Exiled - Review

Exiled (The Never Chronicles book 1)

by: J.R. Wagner

Published by: Greenleaf Book Group

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

312 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads Description -- James has never known an ordinary life. As long as he can remember, he and his family have been on the run--moving from place to place, never settling down, never growing roots. Now, just when he's on the brink of manhood, the very thing his family has been trying to prevent tears him from all he has ever known and thrusts him into a place where he is powerless and alone.

Bent on finding a way back, James must brave a place reserved for the worst of his kind. He quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants and if he is to have any chance of returning, he must work with the very people he's been raised to fear.

James has known magic since just after he was born. As a sorcerer, his skills are exceptional yet when he wakes in the Never, his abilities are gone. Armed with nothing but determination and the will to survive, he braves a land wrought with dangers, mysteries and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind and prevent escape forever.

At most I'd give Exiled 3 stars. The book started out slowly, especially because there really wasn't too much dialogue in the very beginning. I have a hard time getting hooked when there's too much description and not enough interaction between characters. Also, this is another book where we jump around in time and events don't happen chronologically. After I got into the story further, this didn't bother me, but in the beginning I was really confused.

The concept seems like a better idea than it panned out to be. It seems like the author probably has a well drawn out plan for the upcoming events and that everything is already planned out, possibly for the entire series, but with the totatality of what happened in this book (book 1) and where the book ended, I'm not sure it was enough to entice readers to come back for more. At one time in my life, I never thought I'd be able to start a series and not finish it, but with my ever growing TBR list, there's never enough time to read all the books I want to read, and coming back for more after only an "okay" book is not always going to be possible. I've just got to face the fact that there might be some unfinished series in my life. As upsetting as that might be to my OCDness.

All of that being said, there was "something" that kept me coming back. I really did have moments when I'd be like "I just want to read Exiled." But I can't put my finger on exactly what kept me coming back. Anyway, that's about it for Exiled. Let me know what you think if you've read it too.

Updated: July 7, 2018

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens - Review

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens: A Guide to Living an Extraordinary Life

By: Joseph V. Ciarrochi, Louise Hayes, Ann Bailey, and Steven C. Hayes

Publisher: New Harbinger Publications

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

136 pages

Genre: Non-fiction, Self-Help

( 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 – If you could only get past feelings of embarrassment, fear, self-criticism, and self-doubt, how would your life be different? You might take more chances and make more mistakes, but you’d also be able to live more freely and confidently than ever before. Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens is a workbook that provides you with essential skills for coping with difficult and sometimes overwhelming emotions that stress you out and cause you pain. The emotions aren’t going anywhere, but you can find out how to deal with them. Once you do, you will become a mindful warrior—a strong person who handles tough emotions with grace and dignity—and gain many more friends and accomplishments along the way.

You will:

· Use the power of mindfulness in everyday situations

· Stop finding faults in yourself and start solving your problems

· Be kinder to yourself so you feel confident and have a greater sense of self-worth

· Identify the values that will help you create the life of your dreams

4 Stars. Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens had me hooked from the foreword. Obviously, I’m not a teen anymore so I’m not exactly the target market, but I do sort of wish this book had been available for me as a teen. There were so many times that I judged incorrectly, not just people, but situations, and frankly still misjudge sometimes. But had this book been available to tell me that pushing past my comfort zones could be potentially rewarding and that saying no out of fear would only lead to building that fear up even greater in my mind…well I can’t say for sure that it would have made a huge difference, but it might have.

Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and being able to look back on my teen years from adulthood, I’d say I think these ideas, principles, and exercises presented in this book would have definitely helped. But that’s if I was actually willing to do the exercises as a teen. Also, considering I was a pretty stubborn kid (was????), I’m not sure I would have listened to anyone telling me to step out of the safety of my comfort zone.

