Saturday, April 30, 2016

April 2016 EOM Wrap Up

I have read 3 books this month (not including children's books). *These qualify for the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
*The Natural History of Us (The Fine Art of Pretending, # 2) by Rachel Harris
Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, # 1) by Cinda Williams Chima
Dreamology by Lucy Keating


I have reviewed 4 books this month. *These qualify for the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
*The Natural History of Us (The Fine Art of Pretending, # 2) by Rachel Harris
*Beautiful Burn (The Maddox Brothers, # 4) by Jamie McGuire
*Morning Star (Red Rising Trilogy, # 3) by Pierce Brown
Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, # 1) by Cinda Williams Chima

Other Posts:
Sunday Post - 190 & Stacking the Shelves - 137
Sunday Post - 191
Sunday Post - 192
Sunday Post - 193
Top Ten Books My Daughter Needs to Read
Top Ten Books that Will Make You Laugh Out Loud
Waiting on Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst
2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge – April Wrap Up

Goals:
I'm ahead of schedule for my daily Bible reading.
I've read 38 out of 52 books (of course most of those are children's books).
I've read 5 out of 10-12 series enders

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Flamecaster - Review

Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, # 1)

By: Cinda Williams Chima

Published: April 19th 2016 by HarperCollins

544 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

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--The first in a thrilling new four-book fantasy series from New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima, set in the same world as her beloved Seven Realms series, a generation later

Adrian sul’Han, known as Ash, is a trained healer with a powerful gift of magic—and a thirst for revenge. Ash is forced into hiding after a series of murders throws the queendom into chaos. Now Ash is closer than he’s ever been to killing the man responsible, the cruel king of Arden. As a healer, can Ash use his powers not to save a life but to take it?

Abandoned at birth, Jenna Bandelow was told that the mysterious magemark on the back of her neck would make her a target. But when the King’s Guard launches a relentless search for a girl with a mark like hers, Jenna assumes that it has more to do with her role as a saboteur than any birth-based curse. Though Jenna doesn’t know why she’s being hunted, she knows that she can’t get caught.

Eventually, Ash’s and Jenna’s paths will collide in Arden. Thrown together by chance and joined by their hatred of the king, they will come to rescue each other in ways they cannot yet imagine.

Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series a generation later, this is a thrilling story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death.

I haven't read the Seven Realms series. The Shattered Realms is apparently a spin off series of the Seven Realms, but I loved the cover for Flamecaster and the description drew me in. Plus when I went to look, the Seven Realms series received really good reviews. So all of that led me to request Flamecaster for review. And in the end, I enjoyed it.

Ash is the prince of Fellsmarch. When Flamecaster starts Ash is reeling over the loss of his older sister. He also loses his father rather quickly when his father tries to rescue him from assassins. Ash, of course, feels guilty that his father died trying to protect him and so he runs away to a school that will help him better his abilities as a mage. While Ash is naturally gifted at healing he also has other abilities and other interests. Over the years, Ash doesn't just learn how to heal others, he learns to be an assassin himself. And his ultimate goal is to kill the king of Arden who was responsible for both the death of his older sister and his father.

Flamecaster is told from multiple points of view. Mostly from Ash and Jenna, but also from a few other characters at times. This narration style was more the type of eye in the sky where any character's thoughts and feels and actions were available for discussion at any point. This isn't always my favorite narration style, but it worked for Flamecaster.

That being said let's discuss Jenna next. She was a young girl working in the mines of Delphi when the book starts up. The king of Arden comes to visit Delphi one day and two of Jenna's friends also die that day as a result. And thus Jenna's hatred of the king springs up. She lets all of Delphi believe she died that same day and she goes into hiding in plain sight. After that, she makes it her mission to work against the king of Arden by blowing up bridges and generally causing mischief whenever she can. However, there's something mysterious about her. Jenna was adopted and she has this unknown mark on her neck. The only thing she knows about her birth family is the her birth grandmother told her that she would be hunted because of the mark.

