What I'm Reading - March 20, 2026

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

I'm currently reading . . .

When the Cranes Fly South: A Novel by Liza Ridzén (translated by Alice Menzies) - I haven't even got very far in this novel about the experience of aging and it's already tugging at my heart strings. It's a library book, so I hope I can finish before I have to return it - I think it's still very much in demand.

A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage attend an estate sale of art, and part of the building collapses, injuring many. And there's reason to believe that the collapse may not have been an accident, so they are called upon to investigate.

Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness by Sasha Martin - If you're familiar with Sasha's blog (Global Table Adventure) about cooking a meal from every country in the world, this memoir tells about her childhood and growing up, and the experiences that led to her love of cooking and the decision to embark on that culinary world tour.

Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . . 

I have an ARC that just arrived for my review, so I will start that one straight away. Other than that, contenders for next up are:

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Being Henry: The Fonz . . . And Beyond by Henry Winkler

 

I finished reading . . . 

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews - This is a Victorian era romance, inspired by Beauty and the Beast. A notorious war hero and a shy bookish heiress agree to a marriage of convenience, but as Julia discovers more about her mysterious husband she is both intrigued and terrified. (Read my review HERE)

Lady Susan by Jane Austen - A novella told entirely using letters written between Lady Susan and members of her circle. Lady Susan is a society widow known for being manipulative and flirtatious. (Read my review HERE)

An Unsuitable Job by Bonnie Hardy - Josie gets a second chance as a Harvey House employee, this time as a detective. She's tasked with investigating when a guest is found murdered in a Harvey House, and to handle it all discreetly.  (Read my review HERE)

I've been watching . . . We've been watching hockey games, on TV and at the arena. I watched a couple episodes of Jury Duty with my husband but I didn't find it as amusing as he did, possibly because I actually was on the jury of a murder trial at the beginning of the month so everything unrealistic about the show stood out to me. I'm pretty sure we've watched some other shows and maybe even a movie or two recently, but the only one I can think of was the final Kingsmen movie - The Golden Circle or something like that. It was good, and Elton John's cameo bits in it were hilarious, but I think the other two movies in the series were better.

I've been listening to . . . my usual selection of music and podcasts.

On my blogs recently . . . 

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

February Bookshelf Review

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

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Everyday Images posts

Hodgepodge and other Q&A Link-up posts

Five Minute Friday posts

WQ - Perseverance

Currently . . . March 9, 2026

WQ - Libraries

Share Four Somethings - February 2026

Monthly Musings - An Easier Week

WQ - Living Responsibly

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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.

©2008-2026 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.

Recent Reads - An Unsuitable Job

An Unsuitable Job by Bonnie Hardy - Josie MacFarland is getting a second chance with the Harvey House, and in an unusual position. She was let go as a Harvey Girl, but she's been asked to return to the Castaneda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico as a Harvey House detective after a travelling salesman and regular guest was found murdered in his room. Josie hopes she'll have the chance to make things right with the friends she abandoned when she had to leave abruptly just a short time before.

The sheriff has a dangerous sort of charm, but he dismisses Josie as an unserious amateur. Josie wonders how hard he is really trying to solve the case, or if he is protecting someone else. The Harvey House matron was never a favorite of Josie's to begin with, and treats her and her friend Lily with disdain, but is there something more to her meanness? Josie has only her instincts and courage to recommend her, but she's determined to find out exactly what happened, and when Lily is falsely accused of the murder, Josie doubles down on her efforts to save her friend and get to the bottom of the whole story.

I enjoyed the setting and story, and the straightforward narrative style. It's definitely more in the cozy mystery style, and a mostly fun read, but I felt there were some holes and some places where the story was disjointed or would have benefited from more character development. We don't really find out why Josie was let go, and while it's not really necessary to the story, it's a huge part of her need to prove herself so it seems relevant. We also don't really find out why she was chosen as a house detective, other than some hints that as a woman she could blend in with the Harvey Girls and have access behind the scenes, which felt a little unsatisfactory. At a few places, the narrative jumped abruptly from one setting to another in a way that made me wonder if I'd missed a page. To be fair, this could be partially due to formatting since I was reading an ARC - a visual break in the text could easily solve this problem, and I hope that's all it was. 

