Saturday, March 22

What I'm Reading - March 22, 2025



March is slipping by much more quickly than I'd expected, and my schedule has been full. I've been trying (albeit unsuccessfully many days) to go to bed a bit earlier, which means that the only reading time I have most days is my lunch break at work. So unfortunately, that means it takes longer to finish books. Nevertheless, here's what I've been working on:

I'm currently reading . . .

A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage are in Cornwall with Gage's extended family, who suspect the patriarch may have been murdered. The manner of death seems quite suspicious to them, but it's too late to do a post mortem and they meet with opposition from almost everyone.



The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews - Just started this one yesterday, so I'm not even through the first chapter! However, Matthews never disappoints so I'm looking forward to getting acquainted with these characters. 




Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means, MD with Calley Means - Despite my very slow pace, I'm learning valuable information from this book, but I'm unsure at this point how much will be practical for me to implement.



Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . . 

This one is still considered next on the stack, but I don't think I'll be doing much reading until next month!

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn



I finished reading . . . 

Frauds On Favourite by PJ Fitzsimmons - After reading and enjoying the first in this series, I was happy to review the second as well, and it was an obvious choice for the "pun in the title" prompt in the 52 Book Club Challenge. The title character is a lighthearted flapper, but she does enjoy doing a little investigating, and in this caper she and her friend Stilts are figuring out what exactly is going on with some questionable betting and results in unsanctioned horse races.  (Read my review HERE)





The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa - I was prompted to read this for the 52 Book Club Lunar New Year mini-challenge, because it is by an Asian author.Plus it's been on my TBR for a long time. It's a collection of seven stories that each highlight how beloved cats find an indispensable place in families and become devoted to their owners.  (Read my review HERE)







I've been watching . . . 

I've watched a few hockey games on TV, but sort as I'm doing something else. We did go to the Stadium Series outdoor game on March 1st, and went to another Blue Jackets game last week.

We finished watching Only Murders in the Building, which I loved, and are now waiting for a new season of this series. 

I finally watched Inside Out 2 with hubby a couple weeks ago, and when the kids were here the first weekend of the month, we watched some of my granddaughter's favorites with her. Some Bluey episodes, which I find very entertaining, and the Disney movies A Bug's Life and Moana. 

I've been listening to . . .

After finishing Only Murders in the Building, I finished up listening to the podcast, as well. I continued following all my favorite podcasts, including The Bible Book Club, The Bible Project, and the political commentary podcasts. My favorite, Dan Bongino, has stepped away from the podcast as he is now the Deputy Direcctor of the FBI, but I'm enjoying being reintroduced to the host who is taking over the time slot. I occasionally heard Vince on the radio when we lived in Maryland, and he's doing a great job with the podcast now. I do follow most of these on Rumble, which is technically video, but I listen more than I view, if that makes sense. 

For music, I listen to RadioU as always, and I listened to a lot of David Crowder recently, since hubby and I went to a TobyMac/Crowder concert last weekend.

My "first cup blog", Homeschool Coffee Break, is mostly idle these days, unfortunately.

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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, 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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Thursday, March 20

Recent Reads - The Goodbye Cat



The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa - I really enjoyed The Travelling Cat Chronicles by this author, so I was confident I'd enjoy this volume as well, but it took me forever to get started. It's actually a collection of seven short stories. The title character is the first one, and it's from the perspective of a cat who grows up with the younger son in the family and wants to find a way to become a spirit cat so he can stay with him always. 

In the second story, a young wife returns home from her parents' with her newborn and is surprised to find out that her husband has rescued a kitten and has been taking care of it. He is well-known for his indecisiveness, disorganization, and being just generally absent-minded and irresponsible, but took the responsibility of caring for Spin seriously, which spurred him to prepare and care for their baby remarkably well. This was also a very sweet and heartwarming story. 