There's also Destin Karn who plays the role of lieutenant in the king's army and Lila Barrowhill who works as a black market smuggler and spy. These two have key roles to play, but I can't discuss them too much as they both have spoilerish storylines.

When Jenna is finally discovered, she's injured to the point of needing healing that only magic can do. Enter Ash. While trying to find an in to the palace in order to assassinate the king, Ash gets spotted as an exceptional healer. He's brought in to heal Jenna so that she can be questioned, and of course the two begin to develop an attraction to each other. Yet there's more beneath the surface.

Truth be told, I feel like the entirety of Flamecaster was really just set up for the Shattered Realms series. There were many pieces of the puzzle that weren't revealed until the near end, but all that did was excite me to see what's going to happen next. While I don't think all of the "twists" were entirely unpredictable, I still don't know how everything fits together so I'm looking forward to the next book to find out.

Favorite quotes:

-It was one thing to break their hearts; it would have been worse if he'd held their hearts in his hands.

-"That's the thing about guilt," his father said. "It always seems like there's enough to go around. The only ones who don't take a share are the ones who are actually guilty."

-"In our story, the king of Arden gets eaten by wolves in Chapter One."

-"It's the worst thing in the world, to risk yourself by loving someone. At the same time, it's the best thing in the world--and worth the risk."

-"It's easy to die, Mageling," Taliesin said, stroking his hair. "It's staying alive that's hard work."

-"The problem is, hope is the thing that can't be reined in by rules or pinned down by bitter experience. It's a blessing and curse."

-"Give me another suggestion"..."something a little more creative than self-sacrifice."

-"You never know when you might face the sudden need to die," he said.

In the end, I really enjoyed Flamecaster. I'm intrigued enough to want to know what's going to happen in the rest of the series. Cinda Williams Chima is one of the first authors since finishing Morning Star that had me wanting to keep reading. Flamecaster wasn't perfect for me, yet I think I would have enjoyed this even more if I'd first read the original series, Seven Realms (which I do plan to do). Flamecaster gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Flamecaster? What did you think? Let me know!

Monday, April 25, 2016

2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge - April Wrap Up

Time for our fourth Monthly Wrap Up for the 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge hosted by Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know and Holly @ Words Fueled by Love!

Since the March Wrap Up, I have not finished any series enders this month. Holly finished one: The Revolution of Ivy (The Book of Ivy, # 2) by Amy Engel.

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 April giveaway runs from April 25rd - May 25rd. On May 25rd we will use random.org and the linky entries to pull a winner.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Sunday Post - 193

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.

So I thought I'd get caught up on blog comments and visiting others last week, but it didn't happen. We had company half the week. My husband's friend from Japan. That was fun but busy. It's taken me an entire month to read one book. I feel so deflated when it comes to reading and blogging lately. But I've been trying not to put a lot of pressure on myself. That being said, I still haven't gotten any other new books until I get a few more read. Baby Girl turned 6 months old on Wednesday. She's cutting her 3rd!!!! tooth. She's also beginning to do well sitting unassisted. We started her on sweet potatoes. Time is just going too fast.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Morning Star (Red Rising Trilogy, # 3) by Pierce Brown (5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge - April Wrap Up
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: Review of Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, # 1) by Cinda Williams Chima

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

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!

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Top Ten Books That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud.

  1. Carter Finally Gets It (Carter Finally Gets It, # 1) by Brent Crawford - Specifically the audio version. I never thought I'd like this book, but I love it.
  2. Morning Star (Red Rising Trilogy, # 3) by Pierce Brown - despite the weightiness of this series, each book has had moments (usually Servo) that has made me laugh.
  3. Finger Lickin' Fifteen (Stephanie Plum, # 15) by Janet Evanovich - Another audiobook. Most of the Stephanie Plum books have made me laugh, but this one I specifically remember laughing out loud.
  4. I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls, # 1) by Ally Carter - Also an audiobook. And another another book I wasn't expecting to like as much as I did.
  5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I was laughing out loud by page 19 I believe on this one. I've never had an experience where I laughed and cried so much within one book.
  6. For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards by Jen Hatmaker - Her Thank You Notes in the style of Jimmy Fallon were hilarious. But she in general is just really funny. I love her writing.
  7. Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, # 3) by Cassandra Clare - Oh Will. I miss you!
  8. I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent, # 1) by Barry Lyga - Howie! What a great sidekick. Loved his humor.
  9. The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger
  10. Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, # 5) by Richelle Mead

I love a book that can make me laugh out loud. Sadly, this really doesn't happen nearly enough. Which books have made you laugh? Let me know!

