Thursday, February 20

What I'm Reading - February 20, 2025


As I'm putting together this little summary it is so very cold again! I had kind of thought the worst of winter was over, but another cold front has moved in and settled for the rest of this week. Monday morning we woke up to find that the power had gone out, which made getting ready for work a little bit of a challenge. We opted to wait a little bit for it to come on which meant sitting in our comfy chairs by the fireplace, wrapped in blankets, and doing a little bit of reading (on our e-readers!). I only got through about half of a chapter before the lights came on and I had to get back to the morning routine, but I thought all day about how nice it was to start the day that way. Not without power, but with a cozy bit of side-by-side reading. Another thing to look forward to when it comes to retirement!

I'm currently reading . . .

Frauds On Favourite by PJ Fitzsimmons - I really hadn't intended to add yet another book to my stack until I was finished at least two of the ones I was working on, but I was invited to this review and had really enjoyed the first in the series, so here we go! It's also an obvious choice for the "pun in the title" prompt in the 52 Book Club Challenge. The title character is a lighthearted flapper, but she does enjoy doing a little investigating, and in this caper she and her friend Stilts are figuring out what exactly is going on with some questionable betting and results in unsanctioned horse races. 



The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa - I decided to start this one at the beginning of the month, in response to the 52 Book Club Lunar New Year mini-challenge, because it is by an Asian author. It's also been hovering near the top of my TBR for a long time. It's a collection of seven stories and I'm still on the first one, about a rescued cat named Kota and how he views his place and role in his family.




Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means, MD with Calley Means - I'm still plugging away at this non-fiction read, and trying to learn as much as possible. I plan to count this for the "wise character" in the Lunar New Year Mini-Challenge.



A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage are in Cornwall with Gage's extended family, who suspect the patriarch may have been murdered. 



Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . . 

I'm not likely to be able to pick up something new very soon, but this is the one I'm thinking will be next. Things might change before I'm ready to open a new story, but this has been near the top of my stack for a long time.

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn



I finished reading . . . 

Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar - This historical novel combined romance and a little intrigue with historical and Biblical background. Sarah, a Jew, and her Persian husband Darius travel to Jerusalem along with her cousin Nehemiah, who is rebuilding the city walls. It follows the characters introduced in Harvest of Rubies, but in my opinion it can be read as a standalone. (Read my review HERE)




Mountain Interval by Robert Frost - I read this collection of Frost's poetry for an online book club in January . . . and then forgot to participate in the discussion! I enjoyed the poems though. (Read my review HERE)




I've been watching . . . 

I've watched a few hockey games on TV recently, but not a lot. Of course we watched the USA vs Canada game in the 4 Nations Face-Off last week, and it was such a good game! Although we weren't particularly fond of the outcome. We may be proud to be American, but we're Canadians by birth and always cheer for our homeland when it comes to hockey.

The only other sports I've paid attention to is the SuperBowl. It's literally the only NFL game I pay attention to, and for me it's more about the gameday drama and the commercials than any allegiance to either team. 

I'm a little late to the party, but I've been watching Only Murders in the Building, and am just about caught up. My husband started watching much earlier so he's been rewatching the previous seasons with me. I also found a podcast that follows and discusses the show, so I've been listening to that as I finish each episode.

I've been listening to . . .

Listening to the Only Murders podcast, as I mentioned. I have quite a few podcasts that I follow and listen to regularly, including The Bible Book Club, Relatable, and a number of political commentary podcasts. Although I tend to watch those ones on Rumble, so should I have included them in the "watching" category? 

I also listen to The Bible Project podcast, which is one of my very favorites.

For music, I listen to RadioU, and I've been listening to an eclectic mix on my Spotify lately. Twenty One Pilots is currently my most-played artist, but there's a lot of classic rock on the playlist as well.



My "first cup blog", Homeschool Coffee Break, is mostly idle these days, but I did add one post over the past month:



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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.

Friday, January 31

Recent Reads - Mountain Interval


Mountain Interval by Robert Frost - Of course we know Robert Frost's famous poem "The Road Not Taken" but I was not really familiar with his other works, so this collection of poems chosen by an online book club group was a good way to start off the reading year. Most of the works in this collection are short stories of life in small town and rural New Hampshire where Frost lived. The descriptions and stories are homey and often bittersweet or nostalgic. Some are tragic, such as "Out, Out--" and "The Hill Wife" while others are more contemplative. For example, "The Exposed Nest" and "The Sound of the Trees" were observations of nature and how humans interacted or reflected on the natural world. "Snow" was a longer poetic story that took a simple winter event and explored the hidden thoughts and feelings of the characters as they made decisions about whether to journey home through bad weather or wait it out, or whether being hospitable was better than urging a man home to his family. I especially liked "In The Home Stretch" which depicted a couple settling into a new home in the country and trying to fit into new surroundings. It was both wistful and hopeful as the couple braved the uncertainties they felt in their first day in the house.

