Tuesday, October 10

Recent Reads - The Starlet Spy

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


The Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel - Amelie Blake has built a successful career as a Hollywood actress, but she is weary of being stereotyped as a dumb blonde. Those are the roles she plays and how most people view her, but she has a brilliant mind and an incredible photographic memory. So when a movie producer approaches her for a role in a spy effort in her homeland of Sweden, she's intrigued. She will need to continue allowing the world to believe she is empty-headed, but her keen mind, knowledge of languages, and remarkable gift for memorizing what she sees are needed in order to recover missing atomic research before the Nazis find it.

Once in Sweden, Amelie meets her contact, code named Wolf, and her assignment begins at a glamorous fundraising event where she must charm the shipping magnate Finn Ristaffason and find a way to search his property for the top secret files. She has a connection to his family and finds it easy to like his grandmother, but must remain on her guard around Finn - can he be trusted, or is he a double agent? What about Wolf and the way he shows up unexpectedly and warns her of potential danger? Is he truly protecting her, or does he have ulterior motives?

Amelie uncovers clues to where the files might be, and as the danger around her increases, she must make some split-second decisions about who to trust and which way to turn, and when her mask slips, will it cost her the mission or even her life?

During WWII, some actors and actresses had roles to play that were not credited on the silver screen. This fictional story about Amelie was inspired by some of these stories and rumors. Amelie is a likeable character, and in many ways reminded me of Hedy Lamarr - a brilliant mind but needing to hide her intelligence in order to survive and serve her country. Amelie and her mother have a family secret that puts her at risk, and old wounds that keep Amelie cautious. There are sparks between her and Wolf, and between her and Finn, and not surprisingly, a romance develops, but given the circumstances it's a real test of trust and patience before the happy ending. Overall, this is a compelling and entertaining story full of action and intrigue that reads a little like an Indiana Jones adventure, stretching credulity at times.

Hollywood Star Turns Spy

In 1943, movie producer Henrik Zoltan approaches Amelie Blake under the guise of offering the Hollywood star a leading part in his upcoming film, but he has a more meaningful role in mind. Amelie's homeland of Sweden declared neutrality in the war, but Stockholm has become the "Casablanca of the North." When top-secret atomic research goes missing in Sweden, the Allied forces scramble to recover the files before they fall into Nazi hands.

The United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) needs someone who's subtle enough to spy on the Swedish elite without triggering suspicion. Who better than the "all beauty, no brains" Scandinavian starlet? Fluent in three languages and possessing a brilliant memory, Amelie loathes being labeled witless but uses the miconception as her disguise. She's tasked with searching for the crucial files, but Finn Ristaffason keeps getting in her way. Is the charming shipping magnate after the missing research? Or does he have other reasons for showing up at her every turn?

With the Gestapo on her heels, Amelie must rely on her smarts in addition to her acting skills to survive and world of deadly spies and counterspies.

Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.
#TheStarletSpy #NetGalley


This is a book featuring a fashionable character (#25) 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.


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Sunday, October 1

Book Review Bulletin - October 2023

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


Welcome to the Book Review Bulletin link-up! The purpose is to share our individual book reviews and to visit and comment on those review posts. Sometimes it seems that we book bloggers do a lot of sharing and commenting on our reading lists and teasers and book-related posts, but not nearly as much attention is given to the actual reviews. 

The Bulletin is a monthly link-up for review posts. Share the individual posts of book reviews on your blog that you'd like to highlight, and make sure to visit, leave comments, and perhaps share some of the other reviews linked up. 

The Bulletin opens on the first day of each month and closes on the last day of the month. You can grab the button below for your blog if you'd like. After leaving your link, please visit one or two (or more!) of the other links and leave a comment.

Any questions? Suggestions? Please let me know!

Just A Second


Reminder: Please include a MATURE tag on any links to reviews with books or covers above a PG rating. This will give readers that prefer clean read a heads-up before they click your link. Thank you for respecting this request!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

©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.

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Friday, September 29

Monthly Bookshelf Review - September 2023

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


Good books tell the truth, even when they're about things that never have been and never will be. They're truthful in a different way ~Stanisław Lem

Honestly, it feels a little silly even doing a bookshelf review this month because I've really not done a lot of reading for several weeks now. My August summary was pretty sparse, and I've only completed one book and worked on one other book during this month. I hope I'll be able to get more reading done in the month ahead - I think I'm past the lack of motivation, so now it's just dealing with my time management so I have opportunities to sit with a good book more often.