Monday, April 18, 2016

Morning Star - Review

Morning Star (Red Rising Trilogy, # 3)

By: Pierce Brown

Published: February 9th 2016 by Del Rey

518 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopian

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--Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society's mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.

Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied - and too glorious to surrender.

You guys, I'm so sad that this series is over. This series has been so much more and so much better than I ever dreamed it would be. I never would have imagined that "a book about living on Mars" would have sucked me in so completely. I love the evolution of Darrow and the other characters over this series as well.

Spoilers for prior books ahead:

Darrow starts out the series as a lowRed--the lowest caste possible. The lowReds work in the mines of Mars harvesting helium3 which is essential for teraformation. They've been told that the surface of Mars is uninhabitable and they're worked to death to achieve a lie. Mars is not only inhabitable, but is teaming with a large population as well as other planets. Darrow's wife dies when she dares to dream of a different world. She's basically a martyr and starts Darrow down the path of rebellion. He starts his journey with an intense desire for revenge. He wants to bring low the Golds (the highest caste) for murdering his wife and enslaving his people. Darrow goes through an intense transformation process which Carves him into a Gold. He's sent off to the Institute where he and other Golds battle it out for domination. At the Institute, as unlikely as it may seem, Darrow actually makes friends with some of the Golds that he's surrounded with. Some are just as awful as the man who sentenced his wife to hang, but others aren't. Some are even...nice. But Darrow can't be honest with them about who he is. After winning Primus at the Institute, Darrow goes on to the Academy and works in the household of the ArchGovernor of Mars--the very man who killed his wife. What Darrow really doesn't expect is to find love again. Especially not in the daughter of the ArchGovernor. And can it be real when she doesn't know the truth about who Darrow is? Darrow incites war between the ArchGovernor's house and another major Gold house of Mars. This war is really just a cover for his main purpose of rebellion against the Society as a whole. At the end of Golden Son Darrow ends up captured by the enemy. And that's essentially where we being with Morning Star.

Because he was captured and tortured by the enemy for essentially a year, Darrow has been humbled. His Carved, superior body is once again weak. But he's learned a lot in the process too. Even though Eo inspired his fight against Society, he's learned that he has to fight for more than revenge and for more than one girl. That isn't what inspires him anymore. His true identity has been revealed, but this just means that Darrow no longer has to hide who he is anymore. And in truth this fact makes him stronger. He's Red deep down and therefore connects to the lower colors, but his body is Gold and he's lived in a Gold world and dominated and therefore connects to the higher colors too. But now it's much easier to see who's loyal because they stay knowing the truth. Yet it seems like not everyone is as sure of his supporters as Darrow is.

Darrow faces former friends turned enemies. These are either people that he once betrayed or that betrayed him. And that isn't an easy task. It's almost as if the Darkness has softened him. Darrow of all people is conscious of the cost of war--death. But this war needs to be fought--not for revenge, for the past but for the future. It breaks his heart when his friends and those around him die, but thankfully he no longer fights alone. He's surrounded by thousands of people who believe in him, who believe in the mission, who believe in the world that Eo once dared to dream of. And even though his crazy missions cause a lot of death, Darrow doesn't bear that lightly.

