Monthly Bookshelf Review - June 2022

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

Again this month I wound up with less reading time - and perhaps a little less motivation! - than I had expected. I do have a couple of review books to concentrate on right now, and maybe spending more time at home and sitting down will translate into more time reading. Guess I'll have to see how I feel as I adjust to life with a new knee.

June's Books Completed and Reviewed

An Artless Demise (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage investigate the murders of young heirs in London that are meant to look like the work of resurrectionists. (Read my full review HERE)

Season Of My Enemy by Naomi Musch - In order to keep her family's Wisconsin farm operating during WWII, Fannie must accept help from the German prisoners held at a nearby camp. Things start out uneasy but understanding and friendships develop - until some suspicious mishaps lead Fannie to believe that at least one among the men means her family harm. (Read my full review HERE)

During June I started reading:

The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart - this is a dual timeline story featuring a young modern woman beginning a treasure hunt on her father's behalf. The prize is a previously unknown Faberge egg, and Karl Faberge and his workers are the subjects of the 1900s timeline.

Off The Chain by Janice Thompson - This is a little bit of a departure for me, as I generally don't read pet themed stories. It sounds like a humorous cozy-type mystery though. Marigold enlists her coworkers' help to solve the mystery of who vandalized the vet clinic where they work, and at the same time she is nursing an rescued dog and wanting to establish her own pet rescue.

During June I continued reading:

Obedient Unto Death by Liisa Eyerly - I temporarily shelved this when I got overwhelmed but couldn't leave it for long! Sabina is a first century Christian in Ephesus, and she is trying to find out more about a young scribe who was murdered - before the church leader is executed for a crime he didn't commit.

Coming Up in July!

The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn

All That's Fair by Amanda G. Stevens

A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber

      

     

What I'm Highlighting . . . in the next week our family will be celebrating both Canada Day and Independence Day, although my own celebration will be somewhat subdued since I'll be recovering from a knee replacement. Still, with these holidays in mind, I'm highlighting an article I wrote a couple years ago with a bit of historical info: Celebrating National Birthdays. Whatever you're celebrating, enjoy!

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 - June 14, 2022

And on HS Coffee Break:

I Spy posts (#74-#77)

Five Minute Friday posts

Share Four Somethings - June 2022

Flag Day

Homeschool Live Special With Kirk Cameron

Currently . . . June 1, 2022

May Photo Album

Share Four Somethings - May 2022

This post will be linked at the June 2022 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.

 

©2008-2022 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 - Good News

A voice says, "Cry out."

And I said, "What shall I cry?"

"All the people are like grass,

and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

because the breath of the LORD blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God endures forever."

You who bring good news to Zion,

go up on a high mountain.

You who bring good news to Jerusalem,

lift up your voice with a shout,

lift it up, do not be afraid;

say to the towns of Judah,

"Here is your God!"

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,

and he rules with a mighty arm.

See, his reward is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young.

~Isaiah 40:6-11~

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Click here to enter

©2008-2022 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 June 24, 2022

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

Karl finished gathering his tools and brushing shavings off his worktable, then tucked the piece he was working on in the drawer beneath the desk, locking it with a key that hung from a ring on his belt.

~from page 56 of The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart

In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in the House of Fabergé, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history - an unknown Fabergé Egg that Peter Karl Fabergé secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial tsar's family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.

Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance - and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.

This modern-day treasure hunt from award-winning author Kelli Stuart transports you into the opulent and treacherous world of the Russian Revolution to unearth mysteries long buried.

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.

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

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1917

~

He walked quickly down the narrow staircase, hand pressed against the cold wall to steady himself. On the last two steps, his food slipped, and he went careening forward, catching himself just before falling. His hands trembled as he straightened and rushed into the next room.

~From the beginning of The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart

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.

 ©2008-2022 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 - Season Of My Enemy

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

Season Of My Enemy by Naomi Musch - Fannie is exhausted and overworked as she keeps her family's farm operating after the death of her father and with her two older brothers serving somewhere overseas. Her mother, younger brother, and sister are all working hard as well, but with a harvest coming up and no hired help available, Fannie must agree to her mother's plan of allowing the army to bring German prisoners from the nearby camp to work. Fannie and her brother Jerry are suspicious and wary of the men at first, but start to relax when they see how hard the men work. And after all, most of them are very young and - maybe younger than Fannie's own brothers, one of whom is a prisoner as well. 

