Monday, November 17

What I'm Reading - November 17, 2025


Here's a quick update on what I've been reading and watching lately. 

I'm currently reading . . .

Monet For Nothing by PJ Fitzsimmons - The unflappable flapper Teddy Quillfeather is back with a new caper. She gets herself involved in a scheme to smuggle a piece of art from France to England and will have to sort out forgeries and fraud and keep herself and her friends out of trouble.



No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister - saw this one recommended on a friend's blog and picked it up from the library. I haven't read very far yet, but I'm hooked already! 



A Certain Darkness by Anna Lee Huber - finally starting on the next Verity Kent mystery. Verity and her husband Sidney are both called upon to investigate murders, one in France and the other in Belgium, and they begin to see that the cases may be connected after all.




Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . . 

Honestly, I don't know. I had a couple I thought might be next and then I got the opportunity to read the Teddy Quillfeather book, and started on No Two Persons and A Certain Darkness. So I'm near the beginning of three books and it's coming up time to read a Christmas book soon. As a result I'll leave this category open right now - I'm not ready to decide on the next read until I'm on the home stretch of at least one of the three reads I've got going on right now.


I finished reading . . . 

While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden - Katherine is in danger because she's given information to the police about bomb threats, and Lt Jonathan Birch is determined to keep her safe even as he puts himself in danger following up on leads and trying to earn a spot on the police force's bomb squad. (Read my review HERE)





Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell - a shapeshifter monster develops a relationship with a young woman from a family of monster-hunters. It's a bit of fantasy horror with dry humour and some pop-psychology YA themes. I listened to the audiobook. Entertaining, but not for everyone! (Read my review HERE)




The Terrifying Tales by Edgar Allen Poe - I usually read some kind of classic spooky story during October, and Poe's short stories were my choice. The suspense is done so well in his classic tales like The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado. (Read my review HERE)




The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year - Margaret Renkl - It seems like ages ago I finished this, but it was right before my October mid-month update. A collection of short essays reflecting on the changes in nature and her backyard throughout the year. (Read my review HERE)




I've been watching . . . 

We finished the current season of Only Murders in the Building, and I've been rather at loose ends becuase I enjoy the show so much and it's a long wait until the next season! The good news is, it's pretty clear that there will be at least one more season. My husband was watching the entire fun of the old 70s series "Emergency" and I watched some of those with him. We've watched some hockey games as well. Last week my hubby talked me into watching a movie he'd found that he thought I might like - Small Group - and I did. We haven't watched it yet this year, but I've made it clear that Thanksgiving week is a good time to watch one of my favorite movies, Babette's Feast. So wish me luck with that!


I've been listening to . . .

Well, I finished listening to the audiobook and don't have another one in mind at the moment. So for now, it's my standard playlist of music and podcasts. And I guess holiday music soon!



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



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What are you reading?


This post may be linked at What's On Your Bookshelf? #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge hosted by Deb's World, and/or at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date.

 It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 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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Saturday, November 15

Recent Reads - While the City Sleeps


While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden - Katherine Schneider loves her life in New York, working a late shift as a dentist (one of the few women in the profession, and at a clinic that was open late to accommodate working people), living in an all-female apartment building, and relatively independent. She enjoys her walk home from work each night, because she's escorted by a handsome police officer that she has fallen for and hopes will return her feelings.

Lieutenant Jonathan Birch makes it a point to meet Dr Schneider each evening and make sure she gets safely back to her building. He'd like nothing more than to declare his feelings for her, but he is sure his shadowy past life would be unacceptable to her, and it's important to keep it hidden from everyone in the police force as well. 

As she follows the news, Katherine realizes that the ramblings of one of her patients while under the influence of laughing gas may have been details about a bombing plot, so she seeks out Jonathan to tell him what she remembers. The information turns out to be valuable, but it also puts Katherine in danger. Jonathan's extra attention to keep her safe means that their friendship blossoms into romance, even while Jonathan is working hard to unravel the bomb threats and identify the conspirators. He has to cooperate with his rival within the police force, and that rival undermines the relationship between Jonathan and Katherine every chance he gets.

In order to bring the bombers to justice and keep the city - and particularly Katherine - safe, the rivals need to cooperate and Jonathan and Katherine will both have their abilities to forgive and to trust tested. 

