Friday, December 17

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for December 17, 2021

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The key to creating good habits and breaking bad ones is to understand these fundamental laws and how to alter them to your specifications. Every goal is doomed to fail if it goes against the grain of human nature.

~from page 55 of Atomic Habits by James Clear
(page 56 is blank!)


Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

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If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.



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.

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

On the final day of my sophomore year of high school, I was hit in the face with a baseball bat. As my classmate took a full swing, the bat slipped out of his hands and came flying toward me before striking me directly between the eyes. I have no memory of the moment of impact.

~From the Introduction to Atomic Habits by James Clear 




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.


©2008-2021 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, December 13

What I'm Reading - December 13, 2021

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 manage to post that often. I aim to post and link about once a month, although I sometimes link up my monthly summary as well. 



I finished reading . . . 

The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetsch - Lady Juliette Thorndike returns to London from finishing school for her debut season, but her parents have had to go to the estate and are not able to accompany her. After a mysterious theft of artwork, Juliette is stunned to find her uncle may have been involved, and even more shocked when Uncle Bertie reveals that he - and her parents - are spies for the Crown. Juliette must decide whether to follow in this family tradition. (Read my full review HERE)



Behind Love's Wall by Carrie Fancett Pagels - Designer Willa (in 2020) and singer Lily (in 1895) try to find safety and healing from their respective pasts while at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. (Read my full review HERE)



Rest Girl: A Journey from Exhausted and Stressed to Entirely Blessed by Jami Amerine - A wonderful and encouraging book about accepting and giving yourself grace, and finding rest and peace in the process. (Read my full review HERE)




I'm currently reading . . .

As Death Draws Near by Anna Lee Huber - This book is taking me forever to read - and it's a re-read! I keep pausing to focus on other things. Anyway. Kiera and Gage are investigating a murder at an Irish abbey. (I'm way behind in the Lady Darby Read-Along group on Facebook!)



The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr - The prophet Daniel establishes a group of wise men who will be counting down the days to the fulfillment of his vision of the coming Messiah. That's sort of the prologue to the rest of this story in which a young magi acolyte flees the city at a time when the days are drawing near for the fulfillment.



A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty - I need to hustle and finish this inventive YA fantasy in which teens from our world and from a fantasy land called Cello are unexpectedly able to interact.

  


The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick - I don't know that I'm reading this as much as skimming and referring to it now and again as we use it in the Creative Writing course I'm teaching. I've read it a couple times before so I didn't feel is necessary to read it cover to cover this time. 

   

Next on the stack... 

Atomic Habits by James Clear
An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn
All That's Fair by Amanda G. Stevens
Raincoats & Sunglasses by Caroline Johnston


   

   

     
What I'm Highlighting . . . I was privileged to participate in the book tour for this new regency mystery from Erica Vetsch. I thought it delightful (and you can see more of my thoughts in my review) and highly recommend it. There is also time remaining in the Cozy Up with a Good Book Giveaway, so I encourage you to click on the graphic below or go to my review post to enter!





©2008-2021 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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Saturday, December 11

Advent Scripture and a Snapshot - Rejoice!


And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

~Luke 2:8-11~

   Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

~Philippians 4:4-5~





Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

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Click here to enter
I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea's Photos 'n Scribbles, and at Selah, hosted by A Spirit of Simplicity.


©2008-2021 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, December 10

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for December 10, 2021

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


"The only people allowed to copy the Torah are scribes designated by the high priest in Jerusalem. When they are done with a page, they add the letters and check the sums both horizontally and verically, comparing them to the original. If even one the sums is wrong, they do not correct the page. they burn it and start over. If you think it is difficult to get me to part with my silks you haven't seen me trying to get a synagogue to part with their Torah. There are some things money cannot buy." Longing filled the Hebrew's expression.

~from page 56 of The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr


Following his vision of the coming Messiah, the prophet Daniel creates a select group of men who will count down the calendar to the arrival of Israel's promised king. Centuries later, as the day nears, Myrad, a young magi acolyte, flees for his life when his adoptive father and others are put to death by a ruthless Parthian queen.