The other characters are just as diverse and complex as Darrow. Sevro, even though he has a potty mouth, is one of my absolute favorite characters. His loyalty and devotion to Darrow is beyond what any hero could ask for. Yet he's got his own things going on. He's dealing with the loss of his father. He's taken on a huge responsibility in becoming Ares--the leader of the rebellion. And he's starting to see what his life could be after the war. There's Victra who is rough around the edges. She's all violence and tough girl. But deep down there's so much heart and bravery. There's Ragnar who was once enslaved and freed by Darrow. He's become as much of the heart of this mission as Darrow himself. He's also become extremely wise. As weird as it is to say, I'm so proud of him. And Mustang...sometimes it was really hard to read her--how she felt about Darrow. Which side of the lines does she fall on? I was rooting for those two. I wish there had been a bit more romance there, but I will say that it makes sense when you're fighting a war to be a bit preoccupied. And there were plenty of others as well.

Even Darrow's enemies are complex. And he has to face down with every single one of them. Cassius...I loved how this storyline was worked into Morning Star and worked out in the end. Rogue. Antonia. Adrius--the Jackal. Aja. The Sovereign. Every single person who has battled against Darrow that still lives was addressed and had a role to play in this book. And I loved that.

Pierce Brown offered me no less quoteable moments in Morning Star than any of his other books. Here are my favorite non-spoiler quotes:

-"This is always how the story would end...Not with your screams. Not with your rage. But with your silence."

-...I feel the rage burn across the dark hollow he has carved in my soul. I am not alone. I am not his victim. So let him do his worst. I am the Reaper.

-Pity is not forgiveness, nor is gratitude absolution.

-"I'd applaud a mouse that managed to kill an eagle, wouldn't you?"

-"Don't ask me to be different because you need validation, please. It's beneath the both of us."

-This is more a part of war than trumpets or starships. Quiet, unremembered moments of cruelty.

-I know death well enough to hear it gather its breath.

-I know friends can lie just as well as enemies.

-Death'll have to earn its bounty.

-"If your heart beats like a drum, and your leg's a little wet, it's because the Reaper's come to collect a little debt."

-When I looked up at my father as a boy, I thought being a man was having control. Being the master and commander of your own destiny. How could any boy know that freedom is lost the moment you become a man. Things start to count. To press in. Constricting slowly, inevitably, creating a cage of inconveniences and duties and deadlines and failed plans and lost friends.

-If this is the cost of honor, give me a shameful murder.

-"Bye, Felicia."

-Few men truly like seeing beauty burn.

One of the best things about Pierce Brown's work and this series is that the twists and turns are rarely predictable. You might have a clue that something's coming, but there's just not enough information to predict exactly what's going to happen. He had me thinking one thing and then changing my mind and then back again only to find out something totally different was going on altogether. That's the mark of great writing.

The ending...man I dreaded the ending. Not just because I didn't want the series to end, but because my fear for these characters that I'd come to love was palpable. But this is war, and rarely does everyone survive war. I won't tell you how things ended. I can't spoil it for you, but I will say that I was really happy with how Pierce Brown worked everything in the end.

I truly feel like this review has not done this book or this series justice. It's a hefty series in both length and the emotional toll that it took on me. I was heartbroken, angry, saddened, appalled, frustrated, anxious as all get out, and proud along with a variety of many more emotions. Pierce Brown's writing is such that I'll definitely check out his future work no question. Morning Star gets 5 Stars from me. Have you read Morning Star? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Sunday Post - 192

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.

Another sleepless week. Husband was on a business trip to Chicago this week so I was able to temporarily see what it would be like to be a single mom. I don't recommend it. Baby Girl slept horribly this week. Apparently she's hitting the stage where separation anxiety sets in. It's no longer out of sight out of mind. She actually realizes that we can leave her and she misses us. Sweet, but boy do I struggle with no sleep. My mom came to hang out with us Monday night and Tuesday. That helped. Wednesday we went to lunch with my sister-in-law and her mom. And Thursday I got my haircut. Saturday we briefly went to see my grandmother who was here visiting. Hubby surprised me with ordering me a new vacuum cleaner with our tax return money. I loved my old vacuum but it was starting to not work so great and with having a little one that will be crawling around on the floor soon, I wanted to know my floors were as clean as they could be. Speaking of, Precious is a lot more active all around and so reading while nursing (just about the only time I have to read anymore) is becoming more difficult. She always tries to grab my phone. That being said, I've been reading painfully slowly, and because of that, I've put off getting any new books until I can finish some of the ones I already have. I'll try to get caught up on responding to blog comments and visiting others this week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Beautiful Burn (The Maddox Brothers, # 4) by Jamie McGuire (3 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Books My Daughter Needs to Read
Wednesday: Waiting on Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Morning Star (Red Rising Trilogy, # 3) by Pierce Brown
Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

