December 2022 EOM Wrap Up

I read 5 books (not including children's books). *These qualify for the 2022 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
A Hard Day for a Hangover (Sunshine Vicram, # 3) by Darynda Jones
A Heart Worth Stealing by Joanna Barker
The Reluctant Baronet by Elizabeth W Watkins
Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson
Gentleman Jim (Somerset Stories, # 2) by Mimi Matthews

I have reviewed 4 books. *These qualify for the 2022 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
Crossed Lines (Love Along the Wires, # 2) by Jennifer Delamere
*Holding the Line (Love Along the Wires, # 3) by Jennifer Delamere
Breath as Prayer: Calm Your Anxiety, Focus Your Mind, and Renew Your Soul by Jennifer Tucker
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

Other Posts:
Sunday Post - 12/04/22
Sunday Post - 12/18/22
Sunday Post - 12/25/22
Sunday Post - 11/27/22
Top Ten Winter 2022 TBR List
Top Ten Books I'd Love for Santa To Bring Me 2022
Top Ten Most Recently Received Books
Can't Wait for Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
Can't Wait for Wyoming Wild by Sarah M Eden
2022 Series Enders Reading Challenge - December Wrap Up
November 2022 EOM Wrap Up
2023 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Sign Up
2023 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Goals

Goals:
I finished my Bible-in-a-year plan.
I've read 53 out of 52 books (including children's books).
I've read potentially 4 out of 5-10 series enders.

2023 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.

<a href="https://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com/2023/01/2023-series-enders-reading-challenge.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-14ODJQGxUEABFjSul-PhWqb1bl76TYZPy6S86EEm1fT9TLIOUPZciBmKonOnpJ9EfVl5oionnFOJMyG1z8FcoTEQurHDAXvVN9BkRhTbzWwjvas8W5pLOfjwFkZqRc8oLh-r61QQbeUAUE2Hc80oqTCRNDCF_5Qw2UOX7IUuTM1OoOgfsMruvvdeSQ/s320/2023SeriesEnder.png" height="225" width="225" /></a>

My Goals:

1. Grace and Glory (The Harbinger, # 3) by Jennifer L Armentrout
2. Almost a Bride (The Bride Ships, # 4) by Jody Hedlund
3. Game Changer (The Field Party, # 6) by Abbi Glines
4. Woodside (Sisters of Woodside Mysteries, # 5) by Mary Kingswood
5. Sword of Desire (Reigning Kingdoms, # 2) by Jennifer Anne Davis
6. The Last Chance Cowboy (Colorado Cowboys, # 5) by Jody Hedlund
7. Never Wager with a Wallflower (The Merriwell Sisters, # 3) by Virginia Heath
8. The Sport of Matchmaking (Clavering Chronicle, # 3) by Jennie Goutet
9. A Daring Proposal (Memorable Proposals, # 3) by Jennie Goutet

Of course, I likely won't get to some of these or I'll come across a new/new-to-me series that I read the entire series during 2023. My main goal is level 2. These are just the enders on my radar right now. It is difficult because many series that I am in the middle over do not have a definitely finale listed nor how many books are expected in the series.

Are you hoping to finish any series this year? You might as well join the challenge and enter for a chance to win monthly prizes. Which ones are on your radar for 2023? Let me know!

Ten Most Recently Received Books

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 I Recently Received

I guess my family has given up on getting me books for Christmas. Even Husband didn't get me a single book. But that's okay, I have gift cards to spend. Regardless, these are the ten books I most recently received.

1. Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson
2. Grace and Glory (The Harbinger, # 3) by Jennifer L Armentrout
3. Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
4. The Reluctant Baronet by Elizabeth Watkins
5. Crossed Lines (Love Along the Wires, # 2) by Jennifer Delamere
6. Holding the Line (Love Along the Wires, # 3) by Jennifer Delamere
7. A Heart Worth Stealing by Joanna Barker
8. Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews
9. Spice Road (Spice Road, # 1) by Maiya Ibrahim
10. The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim

Which books have you gotten recently? Let me know!

Reminders of Him - Review

Reminders of Him

By: Colleen Hoover

Publication: January 18th 2022 by Montlake Romance

335 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.

After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.

