Sunday, November 30, 2014

Sunday Post - 125 & Stacking the Shelves - 87

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 we had a special Thanksgiving celebration and meal at work. I'm really appreciative to work for a company that does stuff like that and really takes care of their employees. Speaking of, they also give us paid time off for Thursday and Friday of this week. Thursday, Husband and I drove to Mobile to celebrate Thanksgiving with my grandparents and family for lunch. Then we drove all the way back home to celebrate Thanksgiving with Husband's family. Friday we celebrated Husband's sister's birthday. And I also put my Christmas tree up this week. I love the time of year. And I just want to say that I'm thankful to everyone who's commented or read or visited my blog. I'm thankful for authors and publishers who tell these wonderful stories and spread them to the world. I'm thankful for so much more, but since this is a blog about books I'll stop there. Hope you guys have a great week!

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Undertow (Undertow, # 1) by KR Conway (3 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Winter 2014 TBR List & 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge - November Wrap Up
Wednesday: Waiting on The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday: 4th Annual Black Friday Book Bonanza Giveaway Hop (Ends 12/1/14 12:01 a.m.)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: November EOM Wrap Up & Review of A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird, # 1) by Claudia Gray
Tuesday: Top Ten Books To Look Forward To In 2015
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: Review of Sometimes It Lasts (Sea Breeze, # 5) by Abbi Glines
Friday: Review of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Don't forget to sign up for the 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2014 to sign up. 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!

Also the sign up for the 2015 Series Enders Reading Challenge is already up! You have until December 15, 2015 to sign up. Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers, # 1)

By: Jamie McGuire

Published: July 1st 2014 by Atria Books

416 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--The Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster phenomenon continues in the first heart-pounding new adult romance in The Maddox Brothers series.

Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt.

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red.

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

In the first installment of the Maddox Brothers books, readers can experience the rush of reading Beautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.

Heat of the Moment (Moment of Truth, # 1)

By: Lauren Barnholdt

Expected Publication: May 12th 2015 by HarperTeen

304 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--Before graduation, I promise to...learn to trust. In the first book in the Moment of Truth series, Lyla discovers that trusting her head might be easy but trusting her heart is a whole other matter.

Each book in this paperback original series is told from the perspective of a different girl—Lyla, Aven, and Quinn—former best friends who wrote emails to their future selves back in freshman year about one thing they hope to accomplish before they graduate. When the emails get delivered on the first morning of their senior trip all three girls will spend the next three days trying to keep the promises they made to themselves four years ago. While each book follow’s one girl’s life-changing adventure, you have to read them all to get the whole story, including why they’re no longer friends and whether they can get their friendship back on track.

Lyla McAfee had all but forgotten the email that she wrote to herself freshman year and scheduled to be delivered right before graduation—the one promising that she’d learn to trust by the end of senior year. But when she receives it the first morning of her senior trip to Florida her life is sent into a tailspin. Soon she’s questioning her seemingly perfect relationship with her boyfriend, Derrick; her attraction to the school player, Beckett; and whether ending her friendship with Aven and Quinn, her former BFFs, was one of the biggest mistakes of her life.

The first book in a captivating summer trilogy, Heat of the Moment flawlessly balances romance and humor as Lyla embarks on her totally reluctant but completely irresistible journey of self-discovery. And readers will have a chance to discover whole truth about the fight that ended Lyla, Quinn, and Aven’s friendship in the next two installments of the series, coming out later the same summer!

Things We Know By Heart

By: Jessi Kirby

Expected Publication: April 21st 2015 by HarperTeen

304

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--When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection. After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all. Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost…and all that remains at stake.

The Secrets of Attraction

By: Robin Constantine

Expected Publication: April 28th 2015 by Balzer + Bray

384 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--Set in the same world as The Promise of Amazing, this smart, surprising, and romantic follow-up to Robin Constantine's debut novel follows two New Jersey teens as they become friends and fall in love. Perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins, Sarah Mlynowski, and Jennifer E. Smith. Madison Pryce thinks she's got everything figured out—she's working on a portfolio for a summer art program and hanging with her friends. Plus she has her hot boyfriend, Zach. But then a visit from a family friend turns Maddie's life upside down. Jesse McMann is still reeling from a breakup that shattered his heart and his band. Then pride (and some goading from his bass player and fellow barista) forces him to find a new drummer—and the inspiration to write music again. Kismet arrives in the unlikely form of Grayson Barrett, who tries out for Jesse's band, and whose girlfriend is BFFs with the cute girl who orders a chai latte after yoga every Thursday: Maddie. What Jesse and Maddie thought they knew about the secrets of attraction and the rules of romance changes once they start falling for each other.

