Monthly Bookshelf Review - January 2024

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If you cannot read all your books, at any rate . . . peer into them, let them fall open where they will, read from the first sentence that arrests the eye, set them back on the shelves with your own hands, arrange them on your own plan so that you at least know where they are. Let them be your friends; let them be your acquaintances. ~Winston Churchill

I suppose this quote sums up where I am with reading during this season of my life! I'd love to read more but just don't have the time to read everything I'd like to. I need to quit bemoaning the fact and just accept that this is how it is for now! And be thankful for having so many good books to choose from!

January's Books Completed and Reviewed

The Crumbs Off Heaven's Table by D.M. Griffin - Serene has spent her whole life hiding, but she is inexplicably drawn to the Hebrew God, and her anonymity comes to an end when she catches the attention of a wealthy Roman man. But the forces of evil won't let her go that easily. (Read my review HERE.)

During January I started reading:

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham - I'll soon be sharing my review of this latest in the Freddie and Grace Mystery series. Frederick and Grace continue their honeymoon trip in Italy, but are soon drawn into another investigation involving a series of stolen paintings and possible murder.

During January I continued reading:

Ticker by Lisa Mantchev - I had started this back in the fall and set it aside, but picked it up again. Penny has a clockwork heart that continuously needs rewinding, but she also has a lot of other crazy stuff going on in her life!

Where My Books Took Me in January . . . Here's where I've traveled through the pages during the month, along with One Word to sum up the ones I finished.

The Crumbs Off Heaven's Table takes place during the first century in the middle East.

One Word: Protection

The Juliet Code is set in Venice and the surrounding area of Italy.

Ticker takes place in a fictional steampunk universe. At the moment I'm going on memory, but I believe the city is called Bazalgate.

Coming Up in February!

I think I'm only going to allow myself to list one or two books in this section, because what's "up next" is forever changing!

Wimpy Weak and Woke by John L. Cooper - Still waiting to get started on this one!

What I'm Highlighting . . . Highlighting again, because I really enjoyed it! I was privileged to be part of the launch team for The Crumbs Off Heaven's Table, and before the month is over, I'd like to remind everyone to check it out! 

Here's the publisher's summary: A life targeted by the forces of evil since the beginning but protected within the fold of a love she was afraid to embrace and couldn't fully understand. Not as a Gentile at least. Separated from her parents, Serene became a servant who learned not to expect much out of life. Constant fear kept her in hiding, satisfied with the little provisions that her master allowed.

Yet she couldn't hide from love forever. When a certain man from Rome came into her life, Serene's heart began to open in love. Divine intervention mingled with circumstance until Serene was introduced not only to the love between a man and woman, but the love between her and her Creator.

With this powerful love also came an enemy. Would Serene's fragile faith and low self-esteem be able to battle the forces that were beyond herself? Would desperation drive her to seek the One who could truly send the demon possessing her daughter back to the Abyss? How would one encounter with the Son of God test her faith and reveal her true identity as a daughter of the King?

It is available from Amazon now.

You can also visit the author's website to find out more: Devoted Steps

On my blogs recently . . . 

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

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for January 5, 2024

The Crumbs Off Heaven's Table - Pre-Order Now!

2024 Reading Challenges

2023 Reading Challenges Wrap-Up

On Homeschool Coffee Break:

High School Writing Tip Sheets - Citing Your Sources (Update)

And on A Fresh Cup of Coffee:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Five Minute Friday posts

Everyday Images posts

Hodgepodge and other Q&A Link-up posts

Share Four Somethings - January 2024

WQ - Inspired By Good Books

Twenty-Six Lists - Things To Do This Winter

WQ - Justice

WQ - Rhythm Inspires

Twenty-Six Lists - Accomplishments and Goals

Introductions and Getting To Work

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas . . . Keeping Christmas All The Year

Currently . . . January 4, 2024

Share Four Somethings - December 2023

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot; at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date, and at What's On Your Bookshelf? #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge hosted by Deb's World. 

©2008-2024 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 - The Crumbs off Heaven's Table

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

The Crumbs Off Heaven's Table by D.M. Griffin - One of my favorite types of stories is fiction set during Bible times, that gives insights into the possible backgrounds and personalities of the various characters who make only a brief appearance in the pages of the Bible but played an important role nonetheless. One of those characters is a woman that isn't even mentioned by name, but has a fascinating encounter with Jesus. Matthew and Mark both tell the story of a Canaanite woman who came to Jesus and begged him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus commends her persistent faith and her daughter is healed and restored. The story raises many questions - Who was the woman and how did she hear about Jesus? What did she know about him or about the God of the Jews that she so passionately believed Jesus could do this thing for her, a Gentile? This imaginative and well-researched novel paints a portrait of the woman, giving her a name and a history.

