Wednesday, May 31

Monthly Bookshelf Review - May 2023

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



Woke up this morning with a terrific urge to lie in bed all day and read. ~Raymond Carver

I feel like I read more during this past month, but my TBR list grows faster than I can check books off the list! I don't quite know what to do about that. I decided to give an audiobook a try, although I have some trouble following a storyline without any visual. It's like I need words on a page, or action on a screen in order to follow it. Maybe that just means I'm a visual learner, but I can track with a podcast easily, and I follow and listen to several regularly. 

May's Books Completed and Reviewed

After the Boxes Are Unpacked: Moving On After Moving In by Susan Miller - This one was finished in April but I hadn't yet posted the review. You can now see it HERE. 



When Tomorrow Came by Hannah Linder  - Nan and Heath have been waiting since childhood for their father to return, but when he finally does, the reality is nothing like what they'd hoped for. (Read my full review HERE) 



Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt - I loved this story about a curmudgeonly octopus that develops an unlikely friendship with the cleaning lady and helps her find a future after her son's death many years earlier. (Read my full review HERE)

 


The Keys to Gramercy Park by Candice Sue Patterson - Andrea stumbles upon a stash of counterfeit currency hidden in the wall of her apartment, but unraveling the history behind them might lead to secrets that could damage Beau's political career. In the historical timeline, Franklin's work with the Secret Service may be top secret, but he holds other secrets he's determined to take to his grave. (Read my full review HERE)



Fair As A Star by Mimi Matthews - Beryl is supposed to be marrying Henry soon, but finds him cool and insensitive compared to his younger brother and her longtime friend, Mark. This story also addresses the subject of "melancholy" (what we would call depression) as Beryl secretly suffers from it and the responses of the two men when they discover it plays a role. Recently finished this but haven't written a review yet.



During May I started reading:


American Cozy: Hygge-Inspired Ways to Create Comfort & Happiness by Stephanie Pedersen - I've been browsing leisurely through this cute little guidebook to bringing more cozy into our home and life.



Beneath A Peaceful Moon by Debby Lee - Mary, a Yakima tribal member, and John, a Navajo, are serving in the military during WWII. Both are asked to use the language skills in the war effort, but of course they must keep their work secret. Even from each other.



A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell - Actually listening, rather than reading. I'm giving an audiobook a try, since that's how this book was available from the library.



During May I continued reading:

A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber - I've been working on this forever, because I keep setting it aside to finish review books or library books. I'm determined to finish it now, and finally find out what happens after Kiera discovers forged artwork and secrets while attending a family wedding party.



Where My Books Took Me in May . . . 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.

When Tomorrow Came takes place in England.
One Word: Truth

Remarkably Bright Creatures is based in Washington state.
One Word: Observant

The Keys to Gramercy Park takes place mostly in New York City.
One Word: Deception

Fair As A Star is another novel based in England.
One Word: Understanding

A Perilous Perspective has been in Scotland so far.
Beneath A Peaceful Moon has started out in southern California.
A Man With One of Those Faces takes place in Dublin, Ireland.


Coming Up in June!

Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover
Man of Shadow and Mist by Michelle Griep
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber

   

      


What I'm Highlighting . . . May was an exciting month for us, because it included a trip home to Maryland for our daughter's graduation. This past weekend was a lot of fun and included a day spent hiking in Hocking Hills. So I'm going to highlight the monthly photo album post on my primary blog,  A Fresh Cup of Coffee, in which you'll also find links to a couple of photo album posts on my flagship blog, Homeschool Coffee Break. 




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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Tuesday, May 30

Recent Reads - The Keys to Gramercy Park

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


The Keys to Gramercy Park by Candice Sue Patterson - Andrea is a historical journalist hoping to find a great story that will earn her a promotion for her magazine, so it seems like a great stroke of luck to find a stash of post-Civil War era counterfeit bills hidden in a wall of her historic district apartment. Around the same time, she meets Beau Davidson-Quincy, an aspiring politician, who has connections that help her in investigating where the bills came from and why they were hidden there. As their relationship―and the research into the story―progresses, they realize that there's a possibility the counterfeit is connected to Beau's family somehow, and if so, publishing the story could have a devastating effect on his hopes in the upcoming election.

