Friday, June 30

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for June 20, 2023

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


The Book Review Bulletin, a monthly link-up for review posts, opened on June 28th, and I'd like to invite you to stop by and share a review or two. Find it here: Book Review Bulletin for July 



And now for some First Lines:

I just received this book for review from NetGalley. I'm not sure what to expect, because everything about it is new to me, but it fulfills the Nordic Noir (which I didn't even know was a genre!) prompt for the 52 Books Challenge so here goes!

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1956

6 August

The grey hat flew out to sea.
Kristjan had stepped out of the wheelhouse to admire the view over Faxafloi bay and watch the island approaching, low and green against the backdrop of mountains.

~From the beginning of Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir


What happened to Lára?

Iceland, 1956. Fourteen-year-old Lára decides to spend the summer working for a couple on the small island of videy, just off the coast of Reykjavík. In early August, the girl disappears without a trace. Time passes, and the mystery becomes Iceland's most infamous unsolved case. What happened to the young girl? Is she still alive? Did she leave the island, or did something happen to her there?

Thirty years later, as the city of Reykjavík celebrates its 200th anniversary, journalist Valur Robertsson begins his own investigation into Lára's case. But as he draws closer to discovering the secret, and with the eyes of Reykjavík upon him, it soon becomes clear that Lára's disappearance is a mystery that someone will stop at nothing to keep unsolved . . .



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 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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To Sunna, the moments were precious, the sweet fragrance helping to distract her mind briefly from brooding on her loss, and she regularly bought packets of exotic tea in an attempt to re-create the experience at home. But today she had work to do.

~at 56% of Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir




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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©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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Wednesday, June 28

Book Review Bulletin - July 2023

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



Welcome to my first attempt at hosting the Book Review Bulletin link-up! The purpose is to share our individual book reviews and to visit and comment on those review posts. Sometimes it seems that we book bloggers do a lot of sharing and commenting on our reading lists and teasers and book-related posts, but not nearly as much attention is given to the actual reviews. 

So the Bulletin will be a monthly link-up for review posts. Share the individual posts of book reviews on your blog that you'd like to highlight, and make sure to visit, leave comments, and perhaps share some of the other reviews linked up. 

This first Bulletin is going up a few days before the beginning of the month, but from now on look for a new link-up on the first day of each month. You can grab the button below for your blog if you'd like. After leaving your link, please visit one or two (or more!) of the other links and leave a comment.

Any questions? Suggestions? Please let me know!

Just A Second


Reminder: Please include a MATURE tag on any links to reviews with books or covers above a PG rating. This will give readers that prefer clean read a heads-up before they click your link. Thank you for respecting this request!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

©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, June 26

Monthly Bookshelf Review - June 2023

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


“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

I hope that I might have a few minutes extra for reading in the weeks ahead, but that might depend on what comes of my job search. I've decided to put forth a bit of effort into finding a part-time job that will get me out of the house and interacting with people a bit. And of course, bring in a few extra dollars. I'm trying to be patient while also being just the right amount of picky!

June's Books Completed and Reviewed

Fair As A Star by Mimi Matthews - This one was finished in May but I hadn't yet posted the review. You can now see it HERE. 



 Beneath A Peaceful Moon by Debby Lee - Mary, a Yakima tribe member, and John, a Navajo tribe member, are serving in the military during WWII. Both are asked to use the language skills in the war effort, and both wind up in top secret missions. (Read my full review HERE) 



A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell - Had so much fun listening to this audiobook! The story is a combination of suspense, dark humor, mystery thriller, and dry wit in which a case of mistaken identity leads to attempted murder and Paul needs to find out why someone wants whomever they think he is dead. (Read my full review HERE)



Man of Shadow and Mist by Michelle Griep - A lovely Gothic romance inspired by Stoker's Dracula and with hints of Beauty and the Beast. (Read my full review HERE)




During June I started reading:

Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover - This is more of a textbook or guidebook for teaching writing. It is very informative and engaging though, and I think I'll be incorporating its ideas if I teach again this fall.

