Sunday, May 27, 2018

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 05/27/18

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 busy week. Monday was the last day we had to visit with Husband's friend from Japan. He was here half of the day and then Husband had to drive him to the airport. We sold my old car Monday night. That was the first car that I ever bought myself. It was everything I needed it to be, and I hope that the fifteen year old girl who will be receiving it for a birthday present will be just as excited about it as I was. Tuesday was our Spring AC check up. Our unit was working, but temps would get up to 76/77 in the house during the day and Husband was afraid that it was going out. The tech that came told me that the outside unit was incredibly dirty. That's not really a surprise to me as Little Girl had developed a habit of digging in the dirt by the unit. I didn't particularly notice her dumping dirt into the unit, but apparently I missed quite a lot. Wednesday was a normal day for us. Thursday I had to run Baby Boy to get another weight check. This time he gained 10 ounces in a week and 2 days. I'm no longer concerned about his weight gain. And that's a load off. Friday Husband got off work early and we headed to Georgia to see our niece graduate from high school. It is hard to believe that she's old enough for that. Mind blowing really. We spent the night with his sister and family and came home Saturday afternoon. Memorial Day is tomorrow for the US so no new posts here tomorrow.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuir (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Heart of Thorns (Heart of Thorns, # 1) by Bree Barton
Friday: 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge - May Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Happy Memorial Day (US) - No blog posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Thursday: May 2018 EOM Wrap Up

Don’t forget to link up for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2018 to sing 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.

Heart Land

By: Kimberly Stuart

Expected Publication: July 17th 2018 by Howard Books

320 pages

Genre: 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--A story of reconnection, lost love, and the power of faith, Heart Land follows a struggling fashion designer back to her small Iowa hometown as she tries to follow her dreams of success and finding true love.

Grace Klaren has finally made her dream of living in the Big Apple and working in the fashion industry a reality. But when she’s unexpectedly fired and can’t afford the next month’s rent, Grace does something she never thought she’d do: she moves back home.

Back in Silver Creek, Iowa, Grace is determined to hate it. She rails against the quiet of her small town, where everything closes early, where there’s no nightlife, where everyone knows each other. She’s saving her pennies and plotting her return to New York when she almost runs over a man who’s not paying attention at a crosswalk. It turns out to be Tucker, her high school sweetheart whose heart she broke when she left ten years ago. They reconnect, and Grace remembers why she fell for him in the first place.

And her career begins to turn around when she finds a gorgeous but tattered vintage dress at a flea market. She buys it, rips it apart seam by seam, and re-creates it with new fabric, updating the look with some of her own design ideas. She snaps a picture and lists the dress online, and within a day, it sells for nearly $200. Suddenly, Grace has her ticket out of here.

But Grace can’t fight her growing feelings for Tucker. Sometimes when they’re together, Tucker paints a picture of what their future could be like, and it feels so real. And when she finally gains the funding to move her new business back to New York, Grace must decide where home really is—will she chase her long-held New York dream, or find a new dream here in the heartland?

Heart of Thorns (Heart of Thorns, # 1)

By: Bree Barton

Expected Publication: July 31st 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books

464 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--In the ancient river kingdom, touch is a battlefield, bodies the instruments of war. Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood.

Not women. Demons. The same demons who killed her mother without a single scratch.

But when Mia's father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only after the wedding goes disastrously wrong does she discover she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy.

96 Words for Love

By: Rachel Roy & Ava Dash

Expected Publication: January 15th 2019 by Jimmy Patterson

320 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Retellings

Source: Publisher (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--James Patterson Presents a modern retelling of a classic Indian legend, 96 Words for Love is a touching coming-of-age story that reads like Eat, Pray, Love for teens.

Ever since her acceptance to UCLA, 17-year-old Raya Liston has been quietly freaking out. She feels simultaneously lost and trapped by a future already mapped out for her.