In the historical timeline following the Civil War, Franklin Davidson works hard to provide for his wife and daughter, and to protect his reputation from being marred by the apparent crimes and scheming of his estranged brother, Edward. Franklin's big breakthrough comes when he's offered a position with the newly formed Secret Service, where he'll work to stop the spread of counterfeit currency. Following a tragedy that costs him everything, he moves to fashionable Gramercy Park in New York with his young daughter in an effort to build a new life while holding on to his secrets. His only goal is to provide the best life possible for his beloved daughter, but as she gets older, she starts asking uncomfortable questions, and he becomes more determined than ever to keep his own past life and secrets from her. 

The fact that there's a connection between the character Franklin and the contemporary character Beau is apparent early on, but the details and how it will all play out is teased out slowly enough through the unfolding story to add suspense. Andrea and Beau have a promising relationship, despite her reservations about trusting him and their suitability. Beau pursues her patiently, but the threat of negative press for him if she gets her breakthrough story can't be ignored. Her commitment to good journalism and her desired promotion are at odds with Beau's dedication to winning his election and furthering his political career, so there's plenty of emotional conflict. In the past, meanwhile, brothers Franklin and Edward have their conflicts and secrets, and their lives are more intertwined than either of them would wish. It seems impossible that Franklin can keep all his secrets from everyone around him, especially his daughter, considering how close their relationship is. This keeps the tension in his timeline high, and there's a lot of complexity in his story and character.

Overall, I was drawn into this story and all its intrigue in both timelines. All the lead characters were well-developed and each faced their own series of dilemmas and moral decisions that would shape their lives and the lives of those around them, and the best choice was not always obvious. I enjoyed the portrayal of a politician as a positive character, and the layered nature of the historical timeline. By the end of the story, the reader has learned all the secrets, but not all the characters have, and I appreciated that while the story is wrapped up to satisfaction, the final chapter leaves enough of an opening for the reader to wonder what will happen when those final secrets are revealed.


Secrets Sealed Within a Wall Come to Light in Lower Manhattan

Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical series of romance and adventure.

Investigative historical journalist Andrea Andrews is tired of waiting tables to make ends meet. If she could find and write the next breakout story, she could secure a promotion with Smithsonian Magazine as their writer-at-large. But not much happens in lower Manhattan out of the ordinary until she discovers post-Civil War counterfeit bills hidden in the wall of her historic district apartment.

Politics have always been Beau Davidson-Quincy's passion, despite his family's real estate empire. His clean image and single status make him a target in the media as he prepares to build his campaign for New York governor. He has nothing to hide until a cute waitress unravels a mystery that could destroy his family's reputation.

Two centuries earlier, wounded Civil War veteran Franklin Davidson lost everything―his house, his wife, his standing in society. In his darkest moment, he's awarded a position with the newly formed Secret Service to combat the spread of counterfeit U.S. currency. His life and new home in Gramercy Park are the envy of his peers, but nothing is as it seems. Secrets are meant to be kept, and Franklin will take his to his grave.

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: All That Glitters (novella) in the Lumberjacks and Ladies collection.

This is a book that sent me down a rabbit hole (#29) for The 52 Book Club's 2023 Reading Challenge
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2023


©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, May 26

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for May 26, 2023

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


The Book Blogger Hop question is about e-books and it turns out my teasers are from a book that I'm reading for review that is an e-book format. I wasn't sure how much this story would appeal to me, because I don't usually care for settings during WWI or WWII, but so far I'm enjoying this one. And just look at the cover - isn't it lovely?

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Camp Pendleton, California
Late October 1944

Private Mary Wishram clenched the dreaded telegram in her hand and dropped into a chair in her small duplex apartment.

~From the beginning of Beneath A Peaceful Moon by Debby Lee


Mary's Language Skills Could Help End the War in the Pacific
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes―the heroines of WWII.