Some of the men are learning English and like to practice speaking with Fannie and Jerry. Fannie even develops an uneasy friendship with one of the men, Wolf, when she discovers he was a teacher before joining the army. But then a couple of suspicious and potentially dangerous events convince Fannie that at least one of the prisoners is attempting to harm them or destroy the farm. They are enemies! she reminds herself as she tries to decide how to handle the problem while still getting the work done. One of her two older brothers comes home but refuses to help on the farm, preferring instead to resentfully stand guard over the prisoners.

Somehow Fannie must keep the farm running, and keep herself and her family safe from whomever means them harm. Can she rely on her older brother or will confiding in him make things worse? Is Wolf really a friend she can trust, or is he indeed one of her enemies?

This story really drew me in with its 'salt of the earth' characters, and the very real dilemma of needing the help to harvest but not wanting to have anything to do with enemy soldiers. I liked the presentation of both sides - the Americans and the young German soldiers - and how characters had to struggle with their ability to understand and empathize with the feelings of others. The struggle was really to have the willingness to let go of fear and anger and not cast blame or hasty judgments.  It was interesting to find out the historical context that some of the German prisoners were indeed brought to camps in the US during WWII and filled the gap on farms and in factories while our own young men were serving overseas. 

From the publisher:

"Get Your Farm in the Fight" - The Realities of WWII Come to a Wisconsin Farm

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes - the heroines of WWII.

Only last year, Fannie O'Brien was considered a beauty with a brain, and her future shone bright, despite the war pounding Europe. With her father's sudden death and her brothers overseas, Fannie must now do the work of three men on their 200-acre farm - until eight German prisoners arrive and, just as Fannie feared, trouble comes too. Someone seems intent on causing "accidents," and Fannie is certain the culprit is one of the two handsome older Germans - or possibly both. Can she manage the farm, keep the prisoners in line, and hold her family together during these turbulent times?

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.

By the same author: Not for Love (novella featured in Lumberjacks and Ladies, a novella collection)

This is a book set in a rural area (#37) for The 52 Book Club's 2022 Reading Challenge

#the52bookclub2022

©2008-2022 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 - Father's Day

My people, hear my teaching;

listen to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth with a parable;

I will utter hidden things, things from of old -

things we have heard and known,

things our ancestors have told us.

We will not hide them from their descendants;

 we will tell the next generation

the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,

his power, and the wonders he has done.

He decreed statutes for Jacob

and established the law in Israel

which he commanded our ancestors

to teach their children,

so the next generation would know them,

even the children yet to be born,

and they in turn would tell their children.

Then they would put their trust in God

and would not forget his deeds

but would keep his commands.

~Psalm 78:1-7~

Happy Father's Day!

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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

©2008-2022 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.

What I'm Reading - June 14, 2022

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

This weekly reading list meme is hosted at Book Date. Join in to see what others are reading and maybe get some ideas of what to read next! Although the Book Date link-up happens weekly, I don't manage to post that often. I aim to post and link about once a month, although I sometimes link up my monthly summary as well. 

I'm late sharing this time around and haven't got much that's new right now. I'll be spending the next couple of weeks at home after a knee surgery, so I expect I'll have some time to catch up on reading then.

I finished reading . . . 

An Artless Demise (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber - A killer is taking advantage of London's terror of 'burkings' to murder heirs to noble titles, and Kiera and Gage need all their skill and intuition to solve the case. (Read my full review HERE)

A Promise Engraved by Liz Tolsma -  In the 1830s, Josie is driven to find the child that was taken from her, and in the modern day story, Kayleigh is searching for answers about her birth family. A cats-eye ring that dates back to the Revolution is what ties the stories together. (Read my full review HERE)

I'm currently reading . . .

Season Of My Enemy by Naomi Musch - During WWII, Fannie and her family need the help of German PWs to keep their farm running, but there's evidence of sabotage and Fannie doesn't know who to trust.

Obedient Unto Death by Liisa Eyerly  - Had to push pause on my review of this novel because I just couldn't finish on time. I'm enjoying it, so that review will still be coming! Sabina, a young Christian woman in first century Ephesus must solve a murder before one of her friends is executed for the crime.

Next on the stack... 

The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart

A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn

All That's Fair by Amanda G. Stevens

   

        

     

What I'm Highlighting . . . This feature will be back next time around. I just need to get caught up today!

On my blogs recently . . . 

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

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines posts

Monthly Bookshelf Review - May 2022

And on my "first cup blog", HS Coffee Break:

I Spy posts (#70-#75)

Homeschool Live Special with Kirk Cameron

Five Minute Friday - Danger

Currently . . . June 1, 2022

May Photo Album

Five Minute Friday - Heal

Share Four Somethings - May 2022

Five Minute Friday - Vision

Five Minute Friday - Both

What are you reading?

 ©2008-2022 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.