All of that being said, I feel like this book if it’s not helpful for teens (again, I’m not really in a position to judge that) might be helpful for parents of teens (even pre-teens maybe) and any other person (i.e. teacher, school counselor, etc) that might work with teens and pre-teens. The authors try to cover quite a large subject in a small book, and while I personally feel like I got a lot out of it and feel like I know some other adults who might also be able to benefit from this read, I think some of these subjects might be better handled not from a book but with interaction with one’s parents or loved ones. Now I realize that’s not always an option, at which point, I would definitely recommend this book. For me, it was a fast 4 star read with a lot of take away information to be applied to myself and to my future children. (Chapter 7 especially stuck with me. Realizing my mind is a problem finding machine, and that frankly sometimes the problems it finds are completely imaginary was quite helpful.)

Updated: July 7, 2018

In My Mailbox - # 3

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where bloggers can discuss the books we got in the mail this week.

The God Who Sees You: Look to Him When You Feel Discouraged, Forgotten, or Invisible by Tammy Maltby and Anne Christian Buchanan (Thank you, David C. Cook via NetGalley) Description via Goodreads--For anyone who ever feels invisible, unnoticed, or unappreciated, here's an invitation to rediscover the biblical God who sees you.

Tammy Maltby wants women to know their lives matter. So she invites you to explore the real-life implications of knowing God sees you, He loves you passionately, and He's intimately involved with every aspect of your life. God wants you to see Him too and to partner with you in bringing about His kingdom.

When you take this reality to heart, you will live more honestly, confidently, and fearlessly—because everything looks different once you really see the God who sees you.

One Moment by Kristina McBride (Thank you, Egmont USA via NetGalley) Description via Goodreads--This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

Wilde's Fire by Krystal Wade (Thank you, Curiosity Quills Press via NetGalley) Description via Goodreads--“There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most.”—Katriona Wilde.

Katriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she’s ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out. When she inadvertently leads her sister and best friend through a portal into a world she’s dreamed of for six years, she finds herself faced with more than just the frightening creatures in front of her. Kate’s forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her. What’s worse, she has no control over her new future, and it’s full of magic and horrors from which nightmares are made. Will Kate discover and learn to control who she really is in time to save the ones she loves, or will all be lost?

Timepiece by Myra McEntire (Thank you, Egmont USA via NetGalley) Description via Goodreads--A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking... Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results. Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough... The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

What books did you guys get? Let me know!

Waiting on Wednesday - #1

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

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare

Hardcover: 536 pages

Release Date: May 8, 2012

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series. --description via Goodreads

Related Posts: City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4) by Cassandra Clare* | Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare*

*I have not reviewed The Mortal Instrument books 1-3 or The Infernal Devices book 1 because I started the blog well after having read them. There's no way I could go back and do reviews for every book I've ever read.

Also, related to "Waiting On" Wednesday, I follow another blogger, Anna Reads, and she posted a spoiler free review of The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead. You can access it here. Since there's no way I'd ever get an advanced copy of The Golden Lily, I thought I'd share her review on it because I'm majorly stoked about this book. Love Richelle Mead. Loved Vampire Academy. And can't wait to experience the entire Bloodlines series. Check out Anna's post about The Golden Lily.

Oh and because Anna posted her picture with Richelle Mead, I'm going to post my own. That was at the book signing of Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) (Read my brief post here. Keep in mind this was way early in my blogging process, but it does have a picture of my signed copy of Spirit Bound.) at Page and Palette in May 2010. Pictured from left to right is Richelle Mead, my SNL Holly, and myself.

Blog Title

Also, I finally figured out a blog title. I'm going with "Somewhere Only We Know." It's a song title. Russ, my husband, suggested it to me yesterday afternoon and sent me the lyrics to the song. And then ironically enough Pip sang it on The Voice last night, and Russ said "I think it's a sign." And after thinking about it some more, I love that title for my blog. Books take us to other places, and readers are the only ones who get to experience those places. These places are somewhere only we (readers) know. Non-readers...well you guys don't have a clue. So there...that's the story behind my blog title.