Friday, August 31, 2018

August 2018 EOM Wrap Up


I have read 10 books (children's books not listed below). *These qualify for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
*The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, # 3) by Mary E Pearson
*The Song of David (The Law of Moses, # 2) by Amy Harmon
The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy by Abbey Sy
Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, # 1) by Mary E Pearson
The Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones
Healing Hearts by Sarah M Eden
Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West
The Roses of Feldstone by Esther Hatch
Anywhere, Anytime Art: Colored Pencil by Cara Hanley
Ten-Step Drawing: Flowers by Walter Foster Creative Team

I have DNF'd 2 books.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X R Pan
Ten-Step Drawing: Animals by Walter Foster Creative Team

I have reviewed 6 books. *These qualify for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover
Let Me List the Ways by Sarah White
*Ruins (Partials, # 3) by Dan Wells
Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry
The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy by Abbey Sy
In Another Time by Caroline Leech

Other Posts:
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 8/5/18
Sunday Post - 8/12/18
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 8/19/18
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 8/26/18
Top Ten Somewhere Only We Know Commentors
Top Ten Books to Help a Reading Slump
Can't Wait for Surviving Adam Meade by Shannon Klare
Can't Wait for Mirage (Mirage, # 1) by Somaiya Daud
Can't Wait for Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West
Courting Darkness (His Fair Assassin, # 4) by Robin LaFevers
2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge - August Wrap Up

Goals:
I'm 20 days ahead on my Bible-in-a-year plan.
I've read 59 out of 52 books.
I've read 5 out of 10-12 series enders.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Can't Wait for Only a Breath Apart

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Only a Breath Apart

By: Katie McGarry

Expected Publication: January 22nd 2019 by Tor Teen

368 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--Are our destinies written in stone? Do we become nothing more than the self-fulfilling prophesies of other people's opinions? Or can we dare to become who we believe we were born to be?

Jesse Jameson is in line to inherit the land that's been in his family for generations--there's just one catch: to prove his maturity, he has to win the approval of his former best friend, Scarlett Copeland, and her father. But when Jesse finds out that Scarlett's father is abusing her, he must decide what truly matters most: his family's land or helping the girl he's fallen in love with.

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

Monday, August 27, 2018

In Another Time - Review

In Another Time

By: Caroline Leech

Publication: August 28th 2018 by HarperTeen

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

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--Love is worth the fight

It’s 1942, and Maisie McCall is in the Scottish Highlands doing her bit for the war effort as a Women’s Timber Corps lumberjill. Maisie relishes her newfound independence and her growing friendships—especially with the enigmatic John Lindsay.

As Maisie and John work side-by-side felling trees, Maisie can’t help but feel like their friendship has the spark of something more to it. And yet every time she gets close to him, John pulls away. It’s not until Maisie rescues John from a terrible logging accident that he begins to open up to her about the truth of his past, and the pain he’s been hiding.

Suddenly everything is more complicated than Maisie expected. And as she helps John untangle his shattered history, she must decide if she’s willing to risk her heart to help heal his. But in a world devastated by war, love might be the only thing left that can begin to heal what’s broken.

I picked up In Another Time kind of on a whim. I find that I enjoy specific periods of time for historical fiction and this setting isn't always one I prefer. However, Holly read and liked a previous book by this author and so that was a plus for this book. But the biggest thing that drew me in was the description. I've never even heard of the Women's Timber Corps so this story had an utterly unique draw.

In a time when feminism is being pushed and women's equality is being fought for, a story about lumberjills chopping down trees by hand (or by ax rather) during World War II stands out. There's no much that screams of women's ability quite like chopping down trees. Of course, women didn't quite have the same liberties as men during this time period, but that's one of the better qualities of the book. I enjoyed how true to the time period this was. The story wasn't stretched to fit today's ideals and even when the women were doing things beyond what might have been considered normal at the time none of the characters were overt feminist by today's standards.

