What I'm Reading - December 12, 2016

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!

I finished reading . . .  didn't finish anything this week, as I've been very busy!

I'm currently reading . . .

Bees in the Butterfly Garden (The Gilded Legacy)by Maureen Lang - This is different, and I'm enjoying it. Meg wants to get involved in her late father's career - which was thieving! - against his wishes; and forms an unlikely alliance with her father's protegee, Ian, who wants to protect her.




The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen - I'm reading this for a review this month. Jane is a young widow who inherited the inn when her husband died, but has little idea how to run it, much to her mother-in-law's dismay.



From Heaven: A 28-Day Advent Devotional by A.W. Tozer - Although I didn't start this devotional 28 days before Christmas, there's a good chance I'll be able to finish on time. But even if I don't, the thoughts of this great theologian are worthwhile!

Next on the stack... 

The Christmas Bargain (A Victorian Holiday Romance) by Shanna Hatfield
She Walks in Power (Protectors of the Spear Book 1) by MaryLu Tyndall
 A Curious Beginning (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) by Deanna Raybourn - I've decided I need to re-read this one before the second volume in the series arrives. I've had it on pre-order for a long time and it is scheduled to ship in early January.
A Perilous Undertaking (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) by Deanna Raybourn - this is that second volume, and I know I'll want to start reading as soon as my copy arrives!

     

     

 On my blogs last week . . .

Here on Just A Second:

Scripture and a Snapshot - The Advent Candle of Joy
Wordless Wednesday - Mason Jar Lamp


And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Highlights - Holiday Preparations
Virtual Refrigerator - Completed Backdrop
Holiday Sweets and Treats
52 Lists #48 - To Do in December
Holiday Bookshelf


What are you 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/

Scripture and a Snapshot - The Advent Candle of Joy

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion,

"Your God reigns!"

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;

together they shout for joy.

When the LORD returns to Zion,

they will see it with their own eyes.

Burst into songs of joy together,

you ruins of Jerusalem, 

for the LORD has comforted his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The LORD will lay bare his holy arm

in the sight of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth will see

the salvation of our God.

~Isaiah 52:7-10~

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

~Luke 2:8-20~

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

Glimpses is hosted by Embracing Every Day, a lifestyle blog by Barbie Swihart.

©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/

Wordless Wednesday - Mason Jar Lamp

At Christmas Craft Breakfast last week, working on making a mason jar pendant lamp.

And the finished product. So pretty!

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

©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/

What I'm Reading - December 5, 2016

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!

I finished reading . . . 

The Reckoning (Legacy of the King's Pirates) (Volume 5) by MaryLu Tyndall - A combination of time travel and pirate romance, with all the swashbuckling adventure I expect from this author, plus a bit of a twist near the end. (Read my full review HERE.)



I'm currently reading . . .

Bees in the Butterfly Garden (The Gilded Legacy)by Maureen Lang - interesting conflicts and moral dilemmas in this historical fiction in which a young woman decides to follow in her late father's life of thieving, of all things.




The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen - just barely got started on this one for a review.

Next on the stack... 

The Christmas Bargain (A Victorian Holiday Romance) by Shanna Hatfield
She Walks in Power (Protectors of the Spear Book 1) by MaryLu Tyndall

     

 On my blogs last week . . .

Here on Just A Second:

Recent Reads - The Reckoning
Scripture and a Snapshot - The Advent Candle of Love
Bookshelf Review - November 2016
Teaser Tuesday/First Chapter First Paragraph - The Reckoning

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Highlights - It's December!
Virtual Refrigerator - Prep Work
52 Lists #47 - Favorite Movies
Counting Holiday School Days on The Homeschool Post
From the High School Lesson Book - Considering Co-ops


What are you 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/

Recent Reads - The Reckoning

This post contains affiliate links. 

The Reckoning (Legacy of the King's Pirates) (Volume 5) by MaryLu Tyndall - I am a sucker for a good pirate novel, and Tyndall delivers consistently with fantastic adventures filled with swashbuckling pirate heroes and a romantic storyline. This particular story is a little different from the previous tales in the King's Pirate series, because it is not set entirely in the 17th century when pirates ruled the seas, but combines a period pirate tale with a modern time traveler as the heroine.

Morgan Shaw considers herself a bit of a nerd and a definite rule-follower. She has OCD and anxiety, and now on top of that, she recently found out she has cancer. Her mother is a nervous wreck, and her father is distant and solves problems by throwing money at them, so Morgan expects little support from them. Her boyfriend breaks up with her when she tells him about the cancer, and so to avoid running into him again at the tall ships festival they are attending, she ducks into a small room on the replica pirate ship. But moments later, her surroundings have changed dramatically - she's still on a pirate ship, but now everyone is in period costume and acting like they are on the set of a pirate movie. Which makes sense if Morgan's father has orchestrated some grand adventure to take Morgan's mind off her cancer - and she is convinced that is what's happened. The pirate captain must be an actor paid by her father to romance her, right? Yet, she finds that she trusts him and feels safe with him.

