Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Ten Books I Almost Want to Read Based Off Their Covers

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Visual, but since I really don't read graphic novels or any other visual type of books, I thought I'd go with book covers.

Although, I have to say that none of these books are on my TBR list because of the descriptions or because I've not clicked with the authors in the past.

  1. The Talon series by Julie Kagawa - I've just not enjoyed her books in the past, but I love these covers.
  2. Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard - I had these on my TBR list at one time, but some of the reviews I've seen just kind of turned me off.
  3. The Ashfall series by Mike Mullin - While the book covers look awesome, I became aware that one of my triggers is involved in this series so I do try to avoid those when I can.
  4. Blood of Gods and Royals series by Eleanor Herman - I liked the description for book 1, but this was another that after I saw some reviews decided that it's probably not for me.
  5. The First Days by Rhiannon Frater - After reading Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater I removed her other books from my list.
  6. Skylark by Meagan Spooner - I've actually enjoyed Meagan Spooner in the past and these sound interesting, but they're just not on my TBR list because I don't think I have time to get around to them.
  7. Gravity series by Melissa West - This one was on my TBR list at one time, but like the previous series, I just don't see myself ever getting around to this series despite the pretty covers.
  8. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi - Honestly, there's not much of a reason why I don't have this one on my TBR list. I just had to make a decision on whether to add this series or not and even though I like the covers, I chose not to add it.
  9. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton - I have to say that I like the cover for book 2 much better than book 1. And that's probably a big reason why this never made it to my TBR list. I didn't add book 1 because I didn't love the cover, so book 2 never made it because book 1 didn't.
  10. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - Same as # 8.

So what do you guys think? Are any of these worthy of their beautiful covers that I might need to reconsider adding to my TBR list? Let me know!

Monday, January 30, 2017

By Your Side - Review

By Your Side

By: Kasie West

Expected Publication: January 31st 2017 by Harper Teen

352 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--In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

When I featured By Your Side as a Waiting on Wednesday post, Jen and Lisa both commented about wondering how come these two couldn't get out using a window or a computer or phone. I have to say that Kasie West addressed each issue, as I figured she would. Now, I do have to say that I personally didn't want to overanalyze this aspect because I just wanted to have fun with the idea of being stuck in a library after hours. But regardless, every issue was addressed.

I was expecting Autumn and Dax to be stuck in the library for a longer portion of the book, but I'm glad that's not the case. As the description suggests, the two have to figure out if their friendship can survive the real world as they're both from very different circles and backgrounds.

Autumn is pretty popular. She's on the yearbook staff so everyone knows her as the girl behind the camera. She has a large group of friends that appear to be the popular crowd. But Autumn has a bit of a secret. I don't really consider this a spoiler, but you've been warned....are you still here? okay...Autumn struggles with anxiety. It's mentioned that she has an anxiety disorder but no specific one was mentioned. This makes getting locked in the library an extra level of complicated for her.

Dax has the reputation for being a bad boy. As the description states, he was involved in a fight that resulted in spending some time in juvie. No one knows Dax very well, and Autumn rightly points out that it is because he doesn't want to be known. Dax started off very standoffish, and even throughout their stay at the library that didn't change by much. I did find the switch to be a bit abrupt, but I really came to love his character.

Kasie West is one of the authors that I've found to be consistent. I'm sure I won't like every single book that she publishes or writes, but so far I've enjoyed every single one that I've read. And By Your Side was no different. They're always cute, fun, and fast reads for me. I read By Your Side in about a day. And I absolutely love that she keeps her books clean.

Favorite quotes:

-What was I scared of? Letting someone close? Handing him the power to hurt me? Letting go of control? Possibilities don't hurt as much as realities. Possibilities are exciting and endless. Realities are final.

-"Your vision is limited behind that camera."

-"Figure out what you want"...