Having grabbed only a few possessions, Myrad escapes the city, and searching for a way to hide from the soldiers scouring the trade routes, he tries to join the caravan of the merchant Walagash. The merchant sense that Myrad is hiding secrets, but when the young man proves himself a valuable traveler, an epic journey filled with peril, close escapes, and dangerous battles begins.

With every day that passes, the calendar creeps closer to the coming Messiah. And over everything shines the dream of a star that Myrad can't forget and the promise that the world will never be the same.



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.

***************
BABYLON - 537 BC

Any day now, Daniel thought, any day now they would be free. He looked out over the brick parapet that could hold ten chariots abreast toward the sluggish flow of the Euphrates. Somewhere in the distance, beyond the vision of his rheumy eyes, his dead countrymen lay buried in the sands of Mesopotamia, doomed to rest in the land of their conquerors.

~From the beginning of The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr




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.


©2008-2021 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, December 7

Recent Reads - The Debutante's Code - Book Tour and Giveaway

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

@ericavetsch The Debutante's Code - Review and Giveaway #DebutantesCode

Not only do I get to review a recent read today, I also get to tell you about the author and the Cozy Up with a Good Book Giveaway to celebrate the release of this title. Release date is today, December 7th! Keep reading for my thoughts on the book, and how to enter the giveaway!


The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetsch - Lady Juliette Thorndike returns home to London after several years of school in Switzerland, and is dismayed to find that her parents are not home to greet her. Her Uncle Bertie explains that they've been called away to their estate on urgent business, so Juliette begins her Season without her parents to guide her. All her dreams of a warm family relationship as she gets reacquainted with her beloved, but distant, parents are dashed and she feels abandoned and alone. She's not sure whether to be relieved or angry when she discovers that her parents have been living a double life - they are government spies, and it's a family legacy, and she can choose to be a part of it.


Daniel Swann is a Bow Street detective, and finally has been put in charge of a case, and needs to prove himself. A daring art theft. At first he thinks it should be a fairly easy case, but then another art piece goes missing, an art dealer is found murdered, and one puzzling piece after another keeps leading him back to a lovely debutante. Lady Juliette is charming and unusual, and there's definitely more to her than meets the eye, but is that because she's involved in the thefts somehow? 


The lead characters are both coming to terms with the secrets their parents have kept from them while trying to forget their own path in the world. Juliette displays courage, determination, and kindness, and she takes some bold risks that Daniel thinks are foolish. Daniel has only until his next birthday to prove his worth to Bow Street, so even though he is focused and intelligent, he feels the pressure and wonders whether he should be prepared to go another direction. As the two cross paths time and again during the investigation, Juliette realizes she's under suspicion and wonders how she can fulfill her mission and keep her secrets - especially from the very perceptive detective who always seems to be nearby.

I love this clever mystery story, with delightful characters and so many twists and turns to the plot. Juliette wrestles with what it means to live with honesty and integrity while being involved in a profession that demands deception and perhaps even crime. Her questions and her mixed feelings about her parents' choices and integrity are real. I also found the anxiety she felt about the shifting expectations for her season and who she could trust to be compelling. "Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes" is indeed an apt description of the vibe! It also reminds me of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series by Anne Perry. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries series!


About the Book:

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies - and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spies. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors - not to mention the nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission?


Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award-winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.

Vetsch is the author of many novellas and novels, including the popular Serendipity & Secrets Regency series and the new Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery series.

Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she's not writing fiction she's planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.

Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor), Instagram (@EricaVetsch) and Pinterest (Erica Vetsch).

Cozy Up with a Good Book Giveaway!








©2008-2021 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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Saturday, December 4

Advent Scripture and a Snapshot - The Path of Peace


For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

~Isaiah 9:6-7~


"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people,
 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
to go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation 
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.

~Luke 1:68-79~







Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea's Photos 'n Scribbles; and at Selah, hosted by A Spirit of Simplicity.


©2008-2021 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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