Rowan Dutton has been successful as a pirate, but craves one big prize - big enough to repay his sister what he owes and to make up for his past mistakes and neglect of her. To his surprise, a young woman in very strange clothes and with even stranger speech mysteriously appears on his ship and interrupts some of his plans. He and the crew are convinced the young woman is completely mad, and yet Rowan goes out of his way to protect her and rescue her from several dangerous predicaments. He's determined to get her safely to Charles Town and then be done with her, but as time goes on, he realizes that she won't be safe there either. Despite her odd behavior and her claims of being afraid, he sees great courage in her and is drawn to her.

Eventually Morgan does realize the unlikely truth that she has somehow traveled back in time, but through all the adventures she's shared with Rowan and a few godly people who genuinely care for her and demonstrate real faith, does she really want to go back? Would she go back if she had the opportunity, or would she rather stay with a man she's come to love?

This one had even more fantasy and belief-suspending moments thanks to the time-travel aspect, but the conflict and tension created by a modern woman being dumped into a 17th century pirate ship was entertaining. The ending took a bit of a twist, and held a couple of surprises for me before twisting back more in the direction that I was hoping for. No spoilers here, so you'll need to read it if you want to know how it ends!

By the same author: Charity's Cross, Tears of the Sea, Elusive Hope, The Ransom, Forsaken Dreams, Veil of Pearls, Surrender the Dawn, Surrender the Night, Surrender the Heart, The Falcon and the Sparrow, Charles Towne Belle Series (The Red Siren, The Blue Enchantress, The Raven Saint), The Legacy of the King's Pirates series (The Redemption, The Reliance, The Restitution)

©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/

Scripture and a Snapshot - The Advent Candle of Love

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, 

and they will call him 'Immanuel'

(which means 'God with us')." 

~Matthew 1:20-23~

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light sines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father; full of grace and truth.

~John 1:1-5, 14~

Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing
O come let us adore Him!

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

Glimpses is hosted by Embracing Every Day, a lifestyle blog by Barbie Swihart.

©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/

Bookshelf Review - November 2016

This post contains affiliate links.

I meant to get this posted yesterday and time got away from me. Which has been happening a lot this week, and I suspect will continue to happen for the whole of December.

November's Books Completed and Reviewed

Swept Away (Trouble in Texas) (Volume 1) by Mary Connealy - Enjoyed this humorous Western romance in which Luke Stone needs to win back his ranch from the man who stole it. Luke has help from his Civil War buddies and from a young woman he rescued from drowning. (Read my full review HERE.)

That torment had fed the trouble between him and Pa until Luke had to leave the ranch. But Pa was dead now and the S Bar S Ranch stolen, his sister driven from their home. It couldn't be allowed to stand, not in the United States of America. Not in the land Luke had fought to preserve.

Shadow of the Storm (Out From Egypt)by Connilyn Cossette - The second in a series, this novel is about a young Hebrew woman facing the pain of her past and learning to trust God and love again. The setting is the foot of Mt. Sinai after the Exodus. (Read my full review HERE.)

Ayal's revelations shone a light on my own secrets, and I knew that I could not hold the most important one in any longer. No matter what my mother said. I inhaled, savoring the last breath before I laid everything before him.

During November I started reading:

The Tea Planter's Wife: A Novel by Dinah Jefferies - I'm plugging away at this novel about a young bride trying to adjust to life on her husband's tea plantation in Ceylon, as she realizes there are some disturbing secrets in his past.

With her worries over Laurence thwarting any attempt to sleep, and feeling she'd probably stay awake all night, Gwen lay on her back with her eyes wide open. He must have his reasons, she thought, but surely nothing that would explain that strange look in his eyes?

The Reckoning (Legacy of the King's Pirates) (Volume 5) by MaryLu Tyndall - In this one, a young woman finds herself transported back in time about 300 years, and onto the ship of a notorious pirate.

"I've seen stranger things on these seas."  "Stranger than a woman transported here from 2015?" His eyes widened and he whistled. "2015! I didna think the world would last tha' long. Things must've changed a great deal."

Bees in the Butterfly Garden (The Gilded Legacy)by Maureen Lang - Very curious to see how this one plays out - Meg Davenport has been raised in an exclusive boarding school and never knew her father. After his death, she discovers that he was actually a thief, and for some reason decides she'll follow in his footsteps, to the chagrin of her father's protege, Ian.

Meg almost felt sorry for Ian, seeing his genuine dismay over her decision to pursue the way of life that was so obviously her only choice. She hadn't expected him to resist so vehemently; after all, she was only validating his own choices by offering to join his ranks. What could he find wrong in that?

Coming Up in December!

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen
The Christmas Bargain (A Victorian Holiday Romance) by Shanna Hatfield

  

This post will be linked at 5 Minutes For Books - What's On Your Nightstand? November 29
and at The Book Date - Month In Review - November 2016.

©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/