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

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!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Waiting on Uninvited

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

Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely

By: Lysa TerKeurst

Expected Publication: August 9th 2016 by Thomas Nelson

240 pages

Genre: Non-fiction

( 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 enemy wants us to feel rejected . . . left out, lonely, and less than. When we allow him to speak lies through our rejection, he pickpockets our purpose. Cripples our courage. Dismantles our dreams. And blinds us to the beauty of Christ’s powerful love.

In Uninvited, Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences with rejection—from the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father to the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over.

With biblical depth, gut-honest vulnerability, and refreshing wit, Lysa helps readers:

Release the desire to fall apart or control the actions of others by embracing God-honoring ways to process their hurt. Know exactly what to pray for the next ten days to steady their soul and restore their confidence. Overcome the two core fears that feed our insecurities by understanding the secret of belonging. Stop feeling left out and start believing that "set apart" does not mean "set aside." End the cycle of perceived rejection by refusing to turn a small incident into a full blown issue.

I don't normally feature non-fiction books in my Waiting on Wednesday posts, but I've really enjoyed Lysa TerKeurst in the past. I can't say this is a particular subject that I struggle with, but I know some people that it might help, and I always like to read books first before I recommend them to others. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Top Ten Books My Daughter Needs to Read

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books My Daughter Needs to Read.

  1. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
  2. Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, # 1) by LM Montgomery
  3. Six Months to Live (Dawn Rochelle, # 1) by Lurlene McDaniel
  4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  5. Persuasion by Jane Austen
  6. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
  7. The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian
  8. Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John & Stasi Eldredge
  9. Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, # 1) by JK Rowling
  10. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

This is excluding the obvious (The Bible). And I'm sure there are so many more books that I'm not thinking about right now. But I know that these are all books that shaped me, and I hope that my daughter(s?) will one day read them too. Are there any that I should add to this list? Let me know!

Monday, April 11, 2016

Beautiful Burn - Review

Beautiful Burn (The Maddox Brothers, # 4)

By: Jamie McGuire

Published: January 31st 2016

300 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle 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--Fresh out of college, Ellison Edson has fallen through the cracks of rock bottom. While staying in her family’s vacation home in Colorado, her behavior has finally gained the attention of her parents—but not in the way she hoped. Cut off from the millions she’s always taken for granted, and left alone to fend for herself, Ellie spirals further out of control, making a mistake she can’t take back.

Like his twin brother Taylor, Tyler Maddox is a member of the Alpine Hotshots, fighting wildland fires on the frontline. As arrogant as he is charming, Tyler’s nomadic lifestyle makes it easy to contain his relationships to one night. When he meets Ellie at a local party during off-season, her extreme personality and dismissive attitude fascinates him at first, but as his feelings deepen, Tyler realizes that the crippling inner demons of the woman he loves might be the strongest enemy any Maddox has ever faced.

I'm kind of torn on Beautiful Burn. This was probably my least favorite book of the series, and that rests solely on Ellison as a character. I was never quite sure what to think of her while reading the previous books in the series when she would make an appearance, and even now that I know and understand he more, I still don't really like her that much. Ellison starts Beautiful Burn in a rough place. She's the daughter of an extremely rich family, but she's bored and unhappy. She's been all over the world. It appears that a lot of her motivation is trying to get her parent's attention. And of course, bad behavior elicits more of a response from her parents than good behavior. And that behavior consists of alcohol, drugs, partying, damaging her parent's property, and of course all kinds of sexual behavior not limited to one gender. I just found that I couldn't connect with Ellison.

