Thursday, July 28

Bookshelf Review - July 2016

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Bookshelf Review for July 2016 on Just A Second @ JustASecondBlog.blogspot.com

July's Books Completed and Reviewed

Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent - Fascinating mystery with a woman undertaker in Victorian London as the title character. (Read my full review HERE.)
Violet and Graham were, of course, not invited to such an occasion. Their business was with the dead, not frolicking with the living.



No Way Up (The Cimarron Legacy Book 1) by Mary Connealy - Excitement, humorous dialogue, and romantic sparks flying between Heath and Sadie as they work to save the ranch and keep the Boden family safe from danger. (Read my full review HERE.)
All three men headed in different directions. They left her standing there, as if she were a well-trained dog who'd stay put until they whistled for her. Men could be a pain in the neck.


Out of Control (The Kincaid Brides Book 1) by Mary Connealy - fiery and flawed characters in an exciting story with light-hearted romance developing through difficult and dangerous circumstances. (Read my full review HERE.)
Rafe heard footsteps ahead, running in this black tunnel. Was it the man who had moved that rope and trapped Julia in the cavern? It sure could be. 

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal - an interesting but not outstanding novel in which magic is a part of the Regency world. (Read my full review HERE.)
His older daughter, Jane, made up for her deficit of beauty with rare taste and talent in the womanly arts. Her skill with glamour, music, and painting was surpassed by none in their neighbourhood and together lent their home the appearance of wealth far beyond their means.



During July I started reading:

The Boden Birthright: A Cimarron Legacy Novella by Mary Connealy- a novella introducing the Boden family featured in No Way Up.

Looking between Veronica and Frank, Chance nodded. "I'm much obliged to you folks. Thank you, we will stay . . ."



The Pharaoh's Daughter: A Treasures of the Nile Novel by Mesu Andrews - a novel about the Egyptian princess that adopted Moses.
Jochebed was Miriam's mother - and the baby's. Anippe rubbed her temples, doubts haunting her. What if Jochebed refused to give up her son at weaning time?



Timebound (The Chronos Files) by Rysa Walker -trying to get into this time travel YA novel; still undecided on whether I'll finish.
She reached the door and then looked back, a stern expression on her face. "And you absolutely must not hold the medallion again until you are ready. It was careless of me to leave it on the counter like that, but I had no idea that you would be able to trigger it."



The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Elizabeth Chadwick - this author does an excellent job of making historical figures come alive.
Alienor had no intention of "resting assured," because she did not believe him. If he involved her, it was for his own ends. "But the business of Aquitaine is mine first," she said firmly. "And it is my choice to involve you, not yours to involve me."



During July I shelved:

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy - we continued for a little while on this but then set it aside for a bit. Just too much going on!



Coming Up in August!

What's On Your Nightstand

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Tuesday, July 26

Teaser Tuesday/First Chapter First Paragraph - The Winter Crown

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Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn at Books and Beat. 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! 
Alienor had no intention of "resting assured," because she did not believe him. If he involved her, it was for his own ends. "But the business of Aquitaine is mine first," she said firmly. "And it is my choice to involve you, not yours to involve me."
~The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Elizabeth Chadwick, page 21

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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.
WESTMINSTER ABBEY, LONDON, DECEMBER 1154
   At the precise moment Theobald, Archibishop of Canterbury, placed the golden weight of a crown on Alienor's brow, the child in her womb gave a vigorous kick that resonated throughout her body. Clear winter light rayed from the abbey's Romanesque windows to illuminate the Confessor's tomb in the sacrarium and cast pale radiance upon the dais where Alienor sat beside her husband, the newly anointed King Henry II of England.

   Henry gripped the jeweled orb and the sword of sovreignty with confident possession. His mouth was a firm, straight line and his gray gaze purposeful. In the mingling of gloom ad light, his beard glinted copper-red, and he exuded all the glow and vigor of his twenty-one years. He was already duke of Normandy, count of Anjou, and consort duke of Aquitaine and had been a force to be reckoned with ever since leading his first battle campaign at the age of fourteen.

Here's the blurb:

As queen of England, Eleanor has a new cast of enemies - including the king.

Eleanor has more than fulfilled her duty as Queen of England - she has given her husband, Henry II, heirs to the throne and has proven herself as a mother and ruler. But Eleanor needs more than to be a bearer of children and a deputy; she needs her own true authority. As her children grow older, and her relationship with Henry suffers from scandal and infidelity, Eleanor realizes the power she seeks won't be given willingly. She must take it for herself. But even a queen must face the consequences of treason . . .

In this dynamic second novel in her Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy, Elizabeth Chadwick brings to life a passionate royal marriage, where love and hatred are two sides of the same coin and in the attle for control the winner takes all.


What do you think? Would you continue reading?

©2008-2016 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/

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Monday, July 25

What I'm Reading - July 25, 2016

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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 also link up with Tales of a Pee Dee Mama for D.E.A.R. Monday (Drop Everything And Read).




I finished reading . . .

 Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal - an interesting but not outstanding novel in which magic is a part of the Regency world.  (Read my full review HERE)




I'm currently reading . . .
The Pharaoh's Daughter: A Treasures of the Nile Novel by Mesu Andrews - Turning more attention now to this novel about the Egyptian princess that adopted Moses.




Timebound (The Chronos Files)by Rysa Walker - just okay so far, but I'm going to keep reading for a bit longer. This isn't my usual genre, so I need to give it more time (see what I did there?) to grab my attention.


The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Elizabeth Chadwick - realized as I started reading that it's the second in a series. I can still read it as a stand-alone, but I do wish I'd noticed that before I brought the book home.


Next on the stack...
Charity's Cross (Charles Towne Belles) (Volume 4) by MaryLu Tyndall

©2008-2016 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/

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