Sunday Post - 246 & Stacking the Shelves - 185

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 was a good week. The weather was getting warmer until all of a sudden we had a cold front move through and temps were in the low 50s. Little Girl is officially down to only one nap a day. I have not quite adjusted to this. While I'm excited about her becoming more and more independent and growing and learning, I do still enjoy nap time when I get an hour here and there to myself. She does take a long nap in the afternoon now. I'm just still trying to adjust my schedule to ensure I get as much done during her one nap as possible. Thursday I had another doctor's appointment and ultrasound. I love being able to see Squirt grow.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: April 2017 EOM Wrap Up
Wednesday: Can't Wait for The Queen and the Cure (The Bird and the Sword Chronicles, # 2) by Amy Harmon
Thursday: Review of Windfall by Jennifer E Smith (3.5 Stars)
Saturday: Problems Only We Know # 5 - Authors Writing Multiple Series

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Praying the Attributes of God by Ann Spangler
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday
Wednesday: Can't Wait Wednesday

Don’t forget to sign up for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15, 2017 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!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Dividing Eden (Dividing Eden, # 1)

By: Joelle Charbonneau

Expected Publication: June 6th 2017 by HarperTeen

336 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasty

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--From the author of the New York Times bestselling Testing trilogy comes a sweeping new fantasy series, perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sarah J. Maas.

Twins Carys and Andreus were never destined to rule Eden. With their older brother next in line to inherit the throne, the future of the kingdom was secure.

But appearances—and rivals—can be deceiving. When Eden’s king and crown prince are killed by assassins, Eden desperately needs a monarch, but the line of succession is no longer clear. With a ruling council scheming to gain power, Carys and Andreus are faced with only one option—to take part in a Trial of Succession that will determine which one of them is worthy of ruling the kingdom.

As sister and brother, Carys and Andreus have always kept each other safe—from their secrets, from the court, and from the monsters lurking in the mountains beyond the kingdom’s wall. But the Trial of Succession will test the bonds of trust and family.

With their country and their hearts divided, Carys and Andreus will discover exactly what each will do to win the crown. How long before suspicion takes hold and the thirst for power leads to the ultimate betrayal?

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!

Problems Only We Know # 5 - Authors Writing Multiple Series

I'm starting a new feature called Problems Only We Know. This is feature is meant to be funny--sarcastic at times-- that highlights on a few topics here and there that can be annoying or small inconveniences that only readers/bloggers will understand.

Let's talk authors who publish multiple series at a time.

Have you ever been chugging along in a series...

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and you see that the author has a new book coming out...

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but then you realize that the book to be published isn't in the current series you're reading.

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So now it's going to take twice as long for the next book in the series you've been reading to be released. (I'm cutting my eyes at you Richelle Mead.)

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And then...after you've been waiting almost two years for the last book in a series to be released, yet the author has published at least two books in a new series, you have to accept that the publisher might have cancelled the request for the final book.

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Have you guys ever been burned by an author publishing two series at one time? What about a series that gets indefinitely put on hold? Let me know!

Windfall - Review

Windfall

By: Jennifer E Smith

Published: May 2nd 2017 by Delacorte Press

432 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

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--Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes.

At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.

As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

I have to say that I've read two Jennifer E Smith books in the past, but I didn't love her narration style in either of those books. Because of that, I almost didn't request Windfall for review, but the description won out. I've never read a book that was about a teen winning the lottery. And I have to say that Windfall is probably my favorite out of all of the Jennifer E Smith books that I've read.

Alice, Leo, and Teddy are a trio of friends. Well Alice and Leo are cousins. But these three make up a best friend group. Leo is stereotypically gay. Because a girl can't be friends with a guy in YA literature these days without being in love with the guy or the guy being gay. And well Windfall has both of these stereotypes. *insert huge eye roll* Leo has some drama going on with his now-long-distance boyfriend. While Leo and Max aren't in the same geographical region during most of the book, their relationship does take up a decent portion of the storyline. Teddy seems to bit a part from Alice and Leo at the same time as being firmly a member of the trio. He's fairly popular with everyone at school since he plays sports. Alice has always been a bit separate. She sometimes considers herself to be an island, but that's mostly because she doesn't allow anyone close.

