Monthly Bookshelf Review - August 2021

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August has been busy with vacations, job and schedule changes, and just life in general. I didn't make as much time for reading as I would have liked, but enjoyed the time I spent with some good books.

August's Books Completed and Reviewed

A Study in Death by Anna Lee Huber  - I'm finally almost caught up with the Lady Darby Read-Along group on Facebook. In this one Kiera suspects foul play in the death of her portrait subject, so she and Gage investigate.  (Read my full review HERE)

The Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood - A Victorian era mystery in Gothic novel style. Vaughan Springthorpe has been hired to prepare the legal papers for the sale of the crumbling estate of Morton Abbey, but someone among the few residents is acting against her. (Read my full review HERE)

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict - Thoroughly enjoyed this insightful novelized biography of Hedy Lamarr. (Read my full review HERE)

During August I started reading:

Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel - Devyn is the wedding coordinator for a 100-year-old steamboat. Her preparations for a huge event are interrupted when Chase shows up looking for information about a photograph of a young woman who once worked on the same steamboat.

The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene DuBois - a whimsical tale of a professor who crash landed his balloon on the island of Krakatoa and was surprised to find it was inhabited.

Holes by Louis Sachar and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien - I've been trying to skim through these quickly for my Online Book Club, as I'm familiar with both, but have been running out of time to read!

   

During August I continued reading:

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell - I've had to put this on pause while I finished other books by their deadlines. Still reading a bit when I get a chance, and hope to return my focus to it soon so I can finish!

 

 During August I shelved:

Britfield & The Rise of the Lion, Book II by C.R. Stewart - After delays in receiving my copy of this for promotion, I had to set it aside while I worked on other obligations. My review will still be coming - just later than I'd planned!

Coming Up in September!

A Pressing Engagement by Anna Lee Huber

Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds by Michael Knowles

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn

   

On my blogs recently . . . 

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

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Friday Fun posts - The Friday 56 and First Lines

What I'm Reading - August 9, 2021

And on HS Coffee Break:

I Spy posts (#30-34)

Five Minute Friday posts

Share Four Somethings - August 2021

August Photo Album

A Blue Ridge Parkway PhotoJournal

How Do You Kick Off the New Homeschool Year?

Online Book Club - August Theme: Newbery Medal Book

Currently . . . August 4th

Coffee Break Reading List - August 3, 2021

Online Book Club - Wrapping Up July: Dream Destinations

July Photo Album

Dream Destinations - Artistic and Culinary Travels

This post will be linked at the August 2021 Monthly Wrap-Up Round-up Link-up and Giveaway hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction; and at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date.

 

©2008-2021 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. 

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 - A Study in Death

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A Study in Death by Anna Lee Huber - Lady Kiera Darby is back to painting portraits, but she has concerns that her latest subject is suffering at the hands of her husband. When Kiera arrives for a sitting, she finds Lady Drummond violently ill, unable to speak, and in only a few moments she is dead. The physician is quick to say it was an apoplexy, even though Kiera raises questions because of the unusual manner of death. Kiera is sure Lady Drummond was poisoned, and takes her concerns to her fiance and investigative partner, Sebastian Gage. With his support, Kiera begins looking for the source of the poison.

Kiera and Gage face challenges in discreetly looking for a murderer simply because they start out working on their own. Lord Drummond is uncooperative, and Gage's father opposes their efforts. They turn to Bonnie Brock for help, which puts them in his debt and in danger. Yet they know they must be closing in on the killer when there are attempts on Kiera's life.

During the entire time, Kiera is distracted by the plans being made for her upcoming wedding. She allows her sister Alana to make all the plans since it's something she's able to do during her risky pregnancy. Kiera is further distracted and worried by her fears for Alana's health and the seemingly precarious state of Alana and Philip's marriage. Kiera and Gage must work through their own relationship issues during all of this as well, as Gage is still reluctant to open up to Kiera about his past, and Lord Gage makes his disapproval of their engagement obvious.

(Check out the Lady Darby Read-Along group on Facebook if you're interested.)

By the same author: The Anatomist's Wife, Mortal Arts; A Grave Matter, A Study in Death  (from my first reading in 2015), 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

©2008-2021 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/ 

 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.

Scripture and a Snapshot - Whom Shall I Fear

The LORD is my light and my salvation -

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life -

of whom shall I be afraid?

One thing I ask from the LORD,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of the sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

~Psalm 27:1, 4-5~

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Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

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I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea's Photos 'n Scribbles.

©2008-2021 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/ 

 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. 

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for August 27, 2021

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

Then I discovered something new and worse in the way of horrors. A school of sharks was following me in the water beneath and swallowing the food I threw as soon as it hit the water. This meant that I had to make the island or fall among the sharks. I was desperate.

~From page 57 of The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene DuBois (page 56 is an illustration!)

Professor William Waterman Sherman intends to fly across the Pacific Ocean. But through a twist of fate, he lands on Krakatoa, and discovers a world of unimaginable wealth, eccentric inhabitants, and incredible balloon inventions. Winner of the 1948 Newbery Medal.

The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your e-reader.

*Find a snippet, short and sweet.

*Post it, and share in the Linky.

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

September

Louisville, Kentucky

Some engagements end in happily ever afters, and some just end . . . on social media. 

