Homeschool Friday - Today I Will Fly

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

Today I Will Fly (Elephant & Piggie, # 1)

By: Mo Willems

Publication: April 1, 2007 by Hyperion Books for Children

57 pages

Genre: Children's, Level 1, Humor,

Source: Own/Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Description--Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

Today, I Will Fly! is the funny introduction to the characters. Piggie is determined to fly. But Gerald the elephant knows that's impossible--isn't it?

Mo Willems is a beloved author for our family. We love the Pigeon books. And my daughter read a lot of Elephant and Piggie books when she was learning to read. (Side note: I always want to call them Piggie and Gerald.) So I got Biggie 1 for my 7-year-old son for Christmas this past year. I need books that he will want to read willingly and this series fits the bill pretty well. They are lengthy books (57 pages) for this reading level. I love this. Most pages only have a sentence or two at most, so the child doesn't feel overwhelmed and can actually blow through the books quickly. These are all AR Level 1 (a couple of them are 0.5 and 0.6) so the words aren't complex or difficult.

Piggie declares that he(?) will fly today. Gerald is too practical for that mess. He's like "nope, that's not going to happen." Piggie decides to enlist help. Piggie enlists a dog to help, but does not accomplish flying. Then Piggie enlists a duck to help. Gerald sees what looks like Piggie flying. Piggie declares that there was no flying, only helping. And then Gerald decides that tomorrow, he will fly.

The illustrations for Today I Will Fly really make the series and bring the words to life. My son ends up giggling through parts of this book. My biggest pro for Today I Will Fly is that my son didn't fight reading these books at all. Today I Will Fly gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Today I Will Fly? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for A Bachelor's Lessons in 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.

A Bachelor's Lessons in Love

By: Sally Britton

Expected Publication: April 30, 2025 by Pink Citrus Books LLC

? pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Goodreads description--A reluctant guardian. A determined spinster. A battle of wits that might just end in love.

Former military officer Edward Halstead never imagined his quiet bachelor existence would be upended by the unexpected guardianship of a spirited young lady. When his late comrade’s daughter, Daphne Price, is placed in his care, Edward is faced with a challenge unlike any battlefield he has ever encountered, especially with her fiercely protective aunt, Felicity Price, staying in his home to ensure he doesn’t fail in his duty.

Felicity has dedicated her life to her beloved niece, and she has no intention of leaving Daphne in the hands of a gruff and emotionally distant bachelor. If Edward Halstead believes he can simply house, feed, and marry off her niece without regard for her well-being, he is sorely mistaken. Felicity will remain at Briarwood House as long as necessary to ensure Daphne’s future and to make certain Edward doesn’t ruin it. After all, she doesn't want her niece to end up a spinster...like Felicity.

With Felicity and Edward at odds over Daphne’s upbringing, propriety, and the girl’s future, tension sparks and tempers flare. Yet, beneath the clashes and differences of opinion, an undeniable attraction grows. As Daphne’s entrance into Society looms and Edward’s past resurfaces in unexpected ways, Felicity and Edward must decide if their partnership is merely one of convenience or if love has been the lesson they’ve both been waiting to learn.

Perfect for fans of witty banter, slow-burn romance, and fiercely independent heroines, A Bachelor's Lessons in Love is a Regency romance filled with heart, humor, and unexpected love. Part of the Bachelors of Blackstone's series, the books may be read and enjoyed in any order.

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

A Fire in the Sky - Review

A Fire in the Sky

By: Sophie Jordan

Expected Publication: September 24, 2024 by Avon

336 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Dragons

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--New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

The first thing you need to know is that A Fire in the Sky is not a standalone prequel to the Firelight series. I didn't know this until reading the acknowledgments after the book ended. That being said, the pacing of this book felt completely off for me. The closer I got to the end of the book, I felt like the plot should be wrapping up more than it was. A Fire in the Sky ended in a cliffhanger, but other parts were left open. Knowing more books are to come makes this make sense, but not knowing it affected my enjoyment as I was reading. I kept getting pulled out of the story because it didn't make sense that this was a standalone. It's not.

