Thursday, January 31, 2019

January 2019 EOM Wrap Up

I have read 8 books (not including children's books). *These qualify for the 2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
The Truth About Miss Ashbourne by Joanna Barker
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
Shadows Among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
*Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, # 3) by Jenny Han
A Return of Devotion (Haven Manor, # 2) by Kristi Ann Hunter
First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, # 1) by Darynda Jones

I have reviewed books. *These qualify for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
*Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts, # 2) by Emma Scott
Tricky Twenty-Two (Stephanie Plum, # 22) by Janet Evanovich
The Truth About Miss Ashbourne by Joanna Barker
Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West

Other Posts:
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 01/06/19
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 01/13/19
Sunday Post - 01/20/19
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 01/27/19
Can't Wait for Maybe This Time by Kasie West
Can't Wait for How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasglow
Can't Wait for If I'm Being Honest by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
Can't Wait for The Number of Love (Codebreakers, # 1) by Roseanna M. White
2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Sign Up
2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Goals
2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge - January Wrap Up
December 2018 EOM Wrap Up
2018 EOY Wrap Up

Goals:
I'm 1 day behind on my Bible-in-a-year plan.
I've read 16 out of 52 books (including children's books).
I've read 1 out of 5-10 series enders.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Can't Wait for The Number of Love

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.

The Number of Love (Codebreakers, # 1)

By: Roseanna M. White

Expected Publication: June 4th 2019 by Bethany House Publishers

400 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Christian 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--Three years into the Great War, England’s greatest asset is their intelligence network—field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack every German telegram. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, for the first time in her life numbers aren’t enough.

Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy that just won’t give up. He’s smitten quickly by the too-intelligent Margot, but how to convince a girl who lives entirely in her mind that sometimes life’s answers lie in the heart?

Amidst biological warfare, encrypted letters, and a German spy who wants to destroy not just them, but others they love, Margot and Drake will have to work together to save them all from the very secrets that brought them together.

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

Monday, January 28, 2019

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss - Review

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss

By: Kasie West

Expected Publication: February 5th 2019 by HarperTeen

384 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--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.

I love when Kasie West takes a character from a previous book and makes that character the main character of another book. I do wish these were listed as a series though even though each book is perfectly capable of standing on its own. But it would just give me an immediate heads up that these characters are related and should be familiar. In this case, Lacey was a side character in Abby and Cooper's story, Love, Life, and the List.

Despite being a big Kasie West fan, I wasn't pulled in to Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss from page one like I usually am. I think that's likely due to not being able to relate to a character staring in a movie. Granted that's not all Lacey is and knowing Kasie West's prior work kept me reading and it wasn't too long before I was cruising along just fine.

As I said, it was hard for me to relate to Lacey's situation on a movie set as a lead actress. She was a likable character for me, yet very different from myself. Her director calls her spunky at one point and I think that's a great way to describe her. She's flirtatious and almost boisterous without being annoying. I enjoyed reading someone so different from myself. I appreciated that her problems were both internal and external. She had to deal with trying to connect as an actress with a costar that she's not exactly attracted to. She actually has to navigate the waters of her first real crush. She also struggles with her dad's support (or lack thereof) for her chosen career. But then there are things to deal with such as the chemistry being missing with her costar isn't entirely her fault as well as someone seems to be sabotaging her and trying to make her look bad on set.

From a plot standpoint, I appreciated that Lacey wasn't trying to hook up with Grant. I liked that Kasie West gave several of the characters reason to plot against Lacey. I was actually surprised with how that turned out. I also appreciated that Donovan didn't end up writing some scathing review of Lacey's movie.

Donovan was a fun character, although there were times when I still wished I knew more about him. Lacey could be self-centered at times and she would realize that she didn't know little things about Donovan which meant that the reader doesn't know those things either. He definitely seemed contradictory at times. He was uptight yet relaxed. But I guess we can all be a bit contradictory in real life as well.