Tyler becomes enamoured with Ellison after they have a one night stand. Relationships in new adult books seem to almost always start with some kind of sexual experience and then the characters actually get to know each other. I can't help but roll my eyes at this because physical attraction is never really a foundation worthy of building anything lasting. I was confused with how willingly Tyler sticks by Ellison despite her repeated relapse behavior. It was at times hard to see what he saw in her.

I could really relate to Ellison realizing how far she'd fallen and wanting to do better, but her journey was not one of a steady upward track. It was more like one step forward and ten steps back. I really wanted her to want more from herself, more than she did.

But like Jamie McGuire's other books, I was pretty hooked despite my frustrations with Ellison. I was excited to see what tie ins to the previous books might exist. While events often were overlapping or replicated in Beautiful Burn there really wasn't some big surprise way that this piece of the puzzle fit with the rest of the books in the series like the previous ones did. This was a slight letdown, but it also meant that Jamie McGuire didn't force anything that shouldn't be there.

I still find it a bit unbelievable that 4 Maddox brothers essentially fall in love with their happily ever afters all during the exact same time period. Yet, that's not something to question too deeply. I just wanted to enjoy each book and each ride.

I'm sad to see The Maddox Brothers series come to an end. Again, Beautiful Burn is my least favorite in the series. That being said, I still read it really quickly. Beautiful Burn gets 3 Stars from me. Have you read Beautiful Burn? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Sunday Post - 191

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.

Ok so this week we were in recovery mode from the prior weekend. Baby Girl is going through a developmental leap right now which means sleep isn't always easy to come by. When I look back on the week I can't really tell you what we even did. I know I ran by the eye doctor to pick up our new glasses, but that's all I can think of. Oh and my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece and nephew were here for a couple of days on their spring break. We ate dinner with them a couple of nights. But somehow I only got one post up last week. No new books this week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Natural History of Us (The Fine Art of Pretending, # 2) by Rachel Harris (3 Stars)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Beautiful Burn (The Maddox Brothers, # 4) by Jamie McGuire
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

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

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!

Monday, April 4, 2016

The Natural History of Us - Review

The Natural History of Us (The Fine Art of Pretending, # 2)

By: Rachel Harris

Expected Publication: April 5th 2016 by Spencer Hill Contemporary

297 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--One class assignment. One second chance at love. The school player is all in. Now he needs to win back the sweet commitment girl who's forever owned his heart.

Justin Carter has a secret. He's not the total player Fairfield Academy believes him to be. Not really. In fact, he used to be a one-woman guy...and his feelings for her never went away. Too bad he broke her heart three years ago and made sure to ruin any chance she'd ever forgive him.

Peyton Williams is a liar. She pretends to be whole, counting down the days until graduation and helping her parents at the family ranch. But the truth is, she's done everything she can to get over Justin, and salvation is just around the corner. With graduation one short month away, she'll soon break free from the painful memories and start her life fresh. Of course, she has to get through working with him on one last assignment first.

For Justin, nothing ever felt as right as being with Peyton, and now that fate's given him a shot at redemption, he's determined to make the most of it. And for Peyton...well, Justin Carter has always been her kryptonite

So I really should have at least re-read my review of The Fine Art of Pretending before reading The Natural History of Us. And that's because I didn't remember much about the first book except that I liked it. So that being said, I couldn't remember any of the characters from the first book and I think that would have added to my enjoyment about. Had I known that Justin was the guy who didn't get the girl from The Fine Art of Pretending I would have been even more excited about reading this one. As it was I was medium excited.

I started out kind of struggling with The Natural History of Us. I can't say that's fully this books fault so much as the book hangover I was dealing with from finishing Morning Star by Pierce Brown. That book was just so epic that anything that followed it just wouldn't be as good. I'd say that the first thing that bothered me about The Natural History of Us was the jumps in chronology. I'm not always a fan of "then" and "now" books. I get invested in one storyline only to get snatched out when things start getting good and thrown back into the other storyline. Granted the two are connected, but it left me in a near constant state of frustration. I got over this once the pace of events started picking up.