Some personal background first. In 2010 my cousin, who was 21, was involved in a car accident. I don't remember all the intricate details, but he got into a verbal altercation with another person in a parking lot that moved to the road. The two drivers (one being my cousin) we're racing where the other vehicle was driving in the oncoming lane and ended up clipping my cousin's vehicle. The other vehicle wrecked and three occupants died. My cousin left the scene, drove back by, didn't stop and also didn't call 911. He was sentenced to 99 years for three counts of murder and 10 years for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries to be served consecutively after his 99 year sentence. The judge assumed that he had no remorse due to his stoic appearance in court. He is still serving his first sentence in a state prison. He had a three year old daughter and a wife when he was sentenced. He is now divorced, and his ex-wife and daughter have moved to Virginia. I don't know when the last time he's seen his daughter. I have only met her once.

I started reading Colleen Hoover in 2012 when Slammed was available for review on NetGalley. I loved it. And she became an auto-buy author for me. After 20+ books, I feel like I know her writing style to the point where she surprises me less and less even with her books such as Verity and Layla. As a matter of fact, her most recently published books have been my least favorite she's written... until Reminders of Him. This book reminded me of old Colleen Hoover.

Kenna was involved in a car accident with her boyfriend. She was driving. She was under the influence. She thought he was dead. She couldn't find a cell phone, and so she left the scene of the accident. I won't get into more than that with the details because that's part of the story. But she was barely pregnant and subsequently gave birth while incarcerated. Her daughter was taken from her care and placed in the custody of her boyfriend's parents. She has now, 4 years later, been released and hopes to reestablish her connection with her daughter.

Ledger was Scottie, Kenna's boyfriend's, best friend. He wasn't around much when Kenna and Scottie started dating so he'd never met the girl who murdered his best friend. Ledger has spent the last 5 years creating a version of Kenna in his head. Only when he finally meets her in person, not knowing who she is, he slowly comes to find out that she isn't anything he imagined her to be.

The pain in this book was palpable. Every single character is deeply filled with pain. Kenna lost the love of her life and her daughter in and because of one terrible moment and decision. Scottie's parents are so filled with grief that they can't see past their own pain to anyone else's. Ledger is hurting too. He misses his friend, he loves Scottie's parents like his own, he wants to protect Diem (Scottie and Kenna's daughter), and he's falling for the one person he never could have imagined.

Favorite quotes:

-She's quiet, but she's said just enough to make me want the rest of her words.

-It's incredible how two people who have never met can have so many of the same mannerisms.

-It proves that time, distance, and devastation allow people enough opportunity to craft villains out of people they don't even know.

I only had two complaints that I can remember right now. Roman is a side character who happens to have a crush on a married woman. He isn't actively pursuing her. Like he's not asking her out or anything. But he does regularly show up at her bakery to buy cupcakes from her. He's wishing for her marriage to fail. I think this sucks. Obviously these people exist. Not all people, married and unmarried, respect the commitment two people make to each other. But sheesh, I think enough marriages fail on their own without outsiders wishing, hoping, and waiting for their opportunity to swoop in and snatch one party up. I just wish this wasn't included even though it was such a small part of the overall story.

My second complaint is, yet again, Colleen Hoover uses letters as a major plot component. At first I wondered if she was doing this out of like a writing shortcut. You know how a villain will spell out all of their evil plans to the hero of a movie in one big speech. Well, in several of her books I've felt like she uses letters as big information drops. And she does that again in Reminders of Him. I can't say CoHo is reading my reviews of her books, but I honestly felt like she was almost using the letters in Reminders of Him to spite me. That's very conceited of me, I realize. So what I think is the more likely option is that she's doing it on purpose. Maybe this is becoming a calling card of hers or something. Like she's seeking out opportunities to include letters in her books rather than using them as a crutch to dump information. I would still like to see her write a book that doesn't include a letter like these, but we'll see.

Reminders of Him was my favorite Colleen Hoover release in the last several years. This blows Verity and Layla and especially Regretting You out of the water. I used to feel a little apathetic towards her books due to repetition and the big reveal being more important than the journey, but Reminders of Him renewed my Colleen Hoover enthusiasm. The similarities and differences to my own cousin's life and accident made this all the more relatable to me. Reminders of Him gets 5 Stars. Have you read Reminders of Him? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 12/25/22

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.

