needed to find a way out of the situation that she was in, I can’t really condone all of her actions either. I was much more interested in how Water was going to uncover her suppressed memories than I was in seeing them play out in the past.

Yet, even though I had trouble connecting (it wasn’t until about 45% that I got more invested) and the chronological changes bothered me, I don’t know that Burying Water could have been told in any other format that would have been better. I also don’t feel like I can discuss what happened in any depth because that’s the entire mystery of the book. What happened to Water and why? Who caused her injuries? What was so bad that she need to mentally suppress everything from her past? Even though the pacing felt a bit slow to me, the who and the why didn’t take too terribly long to figure out.

Also, I love the fact that the horses kept being renamed the same name with each new horse. My grandparents actually do that with their dogs. They named the first one "Peanut," and then it died. And every dog after that was called "Peanut." It's a running joke with most of the family, but my grandparents are totally serious about it.

Favorite quote:

The mind, it can be a deceitful thing. But it is no match for the heart.

I’ve found that Burying Water has stuck with me since finishing it, but the process itself wasn’t as thrilling and all-consuming that I’m used to experiencing from KA Tucker. It was still a good story, and I loved that things didn’t really push my comfort level as some of the Ten Tiny Breaths books did. But I’m not sure that I can say I really enjoyed the process of this story either. I’m giving Burying Water 3 stars. Have you read Burying Water? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 116 & Stacking the Shelves - 79

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.

THIS PAST WEEK:

This was a good week. The weather is cooling off, and it feels so lovely outside. Husband and I have kept up our bike riding this week. I took off work on Friday. There was no particular reason except that I needed to use some PTO (paid time off) before I lost it. Since I didn't have any specific goals in mind, it was just a lovely day to relax. Saturday, I met a few friends in town to eat lunch and start the planning process for another friend's bridal shower. That's going to be fun.

Monday: Review of The Probability of Violet & Luke (The Coincidence, # 4) by Jessica Sorensen (3.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Fall 2014 TBR List
Wednesday: Waiting on Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits, # 1.5) by Katie McGarry
Thursday: Review of V is for Virgin (V is for Virgin, # 1) by Kelly Oram (4.5 Stars) & 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge - September Wrap Up
Friday: Review of Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stefanie McAfee (3 Stars) & Review of The Fine Art of Pretending (The Fine Art of Pretending, # 1) by Rachel Harris (3 Stars)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

I'm sad that Kimba isn't hosting Fraterfest again this year, but I totally understand why (her daughter's getting married and there's just too much going on this year). But she assures me that it'll be back next year. That being said, Thursday of this week starts off my own "All Things Halloween" month of Halloween related topics and books. All my reviews this month will be focused on paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, mystery/thriller, and/or other Halloween related topics. I just love fall, and I love Halloween. And some of these reviews I've been waiting to share with you since much earlier in the year, so I'm excited to finally get to post them. Also, Husband created a button for me this year. I'm so thankful that he's talented at that and doesn't mind me throwing all of these projects at him. I truly can't believe October will be here next week. Crazy!

Monday: Review of Burying Water (Burying Water, # 1) by KA Tucker
Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Were Hard To Read & September EOM Wrap Up
Wednesday: All Things Halloween Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: All Things Halloween Review of A Darkness Strange and Lovely (Something Strange and Deadly, # 2) by Susan Dennard (zombies!)
Friday: All Things Halloween Review of Strange and Ever After (Something Strange and Deadly, # 3) by Susan Dennard (more zombies!!)

Don't forget to sign up for the 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge! Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with a BIG giveaway at the end of the year! Click on the picture or the link above to find out more!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Everblue (Mer Tales, # 1)

By: Brenda Pandos

Published: March 22nd 2012 by Obsidian Mountain Publishing (first published July 29th 2011)

304 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mermaids

Source: Kindle Freebie

( 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--She wanted her life to change... he wanted his to stay the same.

Best friends share everything with each other. Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing Tatiana's twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college. But when Tatchi fails to return home after a family emergency, and no one knows where the family has gone, Ash chooses to do something drastic to find them.

Ashlyn is about to discover what she'd thought to be true her whole life, wasn't, and the truth, too fantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn's life forever.

Storm (Elemental, # 1)

By: Brigid Kemmerer

Published: April 24th 2012 by Kensington

353 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural

Source: Kindle Freebie

( 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--Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream.

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming . . .

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!

