Sunday Post - 1/7/18

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.

Having Husband home on Monday was really nice. I didn't stay up until midnight...because HELLO...sleep is life right now. The entire week all 4 of us have been battling colds. Baby Boy had his 2 month doctor appointment on Wednesday. Other than that, we've been riding out the freezing temperatures inside trying to fight off our colds. Here's hoping we're all feeling better and temps get above 30 degrees next week.

THIS PAST WEEK:

Monday: December 2017 EOM Wrap Up
Wednesday: Can't Wait for My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies, # 2) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
Thursday: 2017 EOY Wrap Up
Friday: Review of Paris Lights (Heart of the City, # 1) by CJ Duggan (3.5 Stars)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday (maybe)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday

Don’t forget to link up for the 2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge! You have until December 15th, 2018 to sing 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!

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!

Paris Lights - Review

Paris Lights (Heart of the City, # 1)

By: CJ Duggan

Publication: December 1st 2016

Genre: New 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--'You're breaking up with me!' He was silent. 'In Paris.' Eyes dropping. 'Under the Eiffel-[...]-Tower!' I screamed.

Twenty-five-year-old Claire Shorten had looked forward to spending a romantic weekend in Paris for as long as she could remember, and now it was here - three blissful days of strolling through cobbled streets arm-in-arm with her beloved, eating copious amounts of baked goods and soaking up the culture through each and every pore of her body. Well, at least, that was how she'd pictured it . . .

Even after her boyfriend dumps her rather unceremoniously in the most romantic place on earth, Claire is determined not to give up on her dream altogether - with or without a boyfriend. She finds herself a job in the kitchen of a small hotel; Michelin-starred it most certainly is not, but somehow Claire makes a place for herself amidst the dirty dishes and the foreign misfits who run the place.

When the restaurant attracts the attention of the enigmatic - if not slightly terrifying - tycoon Louis Delarue, and Claire manages to survive his high-powered business luncheon from hell, she knows that she can survive anything, surely. But all bets are off when Louis makes a game-changing decision: he's coming back for a second course . . .

I picked up Paris Lights because I'd just read three fantasy books--two of which were extremely slow paced and took me the majority of the month to read. I wanted something that would hook me and that I could read quickly. And that's exactly what happened. I read the first 30% and then basically finished the rest of the book the next day.

The description is a little deceiving. Claire does get dumped by her boyfriend, and she does find a job in the kitchen of a small hotel. But the hotel is more the focus than the kitchen. And Claire pitches in all over the hotel, from manning the reception desk to washing dishes. But the reason Claire pitches in is because the hotel needs saving and Cecile (the owner/manager) gave her a place to stay when her boyfriend dumped her and she decided to stay in Paris. Cecile has managed to get one of those reality TV shows--think Restaurant Impossible or Kitchen Nightmares or I guess Hotel Impossible if such a show existed--to help her save the hotel.

And like Robert Irvine or Gordon Ramsay, Louis Delarue has a tough outer shell. Louis tends to come into a hotel or restaurant and rip the food, accommodations, and staff to pieces. Most people seem to be terrified of him. The problem is that he expects perfection. He has high standards of people. It takes a lot to earn his respect, but when you've gotten it you know that you've earned it. Of course this doesn't sit well with all people and Claire starts off with an intense dislike of Louis. Sure he's attractive physically, but not the way he treats people. And so she challenges him to behave differently. The problem is...she only sees what's on the surface. Beneath is a passionate and generous man. I really appreciated how Claire's opinion of Louis changed rather slowly. And they built their relationship upon shared experiences rather than physical attraction. Of course things do get physical, and CJ Duggan was fairly graphic when things got there. Yet overall there weren't many scenes in the book of this nature.

I felt like some pieces could have been explained better. Like how and why Louis ended up choosing the Hotel Trocadero as one of his project hotels in the first place. Claire's actual duties in the hotel and with the project were vague at best and could have been flushed out more. Just a few issues like that. The only highlights I made were a couple of overused phrases.

Overall, Paris Lights was exactly what I expected--a quick, fun, light read. I read the first 30% quickly and was hooked after that. There was some language and physical scenes, but neither were excessive throughout the book. Paris Lights gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Paris Lights? What did you think? Let me know!