Maisie was easily likeable where I sometimes find that I struggle with the female lead. She was a little hard around the edges when it came to her dealings with her family, but I liked that she grew in this area over the course of the book. She didn't just seem easily likeable to me as the reader, but also seemed to be able to get along with most of the characters in the book. Considering this story was largely inspired by the stories of one particular lumberjill that Caroline Leech was able to talk with, I can imagine that the camaraderie Maisie experienced was largely based off of this lumberjill's memories.

I also appreciated the realistic portrayal of PTSD in John. PTSD wasn't really known about during this time period so I liked that Caroline Leech showed it without making it current. It was clear John had issues he needed to deal with before moving into a relationship with Maisie but I'm glad the two weren't too self aware as I don't think much stock was put into mental and emotional health back then. I'm having a hard time saying that I'm glad Maisie went about things in a healthy way without making it too much about mental health that I don't think would match with the time period. John's mental state sounds very similar to stories of my own grandfather's demeanor after WWII.

I read In Another Time as quickly as I could given my limited time to read. I do think my starts and stops lessened my enthusiasm and enjoyment just a little. This is by no means a fault of the book but just the nature of my current life circumstances.

Overall, I really enjoyed the empowering women featured in this book without Caroline Leech making this Feminism-101. I appreciated the realistic portrayal of the culture as well as the mental and emotional struggles of many of the characters specific to this time period also without making these too modern day Mental Health-101. I can't say that I was over the hills with John and Maisie's love story, but I did enjoy it. I did want to keep reading; however, my current life of a mom of a 2 year old and 3 month old* didn't allow me to read whenever I wanted. Having to put the book down so frequently did influence my overall feelings toward In Another Time even though that's probably not fair of me. That being said, In Another Time gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read In Another Time? What did you think? Let me know!

*This review was written in February 2018, but not published until closer to the book's publication date.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 8/26/18

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.

Both kids are still struggling with colds. We're going on week 3 for Little Girl. I thought she was well until Saturday morning she woke up worse than she has been this entire time. Not much to report for our regular week. School runs on Tuesday and Thursday. She's still having a blast. Saturday the kids and I picked up my parents and headed to Gulf Shores to spend a few hours with my sister and her family. The kids were so good. Especially considering that both are sick and we spent more time in the car driving there and back than we did out. But it was so good to visit.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry (4 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Books to Help with a Reading Slump
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Courting Darkness (His Fair Assassin, # 4) by Robin LaFevers
Thursday: Review of The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy by Abbey Sy (4 Stars)
Saturday: 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge - August Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of In Another Time by Caroline Leech
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

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.

Bible Journaling Made Simple

By: Sandy Allnock

Publication: October 23rd 2018 by North Light Books

144 pages

Genre: Christian, Non-fiction, Art, Crafts

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--Draw closer to God and creatively unlock more of the Good Book!

Your relationship with God is unique. Shouldn't your Bible reflect and celebrate that bond? In this introduction to Bible journaling, you'll discover meaningful ways to combine art, heart and scripture--from backgrounds to hand-lettered verses to beautiful full-page drawings. No expensive supplies or artistic skills are required...only a desire to honor and enhance your spiritual life.

To guide your creative worship experience, this book provides:
Prompts to engage you with the text, then visually interpret Scripture in words and pictures
Basic techniques for working with colored pencils, watercolor pencils and watercolor paints
21 step-by-step tutorials for drawing trees, flowers, skies, mountains, maps, water, light and other popular themes
Tons of inspirational page samples and suggested verses to illustrate
Downloadable icons and technique videos available on the author's website

Whether you're new to Bible journaling or looking for fresh ideas, this book will lead you on a rewarding spiritual journey. Success is not measured in the complexity or polish of the art, but in a deeper, more personal connection with God.