   


During June I continued reading:

A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera identifies some forged artwork at the estate of a distant family member while at a wedding party and is compelled to investigate.



Where My Books Took Me in June . . . 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.


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

Beneath A Peaceful Moon started out in southern California, and moved to the Philippines.
One Word: Focus

A Man With One of Those Faces takes place in Dublin, Ireland, and some of the surrounding country.
One Word: Twists

Man of Shadow and Mist takes place in Whitby, England, but references Romania.
One Word: Assumptions


A Perilous Perspective takes place in Scotland.



Coming Up in July!

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber
A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber


   



What I'm Highlighting . . . A new project I'm trying―the Book Review Bulletin, a monthly link-up for review posts. I'm just starting out, and will see how it goes! The Book Review Bulletin for July will open on June 28th, and I hope you'll drop by and share a review or two. 



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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Recent Reads - Man of Shadow & Mist

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


Man of Shadow and Mist by Michelle Griep - Rosa Edwards enjoys working with her father in his subscription library and is dedicated to bringing books and education to the poorer folks in Whitby, in hopes of overcoming superstition. A chance meeting with Sir James Morgan, newly returned to Whitby, introduces her to the subject of the town's superstitious gossip though. He and his mother suffer from a disease that is stealing her sanity and life, and he is trying to find a cure or treatment. Unfortunately, his unusual behavior and circumstances are misinterpreted by the locals and he is rumored to be a vampire. Despite the friendship growing between James and Rosa, and his unfailingly gentlemanly and kind treatment of her, the danger to both of them grows as rumors spread―perhaps helped along by an enemy―and the fears of the uneducated townsfolk turn them to unreasonable hatred and threats of violence. 

Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, makes a couple of brief cameo appearances in the story, and the hereditary disease, Romanian ancestry, and gloomy estate of the Morgans all contribute to the Gothic atmosphere. There's also a 'Beauty and the Beast' feel to the characters and story. Rosa loves books and learning, and is practical, reasonable, and generous by nature. She doesn't put stock in the tales of vampires and monsters and is sure there is an explanation for the strange deaths of area livestock that doesn't involve something supernatural. Her persistence and kindness earn the respect and friendship of the reclusive and brooding Sir James, who surprises himself by being attracted to her and wanting to trust her. Because of his malady and his fears for his mother, James avoids contact with others, shutting himself off in his estate as much as possible. His trust has been betrayed before and he has seen how quickly the suspicions of others can turn vicious and hateful, so he keeps to himself. He enjoys conversation with Rosa, but he knows it would be unfair to tell her just how deeply he cares for her, thinking it would put her in danger.

The characters are compelling as they battle their hidden fears and desires, and I loved the balance between haunting suspense and developing romance. The characters' faith is challenged as well as their beliefs in human nature and the meaning of trust and community. The dangers of prejudice and becoming swept up in mob behavior, and the temptations of acting in self-preservation or fear are driving forces in the conflicts. 

I was engrossed with the story from the first page, and surely hope there will be more in this Of Monsters and Men series!

From the publisher:

"The world seems full of good men―even if there are monsters in it."
—Bram Stoker, Dracula

England, 1890

Vampires are alive and well in North Yorkshire, leastwise in the minds of the uneducated. Librarian Rosa Edwards intends to drive a stake through the heart of such superstitions. But gossip flies when the mysterious Sir James Morgan returns to his shadowy manor. The townsfolk say he is cursed.

James hates everything about England. The weather. The rumours. The scorn. Yet he must stay. His mother is dying of a disease for which he's desperately trying to find a cure—an illness that will eventually take his own life.

When Rosa sets out to prove the dark gossip about James is wrong, she discovers more questions than answers. How can she accept what she can't explain—especially the strong allure of the enigmatic man? James must battle a town steeped in fear as well as the unsettling attraction he feels for the no-nonsense librarian.

Can love prevail in a town filled with fear and doubt?

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.



This is a book that satisfies a craving for the Summer Reading Challenge.