 There's actually a fair amount of suspense in this romance, and the glimpse into the time period was very interesting too. Katherine is a great character - she's mature and independent and gracious, but at the same time she's a bit naive in her idealism and expectations. Jonathan is a wonderful but flawed hero - an exceptionally good and honorable man, but with a real blind spot when it comes to his rival, Gallagher. Both he and Gallagher engage in childish one-upmanship and hold onto grudges, and it could put them and others in danger, so that is an additional tension in the storyline. 


From the publisher:

Amid the hushed city, two hearts must navigate danger and deception, bound by a love that outshines the stars.

Katherine Schneider's life as a dentist in 1913 New York is upended when a patient reveals details of a deadly plot while under the influence of laughing gas. As she is plunged into danger, she seeks help from the dashing Lieutenant Jonathan Birch, a police officer she has long admired from afar.

Jonathan has harbored powerful feelings toward Katherine for years but never acted on them, knowing his dark history is something she could never abide. Now, with her safety on the line, he works alongside her through the nights as they unravel the criminal conspiracy that threatens her . . . even as he keeps his deepest secrets hidden at all costs.

By the same author: The Lady of Bolton Hill, A Daring Venture, A Dangerous Legacy, Beyond All Dreams, To The Farthest Shores, Against the Tide, Summer of Dreams, From This Moment, Until the Dawn, Into the Whirlwind

This is a book that has a moon on the cover (#12) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025



Since I read most of this in October, I counted it for Pick Your Costume in the October Mini-Challenge.


This is #7 in the Connections Challenge. The author shares a name with a character from the previous book (Elizabeth).



This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.
#histficreadingchallenge

bookworms monthly linky


©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 


 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 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, November 14

Recent Reads - Someone You Can Build A Nest In


Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell - I heard this book recommended in a podcast and it looked intriguing when I read the summary. I opted to listen to the audiobook and overall I enjoyed it. Now, how do I describe it? The cover gives young adult horror fantasy vibes, and that's certainly a start. It's not gory or graphic but certainly uncomfortable in a body horror kind of way, and there are elements that are not going to sit well with every audience.

Let me do a bit of story summary to start. The protagonist is a shapeshifting monster named Shesheshen whose hibernation is interrupted by hunters come to murder her. She manages to pull herself together - literally using discarded bones and chains and a bear trap to form a skeleton! - and fight back, but she's chased away from the ruined manor where she lives and is injured when she falls from a cliff. A human woman named Homily finds Shesheshen, and mistaking her for a fellow human, insists on nursing her back to health. Shesheshen continues in her human form disguise, using Homily's help to escape the hunters, but soon finds that she genuinely likes Homily. Homily is kind and caring, and as they grow closer Shesheshen decides Homily would make an excellent nest in which to lay her eggs. But the young would consume their host, and Shesheshen realizes that's not how humans do things.

Before Shesheshen can explain to Homily what she really is, she finds out that Homily's family - and in particular, her mother - is single-mindedly hunting the monster that put a curse on the family, and Homily is trying to help kill that monster too. Now Shesheshen is in a real predicament - she's wound up in a romantic relationship with a member of the family intent on murdering her. Shesheshen has to outwit Homily's mother, figure out why they believe they are cursed, and at some point tell Homily the truth, but the danger to them both is increasing the more time they spend with Homily's family. Plus Shesheshen really needs to lay those eggs soon.

This is a very inventive premise, with both the story telling and world-building done really well. The humor is dry and ironic, and Shesheshen's voice as the viewpoint character is both naive and ruthless. She is a surprisingly sympathetic and relatable character that happens to be a monster. Yes, she has disgusting gustatory habits, and a grossly weird ability to suck objects and animal body parts of all kinds into her naturally shapeless self and construct chains and sticks and bones into an imitation of a human shape (that's the body horror element). Seeing how humans behave from the perspective of a monster is both humorous and interesting.