This story is about what happens when you find yourself in possession of a large sum of money that you neither earned nor deserve. Because Teddy's grown up with limited financial means, having this money will not only make his life easier and allow his mom not have need to work as much, but when you throw a starving kid into a free-for-all candy store you can't expect them not to overindulge. It was also about witnessing someone you love be changed by money and what it can do. Yet really one of the the only constants in life is that life is always changing. Alice knows that better than anyone because her life has drastically changed twice. Once when her mother died, and then again when her father also died and she had to move across the country to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Change has rarely been a good thing for Alice. So she's terrified of what this money will change in her life and Teddy's.

I enjoyed the relationship between Teddy and Alice. These two are not shy about being honest with each other. Well except for Alice withholding her feelings for Teddy. They tell each other the hard truth--especially when it is most needed. Teddy seems to be a bit naive, and Alice a bit harsh. Yet they both underestimate each other at times.

Even though Windfall is probably my favorite Jennifer E Smith book that I've read, I still had some issues with it. The typical gay best friend plus being in love with the other best friend annoyed me. Teddy's naivete in regards to all things money related for a large portion of the book was grating, as was Alice's hardened view on life. Yet the good thing was that Alice and Teddy both grew throughout the book which felt a bit redeeming. Still, Windfall gets 3.5 Stars from me. Have you read Windfall? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for The Queen and the Cure

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 Queen and the Cure (The Bird and the Sword Chronicles, # 2)

By: Amy Harmon

Expected Publication: May 9th 2017

220 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Goodreads description--There will be a battle, and you will need to protect your heart.

Kjell of Jeru had always known who he was. He'd never envied his brother or wanted to be king. He was the bastard son of the late King Zoltev and a servant girl, and the ignominy of his birth had never bothered him.

But there is more to a man than his parentage. More to a man than his blade, his size, or his skills, and all that Kjell once knew has shifted and changed. He is no longer simply Kjell of Jeru, a warrior defending the crown. Now he is a healer, one of the Gifted, and a man completely at odds with his power.

Called upon to rid the country of the last vestiges of the Volgar, Kjell stumbles upon a woman who has troubling glimpses of the future and no memory of the past. Armed with his unwanted gift and haunted by regret, Kjell becomes a reluctant savior, beset by old enemies and new expectations. With the woman by his side, Kjell embarks upon a journey where the greatest test may be finding the man she believes him to be.

I'm so excited for Kjell's story and for more Amy Harmon! What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

April 2017 EOM Wrap Up

I have read 6 books this month (not including children's books). *These qualify for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
The Captain's Daughter (London Beginnings, # 1) by Jennifer Delamere
God-Shaped Hole by Tiffany DeBartolo
Praying the Attributes of God: A Daily Guide to Experiencing His Greatness by Ann Spangler
Full Tilt (Full Tilt, # 1) by Emma Scott
*All In (Full Tilt, # 2) by Emma Scott
Bright Side (Bright Side, # 1) by Kim Holden

I have reviewed 4 books this month. *These qualify for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
A Lady of Esteem (Hawthorne House, # 0.5) by Kristi Ann Hunter
Twist (Dive Bar, # 2) by Kylie Scott
Bang by Barry Lyga
Until It Fades by KA Tucker

Other Posts:
Sunday Post - 241 & Stacking the Shelves - 182
Sunday Post - 242 & Stacking the Shelves - 183
Sunday Post - 243
Sunday Post - 244 & Stacking the Shelves - 184
Sunday Post - 245
Top Ten Things That Make Me Want to Read a Book
Top Ten Things That Make Me Not Want to Read a Book
Waiting on When I Am Through With You by Stephanie Kuehn
Waiting on Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
Waiting on...Baby # 2
Waiting on All Closed Off (Rusk University, # 4) by Cora Carmack
2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge - April Wrap Up
Problems Only We Know # 4: When Book Covers Lie
February 2017 EOM Wrap Up

Goals:
I'm a couple of days behind on my Bible reading plan.
I've read 30 out of 52 books.
I've read 5 out of 10-12 series enders.