I also found Peyton to be a little immature. I'm not sure if that was Rachel Harris's writing or Peyton the character. Really I think it was a combination of the two. The phrasing Peyton would use just left me feeling like younger readers may be more suited for this book than me, yet due to some content I'm not sure younger readers would be who I'd recommend this to either. Some examples:

-Oh sure, I daydreamed about him grabbing me up in the cafeteria, unable to deny his feelings anymore, and kissing me senseless in front of God and everyone.

-What I didn't see were pictures of him with any girls. That made me stupid happy.

-In the hospital, I'd convinced myself I'd die a kiss-less virgin.

-The moment that would change me, take my kissing V-card.

-...because watching him with that adorable little boy made my cuteness-meter explode.

-...make-out-newb...

I just really prefer my characters and books to be on the more mature side of young adult than the other side of the scale.

On the other hand, Rachel Harris included a few phrases that I really respected. She mentioned and included God in a positive way. A short prayer for a successful day, a mention of the grace of God (even though slightly out of context), and mentioning God twice in her acknowledgements. God is usually left out of young adult books these days, or if He is included then it's in some negative connotation--like a character that doesn't believe in Him or blaming Him for things going wrong in their lives.

But don't be fooled. This isn't a "Christian book". For the characters to seem so immature, they sure did engage in some adult behavior--even in the "then" portions of the book when they're only 15 years old. Plus I was a little surprised at the amount of language in this book.

The Natural History of Us was enjoyable once I got a good portion into it. I struggled with the jumps in chronology, but that's just a personal preference of mine really. Probably my biggest frustration was Peyton's choice of phrasing that left her feeling a bit immature. But even with the issues I had, I still ended up liking this one. The Natural History of Us gets 3 Stars. Have you read The Natural History of Us? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Sunday Post - 190 & Stacking the Shelves - 137

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.

Last Sunday was Easter. I totally spaced about that when prepping my post last week. Baby Girl was so cute in her Easter dress. Of course, that's not the important part of Easter. Husband and I had eye doctor appointments on Wednesday. Friday night we celebrated my nephew's 14th birthday. I cannot believe he's that old. Saturday we went to see Allegiant. I won't be doing a movie review because it's just been too long since I've read the book, but I can say that the movie was entirely different. That might be a good thing for a lot of readers since Allegiant didn't get the best book ratings.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Walk the Edge (Thunder Road, # 2) by Katie McGarry (4 Stars)
Tuesday: My Ten Most Recent 5 Star Ratings
Wednesday: Waiting on The Scourge by Jennifer A Nielsen
Friday: March 2016 EOM Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Natural History of Us (The Fine Art of Pretending, # 2) by Rachel Harris
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

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

Take Control of Your TBR Pile

I participated in Kimba's March Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge. I finished two off my goal list:

  1. Banished (Forbidden, # 2) by Kimberly Griffiths Little
  2. Morning Star (Red Rising Trilogy, # 3) by Pierce Brown
  3. Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy, # 1) by Danielle L Jensen
  4. The Certainty of Violet and Luke (The Coincidence, # 5) by Jessica Sorensen
  5. Their Fractured Light (Starbound, # 3) by Aime Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
  6. Kiss of Fire (Imdalind, # 1) by Rebecca Ethington
  7. Winter (Lunar Chronicles, # 4) by Marissa Meyer
  8. Ruin & Rising (The Grisha, # 3) by Leigh Bardugo
  9. Ruins (Partials, # 3) by Dan Wells
  10. The Bourne Ascendancy (Jason Bourne, # 12) by Eric Van Lustbader

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Curse, # 1)

By: Marie Rutkoski

Published: March 4th 2014 by Farrar Straus Giroux

355 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Historical Fiction

Source: Personal Kindle Library (On sale for $2.99)

( 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--Winning what you want may cost you everything you love...

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

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!