Sunday Post - 206 & Stacking the Shelves - 147

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.

Let's see...Tuesday I dropped Baby Girl off at Grammy's house so they could hang out while I did some grocery shopping. Thursday night we had my parents over for dinner. I always see myself doing that kind of thing more often, but I'm really not good at remembering to plan it. Friday I spent a good portion prepping food for Saturday. And Saturday my sister-in-law and I threw a baby shower for my sister. That was so much fun.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge - July Wrap Up
Tuesday: Ten Things Books Have Made Me Want to Learn or Do
Wednesday: Waiting on The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines
Thursday: Review of The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy, # 3) by Marie Rutkoski (4 Stars)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: July 2016 EOM Wrap Up
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: Review of Leaving Paradise (Leaving Paradise, # 1) by Simone Elkeles

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!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Under the Lights (The Field Party, # 2)

By: Abbi Glines

Expected Publication: August 23rd 2016 by Simon Pulse

320 pages

Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Sports

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--In the follow-up to Abbi Glines’s #1 New York Times bestseller Until Friday Night—which bestselling author Kami Garcia called “tender, honest, and achingly real”—three teens from a small southern town are stuck in a dramatic love triangle.

Willa can’t erase the bad decisions of her past that led her down the path she’s on now. But she can fight for forgiveness from her family. And she can protect herself by refusing to let anyone else get close to her.

High school quarterback and town golden boy Brady used to be the best of friends with Willa—she even had a crush on him when they were kids. But that’s all changed now: her life choices have made her a different person from the girl he used to know.

Gunner used to be friends with Willa and Brady, too. He too is larger than life and a high school football star—not to mention that his family basically owns the town of Lawton. He loves his life, and doesn’t care about anyone except himself. But Willa is the exception—and he understands the girl she’s become in a way no one else can.

As secrets come to light and hearts are broken, these former childhood friends must face the truth about growing up and falling in love…even if it means losing each other forever.

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, # 3)

By: Simone Elkeles

Published: August 16th 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

319 pages

Genre: Young 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--Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl,

Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

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 Winner's Kiss - Review

The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy, # 3)

By: Marie Rutkoski

Published: March 29th 2016 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

484 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

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--Some kisses come at a price.

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

The Winner's Crime was a typical middle book in a trilogy where nothing good happens and it ends in a cliffhanger. I picked up The Winner's Kiss immediately upon finishing The Winner's Crime. I'm sure I've mentioned enough on the blog lately that I just don't have very much time to read, so when I find a book or a series that will hook me this much I have to take advantage of it. And so I read The Winner's Kiss in two days.

As the description says and we know from the end of The Winner's Crime, Kestrel's been exposed by her father and the emperor as a traitor and spy for Herran. The spymaster has been killed, and Kestrel has been quietly shipped off to a work camp in the frozen tundra to mine sulfur. The problem is, the prisoners there are drugged to keep them compliant. Kestrel knows she needs to escape, but doing so isn't easy when everyone around her acts like drugged out zombies.

I got so frustrated with Arin at the end of The Winner's Crime. I didn't see how he couldn't have at least wondered if Kestrel was being monitored and spied on. If all of the pieces of the puzzle he thought he'd figured out were true then surely it would have been possible that she wasn't able to speak freely. So I was annoyed at how easily he could sway from one extreme to the other and how quickly he could give up on Kestrel--again. Yet in the end, he made things right.

While Kestrel was at the prison camp and various other times throughout the book, Marie Rutkoski kept the sections short so that we got little snippets of what was happening but weren't overwhelmed with a bunch of detail and scenes that would have made the book drag. This helped us get a well-rounded view of all of the events while not getting bogged down in sections of the story that didn't matter as much as others. It also gave a nice effect for the passage of time. Even still there were pieces of the book that felt like they took longer than I would have liked.

I enjoyed how Kestrel and Arin both had things from their pasts that they had to overcome. Kestrel really had to work through her feelings for her father which I enjoyed reading. I liked Roshar as a friend. Of course, I had to roll my eyes at one part involving him.

Favorite quotes:

-Sometimes a truth squeezes you so tightly you can't breathe.

-She was always being left. War always won.

-Kestrel wondered if every question is a way of putting yourself at the mercy of someone else.

-...he understood that there are some things you feel and others that you choose to feel, and that the choice doesn't make the feeling less valid.

-"It was him or you," he said softly. "You had to choose." Her graze fell to the wet grass beneath her, the wrapped bandage. She thought of her past. Her whole life. "I want better choices." "Then we must make a world that has them."

