Friday, March 31

Down the TBR Hole #6

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

Welcome to my latest edition of Down The TBR Hole! Jody at the blog I'm Into Books has offered this solution to help remind us of all those books we added to our Goodreads list in the distant past and hopefully start managing the list. The idea is to start cleaning up our Goodreads TBR lists of all the books that have piled up over time, and share our progress in the link-up every Thursday. Here's how Jody explains it:

Most of you probably know this feeling, your Goodreads TBR pile keeps growing and growing and it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. You keep adding, but you add more than you actually read. And then when you're scrolling through your list, you realize that you have no idea what half the books are about and why you added them. 

So here's what we'll do: On the Goodreads to-read shelf, order all your books ascending by date added. Look at the first four (or more) books on the list, read the synopses and decide whether the books should stay or go. Post in the link-up and share using the hashtag #DTTBRH and tagging @Jodyblogs.

Here's what I found on Week Six:

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant - This is a historical novel about the history of Florence, Italy during a very dramatic period. The heroine, Alessandra, is married to an older man but also has a relationship with a younger painter. It reminded me of something else I started reading awhile ago and just couldn't get into so I'm sending it down the hole. 



Sarah by Marek Halter - This one stays because it looks like a really interesting take on the background of this Bible character. 



The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner - This is a historical novel about Joanna of Castille, and looks really good. I'm keeping it. 


The Virgin Queen's Daughter by Ella March Chase - This one looks so good! It's about a lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth I that was rumored to be her daughter. Definitely keeping this one. 


Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's by R.A. Scotti - This might be very interesting, but as it's non-fiction and looks to be more detailed than I'd have time for anytime soon, it's gone.


Well? I pared the list down by a couple of titles!

This post will be linked at Down The TBR Hole hosted by Jody at I'm Into Books.
#DTTBRH

©2008-2023 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.



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Monday, March 27

Monthly Bookshelf Review - March 2023

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


“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

I count it as a bit of a personal victory that I had more things to keep me busy during March, and perhaps read less. It's hard to say. I did finish and review four books and have five that I'm partway through now. Normally I don't have more than three at a time! 

March's Books Completed and Reviewed

In Spotlight and Shadow by Rachel Scott McDaniel - This review was posted the day after my last monthly bookshelf review. You can read it HERE.



Shirley, I Jest: A Storied Life by Cindy Williams - Stories and background on the career of the actress best known for starring in Laverne & Shirley. (Read my full review HERE)



The Cairo Curse by Pepper Basham - A honeymoon trip to Egypt is much more exciting than even the imaginative Grace expects, when she and her husband Frederick take it upon themselves to unravel a mystery that turns deadly. (Read my full review HERE)



If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't) by Betty White - A memoir consisting of short chapters of anecdotes from the beloved actress, about some of her favorite people and interests. (Read my full review HERE)

    


During March I started reading:

In The Shelter Of Hollythorne House by Sarah E. Ladd - I expect to post my review for this one soon. A young widow trying to protect her infant son reconnects with her first love, who just happens to be one of the watchmen assigned to protect her. Or is he really there to spy on her?



A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera notices some valuable artwork at a country estate is forged, and as more questions are raised, the investigation turns deadly.



This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin - I started reading this exploration of how humans understand and interact with music, but have paused it so I can focus on the next book on my list . . .



After the Boxes Are Unpacked: Moving On After Moving In by Susan Miller - A dear friend sent me this book as we are both in the process of moving or settling into brand new surroundings. So much of this guidebook has been relevant and encouraging to me, and it's a comfort to know that the difficult emotional aspects of our move are not unusual or my imagination!



When Tomorrow Came by Hannah Linder  - Just started this book for review, and the main character is still a little girl as the story begins. She and her brother are orphans, and when little Nan is hurt in an accident, she is taken into the home of a well-to-do family and unintentionally separated from her brother. Will be interesting to see how this turns out!




Where My Books Took Me in March . . . On Budget Tales Book Blog, there's a monthly meme about "Places My Books Have Taken Me" along with a one-word summary or review of the book. Here's where I've traveled through the pages during the month, along with One Word to sum up the ones I finished.

Shirley, I Jest: A Storied Life had stories taking place in the US, mostly in California, and a couple of trips to Europe were included as well.
One Word: Comedic

The Cairo Curse took me from England to Cairo, Egypt.
One Word: Imagination

If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't) took place in the US, mostly in California.
One Word: Charming

In The Shelter Of Hollythorne House has me in Leeds, England.

A Perilous Perspective has taken me to Argyll, Scotland so far.

When Tomorrow Came has started out in the East End of London, England.


Coming Up in April!

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Radio's Greatest of All Time by Rush Limbaugh with Kathryn Adams Limbaugh and David Limbaugh
Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber
A Certain Darkness by Anna Lee Huber

   

   


What I'm Highlighting . . . Let me encourage you to take a look at my review of the movie His Only Son which will be in theaters starting March 31st. It's a wonderful movie that my husband and I both enjoyed, and there is a giveaway at the post as well. (And last I checked, there weren't a lot of entries) See it here: His Only Son - Movie Review and Giveaway



On my blogs recently . . . 

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



On Homeschool Coffee Break:



And on A Fresh Cup of Coffee:



This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot; at Budget Tales Book Blog; and at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date.

bookworms monthly linky

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?



©2008-2023 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.



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Friday, March 24

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for March 24, 2023

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


Just when I thought I had a bit of a break from reviews, I received this one to get started on. I enjoyed the debut novel from this author, so I have high hopes for this one too.