The first full week of the kids being out of school for Christmas break. The first part of the week was rainy so we were stuck inside. Then the end of the week was freezing temperatures like most of the rest of the country. We didn't get any snow but we did have some ice. Monday night the big kids had their first basketball practice. Little Boy talked so much he missed a few drills and the coach had to keep getting onto him. Little Girl said she was the worst on her team and was embarassed, but I told Husband that just means she has a much better chance of getting most immproved by the end of the season. Monday, we did our gingerbread houses. The kids begged for them since we purchased them at the beginning of the month. Little Girl's icing packet was busted and she couldn't get much out of it, and Little Boy mostly wanted to eat the candy inside his kit. Tuesday we played with some fake snow that the kids' aunt got them on clearance back in October. I decided to save it for this week. Wednesday we made cookies for Santa. This is something I always helped my mom and even my aunt with back when I was little. We also went to a Christmas party for our church family hosted at my parent's house. Thursday, we spent the day at my parent's house. We each colored a picture. Friday, Little Girl had a playdate with another girl from church. And Husband only had to work half a day. We've been super lazy because of the rain and cold weather. Saturday we just had a family day at home. A part of me wanted to call up family and see if anyone wanted to come hang out, but we've already had a lot going on and still more to come. A lowkey day was just what we needed. We played, we watched movies. And of course, today, we're so excited to be able to celebrate Jesus's birth with our church family. We are opening presents early and then heading to church. Husband's mom and maybe my parents will come over for lunch and to see what the kids got for Christmas. I wish you all a very merry Christmas!

THE PAST WEEK:

Monday: Review of Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker (5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Love From Santa 2022
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wyoming Wild by Sarah M Eden
Thursday: 2023 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Sign Up
Friday: 2022 Series Enders Reading Challenge - December Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Thursday: 2023 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Goals

Don’t forget to link up for the 2022 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2022 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

NEW BOOKS:

Famous for a Living

By: Melissa Ferguson

Expected Publication: May 16th 2023 by Thomas Nelson

336 pages

Genre: 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--From Park Avenue to the Parks Department—the world’s most beloved social media star is about to get a rude awakening.

With her millions of followers, Cat Cranwell is adored around the world. But when an app partnership goes very, very wrong, Cat suddenly finds herself shunned from the community that not only fed her soul all these years but paid her bills. When Cat’s closest living relative, Uncle Terry, offers her a position on his staff at a small national park in Montana to get away from the city, Cat hesitantly accepts the opportunity.

What she doesn’t realize is that as the new social media strategist her goal is to save Kannery National Park from being absorbed into Glacier National Park by boosting the number of visitors. And at least one of her new colleagues—namely, handsome and rugged ranger Zaiah Hudson—thinks social media is the root of everything that’s wrong with the world. Written with bestselling author Melissa Ferguson’s signature wit and charm, this romantic comedy of opposites attract is full of hilarious romp and a romance that will melt readers’ hearts.

Grace and Glory (The Harbinger, # 3)

By: Jennifer L Armentrout

Publication: June 1st 2021 by Inkyard Press

512 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

( 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--Danger, betrayal, and enticing forbidden love... When Angels Fall

Trinity Marrow has lost the battle and her beloved Protector. Even with both demons and Wardens on her side, Trin may not win the war against the Harbinger.

Bringing Lucifer back to the world to fight the Harbinger is probably a really, really bad idea, but they’re out of options—and the world’s ultimate fallen angel is the only being powerful enough to impact the outcome.

As Trin and Zayne form a new and more dangerous bond and Lucifer unleashes Hell on earth, the apocalypse looms and the world teeters on the end of forever. Win or lose, one thing is certain—nothing will ever be the same.

Georgie, All Along

By: Kate Clayborn

Expected Publication: January 24th 2023 by Kensington

352 pages

Genre: 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--The acclaimed author of Love Lettering weaves a wise and witty new novel that echoes with timely questions about love, career, reconciling with the past, and finding your path while knowing your true worth.

Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.

But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.

Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.

Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . .

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!

2022 Series Enders Reading Challenge - December Wrap Up

Time for our Monthly Wrap Up for the 2022 Series Enders Reading Challenge hosted by Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know and Holly @ Words Fueled by Love!

Neither Sandy nor Holly have finished any series enders this month.

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 December giveaway runs from December 23rd - January 25th. On January 25th we will use random.org and the linky entries to pull a grand prize winner.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

2023 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Sign Up

The 2022 Series Enders Reading Challenge is in the books, and Holly and I decided we're in this for yet another year. Welcome to our 10th Annual Series Enders Reading Challenge. The rules this year are essentially the same as last year, but please be sure to check them out for a refresher.

