Monthly Bookshelf Review - November 2021

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Whew! Another month has gone by so quickly, it seems! Although I did finish a couple of books this month, I also had to accept that I don't have as much time to read these days as I would like. So I pared down my expectations a little bit, especially with the busy-ness of the holidays upon me.

November's Books Completed and Reviewed

Behind Love's Wall by Carrie Fancett Pagels - Willa is a modern interior designer and Lily is a successful singer in 1895. Both deal with the secrets of their troubled pasts in hopes of breaking down the barriers to love in this dual timeline story set at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. (Read my full review HERE)

Rest Girl: A Journey from Exhausted and Stressed to Entirely Blessed by Jami Amerine  - Jami shares wisdom and personal experiences to encourage readers to experience God's grace and the kind of peace and rest He wants us to enjoy. (Read my full review HERE)

Lost in Darkness (Of Monsters and Men) by Michelle Griep - Amelia is an aspiring travel writer who puts her dreams on hold to assist her brother through an experimental procedure that may restore his disfigured face and body. The doctor's assistant, Graham, develops a friendship with Amelia and her brother, and a growing fear that the doctor's plans and methods are not to be trusted. (Read my full review HERE)

During November I started reading:

A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty - This YA fantasy is quirky and clever so far. I should have finished it quite awhile ago, so I'm trying to read quickly now!

   

The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetsch - I am participating in the book tour for this new release, but there were some delays in getting copies out to bloggers. I'm diving into reading, and getting my tour post ready, hopefully for this week.

During November I continued reading:

As Death Draws Near by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage investigate a murder at an Irish abbey. I've once again fallen behind the pace in the Lady Darby Read-Along group on Facebook and keep missing the book discussions!

The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick - I'm reading this entertaining middle school level novel along with students in my co-op fiction writing class. I've read it a couple times before, so I've been skimming it a little to refresh my memory.

During November I shelved:

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell - Although I'd picked this up again, I had no choice but to shelve it a second time since I was falling behind in all my reading.

Coming Up in December!

A Brush with Shadows (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn

   

On my blogs recently . . . 

Visit my post: TomlinUNITED Tour (Announcement and Giveaway) for more info on this upcoming tour and to enter the giveaway for free music!

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

TomlinUNITED Tour (Announcement and Giveaway)

What I'm Reading - November 8, 2021

And on HS Coffee Break:

I Spy posts (#43-#47)

Five Minute Friday posts

Share Four Somethings - November 2021

Coffee Break Reading List for Thanksgiving 2021

TomlinUNITED Tour (Announcement and Giveaway)

High School Writing Tip Sheets - Creating Characters in Fiction

Currently . . . November 3, 2021

October Photo Album

Share Four Somethings - October 2021

This post will be linked at the November 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.

 

Advent Scripture and a Snapshot - As You Eagerly Wait

"Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD. "Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you."

~Zechariah 2:10-11~

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way -- with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

~I Corinthians 1:4-9~

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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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Click here to enter

I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea's Photos 'n Scribbles; and at Selah, hosted by A Spirit of Simplicity.

©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 November 26, 2021

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

Sir Michael shot him a vinegar-laced glare. "Mr. Montgomery sent me a most strident letter this morning pointing out the deficiencies in your methods. How dare you trouble the elite with your questions? It's clear the painting was stolen by someone hired for the social event last night. A waiter or footman or cloakroom attendant. Why then did you detain nearly a hundred party guests?" Sir Michael spoke as if to a simpleton. "And not just any guests, but the crème of society?"

~from page 56 of The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetsch

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies - and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors - not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?

Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance.

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.

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

London Docks

January 31, 1816

"If you lean out any farther, you'll wind up in the drink. Which, I suppose, would be a fitting end to this disaster of a trip." Lady Juliette Thorndike ducked her chin and turned away from the fresh breeze, the deck rocking gently under her feet. Her heart pounded beneath her woolen cloak as she reached the end of one journey and anticipated embarking on a wholly new one.