2017 EOY Wrap Up

At the end of every year and the beginning of the next, I go into contemplative mode. I think about the past year. What happened? What changed in my life? What were the big things that I accomplished? What did I spend my time doing or thinking about? And then I think about the upcoming one as well. What do I want to see happen? What do I want to change in my life? What big things do I want to accomplish? What do I want to spend my time doing and thinking about? What things about last year do I really want to see change in the upcoming one?

My brother asked our church family on Sunday what one word we would use to describe our 2017 year. And I almost instantly came up with the word "change." I got pregnant at the end of January/beginning of February 2017. There are a massive amount of changes that happen in the body during pregnancy. Little Girl grew so much over the past year. She was 15 months old starting 2017 and now she's 27 months. She's speaking in sentences, almost fully potty trained, and she's becoming more and more independent. Changes with her happen daily. Along with my bodily changes from being pregnant, I worked hard on our house to prepare for Baby Boy. We remodeled our biggest bathroom. We moved our bedroom and Little Girl's bedroom in order to free up the nursery for Baby Boy. I was constantly purging unnecessary possessions to donate or trash or sell to make room for all of the additional items that a baby requires. Then, of course, Baby Boy was born and everything changed. Our family changed. Our schedules changed. My body changed yet again. I'm sure I truly have barely touched on the surface of things that have changed this past year.

In a lot of ways, 2017 felt like an entire repeat of 2015. I got pregnant about the same time of year, gave birth 10 days off from my first. Went the majority of the year pregnant. Yet so much of 2017 was different from 2015 because this time around I had Little Girl with me already. 2016 was a whirlwind of craziness as the changes of very young babies through the first year are significant. Our schedules changed multiple times. And 2018 feels like it will be much of a repeat of 2016. Schedule changes. Lack of sleep. Nursing constantly in the beginning to steadily dropping feedings toward the end of the year in order to wean.

I feel like I've found my groove as a stay at home mom, and adjusting to two kids has been faster than I expected--though still overwhelming in a lot of ways. Knowing that I can do this parenting thing makes things easier. Having been through this before helps. Granted each child is different, I still feel more confident in my abilities and techniques as a mom. I'm looking forward to feeling like things are "back to normal" and I can breathe a bit easier, but in the meantime I'm soaking up the snuggles from Baby Boy and enjoying watching Little Girl grow. I can't wait to see them playing together in the near future.

Reading and blogging have not been a top priority for me since 2015. Of course, I still love doing both and don't see myself going anywhere any time soon, but I just have to work them into life where and when I can. 2018 I imagine will feel like I'm in survival mode again, but I know how quickly this time passes. It's hard to imagine that Little Girl is a quarter of the way into her third year of life. My oldest nephew will be turning 16 years old in April and I remember changing his diapers and being there when he was born so I know how quickly the time flies.

EOM Wrap Up Posts for 2017

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Blogging Highlights from 2017

Holly and I successfully hosted the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge. This was our fourth year. We are returning for 2018 also.

I participated in the March Take Control of Your TBR Pile and read 3 books from my TBR pile.

Celebrated my 6th Blogoversary.

October was my 5th annual All Things Halloween event of Halloween-ish book reviews and such.

I continued a feature created in previous years: Discussions Only We Know. Although, I didn't get any Series DNF, Cover Doubles, Upon Further Review, or From the Ashes posts done.

I started a new featuring in 2017: Problems Only We Know.

I didn't review any movies this year.

I didn't listen to any audiobooks because I haven't figured out how to do so with my new day to day.

But I did re-read one book this year.

I exceeded my Goodreads total books read challenge with 64 out of 52 books read.

I completed my Bible-in-a-year reading plan for the 6th year in a row.

But I did fall a little short on my Series Enders goal of 10-12 books with 8 series enders read.

Books Read in 2017

*These qualify for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge.

