Thursday, October 2

September Bookshelf Review


I thought this might have shaped up to be a productive time period for my reading, but I didn't get much further than usual. The books I read were ever so enjoyable though!

September's Books Completed and Reviewed

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber - Verity's Tante Ilse from Germany shows up in England, and may be in danger, related to Verity's contact with her during the war. Has an enemy followed them, and who was the mysterious 'second deserter' Tante Ilse mentions? There's a lot of family tension in this one as Sidney and Verity go back to her home and reconnect with her parents and siblings. (Read my review HERE)

 


Food For Thought: Essays and Ruminations by Alton Brown - Loved this collection of essays from one of my favorite Food Network stars, with his thoughts on food, cooking, culture, and more. (Read my review HERE)



During September I continued reading:

Before Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Brittany Fichter - Truthfully, I just finished this charming version of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, which follows the traditional storyline but with interesting new twists on the magic and meaning. Review coming very soon!



The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl - a year's worth of observations about nature and the passing of time as observed from the vantage point of the author's backyard.



Where My Books Took Me in September . . . Here's where I've traveled through the pages during the month, along with One Word to sum up the ones I finished.

Murder Most Fair has been located in Great Britain, mostly in Yorkshire.
One Word: Prejudices

Food For Thought: Essays and Ruminations is a collection of essays so it doesn't take place in a specific location, and the essays reference many different places.
One Word: Personality

Before Beauty is set in a fictional fairytale kingdom called Destin.
One Word: Purpose

The backyard referenced in The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year is in Tennessee.


Coming Up in October!

At this moment, I have only one book I'm actually working on, and I'm not sure yet which of the several on my nightstand stack, or the dozens in my Kindle library I'll read next. The Elizabeth Camden book is waiting for me at the library, so that is definitely next. Don't hold me to it, but right now I'm leaning towards the next Verity Kent to be the selected read from my stack.

While the City Sleeps - Elizabeth Camden
A Certain Darkness - Anna Lee Huber

  


On my blogs recently . . . 

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:



On my 'first cup' blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:



And on A Fresh Cup of Coffee:



This post will be linked at Share Your Shelf hosted by Slices of Life.




©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

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


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Recent Reads - Food For Thought: Essays and Ruminations



Food For Thought: Essays and Ruminations by Alton Brown - This collection of essays by a Food Network star caught my eye as I was picking up another item from the library and I took a chance on it. We used to watch Alton Brown's show Good Eats regularly, and were always entertained by it, and almost always learned something too. I don't watch cooking shows often, but on the occasions when we turned on Cutthroat Kitchen, it was Brown as the host that I most enjoyed. Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to read some of his thoughts on food and life, and I was not disappointed.

Food and cooking features prominently in the collection of essays, as one would expect. Brown talks about experiences with food and cooking that were especially influential in his life and how his career took shape. His reminisces of his childhood were nostalgic, poignant, yet so humorous, and all featured food in some way. He discusses his education and career, and how he made the leap from directing TV commercials to entering culinary school and then launching his signature show Good Eats. 

It's not just a commentary on food and cooking, however. Brown shares thoughts on movies, fashion, travel, education, and more. I enjoyed the wit and the honesty, and especially enjoyed finding out that Brown shares views of family and culture that are down-to-earth, and it's no surprise that he views the kitchen, the table, and the sharing of meals to be central to healthy relationships and living well.


From the publisher:

This instant New York Times bestseller by Alton Brown, the acclaimed cookbook author, beloved culinary personality, and food science expert, is a "must-read" (Gaby Dalkin, New York Times bestselling author of What's Gaby Cooking) debut collection of food essays, cooking tips, kitchen stories, and behind-the-scenes insights, all infused with his signature wit and flair.

From cameraman to chef, musician to food scientist, Alton Brown has had a diverse and remarkable career. His work on the Food Network, including creating Good Eats and hosting Iron Chef America and Cutthroat Kitchen, has resonated with countless viewers and home cooks. Now, he shares exactly what's on his mind, mixing compelling anecdotes from his personal and professional life with in-depth observations on the culinary world, film, personal style, defining meals of his lifetime, and much more.

With his whip-smart and engaging voice, Brown explores everything from wrestling a dumpster full of dough to culinary appropriation to his ultimate quest for the perfect roast chicken. Deliciously candid and full of behind-the-scenes stories fans will love, this "fabulous read" (Michael Ruhlman, New York Times bestselling author of The Soul of a Chef) is the ultimate reading experience for anyone who appreciates food and the people who prepare it.

This is a book with a celebrity on the cover (#44) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025




This is #6 in the Connections Challenge. It has a similar title font to the previous book.



This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

bookworms monthly linky

©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 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.
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Friday, September 19

Recent Reads - Murder Most Fair



Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber - After wrappng up their last investigation, Verity and Sidney are enjoying a bit of a holiday and time to relax. But when Verity's Great-Aunt Ilse shows up on their doorstep, they have to confront the possibility that wartime enemies may still pose a threat. During the war, Tante Ilse lived in Germany and one of Verity's missions involved her, but now Tante Ilse claims a 'second deserter' had come to her home and that there had been threats made against her and her maid. They've come to England to escape the threats, but it seems to Verity and Sidney that the threats may have followed.

