Tuesday, November 17

Teaser Tuesdays/First Chapter First Paragraph - The Darcys of Pemberley

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm. To play along, just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Be careful not to include spoilers!
  • Share the title and author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
I was so very sure I hadn't read this one before . . . until I started reading. Somehow it seems familiar, and yet I am still quite convinced that I haven't read it. However, P&P sequels do tend to follow similar storylines, so perhaps that accounts for the sense of deja vu.


Fitzwilliam returned to his feet and resumed his pacing. "If only it were a mistake," he answered. "Her ladyship was perfectly clear about her expectation that I shall marry her daughter. Since she could not get you for her son-in-law, Darcy, I suppose she has settled on me as the best substitute available."
 ~The Darcys of Pemberley by Shannon Winslow, at 14% on my Kindle

The Darcys of Pemberley (The Darcys of Pemberley, #1)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is a weekly link-up hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or two) of a book you're reading, or thinking about reading soon.

     It is a truth universally acknowledged that even the most ignoble person on the face of the earth appears more praiseworthy after death. Thus, as the news of Mr. Collins's odd and untimely passing spread far and wide, the reputed quality of his character improved accordingly. The significant defects of his disposition, so recently impossible to overlook, were all but forgot, and the general consensus developed that he had been a fine clergyman, and a kind and generous human being.
     As his relations, the Bennets of Longbourn were amongst the first to hear of the sad event. Although they had not been especially close to their cousin, his death could not help but make some impression on them. Mr. Bennet felt the loss most acutely. Having come to regard Mr. Collins's correspondence as a priceless source of amusement, he would not have given up the association on any grounds less consequential than those supplied by the present impediment. Mrs. Bennet, though not ordinarily quick-witted, on this occasion immediately perceived how insupportable it would be to keep the burden of this tragedy to herself. Hence, she made haste to publish the tale abroad, beginning in Meryton with her sister, Mrs. Phillips, who was always anxious for the latest news.
 The Darcys of Pemberley by Shannon Winslow

The Darcys of Pemberley (The Darcys of Pemberley, #1)

Here's the blurb:

A sequel true to Jane Austen’s beloved masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice.

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have been married for almost a year, and their heated arguments are a thing of the past. All that passion is now directed into more satisfying pursuits. But how long can the honeymoon last? The couple’s idyllic life together at Pemberley is jeopardized by secrets they begin keeping from each other, the troubles of their closest friends, and the threat of a villain in their midst.

Layers of seemingly innocent deception are building between Darcy and Elizabeth, threatening their relationship. He is conducting some covert business dealings that he’s unwilling to share with his wife, and she likewise begins keeping things from him against her own better judgment. The couple also becomes embroiled in the tribulations of Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, Georgiana, and his friend and cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Fitzwilliam falls victim to their aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, as the object of her latest scheme to make a noble match for her daughter. Georgiana runs the gamut of emotions as she comes of age and learns the pain of unrequited love. Meanwhile, the menacing shadow of Mr. Darcy’s life-long nemesis, Mr. Wickham, looms ever larger.

The Darcys of Pemberley is the tale of two romances: the continuation of Darcy and Elizabeth’s story, and the courtship of Miss Georgiana. For those who didn’t want Pride and Prejudice to end, this novel gives the opportunity to learn what happens after the wedding, to revisit old friends and foes, and to share the next chapter of their lives.

What do you think? Would you continue reading? If you have read this one, how did you like it?

 ©2008-2015 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/

Monday, November 16

What I'm Reading - November 16, 2015

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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!

I recently finished reading...

Murther and Walking Spirits by Robertson Davies - Seemed like it took forever, but I finally finished this one! A story I really enjoyed overall, but the ending was a bit unsatisfying. (Read my review HERE.)

Murther and Walking Spirits

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - I finished this last night, so the review isn't written yet.

 The Phantom of the Opera


I'm currently reading...

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

The Fatal Tree (Bright Empires) by Stephen R Lawhead - decided I'd better pick this up again and make sure I finish!

The Fatal Tree (Bright Empires, #5)

The Darcys of Pemberley by Shannon Winslow - I just got started on this one yesterday.

The Darcys of Pemberley (The Darcys of Pemberley, #1)


 Next on the stack...

A Christmas Escape: A Novel by Anne Perry

   A Christmas Escape (Christmas Stories, #13)

On my blogs last week...

Here on Just A Second:

Recent Reads - Murther & Walking Spirits
Scripture and a Snapshot - November 14, 2015
Book Blogger Hop - November 13, 2015
Wordless Wednesday - Remembrance Day
Teaser Tuesdays/First Chapter First Paragraph - November 10, 2015

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Weekly: In Remembrance Edition
From the High School Lesson Book - Geography Review
Virtual Refrigerator - Thanksgiving Art: Remembrance
Blue Ribbon Awards Preview
Thanksgiving Inspiration From Canada

What are you reading?

©2008-2015 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/

Sunday, November 15

Recent Reads - Murther & Walking Spirits

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Murther and Walking Spirits

Murther and Walking Spirits by Robertson Davies - In the first sentence of this unusual book, the principle character and narrator is murdered. Connor Gilmartin has walked into his bedroom to find his wife and a colleague nicknamed the Sniffer together, and the Sniffer strikes Gil and kills him. What follows is partly farce and partly tragedy and Gil realizes that he is dead and wonders whether he is actually a ghost and what the afterlife will be like even as he is able to observe the actions of his wife and the Sniffer in the days that follow. Gil introduces these characters to the reader and tells a bit about his own background and the events that led up to his death. He and the Sniffer work for the newspaper, and it happens that the Sniffer is a film critic who must attend a film festival. Gil finds that he, as ghost or spirit, is attending the festival as well, but the films he sees are somehow meant only for him.