Serene was separated from her parents as a very young child, when her mother admonished her to hide from her violent father. She grows up as a servant in the household of a man named Carchemish, where she feels relatively safe in her anonymity. Until a new overseer comes to manage the household when Carchemish becomes ill. Rogan poses as a high-ranking servant, but he is the second son of Carchemish's Roman business partner, Santini. The interactions between the two of them are tense at times, because Serene senses that Rogan is not who he claims to be, and Rogan is uncomfortable with the lie, especially that he must hide the truth from Serene.

Unknown to either of them, the forces of darkness are closing in around them, in the form of Rogan's sister-in-law, Lilah, and her father Domini. Domini and Lilah are both servants of the demonic spirit Belial, and on a mission to steal life and gain power, and most importantly, to stop a promised One that would have the power to defeat them. Lilah targets Rogan for her seduction and viciously attacks Serene, especially when she realizes that Rogan and Serene love each other.

Can Rogan and Serene possibly build a life together when they come from different levels of society, and face opposition from Rogan's father and others in power? Can Serene's simple faith in what she has learned about the Jewish God help them in their troubles? Would the Jewish God even accept their worship or hear their prayers?

Serene and Rogan are sympathetic and very likable characters, as they both have an inner desire to do the right thing, to be kind, and to tell the truth; even though they don't always understand why this is important to them when it tends to go against the grain of their society. They are both quietly skeptical of the belief in many Roman gods. They are both unusually good people, and Serene is drawn to the words of the Jewish scriptures and puts her faith in her simple understanding of this God. Of course they both have flaws as well, and struggle and stumble in their character arcs, but both are on a journey to find love and security and discover that their identities are far more than just their social and economic status.

From the publisher: 

A life targeted by the forces of evil since the beginning but protected within the fold of a love she was afraid to embrace and couldn't fully understand. Not as a Gentile at least. Separated from her parents, Serene became a servant who learned not to expect much out of life. Constant fear kept her in hiding, satisfied with the little provisions that her master allowed.

Yet she couldn't hide from love forever. When a certain man from Rome came into her life, Serene's heart began to open in love. Divine intervention mingled with circumstance until Serene was introduced not only to the love between a man and woman, but the love between her and her Creator.

With this powerful love also came an enemy. Would Serene's fragile faith and low self-esteem be able to battle the forces that were beyond herself? Would desperation drive her to seek the One who could truly send the demon possessing her daughter back to the Abyss? How would one encounter with the Son of God test her faith and reveal her true identity as a daughter of the King?

You can also visit the author's website to find out more: Devoted Steps

Special thanks to D.M. Griffin for including me on the Launch Team for The Crumbs Off Heaven's Table, and providing me a copy of the book for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

#CrumbOffHeavensTable #EncounterSeries

This is a book about finding identity (#43) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2024

©2008-2024 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 January 5, 2024

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

The holidays were just too busy for me to remember to participate in these Friday link-ups,  and I know I won't be able to do this every week, but I am jumping in with a couple of teasers to kick off a new year. This novel is launching on January 16th, and as part of the launch team I'm reading an ARC edition. You can pre-order it, so if it catches your eye, please check it out! I'm really enjoying it! 

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ROME, 5 A.D.

He hovered. It was more than quiet. It was silent. There was a difference. In his realm of existence, silence was the standard.  But here, among them, it was unusual.

~From the beginning of The Crumbs Off Heaven's Table by D.M. Griffin

A life targeted by the forces of evil since the beginning but protected within the fold of a love she was afraid to embrace and couldn't fully understand. Not as a Gentile at least. Separated from her parents, Serene became a servant who learned not to expect much out of life. Constant fear kept her in hiding, satisfied with the little provisions that her master allowed.

Yet she couldn't hide from love forever. When a certain man from Rome came into her life, Serene's heart began to open in love. Divine intervention mingled with circumstance until Serene was introduced not only to the love between a man and woman, but the love between her and her Creator.

With this powerful love also came an enemy. Would Serene's fragile faith and low self-esteem be able to battle the forces that were beyond herself? Would desperation drive her to seek the One who could truly send the demon possessing her daughter back to the Abyss? How would one encounter with the Son of God test her faith and reveal her true identity as a daughter of the King?

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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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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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Serene slipped under again, the darkness grew claws that ripped at her mind and heart. The creature was trying to sift through her soul. She was looking for information. Why?

~at 56% of The Crumbs Off Heaven's Table by D.M. Griffin

The Friday 56 was started and hosted at Freda's Voice. She is taking a break from hosting, but Anne at My Head Full of Books has volunteered to host for now, so I'll be linking up there.

*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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©2008-2024 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.

The Crumbs off Heaven's Table - Pre-Order Now!

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

This is one of the books I'm reading to start the new year, and it's a wonderful choice! I'm so proud to be part of the launch team for this novel that launches on January 16th, and have the chance to read it before that big day! It's available for pre-order now though, so you can be ready to start reading.

