Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for November 26, 2021

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

Sir Michael shot him a vinegar-laced glare. "Mr. Montgomery sent me a most strident letter this morning pointing out the deficiencies in your methods. How dare you trouble the elite with your questions? It's clear the painting was stolen by someone hired for the social event last night. A waiter or footman or cloakroom attendant. Why then did you detain nearly a hundred party guests?" Sir Michael spoke as if to a simpleton. "And not just any guests, but the crème of society?"

~from page 56 of The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetsch

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies - and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors - not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?

Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance.

The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your e-reader.

*Find a snippet, short and sweet.

*Post it, and share in the Linky.

***************

London Docks

January 31, 1816

"If you lean out any farther, you'll wind up in the drink. Which, I suppose, would be a fitting end to this disaster of a trip." Lady Juliette Thorndike ducked her chin and turned away from the fresh breeze, the deck rocking gently under her feet. Her heart pounded beneath her woolen cloak as she reached the end of one journey and anticipated embarking on a wholly new one.

~From the beginning of The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetsch

Book Beginnings on Fridays is hosted by Rose City Reader.

*It's Book Beginnings on Fridays! Time to gather with our fellow book lovers and share the opening sentence (or so) of the books we are reading this week. Or share from a book that is on your mind right now -- whatever catches your fancy.

***************

First Line Fridays is hosted at Reading is My SuperPower

*Share the first line or two of the book closest to you, then visit other FLF participants.

*Please keep posts family friendly or clean reads.

*Link back to Reading is My SuperPower within your post or grab a button.

©2008-2021 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Connect 5 Friday - What's Taking So Long?

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

The Friday Five Link Up is a List Link Up hosted by The Book Date. It can be five connections of any kind. Books can have been read last year or any year. Books can be used more than once. They may not have been read yet. . . It can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Maybe it's not a list of actual books, but things connected to books - e.g. favourite book shops, recipes etc. It might even be five movies related to books or five poems or five poets or five bookish moments, five thoughts about reading - be creative! The link-up will be open each Friday and will close on Thursday. Use the hashtag #connect5books

***********

The list of books I'd like to read is staggering, and of course I'll never be able to read everything that's ever struck me as interesting. But I have a stack of books right here on the shelf -- on my bedside table! -- that I haven't read or finished yet, and I sometimes wonder why it's taking so long to get to them. After missing a few weeks of Connect Five Fridays, for this week I put together a list of five books that I haven finished yet and I certainly should have.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - I have been teaching a Literature class in our homeschool co-op, and this is the novel that the students finished recently. I haven't finished it yet. And I'm honestly quite embarrassed about that, especially since I have not ever read this one. I am going to finish it -- just not sure when!




Until the Mountains Fall by Connilyn Cossette - I started this novel a long time ago, and I had been so excited to get going on it because I love this author and this series. So why didn't I finish? Two reasons: I kept setting it aside because I had review books or other things that had a deadline; and because it's on my Kindle, it truly was "out of sight, out of mind". A couple days ago I decided it was past time I picked it up again, and now I'm so invested again that I'm confident I'll finish soon!

Church With No Walls by Noah Cleveland - So this book was one I purchased in the fall at a worship conference I attended. I thought I would read it before Christmas, but I found I had a lot going on, and decided to set it aside and start over in the new year. After all, it's a 21-day challenge, and I thought it best to read it during a time when I could commit to reading a chapter a day for that length of time. And then other books wound up on top of it in the stack and I forgot. (Story of my reading life!) I was just reminded of it and wonder if now would be a good time to tackle it, seeing as how we're not allowed to get together within the walls of the church these days.

   

The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - This one hasn't been neglected on the stack for nearly as long as some others, but it's still a bit embarrassing that I haven't even started yet. I was intrigued after seeing it on other bloggers' reading lists, and picked up a copy from the library. I didn't get started on it right away and then realized that I wasn't likely to be able to finish it before I had to return it so I was planning to just bump it down the list and borrow it again in a month or so. Then the library closed up so I now get to keep the book until sometime in June. But that was at the end of March when I figured I'd have LOTS of time. Here it is a week into May and I have yet to crack the cover. Hopefully soon, as I need to at least start on it and see if I like it.

The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen - here's another book I purchased simply ages ago, and I love the author, but for one reason and another, the book kept getting shuffled down my TBR stack until I sort of forgot I had it. I just shuffled it back up a bit in hopes that I'll get to it soon.

Do you have a stack of books that you should have read, but just haven't yet? Or is it just me?

©2008-2020 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

What I'm Reading - December 9, 2019

This post contains affiliate links.

This weekly reading list meme is hosted at Book Date. Join in to see what others are reading and maybe get some ideas of what to read next! Although the Book Date link-up happens weekly, I haven't been keeping up with a weekly schedule, so I kind of post these whenever! I also haven't been reading as many books lately. Too busy! So in the past couple of weeks:

I finished reading . . . 

Undertones by L.S. Popovich - Dane, a giant anteater, plays guitar in an all animal jazz band, and while trying to find his kidnapped girlfriend, he winds up taking on the mob-like criminal underbelly of his town. (Read my full review HERE.)

I'm currently reading . . .

The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear - a new installment in the Daughters of the Mayflower series, this one is about a young woman in Tennessee forced to open her home to wounded Union soldiers during the War Between the States. Can there be anything between this Confederate girl and a Yankee soldier?