The Fine Art of Pretending - Review

The Fine Art of Pretending (The Fine Art of Pretending, # 1)

By: Rachel Harris

Expected Publication: September 30th 2014 by Spencer Hill Contemporary

256 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--According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

The Fine Art of Pretending looked like a cute and harmless read. The Fine Art of Pretending is pretty much exactly what it’s advertised to be. I mean...makeover, finding yourself, pretend relationships, and more than best friends stories aren’t new. These ideas have been around for a while. And even though they’re mostly predictable, I find myself enjoying them almost each and every time. And with reading the description, that’s not too far off. I do think in high school—and maybe even after—guys can tell fairly quickly which girls aren’t going to be satisfied with quick and casual and which ones are looking for the long-haul, long-term relationships.

I can totally understand wanting to do the makeover and go from tomboy to feminine. I can see wanting guys to see you as a potential girlfriend in comparison to a friend-friend. I can even understand making a run at becoming more popular. I completely sympathize with trying to find yourself. Feeling like you’ve not been the best version of yourself that you can be. And shoot I understand not even knowing what version of yourself you’ve been and what version you want to be. But what I do not understand is wanting to be casual. I do not now nor have I ever understood casual relationships that you can take or leave. What’s the point? I don’t know. Maybe that’s just because I’ve always been a Commitment myself. But I felt like Aly was moving backwards as a character instead of forward for a large portion of the book. Granted, she eventually moves forward, but only after a trip around the world to get there.

Aly herself reminded me of myself in high school. Athletic. A tomboy. More comfortable in tennis shoes, t-shirts, jogging pants, and a ponytail than high heels, tight shirts, skirts, and hair in my her face. She’s friends with Gabie who’s on the dance team, but yet she seemed to have an edge to her. And then there’s Kara who is the typical girly-girl. I liked that Aly was friends with these girls and not just surrounded by boys. Yet, one of Aly’s best friends is Brandon. They’ve grown up together. They’ve been there for each other during some major life events. And Aly even crushed on Brandon several years back, but he just wanted to be friends.

I liked Brandon a lot, but I struggled with him too. On the one hand, it took Aly’s makeover and crazy plan for him to see her. But when he did see her, he couldn’t unsee her. Brandon like a typical high school and college aged male from YA/NA likes his relationships to remain casual. He has a reputation of not exactly being boyfriend material, and that’s because he doesn’t want to be boyfriend material. His excuse of seeing his mother heartbroken after his father’s death felt far-fetched to me. And flawed. He could have a friendship with Aly where he might even acknowledge that he loves her on the friend level, but he couldn’t have a relationship with anyone because relationships end? Yeah. I’m not buying it. If Rachel Harris had stuck to his desire not to ruin his friendship with Aly, I would have bought that more. And all it took was literally a sentence from his mom to change his perspective on that whole deal.

Another slight peeve of mine is name dropping. I feel like name dropping in books automatically dates the book. Brands come and go. And when they’re included in a book to make the character feel “in” with the current brands, then as soon as those brands are no longer popular then the book is outdated. The beginning of the book features an entire list of these, but just to name a few: BMW, Cartier, Charlotte Russe, Chuck Taylor, Clinique, Forever 21, Juicy Couture, and so on and so on.

The Fine Art of Pretending was one of those quick and easy stories that might give you some frustration but pays off in the end by being exactly what you expected it to be. Truthfully, there were times when I was more interested in Gabie and Carlos than I was in Aly and Brandon, and I hope that’s what the companion novel is going to be about. The Fine Art of Pretending gets 3 Stars from me. It was good. It was frustrating. Have you read The Fine Art of Pretending? What did you think? Let me know!

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl - Review

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl

By: Stephanie McAfee

Published: February 7th 2012 by NAL Trade (first published December 24th 2010)

368 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Humor

Source: Borrowed from my sister

( 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--Graciela "Ace" Jones is mad-mad at her best friend Lilly who cancels their annual trip to Panama City for mysterious reasons; at her boss Catherine for "riding her ass like a fat lady on a Rascal scooter;" at her friend Chloe's abusive husband; and especially at Mason McKenzie, the love of her life, who has shown up with a marriage proposal one year too late. Ace is never mad, though, at her near-constant companion, an adorable chiweenie dog named Buster Loo.