They all go to Verity's family home in Yorkshire, but some of their longtime neighbors are antagonistic and mistrustful of Germans and even of Verity. To make matters worse, Verity and Tante Ilse both think they've seen a familiar face and Tante Ilse says it is that mysterious 'second deserter'. As Verity and Sidney reach out to some contacts for more information, they must also continue to keep Verity's wartime service a secret from her family, and Verity fears Tante Ilse's memory is going. Then Ilse's maid is murdered, and it is up to Verity and Sidney to find the murderer before the people of the town take matters into their own hands in a vindictive search for a stranger that they claim is German. 

In addition to the mystery and worries for Tante Ilse that are on Verity's mind, this is her first visit back to the family home in five years . . . since early in the war when her brother was killed in action. Verity has avoided the memories and grief and emotion, and her fraught relationship with her mother, and now she can't put off facing it all any longer.


From the publisher:

All is far from quiet on the home front in USA Today bestselling author Anna Lee Huber's captivating mystery series, in which former Secret Service agent Verity Kent receives a visitor - who is being trailed by a killer . . .

November 1919. A relaxing few weeks by the seaside with her husband, Sidney, could almost convince Verity Kent that life has returned to the pleasant rhythm of pre-war days. Then Verity's beloved Great-Aunt Ilse lands on their doorstep. After years in war-ravaged Germany, Ilse has returned to England to repair her fragile health―and to escape trouble. Someone has been sending her anonymous threats, and Verity's Secret Service contacts can only provide unsettling answers.

Even deep in the Yorkshire Dales, where she joins Verity's family for the holidays, Ilse encounters difficulties. Normally peaceful neighbors are hostile, seeking someone to blame for the losses they've endured. When Ilse's maid is found dead, Verity must uncover whether this is anti-German sentiment taken to murderous lengths, or whether there is a more personal motive at work. Could Verity's shadowy nemesis, Lord Ardmore, be involved? And if so, how much closer to home will the blow land when he inevitably strikes again?

By the same author: The Anatomist's Wife, Mortal Arts; A Grave Matter, A Study in Death, A Pressing Engagement, This Side of Murder, As Death Draws Near, A Brush With Shadows, Treacherous Is The Night, An Artless Demise, Secrets in the Mist, Penny for Your Secrets, A Stroke of Malice, A Pretty Deceit, A Wicked Conceit, A Perilous Perspective, A Fatal Illusion, Sisters of Fortune, A Deceptive Composition


This is a book about  title with letter M (#) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025



This is #5 in the Connections Challenge. It is within 30 pages in length, compared to the previous book.


This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.
#histficreadingchallenge

bookworms monthly linky


©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 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.
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Thursday, September 18

What I'm Reading - September 18, 2025


Here's a quick update on what I've been reading and watching lately. 

I'm currently reading . . .

Food For Thought: Essays and Ruminations by Alton Brown - I'm having a great time reading this collection of essays that is humorous and thought-provoking, and often both at the same time.




Before Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Brittany Fichter - In this retelling of the classic fairy tale, Prince Everard had a somewhat lonely childhood, but learned much about leadership and preserving his kingdom from his father. As Ever becomes king, he struggles with his mastery of the magic that sustains the castle.



The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year - Margaret Renkl - A lyrical journal reflecting on the changes in the author's life, seen in relationship to the changes in her backyard.



Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . . 

When I stopped at the library a couple weeks ago to pick up The Comfort of Crows, I also spotted the Alton Brown book and couldn't resist. So I'm once again reading more books at once than is really practical. So I'm really not sure what's next. I've got a couple of Anna Lee Huber books on the nightstand, along with the sequel to Killers Of A Certain Age and several other books. Plus a Kindle loaded full of books. One of those options will catch my eye soon.

I finished reading . . . 

No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig - Cara Hamilton arrives in New York City hoping to find her twin brother, but the only communication she has had from him included a cryptic warning not to trust anyone. Would that include the only friend she believes she has, Rourke Walsh? (Read my review HERE)






Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber - Verity's elderly aunt from Germany seeks refuge with Verity and Sidney after being in some danger in her homeland, and Verity wonders about some curious coincidences and connections.When the aunt's German maid is killed, Sidney and Verity investigate, because they fear that the anti-German sentiment after the war will get in the way of true justice. (Read my review HERE)





I've been watching . . . 

It's strange to me that I don't remember what movie we watched a couple weeks ago, but I didn't note it at the time and I'm drawing a blank now. What I do remember is that the new season of Only Murders in the Building is finally here, and we devoured the first two episodes last week. We also watched Kingsman: The Secret Service one evening, and my husband found a documentary type show about the last Frank Lloyd Wright designed house and how it was built. 

I've been listening to . . .

Most recently, the new Twenty One Pilots album "Breach" has been my musical choice, along with the eclectic music playlists I have on Spotify. I regularly listen to a selection of podcasts including political commentary, Grammar Girl, The Bible Project, and The Bible Book Club. I'm disappointed that the Only Murders podcast doesn't appear to be available for the new season of the show.