~From the beginning of The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetsch

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.

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

First Line Fridays is hosted at Reading is My SuperPower

*Share the first line or two of the book closest to you, then visit other FLF participants.

*Please keep posts family friendly or clean reads.

*Link back to Reading is My SuperPower 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.

Scripture and a Snapshot - Let Us Be Thankful

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.

~Hebrews 12:28~

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.

~Deuteronomy 8:10~

This post will be linked at Scripture and a Snapshot hosted by Just A Second.

©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.

TomlinUNITED Tour (Announcement and Giveaway)

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

Of all the things we missed over the past year and a half, I've missed live music so much. Concerts and for me, especially live worship music. There's something incredible about being in a large venue filled with people singing praise to God. A little glimpse of singing with the multitudes in heaven, I think!

Well, I'm excited about any news involving live worship music, so I'm happy to be able to add my voice to those announcing this tour - Hillsong UNITED and Chris Tomlin are going on a 33-city tour! Tickets are on sale now - go HERE to find a city near you!

Keep reading for a little about the artists, and for a giveaway featuring their music!

Chris Tomlin has been a wonderful influence on praise and worship music for twenty years, and even if you don't know his name, chances are you know some of the music he's had a hand in writing. Classics like How Great Is Our God, Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone), and The Wonderful Cross come to mind. Those songs, along with Jesus Messiah and Whom Shall I Fear are my own favorites. As a worship leader myself, I love that his music is so accessible - easy for most congregations to learn and sing along. There's something so moving and wonderful about a whole group of people worshiping God together with one voice, and Tomlin is a gifted worship leader.

On this tour, Tomlin is joined by Hillsong United, a group of talented songwriters, musicians, and worship leaders known for songs like Another In The Fire and So Will I. I especially like the songs Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) and Scandal of Grace. Hillsong United is dynamic and exciting on stage, as they invite audiences to worship along with them.

Also featured on this tour is an artist whose music I have really been enjoying recently, Pat Barrett. Barrett has been a singer and songwriter with the band Housefires, and has been a co-writer with Tomlin as well. You might recognize his song The Way, which is one of my current favorites. Another of his well-known songs is Good Good Father, which was recorded by Chris Tomlin.

Visit TomlinUnited to see all the tour dates and to order your tickets today! 

Want to start singing along now? Be sure to enter the giveaway below to win a free music download!

Premier Productions is generously allowing me to host this giveaway of FREE music download codes. (The same giveaway form appears here and on HS Coffee Break)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hashtags: #TomlinUNITEDMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

Disclosure: Many thanks to Premier Productions for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own. I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

©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 - Behind Love's Wall

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

Behind Love's Wall by Carrie Fancett Pagels - This novel in the 'Doors to the Past' series is set on Mackinack Island in Michigan, at the historic Grand Hotel. In 2020, successful interior designer Willa comes to consult for a possible redesign of some of the hotel's rooms. It's also a homecoming of sorts for her, because she lived on the island when she was very young. Willa hopes to find some answers about her past while there - but she was not expecting to be attracted to a handsome landscape artist Michael who also has ties to the Grand Hotel. Willa discovers an old journal belonging to a singer that performed at the hotel over a hundred years ago, and while her interest starts out as curiosity, she realizes that the journal may reveal secrets of several old families in the area . . . including hers and Michael's.

In 1895, renowned singer Lily Swaine is enjoying her time as the resident performer at the Grand Hotel, but she has secrets in her past that she fears would ruin her. The handsome Dr. Stephen DuBlanc is pursuing her and she is torn about her response. As much as she is attracted to him, he is a psychiatrist and if he were to find out who Lily's mother had been . . . and worse, that her mother may have a connection to a tragedy in Stephen's family. Lily has difficult decisions to make as she navigates her own estranged family members and the truth about her past.