Ace's anger begins to dissipate as she takes matters into her own hands to take down Chloe's philandering husband-and to get to the bottom of a multitude of other scandals plaguing Bugtussle, Mississippi. Then, she starts to realize that maybe Mason deserves a second chance after all.

With a sharp and distinctive voice, Stephanie McAfee delivers a hilarious and fast-paced tale about Ace Jones and her two best friends-thick as thieves and tough as nails-navigating Southern small-town politics and prejudices, finding love, and standing up for each other all the way.

My sister recommended Diary of a Mad Fat Girl to me because she knows that I love a book that can make me laugh. When I went to mark Diary of a Mad Fat Girl as “currently reading” on Goodreads, I noticed this book only had a 3.49 overall rating. Ugh oh! Not a good sign. I typically skip anything that has an overall rating of 3.5 or below on Goodreads. I mean seriously. Who has time for books where the AVERAGE rating is less than that? Not I. But I already had the book in my possession and I didn’t have anything else to listen to at the time, so I thought, “why not?” I typically listen to books on audio that I feel like spending my valuable and limited reading time might be wasted. Some turn out to be real gems, but most are ones I’m interested in, but don’t want to spend the time actually reading.

Going through Diary of a Mad Fat Girl I often wondered why this book had such a low rating. Ace was mostly likeable and her friends, Lily and Chloe, were as well. But as I progressed through the book I began to understand why. This girl is a bit crazy. As the title suggest, Ace is overweight. We’re not really told how overweight, but I didn’t picture her to be huge, just maybe slightly above average (or more like average in America). And being overweight, there’s no surprise that Ace has some self-confidence issues. She compares herself to other women, and she sees herself falling short. Other women are more beautiful. They’re skinnier. They’re more desirable—despite Ace not really having a lack of male attention. But Ace uses this as a reason to put down other women. Granted she does most of that in her own head, but it annoyed me nonetheless. Of course, that’s pretty dead on in a lot of cases. I’ve always struggled with my weight, but I did go through a period of time when I got pretty fit and skinny. I worked my tail off to get there, and as someone who has been both overweight and fit, I can appreciate how hard it is to stay there. And so when Ace mentally berates the “gym bunnies” for being skinny, and looking cute, and running on their fancy treadmills…well….that just didn’t sit right with me.

At the same time, Ace has had an on-again-off-again relationship with Mason for years. She’s pretty much always been in love with him. But she lets her insecurities get the best of her. Again, I found this to be realistic, but I also found it to be really sad and really frustrating to read about. The back and forth between Ace and Mason was at times truly painful to listen to. And I wanted to beat her with my shoe when a couple of specific events occurred. Thank goodness for Ace and Mason’s once shared dog, Buster-Lou (sp?). Without him and his disapproval of another specific character, Ace and Mason’s story might have ended very differently—as sad as that is to say.

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl had several separate story lines going on at the same time. I guess that’s yet again realistic, but can also be frustrating when there’s too much going on at once. Oh and watch out for potty mouth, this book doesn’t lack that. At. All.

Overall, Diary of a Mad Fat Girl served it’s purpose by making me laugh and helping me pass the time. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. Mostly I found myself torn on most aspects of it that left me feeling like 3 Stars is a good rating for each aspect. Have you read Diary of a Mad Fat Girl? What did you think? Let me know!

2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge - September Wrap Up

It's time for our ninth Monthly Wrap Up for the 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge hosted by Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know and Holly @ Words Fueled by Love!

Since posting the August Wrap Up, I finished Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, # 3) by Laini Taylor. I will link up when my review posts. Holly also finished Elicit (Eagle Elite, # 4) by Rachel Van Dyken.

Which series enders did you finish? Link the up below. Don't forget to include the title, your name, & your blog name (Ex: Requiem - Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know) Also, the September giveaway runs from September 25th - November 25th. On November 25th we will use random.org and the linky entries to pull a winner.

V is for Virgin - Review

V is for Virgin (V is for Virgin, # 1)

By: Kelly Oram

Published: December 11th 2012 by Bluefields (first published December 5th 2012)

360 pages

Genre: YA, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from my sister-in-law, Holly @ Words Fueled by Love

( 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--When Val Jensen gets dumped for her decision to stay a virgin until marriage, the nasty breakup goes viral on YouTube, making her the latest internet sensation.

After days of ridicule from her peers, Val starts a school-wide campaign to rally support for her cause. She meant to make a statement, but she never dreamed the entire nation would get caught up in the controversy.