The Crumbs Off Heaven's Table by D.M. Griffin - I love historical fiction, and historical novels based on Biblical stories are especially interesting to me. This one explores the brief account in the Gospels of Jesus responding to a Gentile woman's request for healing for her demon-possessed daughter. If you've read this little vignette in the book of Mark, maybe you found Jesus' initial answer puzzling because it seems almost like he isn't sympathetic to this Greek woman's pleas on her child's behalf. But of course Jesus does heal the daughter, and commends the woman for her great faith. Perhaps you've wondered, as many have, who this woman was, how she heard about Jesus, and how she had come to such a conviction that Jesus could do the miracle she asked of him. I've also wondered what happened to the woman and her daughter after this healing. They must have had an amazing story to tell! This novel imagines the background and details and provides compelling possibilities by creating a cast of complex and interesting supporting characters.

From the publisher: 

A life targeted by the forces of evil since the beginning but protected within the fold of a love she was afraid to embrace and couldn't fully understand. Not as a Gentile at least. Separated from her parents, Serene became a servant who learned not to expect much out of life. Constant fear kept her in hiding, satisfied with the little provisions that her master allowed.

Yet she couldn't hide from love forever. When a certain man from Rome came into her life, Serene's heart began to open in love. Divine intervention mingled with circumstance until Serene was introduced not only to the love between a man and woman, but the love between her and her Creator.

With this powerful love also came an enemy. Would Serene's fragile faith and low self-esteem be able to battle the forces that were beyond herself? Would desperation drive her to seek the One who could truly send the demon possessing her daughter back to the Abyss? How would one encounter with the Son of God test her faith and reveal her true identity as a daughter of the King?

You can pre-order from Amazon now, and the book will be available January 16th. 

You can also visit the author's website to find out more: Devoted Steps

©2008-2024 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.

2024 Reading Challenges

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

Somehow I continue to take on reading challenges and add books to my wishlist and TBR stack, even as I frequently bemoan the fact that I have trouble finding the time or the motivation to read like I used to. In fact, I'm quite intimidated and amazed by the bloggers I see who read two or three or five times as many books as I do! But it's all about getting enjoyment out of reading, and challenging myself to try new authors and genres as well. Here are the challenges I'm going to have some fun with in 2024.

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The first year I did The 52 Book Club challenge, I started partway through the year so I didn't really expect to finish. Last year I made my second run with the Challenge, and thought if I could read about two-thirds of the books I'd be happy. I came pretty close to that goal. My total number of books read has been averaging around thirty for the past few years, so once again I'm just going to have fun and do my best and see how many I can check off the list. And if it's not all 52 I'm perfectly fine with that. Find out more about the 2024 Reading Challenge HERE, and check out the 2024 Reading Challenge Guide too.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2024

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Once again, I'll be participating in one of the challenges hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. Just one this year - the 2024 European Reading Challenge - and this will serve as my anchor post.

For this challenge, participants will be reading books either set in Europe or by European authors. Last year my goal was the Four Star (Honeymooner) level participation, but I wound up visiting seven different countries. This year I'll set my sights on the Five Star (Deluxe Entourage) level, which is five books set in five different European countries, or by authors from five different countries. I usually read a lot of books set in England, so it's getting to the other countries that presents the challenge to me.

From Rose City Reader:

THE GIST: The idea is to read books set in European countries or books by European authors. The books can be of any genre - fiction, nonfiction, novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, whatever. You can participate at different levels, but each book must represent a different country - either written by an author from a different country or set in a different country, no two books from the same country. It's supposed to be a tour!

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I will continue keeping track of the titles I read in an "Alphabet Soup" challenge, to see how many letters of the alphabet I can represent. From time to time I do Friday Fun posts, but I can no longer keep up with those every week! Friday Fun posts include some combination of First Line Fridays, hosted by Reading is My SuperPower; Book Beginnings on Fridays, hosted by Rose City Reader; the Friday 56, currently hosted by Anne at My Head Full of Books; and the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. I like the idea of the Top Ten Tuesday link-up hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, but if I manage to participate in that, it will only be once in awhile. In fact, there are lots of link-ups and challenges that really interest me and I wish I could participate in, but it's unrealistic to think I can do them all. I keep my options open to jump in here and there.

 I do try to be consistent with writing bookshelf summaries, shared with Book Date and at the BookWorms Monthly link-up, and What's On Your Bookshelf? #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge hosted by Deb's World.

For someone who is finding less time for reading, and who has struggled through some lengthy reading slumps lately, that looks like an awful lot! But the bottom line is that I do love a good book, and I like talking about good books, so even though my book totals are not very high, I hope to keep doing a little blogging about books here and there. And maybe someday when I retire I'll pick up the pace!

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Happy Reading!

©2008-2024 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.