By Your Side was a cute and fun read for me, but it wasn't surface level only. Kasie West does a great job taking storylines that aren't always original, but crafting characters that bring the stories to light in a way that I don't care if they've been done before. By Your Side gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read By Your Side? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Sunday Post - 232

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 was a bit rough. Wednesday night at church Little Girl started running a fever and she ran it off and on all night long which means that Mom and Little Girl didn't get much sleep. Thursday we ran to the doctor's office to find that Little Girl has a virus. Which means there's really nothing to do but let it run its course. Thursday I started feeling crummy and by Friday I was in full-fledged sinus infection mode. BOO! And somehow I managed not to get any new books this week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, # 2) by Sarah J Maas (4 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Characters I'd Never Want as Family
Wednesday: Waiting on Windfall by Jennifer E Smith & 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge - January Wrap Up
Thursday: Discussions Only We Know: Books Change Lives So What Changes Do You Want to Make?

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of By Your Side by Kasie West
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday: January 2017 EOM Wrap Up
Friday: Problems Only We Know # 2

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2017 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!

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Discussions Only We Know: Books Change Lives So What Changes Do You Want to Make?

Discussions Only We Know

Books Change Lives So What Changes Do You Want to Make?

I don't think there's a reader among the book blogging community that won't admit that books change lives. The stories we read change us. We learn lessons through the experiences of the characters. We delve into the brains of those who think differently than we do. We feel emotions to situations that we ourselves have not experienced. We begin to understand how people make choices that we wouldn't make ourselves. We see from a mile away the mistakes that we wouldn't be able to see with a magnifying glass in our own lives.

This got me thinking. If books change people, then in what direction do I want to be changing? I mean obviously, just because I read a book about a serial killer doesn't mean that I'm going to go out and start murdering people. That's extreme. But it's made me wonder...how much of human behavior finds a way into books because it's human nature versus how much of human behavior becomes natural to us because we've read it so frequently in books?

For example, in the new adult genre especially, some event or conflict takes place and the character decides that they don't want to think about said event. So what do they do? I BET you can guess. They do one of two things. A) They go out and get drunk. or B) They find some random stranger to sleep with. These are not healthy behaviors. And neither of which fix the problem that the character is trying to avoid. So my question is, does this behavior happen so frequently in our culture because that's just what people do? Or does this happen so frequently in our culture because we're inundated with characters on TV and in books who choose this path?

Obviously, I think we all want to assume that we wouldn't take our behavioral clues from fictional characters, but I wonder does it happen more frequently than we think? Especially when we're repeatedly exposed to such behavior or concepts over and over and over again. Does the repeat exposure begin to wear on us to the point where we just assume that this behavior is normal...that this is the way we should behave or think?

And if it does, then do I want to read about characters who make horrible choices just for the sake of being "real"? Or do I want to read about characters that try to overcome their emotions of a fleeting moment to make better choices--the right choice? Is there a way to have both? Flawed characters who are real while also striving to make the best decisions possible in any given moment? Of course there is. There are books that focus on both. And there are books that focus on characters who feel only and throw thought to the wind.

You might say that you enjoy reading books about characters that you can live vicariously through. You might never walk up to a stranger and kiss them out of the blue. Or go skydiving. But a character in a book might, and reading about it gives you a chance to experience these things without having to experience them at all. Does living vicariously through characters who behave in a way you never would begin to change the way you think about their behavior? Or do you continue to be who you are despite what you read? What happens when you read books with characters whose choices inspire you and motivate you to make better choices and decisions for your own life?

Is it more important to read about flawed characters who make bad decisions than to read about characters who might seem larger than life because they constantly rise above their situation, to be the bigger person, to overcome? Aren't those the characters that stay with you? The books that you mark as being favorites? Is it more important for the characters we read about to have a happily ever after or to be characters that we can support and be proud of? While there might be a time in your reading life where you crave reading about a character whose life and choices are so bad they make your own look better, is that what we want to be reading the majority of the time?

Do we WANT to be able to comprehend how a person can justify cheating on their spouse? Do we want to be able to sympathize with the pathological liar who uses their parents' bad behavior as an excuse for their own? Do we want to feel the feelings of someone who decides to commit suicide? Do we want to be inside the minds of killers, drug addicts, and rapists? While these might make for some compelling reads, is this what we want to subject our minds to regularly? Are these the things we want to use to alter our thinking and change our person?