From the back cover:

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood." These words, from "The Road Not Taken," form arguably the most famous single line in all American poetry. Taking as his theme the fine line between will and fate, Frost opens his third collection, Mountain Interval, with an undeniable masterpiece, setting the stage for the poems to come, for their attentive and plainspoken music.

This is a genre chosen for me by someone else (#37) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025



©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.

January Bookshelf Review



I woke up thinking a very pleasant thought. There is lots left in the world to read. ~Nicholson Baker

There is so much to read and I'm reading it very slowly! I guess I'm off to a decent start for the year, at about the rate I've come to expect for this season of my life. Here's what I've been working on lately.


January's Books Completed and Reviewed

Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar - Sarah and Darius accompany Nehemiah on his journey to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, with their own missions to accomplish. Sarah is to be Nehemiah's scribe, and she will become a mother; and Darius is looking for the author of a plot against the Persian king. (Read my review HERE)




Mountain Interval by Robert Frost - a collection of poetry and poetic short stories set in rural New Hampshire.  (Read my review HERE)





During January I started reading:

The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa - This has been on my TBR for a long time, and with a new mini-challenge from the 52 Book Club, it seemed like the perfect time to finally get started. I've just met Kota, a cat rescued from a trash bin, who considers himself part of his human family. (The mini-challenge is the Lunar New Year Challenge, and this book will fulfill two of the three prompts: a book set in a country that celebrates the Lunar New Year, and a book by an Asian author.) Hopefully it won't take me too long to read!



During January I continued reading:

A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage accompany Lord Gage to his family home in Cornwall, where they meet this estranged branch of the family and investigate the circumstances of the patriarch's recent death.



Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means, MD with Calley Means - I've been working my way through this book about establishing good health from a holistic approach.



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.

Harvest of Gold takes place in ancient Persia.
One Word: Forgiveness

Mountain Interval is set in rural New England.
One Word: Nostalgia

A Deceptive Composition is set in rural England, mostly Cornwall.
The Goodbye Cat is set in Japan.



Coming Up in February!

Working on the 2025 Reading Challenges is informing my next few choices, although with what I'm working on now, it doesn't look like I'll have time to pick up anything new for awhile. The online book club will be reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnet, which I've never read. I'd like to, but we'll see how my time goes. 

This is the book that is currently sitting on the top of my TBR stack. It's something I've had for awhile and keeps getting put off. In fact, I've put it off so long that it's become a two-book series, so hopefully I can get to it soon!

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn



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 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. 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.


Monday, January 20

Recent Reads - Harvest of Gold


Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar - As this story opens, Sarah and Darius are still building upon the tentative affection that has begun in their arranged marriage, but Darius is still unwilling to open his heart at all. Darius is able to thwart an attack on their small travel party as they head to the capital city, but is disturbed to discover that the attackers were on their way to assassinate the king. This is reported to the king and Darius is determined to find out who originated the plot. To this end, the king orders Darius to travel to the Syrian provinces along with Nehemiah, the cupbearer who has just been granted permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah is Sarah's cousin, and because Sarah is a scribe, it is arranged that she will go as well, and serve as scribe to him in his role as governor.

Sarah is thrilled at the prospect of seeing Jerusalem, and connecting with her Jewish heritage, but fears that Darius will leave her behind, especially if he knows what she has begun to suspect - that she is carrying his child. Her choice to delay telling him ends up shattering his trust and leaving them both grieving and angry. Sarah must request his forgiveness and exercise patience and faith in God as she waits for him to work in Darius's heart. Darius must confront his own childhood memories and how his experience has caused him to close his heart to Sarah. He learns a new respect for Nehemiah when his wife's cousin challenges and guides him even while leading and managing the massive building project.

In the first part of this duology, Harvest of Rubies, Sarah's character arc is dynamic as she learns to recognize and deal with her own pride, stubbornness, and fears. She grows in her faith and acceptance of God's leading in her life. In Harvest of Gold, it is Darius's turn to undergo character crisis and growth, as he sees his own shortcomings and fears, and reaches his own crisis of faith. Their fictional story is woven into a well-researched narrative highlighting the rebuilding of Jerusalem as described in the Biblical book of Nehemiah, giving insights into the social and political settings. 


From the publisher:

An arranged marriage. A man whose heart is closed to love. A king whose life hangs in the balance. A nations on the brink of annihilation. Harvest of Gold (Book 2)

The scribe Sarah married Darius, and at times she feels as if she has married the Persian aristocracy, too. There is another point she did not count on in her marriage — Sarah has grown to love her husband. Sarah has wealth, property, honor, and power, but her husband's love still seems unattainable.