Penny For Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber - The latest in the Verity Kent series from one of my favorite authors! Got through the first half of it very quickly, but had to slow down in order to work on books for review and school.

The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West - Didn't quite finish this collection of short stories about a Quaker family, which is for the Lit class I teach. We're starting on our next selection, but all of us have a little left on this one. I hope to finish it soon!

Next on the stack... 

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Church With No Walls by Noah Cleveland (started, but temporarily shelved)
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (also temporarily shelved)
The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

  

 

On my blogs recently . . . 

Here on Just A Second:

Scripture and a Snapshot - Great Joy
Wordless Wednesday - Family Dinner
Scripture and a Snapshot - Prepare the Way
Monthly Bookshelf Review - November 2019
A Song for Giving Grateful Praise
Share Four Somethings - November 2019
Recent Reads - Undertones


And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Highlights - Thanksgiving Week and Back to Class
Virtual Refrigerator - Snow, Perspective, and Retablo
Happy Thanksgiving! (A History Lesson)
Counting Holiday School Days (at Heart and Soul)

What are you reading?

©2008-2019 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Monthly Bookshelf Review - November 2019

This post contains affiliate links.

I have been crazy busy lately. Lots of things on my plate just because it's that time of year when everyone is busy. And a few unexpected schedule wreckers like needing to give my daughter a ride to college and some extra errands. Anyway, reading has been a few minutes here and a few minutes there, which adds up, but more slowly than I'm used to! Here's my monthly round-up of reading.

November's Books Completed and Reviewed

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells  - read for the Literature class I teach, and although science fiction isn't really my thing, this was a very interesting read. And a classic work as well! (Read my full review HERE)

   


Undertones by L.S. Popovich - wonderful characters (all anthropomorphic animals) in this humorous mystery. Dane is a jazz-playing anteater just trying to find out what happened to his polar bear girlfriend while kicking an ant addiction. (Read my full review HERE.)




Immanuel Labor: God's Presence in Our Profession by Russell E. Gehrlein - an informative guidebook about the theological aspect of work and developing a Biblical view of it. (Read my full review HERE)

During November I started reading:

The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West - Reading for the Lit class I teach. It's a collection of short stories about a Quaker family, and the gentle humor and warm relationships are delightful.

Penny For Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber - Yes, I'm devouring the newest in the Verity Kent series even though I have several other things I probably should be reading! These mysteries set shortly after the Great War are hard to put down!




Church With No Walls by Noah Cleveland - I purchased this at a worship conference in October, and I wanted to get going on it, but have so much going on that I have quite finished the introductory chapters yet. Once I get to the 21 days of challenges, it will be specific daily chunks and I should be able to manage those!

   

During November I shelved:

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - I had too many other things on the go and life was too busy. I paused this so I could catch my breath!

Coming Up in December!

   

The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear
The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

   

And at least a couple seasonal things, I'm sure! I just haven't decided which ones.

This post will be linked at:

Feed Your Fiction Addiction - November 2019 Wrap-Up Round-Up & Giveaway

©2008-2019 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

What I'm Reading - November 25, 2019

This post contains affiliate links.

This weekly reading list meme is hosted at Book Date. Join in to see what others are reading and maybe get some ideas of what to read next! Although the Book Date link-up happens weekly, I haven't been keeping up with a weekly schedule, so I kind of post these whenever! I also haven't been reading as many books lately. Too busy! So in the past couple of weeks:

I finished reading . . . 

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells - I had finished this one but didn't have the review up last time I updated, so I've included it again to add the review link. (Read my full review HERE.)

   


Immanuel Labor: God's Presence in Our Profession by Russell E. Gehrlein - I reviewed this informative guidebook to glorifying God through our work for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. (Read my full review HERE.)

I'm currently reading . . .

Undertones by L.S. Popovich - Dane (a giant anteater) is the lead in an all animal jazz band. He stumbles onto a ruthless underground criminal operation as he's trying to find his polar bear girlfriend, who was kidnapped.

   

The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West - Reading this with my girls in the Lit class. We were supposed to finish last week but all needed just a bit more time. I'm finding it delightful! It's actually a collection of short stories about a Quaker family.

Penny For Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber - The latest in the Verity Kent series from one of my favorite authors! I'm pacing myself because I really need to finish the two books above before devouring this one!

Next on the stack... 

The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear
Church With No Walls by Noah Cleveland (started, but temporarily shelved)
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (also temporarily shelved)
The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

  

 

On my blogs recently . . . 

Here on Just A Second:

Scripture and a Snapshot - Let Us Be Thankful
Wordless Wednesday - Cloudy Skies
Scripture and a Snapshot - Thankful
Wordless Wednesday - Gingko Leaves
Scripture and a Snapshot - The Blessing
Recent Reads: Immanuel Labor: God's Presence in Our Profession
Wordless Wednesday - Autumn Sunshine
Recent Reads - The War of the Worlds


And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Highlights - College and Co-op Week Twelve
Virtual Refrigerator - A Whale and Pumpkins
Coffee Break Reading List (November 19, 2019)
Homeschool Highlights - Blue Ribbon Edition
Virtual Refrigerator - From the Art Archives
Homeschool Highlights - College and Co-op Week Ten
Virtual Refrigerator - Jolly Old Elf
Join the 2020 Homeschool Review Crew

What are you reading?

©2008-2019 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.