Traitor to the Throne (Rebel of the Sands, # 2) by Alwyn Hamilton (review coming soon)
Keep Her Safe by KA Tucker (review coming soon)
Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely by Lysa TerKeurst
Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands, # 1) by Alwyn Hamilton (review coming soon)
This Tiny World by Lauren Gibaldi (review coming soon)
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (review coming soon)
This Heart of Mine by CC Hunter (review coming soon)
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover (review coming soon)
A Different Blue by Amy Harmon (review coming soon)
*An Inconvenient Beauty (Hawthorne House, # 4) by Kristi Ann Hunter
The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews
Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West
PS I Like You by Kasie West (review coming soon)
Lettering with Purpose: Creative techniques and prompts for making meaningful, inspirational hand-lettered art by Brittany Luiz
Charged (Saints of Denver, # 2) by Jay Crownover
Built (Saints of Denver, # 1) by Jay Crownover
Dividing Eden (Dividing Eden, # 1) by Joelle Charbonneau
The Butterfly Project by Emma Scott
The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett (review coming soon)
An Elegant Facade (Hawthorne House, # 2) by Kristi Ann Hunter (review coming soon)
*A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 3) by Sarah J Maas
A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole (review coming soon)
Anatomy of an Affair: How Affairs, Attractions, and Addictions Develop, and How to Guard Your Marriage Against Them by Dave Carder
A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 2) by Sarah J Maas
*After the Game (The Field Party, # 3) by Abbi Glines
A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 1) by Sarah J Maas
Paris Lights (Heart of the City, # 1) by CJ Duggan (review coming soon)
Shadowcaster (Shattered Realms, # 2) by Cinda Williams Chima
One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns, # 2) by Kendare Blake
Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, # 1) by Kendare Blake
Bright Side (Bright Side, # 1) by Kim Holden
*All In (Full Tilt, # 2) by Emma Scott
Full Tilt (Full Tilt, # 1) by Emma Scott
Praying the Attributes of God: A Daily Guide to Experiencing His Greatness by Ann Spangler
God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie DeBartolo
The Captain's Daughter (London Beginnings, # 1) by Jennifer Delamere
Bang by Barry Lyga
Lies We Believe About God by William Paul Young
Twist (Dive Bar, # 2) by Kylie Scott
Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, # 1) by Cassandra Clare
Dirty (Dive Bar, # 1) by Kylie Scott
Kiss of Fire (Imdalind, # 1) by Rebecca Ethington
Windfall by Jennifer E Smith
The Bird and the Sword (The Bird and the Sword, # 1) by Amy Harmon
*The Raven King (The Raven Cycle, # 4) by Maggie Stiefvater
Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas
These Things I've Done by Rebecca Phillips
Until It Fades by KA Tucker
*Havoc (Mayhem, # 4) by Jamie Shaw
*Long Way Home (Thunder Road, # 3) by Katie McGarry
The Law of Moses (The Law of Moses, # 1) by Amy Harmon
Making Faces by Amy Harmon
Mr. President (Mr. President, # 1) by Katy Evans
The Secret History of Us by Jessi Kirby
100 Hours (100 Hours, # 1) by Rachel Vincent
The Radius of Us by Marie Marquardt
Like a River Glorious (The Gold Seer Trilogy, # 2) by Rae Carson
*Coming Up for Air (Hundred Oaks, # 8) by Miranda Kenneally

Books DNF'D

The Sound of Light by Claire Wallis (DNF @ 44%)

How was your 2017? Are you exciting about moving on to 2018? Let me know!

Can't Wait for My Plain Jane

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.

My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies, # 2)

By: Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, & Cynthia Hand

Expected Publication: June 26th 2018 by HarperTeen

464 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Retellings

( 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--You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Bronte, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

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

December 2017 EOM Wrap Up

I have read 2 books this month (not including children's books). *These qualify for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
Keep Her Safe by KA Tucker
Traitor to the Throne (Rebel of the Sands, # 2) by Alwyn Hamilton

I have reviewed 4 books this month. *These qualify for the 2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge.
Bright Side (Bright Side, # 1) by Kim Holden
Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely by Lysa TerKeurst
Love, Life and the List by Kasie West
*A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 3) by Sarah J Maas

Other Posts:
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves - 12/3/17
Sunday Post - 12/10/17
Sunday Post - 12/17/17
Sunday Post - 12/24/17
Sunday Post & Stacking the Shelves- 12/31/17
Top Ten 2018 TBR List (New and Old Releases)
Can't Wait for Brave (Contours of the Heart, # 4) by Tammara Webber
Can't Wait for Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West
Can't Wait for Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia
Can't Wait for Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter
2017 Series Enders Reading Challenge - December Wrap Up
2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Sign Ups
2018 Series Enders Reading Challenge - Goals
Discussions Only We Know: Spoilers

Goals:
I finished my Bible-in-a-year reading plan.
I've read 64 out of 52 books.
I've read 8 out of 10-12 series enders.