One of the things I love most about reading is being able to fall in love over and over again. I love reading about characters that find love, especially when that love means overcoming difficult circumstances. But we often find books that talk about being in the moment. Feeling the now. Love conquers all. If it feels right, it can't be wrong. It doesn't matter who you love or who you hurt, just as long as you get your happily ever after. Not all of these things are bad, but when you're beaten over the head with themes like these you might easily begin to slip some of this behavior into your own life. Living moment by moment based on your feelings and emotions alone with little thought to consequences or difficult questions or whether or not you might be destroying someone else's life.

And what makes for the better book? The one where a character "can't" keep their hands off of someone who is off limits to them no matter the consequences? Or the one where the characters says "I'm better than this" and takes the harder path? Caving in to our desires is easy. It's not difficult to allow those little touches, or steal those kisses, or justify that he loves me even though he still hasn't left his wife. It is much harder to respond to those who torture us with love. It is much more difficult to say "I respect myself too much to be a secret." Saying "I can't be your friend" is harder than sticking around in hopes that you can keep your hands off each other.

This post was sparked by reading the book Mr. President by Katy Evans (review coming soon). The basics of what you need to know is that Matt is running for president. His father was president when he was younger and he saw how he and his mother took a backseat to being President for his father. He decides that he's not going to do this to a woman or children. He knows any relationship he might have is temporary assuming he wins the presidency. And Charlotte knows he feels this way. She knows that Matt intends to be married to the job. Yet these two continually choose the physical things they're feeling in the moment over what their minds tells them. They both know that a scandal will cost Matt the presidency. Yet in the moments they essentially say "screw the presidency, I need to fulfill my physical desires." And I was annoyed. Beyond. At these two characters for their lack of self-control. Frustrated that they could both state that Matt winning the presidency was the most important thing, yet they continually put that at risk for a fleeting moment that they know will not last. So then I asked myself, why would I want to read a book like this? Where the characters continually make the wrong choice? And the answer I came to was that I don't. I don't want to be this type of person. And I don't want to read about it either.

I want to read about Jane Eyre who said no to Mr. Rochester when she found out that he was married. Who, knowing if she stayed near him would cave eventually, ran to escape him so as to not be tempted with the hopes that maybe she might be able to heal. I want to read about Fern Taylor who could have easily written to the boy from home who was overseas in the hopes that she might win him over eventually, but chose her dignity. And Ambrose Young who when he came to his senses could have easily pressed for a physical relationship from the girl who's loved him since she was ten years old, but decided that she deserved better. I want to read about characters like Bailey Sheen who take the lemons that life has handed him but doesn't turn bitter, yet despite all evidence to the contrary, becomes a hero when it counts the most. I want to read about characters who are willing to die for their friends. I want to read about characters that love even when it isn't requited. I want to read about characters that realize that love requited isn't always the happily ever after they really want because even when love is returned sometimes it doesn't make it the right choice. I want to read about characters that fight tooth and nail to protect those they love even when the ones they love don't love them back in the same way. I want to read about characters that don't let bullying kill their spirits. I want to read about characters that are confident in knowing who they are without having to put others down to feel that way. I want to read about characters who inspire by the way they live their lives and not because they've ruined the lives of others. I want to read about characters who have had to work hard to maintain their friendships or marriages, who have made mistakes but have learned from them. I want to read about characters who extend grace and mercy and peace and love to others, not death and destruction or malice and envy. These are the things I want to rub off on me. If I must change in one direction or the other, this is the direction I wish to go.

Which direction do you want? What do you guys think? Am I giving books too much influence in my life or allowing them too much influence in the lives of others? Do repeat themes whether thoughts or action in books find their way in your own thoughts and actions? And have you spent time thinking about how you want books to change your life or not at all? Have you thought about this in relation to which books you choose to read? Let me know!