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss was a fun read. This won't go down as my all-time favorite Kasie West book, but it was enjoyable throughout. Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 01/27/19

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 normal week. School days for Little Girl on Tuesday and Thursday. I DNF'd one book and have a review coming soon for it. I also finished another book and have a review coming for it soon too. Friday night I was able to leave the kids with Husband in order to meet my friend, Paula, for dinner. Man that was much needed. It's easy to get swept up in the day to day of being MOM and forget that sometimes we just need time with our friends too.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Truth About Miss Ashbourne by Joanna Barker (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for If I'm Being Honest by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
Friday: 2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge - January Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2019 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.

Only a Breath Apart

By: Katie McGarry

Publication: January 22nd 2019 by Tor Teen

368 pages

Source: Personal Kindle Library

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.

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!

Friday, January 25, 2019

2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge - January Wrap Up

Time for our first Monthly Wrap Up for the 2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge hosted by Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know and Holly @ Words Fueled by Love!

Sandy finished one series ender: Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, # 3) by Jenny Han. Holly hasn't finished any 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 January giveaway runs from January 25th - February 25th. On February 25th we will use random.org and the linky entries to pull a winner.

Inlinkz Link Party

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Can't Wait for If I'm Being Honest

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.

If I'm Being Honest

By: Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Expected Publication: April 23rd 2019 by Viking Books for Young Readers

384 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--High school senior Cameron Bright’s reputation can be summed up in one word: bitch. It’s no surprise she’s queen bee at her private L.A. high school—she’s beautiful, talented, and notorious for her cutting and brutal honesty. So when she puts her foot in her mouth in front of her crush, Andrew, she fears she may have lost him for good.

In an attempt to win him over, Cameron resolves to “tame” herself, much like Katherine in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. First, she’ll have to make amends with those she’s wronged, which leads her to Brendan, the guy she labelled with an unfortunate nickname back in the sixth grade. At first, Brendan isn’t all that receptive to Cameron’s ploy. But slowly, he warms up to her when they connect over the computer game he’s developing. Now if only Andrew would notice…

But the closer Cameron gets to Brendan, the more she sees he appreciates her personality—honesty and all—and wonders if she’s compromising who she is for the guy she doesn’t even want.

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

Monday, January 21, 2019

The Truth About Miss Ashbourne - Review

The Truth About Miss Ashbourne

By: Joanna Barker

Publication: November 1st 2018 by Covenant Communications, Inc.

272 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Governess Juliana Ashbourne has dreams reaching far beyond the confines of her current position, hoping to someday establish her own school for girls. When she inherits a fortune from her late grandfather, she is shocked to learn that “someday” may soon be within reach. However, there is one condition: she must spend a month at the estate of Havenfield—with the very family who disowned her mother. Intent on securing the money she needs to start her school, Juliana accepts the invitation, vowing to guard her heart against those who shunned her all her life. But Havenfield is far from what she expects. She discovers a grandmother seeking forgiveness, a cold and disapproving aunt, and a painfully shy cousin. And then there is Mr. William Rowley. Though the heir to the estate is a merciless tease, Juliana finds in him a friend and confidant—and perhaps something more. As she struggles to make sense of her new place in the world, her stubborn independence clashes with a yearning to belong and the even more confusing desires of her heart.

I'm still relatively new to the historical fiction genre. I've read the occasional book throughout my life but it was never a genre I read frequently until the last year or so. I'm still finding authors that I'm enjoying in the genre, but I'm always wary of getting into books that might have too much "romance" if you know what I mean. The Truth About Miss Ashbourne was utterly clean and I'm so glad.

William was such a fun character. He teases and banters with Juliana from the very beginning of their acquaintance. He's strong, wise, kind, and everything you might look for in a leading male character. Juliana was so endearing. She meets William under the most unusual circumstances and she's constantly embarrassing herself. I think many people would be able to relate to her. The other characters of The Truth About Miss Ashbourne was all enjoyable too. Lady Rowley, Eliza, Rebecca, and Mrs. Rowley were all lovely characters--especially Eliza and Rebecca. Both of which I'd love to read more about.

Of course, there were plenty of unlikable characters which make the story well rounded and realistic.

I was plugging along and enjoying every single bit. I never wanted to put The Truth About Miss Ashbourne down. I was able to read it over the course of about two days. But then one of my biggest pet peeve when it comes to conflict occurred. I ended up being satisfied with the ending and how the resolution happened.