Mary Wishram, an orphaned Yakima tribal member, aches for her brother who suffers in a POW camp in the Philippine Islands and her Japanese friends who languish in a relocation center. Determined to end the war by any means necessary, she employs her language skills to become a spy. Leaving Camp Pendleton for the South Pacific, she faces escalating threats of peril to help bring her loved ones home.

John Painted Horse, a proud Navajo, struggles with the loss of his father who died in WWI for a country that didn't consider him a United States citizen. Though his home state didn't offer him the right to vote, he joins the Code Talker program at Camp Pendleton. Thrust into mounting danger in the South Pacific, he hopes to bring long overdue recognition and honor to his people, no matter the cost.

Will these two wounded souls find healing from their past traumas and a deeper relationship with God, before it's too late? Or will they lose their chance at love, and everything they hold dear?



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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Even more precious than the crates of food and medicine was the secret treasure she carried. Tucked into her brassiere was a small square of paper and a short pencil.

~at 56% in Beneath A Peaceful Moon by Debby Lee




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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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 you reading more e-books lately?

My Answer: I'm not sure, but I think probably yes. Quite awhile ago I decided I was not going purchase any more e-books until I'd read or deleted a lot of the ones I already had on my Kindle that were just sitting there. I'd collected a lot of e-books when they were free, but I wasn't reading on the Kindle very much. Recently I started picking up a few more reviews in Kindle format though, so I'm being more intentional about splitting my reading between physical books and e-books.

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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Tuesday, May 23

Top Ten Tuesday - The One With My Attention-Getters

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

On occasion I'll be joining in the Top Ten Tuesday posts hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl 


This week's Top Ten Tuesday Topic is: Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book. I'm not sure I can come up with ten, but I have a couple in mind immediately, so let's see how far it takes me! I have some favorite authors and series, and a few other things that get my attention every time.

1. Anything by Anna Lee Huber - I just automatically buy every book she writes, and usually pre-order them because they are just so good! I'm especially invested in the Lady Darby series. 

A favorite ALH cover


2. Anything by Deanna Raybourn - Same idea, although it's not an auto-purchase, but if her name is on the cover, I pretty much know I'm going to love it. (I'm actually behind right now in reading series by both authors - it's what happens when I keep getting sidetracked by the books I need to review.)

Currently on my TBR pile

3. Anything by Connilyn Cossette - Here's another author that has never disappointed me, and if I'm not fortunate enough to get on a review team for her books, I go ahead and buy them.

Her debut novel that hooked me

4. Next in the series: A Door To The Past - There are several series that I really enjoy and can't help myself wanting to get my hands on each new addition that comes out. A Door to the Past is one of those series. It's a multi-author series of dual timeline stories based on American historical sites. 

My favorite in the series

5. Any historical novel about a Bible character or theme - I'm fascinated by the different takes on what a character like Bathsheba or Samson or Deborah was really like. As long as the novel is well-researched and doesn't try to change what the Bible records, I'll probably be interested.


6. A favorite formula - a female sleuth set in a historical period pre-1900. Notice that the first two favorite authors I listed are known for their lady detectives in a Victorian England setting. If there's a bit of romance included, even better. There are a lot of authors writing this type of story, so I obviously can't read all of them, but I want to!


7. Set in a place I'm familiar with - I often find myself gravitating towards a book as soon as I see that it's set in one of the places I've lived or have visited and remember well. Set in Canada will definitely grab my attention.

Set in Yellowstone

8. It helps me out with a reading challenge - Yeah, sometimes I'll take a chance on a book because I need one set in a certain country, or with a certain feature in the title or on the cover.



9. I keep seeing it mentioned or reviewed by book bloggers I trust - Perfect example is my recent read of Remarkably Bright Creatures. I kept seeing it on blogs, it sounded unusual, it had a great cover, and it would fit a couple categories of a reading challenge. It is a wonderful book!


10. Seasonal themes - Especially Christmas. Come December I'm a sucker for the holiday themed stories from favorite authors or in favorite settings. In March, I usually read something set in Ireland. Valentine's Day themes and covers catch my eye in February. You get the idea.

Star of the East: A Lady Emily Christmas Story


What kinds of books are guaranteed to get your attention? Leave a comment and let me know!

This article will be linked at Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl .

©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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