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge - January Wrap Up

Time for our first Monthly Wrap Up for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge hosted by Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know and Holly @ Words Fueled by Love!

Since starting the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge, Sandy finished one series ender: Coming Up for Air (Hundred Oaks, # 8) by Miranda Kenneally. Holly also finished one series enders this month: All In (Full Tilt, # 2) by Emma Scott.

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

Waiting on Windfall

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

Windfall

By: Jennifer E Smith

Expected Publication: May 2nd 2017 by Delacorte Press

432 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--Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes.

At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.

As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

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

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Ten Characters I'd Never Want As Family

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Freebie so I'm choosing Ten Characters I'd Never Want As Family.

Please know...these are all books that I enjoyed. Just not characters I'd want in my family.

  1. The Starks from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin - While I love the Starks their family seems a bit doomed. And talk about DRAMA!
  2. The Dents from Jasper Dent by Barry Lyga - Jasper's family is so screwed up I can't even imagine being a part of it. Jasper has his fair share of issues due to his family, but it is amazing that he turned out as well as he did.
  3. Stephanie Plum from Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich - Because she has a tendency to get things blown up.
  4. Cadence from We Were Liars by E Lockhart - Because while it seems nice to own an entire island, I also don't want to burn alive.
  5. Mara Dyer from Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Because Mara's a bit crazy and people around her tend to end up injured.
  6. The Ushers from The Fall by Bethany Griffin - Because I don't want to be stuck living in that spooky house.
  7. Landon from Easy by Tammara Webber - Because what family wants to endure such suffering and tragedy. Landon comes out on the other side of his trauma, but it isn't without difficulty for him to get there.
  8. David from Push by Claire Wallis - Because hello serial killer.
  9. Blue from The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater - Because even though her family is eccentric, I think I'd pull my hair out if they were my family. Always having my future predicted or cards read or death predicted. It's too much.
  10. Emma from Emma by Jane Austen - Because if I were subjected to her constant meddling I'd really want to punch her.

What about you guys? Who would you absolutely NOT want to be a part of your family? Let me know!

Monday, January 23, 2017

Crown of Midnight - Review

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, # 2)

By: Sarah J Maas

Published: August 27th 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

418 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fae

Source: Borrowed from Holly

( 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 line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

Crown of Midnight started off with Celaena being a bit more active in the king's service. Where she finally won the title of King's Champion in Throne of Glass, the King is finally calling her into service to dispatch his enemies. And even though she's an assassin in deed, Calaena finds herself in a tough position. The King threatened Chaol and Nehemia and their families if Calaena doesn't perform up to his standards, but she knows that he is an evil man and will likely use her to simply further his world domination attempts rather than for justice. She has to fight back how she can, but it takes being extremely careful in how she chooses to do so. This means that her friends also aren't in the know because that puts them in danger as well.

Crown of Midnight felt a bit longer to me than Throne of Glass even though it's not really longer, and it didn't even take me but 3 days more to read. I think I felt that way because events were bee-bopping along and I was loving the direction that things were going until about 45% I realized that things were going too well too quickly. And then panic mode set in. I knew that something had to happen to disrupt all of the good things going on with the characters. And for the 2nd time in this series I wanted to seek out spoilers just so that I could prepare myself and not be so worried or stressed out about what was about to happen to these loved characters. I didn't. I did text my feelings to Holly. Thank goodness I could bounce my fears off her and know that she wouldn't spoil anything for me. But this fear actually had me putting Crown of Midnight down more often because I was trying to put off the terrible events I could feel coming for as long as possible.

And of course, I was correct. Things were going too well for these characters. Calaena suffers a major blow which causes a bit of an emotional break. She's been through a lot in her 18 years, and she's suffered and lost so much during that time. I can understand her grief in some ways, but who and how she chooses to lash out to didn't make complete sense to me. Yet, I can see how her actions and reactions were necessary to further the story and plot and her character in general.