Truthfully, I feel like I've only touched the tip of the iceberg that is The Winner's Kiss, but I don't want to risk spoiling any of it for you. I enjoyed it very much. I was hooked and read and read until I finished it. I had a few frustrations, but nothing too major to complain about. The Winner's Kiss gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Winner's Kiss? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on The Magnolia Story

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

The Magnolia Story

By: Chip & Joanna Gaines

Expected Publication: October 18th 2016 by Thomas Nelson

208 pages

Genre: Non-fiction, Biography

( 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--Are you ready to see your fixer upper?

These famous words are now synonymous with the dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV s Fixer Upper. As this question fills the airwaves with anticipation, their legions of fans continue to multiply and ask a different series of questions, like Who are these people?What s the secret to their success? And is Chip actually that funny in real life? By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper, they have become America s new best friends.

The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together. From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

They both attended Baylor University in Waco. However, their paths did not cross until Chip checked his car into the local Firestone tire shop where Joanna worked behind the counter. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Soon they were married and living in their first fixer upper. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garners the attention of a television producer who notices her work on a blog one day.

In The Magnolia Story fans will finally get to join the Gaines behind the scenes and discover: The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby Joanna s agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck Joanna s breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple Memories and photos from Chip and Jo s wedding The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others, and bolstering the city of Waco along the way

And yet there is still one lingering question for fans of the show: Is Chip really that funny? Oh yeah, says Joanna. He was, and still is, my first fixer upper. "

I love everything about Fixer Upper, and Chip and Joanne are the best parts. Even though I rarely read biographies, I think I would really enjoy this one! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Ten Things Books Have Made Me Want to Learn or Do

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books Have MAde Me Want to Learn or Do.

1. Do Yoga - The Secrets of Attraction by Robin Constantine
2. Run a Marathon - Breathe Annie Breathe (Hundred Oaks, # 5) by Miranda Kenneally
3. Learn Spanish - Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, # 1) by Simone Elkeles
4. Archery - The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, # 1) by Suzanne Collins
5. Write Poetry - Slammed (Slammed, # 1) by Colleen Hoover
6. Play the Cello - If I Stay (If I Stay, # 1) by Gayle Forman
7. Write Music - Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
8. Play the Piano - The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Kiss, # 1) by Marie Rutkoski
9. Live on a Farm - A Walk in the Sun by Michelle Zink
10. Travel to Ireland - Chasing River (Burying Water, # 3) by KA Tucker

What have books inspired you to want to learn or do? Let me know!

2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge - July Wrap Up

Time for our seventh 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 June Wrap Up, I have finished one series ender this month: The Crown (The Selection, # 5) by Kiera Cass. Holly also finished one series enders this month: The Last Star (The 5th Wave, # 3) by Rick Yancey.

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

JenniferK wins this month's giveaway by default. The only other entries were from Holly and myself, and we're not eligible.

Sunday Post - 205 & Stacking the Shelves - 146

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 crazy busy week. Monday I did a little shopping for some new clothes for Baby Girl. Tuesday was errand day. Wednesday I had a hair appointment and my sister-in-law and niece came to help me with Baby Girl and shopping for supplies for the shower we're throwing my sister. Baby Girl also turned 9 months old on Wednesday. Thursday I took her to have her pictures made. They turned out so good. And then Friday my sister, sister-in-law, and niece came over for a swim day. I'm thankful that Saturday we didn't have any plans.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy, # 2) by Marie Rutkoski (3.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Books Set Outside the US
Wednesday: Waiting on The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: 2016 Series Enders Reading Challenge - July Wrap Up
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: Review of The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy, # 3) by Marie Rutkoski

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!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, # 1)

By: Simone Elkeles

Published: January 6th 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

359 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from the 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--When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created "perfect" life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for-her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, # 2)

By: Simone Elkeles

Published: January 6th 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

326 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from the 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--When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.

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!

Waiting on The Chemist

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

The Chemist

By: Stephenie Meyer

Expected Publication: November 15th 2016 by Little, Brown and Company

512 pages

Genre: Adult, Thriller

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Goodreads description--In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life.

She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.

Now, she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it's her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous.

Resolving to meet the threat head on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life, but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.

In this tautly plotted novel, Meyer creates a fierce and fascinating new heroine with a very specialized skill set. And she shows once again why she's one of the world's bestselling authors.