Good Father/Bad Father and Cat Island were good stories, but did grab hold of me in the same way. The father seems to be a non-emotional and distant character, and yet the family is surprised that the family cat has an unwavering devotion to him that they cannot figure out. Cat Island is more about the family than the cats that live on the island, but it's in observing his father interact with the cats and hearing stories about how his father and stepmother met that a young boy learns some perspective in his relationships. There is a little bit of a surprise ending to this one. 

My favorites were the last two stories. In Finding Hachi, a kitten is taken in by a young boy and grows very attached to him, but when tragedy strikes the boy must take Hachi to live with relatives. As the cat Hachi grows older, his original owner Satoru and his new owner blur in his mind, but it's a bittersweet story of the faithful devotion of this sweet cat. Life Is Not Always Kind is something of a follow-up to Finding Hachi, and it is also an introduction to Nana, who is the title character in The Travelling Cat Chronicles. The boy Satoru is all grown up and this short story dovetails into his journey with his cat Nana, with some reminiscing about his first cat Hachi. Satoru is trying to find someone that Nana can live with but Nana is determined not to leave Satoru. Bittersweet and very touching, especially if one has already read The Travelling Cat Chronicles. 


From the publisher:

In the much-anticipated follow-up to the bestselling and beloved The Travelling Cat Chronicles, seven cats weave their way through their owners' lives, climbing, comforting, nestling, and sometimes just tripping everyone up in this uplifting collection of tales by international bestselling author Hiro Arikawa.

Against the backdrop of changing seasons in Japan, we meet Spin, a kitten rescued from the recycling bin, whose playful nature and simple needs teach an anxious father how to parent his own human baby; a colony of wild cats on a popular holiday island show a young boy not to stand in nature's way; a family is perplexed by their cat's undying devotion to their charismatic but uncaring father; a woman curses how her cat will not stop visiting her at night; and an elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next world as a spirit so that he and his owner may be in each other's lives forever.

Bursting with love and warmth, The Goodbye Cat exquisitely explores the cycle of life, from birth to death―as each of the seven stories explores how, in different ways, the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat never lets us down. A huge bestseller in Japan, this magical book is a joyous celebration of the wondrousness of cats and why we choose to share our lives with them.

By the same author: The Travelling Cat Chronicles

This is a book with a final sentence less than six words long (#36) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge. It also features a wise character and is by an Asian author, for the Lunar New Year Mini-Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025




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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Thursday, March 6

February Bookshelf Review


I'm keeping this short like the month of February, plus there's not much to update! 

February's Books Completed and Reviewed

Frauds On Favourite by PJ Fitzsimmons - Actually finished right at the beginning of March, but I need to put something here in the completed section! This Teddy Quillfeather cozy was a brisk and witty investigation of race fixing and betting in an effort to save her uncle from being banned from horse racing. (Read my review HERE)




During February I continued reading:

The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa - I've been reading through this collection of cat stories from Japan, and am charmed by each of the clever cats I've met. I'd hoped to finish the book in February, but had the review to concentrate on.



During February I shelved . . . 

I had to temporarily put these two on the backburner so I could concentrate on the review, and The Goodbye Cat was second on my priority list.

A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber 
Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means, MD with Calley Means




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

Frauds On Favourite is set in the fictional village of Middleditch in England.
One Word: animated

The Goodbye Cat stories are all set in Japan.


Coming Up in March!

Working on the 2025 Reading Challenges is informing my next few choices, although with what I'm working on now, it doesn't look like I'll have time to pick up anything new for awhile. The online book club will be reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, which is a favorite of mine, but I doubt I'll have time. This book is still top of my TBR stack so it will likely be the next new one I open.

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn



On my blogs recently . . . 

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



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 - Frauds on Favourite



Frauds On Favourite by PJ Fitzsimmons - Teddy Quillfeather is back in another lighthearted caper in which she must investigate just about everyone involved in Middleditch horse racing in an effort to protect her uncle's stable from being banned. Some questionable betting and results in recent races led to questions about race fixing and possible conspiracies. Teddy and her friend Stilts see that there are some very dodgy and unlikely odds and outcomes, and Uncle Markham's explanation for his horse's sudden improvement on the track is completely unbelievable to everyone but himself.