Although his mother was an Israelite, Darius remains skeptical that his Jewish wife is the right choice for him, particularly when she conspires with her cousin Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Ordered to assist in the effort, the couple begins a journey to the homeland of his mother's people. Will the road filled with danger, conflict, and surprising memories, help Darius to see the hand of God at work in his life — and even in his marriage?

By the same author: Harvest of Rubies

This is a book that is 300-400 pages long (#51) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025



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.

Thursday, January 16

What I'm Reading - January 16, 2025


When it's cold outside it just feels right to curl up with a good book inside. However, I'm doing most of my reading at work these days, and curling up is not happening in the break room while I'm eating lunch! Guess I'll need to see if I can knock out a chapter or two before bed each night if I want to get through my reading list any faster.

I'm currently reading . . .

Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar - I'm pretty close to the end of this historical novel that combines romance and a little intrigue with historical and Biblical background. Sarah, a Jew, and her Persian husband Darius travel to Jerusalem along with her cousin Nehemiah, who is rebuilding the city walls. 



Mountain Interval by Robert Frost - An online book club I'm in has chosen this book of poetry for January, and I'm enjoying it. 



Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health by Casey Means, MD with Calley Means - I got several chapters into this book, but haven't worked on it for a bit because I'm caught up in Sarah's story! Obviously, this is a non-fiction selection, and although written in an easy-to-understand conversational style, it still requires time and attention so a few minutes here and there isn't how I want to read it. 



A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber - When I have a few minutes to pick up a physical book, I'm catching up with my favorite detective, Lady Darby. 



Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . . 

So many things I want to read, but I just don't have the time and energy to get to them all. Here's one thing I've been wanting to read, but there's really no guarantee.

The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa - I've had this one on the stack for such a long time. One of these days I'll get to it! 



On my blogs recently . . . 

Here on Just A Second you'll find:

2025 Reading Challenges (which reminds me, I need to update the pages)


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

The Practice of Housekeeping
WQ - Holiday Traditions


My "first cup blog", Homeschool Coffee Break, has been idle for awhile. I'm still deciding what to do with it.


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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.

Sunday, January 5

2025 Reading Challenges


It's the beginning of a new year, which must mean it's time to set some reading goals and join some reading challenges. I enjoy reading challenges, even if I don't have a realistic expectation of completing everything in the challenge. That's been my experience with The 52 Book Club. I don't read fifty books in a year any more, but after a couple of years taking part in the club's challenge, it's still a worthwhile endeavor for me because it motivates me and helps me choose what to read. Often it gets me outside of my usual reading box and introduces me to titles, authors, or genres that I might not have considered otherwise.

So I will be doing The 52 Book Club Challenge for 2025, and my personal goal is to get about halfway through it.

Find out more about the 2025 Reading Challenge HERE, and check out the 2025 Reading Challenge Guide too.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025


They've added a Read It, Watch It challenge as well, and I'm not sure I'll be able to complete that but it looks like fun.


I've been a member of the What The Dickens Book Club on Facebook for a few years too, but haven't participated in quite some time. To be honest, the posts in the group have tended to get lost in my newsfeed so I wasn't sure what they were reading, and was either unable to join in the scheduled discussion parties or didn't find the dates until too late. I planned ahead a little better this time and grabbed the info about the books and discussion dates. Again, I probably won't participate in all of the discussions, but I'm happy to see the books chosen include some shorter and easier reads, and are a mix of books I've already read and would be happy to revisit, and classics that I haven't read and probably should.



I also joined a Facebook book club group with members of the chorus I sing in, and they've shared other reading challenges, so maybe that group will help me stay motivated as well.

Updated to add . . . Since I consistently gravitate towards historical fiction anyway, I'm also going to participate in the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker. I love that it's such a simple challenge. Just link up my historical fiction reviews each month. I think I'll do the Renaissance Reader level, which is ten historical fiction books over the year.


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For my personal interest, 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 have done Friday Fun posts, but it's been quite awhile since I've done them regularly - I do them sporadically at best! 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. The problem is that I just don't have the time to get these done on a regular basis or to visit the other participants, and it bothers me to join a link-up and not spread the comment love to others.

 I do try to be consistent with writing bookshelf summaries, and depending on how the posting dates line up, I share with Book Date, at the BookWorms Monthly link-up, at Share Your Shelf hosted by Slices of Life, and What's On Your Bookshelf? #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge hosted by Deb's World.

While I don't have as much time to devote to reading as I'd like, I still love a good book, and I like talking about good books. My book totals may not be very high, but I'll keep doing a little blogging about books here and there. Something to look forward to in retirement might be more book and blog time! 
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Happy 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/ 

 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.