"Our lives are busy, and we leave a trail of things-we-should-remember on the ground behind us. Instead, scoop them up and journal them. Preserve the lessons vital to our growth as Christians." page 12

The Roses of Feldstone

By: Esther Hatch

Publication: August 1st 2018 by Covenant Communications

224 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

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--Standing before Feldstone Manor, site of so many happy memories, Rose Davenport feels nothing but dread. Her family’s annual visit to the stately home was once brightened by her friendship with the earl’s youngest son, William, but everything changed the day his elder brother was disinherited and William became heir to his father’s earldom. From that moment, William made it clear he has no interest in continuing an acquaintance with Rose. Heartbroken, she sets out to prove that she will simply not be ignored—or outdone—by the arrogant future lord of the manor. When his elder brother marries for love, William’s entire life changes in an instant. He does not have the same option to marry whom he chooses, and he must let go of the feelings he has harbored for his dear friend, Rose. He steels himself against her annual visits, determined to keep his feelings for her a secret. But when he makes the hasty promise to marry within six months, he never dreams that his actions will lead Rose to impulsively undertake the same challenge.

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!

Saturday, August 25, 2018

2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge - August Wrap Up

Time for our eighth Monthly Wrap Up for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge hosted by Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know and Holly @ Words Fueled by Love!

Since the July Wrap Up, Sandy finished two series enders: The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, # 3) by Mary E Pearson & The Song of David (The Law of Moses, # 2) by Amy Harmon. Holly hasn't finished any new series enders.

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

Thursday, August 23, 2018

The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy - Review

The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy

By: Abbey Sy

Publication: June 12th 2018 by Quarry Books

192 pages

Genre: Non-fiction, Arts, Craft

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--Written by best-selling author and hand letterer Abbey Sy, The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy covers the basics and beyond for creative lettering techniques.

The book begins with an overview of tools and materials, both traditional (pointed pen and fountain pen) and modern (including brush markers and chalk), then presents a visual glossary of letterforms, highlights the unique characteristics of the featured alphabets, and demonstrates how to draw letterforms to foster an understanding of how they’re created. The core chapters explore traditional, modern, and special effects lettering using a variety of mark-making tools, with in-depth how-to on adding flourishes and other special details, plus creative projects. There’s also an introduction to modifying and creating letterforms digitally, as well as practice sheets for the featured alphabets. So whether you’ve never tried lettering before or you’d like to develop your skills and consider all your creative options, The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy will guide and inspire you on your lettering journey.

This is the second hand lettering book that I've reviewed here on my blog. The other was Lettering with Purpose.

The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy had short chapters and sections dedicated to more than just hand lettering. There were sections on the history and different types of calligraphy, fonts and font types, and even a section for digital lettering. The history bits were actually interesting to me where history isn't always my favorite subject.

I particularly think the section about digital lettering will be helpful in the future. Although I love the look of hand created art, I'm also quite a perfectionist. Digital renderings allow you to take art you've hand drawn and perfect it. Unfortunately this requires Adobe Illustrator which is quite expensive. This is likely not something you'd want to pay for a hobby alone, but if you were hoping to sell your art pieces then it might be worth the investment. Personally, I'm not quite there yet.

I didn't have some of the tools needed in order to actually practice some of the calligraphy styles, but that's okay with me for now. I can see myself investing in them in the future. For now, I'm practicing brush lettering. The book highly suggests that you use practice and drills to acquire muscle memory, but I didn't feel like this was emphasized quite enough. When I first got interested in hand lettering, I jumped right in trying to create hand lettered quotes or pieces of art, but I just didn't have the fundamentals down. I'm still very much learning, but I've taken to doing drills every day and I can actually feel the difference in the muscle memory that I'm creating even if my drawings aren't anything I'd want to share yet. All of this to say that once I feel a bit more accomplished in the style I'm working on now, I'd like to branch out to some of the other styles and fonts featured in this book.

Even though I said drills weren't emphasized, approximately 40 pages of this book are actually practice sheets. In my opinion, that is quite a lot of practice sheets included. This is a pro in my opinion for those looking to purchase this book. For me, they weren't as helpful as they could be because my review copy was an Adobe Digital Editions version with the function to print turned off. Sure, I can mimic the drills as best as possible simply by looking at my computer screen and trying to copy on my own paper, but a bit of the purpose and functionality of the practice sheets is lost in doing so. I will say that even with 40 practice sheets, that's basically one sheet per style...this isn't a book that has pages upon pages for you to practice one style. The book just covers so many styles and fonts that each style taking up one-two pages is this long.