Teddy is brilliantly observant and practical, but her bright wit and unserious demeanor allows her to question suspects, make everyone her ally, glean information, and cleverly resolve situations. In short, she is a truly unflappable flapper. The characters are all delightfully ridiculous and even the 'villains' have a sense of fair play and good humour. Even the young racehorse Spoons is a point of view character in some sections. Both narrative and dialogue are fast-paced and full of wit, puns, clever alliterations, and comedic turns of phrase. Descriptions of characters and actions made me feel like I was watching a hilarious but sophisticated cartoon. 

With stable owners, bookmakers, jockeys, tea ladies, touts, leg men, the vicar, the butler, and others involved in the story, the narrative was a challenge to keep track of in some places, especially when there was a lot of racing or betting lingo, but the story fit together for me. There were several mysteries or conspiracies to be unraveled ― whether the races are being fixed in the first place, who is giving the incredible betting tips, who the potential swindlers or conspirators were, and how it benefitted those involved ― but the solutions were surprisingly simple when all was revealed. Another clever cozy that I truly enjoyed. 


From the publisher:

Fun-loving, fast-talking, fraud-flipping flapper Teddy Quillfeather is off to the races in this multi-layerd multiplier mystery of dark horses and sharp courses, dodgy jockeys, unstable stables, impossible odds, crooked bookies, and a track-wide conspiracy to deny the punter an even chance. That's more than enough to invite a counter-swindle from Teddy, but when the family paddock is implicated in race-fixing, she does what she does best when the odds go against her ― she raises the stakes.

When Teddy's dotty uncle's eccentric efforts to encourage his horses to faster finishes results in a steward's inquiry that could get the entire stable ― and Teddy ― banned from racing for life, she steps in to prove him innocent against all charges and against tall odds, only made longer by Uncle Markham's vexing habit of confessing.

Further complicating the conspiracy is a series of seemingly random disqualifications, a mysterious little old lady with the unerring ability to pick winners, a spy in the stable, and a vast cast of jockeys, bookies, leg men, touts, and a forgetful racehorse named Spoons.

To save the family paddock, a beloved horse, and the wagered fortunes of family and friends, Teddy must race unknowable and uncountable swindlers and cheats to the finish in her fastest-paced fiddle yet.

Like all of Teddy's titles, Frauds on Favourite is a clean and clever cozy in the canon of Quillfeather and Boisjoly, and will appeal most to those who like a little comedy in their crime.

By the same author: Hardy Haul at Hardy Hall

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

Featured Book Reviewer


This is a book with a pun in the title (#1) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025




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, February 20

What I'm Reading - February 20, 2025


As I'm putting together this little summary it is so very cold again! I had kind of thought the worst of winter was over, but another cold front has moved in and settled for the rest of this week. Monday morning we woke up to find that the power had gone out, which made getting ready for work a little bit of a challenge. We opted to wait a little bit for it to come on which meant sitting in our comfy chairs by the fireplace, wrapped in blankets, and doing a little bit of reading (on our e-readers!). I only got through about half of a chapter before the lights came on and I had to get back to the morning routine, but I thought all day about how nice it was to start the day that way. Not without power, but with a cozy bit of side-by-side reading. Another thing to look forward to when it comes to retirement!

I'm currently reading . . .

Frauds On Favourite by PJ Fitzsimmons - I really hadn't intended to add yet another book to my stack until I was finished at least two of the ones I was working on, but I was invited to this review and had really enjoyed the first in the series, so here we go! It's also an obvious choice for the "pun in the title" prompt in the 52 Book Club Challenge. The title character is a lighthearted flapper, but she does enjoy doing a little investigating, and in this caper she and her friend Stilts are figuring out what exactly is going on with some questionable betting and results in unsanctioned horse races. 