Crimson Bound

By: Rosamund Hodge

Expected Publication: May 5th 2015 by Balzer & Bray/Harperteen

448 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling

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--When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

Trouble from the Start

By: Rachel Hawthorne

Published: April 28th 2015 by HarperTeen

384

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--Perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins, Lauren Barnholdt, and Susane Colasanti, Trouble from the Start is a sweet and romantic read about a good girl who falls for a bad boy.

Avery knows better than to fall for Fletcher, the local bad boy who can't seem to outrun his reputation. Fletcher knows he shouldn't bother with college-bound, daughter-of-a-cop Avery. But when their paths cross, neither can deny the spark. Are they willing to go against everything and let their hearts lead the way? Or are they just flirting with disaster?

A companion novel to Rachel Hawthorne's paperback original The Boyfriend Project, this title is perfect for fans of summer beach reads and sweet treats.

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!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

4th Annual Black Friday Book Bonanza Giveaway Hop

Black Friday Book Bonanza

The holidays are again upon us – where did 2014 go?! Now is a great time to clear those shelves to make room for new titles. So don’t go out and brave the crowds; get cozy with us in your jammies and enter to win some new-to-you books! The hosts for this event are BookShelfery.com and CaffeinatedReviewer.com. This giveaway will run from 12:01am on November 28 through 12:01am December 1st.

This year I'm giving away one of the books I've read or reviewed in the month of November. So far the ones I've read this month are:

Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, # 1) by Katie McGarry
No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown
We Were Liars by E Lockhart
Undertow (Undertow, # 1) by KR Conway
Playing It Safe by Barbie Bohrman
Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark (heads up, this book doesn't publish until March 2015)
A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird, # 1) by Claudia Gray

And the ones I've reviewed this month:

Pull (Push, # 2) by Claire Wallis
Lailah (The Styclar Saga, # 1) by Nikki Kelly
Of Triton (The Syrena Legacy, # 2) by Anna Banks
A is for Abstinence (V is for Virgin, # 2) by Kelly Oram
Take Me On (Pushing the Limits, # 4) by Katie McGarry
Destroy Me (Shatter Me, # 1.5) by Tahereh Mafi

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to enter the other giveaways.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Waiting on The Fill-In Boyfriend

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

The Fill-In Boyfriend

By: Kasie West

Expected Publication: May 5th 2015 by HarperTeen

352 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--When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend— two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party — three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

Every Kasie West book I've read has been thoroughly enjoyable! Can't wait to check this one out too! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Top Ten Winter 2014 TBR List

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Winter 2014 To Be Read List.

ForbiddenEven In ParadiseThe Iron TrialBlue Lily, Lily BlueThis Shattered WorldThe Retribution of Mara DyerBreaking the RulesForever SummerDeceptionThe Body Electric
  1. Forbidden (Forbidden, # 1) by Kimberly Griffiths Little
  2. Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot
  3. The Iron Trial (Magisterium, # 1) by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
  4. Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle, # 3) by Maggie Stiefvater
  5. This Shattered World (Starbound, # 2) by Aime Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
  6. The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, # 3) by Michelle Hodkin
  7. Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits, # 1.5) by Katie McGarry
  8. Forever Summer (Summer, # 4) by C.J. Duggan
  9. Deception (Defiance, # 2) by C.J. Redwin
  10. The Body Electric by Beth Revis

Most of these are books that I really NEED to read. What's on your winter to-be-read list? Let me know!

2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge - November Wrap Up

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

It blows my mind that we're wrapping up November! Since posting the October Wrap Up, I didn't finish any series enders, but Holly finished Pull (Push, # 2) by Claire Wallis.

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 November giveaway runs from November 25th - December 25th. On December 25th we will use random.org and the linky entries to pull a winner.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Undertow - Review

Undertow (Undertow, # 1)

By: K R Conway

Published: October 11th 2013 by Conway

398 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--Luckless Eila is unknowingly the last of her kind: Rare. Gifted. Breakable. Stunning Raef is her kind's historic enemy: Soulless. Lethal. Lost. A legendary death 160 years before would set their lives to collide, forcing a beautiful killer to become a savior, a simple wallflower to become a warrior, and ruthless destiny to become a death sentence.

SUMMARY:

Seventeen-year-old Eila Walker’s new home has defied the brutal Atlantic for over 160 years. Abandoned since her 4th great grandmother Elizabeth vanished, the town legend declares that she drowned . . . or was struck by lightning.

Unbeknownst to the town and Eila, however, is that someone does know what really happened to Elizabeth, and he has returned, determined to protect the last surviving Walker from a history of violence.

But what starts out as a quest for redemption, evolves into something more and soon young guardian, Raef, is forced to reveal the truth to Eila. As hidden secrets about their warring families come to light, Eila begins to realize that she may be their best shot at survival, even if it means following in her grandmother’s fearless footsteps to save her killer bodyguard.