Tamsyn has been raised like a sibling to the princesses of Penterra. Well, except for one large difference, she has been the royal whipping child for the princesses and has taken all of their punishments upon herself. I hated this for Tamsyn, yet I liked this idea with some historical backing used to create a strong female lead character. She is used to keeping her behavior and feelings under wrap so she doesn't incur more punishments than she already received.

Fell has been fighting on the border to protect the kingdom. He demands to wed one of the princesses not because he wants power so much as he needs his voice heard. He needs the council and king to understand what's happening on the kingdom's border. But Fell is tricked into marrying Tamsyn. He isn't happy to have been tricked, but he doesn't want to annul the marriage either. 

I feel much more beyond that description enters into spoiler territory. The wedding night scene is the main spicy scene. I can't remember if there was more than that, but if there was I don't think it was much. However, cursing was abundant in A Fire in the Sky. 

I didn't highlight much. Only three things and none of them are anything I want to share. 

The cliffhanger and the characters kept me interested in reading more. And since finishing A Fire in the Sky, I did see A Scar in the Bone on Goodreads. But not knowing from the beginning that this was intended to be the first in a prequel series threw off my entire experience of the book. Coupled with a couple of plot points that fell a little short of great writing in my opinion leaves me giving A Fire in the Sky 3.5 Stars. I enjoyed it, but it also blows my mind to see it recommended so frequently by some reviewers and influencers on Instagram and such. Hopefully, as the series continues my rating for this book might raise. Have you read A Fire in the Sky? What did you think? Let me know!

A Lady of Conscience - Review

A Lady of Conscience (Somerset Stories, # 5)

By: Mimi Matthews

Publication: July 30, 2024 by Perfectly Proper Press

248 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Goodreads description--A Victorian bluestocking with a passion for lost causes attracts the unwilling attention of a frost-hearted viscount during her tumultuous debut season in Bath in USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews’s fifth book in her acclaimed Somerset Stories series.

West Country beauty Hannah Heywood may be quiet with fashionable strangers, but when it comes to animals in need, she has no trouble finding her voice. Newly arrived in Bath for her very first season, all she desires is to find one like-minded gentleman. A man of warmth and compassion, as sensitive to animals as he is to people. But if such a man exists, he dare not approach her. Not with the tall, blond, and menacing Viscount St. Clare standing in the way.

James Beresford, Viscount St. Clare has often been described as a sentient block of ice. A man so cold and dispassionate, he would never suit a young lady of Hannah’s disposition. And she would certainly never suit him. Focused on repairing his family’s infamous reputation, James requires a diamond of the first water. The daughter of a duke or a marquess, at least, not a simple country girl with a passion for four-legged creatures.

And yet, there’s something about conscience-driven young Hannah that draws James, first to Bath, and then into one increasingly hare-brained scheme after another. She confounds him at every turn, subverting his expectations and threatening to do what no lady has succeeded in doing before—thawing his ice-cold heart.

I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy A Lady of Conscience. I am a fan of Mimi Matthews, and I've read nearly all of her published books. But I wasn't sure if the vegan idea would be pushed at the reader or just part of Hannah's character. Of course, I don't have anything against someone choosing to be a vegan, but I didn't want there to be preaching at me through the character or storyline. If this is something you're worried about, don't worry. It's just part of Hannah's character. 

I'm struggling to find something to say about this book. It won't fall to be my least favorite Mimi Matthews book, but it certainly wasn't one of my favorites either. James and Hannah met because James's sister, Kate, and Hannah's brother Charles developed a relationship. Hannah seems to have attracted James's eye nearly immediately. Yet, she finds him to be cold and distant. He has spent much of his life trying his best to remain controlled and impervious to the thoughts and feelings of others as a result of their family's scandalous past. So it makes sense that Hannah wouldn't immediately feel like he is someone she could see herself with.

Hannah does thaw James as he desires for her hand yet he doesn't go about pursuing it in a way that Hannah can get on board with at first. It takes her some convincing that he isn't as cold and uncaring as he may seem. 