Then her beloved grandmother dies, and Raya jumps at the chance to spend her last free summer at the ashram in India where her grandmother met and fell in love with her grandfather. Raya hopes to find her center and her true path. But she didn't expect to fall in love... with a country of beautiful contradictions, her fiercely loyal cousin, a local girl with a passion for reading, and a boy who teaches her that in Sanskrit, there are 96 different ways to say the word "love."

A modern retelling of the classic Indian legend of Shakuntala and Dushyanta, 96 Words for Love is a coming-of-age story about finding yourself in unexpected places.

Before I Let You Go: Stories for My Grown Son

By: Kirsten Wreggitt

Expected Publication: November 27th 2017 by Bloomscript Inc.

184 pages

Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir, Biography

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--“I was petrified we would have a girl. Everything about having a girl was horrible to me—the princess parties, the fear for her safety, and the emotional roller coaster ride. But mostly I was afraid she would be like me: suicidal, unable to make brave choices, and trapped inside a body she didn’t love. I was terrified I would have to face that mirror in two places every day.”

“Before I Let You Go” is a journey of Kirsten Wreggitt’s life through motherhood and marriage, and her self-discovery along the way. It is a collection of stories she wanted to share with her grown son about her life’s greatest lessons. These were stories she could not talk about with him because they were too uncomfortable or raw. As she says “In here, I can say the things that catch in my throat. I can say the things that make your eyes roll. In here, I can safely share what I have always wanted to tell you but the time was just never right.”

Among the many stories in this book, Kirsten shares stories of the difficulty of marriage, the struggle to love herself and her body, the triumph of facing her fears, the pain of loving a child, the regret of decisions, and the freedom of knowing yourself. She discusses these with a rare honesty and sometimes offers up surprising advice as a result.

Before I Let You Go is a woman’s reflection on the halfway point of her life and the journey to get there. She shares the joy of the journey and being in the moment: “I am not anticipating the next stop—I am here paying attention, and loving what I see.” She shares the struggle with finding her purpose: “And what if I still never really know why I am here? I still must eat. I still must drink. I still must sleep. And I must love. And love? Even if that is all there is, that changes everything.” And she shares her most difficult question of all: “I am face to face with my mortality, and though I have loved others and was loved by others, the only question that remains is “Did I love me?””

The Brave Art of Motherhood: Fight Fear, Gain Confidence, and Find Yourself Again

By: Rachel Marie Martin

Expected Publication: October 9th 2018 by Waterbrook Press

208 pages

Genre: Non-fiction, Self-Help

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--Full-time FindingJoy.net blogger, speaker, marketer, podcaster, and single mom of seven, Rachel Martin presents a pivotal book for moms to spark the hope they need to overcome self-doubt, fear, pressure, and isolation.

This book is part encouragement and part rally cry for moms everywhere who have gotten lost within the pages of their own story, undervaluing all they do every day and exchanging the beauty of who they are for a Pinterest-perfect illusion. It gives you the tools you need to overcome fear, loneliness, and inaction. By drawing on anecdotes and lessons from her own life, Rachel empowers moms to forget their past mistakes, celebrate what they've already accomplished, and dare to be real about their struggles. She teaches them to cheer each other on toward better days, so that "alone" is replaced with "comradeship" and "fear" is replaced with "courage." You can make changes. You can overcome fear and doubt. You can pursue dreams, find yourself, and live a life of deep happiness and uncontainable joy.

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!

5 comments:

  1. I am eager to read 96 Words too. It sounds wonderful!

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  2. It sounds like you’ve been busy with your friends and family. I’m glad that Baby Boy is still gaining weight, and that there are no major problems with the AC. Have a good week! Enjoy your new books.

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  3. It might be a while before I get to it, but I'm excited to check it out too! Thanks for stopping by Sam!

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  4. YES! Both of those things were huge reliefs. And it was certainly nice to spend some time with friends and family. I hope you have a great week too AJ! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

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  5. Tucker owns a construction business, but his uncle is a farmer (beef I think). I'm reading Heart Land now because it's next in release date of my ARCs. I'm enjoying it, but it did have a slightly slow start for me. Thanks for stopping by and commenting Anne!

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