As if becoming nationally recognized as “Virgin Val” isn’t enough, Val’s already hectic life starts to spin wildly out of control when bad boy Kyle Hamilton, lead singer for the hit rock band Tralse, decides to take her abstinence as a personal challenge.

How can a girl stay true to herself when this year’s Sexiest Man Alive is doing everything in his power to win her over?

My sister-in-law recommended V is for Virgin to me because she loved the message of this book. And I knew that if she was so enthused about it then it would be one that I needed to pick up. She ended up loaning it to my sister before I got a chance to read it and my sister read 75% of it in one day. Another sign that this would be a book that I would enjoy. And well…it was. When I finally got my hands on V is for Virgin I devoured it. I feel like there is absolutely so much good about V is for Virgin that I’m not sure I can cover it all in my review.

1. This book is about NOT having sex. So frequently in YA, and especially NA or adult books, sex is almost the focus. But I absolutely LOVED that this is a book about a character making the decision NOT to have sex before marriage and sticking with it. People claim that not having sex before marriage is old school. It’s out of style. It doesn’t matter anymore. Just as long as it’s safe sex. But no. That’s just not the case. I applaud and rejoice in a book that is solely focused around this topic. Yet V is for Virgin does give a realistic approach to this topic as well. It’s not easy for Valerie to walk this path, and I loved seeing how true this aspect was.

2. Valerie is the exact type of female character I like to read about. While she isn’t fighting evil, undead vampires like my other favorite leading female character (Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy), Valerie is kicking butt and taking names in other ways. Valerie gets dumped for telling her boyfriend at the time that she has no plans to sleep with him. Her plan is to wait until marriage. So kudos to her number 1 for sticking to her guns enough to tell him about it. Then despite the lies he spreads about her at school, and his rebound in her face with another girl, she stands up and tells the entire lunchroom where she stands. After relentless bullying, being made fun of, and ostracized, she still stands strong. Although being pursued persistently by a young rock star who wants to change her mind on these views, she still stands her ground. Because of the attention of said rock star, Valerie is thrown into the public eye globally. But she doesn’t shrink. She doesn’t go into victim mode. She doesn’t rage against the unjustice of it all. No she stands up and takes the harassment from all sides like a champ, and she turns it all around and directs it into a worthy cause for all the people who didn’t feel strong enough to stand up for themselves. I just pray that if I have any daughters (sons too, but especially daughters), they learn to respect themselves as much as Valerie.

3. Even though Valerie’s motives aren’t religiously driven, the characters in this book who are religious aren’t painted as nuts. There are two characters in this book that are religious, Isaac and Robin. Both of these characters were great friends to Valerie. They supported her and supported her cause. Yet both were likeable characters that you didn’t immediately feel were quacks because of their religion or beliefs. Even though this wasn’t the focus of this book.

4. Valerie isn’t swayed from her quest for any reason. Even though she has a rock star throwing himself at her, and purposefully trying to break her resolve to remain a virgin, Valarie knew who she was. She knew what she wanted. And although her path was never easy, I respected the crap out of her for the entire journey. There will always be people who seek to sway you from your mission just for the sake of being able to do so. But Valerie wasn’t having it. She knew that doing so would make her hate herself and Kyle for persuading her off course.

5. This book felt real. I feel like I kind of already said this. I mean obviously some aspects are exaggerated, but the teenage reaction to a peer choosing not to have sex felt very real. Kyle felt very real. Even though the story felt unrealistic (the rock star pursuing the normal teenage girl), it felt extremely authentic at the same time. The human experience connected me almost immediately.

6. Great characters. I connected with every single character in this story. I understood them. I felt like I knew these people. I grew up with them. I was hit on by them. I didn’t even think about dating some of them. Was friends with a few of them. Not so much with a few others. I loved Cara at first. I still connected with her throughout the story, but at the same time, I equally hated and loved seeing her friendship with Valerie drift apart with Cara’s new relationship and Valerie’s mission. Robin, Isaac, Stephanie, Kyle, Shane, even Olivia. Great characters.

I don’t know that I really have anything bad to say about V is for Virgin at all.

Favorite quotes (too many...sorry, but I couldn't stop):

-He was practically irresistible. His only flaw was that he knew it.

-Someone had to stand up for these poor girls, and for anyone who was afraid to say no to sex. Afraid of being mocked. Afraid of being dumped. If that person had to be me, then so be it.

