Monday, August 28

Monthly Bookshelf Review - August 2023

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


It doesn't matter. I have books, new books, and I can bear anything as long as there are books. ~Jo Walton

I can't believe it's time to do another bookshelf review and I've only completed two books since the last one! Apparently my days of having four or five books on the go at once are over, at least for the time being, and I haven't been nearly as motivated to read much lately. Part of it is the time factor, as I'm working part time now, and right in the middle of the day so no reading while I eat lunch!

August's Books Completed and Reviewed

Rebecca (Daughters of the Lost Colony Book 3) by Shannon McNear - The novel tells the stories of John Smith, John Rolfe, and Pocahuntas and the Jamestown colonists with new perspective, but solidly grounded in great research. (Read my review HERE.)



Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir - A young journalist investigates the unsolved disappearance of a young girl thirty years earlier, but it seems there's someone who is willing to kill in order to prevent the case being solved.  (Read my review HERE.)



During August I started reading:

The Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel - Just got started on this story of a brilliant Swedish-born actress who is tasked with spying for the American forces during WWII. 



During August I continued reading:

Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover - A combination guidebook and textbook for engaging writing, which I'm planning to refer to as I teach a high school writing class this school year. My review is coming very soon.



During August I shelved . . . 

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright - This is a dual timeline story centering around a castle and its mysterious residents who have an ominous reputation. I've struggled to find time to read lately, and since I had review books to prioritize, I set this one aside until I got a bit more caught up. 



Where My Books Took Me in August . . . 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.

Rebecca (Daughters of the Lost Colony Book 3) is set in what is now Virginia and some of the surrounding areas.
One Word: History
Reykjavík: A Crime Story takes place in Iceland, as the title indicates!
One Word: Truth

The Starlet Spy begins in Hollywood, but I'm expecting it will move to Europe at some point.
The Vanishing at Castle Moreau isn't set somewhere in Europe as one might expect from the title and cover, but in Wisconsin.


Coming Up in September!

Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette
A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber
Queen of Exiles by Vanessa Riley



   


What I'm Highlighting . . . I feel like I'm not contributing that much to my own link-up, but I've committed to try hosting this monthly book review link party for awhile and see how it goes. The Book Review Bulletin - August 2023 is open for a few more days, and a new link-up for September is scheduled to open on the 1st. I'd love for you to drop by and share a review or two, and comment on someone else's review. The hope is that we can comment on actual reviews and share them. I've fallen behind reading and commenting on the reviews that are already linked there, but I promise I will!



On my blogs recently . . . 

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


Homeschool Coffee Break, my original blog, has been quiet during the summer, but I'm planning to be a little more active there as the school year gets underway.


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.



Posted by at 3 comments:
Labels: ,

Recent Reads - Reykjavik: A Crime Story

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


Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir - In 1956, a teenage girl disappeared from a small island just off the coast of Reykjavik, and the mystery remained unsolved. Detective Kristjan pursued the very few clues he had, but found no answers and had to leave the case open. He never forgot about Lara's disappearance though, and kept hoping she was alive. The opening chapter in Part One takes place just after Lara disappeared, the second chapter is ten years later, with Kristjan reflecting on the case after a newspaper runs a story on it. The third chapter is twenty years later, in 1976, with another news story focusing on the old mystery and Kristjan still wondering whether he'd done all he could. Then the story jumps ahead to 1986, and an enterprising young journalist named Valur who is working on yet another anniversary story on Lara's disappearance. He follows every lead and tries to interview the people connected to the case in any way, and makes enough progress that he believes he may be able to solve the mystery. He even receives a couple of mysterious and anonymous tips that seem very valuable, and indicate that someone does know what happened. Valur is determined and hopeful, but is taken aback when the newspaper editor starts advertising that the case will be solved in an upcoming edition of the paper, to coincide with Reykjavik's anniversary celebrations. Something seems off . . . and then an accident takes Valur's life . . . or was it an accident?

Valur's sister Sunna had been his confidant, and he had loaned her his notebook before his death, hoping for her insight on the leads he'd gathered. Sunna realizes that Valur must have been close to the truth, and that he may have been murdered because of it. She decides she will finish the story for the paper herself and sets out to talk to everyone mentioned in his notes. With help from Valur's girlfriend, Sunna untangles the threads of the mysterious messages he'd received and eventually discovers what happened to Lara and why the crime had gone undetected for thirty years.