This is a book featuring mythology (#34) 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, June 23

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for June 23, 2023

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


Before I share my teasers, I'm going to do a quick tease on the Book Review Bulletin, a monthly link-up for review posts. I'm just starting out with this project, and will see how it goes! The Book Review Bulletin for July will open on June 28th (yes, a couple days before the beginning of July!), and I hope you'll drop by and share a review or two. 



And now for some First Lines:

I'm featuring something a little more academic this week. One of my side gigs for the past several years has been teaching Literature and Writing to high school age students at a homeschool co-op. It is one of my favorite things to do, honestly! I've taught both Fiction and Non-fiction writing, and this coming school year the current plan is for me to teach the Non-fiction class remotely. So when the following book was available for me to review, I thought it would be very useful and interesting as I prepared to teach. It is good reading for me, and I'm enjoying it, but I suppose it's not for everyone!

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Introduction
Composition as Conversation: Engaging in Meaningful Academic Dialogue

The composition classroom is much more than word counts and gallons of spilled red ink, and yet even the most enthusiastic writing instructor may have difficulty fostering a love of academic writing in students.

~From the beginning of Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover


Teaching writing is not for the faint of heart, but it can be a tremendous gift to teachers and students. Students often approach writing courses with trepidation because they think of writing as a mystical and opaque process. Teachers often approach these same courses with dread because of the enormous workload and the often-unpolished skills of new writers. This approachable composition textbook for beginning writers contends that writing can be a better experience for everyone when taught as an empathetic and respectful conversation. In a time in which discourse is not always civil and language is not always tended carefully, a conversation-based wrirting approach emphasizes intention and care.

Written by a teacher with more than fifteen years of experience in the college writing classroom, Composition as Conversation explores what happens when the art of conversation meets the art of writing. Heather Hoover shows how seven virtues―including curiosity, attentiveness, relatability, open-mindedness, and generosity―inform the writing process and can help students become more effective writers. She invites writers of all skill levels to make meaningful contributions with their writing.

This short, accessible, and instructive book offers a reflective method for college-level writing and will also work well in classical school, high school, and homeschool context. It demystifies the writing process and helps students understand why their writing matters. It will energize teachers of writing as they encourage their students to become careful readers and observers, intentional listeners, and empathetic arguers. The book also provides helpful sample assignments.



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.

***************
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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Rodin's famous sculpture The Thinker at first seems to support the idea of an individual pondering powerful questions alone. But Rodin's Thinker emerged from the clay only with the help of the artist, who in turn was deep in conversation with his artistic community, particularly Michelangelo, and with Dante's Inferno, which inspired the work.

~at 56% of Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover




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: What questions would you ask any author if you had the chance?

My Answer: Wow, I do not know. I think that in general I'm curious about the writing process for authors - how they develop their ideas and plan out the plots, especially for mysteries. There are some authors I think I'd just enjoy sitting with for a chat over a cup of tea or coffee, and see what kinds of questions come up in conversation.

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, June 22

Recent Reads - A Man With One of Those Faces

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


A Man With One of Those Faces by Caimh McDonnell - I should start out by explaining why I decided to read listen to this book. One of the readers in the 52 Book Club shared a photo of a hilarious dedication in a novel, and many of us commented wanting to know the title and author because it was so clever. (Of course, I cannot now remember what the dedication was, or which novel it came from.) Upon learning the title and that it was by Caimh McDonnell, I declared that I wanted to read his work based only on that dedication. A search at Amazon and at my library didn't turn up that title, but did turn up this one, which happens to take place in Dublin, fulfilling one of the 52 prompts, so I borrowed the audiobook version and hoped for the best. Not only have I not been disappointed, I have been thoroughly delighted with this story! 

Many questions about Paul Mulchrone arise right from the start of the story, and nurse Brigit Conroy asks a lot of them. What we find out early is that he has that 'familiar' kind of face, and one of the things he does is allow elderly hospital patients who are alone to believe he is the son or nephew or grandson or whatever, in order to provide some companionship to them. It's not entirely altruistic though. Brigit asks Paul to look in on an elderly man without much time left, and it leads to a very odd conversation and the man attempting to murder Paul. It's a case of mistaken identity, but the old man dies during the scuffle and Paul is left to try to explain what happened even though he doesn't know who the man really was or why he wanted to kill whoever he thought Paul was. 