-We shouldn’t have to be ashamed or afraid to say no to sex. Becoming sexually active is a huge decision. It’s not one we should let the world or even our own boyfriends make for us.

-“But you didn’t jump. You fought your way back through the crowd to higher ground. You forced people to see it your way—to respect you.”

-“No, I’m sure it’s true, but making things cool is one thing. You’re the kind of person who can make things important.”

-“She’s not a machine, Olivia,” Isaac snapped. Olivia shrugged unsympathetically. “She made herself a role model. Her actions have consequences now.”

-“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I’m so proud of you. We just need different things.”

-“…I want sex to be more than that. My body—my virginity—is a part of me that no one in the world besides me knows. It’s something that once I give it away, I can never take it back. I’m not just going to hand it over to someone for a few moments of physical pleasure. I want the person I finally share all of myself with to be someone I trust completely. Someone who understands me, and loves me, and who I love just as much.” “Yeah, but why marriage? You don’t think you can find someone who loves you without being married to them?” “I think that if I truly found someone that loved me like that, he’d be willing to marry me. He’d be willing to wait for me. If whoever he is isn’t willing to commit his life to me, then he doesn’t deserve to share that experience with me.”

-“I want my virginity to mean something to both me and the man I spend my life with. Think about it. How would it make you feel if I decided to let you be the one person that knows me so intimately? How would it make you feel to know that no one else was allowed to touch me? That no one else ever had? Just you.” …“That’s why I’m waiting. Would you really begrudge me wanting to have that kind of connection with someone?”

-“Is sex really that vital? Am I really not worth waiting for?”

-“I know exactly who I am, and yet I don’t know myself at all. It makes no sense.”

V is for Virgin gets 4.5 Stars from me. I can’t quite give it the perfect 5 Star raiting, but it’s so close. One of my favorite reads this year. And one book that I think every young female needs to read. Have you read V is for Virgin? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on Breaking the Rules

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

Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits, # 1.5)

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: December 8th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

304 pages

Genre: YA/NA, 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--A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

Love, love, love, love, love...this series. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Top Ten Fall 2014 TBR List

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Fall 2014 TBR List.

1. The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave, # 2) by Rick Yancey
2. Lailah (The Styclar Saga, # 1) by Nikki Kelly
3. No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown
4. A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird, # 1) by Claudia Gray
5. Defiance (Defiance, # 1) by CJ Redwin
6. Jane's Harmony (Jane's Melody, # 2) by Ryan Winfield
7. Forbidden by Kimberly Griffiths Little
8. Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot
9. Undertow (Undertow, # 1) by KR Conway
10. The Iron Trial (Magisterium, # 1) by Cassandra Clare & Holly Black
11. Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle, # 3) by Maggie Stiefvater
12. The Shattered World (Starbound, # 2) by Aime Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

What's on your fall 2014 TBR (to be read) list? Let me know!

The Probability of Violet & Luke - Review

The Probability of Violet & Luke (The Coincidence, # 4)

By: Jessica Sorensen

Published: May 15, 2014

200 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library ($1.99)

( 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--Luke Price and Violet Hayes haven’t seen each other in a couple of months, not since they discovered Luke’s mother’s connection to Violet’s parent’s murders. But when Luke gets into some gambling trouble with the wrong people, destiny decides to throw the two of them together and they head out to Vegas to try and settle Luke’s debt.

As Violet spends time with Luke, she becomes torn on whether she should be with him. She definitely can’t deny that her life is better when she’s with Luke and she starts to wonder if going back to Preston was a mistake.

Things seem to be going well as Violet opens up more to Luke, but then she gets a call from the detective, not only to give an update on Mira Price and the case, but to give information about some threatening texts she’s been getting. The information is not only shocking, but makes Violet question what kind of people her parents really where and whether she’ll be able to trust anyone ever again.

I might just enjoy Luke and Violet’s story better than Callie and Kayden's. And I’m so thankful that Jessica Sorensen decided to write Luke and Violet’s story. At the end of The Destiny of Violet and Luke we found out that Luke’s mother was instrumental in the murder of Violet’s parents. Violet doesn’t think she can deal with that and flees back to Preston, her last foster father and a drug dealer. Preston has hit Violet in the past on top of forcing her to sell his drugs to repay him for letting her live with him. He holds the fact that she has no other family over her head, and Violet lets him. I was a bit frustrated in the beginning with how far Violet was willing to let Preston push her all for the sake of not being alone. That’s one of my biggest frustration with Jessica Sorensen’s characters. Often times, they’re so “woe is me” that it takes entirely too much to bring them to the point where they take control of their own destinies.