Undertow has an overall Goodreads rating of 4.14 at the time of writing this review. I’ve seen bloggers say that they enjoyed this book and mostly I’ve seen 4 Stars reviews. So I had one of those feelings like maybe this book was going to end up surprising me, yet at the same time I kept putting it off. Since I was on a cruise, I thought a book titled Undertow might have an appropriately nautical theme, and plus I’ve had this book in my possession and for review for entirely too long. So I picked it up.

I was thoroughly impressed with the beginning of this book. I was moving right along, interested and intrigued, but by the 50% mark things were happening that had me contemplating DNFing. I ended up deciding to finish the book because I’d come so far that I hated to “waste” the 50% progress.

Eila was an okay character. She was more enjoyable in the beginning of the book versus the latter half. Eila’s parents died when she was young and she lives with her mother’s best friend. She receives an odd inheritance in the form of a really big, expensive, and historical house in Cape Cod. Once she moves to Cape Cod she is introduced to a couple of people who become her new friends. She goes to a new school. And well things start falling into place—or out of place, however you want to look at it. This is where things started to go awry for me. Eila immediately gets on the bad side of the cheerleading squad/most popular girl, Nikki, for no good reason at all. And well cliché after cliché hit from here.

So we’ve got the popular mean girl that is described as “queen” of the school with phrases like “holding court” being thrown about. We’ve got the new girl that sees herself as being very plain hooking up with the new boy who gives off “I’m dangerous, but loveable” vibes. Our main female character has gifts/talents/abilities that she doesn’t have a clue even exists, yet, she’s supposed to be super, mega powerful. And well loveable-bad-boy just happens to be toxic to new girl’s abilities. We’ve got a situation where everyone around the main girl knows the big secret, but getting them to share the lowdown with her is like pulling teeth. And it just so happens that all of the new girls friends happen to have a talent of their own. New girl has no idea how to use her talent and has never really tried but just when she needs it most she miraculously does not only what she was trying to do but better. She saves the day. Except, oh crap, she learns how to use her power, the loveable-bad-boy who happens to be toxic for her must now maintain his distance from her for her own protection. Did I miss anything?

More than anything, the further I got into Undertow the more I felt like I’d read this book before…like possibly 100 different ways/variations. It was the exact same story regurgitated with different supernatural beings, different character names, and a different location. I hate to be unfair to Undertow or to KR Conway. This wasn’t an awful book. It wasn’t difficult to read. I just didn’t find any of it to be original. The conflict resolution was too easy. The twists weren’t surprises at all. Overall everything was just average. I’d give Undertow a hesitant 3 Stars. Have you read Undertow? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Sunday Post - 124 & Stacking the Shelves - 86

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 week went by pretty quickly. Husband and I are still getting back into our routines after being gone on vacation. I did do a post kind of outlining our trip. It's linked below if you're interested in hearing more about it. Friday night we went to see Mockingjay Part 1 and went out to eat. My niece and nephew joined the normal crew, and it was so fun to see the next generation of readers be so excited about the movie. (Although neither one of them have actually read The Hunger Games yet. They both love the movies.) Saturday morning I got my hair cut. It was really just a trim, but even that makes me feel like a whole new woman. Of course, next week is going to be super busy for us. Happy Thanksgiving!

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of A is for Abstinence (V is for Virgin, # 2) by Kelly Oram (4 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait to Read
Wednesday: Waiting on The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles, # 2) by Mary E Pearson
Thursday: Take Me On (Pushing the Limits, # 4) by Katie McGarry (4 Stars)
Friday: Review of Destroy Me (Shatter Me, # 1.5) by Tahereh Mafi (4 Stars)
Saturday: Grand Cayman & Cozumel November 2014 & Mockingjay Part 1 - Kind of Review But Not Really

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Undertow (Undertow, # 1) by KR Conway
Tuesday: Top Ten Winter 2014 TBR List
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving! (no posts)
Friday: Black Friday Book Bonanza Giveaway Hop (11/28 - 11/30)

Don't forget to sign up for the 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2014 to sign up. 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!

Also the sign up for the 2015 Series Enders Reading Challenge is already up! You have until December 15, 2015 to sign up. Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

The Praying Woman's Devotional: Let God's Word Change Your Life

By: Stormie Omartian

Expected Publication: February 1st 2015 by Harvest House Publishers

208 pages

Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Christian, Religious, Devotional

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--Stormie Omartian, the bestselling author of the Power of a Praying series, has inspired millions of men, women, and families with her prayers and reflective writing. Now she journeys with readers from Genesis to Revelation and reveals how God designed prayer so that they can:
*communicate with Him
*embrace the promises of Scripture
*release burdens to God's care
*walk with Jesus daily
*listen to the Spirit's leading

Stormie brings home the truths and the wonder of God's promises. This gathering of devotions from "The Power of a Praying Woman Bible "shares Stormie's heart and the foundation of God's Word to provide a source of spiritual encouragement and strength for every reader.

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!