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"What? Tell me, please. Why is he so ill?
"Not ill, miss." A disheartened sigh. "Poisoned."

~from page 156 of When Tomorrow Came by Hannah Linder


They Waited Their Whole Lives for Their Papa to Return

Nan and Heath Duncan, siblings abandoned by their papa and abused by their guardian, have no choice but to survive on the London streets. When a kind gentleman rescues Nan from such a life, the siblings are separated and raised in two vastly different social worlds. Just when both are beginning to flourish and years have healed some of their wounds, their long-awaited papa returns and reunites them―bringing demands with him. Nan is expected to marry a rich suitor she's never liked, and Heath is expected to forsake his gentle spirit and become the hardened man his father always was.

Dangers unfold, secret love develops, fights ensue, and murder upsets the worlds Heath and Nan have built for themselves.

They've waited their whole lives for their papa to return, for tomorrow to come―but now that it has, will they be able to see through to the truth and end this whirlwind of a nightmare before it costs one of their lives?



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.

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PROLOGUE

"All these years." His mouth dried as an acrid taste climbed his throat. He held her eyes, expecting there'd be precious tears, that in this moment―as he asked for her hand in marriage―she'd be looking at him with flashes of pleasure.

~From the beginning of When Tomorrow Came by Hannah Linder





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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RimSP button

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.

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And here is the weekly bookish question in the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.  

This Week's Question: Are books a must-have in your home?

My Answer: Oh yes, they certainly are! My husband and I are both avid readers, each with our own preferences and favorite authors, so we have both been collecting books since we were young. We also homeschooled our four kids so I collected a lot of books during those years. Over the years we've pared down our collections considerably, especially in our recent move, but books are still considered a necessity and I brought along two shelves worth that were non-negotiable. (A few bookcases and boxes full of books remain at our house in Maryland until we can bring them here or release them into the wild for others to enjoy.) Regular visits to the library for books are also a necessity!




Book Blogger Hop

©2008-2023 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.



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Thursday, March 23

His Only Son - Movie Review and Giveaway #HisOnlySonMIN

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


His Only Son, a new movie from  Angel Studios (makers of The Chosen) is coming to theaters starting March 31, 2023. This powerful movie explores the Biblical story of Abraham and his son Isaac. The story in Genesis tells about God speaking to Abraham and promising to make him the father of nations and bless him, and after many years of waiting, Abraham and his wife Sarah finally have a son of their own. But God then calls on Abraham to sacrifice this promised and beloved son. 

Make plans today to see HIS ONLY SON in theaters March 31st! Buy tickets at: HisOnlySonMovie.com.


"After being called on by the Lord, Abraham's faith is tested on his three day journey to sacrifice his son."



Synopsis:  His Only Son recounts one of the most controversial moments in the Old Testament―when Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac on the mountain of Moriah. While traveling to the place of the sacrifice, alongside Isaac and two servants, Abraham is flooded with vivid memories from the years he and Sarah spent longing for the son they were promised―the son he must now lay upon the altar.


My thoughts:  Although the movie essentially begins at the point where God calls Abraham and tells him to give Isaac as a sacrifice, it also lays all the background in a series of memories and flashbacks, so viewers are introduced to Abraham and Sarah in their younger years when God first spoke to Abraham about moving to a new land that God would show him. More memories add to the story of their years of longing for a child and Sarah wondering how God would keep his promises to her husband when she still couldn't get pregnant. Sarah's struggle to understand Abraham's faith in a God that she didn't know and her growing bitterness when she is well past her childbearing years and the promised child still hasn't come is portrayed poignantly.

Isaac's birth to a couple so old brings new life to Sarah and Abraham, and Sarah finds great joy in her son. So how do you think she reacted when Abraham insisted that Isaac was to go along on this journey through the wilderness to sacrifice to God? Don't you think she'd be worried about her elderly husband on this trip as well? What did the servants who accompanied Abraham and Isaac think about the whole situation? What about Isaac himself? I thought the movie did an excellent job of portraying some of the likely actions and reactions, and invited viewers along on the emotional journey as well.

I loved how Isaac's personality was shown, as a kind and generous young man, willing to go out of his way to rescue lost sheep and ready to give up his freedom to save a captive. But what would he do when told that he was to be the sacrifice?


The imagery and language also drew all the appropriate parallels between Abraham's call to give up his only son, and God's plan to sacrifice his only son two thousand years later. The connection to the death and resurrection of Jesus is clear and compelling, so it's just perfect that this movie will be in theaters just before the Easter season. 

After my husband and I watched the movie, he remarked that he had expected it to be an Easter movie, a movie about Jesus Christ dying in our place. And in a sense, it is. It points the way to Jesus the Messiah, to his death and resurrection, and helps us understand the greatness of that sacrifice and that gift to us. I hope you'll go see the movie, and I pray you'll be blessed by it.

Find out more at the previously livestreamed announcement video on YouTube.

Follow His Only Son on Instagram and on Facebook.

See His Only Son in theaters starting March 31st!

Purchase tickets at: HisOnlySonMovie.com.  

As part of this promotion, Momentum is generously allowing me to host this giveaway of a $10 Amazon gift card. Please note: This giveaway is open to US only, opens on March 24th and closes on March 31st. The same giveaway form appears here and on A Fresh Cup of Coffee.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Hashtags: #HisOnlySonMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork



Disclosure: Many thanks to Angel Studios for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.


©2008-2023 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.
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