Later, someone tries to attack Paul back at his apartment, and he reluctantly teams up with Brigit to try and figure out why. They find themselves in a bizarre race to stay ahead of the would-be killers, trying to figure out how the few pieces they have connect before they can even speculate what the missing pieces might be. An old copper friend of Paul's, an aging detective and his upstart partner, an elderly woman who thinks Paul is her grandson, Paul's lawyer, and several other characters take part in the chase, but Paul and Bridget really don't know who is on their side or who can be trusted.

The result is a narrative that is full of suspense and intrigue, but is also full of sardonic wit and comedy. It's a somehow twisted version of detective noir with dark humor. I laughed out loud plenty of times - sometimes even during tense scenes - because the descriptions, reactions, and dialog was so funny. Narrator Morgan C. Jones is fabulous and his voice characterizations and accents added so much to the atmosphere and my enjoyment of the story. This is the kind of book that is best enjoyed in audio format, in my opinion! And I enjoyed it so much I will plan on listening to the following books in the series.

One important caveat - it is also full of very colorful language and there are some gratuitously violent scenes. If f-bombs and similar profanity or vulgarity of language will offend you, steer clear.


From the publisher:

The first time somebody tried to kill him was an accident.

The second time was deliberate.

Now Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. Together they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history . . . 

. . . or else they'll be history.

A Man With One of Those Faces is the first book in Caimh McDonnell's Dublin Trilogy, which melds fast-paced action with a distinctly Irish acerbic wit.

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This is a book set in the city for the Summer Reading Challenge.



This is a book set in the city of Dublin (#47) 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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Tuesday, June 20

Top Ten Tuesday - The One With My Summer Reading List

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: Books on My Summer 2023 To-Read List. I think I've been in a season of slower reading again, and I'm not at all confident that I'll get all of these finished by the end of the summer. Halfway through the year I'm also realizing that I have my work cut out for me if I want to check off most of the remaining prompts in my 2023 Reading Challenges, and I haven't considered which of these titles will help with that goal. At any rate, here's what's currently top of mind to read.

Man of Shadow and Mist by Michelle Griep - This is a review title I'm engrossed in right now. I love it because it's riffing from the classic Dracula by Bram Stoker, and I love the references and the Gothic atmosphere. The two lead characters are so intriguing as well.



A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber - I've been trying to finish this for months, but keep getting interrupted. I must finish it very soon, because the next in the series is supposed to be in my mailbox today!



A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber - This one will be in my hands soon and I'll want to start on it the moment I finish A Perilous Perspective!



Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover  - This one needs to appear next on the list because it's a review book that I need to get to immediately or I'll be late!



The Vanishing At Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright - I've been wanting to read this for awhile, and Jaime Jo Wright will be at a library festival here in a few weeks, so I think it would be lovely to meet her and have read her most recent. 




Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn - Here's another one that I bought a little while ago and just haven't had a chance to crack the cover yet. I hope to get to it soon!

   


Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette - This new title from a favorite author releases in August and I plan to have it in my hands almost immediately after that release day!




Murder Most Fair and A Certain Darkness by Anna Lee Huber - I've had these from the Verity Kent series on my to-read pile since their respective release dates, but haven't had time to get to them either. (One of the pitfalls of pre-ordering new releases from favorite authors - for me, anyway! - is that the books arrive without any respect for what else I have going on, and invariably the books I own must be set aside when I have a deadline to return a library book or to write a review) I desperately want to read these very soon, but since I've waited this long already . . .

   


The Day That Never Comes by Caimh McDonnell - I added this audiobook because I just finished the first in The Dublin Trilogy and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I'd like to listen to the rest in the series. Sinister and suspenseful, but also witty and laugh-out-loud funny.



What's on your reading list?

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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