An on my "first cup blog", Homeschool Coffee Break:



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

What are you reading?


This post may be linked at What's On Your Bookshelf? #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge hosted by Deb's World, and/or at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date.

 It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 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.
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Sunday, August 31

August Bookshelf Review



August's Books Completed and Reviewed


Village Books by Craig McLay - novel that reads like a memoir, with the narrator being the assistant manager of this eclectic bookshop in Toronto. The narrator and a new employee get into a relationship, and there are lots of weird and wonderful interactions with the other employees. (Read my review HERE)



No Safe Harbor - Elizabeth Ludwig - Cara Hamilton comes to 1896 New York City from Ireland to find her twin brother, but has been warned not to trust anyone. Rourke is one of her only friends, but should she trust him or continue to search for Eoghan alone? (Read my review HERE)

 


During August I started reading:

Before Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Brittany Fichter - I started, and sort of paused, on this fairytale retelling. 



The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl - a year's worth of observations about nature and the passing of time as observed from the vantage point of the author's backyard.



Food For Thought: Essays and Ruminations by Alton Brown - humourous yet thought-provoking essays on Brown's relationships with food and family



During August I continued reading:

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber - Verity's Tante Ilse from Germany shows up in England, and may be in danger, related to Verity's contact with her during the war. Has an enemy followed them, and who was the mysterious 'second deserter' Tante Ilse mentions? There's a lot of family tension in this one as Sidney and Verity go back to her home and reconnect with her parents and siblings.



Where My Books Took Me in August . . . Here's where I've traveled through the pages during the month, along with One Word to sum up the ones I finished.

Village Books is set in Toronto, Canada.
One Word: Maturing

No Safe Harbor is set in New York City.
One Word: Secrets

Murder Most Fair has been located in Great Britain, but it's possible it will move elsewhere before the mystery is solved.
Before Beauty is set in a fictional fairytale kingdom.
The backyard referenced in The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year is in Tennessee.
Food For Thought: Essays and Ruminations is a collection of essays so it doesn't take place in a specific location, and the essays reference many different places.


Coming Up in September!

As I'm currently in the middle of, or just starting several books, I haven't given much thought to what will be next. I'm hoping I don't have to shelve anything in order to make sure I'm keeping up!


On my blogs recently . . . 

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:



On my 'first cup' blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:


And on A Fresh Cup of Coffee:



This post will be linked at Share Your Shelf hosted by Slices of Life.




©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

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


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Thursday, August 28

Recent Reads - No Safe Harbor


No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig - Cara Hamilton leaves Ireland and arrives in New York hoping to find the twin brother she'd thought dead. Eoghan's only communication with her was a few lines of a letter and he warned her not to trust anyone, so she is very guarded with what she shares. A kind stranger points her to a boarding house and she meets a fellow Irishman named Rourke who seems trustworthy and like a good friend to her. But she heeds her brother's warning and lets everyone believe she has no living relations. For now.

Rourke and his family have been looking for Eoghan Hamilton in order to take revenge, and Rourke senses that Cara must be a sister to the man he seeks. If he can get information from her, he can get to Eoghan, but he is finding it difficult to stomach seeing Cara come to any harm and his loyalties and instincts are torn.

Cara discovers that she may have an enemy within the boarding house, and realizes that whoever is hunting Eoghan probably wishes her harm as well. Her questions may be leading her to her brother, but is she also leading an enemy closer to him at the same time? She wrestles with whether to trust and believe Rourke, just as he is wrestling with his growing feelings for Cara and growing discomfort with the path of revenge he's on.

I really enjoyed this story and the suspense throughout. Cara's desperation to find her brother made her over-cautious to share information at times, and led her to make some reckless choices in her search, but both made sense in context. She and Rourke are both very likeable characters, even as Rourke's motives fluctuate and he seems to waffle between wanting vengeance for his father's death and wanting to live in an honorable way that would have made his father proud. Even Eoghan's character is in question at times, which adds to Cara's tension. The ending isn't quite what I expected, and did set up a sequel (it is Book One of a series, after all), but I was satisfied that it didn't leave too many loose ends that it shouldn't have.


From the publisher:

Lured by a handful of scribbled words across a faded letter, Cara Hamilton sets off from 1896 Ireland on a quest to find the brother she'd thought dead. Her search lands her in America, amidst a houseful of strangers and one man who claims to be a friend―Rourke Walsh.

Despite her brother's warning, Cara decides to trust Rourke and reveals the truth about her purpose in America. But he is not who he claims to be, and as rumors begin to circulate about an underground group of dangerous revolutionaries, Cara's desperation grows. Her questions lead her ever closer to her brother, but they also bring her closer to destruction as Rourke's true intentions come to light.


This is a book featuring a found family trope (#22) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025



This is fourth in The 52 Book Club's Connections Challenge. It was published in the same year as the previous book, 2012.



This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.
#histficreadingchallenge

bookworms monthly linky


©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

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