The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa - I decided to start this one at the beginning of the month, in response to the 52 Book Club Lunar New Year mini-challenge, because it is by an Asian author. It's also been hovering near the top of my TBR for a long time. It's a collection of seven stories and I'm still on the first one, about a rescued cat named Kota and how he views his place and role in his family.




Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means, MD with Calley Means - I'm still plugging away at this non-fiction read, and trying to learn as much as possible. I plan to count this for the "wise character" in the Lunar New Year Mini-Challenge.



A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage are in Cornwall with Gage's extended family, who suspect the patriarch may have been murdered. 



Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . . 

I'm not likely to be able to pick up something new very soon, but this is the one I'm thinking will be next. Things might change before I'm ready to open a new story, but this has been near the top of my stack for a long time.

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn



I finished reading . . . 

Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar - This historical novel combined romance and a little intrigue with historical and Biblical background. Sarah, a Jew, and her Persian husband Darius travel to Jerusalem along with her cousin Nehemiah, who is rebuilding the city walls. It follows the characters introduced in Harvest of Rubies, but in my opinion it can be read as a standalone. (Read my review HERE)




Mountain Interval by Robert Frost - I read this collection of Frost's poetry for an online book club in January . . . and then forgot to participate in the discussion! I enjoyed the poems though. (Read my review HERE)




I've been watching . . . 

I've watched a few hockey games on TV recently, but not a lot. Of course we watched the USA vs Canada game in the 4 Nations Face-Off last week, and it was such a good game! Although we weren't particularly fond of the outcome. We may be proud to be American, but we're Canadians by birth and always cheer for our homeland when it comes to hockey.

The only other sports I've paid attention to is the SuperBowl. It's literally the only NFL game I pay attention to, and for me it's more about the gameday drama and the commercials than any allegiance to either team. 

I'm a little late to the party, but I've been watching Only Murders in the Building, and am just about caught up. My husband started watching much earlier so he's been rewatching the previous seasons with me. I also found a podcast that follows and discusses the show, so I've been listening to that as I finish each episode.

I've been listening to . . .

Listening to the Only Murders podcast, as I mentioned. I have quite a few podcasts that I follow and listen to regularly, including The Bible Book Club, Relatable, and a number of political commentary podcasts. Although I tend to watch those ones on Rumble, so should I have included them in the "watching" category? 

I also listen to The Bible Project podcast, which is one of my very favorites.

For music, I listen to RadioU, and I've been listening to an eclectic mix on my Spotify lately. Twenty One Pilots is currently my most-played artist, but there's a lot of classic rock on the playlist as well.



My "first cup blog", Homeschool Coffee Break, is mostly idle these days, but I did add one post over the past month:



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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, 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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Friday, January 31

Recent Reads - Mountain Interval


Mountain Interval by Robert Frost - Of course we know Robert Frost's famous poem "The Road Not Taken" but I was not really familiar with his other works, so this collection of poems chosen by an online book club group was a good way to start off the reading year. Most of the works in this collection are short stories of life in small town and rural New Hampshire where Frost lived. The descriptions and stories are homey and often bittersweet or nostalgic. Some are tragic, such as "Out, Out--" and "The Hill Wife" while others are more contemplative. For example, "The Exposed Nest" and "The Sound of the Trees" were observations of nature and how humans interacted or reflected on the natural world. "Snow" was a longer poetic story that took a simple winter event and explored the hidden thoughts and feelings of the characters as they made decisions about whether to journey home through bad weather or wait it out, or whether being hospitable was better than urging a man home to his family. I especially liked "In The Home Stretch" which depicted a couple settling into a new home in the country and trying to fit into new surroundings. It was both wistful and hopeful as the couple braved the uncertainties they felt in their first day in the house.

From the back cover:

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood." These words, from "The Road Not Taken," form arguably the most famous single line in all American poetry. Taking as his theme the fine line between will and fate, Frost opens his third collection, Mountain Interval, with an undeniable masterpiece, setting the stage for the poems to come, for their attentive and plainspoken music.

This is a genre chosen for me by someone else (#37) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025



©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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