April Bookshelf Review

Wow, April went by quickly! Mostly because I was very busy, and we were traveling on a couple of the weekends. We've been intensely focused on finding a house to buy and getting that whole process going, and many evenings were taken up by that pursuit, and one of the things that I put on the backburner as a result was reading. Even though my reading pace has been pretty slow for awhile now, it was still weird and a little embarrassing to realize that there is almost nothing to update as far as books read. 

April's Books Completed and Reviewed

Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness by Sasha Martin - Although I wound up skimming a good portion of this memoir, it was definitely a valuable read. Martin's growing up years were marked by uncertainty, upheaval, loss, and grief, but many of her good memories involved cooking and sharing food, being creative in the kitchen. So after a time in culinary school, and as a way to refocus her life as a wife and new mother, she decided to cook a meal from every country in the world, once a week. Followers of her blog Global Table Adventure will enjoy this more in-depth story of who she is and how her journey of cooking the world came to be.  (Read my review HERE)

Oracle of Philippi by Catherine Ensley (ARC) - This New Testament setting novel follows the story of a slave girl from whom the apostle Paul cast out a demon (in the book of Acts). Mynestra chooses to follow Jesus along with the believers Lydia and others, but she is still a slave so living out her newfound faith is complicated. (Review coming soon)

During April  I continued reading:

A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage are invited to an estate sale and auction of art pieces, and part of the building collapses. It turns out it wasn't entirely an accident, and they take on the investigation of who sabotaged the building and why. I did largely set this aside over the past few weeks, only dabbling in it now and then. 

Where My Books Took Me in April . . . Here's where I've traveled through the pages during the month, and where each book fits in the reading challenges I'm working on.

Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness took place mostly in the United States, but the author also lived in Europe for several years.

Oracle of Philippi is set in the New Testament time period, and takes place in the Roman colony city of Philippi, which is in modern-day Greece.

A Tarnished Canvas is set in Victorian Scotland, mostly in Edinburgh.

Coming Up in May!

These are still here on my TBR, and I picked up a few deals for my Kindle recently as well. No idea yet which of ones I'll read next.

Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Being Henry: The Fonz . . . And Beyond by Henry Winkler

 

On my blogs recently . . . 

On A Fresh Cup of Coffee:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Everyday Images posts

Hodgepodge posts

The Flower Hour - Franklin Park Conservatory

Progress and Goals 2026 (January - April)

WQ - Positive Impact

Share Four Somethings - April 2026

Five Minute Friday - Timing

Sunday Stills and Flower Hour - Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk

WQ - Overcoming Fear

Sunday Stills and Flower Hour - Crystal and Wildflowers

This post will be linked at Share Your Shelf hosted by Slices of Life and Not In Jersey.

©2008-2026 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.

Recent Reads - Life From Scratch

Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness by Sasha Martin - Sasha Martin is the food writer and blogger who became very well-known for her mission to cook a meal from every country in the world, which she shared on her blog Global Table Adventure. That project eventually introduced Martin to the world, but in this memoir she tells her own story, how her growing up years were marked by instability and uncertainty, loss and grief. She grew up with only her mom and her older brother, and were often living in poverty, but her mom was creative and resourceful, and they were happy. Sasha and her brother were eventually cycled through a series of foster homes before going to live with her mother's friends as their guardians. Though well provided for and loved, their personal struggles continued, especially when coping with the tragedy of her brother taking his own life. Many years later, after moving around Europe with the family, and returning to the USA and beginning to reconnect with her mother, Sasha was inspired to go to culinary school. (I found it fascinating that it was the movie Babette's Feast that gave her the idea. It's one of my favorite movies.) She had always enjoyed cooking with her mother and relished opportunities to get into a kitchen and experiment.

Later, Sasha met the man known as "Mr Picky"  on the blog and they married. Sasha's relationship with her mother and other family members was still complicated and often unpredictable. She renewed her love of cooking and came up with the idea to cook a meal from a different country every week, encouraging her husband to try new foods and raising their daughter to be adventurous and open to mulit-cultural experiences. Over the course of four years, Sasha researched and cooked her way around the world, blogging about it to a growing audience, and the experience helped her reconnect with family, cope with the lingering pain and questions and complicated emotions from her past, and build new friendships and bridges in her community.

I came across Global Table Adventure partway through its journey and followed with great interest. I was homeschooling my kids and wanted to try foods from other countries occasionally as part of our educational experience so the whole idea of the blog and its recipes resonated with me. It took me all these years to finally read the book and found it poignant and moving, and it renewed my appreciation for the power of sharing a meal to connect friends and family and build community. Food is much more than just functional and utilitarian, eating just to survive, but can also be an emotional, communal, and cultural experience. Sasha's journey while cooking the world is testimony to that.

