Upon Further Review - PS I Like You

Upon Further Review is an original feature here at Somewhere Only We Know. I have always loved re-reading my favorite books, and I wanted a way to incorporate re-reading into my blog. Thus From the Ashes and Upon Further Review were born. From the Ashes is where I re-read a book that I have never reviewed before and finally review it. Upon Further Review is where I re-read a book that I've already reviewed and see if my original rating stands or not. This is also the time for me to discuss any new revelations that my latest re-read has brought to my attention.

PS I Like You

By: Kasie West

Publication: July 26th 2016 by Point

304 pages

Genre: Young 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--What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.

My original review of PS I Like You (which I realize I just published last month).

After reading PS I Like You the first time, I thought about re-reading it immediately. The reason for that is that you find out that not only did Lily find out who her pen pal was before she revealed herself to him, but he also figures out that she is who she is before revealing that to her. And so not only was this just a generally good and enjoyable book the first time through, but I was completely interested to see how said pen pal behaved once he figured out who Lily was and how that fit into everything that Lily was experiencing.

And even though I did thoroughly enjoy my second read through of PS I Like You almost as much as the first time. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more written in to Pen-Pal's behavior after he discovered Lily's identity than there was. Of course, I picked up on a few things since I knew during this reading when he actually figured out who she was, but I wanted just a little bit more depth here. I feel like even though I enjoyed the book as much as I did the first time, that this was a little bit of a missed opportunity.

Another thing is that in a second read through, I'm even more interested in the love story than the first time. Since I'm already acquainted with the characters and their backstories I wanted to skip all of that and get to the good stuff which made the beginning feel a little longer to me than it did the first time. Overall, I still read this book for a second time within three days which is not too shabby at all for a first read or a second read.

The deciding factor for me to pick up and re-read PS I Like You was that I was in a bit of a reading slump at the time. I wasn't reading anything at all. And really wasn't even in the mood to read. So I finally decided to read something that I knew I would enjoy since I enjoyed it the first time. Ultimately, I do think a 4 Star rating for PS I Like You is a better rating than the 4.5 Stars that I initially gave it. It is still a really great book, but being caught up in finishing it late at night had me boosting the score just a smidgen more than I feel like it probably deserves. Still a completely solid read with all the feels. Have you read PS I Like You? What did you think? Let me know!

PS I Like You - Review

PS I Like You

By: Kasie West

Publication: July 26th 2016 by Point

304 pages

Genre: Young 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--What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.

My experience with Kasie West is that I've enjoyed every single one of her books that I've read. And I've pretty much read them all and plan to read whatever she publishes in the future as well. I love that her books tend to be clean in language as well as physical content. And even though the plot isn't always full of twists and turns (although her Pivot Point series shows that she's capable of that), I still get sucked in and hooked. Her books are usually on the uplifting side. They're fun, fast reads that are full of first love. They leave me with the warm and fuzzies. And that's what you can expect from PS I Like You.

Initially, I remember thinking that the title for this book was too similar to PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han which released just over a year before PS I Like You, and I was a little disheartened that a more unique name couldn't have been chosen. And I also found the song lyrics written on a desk by two anonymous people to be very similar to Faking Normal by Courtney C Stevens. But after reading PS I Like You, the title completely fits and makes perfect sense given the story. And the song lyrics take on a bigger role in PS I Like You than I remember them doing in Faking Normal (if I remember correctly, the plot steers away from this area in Faking Normal where the song lyrics really continue to be a main theme throughout the entire book for PS I Like You).

PS I Like You did start out a little slow for me in that I wasn't completely connected to Lily and all of her oddities, but I was probably hooked by 15% which in truth isn't that bad at all. And I proceeded to devour this book. Actually, PS I Like You is the first book that I've stayed up late (12:30 am) to finish since my daughter was born almost two years ago. I probably could have put it down around the 85% mark to save the rest for the next day, but I just didn't want to. And of course, I paid for it the next day with having a super whiny, clingy child as well as everything wanted to break on me that day. But the point is, I was invested enough to feel justified (at the time) to read on until I finished it. And beyond that, the next day, I couldn't stop thinking about PS I Like You to the point where I actually contemplated picking it up immediately for a re-read. I haven't committed to doing that, but I also haven't started any other book yet either.

To discuss the characters like I want to and would normally do would probably give too much away about who Lily's pen-pal is and not knowing is part of the drive to keep reading for at least the first half of the book. However, this book deals with perceptions and assumptions and how what we perceive isn't always reality. It deals with how we can't really know what someone else is thinking even when their actions and motivations seem clear. It addresses how you never really know what someone else may be going through until they discuss it with you. It touches on crushes that we've had from a distance and how when we finally start to get to know someone we might find out that they're very different from what we imagined. There's friendship and family. Of course, there's music. I don't know if any of the music or bands mentioned are real--I didn't feel the desire to look any of them up. And more.

PS I Like You is my kind of book. It's clean, good, fun, heartwarming romance. It has characters that you can root for and care about. I didn't want to put it down and actually thought about re-reading it immediately upon finishing. I love Kasie West for her consistency in writing characters and stories that never seem to let me down. I think under normal circumstances a book like this would get 4 Stars from me, but the simple fact that I stayed up past midnight just to finish this one means I think it deserves 4.5 Stars. Have you read PS I Like You? What did you think? Let me know!

Top Ten Hidden Gems

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Hidden Gems in X Genre.

I'm just doing hidden gems period because I couldn't come up with 10 in any one genre, but I'll mention the genre for each.