September's Books Completed and Reviewed

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. (Read my review HERE.)



During September I started reading:

Not one new thing started! Shameful!


During September I continued reading:

The Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel - A brilliant Swedish-born actress uses her reputation for being a dumb blond as a cover while spying for the American forces during WWII. 



Where My Books Took Me in September . . . 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.

Composition As Conversation is non-fiction, so there is no setting (classroom?) but I can do a one-word summary.
One Word: Attentiveness

The Starlet Spy began in Hollywood, but the action quickly moved to Sweden.


Coming Up in October!

A Louisiana Christmas To Remember - novella collection
Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette
The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright


   


What I'm Highlighting . . . Despite my own lack of contribution, I'm continuing to host the monthly book review link-up for now. The Book Review Bulletin - September 2023 is open for a few more days, and a new link-up for October 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.



On my blogs recently . . . 

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



On Homeschool Coffee Break:


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.



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Monday, September 25

Recent Reads - Composition as Conversation

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


Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover - Although this concise guide to writing well is not a traditional textbook, it does offer valuable advice to students and instructors alike on how to improve the craft. Based on her experience as a college writing instructor, Hoover approaches composition as an ongoing conversation between the writer and readers. She begins with a question asked of her students about what makes a person an excellent conversationalist, and then applies seven of the top characteristics to the discipline of writing. This paradigm shift can invite and inspire writers to be more respectful and willing to continue learning about their subjects.

The suggestions and instructions are geared for college level students and classrooms, but I think the ideas could be adapted and incorporated into high school classrooms as well. In fact, high school students would benefit from learning how to be attentive and open-minded as they are developing their writing skills in preparation for college research. 

In my opinion, this book is best suited as a resource for writing instructors who wish to make their classroom more interesting and engaging, and inspire quality conversations and writing from their students. There is no lesson plan or syllabus, but many ideas for engaging students in ongoing discussions that will help them learn to listen and read attentively, and put their research and thoughts into more meaningful and relatable written conversations. There is an appendix of samples and templates for revision guides and peer reviews and the like that would be very helpful to many instructors. Certainly more advanced writers, especially at the college level, will find the book very helpful as well.

In keeping with her theme, Hoover's writing is conversational in tone and inspired me to ponder the ideas more deeply and consider how the suggestions could be useful in my high school level class for homeschool students. I was intrigued enough to purchase a paperback of the book when I was only about halfway through the digital ARC I received, so that I could easily highlight and annotate the instruction ideas I most wanted to incorporate into my classroom. 

From the publisher:

Teaching writing is not for the faint of heart, but it can be a tremendous gift to teachers and students. Students often approach writing courses with trepidation because they think of writing as a mystical and opaque process. Teachers often approach these same courses with dread because of the enormous workload and the often-unpolished skills of new writers. This approachable composition textbook for beginning writers contends that writing can be a better experience for everyone when taught as an empathetic and respectful conversation. In a time in which discourse is not always civil and language is not always tended carefully, a conversation-based wrirting approach emphasizes intention and care.

Written by a teacher with more than fifteen years of experience in the college writing classroom, Composition as Conversation explores what happens when the art of conversation meets the art of writing. Heather Hoover shows how seven virtues―including curiosity, attentiveness, relatability, open-mindedness, and generosity―inform the writing process and can help students become more effective writers. She invites writers of all skill levels to make meaningful contributions with their writing.

This short, accessible, and instructive book offers a reflective method for college-level writing and will also work well in classical school, high school, and homeschool context. It demystifies the writing process and helps students understand why their writing matters. It will energize teachers of writing as they encourage their students to become careful readers and observers, intentional listeners, and empathetic arguers. The book also provides helpful sample assignments.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Baker Academic through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.
#CompositionasConversation  #NetGalley



This is a book under 200 pages (#6) 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.


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Monday, September 18

Review: Route 60 - The Biblical Highway #Route60MIN

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

Route 60 - The Biblical Highway

I had the privilege of seeing the advance release of this fascinating documentary and want to encourage you to see it in theaters if you can. It will be in theaters September 18th and 19th only, so grab your tickets today! If you're interested in Biblical or ancient history, I think you'll really enjoy it. It would be a great addition to history, geography, world religions, or Bible studies for homeschooling families; and for anyone looking for background to understanding the geography where the Bible stories took place and the foundations of the nation of Israel, and how it's all intertwined.

Route 60 is a documentary about Israel's famous highway, one that passes through sites of great historical significance, places where the patriarchs, kings and prophets, disciples, and Jesus himself walked.