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!

Challenge Guidelines:

1. This challenge will run from January 1, 2023 until December 31, 2023.
2. Anyone can enter. You don’t have to have a blog just as long as you review your books somewhere: on your blog if you have one, Amazon, Goodreads, etc.
3. Any genre, length, or format is acceptable as long as it is the last book in a series where all books in the series have been published and no more books are currently intended to be published in the series. If an author makes a decision somewhere during the year to add on to the series, we will count both the original last book in the series and the “new last” book in the series assuming the author isn’t going to write more than one additional book. Last book published in a series doesn’t count if more books are expected to be published.
4. You can list your series enders ahead of time, but this is not required. If you decide to list them up front, feel free to change them throughout the year as necessary.
5. When you sign up in the linky, please use the direct link to your post about joining the 2023 Series Enders Reading Challenge. If you don’t have a blog, please post about it on Facebook or Twitter and include that direct link as your sign up.
6. You can sign up until December 15, 2023. This allows you to join the challenge at any time during the year.
7. On the 25th of every month, we will post a wrap up on both Somewhere Only We Know and Words Fueled by Love with a linky for you to link up your reviews for the month. The monthly giveaway will be open until the next wrap up post goes up (ex. From January 25th to February 25th). For each link to a review, you will get an (1) entry into a drawing for that giveaway. This will be open internationally. Please link each review separately as each link in the monthly wrap up linky acts as an entry in both the monthly giveaway and the grand prize giveaway at the end of the year.
8. Monthly giveaway prizes will be an e-gift card of your choice up to $5 (USD) from Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. While the challenge and giveaways are open internationally, please make sure that you can receive e-gift cards via Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. We want to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to participate and to receive the prizes. Please remember that Holly and I are funding the giveaways out of our own pockets as something that we want to do, and we would like to continue to do so.
9. If you miss a wrap-up post and giveaway, you can link your review the next month. Please do not try to link to one review twice. We will be verifying these.
10. December will be the wrap up for the entire year. All reviews linked from January through December will be entered into a Grand Prize giveaway. Also due to Christmas, the December wrap up will post on December 23rd and will be open until January 23rd.
11. You don’t have to follow Somewhere Only We Know or Words Fueled by Love to participate in the challenge, but you do have to follow both of us in order to be entered in the giveaways.
12. Please make sure we have a valid email address or other means of contacting you if you choose to participate. Linking up to Goodreads is perfectly fine, but we have found that Goodreads is not a reliable source for contacting someone should you be selected as one of the monthly giveaway winners. This could be due to your Goodreads notification settings or Goodreads themselves could be at fault. We're not sure which. And since we want to make sure that everyone who is eligible for one of the giveaways will receive their prize should they win one month or the grand prize at the end of the year, it is up to you to ensure that we can contact you and that you respond within a reasonable amount of time (usually stated in the email notifying you of your winning).

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+

If you have any questions, please contact us at: Sandy's Email or Holly's Email or comment on one of the Series Enders blog posts on either or both of our websites.

To join the challenge:

1. Write a blog post about joining the 2023 Series Enders Reading Challenge on your blog. For those of you who would like to participate but don’t have a blog, post about it on Facebook or Twitter.
2. In your post, please include: the button, a link back to the sign up page, a link to both Somewhere Only We Know and Words Fueled by Love, the level you hope to achieve, and (optional) a list of the series you hope to complete.
3. Place the button for the challenge in your sidebar (use the “grab this code” at the bottom of the post here).
4. Link up in the linky using the direct link to your post/tweet/etc.

And that’s it! Welcome to the 2023 Series Enders Reading Challenge. Good luck!

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

<a href="https://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com/2023/01/2023-series-enders-reading-challenge.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-14ODJQGxUEABFjSul-PhWqb1bl76TYZPy6S86EEm1fT9TLIOUPZciBmKonOnpJ9EfVl5oionnFOJMyG1z8FcoTEQurHDAXvVN9BkRhTbzWwjvas8W5pLOfjwFkZqRc8oLh-r61QQbeUAUE2Hc80oqTCRNDCF_5Qw2UOX7IUuTM1OoOgfsMruvvdeSQ/s320/2023SeriesEnder.png" height="225" width="225" /></a>

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Can't Wait for Wyoming Wild

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.