In the section for hand lettering (or brush lettering), I didn't find any real new information for me. But that's okay. This book covered so many other styles and fonts that I found plenty new (to me) information in the other chapters. The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy? What did you think? Let me know!

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Can't Wait for Courting Darkness

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Courting Darkness (His Fair Assassin, # 4)

By: Robin LaFevers

Expected Publication: February 5th 2019 by HMH Books for Young Readers

512 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical 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--Death wasn’t the end, it was only the beginning…

Sybella has always been the darkest of Death’s daughters, trained at the convent of Saint Mortain to serve as his justice. But she has a new mission now. In a desperate bid to keep her two youngest sisters safe from the family that nearly destroyed them all, she agrees to accompany the duchess to France, where they quickly find themselves surrounded by enemies. Their one ray of hope is Sybella’s fellow novitiates, disguised and hidden deep in the French court years ago by the convent—provided Sybella can find them.

Genevieve has been undercover for so many years, she struggles to remember who she is or what she’s supposed to be fighting for. Her only solace is a hidden prisoner who appears all but forgotten by his guards. When tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to take matters into her own hands—even if it means ignoring the long awaited orders from the convent.

As Sybella and Gen’s paths draw ever closer, the fate of everything they hold sacred rests on a knife’s edge. Will they find each other in time, or will their worlds collide, destroying everything they care about?

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

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Top Ten Books to Help a Reading Slump

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week's topic is Top Ten Books to Help a Reading Slump.

First let me say that I usually combat reading slumps with Contemporary books. That's because they're usually shorter than fantasy, and they're usually focusing on emotion rather than world building and elaborate plots. That being said, there are still fantasy books that can help you get out of a slump. I've also noticed that for me a reading slump often comes AFTER reading a great book because nothing else feels like it'll measure up to what I just finished. So that being said, it is possible that these books might cause a reading slump.

  1. Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, # 1) by Mary E Pearson (review coming soon)
  2. The Simple Wild by KA Tucker - but really KA Tucker is an author I've not been disappointed by yet, so anything by her ought to work.
  3. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas
  4. PS I Like You by Kasie West - Again, she's yet to disappoint me so anything by her would suffice.
  5. The Law of Moses (The Law of Moses, # 1) by Amy Harmon - Another consistently good author. This one in particular was full of wonderfulness.
  6. Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, # 1) by Katie McGarry - I've enjoyed every one of her books, but sometimes re-reading a tried and true and well loved book is just what I need to get out of a slump.
  7. A Noble Masquerade (Hawthorne House, # 1) by Kristi Ann Hunter - Sometimes I like to really mix up the genre I've been reading to get me out of a funk.
  8. Anything Colleen Hoover, but I must say that I actually prefer her earliest books for the most part.
  9. Red Rising (Red Rising, # 1) by Pierce Brown - I debated on not adding this one to the list because it took me 30% to feel hooked into this book, but once I did...oh so good.
  10. A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 1) by Sarah J Maas - Another one that took me a bit to get into, but once I did I was swept away.

Which books do you recommend to get out of a reading slump? Let me know!

Monday, August 20, 2018

Say You'll Remember Me - Review

Say You'll Remember Me

By: Katie McGarry

Publication: January 30th 2018 by Harlequin Teen

400 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library (Birthday present from Husband)

( 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 Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.

But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve.

First thing I need to address is that I'm not sure how the title fits for this one. If I'm missing something obvious, someone please let me know.

Say You'll Remember Me had a lot going on. Hendrix was convincted and went to jail for a crime he didn't commit. This begs the question "who did." Ellison's dad is the governor who created the program that helped Hendrix turn his life around. Ellison and Hendrix are both pawns...players on the board to serve a purpose yet have very little power. They're both on the campaign trail as shiny objects to be looked at as long as they play their role as written. Hendrix doesn't mind his role because he feels indebted to the governor. But Ellison... Her role includes being changed into someone else. She feels like she needs to change in order to earn her parents' approval, and she just never quite measures up to who they want her to be.