This is the first Nordic Noir title I've read, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Still, I was pleasantly surprised that although the overall atmosphere of the story evokes sadness and regret, it was not dark or deeply disturbing. The pace is relatively slow, with characters thinking, reflecting, remembering, and talking through the clues and possibilities rather than actively chasing them down. The mystery is a perplexing one, and very well thought out, so as Valur and then Sunna start peeling back the layers, the reader is able to piece things together along with them until the final resolution, which holds a bit of a twist. I liked the character arc for Sunna as well, as she moved into the lead character role and found purpose and meaning after her own tragedy.



From the publisher:

With over three million copies sold worldwide, Ragnar Jónasson, along with Katrín Jakobsdóttir, brings us a gripping and chilling new thriller, Reykjavík.

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 . . .

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of this review.


This is a book that I've been avoiding for the Summer Reading Challenge.



This is Nordic Noir (#24) 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.


Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , ,

Friday, August 25

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for August 25, 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, is open and I'd like to invite you to stop by and share a review or two. Find it here: Book Review Bulletin for August 



And now for some First Lines: After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back to share some teasers. I have had a tough time getting any meaningful amount of reading done lately, and I currently have review books I really must finish so my reviews won't be late! I don't know why reading has been difficult lately, but I am wanting to get started on this book as soon as I can get some others back on track!

***************
1043 BC
MITZPAH, ISRAEL

Today, the first king of Israel would be chosen. And I would see it happen with my own eyes.

~From the beginning of Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette


As the eldest son of a Levite and a Philistine, Avidan is torn between his duty to his family legacy and the desire for something more. After an enemy attack strikes close to home, he takes the opportunity to fight with his cousins for the newly crowned King Saul. But when one of the cousins goes missing during the battle, Avidan refuses to leave him behind.

Keziah is the daughter of one of the most powerful clan chiefs in the territory of Manasseh. On the brink of a forced marriage to a loathsome man decades older than her, she has no choice but to run, hoping to find a sanctuary with her mother's family.

United during their journeys and battling to survive the dangers that surround them, Avidan and Keziah make a pact to travel together. As challenges pile up, they must not only rely on each other to stay alive but also learn to trust the true and eternal King of Israel to guide their every step.



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.

***************
"Battles never go to plan, Avi." He pinned me with a searching gaze. "war is nothing to take lightly."

~from page 56 of Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette




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.

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

©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.



Posted by at 4 comments:
Labels: ,

Friday, August 18

What I'm Reading - August 18, 2023

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

 It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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 update that often. Usually I do this around the middle of the month, and try to share my monthly bookshelf summary on the last Monday of the month. Here's what I've been working on lately.

I haven't been able to get much reading done at all recently! Now that I'm working, there's no more getting lost in a good book while I eat my lunch, and I'm often too tired to do much reading in the evening. Plus I have other things to get done! I'm still trying to get myself into a weekday routine that helps me get important things done as well as allows me time for the relaxing or creative things. Let's face it - I'm not a very good time manager, so it is a huge challenge for me! And then we were on a short vacation this past weekend, but although I tried, I wasn't able to finish either of the review books I'm (still!) working on. Those are priority right now!


I finished reading . . . 

Rebecca (Daughters of the Lost Colony Book 3) by Shannon McNear - The stories of John Smith, John Rolfe, and Pocahuntas told with imagination and compassion, but based on a wealth of research. (Read my review HERE.)




I'm currently reading . . .

Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover - I'm not quite finished with this guidebook for writing engaging and interesting material. I'm finding a lot of helpful ideas and approaches that I hope will help me in teaching a high school writing class this coming school year - but I must finish and review this book soon!



Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir - Thirty years after a young girl disappeared without a trace, a journalist feels he is close to a breakthrough in discovering what happened. But then tragedy strikes - an accident? Or is someone willing to commit murder to keep the truth hidden?



The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright - a dual timeline story centering around a castle and its mysterious residents who have an ominous reputation. As little time as I've had to read lately, this one will have to be sidelined until I get caught up a bit!


Next on the stack . . . 

The Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel
Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette
A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber
Queen of Exiles by Vanessa Riley
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber


   

   

   


What I'm Highlighting . . . I've just started hosting a monthly link party specifically for book reviews that you'd like to share for comments. I don't know how it will work out but it's worth a try! Stop by the Book Review Bulletin - August 2023 and link up any of your reviews that you'd like to highlight.



On my blogs recently . . . 

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



On my main coffee break project, A Fresh Cup of Coffee:



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



What are you reading?


This post will also be linked at What's On Your Bookshelf? #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge hosted by Deb's World. 

 ©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.



Posted by at 5 comments:
Labels: ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)