Ultimately, I felt like their problems were resolved a little too easily. I'm thankful that Mimi Matthews didn't force drama upon them that wasn't natural, but things were just a little quicker and easier than I expected. I, also, expected that James might fight his attraction to Hannah a little more than he did. Isn't it interesting how much our expectations influence how much we enjoy a book? I did feel like James pulled a similar move to our beloved Darcy when he initially voiced his intentions to Hannah. He did so in an almost insulting way.

Favorite quotes:

-"Marriage isn't a waltz," she said. "It's a partnership. I don't desire to be led. And I don't desire to change into something I'm not. When I marry, it will be to a gentleman who values me as I am."

-"I don't believe love is ever a burden."

-"I like what I see," James said, looking at her. Hannah's cheeks turned petal pink, just as he'd hoped they would. She bent her head, briefly shielding her face from his view behind the brim of her straw bonnet. "I don't know how to reply when you say such things." "Would you rather I didn't say them?" "No, but...I should like to better prepare myself." "Next time I compliment you," he said solemnly, "I'll take care to give you adequate warning."

-"I must caution you," James said. "A compliment is forthcoming."

James and Hannah had a sweet story. Theirs wasn't a terribly difficult journey even though it was somewhat different than I expected. I was thankful that even though Hannah has strong convictions about animals and her diet, I never felt preached to as if the author was trying to influence my opinion as the reader. I appreciate this a lot. Of course, I look forward to Jack's story to come. A Lady of Conscience gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read A Lady of Conscience? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 03/02/25

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 good day. Big Boy had a smaller group baseball practice at his coach's house, and Big Girl had practice at the field. Tuesday, I dropped our dog off to be groomed. Then I dropped the kiddos off at my parent's house. Then I had to get a crown done. Thankfully, no root canal was needed at this point. Maybe TMI but I had some decay under a filling that had been done a long time ago. I didn't even know that was possible. Anyway, hopefully that is all taken care of now, but boy do I hate dental work. I made it back to my parent's house and had gone outside with Big Boy and we realized there was a fire at one of my parent's backyard neighbor's. There was popping and explosions and it sounded like trees were falling. We could hear electricity, and it seemed like the fire had engulfed the entire house. Thankfully, it turns out that it was an outbuilding on the property and not the actual house. The fire did get big enough to spread to the next door house. But thankfully, the firefighters go that put out fairly quickly. It was a super scary experience, but also, it turned into a best case scenario. We left my parent's house and had to get the dog and pick up groceries. By the time we got home, I told the kids no school that day. The boys did have ball practice that night. Then Wednesday we had a normal day with no activities. Thursday, we had co-op which went well. My brother-in-law's mother passed away Thursday morning. She'd recently been diagnosed with cancer, and man it was an aggressive kind. Two months to the day from her diagnosis to her death. Friday, Big Boy was on a mission to finish his school work before lunch. Usually we're finishing up around 2 or 2:30, but he killed it on Friday. Big Girl was done by 1 or 1:30 also. Husband took Big Boy on a daddy/son date as a reward for reaching his reading goal. And they still had time to go to baseball practice Friday night. Unfortunately, Big Boy has been the target of some pretty relentless bullying from some of the kids on his team. I theorize that it has to do with a combination of him being homeschooled and thus not going to school with these kids, but I also think he might have been bragging a little one night and the other boys decided to take him down a peg. Either way, it was breaking my mama heart. I'm so thankful Husband was the one who took him to practice Friday night because he addressed things with the parents in a rational manner. I think I would have been too emotional and worked up to do a good job handling that situation. Saturday, Little Boy had ball practice. Then we went to Greenville to the funeral for my brother-in-law's mother. And then I was right back at the ball field for Big Girl to practice.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of Committing to the Cowgirl (Colorado Cowgirls, # 1) by Jody Hedlund (4 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Heart Marks the Spot by Libby Hubscher
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Brent's Bot & February 2025 EOM Wrap Up

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of A Lady of Conscience (Somerset Stories, # 5) by Mimi Matthews
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait Wednesday?
Friday: 14th Blogoversary

NEW BOOKS:

No new books this week.

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!