The Truth About Miss Ashbourne was really enjoyable. I read it very quickly and didn't want to put it down. I was excited about the possibility of William and Juliana from the very moment they first met without even knowing who the other was. I loved their back and forth bantering. The Truth About Miss Ashbourne gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Truth About Miss Ashbourne? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, January 20, 2019

Sunday Post - 01/20/19

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 has been pretty normal. Tuesday at school Little Girl had her first substitute teacher. She loves her regular teacher, but when school was over she said she loved the substitute too. Wednesday she had her first dentist appointment. She did wonderful. She laid still and had no cavities. Mom and Nanny came by on Saturday to visit for a couple of hours. The kids had a blast showing off and running around. Later Saturday afternoon, a tornado touched down about 10 miles from our house. We are all safe, but Husband's aunt and uncle's house was destroyed. There was significant damage to other buildings--two of which were historical churches.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Tricky Twenty-Two (Stephanie Plum, # 22) by Janet Evanovich (3.5 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Truth About Miss Ashbourne by Joanna Barker
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2019 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!

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Can't Wait for How to Make Friends with the Dark

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.

How to Make Friends with the Dark

By: Kathleen Glasgow

Expected Publication: April 9th 2019 by Delacorte Press

416 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--Here is what happens when your mother dies.

It’s the brightest day of summer and it’s dark outside. It’s dark in your house, dark in your room, and dark in your heart. You feel like the darkness is going to split you apart.

That’s how it feels for Tiger. It’s always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger’s mother dies. And now it’s Tiger, alone.

Here is how you learn to make friends with the dark.

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

Monday, January 14, 2019

Tricky Twenty-Two - Review

Tricky Twenty-Two (Stephanie Plum, # 22)

By: Janet Evanovich

Publication: November 17th 2015 by Bantam

282 pages

Genre: Adult, Humor, Mystery, Romance

Source: Borrowed from the e-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--Something big is brewing in Trenton, N.J., and it could blow at any minute.

Stephanie Plum might not be the world's greatest bounty hunter, but she knows when she's being played. Ken Globovic (aka Gobbles), hailed as the Supreme Exalted Zookeeper of the animal house known as Zeta fraternity, has been arrested for beating up the dean of students at Kiltman College. Gobbles has missed his court date and gone into hiding. People have seen him on campus, but no one will talk. Things just aren't adding up, and Stephanie can't shake the feeling that something funny is going on at the college - and it's not just Zeta fraternity pranks.

As much as people love Gobbles, they hate Doug Linken. When Linken is gunned down in his backyard it's good riddance, and the list of possible murder suspects is long. The only people who care about finding Linken's killer are Trenton cop Joe Morelli, who has been assigned the case, security expert Ranger, who was hired to protect Linken, and Stephanie, who has her eye on a cash prize and hopefully has some tricks up her sleeve.

I needed to take a break after the last couple of Stephanie Plum books that I read. That made me get a bit behind to current releases. The books were too repetitive for me to read back to back. Yet, since it'd been so long since I read one of these books, and I found myself in a reading slump, I decided to pick up Tricky Twenty-Two. Sometimes I find that knowing exactly what to expect out of a book is what I need to break me out of a slump. And in this case, I was able to enjoy Tricky Twenty-Two without putting too high of expectations on it.

Lorelai King does a wonderful job as always narrating the audiobook version (which is the version I "read").

I will say that there were no laugh out loud moments for me, but not every book is going to make me laugh out loud and if anything those books are the exception to the rule, not to regular. I still enjoyed this book even without the actual laughs.

In times past, I've found myself annoyed with the back and forth between Stephanie, Ranger, and Morelli, but that wasn't the case for this book. Perhaps that's due to the time I gave myself between reads. Perhaps it was the events of the book. Either way, I actually enjoyed wondering for once what was going to happen between these three.

Even though Tricky Twenty-Two didn't blow me away, it was consistent with what I've come to expect from a Stephanie Plum book. And "meets expectations" was exactly what I needed at the moment. Fun. Fast. Light. Tricky Twenty-Two gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Tricky Twenty-Two? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 01/13/19

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.