All of the characters that I fell in love with in book 1 were just as loveable in Crown of Midnight. Nehemia is Calaena's best friend. She's a princess whose land the King is currently conquering. And she's desperate to do anything she can to get her people freed and not just her people, but all of those who are under the thumb of the King. She isn't afraid to say the hard things that needs to be said to Calaena. That's the proof of a true best friend. You might not always like what they have to say, but it is always for your good to hear it. Hugs and a salute to Nehemia.

Dorian took a step back from his relationship with Calaena. It wasn't entirely his doing, but he was gracious about it. Although, Crown of Midnight indicates that Dorian knew how Chaol felt about Calaena going all the way back to the Yulemas ball in Throne of Glass so one has to wonder why he chose to pursue her in the first place. However, I really came to respect Dorian. Not only in his graciousness, but also in his ability to be there for Calaena when she needed him and could go to no one else. He didn't have to be there for her. He could have behaved much differently towards her. But that's not who he is. Plus he has his own catalyst that will propel him into rebelling against his father that is entirely different than Calaena's. I look forward to seeing him become more of the man I believe he can be in future books.

Chaol was my man from the very beginning of Throne of Glass. He battles his position in being Captain of the Guard and what that means for his loyalty to the King with his friendships with Dorian, Nehemia, and his growing feelings for Calaena. His choices while not wrong do cause some negative consequences for him that he'll be regretting for some time to come. I felt so bad for him through the later half of the book. Yet he's still my favorite.

The villains are present as well. We know that the King is at this point the ultimate villain, but he wasn't even that active or present in the story of Crown of Midnight itself. I know he'll take on a larger role as the series continues. I don't feel like I can discuss the true villain of this book without spoilers so I'll keep that out of this review. Duke Perrington was mentioned but took an even smaller role than the king. Katlain which we loved to hate from book 1 had a small part. Mostly she's just pitiful now. And there's a new character on the scene, Roland Havilliard. I don't trust him. On the one hand, he seemed in league with the King and Duke Perrington, but on the other he seemed to be a pawn in their games/plans.

Favorite quotes:

-"You will never forget killing Cain," she said at last, and when her eyes met his, his heart pounded so hard he could feel it across his whole body. "But I will never forget what you did to save me, either."

-"If she picked Roland over you, that makes her the greatest fool who ever lived."

-...it was the knight's gift, of seeing her for who she was--not what she was--that won her heart.

-But death was her curse and her gift, and death had been her good friend these long, long years.

-Then Calaena and the King of Adarlan smiled at each other, and it was the most terrifying thing Dorian had ever seen.

I do think that Crown of Midnight was intended to end in a little bit of a cliffhanger. Not in the way of withholding information from the reader, but more in the way of giving the reader some important information right before ending and not being able to see what the characters will do with that information. I wasn't particularly surprised by the revelation. The only big surprise for me happened about halfway through the book.

This book gripped me. I was so emotionally invested in what happened and was going to happen to these characters that I've come to love. It just doesn't get much better than that. Crown of Midnight was packed with happy moments that had me cheesing. But it is also packed with heart wrenching and stressful moments. There's action and mystery as well. Crown of Midnight gets 4 Stars from me. I can't wait to dive into Heir of Fire. Have you read Crown of Midnight? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Sunday Post - 231 & Stacking the Shelves - 166

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. For the most part this week has been relatively low key. A same old same old kind of week. Friday night we went to dinner to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday. I read one book earlier this week that was a real disappointment, but it really helped me think about what I'm looking for in the books that I seek out to read. It just so happened that the next book I picked up (actually the only book I received this week, shown below) completely blew me away. Making Faces by Amy Harmon turned out to be everything that Mr. President by Katy Evans was missing.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Radius of Us by Marie Marquardt (3.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Ten Underrated Books
Wednesday: Waiting on The Valiant by Lesley Livingston

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, # 2) by Sarah J Maas
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday & 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge - January Wrap Up

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2017 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.

Making Faces

By: Amy Harmon

Published: February 21, 2017 by Spencer Hill Press (re-release)

405 pages

Genre: Young Adult/New Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--Ambrose Young was beautiful. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have . . . until he wasn't beautiful anymore.

Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl.

This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us.

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!