I didn't care for Homily as a character. It's revealed that she has been a victim of abuse at the hands of her family, which makes her sympathetic, but I felt she was weak and insipid. Surely her tendency to accept blame, overcompensate, and attempt to earn affection was a response to how she had been "othered" and victimized, but I felt it was overdone. In general, that was what I didn't care for in this book - the effort to normalize and lionize queer and trans identities and throw in what felt like pop psychology felt heavy-handed. Although it's a fantasy setting so could be whatever the author wanted, it was all very medieval feeling except for the modern-day pop psychology. The romantic relationship between Shesheshen and Homily is a strange one because it's kind of a same-sex, but also sort of asexual, and on top of that, Shesheshen isn't human . . . so it's weird, but don't worry that it's graphic. There's one kiss, which I'm sure was intended to be very romantic, but I thought it was just incredibly awkward and wierd. 

As far as the plot and storytelling, I felt the denouement and wrap-up after the "final battle" was too long and drawn out, and didn't give any information about anyone or anything other than Shesheshen and Homily. It felt like the characters were transferred into a domestic fiction novel showing them as housemates and parents and romantic partners and to me it didn't really fit with the rest of the story. It could have been just an epilogue instead of several more chapters, in my opinion. An actual epilogue, which would be ironic, since there was a character named Epilogue! 

I'm not sorry I listened to it, because it was very entertaining, but I don't think my life has been enriched by it either. Important to note, because I do have a tag "hours I will never get back" that I give to books that I considered an actual waste of my time, and I'm NOT giving this one that designation. Entertaining, diverting, humorous, quirky, good story telling . . . just not edifying or enlightening.

From the publisher:

Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorophous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her, she constructs a body using a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth. However, the hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she's found a nursed back to health by Homily, a warmhearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent coparent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen's eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, she realizes humans don't think about love that way.

Shesheshen hates keeping her identity secret from Homily, but just as she's about to confess, Homily reveals why she's in the area: she's hunting a shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Shesheshen didn't curse anyone, but to give herself and Homily a chance at happiness, she has to figure out why Homily's twisted family thinks she did. As the hunt for the monster becomes increasingly deadly, Shesheshen must unearth the truth quickly, or soon both of their lives will be at risk. And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life.

This is a standalone novel  (#33) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025




Since I listened to most of this in October, I counted it for Pick Your Treat in the October Mini-Challenge.


This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot

bookworms monthly linky

©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 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, November 4

October Bookshelf Review


Well, I thought I had this ready to publish a few days ago, but the weekend was crazy busy, and I kind of forgot. So much for being wise, but here's the bookish quote that I thought suited the time of year:

I feel I want to be wise with white hair in a tall library in a deep chair by a fireplace. ~Gregory Corso

Autumn brings with it an increasing desire for cozy things, and I can think of few things cozier than an old-fashioned library with big armchairs by a fireplace. A place to read and muse, or to have quiet conversation with a loved one. I doubt I'll ever live in a house with that ideal library, but wouldn't it be lovely to have even a corner of a study or living room set up that way? That's my goal. Happy November! 

October's Books Completed and Reviewed

Before Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Brittany Fichter - Fantasy and fairy tale meet in this sweet and romantic retelling of the classic. Isabelle is lured to the enchanted fortress to break the curse on Prince Everard so he can defeat the enemy kingdom encroaching on them. But there's a twist in the way she needs to find her strength before there's a happy ever after. (Read my review HERE)



The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl - a year's worth of observations about nature and the passing of time, beautifully illustrated.  (Read my review HERE)



The Terrifying Tales by Edgar Allen Poe - A collection of Poe's classic short stories of mystery and suspense. (Read my review HERE)




During October I started reading:

Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell - I'm actually listening to the audiobook, and so very close to finishing! Shesheshen is a shape shifter monster who finds herself falling in love with a human. And not just any human, but a member of the family that has been hunting the monster believing that it has put a curse on the family. 



While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden - Dr Katherine Schneider is one of only a few female dentists in 1913, and she happens to work at a clinic that keeps late hours in order to accomodate the working class. One of her patients rambles while under laughing gas and Katherine later realizes he may have been talking about some bombings and threats in New York City so she take the information to the police lieutenant she is acquainted with.




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

Before Beauty is set in a fictional fairytale kingdom called Destin.
One Word: Purpose

The backyard referenced in The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year is in Tennessee.
One Word: Nature

The Terrifying Tales is a collection of short stories that take place in various locations including Paris.
One Word: Suspense

Someone You Can Build A Nest In is set in fictional lands that I won't attempt to spell, since I'm listening to the audiobook.
While the City Sleeps - the city is New York, which is ironic since it's said to be the city that never sleeps!