Wyoming Wild

By: Sarah M Eden

Expected Publication: March 7th 2023 by Shadow Mountain

256 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--Hearts collide when a sheriff’s daughter asks a hardened US Marshal to join her fight for justice and rid a small town of her corrupt father.

Wyoming Territory, 1876

US Marshal John “Hawk” Hawking is one of the most respected lawmen in the West, so when a telegram arrives from the small town of Sand Creek warning him of a death threat against him, he immediately begins an investigation.

Posing as a farmer, Hawk heads to Sand Creek, a town ruled by a violent and corrupt sheriff. Only one person is trying to stop him—Liesl, the sheriff’s own daughter. When she meets the self-assured and attractive new farmer, John, she hopes he might help her in the fight for justice.

John is completely unfazed by Sheriff Hodges’s attempts at intimidation, and Liesl is quickly swept up by Hawk’s courage and integrity. Just as quickly, Hawk finds himself falling for Liesl’s strength and bravery, as well as her grace and beauty.

When Liesl discovers John’s true identity, she feels betrayed. Despite her lingering distrust of him, Liesl agrees to work with him to enact a dangerous plan that will put the criminals away forever. Liesl must put her life, and her heart, in the hands of his lawman if she has any hope of saving her family and her town.

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

Top Ten Santa Wish List Books for 2022

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 I Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me.

1. Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World: How One Family Learned That Saying No Can Lead to Life's Biggest Yes by Kristen Welch
2. Grace and Glory (The Harbinger, # 3) by Jennifer L Armentrout
3. A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh & Fire, # 1) by Jennifer L Armentrout
4. It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
5. Falling for the Cowgirl (Colorado Cowboys, # 4) by Jody Hedlund
6. Cursed (Gilded Duology, # 2) by Marissa Meyer
7. Running Wild (Wild, # 3) by KA Tucker
8. Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews
9. The Seamstress (Sisters of Woodside Mysteries, # 4) by Mary Kingswood
10. Sword of Desire (Reigning Kingdoms, # 2) by Jennifer Anne Davis
11. Decluttering By Faith by Dawn Madsen & Diana Kokku

Which books are you hoping Santa brings this year? Let me know!

Breath as Prayer - Review

Breath as Prayer: Calm Your Anxiety, Focus Your Mind, and Renew Your Soul

By: Jennifer Tucker

Publication: August 16th 2022 by Thomas Nelson

208 pages

Genre: Non-fiction, Christian, Devotions

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--Find hope amid anxiety through the spiritual practice of breath prayer in this beautifully illustrated and practical guide to connecting body, mind, and spirit during times of stress.

Breath as Prayer will lead you through the practice and the proven health benefits of Christian breath prayer: intentional prayers centered around Scripture that focus our minds on Christ as we calm our bodies through breathing.

Breath as Prayer offers:

More than 80 breath prayers focused on Scripture, along with brief meditations
Gorgeous original full-color illustrations
A quick-start how-to guide to refer to as needed
Guidance on how to implement a breath prayer practice
The science behind breath work and prayer and why it works
An invitation to reflect on the effect of breath prayers on your body
With a beautiful foil-accented cover, Breath as Prayer is an ideal gift for:

Anyone experiencing stress, anxiety, or fear
Grief and anxiety support groups
Prayer groups and prayer ministries
Men and women looking for new avenues for connecting with God
Teens and young adults dealing with stress and anxiety
Adult baptism and confirmation
God created our bodies, minds, and spirits to be intimately connected with one another. Purpose-filled breathing is one of the most effective, calming ways to integrate all aspects of who we are, especially during times of intense stress. Breath as Prayer invites you to the crossroads of Christian contemplative practice, Scripture, psychology, and science to deepen your faith, bring peace to your body, and discover a new reliance on Christ.

Breathe deeply, lean into God's Word, and discover why every breath can be an invitation to pray.

I first became exposed to the idea of breath as prayer or breath prayers back in April of 2022. I saw a post on Facebook shared by a page called A David Paul but written by Sandra Thurman Caporale. I'll try to insert a screenshot of that Facebook post at the end of this blog post. Anyway, the idea became utterly fascinating to me, and so when I saw Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker available for review on NetGalley, I knew I had to request this book. And I am so, so glad that I did.