I find that I usually connect to the male lead pretty easily and this wasn't any different for me with Say You'll Remember Me. We learn quickly that Hendrix didn't commit the crime he went to juvie for so I immediately respected yet felt sympathy for him. Both of his parents are MIA--his mom a drug addict and his dad in a band off in the world making music. One thing Hendrix fears...becoming his dad. And that was the exact path he was headed down before the Second Chance program pointed him in a different direction. He's scared to trust his own judgment.

Unlike the leading males, sometimes I find myself struggling with the female lead. I didn't really feel this way about Ellison. She was easy to like even when I wanted her to stand up for herself a bit more. As a once teenage, I cheered Ellison in her rebelliousness to remain herself. I don't mean characteristics she might need to work on like a quick temper or a smart mouth, but things like her hair and eye color. I felt hurt for her that her parents wanted to change her so dramatically to appeal to the public just to support the campaign. I did really like how Elle handled herself in several situations. She didn't seem to have a retaliatory attitude which I appreciated.

From a plot standpoint I did hope that Ellison's faith in her father's character would be worthy. The public's role in this story was realistic and sad. I was torn on reading them because the portrayal was correct, but I get so annoyed with it in real life that seeing it in fiction wasn't much fun. Events ended up getting a bit dramatic there towards the end even if not unpredictable. I didn't foresee every detail, but I wasn't surprised by any of the "twists" exactly either.

I liked the side characters: Axel, Marcus, Holliday, and others. Their backstories and motivations all felt realistic and I was connected to each on an emotional level.

Favorite quotes:

-How can I forgive someone who won't admit guilt? How can I forgive when I don't know who to forgive?

-Find something graceful.

-"Sometimes there isn't a best choice. Sometimes we're given two bad choices."

-"I'm sorry." "It's not your fault." "No, but someone should be sorry."

-"Have you not figured it out? This country doesn't want heroes. Not when it so thoroughly enjoys kicking a villain."

Say You'll Remember Me was consistent with what I've come to expect from Katie McGarry. Characters I can easily root for and connect to on an emotional level, a story that does have some drama to it, and everything wrapped up in the end. Plus a love story that always gives me the warm and fuzzies. Say You'll Remember Me gets 4 Stars. Have you read Say You'll Remember Me? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 8/19/18

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.

Second week of "school" for Little Girl. She's still loving it. Her cold is mostly gone now, thankfully. Although Baby Boy's seems to be getting worse. Little Girl has been waking up almost nightly with bad dreams though. Bless her. I finished two books this week. One was great and I can't wait for my review of it to post--although I'm scheduled all the way out until November right now so it'll be a while. The other was so weird and uncomfortable. I did finish it, but man I wish I could get that reading time back and put it towards a different book. Friday, my friend, Paula, came to visit. She's changing jobs this week so we wanted to catch up before she gets into a new routine with the new job. Saturday, my mom, dad, Nanny, and 2nd cousin came to visit for a few hours, and then Baby Boy and I went to a baby shower for my friend Lacy. That was fun, and I'm so excited to meet her baby in a few months.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Ruins (Partials, # 3) by Dan Wells (3.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Somewhere Only We Know Commentors
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West
Thursday: DNF Review of Ten-Step Drawing: Animals by Walter Foster Creative Team

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Thursday: Review of The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy by Abbey Sy

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.

Healing Hearts

By: Sarah M Eden

Publication: February 5th 2019 by Shadow Mountain

336 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

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--Wyoming Territory, 1876

As the only doctor in the frontier town of Savage Wells, Gideon MacNamara knows his prospects for a bride are limited. The womenfolk in town are either too young, too old, or already spoken for. So, being a practical man, he decides to take advantage of the matchmaking service of the day—mail-order brides—and sends away for a woman with nursing experience.