From the publisher:

Witty, warm, and poignant, food blogger Sasha Martin's memoir about cooking her way to happiness and self-acceptance is a culinary journey like no other.

Over the course of 195 weeks, food writer and blogger Sash Martin set out to cook―and eat―a meal from every country in the world. As cooking unlocked the memories of her rough-and-tumble childhood and the loss and heartbreak that came with it, Martin because more determined than ever to find peace and elevate her life through the prism of food and world cultures. From the tiny, makeshift kitchen of her eccentric, creative mother, to a string of foster homes, to the house from which she launched her own cooking adventure, Martin's heartfelt, brutally honest memoir reveals the power of cooking to bond, to empower, and to heal―and celebrates the simple truth that happiness is created from within.

This is a book that spans a decade or more (#10), and has a subtitle with a comma (#15) for The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2026

This is #9 in the Connections Challenge. It shares a narrative technique with the previous book (first person with internal dialogue). (I'm continuing the connections from the 2025 challenge)

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

©2008-2026 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.

March Bookshelf Review

I meant to post this several days ago and forgot. So that's embarrassing. Also I only completed ONE book in March, and I'm having trouble understanding how that was the case, but I guess that's how March went. We had a lot going on, and I started off the month with a week's worth of jury duty, during which I don't think I read anything. The next little while looks to be pretty busy too, so I guess I'll have to lower my already ridiculously modest expectations as to how much I'll be able to read. LOL At any rate, here's the summary for the last month.

March's Books Completed and Reviewed

An Unsuitable Job by Bonnie Hardy - Josie McFarland lost her job as a Harvey Girl, but she gets a second chance as an in-house detective for the Harvey House after a salesman was found murdered in a room and Josie is tasked with finding the murderer while keeping the Harvey reputation clean.  (Read my review HERE)

During March I started reading:

Oracle of Philippi by Catherine Ensley (ARC) - This New Testament setting novel is based on the story in the book of Acts, where the apostle Paul casts a demon out of a slave girl, leading to Paul's arrest. But that's just the beginning of the story! What part might this slave girl have played in the early church in Philippi?

During March I continued reading:

Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness by Sasha Martin - I have a feeling I will wind up skimming much of this memoir of Martin's growing up and the experiences that led her to a project of cooking a meal from each of 195 different countries.

A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage are invited to an estate sale and auction of art pieces, and part of the building collapses. It turns out it wasn't entirely an accident, and they take on the investigation of who sabotaged the building and why.

During March I shelved . . . 

When the Cranes Fly South: A Novel by Liza Ridzén (translated by Alice Menzies) - I got invested in this novel quickly, but I wasn't able to get far enough before the library told me I had to return it, so it got shelved. I hope I'll remember to borrow it again and finish!

Where My Books Took Me in March . . . Here's where I've traveled through the pages during the month, and where each book fits in the reading challenges I'm working on.

An Unsuitable Job by Bonnie Hardy took place in Las Vegas, New Mexico in about 1929.

So far, Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness has taken place in United States.

A Tarnished Canvas is set in Victorian Scotland, mostly in Edinburgh.

Oracle of Philippi is set in the New Testament time period, and takes place in the Roman colony city of Philippi, which is in modern-day Greece.

Coming Up in April!

Goodness, I'm not making much progress on my TBR stack! Pretty sure I'll get to at least one of these before April is over. I sure hope so, anyway!

Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Being Henry: The Fonz . . . And Beyond by Henry Winkler

 

On my blogs recently . . . 

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

What I'm Reading - March 20, 2026

And on A Fresh Cup of Coffee:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Everyday Images posts

Hodgepodge posts

Currently . . . April 2, 2026

WQ - Simplicity

Share Four Somethings - March 2026

WQ - Perseverance

Currently . . . March 9, 2026

This post will be linked at Share Your Shelf hosted by Slices of Life and Not In Jersey.

©2008-2026 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.

What I'm Reading - March 20, 2026

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

I'm currently reading . . .

When the Cranes Fly South: A Novel by Liza Ridzén (translated by Alice Menzies) - I haven't even got very far in this novel about the experience of aging and it's already tugging at my heart strings. It's a library book, so I hope I can finish before I have to return it - I think it's still very much in demand.

A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage attend an estate sale of art, and part of the building collapses, injuring many. And there's reason to believe that the collapse may not have been an accident, so they are called upon to investigate.

Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness by Sasha Martin - If you're familiar with Sasha's blog (Global Table Adventure) about cooking a meal from every country in the world, this memoir tells about her childhood and growing up, and the experiences that led to her love of cooking and the decision to embark on that culinary world tour.

Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . . 

I have an ARC that just arrived for my review, so I will start that one straight away. Other than that, contenders for next up are:

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Being Henry: The Fonz . . . And Beyond by Henry Winkler

 

I finished reading . . . 