Even though I was further along in the book than I expected to be when Luke and Violet actually spend any significant amount of time together, it didn’t feel like it took that long for them to get to that point. Luke is hurt and angry that she left him like she did, but he knows that she’s pretty much it for him. He wants her back. And he’s willing to go so far as to turn his own mother into the police just to prove that Violet means more to him than anything else. I was afraid Violet would fight their relationship harder than she did and was gratified with that turned out to not be the case.

Violet and Luke still need help heading in the right direction. Violet still struggles with using adrenaline rushes as a coping mechanism. Luke still struggles with alcohol and nicotine addiction and is headed down the path of gambling addiction as well. I am excited to see where these characters are headed, especially with the newest break in the case of Violet’s parents’ murders.

The Probability of Violet and Luke gets 3.5 Stars from me. It was a quick, easy read. And I got sucked in quickly, even though the overall story didn’t blow me away. And as a small side note, I appreciated the references to “probability” which really made the title make sense. I will also say that there were some grammar/typo/spelling mistakes. I found a few. Another editing pass might be needed. Have you read The Probability of Violet and Luke? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 115 & Stacking the Shelves - 78

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.

This was a long week. Husband and I have gone biking a few times this week. Nothing too special. Just around the neighborhood. We're trying to be more active. Thursday my new team at work went out for a birthday celebration. And then Friday the whole IT department was let off early to go bowling. It was a surprisingly good time. Saturday, I spent most of the day cleaning house. It was getting into bad shape because we were out of town last weekend. Reading wise, I've been pulled away by books that I don't have to review for publishers lately. I can't help it. So many good ones released. I also received my blu-ray copy of The Fault in Our Stars. Husband and I watched it Thursday night, and I think I cried more this time than the first time. Also, the no-book-haul streak has come to an end.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Tristan: Finding Hope (Nova, # 3.5) by Jessica Sorensen (3.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I Need to Read More
Wednesday: Waiting on The Young Elite (The Young Elite, # 1) by Marie Lu
Thursday: Review of Breakable (Contours of the Heart, # 2) by Tammara Webber (4 Stars)
Friday: Cover Doubles - # 1

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Probability of Violet & Luke (The Coincidence, # 4) by Jessica Sorensen
Tuesday: Top Ten Fall 2014 TBR List
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: Review of V is for Virgin (V is for Virgin, # 1) by Kelly Oram
Friday: Review of Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee

Don't forget to sign up for the 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge! Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with a BIG giveaway at the end of the year! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Destory Me (Shatter Me, # 1.5)

By: Tahereh Mafi

Published: October 2nd 2012 by Harper (first published January 1st 2010)

109 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Paranormal

Source: Borrowed from e-Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

Unravel Me (Shatter Me, # 2)

By: Tahereh Mafi

Published: February 5th 2013 by HarperCollins

461 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Paranormal

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--tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

What If

By: Rebecca Donovan

Published: September 16th 2014 by Forever

352 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Book Depository )

*Note: The above link to Book Depository is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A new novel by the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Breathing Series . . .

What if you had a second chance to meet someone for the first time? Cal Logan is shocked to see Nicole Bentley sitting across from him at a coffee shop thousands of miles from their hometown. After all, no one has seen or heard from her since they graduated over a year ago.

Except this girl isn't Nicole.

She looks exactly like Cal's shy childhood crush, but her name is Nyelle Preston and she has no idea who he is. This girl is impulsive and daring, her passion for life infectious. The complete opposite of Nicole. Cal finds himself utterly fascinated-and falling hard. But Nyelle is also extremely secretive. And the closer he comes to finding out what she's hiding, the less he wants to know.

When the secrets from the past and present collide, one thing becomes clear: Nothing is what it seems.

The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave, # 2)

By: Rick Yancey

Published: September 16th 2014 by Putnam Juvenile

480 pages

Genre: YA, Science Fiction

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

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

Goodreads description--The riveting follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The 5th Wave, hailed by Justin Cronin as “wildly entertaining.”

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

The Fine Art of Pretending (The Fine Art of Pretending, # 1)

By: Rachel Harris

Expected Publication: September 30th 2014 by Spencer Hill Contemporary

256 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--According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

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!