~From Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel

As wedding coordinator for the 100-year-old steamboat The Belle of Louisville, Devyn Asbury takes pride in seeing others' dreams come true, even though her engagement sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio River. When The Belle becomes a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue contest, Devyn endeavors to reclaim some of her professional dreams. What she hadn't planned on was Chase Jones showing up with a mysterious photo from the 1920s.

A century earlier, Hattie Louis is as untamable as the rivers that raised her. As the adopted daughter of a steamboat captain, her duties range from the entertainment to cooking. When strange incidents occur aboard the boat, Hattie's determined to discover the truth. Even if that means getting under First Mate Jack Marshall's handsome skin.

Book Beginnings on Fridays is hosted by Rose City Reader.

*It's Book Beginnings on Fridays! Time to gather with our fellow book lovers and share the opening sentence (or so) of the books we are reading this week. Or share from a book that is on your mind right now -- whatever catches your fancy.

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First Line Fridays is hosted at Hoarding Books

*We are thrilled to have bloggers join us by linking up with their own First Line Fridays posts.

*Please keep posts family friendly or clean reads.

*Link back to Hoarding Books within your post or grab a button.

©2008-2021 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/ 

 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 - The Curse of Morton Abbey

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

The Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood - Vaughan Springthorpe has been training under her father as a solicitor, and following his death she is determined to succeed on her own rather than live with her mother and sisters. She accepts employment to prepare the Yorkshire estate of Morton Abbey for sale, grateful that Sir Peter Spencer had no qualms about hiring a woman to handle legal matters and for the suspiciously large salary.

When Vaughan arrives at Morton, she finds it in disrepair and the library and documents in complete disarray. The only other residents are Nicholas Spencer, his personal servant Bedford, and the housekeeper Mrs. Wilson. Nicholas and Bedford are openly hostile to her presence, and Mrs. Wilson is hiding something. And someone is trying to scare her away - she hears crying during the night, gunshots outside her window, someone tries to get into her room, and her work of organizing the library is maliciously destroyed.

Vaughan finds a friend in the handsome gardener, Joe Dixon, and after confronting the invalid brother Nicholas she establishes a truce and understanding with him. But the mysterious crying and other strange occurrences continue, and Vaughan is determined to uncover whatever sinister secrets Morton Abbey is hiding. Who can she trust, and who poses the most threat?

This novel is set in the Victorian era, and is full of Gothic and Jane Eyre atmosphere. The main character Vaughan is a bit of a misfit in society - not only is she trying to succeed in a business that is not open to women, she also has a lame foot which puts her at disadvantage and in danger from whomever is trying to harm her. Joe Dixon seems to be too good to be true, but she finds herself relying on his kindness and welcoming friendship. Nicholas is a fascinating character, full of contradictions - is he friend or foe, disabled or deceptive?

The story is told from Vaughan's point of view, but there are hints to the reader in her first-person narrative as she observes or comments on details that she doesn't understand until later. The mystery and suspense are well developed, with suggestions that there is madness or something supernatural involved.  I felt that I needed to be willing to accept that everyone was involved in the most fantastic deception and conspiracy, and that the villains had been able to get away with their evil deeds for years without raising any real concerns. I was kept engrossed and turning pages by the sense that none of the characters were quite what they seemed, and by the unexpected twists here and there.

From the publisher:

Solicitor Vaughan Springthorpe knows perfectly well that Sir Peter Spencer's offer of employment seems too good to be true: he hires her sight unseen, offering a suspiciously large salary to prepare the sale of Morton Abbey, his crumbling Yorkshire estate. But few people in late-Victorian England will entrust their legal affairs to a woman, and Vaughan is desperate to prove herself.

Once at Morton, Vaughan discovers that someone is determined to drive her away. An intruder tries to enter her bedroom at night, gunshots are fired outside her window, and an eerie crying echoes from the uninhabited second floor. Even Netherton, the nearest village, seems odd: the picturesque houses and perfect-looking families are haunted by dark secrets connected to Morton Abbey itself.

To complete her work and solve the mystery at the heart of Morton, Vaughan needs the help of Joe Dixon, the handsome gardener, and Nicholas Spencer, her employer's irascible invalid brother. But with her questions diverted, her progress thwarted, and her sleep disrupted by the crying, will Vaughan escape Morton Abbey with her sanity intact or be cursed by the secrets within?

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

©2008-2021 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/ 

 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.

 

Scripture and a Snapshot - He Will Establish Your Plans

Commit to the LORD whatever you do,

and he will establish your plans.

~Proverbs 16:3~

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Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

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I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea's Photos 'n Scribbles.

©2008-2021 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/ 

 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.

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 for August 20, 2021

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

I sank into the nearest chair, feeling as if I had fought a physical battle but unsure whether I'd won or lost. So much had passed between me and Nick in that long, silent moment when our eyes met, an entirely different conversation from what we had expressed in words.

~At 56% of The Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood

The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your e-reader.

*Find a snippet, short and sweet.

*Post it, and share in the Linky.

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

I'll have Book Beginnings and First Line Fridays again next week, as we're just wrapping up vacation.

©2008-2021 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/ 

 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.

Scripture and a Snapshot - Every Good Path

For the LORD gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He holds success in store for the upright,

he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

for he guards the course of the just

and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right and just

and fair - every good path.

For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Discretion will protect you,

and understanding will guard you.

~Proverbs 2:6-11~

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Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

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I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea's Photos 'n Scribbles.

©2008-2021 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/ 

 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.