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews - This is a Victorian era romance, inspired by Beauty and the Beast. A notorious war hero and a shy bookish heiress agree to a marriage of convenience, but as Julia discovers more about her mysterious husband she is both intrigued and terrified. (Read my review HERE)

Lady Susan by Jane Austen - A novella told entirely using letters written between Lady Susan and members of her circle. Lady Susan is a society widow known for being manipulative and flirtatious. (Read my review HERE)

An Unsuitable Job by Bonnie Hardy - Josie gets a second chance as a Harvey House employee, this time as a detective. She's tasked with investigating when a guest is found murdered in a Harvey House, and to handle it all discreetly.  (Read my review HERE)

I've been watching . . . We've been watching hockey games, on TV and at the arena. I watched a couple episodes of Jury Duty with my husband but I didn't find it as amusing as he did, possibly because I actually was on the jury of a murder trial at the beginning of the month so everything unrealistic about the show stood out to me. I'm pretty sure we've watched some other shows and maybe even a movie or two recently, but the only one I can think of was the final Kingsmen movie - The Golden Circle or something like that. It was good, and Elton John's cameo bits in it were hilarious, but I think the other two movies in the series were better.

I've been listening to . . . my usual selection of music and podcasts.

On my blogs recently . . . 

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

February Bookshelf Review

On my main coffee break project, A Fresh Cup of Coffee:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Everyday Images posts

Hodgepodge and other Q&A Link-up posts

Five Minute Friday posts

WQ - Perseverance

Currently . . . March 9, 2026

WQ - Libraries

Share Four Somethings - February 2026

Monthly Musings - An Easier Week

WQ - Living Responsibly

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What are you reading?

This post may be linked at What's On Your Bookshelf? #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge hosted by Deb's World.

©2008-2026 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.

Recent Reads - An Unsuitable Job

An Unsuitable Job by Bonnie Hardy - Josie MacFarland is getting a second chance with the Harvey House, and in an unusual position. She was let go as a Harvey Girl, but she's been asked to return to the Castaneda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico as a Harvey House detective after a travelling salesman and regular guest was found murdered in his room. Josie hopes she'll have the chance to make things right with the friends she abandoned when she had to leave abruptly just a short time before.

The sheriff has a dangerous sort of charm, but he dismisses Josie as an unserious amateur. Josie wonders how hard he is really trying to solve the case, or if he is protecting someone else. The Harvey House matron was never a favorite of Josie's to begin with, and treats her and her friend Lily with disdain, but is there something more to her meanness? Josie has only her instincts and courage to recommend her, but she's determined to find out exactly what happened, and when Lily is falsely accused of the murder, Josie doubles down on her efforts to save her friend and get to the bottom of the whole story.

I enjoyed the setting and story, and the straightforward narrative style. It's definitely more in the cozy mystery style, and a mostly fun read, but I felt there were some holes and some places where the story was disjointed or would have benefited from more character development. We don't really find out why Josie was let go, and while it's not really necessary to the story, it's a huge part of her need to prove herself so it seems relevant. We also don't really find out why she was chosen as a house detective, other than some hints that as a woman she could blend in with the Harvey Girls and have access behind the scenes, which felt a little unsatisfactory. At a few places, the narrative jumped abruptly from one setting to another in a way that made me wonder if I'd missed a page. To be fair, this could be partially due to formatting since I was reading an ARC - a visual break in the text could easily solve this problem, and I hope that's all it was. 

One other aspect I didn't care for was that when Josie dressed as her alter ego, Joe Mack, the narrative immediately shifted the description as if she had indeed become "him" with the male pronouns. Readers can follow the story quite easily and understand that this is still Josie, just in disguise. The shift in pronouns did not land for this reader and seemed like an effort to tell a story set in 1929 with a nod to the preferred pronouns trends of the 2020s. I did like Josie's independent spirit and her spunk, and that the story doesn't rely on a romance to move the events along. The historical notes at the end were very interesting, and introduced some insights about the setting and the way Harvey House Girls, and women in general, were viewed at the time.

From the Publisher:

In 1930s New Mexico, a Harvey Girl takes on a job she was never meant to survive.

In this multiple award winning historical mystery, readers find themselves immersed in 1929 Las Vegas, New Mexico. When a man is murdered at the Castaneda Hotel, Josie MacFarland is given an impossible role: the first Harvey House Detective. Armed with only her determination, Josie faces a dismissive sheriff, the cold shoulder of old friends, and the hardships of the Great Depression.

She can either return home in disgrace―or fight to prove she belongs in a world determined to shut her out.

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book with an uneven number of chapters (#24), published in 2026 (#52) for The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2026

It's my first case in the March '26 Mini, kicking off the full Mystery Genre Challenge with Case #12 - An amateur sleuth.

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

©2008-2026 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.