I'm so excited to see something new from Stephenie Meyer. Of course, I'd love for her to finish The Host series or shoot Midnight Sun, but I'm interested to see what she does with a thriller. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Top Ten Books Set Outside the US

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Books Set Outside the US.

So I've decided to limit myself to realistic contemporary fiction and not fantasy where books could be set in made up worlds or outer space, or MARS!!!! Or historical fiction or classics where I could easily list any Jane Austen work, Hogwartz, etc.

1. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley (Australia)
2. The Boys of Summer (Summer, # 1) by CJ Duggan (Australia)
3. An Endless Summer (Summer, # 2) by CJ Duggan (Australia)
4. That One Summer (Summer, # 3) by CJ Duggan (Australia)
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy, # 1) by Stieg Larsson (Sweden)
6. Me Before You (Me Before You, # 1) by Jojo Moyes (UK)
7. Chasing River (Burying Water, # 3) by KA Tucker (Ireland)
8. Just One Day (Just One Day, # 1) by Gayle Forman (France)
9. Saving Wishes (Wishes, # 1) by GJ Walker-Smith (Australia)
10. Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, # 1) by Stephanie Perkins (France)

Apparently I really have a thing for the Australian setting. What are your favorite books that take place outside of the US? Let me know!

The Winner's Crime - Review

The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy, # 2)

By: Marie Rutkoski

Published: March 3rd 2015 by Farrar Straus Giroux

416 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

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--Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement... if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

The Winner's Curse was a completely blank slate for me. I knew nothing going into it, and I was so pleasantly surprised. Well The Winner's Curse ends in...not really a cliffhanger...but a place where I was dying to know what was going to happen next. So I bought The Winner's Crime immediately and started it immediately.

Ok so this isn't a spoiler, but The Winner's Curse ends with Kestrel saving Arin's life and his country by getting the Emporer to sign a peace treaty where Herran becomes a part of the empire, Arin becomes the new governor, and Kestrel is engaged to the prince. Not the best place for our completely unhappy couple. And that's exactly the nature of the entire book. This is the second book in a trilogy after all and it follows a typical trilogy arc pretty much spot on. Meaning lots of conflict and set up for the final resolution of the overall series.

So we start The Winner's Crime with Kestrel now living in the palace at the capital as she is engaged to the prince. Yet in the beginning Kestrel has very little to do with the prince at all. She is mostly engaged in conversation with the emperor, who early on establishes his dominance, intelligence, and cunning. While the important thing for us to learn through The Winner's Crime is that the emperor is an extremely formidable opponent, I was somewhat discouraged at how Kestrel went from very strategic and logical in book 1 to the creature she becomes in book 2. While she's still strategic and smart, she's very sloppy. I did enjoy how Kestrel stayed true to herself in being so against the treatment of Herran by Valoria. She can't stand by and do nothing. Again, not a spoiler because it is mentioned in the description, but Kestrel goes so far as to become a spy for Herran. Though truthfully, I think she's mainly just wanting to help Arin more than anything else.

Arin was a bit of a struggle for me in The Winner's Crime. It's obvious that the feelings he developed for Kestrel are as strong as ever. But his faith in her is not. How her decision to form a political marriage could be anything but her attempts at saving him and his country is beyond me. Yet he doesn't see it. The only thing I can attribute it to is that the majority of his life has been spent around those who have used him as a stepping stone and barely noticed. But I should think that, given their history (Kestrel did fight a duel for him after all), he would have had more faith in her and her feelings for him as well as her honor. So yeah, I found myself rolling my eyes at him a good bit.

As I've already mentioned, The Winner's Crime is a typical middle book in a trilogy and as such, not much good happens. The characters start the book both in bad positions and they end the book in even worse ones. Yet if they didn't then what would be the need for a third book?

A few new key pieces of the puzzle fall into place in The Winner's Crime though. Even though Kestrel and the prince don't start out with the best relationship, they do develop a kindredness. The east is established as the next territory that Valoria is seeking to conquer and they do become allies with Herran. But at what cost? We see the lengths Kestrel goes to for Arin without him even being aware of it. The relationship between Kestrel and her father deepens and changes which sets up some aspects for the next book. And so yeah...we advance in the story for sure.

I will say that I think Marie Rutkoski's writing was even better in The Winner's Crime. At least from the aspect of quotable material. Here are my favorites:

-Kestrel had seen how the emperor loved to shape silence into a tool that pried open the anxieties of others.

-But he said nothing after that, only her name, as if her name were not a name but a question. Or perhaps that wasn't how he had said it, and she was wrong, and she'd heard a question simply because the sound of him speaking her name made her wish that she were his answer.