1. PS I Like You by Kasie West Contemporary- I feel like Kasie West is fairly popular, but I also feel like her books are sometimes overlooked because the plot isn't always a new idea and her books are mostly clean with little to no language or physical scenes. PS I Like You is one of my favorite Kasie West books. (review coming soon)
2. Shattered Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima Fantasy- I admit that the first book (Flamecaster) took some getting into, and personally I enjoyed book 2 (Shadowcaster) better, but looking at the number of ratings on Goodreads, this series is definitely under read and appreciated.
3. Hawthorne House series by Kristi Ann Hunter Historical Christian Fiction - Christian fiction just isn't read by mainstream, and in some cases I can understand why. I've enjoyed this series because of the time period and unique situations that the characters find themselves in. Each book has a unique circumstance that I haven't ever seen with this genre before. (A Noble Masquerade, An Elegant Facade [review coming soon], An Uncommon Courtship, and novella A Lady of Esteem, with upcoming release An Inconvenient Beauty)
4. The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep Historical Christian Fiction - Again, this is mostly featured because it is in the Christian genre which I feel is just under read in general, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
5. True Reign series by Jennifer Anne Davis Fantasy - You guys this series consumed me. I read the first two books in almost 24 hours which is unheard of for me. Granted, I was trying to squeeze in all the reading I could before Little Girl was born, but I didn't want to put these books down. (The Key, Red, and War)
6. Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy Dystopian - I never would have picked this book up had it not been that it was a freebie with Audiobook Sync one summer. But the book so closely paralleled events that were happening in real life at the time that I read this and similar events have continued to happen periodically since I read the book which was super scary. Plus I liked the characters.
7. Push by Claire Wallis New Adult, Romance/Suspense - I can't say that I absolutely loved the sequel as much as this first book, but I hadn't read anything like this. It was hard to clarify a genre for this one as it fits in several categories. Do beware of language and scenes.
8. Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes Christian Contemporary - I don't mean to feature so many Christian books as I really don't read THAT much Christian fiction, but as I've said before these are just under read books. And the ones that I like don't beat you over the head with religion. They're just good stories with great messages. This one especially had my tearing up and I can't imagine trying to read it now that I'm a mother.
9. Full Tilt by Emma Scott New Adult Contemporary - As the NA genre does have language and sexual scenes so does this book, but the story had me all up in tears. And the sequel, All In was good too.

Which books are hidden gems for you guys? Let me know!

Top Ten Books for Back to School

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten Back to School Freebie.

I decided to go for books that I've read recently (within the last two years) that focused on a school setting (high school and college).

1. PS I Like You by Kasie West (high school) - review coming soon
2. Bright Side (Bright Side, # 1) by Kim Holden (college) - review coming soon
3. Punk 57 by Penelope Davis (high school)
4. These Things I've Done by Rebecca Phillips (high school)
5. Coming Up for Air (Hundred Oaks, # 8) by Miranda Kenneally (high school)
6. Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist (high school)
7. By Your Side by Kasie West (high school)
8. Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, # 1) by Simone Elkeles (high school)
9. Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, # 2) by Simone Elkeles (high school)
10. Walk the Edge (Thunder Road, # 2) by Katie McGarry (high school)

This was harder than I expected when I looked at how many books aren't set in school at all (mostly fantasy) and how many might have mentioned school but it wasn't really a focus. What books are your favorites that really focus on a high school or college setting? Let me know!

Top Ten 2016 Releases I Didn't Read

Top 10 Tuesday is a post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week's topic is Top Ten 2016 Releases I Didn't Read.

1. Built (Saints of Denver, # 1) by Jay Crownover
2. Never Never Pt 3 (Never Never, # 1) by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher - I have in my possession and it's even short, but I've heard that it was kind of a let down so I've been putting it off.
3. Riders (Riders, # 1) by Veronica Rossi
4. Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, # 1) by Cassandra Clare - Also in my possession. I think it's the length of this one that's had me waiting to start it.
5. The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology, # 1) by Wendy Higgins - I actually got this one as a review book LAST YEAR! I started it, but it wasn't hooking my attention. Holly enjoyed it so I know I want to come back to it.
6. The Raven King (The Raven Cycle, # 4) by Maggie Stiefvater - I really have no excuse on this one. I own it, but I've just been trying to catch up on review books.
7. The Season of You and Me by Robin Constantine - I got approved for this one for review, but there was issues downloading it. I was so bummed.
8. The Last Star (The 5th Wave, # 3) by Rick Yancey - Also in my possession, but again I'm putting it off because I've heard it wasn't the best ending to the series that I've enjoyed so much.
9. PS I Like You by Kasie West - No excuses. I hope my library gets this one soon.
10. The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, # 3) by Mary E Pearson - Also one I own. I just got it for Christmas so hopefully I'll pick it up soon.
11. Harry Potter & the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, # 8) by JK Rowling & Jack Thorne - Sheesh, I think I own almost all of these books on my list. I own this one too, but only in hardcopy and those aren't as easy to read these days running around chasing my one year old.
12. Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, # 1) by Kendare Blake - I've got this one for review, but I saw the ratings start coming in for it and since it wasn't getting high marks I keep putting it off.
13. Heartless by Marissa Meyer - Yep...no specific reason for not picking this one up yet either.

Are there any of these that I need to move up to the top of my TBR list immediately? Which books did you not get around to in 2016? Let me know!

Waiting on PS I Like You

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

PS I Like You

By: Kasie West

Expected Publication: July 26th 2016 by Point

304 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--What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.

Kasie West has never disappointed me. So yeah, auto-buy right here. What are you waiting on this week?