Little Girl was back to school this week. She was so excited. It finally stopped raining long enough for us to get outside a few days this week. The weather was quite nice. While I haven't been busy with too much running around each day, I have been quite busy and productive at home. I'm in a cleaning and purging mood. This is the first time I've ever gotten a cookbook for review. I don't mind cooking. I enjoy having good, healthy meals for my family, but my practical side always battles the details of cooking that would make me a really good cook. My Husband did keto last year and had great results. He lost roughly 50 pounds. I couldn't do it then because I was breastfeeding. Since I weaned in November, it was my plan to make it through Thanksgiving and Christmas and then start. I didn't wait until New Year's to start. I'm a little over two weeks in and I've lost 6 pounds already. Anyway, when I saw this keto cookbook available for review, I figured I'd snag it up while I could. So far just looking over the recipes there are some decadent and not exactly simple that has me thinking this cookbook might not be exactly for me. But we'll see. I'll give the recipes a chance first.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (The Beautiful Hearts, # 2) by Emma Scott (4.5 Stars)
Tuesday: 2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Goals
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Maybe This Time by Kasie West

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of The Truth About Miss Ashbourne by Joanna Barker
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2019 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.

The Keto All Day Cookbook: More Than 100 Low-Carb Recipes That Let You Stay Keto for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

By: Martina Šlajerová

Publication: January 22nd 2019 by Fair Winds Press

176 pages

Genre: Cookbook, Non-fiction, Health, Keto

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 Keto All Day Cookbook, best-selling author and creator of the KetoDiet blog Martina Slajerova compiles her best recipes for every meal of the day (even snacks)—plus 17 new ones, accompanied by nearly 40 gorgeous new photos—to help you stay the keto course, deliciously!

Keto is the top-trending supportive diet. Bolstering its reputation is research that strongly suggests that a keto diet may help reverse diabetes, obesity, cancer, and the effects of aging. However, in order to reap the benefits, you need to stick to the keto plan at every meal. That can be challenging when eating breakfast during your commute or figuring out what to eat for dinner after a long day. And what to do about lunch? Especially when your lunch "hour" may be 10 minutes at your desk. With Keto All Day you won't be tempted to blow your keto diet on a carb-filled snack or a processed convenience meal simply because you are tired, rushed, or just don't know what to prepare.

Enjoy tasty, flavorful recipes for snacks and meals, such Breakfast Egg Muffins, Pizza Waffles, Carrot Cake Oatmeal, Southern Duck Deviled Eggs, Eggplant Parma Ham Rolls, and Taco Frittata. Keto All Day even has recipes for delicious drinks and desserts, including Cookie Dough Mousse, Boston Cream Pie, and Raspberry Lime Electrolyte Cooler.

Reap the benefits of the amazing keto diet in a delicious way with Keto All Day.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Can't Wait for Maybe This Time

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.

Maybe This Time

By: Kasie West

Expected Publication: July 9th 2019 by Point

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--One year. Nine events. Nine chances to . . . fall in love?

Weddings. Funerals. Barbecues. New Year's Eve parties. Name the occasion, and Sophie Evans will be there. Well, she has to be there. Sophie works for the local florist, so she can be found at every big event in her small hometown, arranging bouquets and managing family dramas.

Enter Andrew Hart. The son of the fancy new chef in town, Andrew is suddenly required to attend all the same events as Sophie. Entitled, arrogant, preppy Andrew. Sophie just wants to get her job done and finish up her sketches so she can apply to design school. But every time she turns around, there is Andrew, getting in her way and making her life more complicated. Until one day she wonders if maybe complicated isn't so bad after all . . .

Told over the course of one year and following Sophie from event to event, this delightful novel from master of romantic comedy Kasie West shows how love can blossom in unexpected places.

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

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Goals

This challenge is for all of you series readers who are scared to death of that last book in the series. You anxiously await it. You stalk it. You get your hands on it as soon as possible. But then…you put off reading it for fear that it might not be everything you thought it would be. Or, maybe you just have a backlog of series started and you need to finish that last book.

Join us in knocking out those pesky last books in a series. This is your chance. Here’s your motivation. Better than that, we have prizes!

Levels: (how many series enders you are planning to read)

Level 1: 1 – 5
Level 2: 5 – 10
Level 3: 10 – 15
Level 4: 15+

Check out the the sign up post to join!