I especially enjoyed the 1895 storyline, and although the entire novel was well-written and solidly researched, the cast of secondary characters in both storylines was so large and the family members so interconnected that I gave up trying to keep everyone straight. I found out later that many of these secondary characters are families from other novels by Pagels, and realized that's why a couple of the names did seem familiar. I think to fans of the author, this connection to her other novels would be delightful, and those readers may have an easier time with the family connections. I was less drawn to the characters in the 2020 storyline, although it was very realistic, right down to the characters needing to wear their masks and the hotel having reduced capacity because of the pandemic. 

A lovely addition to the Doors to the Past series, with an interesting focus on how past trauma affects people; but not my personal favorite.

From the publisher:

The Grand Hotel Slowly Reveals Her Secrets

Visit historic American landmarks through the Doors to the Past series. History and today collide in stories full of mystery, intrigue, faith, and romance.

Two successful women, a hundred-and-twenty years apart, build walls to protect their hearts. Modern-day Willa, a successful interior decorator, is chosen to consult for the Grand Hotel's possible redesign. She discovers a journal detailing the struggles of a young woman, Lily - which reveals dark secrets. The renowned singer wasn't who she pretended to be. As Willa reaches out to Lily's descendant, a charismatic and prominent landscape artist, she lets down her guard. Should she share the journal with him, or once again erect a wall as she struggles to redesign both the Grand and her life?

Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

©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 - Only A Day?

"Shout it aloud, do not hold back.

Raise your voice like a trumpet.

Declare to my people their rebellion

and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.

For day after day they seek me out;

they seem eager to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that does what is right

and has not forsaken the commands of its God.

They ask me for just decisions

and seem eager for God to come near them.

'Why have we fasted,' they say,

'and you have not seen it?

Why have we humbled ourselves,

and you have not noticed?'

"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please

and exploit all your workers.

Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,

and in striking each other with wicked fists.

You cannot fast as you do today

and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,

only a day for people to humble themselves?

Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed

and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?

Is that what you call a fast,

a day acceptable to the LORD?

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter -

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

The LORD will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."

~Isaiah 58:1-12~

We tend to feast more than to fast, but it seems to me our attitude is often the same. We think we honor God by counting our blessings and thanking him as we kick off the holiday season with an extravagant feast. We go around the table and say what we're thankful for. We donate some extra money to a food bank. We pray for peace and more prosperity. And then we leave the dishes for someone else to do, while we rush to the stores or to our online shopping cart. 

Is it only for one day, one week, one season that we are thankful? 

I pray that my gratitude to my God overflows throughout the year, in generosity and service, in earnest work and prayers for justice and freedom, and in a willingness to trust and follow the Lord in everything.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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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.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea's Photos 'n Scribbles, and at Selah, hosted by A Spirit of Simplicity.

©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 November 19, 2021

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

"What you might not know," he said, "but ought to know, going into the Baranski shop as you are, is that there's a hole in this town. A hole the size of the Inland Sea."

The little girl, who had just lifted a cookie to her mouth, paused and stared at the Sheriff.

The Sheriff stood and walked to the window. He looked out into the heavy rain and almost-night.

~from page 56 of A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

The first in a rousing, funny, genre-busting trilogy from bestseller Jaclyn Moriarty!

This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world). Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot's dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth. As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unravelling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds -- through an accidental gap that hasn't appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called "color storms"; a strange fascinating with Isaac Newton; the myth of the "Butterfly Child", whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses . . .

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.

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

Cambridge, England

The World

Madeleine Tully turned fourteen yesterday, but today she did not turn anything.

Oh, wait. She turned a page.

She was sitting on the sloping roof of her attic flat and she was reading a book. Only, she was not concentrating on the book.

~From the beginning of A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

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.

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

First Line Fridays is hosted at Reading is My SuperPower

*Share the first line or two of the book closest to you, then visit other FLF participants.

*Please keep posts family friendly or clean reads.

*Link back to Reading is My SuperPower 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.