When Miriam steps off the stagecoach in Savage Wells, she sees a bright future in front of her. But when the town—and Gideon—meets her, ready for a wedding, her excitement quickly turns to horror. Somehow Dr. MacNamara's message had gotten turned around. He didn’t want a nurse, he wanted a wife. When she refuses to marry him, she finds herself stranded in Savage Wells with some very unhappy townspeople.

But Gideon is not like the other men Miriam has met. Embarrassed by the misunderstanding, he offers her a job, and the two begin an awkward—and often humorous—dance of getting to know each other as they work to care for the people of their town. Romance blossoms between the two, but when a former medical associate of Miriam’s arrives in town, Gideon and the other townsfolk must rally around Miriam to protect her from a dangerous fate. Gideon and Miriam must decide if they are willing to risk their hearts for each other even as buried secrets are brought to light.

Strange Grace

By: Tessa Gratton

Publication: September 18th 2018 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

320 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--Once, a witch made a pact with a devil. The legend says they loved each other, but can the story be trusted at all? Find out in this lush, atmospheric fantasy novel that entwines love, lies, and sacrifice.

Long ago, a village made a bargain with the devil: to ensure their prosperity, when the Slaughter Moon rises, the village must sacrifice a young man into the depths of the Devil’s Forest.

Only this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early.

Bound by duty, secrets, and the love they share for one another, Mairwen, a spirited witch; Rhun, the expected saint; and Arthur, a restless outcast, will each have a role to play as the devil demands a body to fill the bargain. But the devil these friends find is not the one they expect, and the lies they uncover will turn their town—and their hearts—inside out.

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, August 16, 2018

Ten-Step Drawing: Animals - DNF Review

Ten-Step Drawing: Animals

By: Walter Foster Creative Team

Publication: August 7th 2018 by Walter Foster Publishing

128 pages

Genre: Non-fiction, Arts, Crafts

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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Goodreads description--Featuring illustrated tutorials for drawing 75 different animals, Ten-Step Drawing: Animals breaks down each subject into 10 simple steps; moreover, all you need is a pen or pencil and a piece of paper!

Handy prompts help artists by encouraging artistic individuality, as well as helpful tips for drawing other subjects not featured in the book. Ten-Step Drawing: Animals is sure to encourage even the most reluctant amateur artist to break out a pen and paper and doodle to their heart’s content!

Ok so my first mistake was assuming that "ten steps" = ten lines. I kind of feel like this book is cheating a bit because each of these steps often includes a lot more than one line or shape. Each step might have multiple pieces to it, and for me that kind of defeated the purpose.

I don't know why I thought this would be easy...maybe because the description made it seem so. And even the steps themselves seem easy. But you can't just say "draw a flat ovalish shape" and have the results come out looking like the illustrations in this book. Well perhaps someone out there could, but me...not so much.

Another thing I've always struggled with in drawing is perfectionism. Art is much more subjective and unless I'm copying or tracing an image, it will never look like what I see in the illustration or picture. And what's in my head never translates to paper.

Aside from that, I knew from the very first animal that this book was going to be too advanced for my skill level. Let's take a look at the first animal in the book.

I'm not quite sure what I expected, but it wasn't this. Sadly, Ten-Step Drawing: Animals was quickly DNF'd. Have you tried Ten-Step Drawing: Animals? What did you think? Let me know!

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Can't Wait for Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss

By: Kasie West

Expected Publication: February 5th 2019 by HarperTeen

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

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

Goodreads description--Lacey Barnes has dreamt of being in a movie for as long as she can remember. However, while her dream did include working alongside the hottest actor in Hollywood, it didn’t involve having to finish up her senior year of high school at the same time she was getting her big break. Although that is nothing compared to Donavan, the straight-laced student her father hires to tutor her, who is a full-on nightmare.

As Lacey struggles to juggle her burgeoning career, some on-set sabotage, and an off-screen romance with the unlikeliest of leading men, she quickly learns that sometimes the best stories happen when you go off script.

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