This challenge is hosted by Somewhere Only We Know and Words Fueled by Love.


My Goals:

  1. Finale (Hush, Hush, # 4) by Becca Fitzpatrick
  2. Unforgiven (Fallen, # 4) by Lauren Kate
  3. Ruin & Rising (The Grisha, # 3) by Leigh Bardugo
  4. Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, # 3) by Jenny Han
  5. Brave (Contours of the Heart, # 4) by Tammara Webber
  6. End of Days (Penryn & the End of Days, # 3) by Susan Ee
  7. Inspiring You (Unraveling You, # 4) by Jessica Sorensen
  8. Emerald Green (The Ruby Red Trilogy, # 3) by Kerstin Gier
  9. Sempre: Redemption (Sempre, # 2) by JM Darhower
  10. Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7) by Sarah J Maas
  11. The Artful Match (London Beginnings, # 3) by Jennifer Delamere
  12. Maybe Now (Maybe, # 2) by Colleen Hoover
  13. The Noble Guardian (Bow Street Runners, # 3) by Michelle Griep
  14. A Pursuit of Home (Haven Manor, # 3) by Kristi Ann Hunter
  15. Summoned to Thirteenth Grave (Charley Davidson, # 13) by Darynda Jones

Of course, I likely won't get to some of these (a few of them have been on my goals list for the last five years), or I'll come across a new/new-to-me series that I read the entire series during 2019. My real goal is level 2. I aimed for Level 3 the past two years and fell a little short both times. So we'll see what happens. These are just the enders on my radar right now.

Monday, January 7, 2019

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts - Review

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts Duet, # 2)

By: Emma Scott

Publication: October 14th 2018 by Amazon Digital Services

286 pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Retellings

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Never again would I allow my heart to become the plaything of someone else.
Never again would I let a man (or men) come between me and my goals.
Never again would I love without feeling the fullness of that love in return.
Not until I knew it was real. And if that took me a lifetime to find, so be it.

Those were my vows, and after all that had happened with Connor and Weston, I was determined to keep them. To protect my heart.
And then he came home, and my vows became his promises.

He held my heart in his hands with reverence and care.
He helped me find my soul’s greatest purpose in life.
He loved me with a love so pure and vibrant, I knew I’d never feel anything like it in a hundred lifetimes.
It was real.

Until it wasn’t.
Until it all came crashing down when I discovered the deep love I thought I’d found was nestled in a web of lies—so soft and silken I hadn’t noticed it was there.
Until it was too late.

**********
Long Live the Beautiful Hearts is the emotional, heart-wrenching conclusion to the Beautiful Hearts Duet by bestselling author, Emma Scott, and is inspired by the classic tale, Cyrano de Bergerac. (Roxanne) THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL LOVE TRIANGLE #confusedhearts #notamenage THIS BOOK IS NOT A STANDALONE. It should not be read without first reading Bring Down the Stars

Man you guys, I BLEW through this book and the previous one (Bring Down the Stars) in two days. This is unheard of for me at this point in my life. I just don't usually have the time available to dedicate to reading so much in a row. But I read about 6 hours in one day as we took a day trip to a wedding three hours away. But I couldn't stop reading this book. From the cliffhanger from book 1 to the beginning of this one.

It's almost impossible to discuss this book without getting into the land of spoilers. I'll do my best. I mean the description is so vague that you don't know who even came back from war. So...how do I even discuss this book?

Where I struggled with knowing inevitable conflict was coming in Bring Down the Stars, I felt like I was passed the hardest part because the damage had already been done. Now it was just about unraveling the lies in time and seeing how Autumn would handle them. Yet in so many ways, the struggles were only just beginning by the time we start Long Live the Beautiful Hearts. If there's one thing I wish I could change about this book it would be that Autumn had discovered (or been told) the truth sooner and that she would have had time throughout the book to recover from the lies in a slower manner. While I wasn't entirely unsatisfied with how everything was handled, the resolution and forgiveness did feel a bit like a switch was flipped and she changed from sad and hurt to happy and forgiving a bit too jarringly to feel realistic.

I was so impressed with the poetry actually featured in Bring Down the Stars. Specifically, the last/main poem of the book. And so for that to be the case, I found myself a little disappointed with the poems included in Long Live the Beautiful Hearts. They weren't bad, but I just didn't find them as striking.