-There was dishonor, she decided, in accepting someone else's idea of honor without question.

-Kestrel didn't understand how the truth could be so two-sided, like a coin. So precious--and ugly.

-It was different to give something up than to see it taken away. The difference, Kestrel said, was choice. A limited freedom, but better than none. ...Now she knew that to give something up was to have it taken away.

I know that this review has come across as a bit negative, but that's not really how I felt about the book as a whole. Yes, it does follow the middle of a trilogy patterns where not much good happens, but plenty does happen to further the story along and of course set up for the final book in the series. I believe Marie Rutkoski's writing was even better in The Winner's Crime than The Winner's Curse. Of course, there is a cliffhanger for real with this book so I had to purchase The Winner's Kiss immediately. The Winner's Crime gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read The Winner's Crime? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 204

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 has been a pretty uneventful week, which we've needed after the last couple of week. Not much has happened all around. Oh we finally got to see Mockingjay Pt 2. I can't remember if I mentioned that already or not, but I don't think I have. Anyway, it was about as good as I remember the book being--by which I mean not my favorite, but still good. No new books for me this week which is really good considering I haven't read much at all this week. I did go visit my friend Jennifer and her month old baby girl with my sister on Saturday. That was really nice. I don't get to see her enough.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, # 1) by Marie Rutkoski (4.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Ten Facts About Me
Wednesday: Waiting on A Beautiful Funeral (Beautiful, # 3) by Jamie McGuire

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy, # 2) by Marie Rutkoski
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!

Waiting on Beautiful Funeral

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

A Beautiful Funeral (Beautiful, # 3)

By: Jamie McGuire

Expected Publication: August 15th 2016 by Jamie McGuire, LLC

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Goodreads description--Losing has never been easy for a Maddox, but death always wins.

Eleven years to the day after eloping in Vegas with Abby, Special Agent Travis Maddox delivers his own brand of vigilante justice to mob boss Benny Carlisi. Vegas's oldest and most violent crime family is now preparing for vengeance, and the entire Maddox family is a target.

The secret Thomas and Travis have kept for a decade will be revealed to the rest of the family, and for the first time the Maddoxes will be at odds. While none of them are strangers to loss, the family has grown, and the risk is higher than ever. With brothers against brothers and wives taking sides, each member will make a choice—let the fear tear them apart, or make them stronger.

I've been hooked into the Maddox family from the very beginning. I've got to know what happens and this title is killing me! Who dies? What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Ten Facts About Me

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Ten Facts About Me.

1. I am a Christian. And I'm really sad about the things going on in the world today, but my faith doesn't allow me to stay sad as I have hope in eternal life with the Father where there will be no more tears, sorrows, sin, or injustice.
2. As if I haven't discussed it to the point of being annoying probably, I'm a wife of 7 years and now a mother to a beautiful, smart, extremely active baby girl.
3. I just turned 30 years old in June. It's so weird you guys, I really don't feel any older than 18, yet I know I was so immature at that age. Not that I've got it all figured out now--because I don't.
4. I still love Twilight. I realize that I have read many other books since Twilight that have been just as good if not better, but this book is what reignited my passion for reading, and it will always have a special place in my heart because of that.
5. I finally got Husband to read Red Rising and he sat out in the car in our driveway when he got home from work to finish it on Thursday. He's hooked.
6. I just started Bible Art Journaling recently. I haven't posted any pictures of my own art, but I'm loving the process of being in The Word and creating art that is meaningful to me.
7. I try really hard to be a positive person in my real life. I often wonder if that comes across on the blog since most of what I do is critiquing the work of others--something that I'm not sure I could ever do (write a book). These authors do something really amazing--even the ones of books that I haven't really enjoyed.
8. I appreciate every single person who has ever visited, commented, or read my blog. I remember being terrified of telling anyone what I was doing here. I love books and stories, and I really enjoy the support that I've received from others who love them as well.
9. I haven't been requesting many review books lately because I just don't have as much time to read lately, and that being said I really want to spend that time reading some books that have been on my list for a long time. Of course there are a few exceptions to this.
10. I never thought I'd make the switch to full-time e-reading, but these days if a book can't fit in the palm of my hand (AKA my cell phone) it just about isn't going to get read. I never know when I'm going to be able to squeeze in the time to read so having to break out a hardcopy isn't really happening much.

So tell me about you. What do I need to know? Who are you--my readers? Let me know!

The Winner's Curse - Review

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.