One other aspect I didn't care for was that when Josie dressed as her alter ego, Joe Mack, the narrative immediately shifted the description as if she had indeed become "him" with the male pronouns. Readers can follow the story quite easily and understand that this is still Josie, just in disguise. The shift in pronouns did not land for this reader and seemed like an effort to tell a story set in 1929 with a nod to the preferred pronouns trends of the 2020s. I did like Josie's independent spirit and her spunk, and that the story doesn't rely on a romance to move the events along. The historical notes at the end were very interesting, and introduced some insights about the setting and the way Harvey House Girls, and women in general, were viewed at the time.

From the Publisher:

In 1930s New Mexico, a Harvey Girl takes on a job she was never meant to survive.

In this multiple award winning historical mystery, readers find themselves immersed in 1929 Las Vegas, New Mexico. When a man is murdered at the Castaneda Hotel, Josie MacFarland is given an impossible role: the first Harvey House Detective. Armed with only her determination, Josie faces a dismissive sheriff, the cold shoulder of old friends, and the hardships of the Great Depression.

She can either return home in disgrace―or fight to prove she belongs in a world determined to shut her out.

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book with an uneven number of chapters (#24), published in 2026 (#52) for The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2026

It's my first case in the March '26 Mini, kicking off the full Mystery Genre Challenge with Case #12 - An amateur sleuth.

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

©2008-2026 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.

February Bookshelf Review

Seventy million books in America's libraries, but the one you want to read is always out. ~Thomas Lansing Masson

The book I want is either out, or I have the opposite problem - the book I want and is not renewable becomes available right when I have several other books on the go, leaving me with hard choices to make! 

It looks like I got more books completed during this short month and part of me wonders how this is possible! To be fair, one of the books was really quite short. All the same, I'm encouraged by this, and I just finished another book that I'll be reviewing very shortly, so perhaps I'm gaining reading momentum.

February's Books Completed and Reviewed  

Secrets of the Maison Fournier by Amelia Pine - I finished this one last month but hadn't posted the review when I did the January summary, so here it is: Read my review HERE.

A Certain Darkness by Anna Lee Huber - Verity and her husband Sidney travel to France and Belgium, working together but on separate investigations. A witness dies under suspicious circumstances, and when the Kents realize that someone intends to kill them as well, they suspect the two cases may not be separate after all. (Read my review HERE)

  

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews - Julia Wychwood's beauty and dowry draw suitors in London, but she is uncomfortable at balls and making small talk. Captain Jasper Blunt, a war hero with a scandalous reputation, is sent away by Julia's father, but turns out to be Julia's rescuer when she needs to get away from her home. Can this Beauty and the Beast romance have a happy ending, when Julia discovers the truth about Jasper? (Read my review HERE)

Lady Susan by Jane Austen - A novella told entirely using letters written between Lady Susan and members of her circle. Lady Susan is a society widow known for being manipulative and flirtatious. (Read my review HERE)

During February I started reading:

An Unsuitable Job by Bonnie Hardy - Josie McFarland didn't last very long as a Harvey Girl, but she's been given a second chance as an in-house detective for the Harvey House. A salesman was murdered and it is Josie's task to find the murderer while keeping the Harvey name and reputation clean. I just finished this so the review is coming soon!

Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness by Sasha Martin - just started this memoir explaining how and why the author embarked on a project of cooking a meal from each of 195 different countries.

Where My Books Took Me in February . . . Here's where I've traveled through the pages during the month, and where each book fits in the reading challenges I'm working on.

A Certain Darkness started in London and then headed to France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

It was a book featuring a conspiracy (#5) for the 52 Book Club Challenge, and is a story related to "crime" for Prompt #2 of the February Mini-Challenge

The Belle of Belgrave Square also starts in London, and then moves to the English countryside. The story features a character with a secret identity (#35), and is written by an author whose first and last name start with the same letter (#40).