What was striking though was the difference in the Before versus the After--especially when considering the real-life events that Emma Scott was dealing with. She lost her daughter, Isabel, in between books to a massive heart attack due to a rare complication she'd had since birth. These two books being one complete, thought-out story with every piece being perfectly executed and planned from the beginning makes the Before and After of the books mirroring Emma Scott's own Before and After poetic and heartbreaking. Real life imitates art imitating real life. As a mother, my heart breaks for Emma Scott and what she's gone through even more than these beautiful characters that she's written about in this story.

I honestly had mixed thoughts about the disability pieces of the story-line. On the one hand, it was so refreshing. I can say I've probably read only other book with a main character that had a similar disability. I imagine Emma Scott researched tons about these types of disabilities before making any decisions for her character, but I don't have that luxury or knowledge base. So there were some things that I just have no knowledge base for. Other aspects were so heartbreaking to think that I've never thought about these things before. And it opened my eyes to the need for more compassion and consideration from me.

Favorite quotes (that aren't too long or spoilers):

-Was there any greater gift from one human being to another than understanding?

-"In my mind, [...], that has always been the fault of your armor; you have built it so strong that it doesn't protect you so much as it hurts you to carry its impossible weight."

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts was a beautiful end to a wonderful story. I started this series fearing how the retelling would be handled, but Emma Scott worked it so well. And the reasons that our characters felt unworthy of love are so much better and deeper than some big old ugly nose. I want to say so much more about this book and this series, but I just can't spoil it for any potential readers. This book and the series weren't completely perfect so I'm not giving this book 5 Stars, but it heartily deserves 4.5 Stars. Have you read Long Live the Beautiful Hearts? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 01/06/2019

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 a pretty normal day. It's been raining here for about a week straight. So depressing. I try not to complain about the rain too much because our area has certainly had plenty of droughts, but not just this week, the entire last month has been so rainy. Tuesday Little Boy started running a fever. We had a date night planned for my niece to watch the kids. Husband and I went ahead knowing we wouldn't travel far. We had a glorious meal and even did a little shoe shopping. These are two things we just never get to do anymore. Little Boy was still running a fever off and on so Wednesday we took a trip to the doctor. Apparently it's viral because he's not really showing any other symptoms. I enjoyed having my niece spend the night and hang out with us. We should really do that more often. She's so much more mature than many other kids her age, and I'm proud of her. Little Boy continued to run fever and Thursday was quite pitiful. I had to run to the chiropractor, and I just hated to leave him even for that short period of time. Friday he was much better only running a 101 fever 3 times during the day. And by Saturday he was fever free.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Bring Down the Stars (The Beautiful Hearts, # 1) by Emma Scott (4 Stars)
Tuesday: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Wednesday: 2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Sign Up
Thursday: December 2018 EOM Wrap Up
Friday: 2018 EOY Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (The Beautiful Hearts, # 2) by Emma Scott
Tuesday: 2019 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Goals
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.

Shadows Among Sheaves

By: Naomi Stephens

Publication: April 1st 2019 by Shiloh Run Press

320 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian 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--A Timeless, Beautiful Allegory of the Biblical Love Story of Ruth and Boaz

The Great Rebellion of 1857 was a remarkably bloody business. At a time when Britain’s imperial influence in India was sparking brutal clashes on both sides, no one could have expected Rena, an Indian woman, to marry a British officer—nor do they understand her decision to follow her mother-in-law to England after her husband’s tragic death.

Once the two widows are in Abbotsville, the stern yet compassionate Lord Barric attempts to help them despite his better judgment. Soon he is torn between the demands of reputation and his increasing desire to capture Rena’s heart for his own.

A Return of Devotion (Haven Manor, # 2)

By: Kristi Ann Hunter

Expected Publication: February 5th 2019 by Bethany House Publishers

352 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian 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--Daphne Blakemoor was perfectly happy living in her own secluded world for twelve years. She had everything she needed—loved ones, a true home, and time to indulge her imagination. But when ownership of the estate where she works as a housekeeper passes on, and the new marquis has an undeniable connection to her past, everything she's come to rely upon is threatened.