Coming Up in November!

I'm planning to pick up the next Verity Kent from my stack in the next day or two. Other than this one, I really don't know what I'll go with! I'm browsing through my Kindle library trying to decide which one is next there.

A Certain Darkness - Anna Lee Huber

  

Spotlight on:

I really want to highlight the review post and giveaway on my blog right now. Here on Just A Second, as well as on my other blogs, I just shared a review of the Peace of God Bible, and it includes a giveaway. See it here: Peace of God Bible (Review and Giveaway) Enter if you're at all interested, and I'd appreciate sharing the link so others have the opportunity to stop by and enter as well.




On my blogs recently . . . 

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



On my 'first cup' blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Not a current post, but in keeping with the date, I invite you to check out All Hallows, All Saints, and All Kinds of Celebrations


And on A Fresh Cup of Coffee:



This post will be linked at Share Your Shelf hosted by Slices of Life.




©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 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, November 3

Peace of God Bible (Review and Giveaway) #PeaceOfGodBibleMIN


The Peace of God Bible

You were made for peace ― and to be a peacemaker.

The story of the Bible is the story of peace―peace with God and with one another. 

But peace isn't simply a feeling of calm or ease. It is a way of experiencing life as we were always meant to―in relationship with our Creator and with each other. We can recover a completeness that was once lost but is restored in the gospel.

The Peace of God Bible invites you to experience peace with God as you trace this important theme throughout Scripture. By meditating on it daily as you read 365 devotions and application notes, you will find the encouragement you need to live out of the wholeness you have in Christ―and be equipped to share that peace with others.


Jeremiah Johnston, PhD (General Editor) Bio: Jeremiah J. Johnston, PhD, is an elected member of the preeminent New Testament scholarly guild Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS) and minsters internationally as president of Christian Thinkers Society (www.christianthinkers.com). Jeremiah loves the local church, and also serves as pastor of apologetics and cultural engagement at Prestonwood Baptist Church.



 Peace of God Bible features include:

  • Book introductions to help reveal the part peace plays in each book of the Bible
  • 365 devotionals based on a key verse or passage to guide you in how to receive and live by God's peace
  • 365 peace notes offering short, powerful insights to help you understand more deeply the wholeness you have in Christ
  • Topical indexes to help you study on your own how God's peace can shape different relationships in your life
  • Articles explore what the peace of God is, how to find or recover it, and how to experience eternal salvation because of what God has done for you
  • Concise concordance and index of features
  • End-of-page translators' notes and cross-references
  • Line-matched, double-column typesetting
  • Clear and readable 9.5-point NKJV Comfort Print®



My thoughts: Many times I've heard that peace is a theme throughout the Bible, and I know it's true, but seeing the devotionals and Peace Notes on almost every page in the Peace of God Bible really emphasized that truth. Not just in the verses that are very clearly about peace (Psalm 4:8 comes to mind), but in familiar passages that may not explicitly mention peace, such as Psalm 23, and in many passages that we might not associate with teachings about God's peace at all. 

This devotional with Psalm 23 highlights just how knowing God as our "Good Shepherd" and understanding that he cares and provides for us leads to our experiencing peace.


The short Peace Notes throughout provide brief reminders on what the Bible says about peace and how applying God's truth will bring us into the peace he has for us. Peace characterizes the "sound heart" spoken of in the Proverbs. This note in the book of Habakkuk sees how the prophet's declaration could be viewed as his own plan for focusing on God's promises and peace, in a way I wouldn't have thought of.



I liked the topical index in the back, because it's a quick reference for seeking Scripture and related devotionals when one is needing to overcome worry and anxiety about specific topics.



Purchase your copy of the Peace of God Bible today on Amazon!
It's available in three cover styles:  Hardcover





Learn more at PeaceofGodBible.com 

As part of this promotion, Momentum is generously allowing me to host this giveaway of one copy of the Peace of God Bible. Please note: This giveaway is open to US only, opens on November 2nd and closes on November 9th. Fill out the entry form here, on my Giveaway Page on A Fresh Cup of Coffee.

Hashtags: #PeaceOfGodBibleMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork


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

©2008-2025 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. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

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