Synopsis: 
Carving through the heart of the Promised Land is the biblical spine of Israel, sometimes referred to as the Path of the Patriarchs and officially designated as Route 60. A highway of deep historical significance while often the scene of unrest and violence, this 146-mile road of asphalt and concrete begins in Nazareth, Israel's largest Arab city, and ends in Beersheba, one of Israel's high-tech centers. Running north to south, Route 60 connects ancient Israel with modern Israel, Jews and Christians with Muslims, and Israelis with Palestinians.

This trek is far more than a two-lane highway; it is a historic, sacred link to the roots of Judaism and Christianity and the stories of the Old and New Testaments. Follow world-changing diplomats David Friedman and Mike Pompeo as they venture down this sacred road, treading the very ground Abraham, Jacob, King David, and Jesus once walked. Discover the history, witness the healing, and realize the hope along Route 60, the Biblical Highway.



What others are saying:
"Visually stunning and compelling storytelling." ~Mike Huckabee
"ROUTE 60 combines the truth of the Bible with undeniable archaeological proof, and like our tour guides, Pompeo and Friedman, that's a powerful combination!" ~Erick Stakelbeck



My thoughts: The scenery and the views of historical sites was enough to draw me immediately, and the added graphics to help visualize the passages of Scripture referenced and the historical Biblical events were so appealing as well. But what I most enjoyed was the simple but compelling way Friedman and Pompeo related how the sites they visited were significant throughout the story of the Bible. Some of these sites, like Shechem and Bethel, are places where more than one greatly important event took place. I've watched many documentaries and video studies of sites in the Holy Land, yet some of the sites in ROUTE 60 were new to me, or I learned new context and significance to these places. Friedman is an Orthodox Jew and Pompeo is a Christian, and both have long and significant experience as American diplomats, so it was also fascinating to hear them talk about more recent history involving the nation of Israel such as the Abraham Accords and the relocation of the American Embassy to Jerusalem in light of Biblical history. Both men also told stories of the impact the truth of the Bible has had on how they view the world and the roles they've played, and about their personal faith as well.


Visit the movie's website Route 60 Movie to find out more.

Buy tickets at: Route 60 Movie

Hashtags: #Route60MIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork



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

 ©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.
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Monday, September 11

What I'm Reading - September 11, 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.

This summer has been a lot slower in terms of reading than I'd expected or would have liked, and I haven't got into the swing of things so far in September either. I've got a couple of review books I need to focus on and some new titles on my stack that I'm motivated to get going on, so hopefully I can curl up with one of these good books more often this fall! 


I finished reading . . . 

Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir - A young journalist, and then his sister, pursue mysterious leads about what happened to a young girl who disappeared without a trace thirty years earlier. (Read my review HERE.)



Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover - I still need to write my review of this guidebook for writing engaging and interesting material. I'm teaching a high school writing class at co-op again this year, and I liked the approaches and ideas in this digital ARC enough that I purchased the paperback, so that's a little preview of my thoughts for the review.



I'm currently reading . . .

The Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel - During WWII a Swedish-born Hollywood actress is recruited to hunt down top secret documents. I need to pick up the pace on this, as it is a review book.





Next on the stack . . . 

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. I started this one awhile ago, had to shelve it while I got caught up on other things, and plan to pick it up again soon. 



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 . . . The monthly book review link-up is back for another month. Stop by the Book Review Bulletin - September 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 I took a summer break at my "first cup blog", Homeschool Coffee Break, but have plans to update there again as the school year gets under way.


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.



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Friday, September 1

Book Review Bulletin - September 2023

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



Welcome to the Book Review Bulletin link-up! The purpose is to share our individual book reviews and to visit and comment on those review posts. Sometimes it seems that we book bloggers do a lot of sharing and commenting on our reading lists and teasers and book-related posts, but not nearly as much attention is given to the actual reviews. 

The Bulletin is a monthly link-up for review posts. Share the individual posts of book reviews on your blog that you'd like to highlight, and make sure to visit, leave comments, and perhaps share some of the other reviews linked up. 

The Bulletin opens on the first day of each month and closes on the last day of the month. You can grab the button below for your blog if you'd like. After leaving your link, please visit one or two (or more!) of the other links and leave a comment.

Any questions? Suggestions? Please let me know!

Just A Second


Reminder: Please include a MATURE tag on any links to reviews with books or covers above a PG rating. This will give readers that prefer clean read a heads-up before they click your link. Thank you for respecting this request!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
©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.

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