I love when I'm able to go into a book completely blind. You guys, I don't think I ever even read the description of this book...at all. I never read any reviews. I only know that I saw readers rating this book highly. And then right before I picked it up to read I had one or two people tell me that they didn't enjoy it as much as everyone else did. So I had literally zero expectations of this book. This so rarely happens. Then once I started reading I was hooked early (by at least 10%). That's something that's been happening so infrequently it seems.

Marie Rutkoski has created a brilliantly complex world in this series. Not only the countries and politics but histories and religion. Customs and stories. Each piece playing a part to create this elaborate setting for The Winner's Trilogy. In the recent history of this world, Valoria has conquered Herran. Herran had two options: fight and die or surrender and become slaves. Herran chose the latter. Kestrel is the daughter of the General of Valoria. The General's strategic mind is the reason why Valoria won the war, and he wants his daughter to follow in his footsteps. He's taught her about fighting and strategy her entire life. But a key factor also influences Kestrel. Since her mother passed when she was young, she's been raised by her Herrani nurse. She couldn't help but develop the love of a child toward the one who took care of her needs and raised her as her own since her father was more often off at war than at home. Whether it was the nurse's intention to instill a sense of the wrongness of slavery in Kestrel or not that's exactly what happened.

Kestrel never intended to end up at the slave auction that day. But she does. And hearing the auctioneer's description of Arin, seeing some unnameable quality in his expression, Kestrel decides to buy him. It wasn't her desire to own a slave, but since she's the General's daughter, nothing she does is secret. She has to act according to society's rules even though she's breaking those rules every chance she gets. Even if she doesn't say it out loud, Kestrel wants to be better than what she sees. She makes an odd decision to be honest with Arin. And honesty--especially when it is costly--binds together.

Arin is angry. He's a slave and slaves are rarely treated with common human decency. He can't seem to just obey without acting out in whatever ways he finds. He can't bring himself to believe that Kestrel, the daughter of the General who conquered his nation and forced his people into their current positions, could possibly not be the same as every other Valorian who's owned him before. He's done what he has to do to survive and he's going to do the same now. Yet he gets these glimpses of who Kestrel really is. And despite not wanting to be, he finds himself drawn to who she is and what she's done for him.

I really enjoyed Marie Rutkoski's writing style. The world building, the characters, the emotion, how quickly she had me invested in the story and the characters, how she didn't need to use cursing to write a fantastic book, the sentences every now and then that I found beautiful in and of themselves.

Favorite quotes:

-"The Winner's Curse is when you come out on top of the bid, but only by paying a steep price."

-...people in brightly lit places cannot see into the dark.

-"Everything in war hinges on what you know of your adversary's skills and assets," he said. "Yes, luck will play some part. The terrain will be crucial. Numbers are important. But how you negotiate the strengths of your opponent is more likely to decide the battle than anything else."

-A feeling flowed into Arin, something like sleep or the sudden absence of pain.

-Happiness depends on being free, Kestrel's father often said, and freedom depends on being courageous.

-There was a silence as long as a smile.

In the end The Winner's Curse gets 4.5 Stars from me. I was invested in what was going to happen. I felt for both characters. They were each in an impossible situation at times where I could only agree that each was making the only moves they could make. Yet those moves served both for and against what they wanted. The ending of The Winner's Curse had me using a long lost and recently found gift card to snatch up The Winner's Crime so that I could know what happens next. Have you read The Winner's Curse? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 203 & Stacking the Shelves - 145

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday was July 4th here in the US. We celebrated the country while also remembering the death of my father-in-law with family. It was a good but a bit emotional day. Tuesday (thank goodness) was a normal day and Baby Girl was quite exhausted. Wednesday we went shopping with my sister-in-law and niece for my sister's baby shower that we're throwing. Thursday and Friday were both house cleaning days for me as we had the family over for a swim day to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. I'm looking forward to this week being a bit more relaxing than this past even though we had a good time with all of our running around and celebrating.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: No blog posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Books With Less than 2000 Ratings on Goodreads
Wednesday: Cover Reveal/Waiting on Long Road Home (Thunder Road, # 3) by Katie McGarry
Thursday: Review of The Heir (The Selection, # 4) by Kiera Cass (4 Stars)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, # 1) by Marie Rutkoski
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!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Archer's Voice

By: Mia Sheridan

Published: January 25th 2014 by Createspace

338 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--A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling book. Archer's Voice is a full-length, standalone romance.

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.

Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.

THIS IS A STANDALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY SAGITTARIUS. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

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!