Jennifer Tucker didn't create the concept of breath prayers, and she doesn't claim to have done so either. From what I understand, the concept has been around for quite some time. But I do think she has a unique take on the concept of aligning your physical breath with your spiritual health. She takes the approach of how anxiety and stress cause havoc on the body in a physical and spiritual sense and offers a solution to those results with deep breathing combined with Scripture prayers.

I don't really consider myself to be an anxious person. I have certainly had period of anxiety in my life. Specifically, my thoughts go to the year we spent living with my parents while our house was being remodeled. Several times during that year we faced some higher than usual periods of stress related to our contractors, to the amount of time we were spending on the road, to behavior patterns in our children, to lack of nurturing our marriage during this season. The stress was so high at times that I found myself holding my breath and then almost gasping for air. I would go through weeks at a time when I felt my breathing patterns were off. I didn't feel like I could get a good breath. I felt out of sync or as Jennifer Tucker aptly describes "in a state of dysfunction." The concepts in this book would have helped me tremendously through these seasons, but I also know that the seasons will change and likely we will face other stressful and challenging times where I can continue to apply these principles in the future.

I enjoyed this book so much that I bought a physical copy to send to a lady that we go to church with who struggles with anxiety before I even finished the book. I knew based on what I'd read that she could benefit from this book. I usually don't purchase books I've read for review. It takes a special book for me to be confident enough that I will re-read it enough to purchase it. But I know this is a book I will reference and re-read more than once. And I can see myself gifting it to just about anyone else I come in contact with that I find out is struggling with anxiety. It's just that good.

Giving Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker a 5-Star rating might be the easiest book rating I've had this entire year. I don't think there was a single thing I disliked about this book. And the fact that I desire to re-read, reference, and buy as a gift for others speaks volumes to me. I highly recommend it. Have you read Breath as Prayer? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 12/18/22

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 time of the year is just jammed packed. This week the kids had a lot of activities at school. Reindeer Day, Grinch Day, Elf Day, Christmas Parties, Pajama Day. I was running this way and that way to make sure everyone had what they needed. Thursday, Little Boy had his 5 year old check-up and we spent the day with my mom and dad. We kept Little Girl home from school on Friday. It was only a half day and she didn't sleep well the night before. I spent a lot of the week cleaning and prepping for this weekend. Saturday, we went to my great-niece's 1st birthday party at 2 and then went to my parents for my side of the family's Christmas. My sister, brother-in-law, and niece spent the night with us Saturday night. The kids were in high heaven to have their cousin spend the night even though we didn't have a ton of play time for them before they had to head home. Today we're having a family dinner. And this coming week will be a little slower but still very busy.

THE PAST TWO WEEKs:

Monday 12/5: Review of Crossed Lines (Love Along the Wires, # 2) by Jennifer Delamere (3 Stars)
Monday 12/12: Review of Holding the Line (Love Along the Wires, # 3) by Jennifer Delamere (4 Stars)
Tuesday 12/13: Top Ten Winter 2022 TBR List
Wednesday 12/14: Can't Wait for Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Friday: 2022 Series Enders Reading Challenge - December Wrap Up

Don’t forget to link up for the 2022 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2022 to sign up. Each month there will be a giveaway for those participating with an end of the year giveaway too! Click on the picture below or the link above to find out more!

NEW BOOKS:

The Reluctant Baronet

By: Elizabeth Watkins

Expected Publication: March 7th 2023 by Covenant Communications

? pages

Genre: Adult, 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--When faced with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Scottish chemist Russell Parkinson finds himself thrust into a role he has never wanted: that of British aristocrat. Bearing his new title of baronet, Sir Russell circulates among the ton for the sole purpose of improving Society and saving lives. His plan is moving forward—but he did not anticipate meeting the charming Selina Clifton.

Selina is a survivor. She battled smallpox and won, her scarred beauty a testament to her strength. But she has no idea how she will survive what is now required of her. With her family’s estate in jeopardy, it is up to Selina to marry and produce an heir. She agrees to enter into a courtship with a gentleman deemed eligible but is less than smitten with him. When handsome new baronet Russell arrives in London, she is immediately swept up in their easy camaraderie. But as their feelings deepen, the complicated tangle of forbidden love that ensues will threaten friendships and futures—everything they’ve fought to protect.

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!