The film festival that Gil watches - and describes for the reader - features his own ancestors, so the story is a sort of family history. We meet the resourceful Dutch Loyalist Anna, who escapes New York at the time of the American Revolution, taking her three children with her on a daring canoe trip to Ontario where they settle with the rest of the Vermuelen family. We also meet Wesley Gilmartin in Wales, and follow the rising and falling fortunes of the Gilmartin family as cloth merchants, tailors, politicians, and finally as they immigrate to Canada. The next generation's stories are also featured, until finally Gil is watching a film depicting his own father selling off the estate of his grandfather. Gil's thoughts and commentaries on these stories of his own forbears are given throughout, as well as his observations of what the Sniffer is doing during his film festival, and interspersed with his reflections on memories of his own.

The ending left me with mixed feelings - the end of the film festival portion had a touch of bittersweet, as Gil has learned so much more about his father and other members of his family tree, and understood them and loved them in a way that perhaps he hadn't really done while alive. The very last chapter, however, returns to Gil's observation of what Esme (his widow) and the Sniffer are doing. They have both gotten away with murder, to put it bluntly, at least so far as anyone else knows, but Gil is wanting justice. In a way, justice is certainly done and I found the wrap-up of that aspect of the story grimly appropriate. However, the final page of two of epilogue is the ghostly reflection or conversation of Gil, and I found that completely unsatisfying and just plain odd rather than philosophically insightful, as perhaps was intended. However, I should note that this novel is not written from a Christian worldview, so the views of the soul and spirit and afterlife do not coincide with my own beliefs. I enjoyed the story as it portrayed ordinary people in historic settings, and ordinary people dealing with guilt, pride, fear, loyalty, religion, ethics, and so much more; but I attached no particular import to the speculation and description of afterlife that is purely fictional.

This review is linked at The Book Mine Set for The 9th Canadian Book Challenge. (Robertson Davies is a Canadian author, and much of this particular story takes place in Ontario.)


©2008-2015 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/

Saturday, November 14

Scripture and a Snapshot - November 14, 2015

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Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants.
I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he.
~Deuteronomy 32:1-4~

Scripture and Snapshot
Scripture & a Snapshot is hosted by A Glimpse of Our Life.

Barbie Swihart
Weekend Whispers is hosted by Barbie Swihart.

Counting Pinecones
Verse of the Week is hosted by Counting Pinecones.

©2008-2015 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/

Friday, November 13

Book Blogger Hop - November 13, 2015

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Book Blogger Hop
 This week's Book Blogger Hop question from Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer will probably take me more than a single sentence to answer!

How long does it normally take you to read a book? 

It's so hard to say, because there are so many factors! If it's a book that really grabs my attention and I have the time to spend, I can read it in a week or less. Very often though, even if it's a book that I enjoy, I will work on it in little bits and pieces because I've got other things I'm also reading, or other things going on that limit my reading time. Then it might take me a couple months to finish. When I have books I'm reviewing or a library book that is in high demand, those get priority. I suppose if I had to guess at an average, it would be two to three weeks.

©2008-2015 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/

Wednesday, November 11

Wordless Wednesday - Remembrance Day

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Remembrance Day at Just A Second (Wordless Wednesday) JustASecondBlog.blogspot.com

This post is linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life at Rossmont.

Wordless Wednesday at Life at Rossmont

©2008-2015 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/

Tuesday, November 10

Teaser Tuesdays/First Chapter First Paragraph - November 10, 2015

This post may contain affiliate links. 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm. To play along, just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Be careful not to include spoilers!
  • Share the title and author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
    This is one I picked up for my Kindle recently - a freebie. The title actually put me off because of its complete lack of creativity, but the reviews I saw were pretty good so I decided to take a chance. I haven't started yet, beyond the opening and finding a Teaser. It's not grabbing me, but what do you think? Read it or forget about it?


    On page three, she finally found what she was looking for:  Wanted...Situations...Females. There were not as many listings as in the Richmond paper, but she analyzed each advertisement, and came away rather disappointed.
     ~The Lady and the Mountain Man (Mountain Dreams Series Book 1) by Misty M. Beller, at 10% on my Kindle
    The Lady and the Mountain Man  (Mountain Dreams #1)


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     
    First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is a weekly link-up hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or two) of a book you're reading, or thinking about reading soon.

    Richmond, Virginia
    March, 1874
        "Are you going to poison her the way you killed your last wife?"
        Leah Townsend froze in the hallway, her right foot suspended midair as her breathing stopped. She lowered her toes to the floor, and then sidled closer to the closed study door--still not daring to breathe. The thick Persian rug muffled her footsteps. As she leaned forward, the strong scent of oil wafted from the mahogany wood door.
        A throaty chuckle drifted out of the room. "I haven't decided yet. When I get tired of the nagging, I'll find a way to dispense with her. Assuming she's received her inheritance and her father's estates are legally mine."


    Here's the blurb:

    Leah Townsend, a recently orphaned heiress, flees Richmond after discovering her fiance's plot to kill her after their wedding. She needs a safe place to hide, and finds herself accepting a newspaper marriage proposal from a God-fearing young rancher in the Montana Territory. But when Leah arrives at the mountain ranch, she learns her intended husband was killed by a grizzly, leaving behind a bitter older brother and a spunky younger sister.

    When Gideon Bryant finds a city girl standing in his log cabin, his first thought is to send her back where she came from. He's lost too many people to the wild elements of these mountains -- his parents, his wife, and now his brother. His love for this untamed land lives on, but he's determined not to open his heart to another person.

    But when an accident forces Leah to stay at the ranch for seven more months, can Gideon protect his heart from a love he doesn't want? Has Leah really escaped the men who seek her life?

    What do you think? Would you continue reading?

    ©2008-2015 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/