William, Marquis of Chemsford's main goal in life is to be the exact opposite of his father. Starting a new life in the peace and quiet of the country sounds perfect until his housekeeper turns his life upside down.

They've spent their lives hiding from the past. Can they find the courage to face their deepest wounds and, perhaps, find a new path for the future together?

The Truth About Miss Ashbourne

By: Joanna Barker

Publication: November 1st 2018 by Covenant Communications, Inc.

272 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Governess Juliana Ashbourne has dreams reaching far beyond the confines of her current position, hoping to someday establish her own school for girls. When she inherits a fortune from her late grandfather, she is shocked to learn that “someday” may soon be within reach. However, there is one condition: she must spend a month at the estate of Havenfield—with the very family who disowned her mother. Intent on securing the money she needs to start her school, Juliana accepts the invitation, vowing to guard her heart against those who shunned her all her life. But Havenfield is far from what she expects. She discovers a grandmother seeking forgiveness, a cold and disapproving aunt, and a painfully shy cousin. And then there is Mr. William Rowley. Though the heir to the estate is a merciless tease, Juliana finds in him a friend and confidant—and perhaps something more. As she struggles to make sense of her new place in the world, her stubborn independence clashes with a yearning to belong and the even more confusing desires of her heart.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Friday, January 4, 2019

2018 EOY Wrap Up

At the end of every year and the beginning of the next, I go into contemplative mode. I think about the past year. What happened? What changed in my life? What were the big things that I accomplished? What did I spend my time doing or thinking about? And then I think about the upcoming one as well. What do I want to see happen? What do I want to change in my life? What big things do I want to accomplish? What do I want to spend my time doing and thinking about? What things about last year do I really want to see change in the upcoming one?

If 2017 was all about change, then 2018 was all about adaptation. 2018 started with me having a 3 month old and a 2 year old. The first portion of the year was a struggle to get consistent sleep. That's not unusual or unexpected given the age of my children. As Spring moved into Summer, we were settling into even more of a routine and new normal. My son was sleeping through the night. But he was still very needy and dependent. Again completely normal. Through the end of the summer through the beginning of fall, he started to crawl and then walk which helped him gain some independence. By the time we've reached December 2018, I feel quite free. He still wants to snuggle way more than my daughter ever did. But we've reached the point where we're passed breastfeeding. I'm thankful to have been able to nurse both of my children. Yet, I'm thankful we've weaned and we're done with nursing until our next (and prayerfully last) child. I struggle with the newborn phase, but I've found with both of my children that I enjoy each and every stage that comes next more and more enjoyable than the one before. (Please don't tell me to enjoy this time while they're young...I AM! I can enjoy the time and look forward to every new stage at the same time. I'm not wishing my time away. I'm snuggling all the snuggles. I'm loving how Husband and I are their heroes. But I can also appreciate being able to walk from one room to the other without having one of them meltdown.)

As for reading and blogging, I'm doing the best I can. I struggle knowing how much I was able to do before I had kids, but honestly, I wouldn't change any of it. I'm keeping up. I'm reading when I get a chance and blogging hasn't ended or tapered to the point of near non-existence. I'm still able to keep up. And that's with doing some side projects that I'm excited about at home. Going in 2019, I'm excited.

EOM Wrap Up Posts for 2018

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Blogging Highlights from 2018

  • Holly and I successfully hosted the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge. This was our fifth year. We are returning for 2019 also.
  • Celebrated my 7th Blogoversary.
  • October was my 6th annual All Things Halloween event of Halloween-ish book reviews and such.
  • I continued a feature created in previous years: Discussions Only We Know. Although, I didn't get any Series DNF, Cover Doubles, Upon Further Review, Problems Only We Know, or From the Ashes posts done.
  • I started a new featuring in 2018: Mountains Out of Molehills that zeroes in on political, religious, etc statements made by authors, publishers, etc that really don't have anything to do with the overall story, plot, or character growth of a book (or other medium).
  • I ran my first survey, and then I posted the results.
  • I didn't review any movies this year.
  • I listen to 4 audiobooks.
  • I didn't re-read any book this year.
  • I exceeded my Goodreads total books read challenge with 88 out of 52 books read (a portion of these were children's books).
  • I completed my Bible-in-a-year reading plan for the 7th year in a row.
  • But I did fall a little short on my Series Enders goal of 10-12 books with 7 series enders read.
  • Books Read in 2018

    *These qualify for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge.