Lady Susan by Jane Austen takes place in Britain, and was written in the 1800s (#21). It's also related to "letter" for Prompt #1 of the February Mini-Challenge

An Unsuitable Job by Bonnie Hardy takes place in 1930s Nevada. 

Author Sasha Martin lives in the United States, so I would say that is the setting of Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness, but shares about the foods and her travels all over the world.

Coming Up in March!

Of these books, I thought I'd start at least one of them in February. I didn't. So they are still on the stack. And I just picked up a hold at the library, so I've added that to the mix. (Didn't technically start until March, but I did get going on A Tarnished Canvas, but if I need to read that library book on a deadline . . . well, we'll see how it goes . . . )

When the Cranes Fly South: A Novel by Liza Ridzén (translated by Alice Menzies)

Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn

A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Being Henry: The Fonz . . . And Beyond by Henry Winkler

 

On my blogs recently . . . 

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

What I'm Reading - February 15, 2026

And on A Fresh Cup of Coffee:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Everyday Images posts

Hodgepodge posts

WQ - Libraries

Share Four Somethings - February 2026

Monthly Musings - An Easier Week

WQ - Living Responsibly

Five Minute Friday - Benediction

Currently . . . February 6, 2026

This post will be linked at Share Your Shelf hosted by Slices of Life and Not In Jersey.

©2008-2026 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.

Recent Reads - Lady Susan

Lady Susan by Jane Austen - It's been a long time since I wrote anything like a "review" of a Jane Austen novel, though I never tire of re-reading them. However, Lady Susan is one I haven't previously read, so this was new for me. This would be considered a novella, as it is quite short. The entire story is told in a series of letters between Lady Susan and some of her family and acquaintances. 

Lady Susan Vernon is a recent widow with a daughter about sixteen years old. She is well-known in London society, and has a reputation as an accomplished flirt and coquette, and this is very soon borne out in the exchange of letters. However, the reader is presented with letters from Lady Susan herself and from other characters, and the possibility that at least one letter-writer could be considered an unreliable narrator. 

We learn that Lady Susan has left her daughter at a finishing school while she herself goes to stay with her late husband's brother and wife. The sister-in-law, Mrs Vernon, has a decidedly negative opinion of Lady Susan and her letters to her brother and parents expound on her displeasure at hosting such a flirt. Matters become more complicated when her brother Reginald joins them and develops a close friendship with Lady Susan. Much to the chagrin of his family, as they fear his marrying the woman! Lady Susan's daughter is eventually brought to the house as well, as she is to be engaged to a Sir James that she heartily dislikes. Lady Susan writes with justifications and pride in her manipulations to her friend, while Mrs Vernon and others write with distress and frustration.

In only a slim collection of letters with no additional narration or background, Austen tells a surprisingly complex story of a selfish and ambitious woman, and the norms of the society in which she lives.

From the publisher:

Discover a different side of Jane Austen in Lady Susan, a lesser-known yet equally engaging novella that brilliantly showcases Austen's witty social commentary and keen insight into human nature.

Lady Susan is a unique departure from Austen's conventional style, presenting readers with an unconventional anti-heroine who is as unning as she is captivating. The story unfolds through a series of letters, drawing you into the manipulative world of the charming and scheming widow, Lady Susan Vernon.

Austen's sharp-witted and ironic take on society's norms and the expectations of women make Lady Susan a delightful read. It stands as a testament to her talent as a storyteller and her understandng of human character.

Whether you're a Jane Austen devotee or new to her work, Lady Susan offers a fascinating look into the social machinations of the Regency period that remains as relevant and entertaining today as when first published.

By the same author: Sense & Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Emma, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, The History of England

This is a book written in the 1800s (#21) for The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2026

This is related to "letter" for Prompt #1 of the February Mini-Challenge

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

©2008-2026 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.