    Lucky in Love by Kasie West
    A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard
    The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
    *The Last Star (The 5th Wave, # 3) by Rick Yancey
    The Heart's Appeal (London Beginnings, # 2) by Jennifer Delamere
    In Another Time by Caroline Leech
    Let Me List the Ways by Sarah White
    How to Teach Your Baby to Swim by Douglas Doman
    Wild Blue Wonder by Carlie Sorosiak
    Crossing the Line by Simone Elkeles
    The Weaver's Daughter by Sarah E Ladd
    All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire
    A Defense of Honor (Haven Manor, # 1) by Kristi Ann Hunter
    *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, # 8) by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany
    If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L Armentrout
    100 Days of Thanks by Thomas Nelson
    Live Fearless: A Call to Power, Passion, and Purpose by Sadie Robertson
    One Small Thing by Erin Watt
    Sons of Blackbird Mountain (Blackbird Mountain, # 1) by Joanne Bischof
    When We Were Young by Anna Benoit
    The Simple Wild by KA Tucker
    *Hero at the Fall (Rebel of the Sands, # 3) by Alwyn Hamilton
    *Ruins (Partials, # 3) by Dan Wells
    That Night by Amy Giles
    Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry
    Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West
    Meet the Sky by McCall Hoyle
    All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover
    *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 (review coming soon)
    Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West (review coming soon)
    The Roses of Feldstone by Esther Hatch
    Anywhere, Anytime Art: Colored Pencil by Cara Hanley
    Ten-Step Drawing: Flowers by Walter Foster Creative Team
    The Curiosity Keeper (Treasures of Surrey, # 1) by Sarah E Ladd
    Bible Journaling Made Simple by Sandy Allnock
    When It's Real by Erin Watt
    The Brave Art of Motherhood by Rachel Marie Martin
    The One You Fight For (The Ones Who Got Away, # 3) by Roni Loren
    A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews
    You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn (review coming soon)
    Sadie by Courtney Summers
    Tricky Twenty-Two (Stephanie Plum, # 22) by Janet Evanovich (review coming soon)
    Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts, # 1) by Emma Scott
    *Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts, # 2) by Emma Scott (review coming soon)
    Verity by Colleen Hoover (review coming soon)
    The Sound of Drowning by Katherine Fleet (review coming soon)

    Books DNF'D

    Before I Let You Go by Kirsten Wreggitt (DNF @ 25%)
    Heart of Thorns (Heart of Thorns, # 1) by Bree Barton (DNF @ 75%)
    The Astonishing Color of After by Emily XR Pan (DNF @ pg 136)
    The Resolutions by Mia Garcia (DNF @ 4%)

    How was your 2018? Are you exciting about moving on to 2019? Let me know!

    Thursday, January 3, 2019

    December 2018 EOM Wrap Up

    I have read 4 books (children's books not listed below). *These qualify for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
    Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts, # 1) by Emma Scott
    *Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts, # 2) by Emma Scott
    Verity by Colleen Hoover
    The Sound of Drowning by Katherine Fleet

    I have reviewed 5 books. *These qualify for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
    The Curiosity Keeper (Treasures of Surrey, # 1) by Sarah E Ladd
    When It's Real by Erin Watt
    Sadie by Courtney Summers
    The One You Fight For (The Ones Who Got Away, # 3) by Roni Loren
    Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts, # 1) by Emma Scott

    Other Posts:
    Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 12/9/18
    Sunday Post - 12/16/18
    Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 12/23/18
    Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 12/30/18
    Top Ten Winter 2018 TBR List
    Can't Wait for Finding Mr. Better-Than-You by Shani Petroff
    Can't Wait for The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
    Can't Wait for What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
    Can't Wait for Be the Girl by KA Tucker
    2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge - December Wrap Up
    2018 EOY Book Survey

    Goals:
    I'm finished with my Bible-in-a-year plan.
    I've read 88 out of 52 books.
    I've read 7 out of 10-12 series enders.