Coffee Break Reading List - December 2023

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A little background on the Coffee Break Reading List. On my original blog, Homeschool Coffee Break, I started doing an occasional round-up of some of the stuff around the internet that I'd found interesting and worth passing along. Since it was a blog mostly about homeschooling, I tried to make sure I was including articles of particular interest to home educators, but when I was no longer homeschooling my own kids, it got a little harder to keep ahead of homeschool topics, and eventually the Coffee Break Reading List was retired. I've brought it back once in awhile in this space, but not with the homeschooling focus, and I haven't found a consistent time to share it. Today I'm sharing it with the Not Just A Mom link-up.

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The theme for Not Just A Mom this month is Favorite Books or Series, and I always have a tough time narrowing down favorites to only my top three. I also don't have a ton of time, so maybe that will work in my favor, as I can just list the first few books and series that come to mind!

My favorite book series include:

Lady Darby Mysteries 

My current and long-standing favorite series, by one of my very favorite authors, is the Lady Darby series set in Scotland and England during the 1800s. The title character, Kiera, is a talented portrait artist and the widow of a notorious anatomist who forced her into sketching his dissections for the illustrations to his book on anatomy. The scandal following his death was very damaging to Kiera's reputation, but in the first book of the series she realizes that her knowledge about human anatomy and her artist's eye could provide valuable insights into solving a murder. And from there, she teams up with the romantic lead, gentleman private investigator Sebastian Gage, to assist in further investigations.

The Anatomist's Wife is the first in the series (my review is HERE) and since she's a favorite author, I've dedicated a tag to Anna Lee Huber on my book blog.

Verity Kent Mysteries

These are also by Anna Lee Huber, so I'll mention them next, even though I'm not quite as devoted to this series. I love it, but I'm behind on reading them! These are set in the early 1920s in England, right after the Great War. Verity Kent had been involved in the Secret Service during the war, so she's very suspicious of anonymous notes she receives indicating that her husband had been complicit in treason. This leads to her unravelling a layered murder mystery, and discovering that her husband Sidney, who she believes was killed in battle, is not dead after all but may have had many secrets from her other than the fact that he had survived. And from there, a series of mystery novels carries on!

This Side of Murder (A Verity Kent Mystery) is the first in this series, and my review is HERE.

Lady Julia Grey Mysteries and Veronica Speedwell Mysteries

Before I found Anna Lee Huber, my favorite historical mystery author was Deanna Raybourn (the link is to her tagged posts on my book blog). I first read her Lady Julia Grey series and loved it. Lady Julia sets out to find the murderer of her young husband, and needs the help of the enigmatic Nicholas Brisbane to do so. The cast of characters includes Julia's large and very unusual family, and of course one mystery leads to another as Julia and Brisbane navigate their own secrets and complicated relationship. This series is also set in Victorian England. It all begins with Silent in the Grave, which I reviewed HERE.

A Curious Beginning (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) is the first in the Veronica Speedwell series, starring the quirky and intrepid title character and a reclusive explorer, Stoker. Veronica is determined to find out the truth about her parentage, but the only man she knows of that has information is murdered, and she becomes the prime suspect. She and Stoker team up to find out what happened their often combative relationship and sense of adventure is the backdrop for the ongoing mystery series. My review of this one is HERE. There are several in this series that I haven't read yet - though I certainly mean to!

Out From Egypt, Cities of Refuge, The Covenant House, The King's Men - series by Connilyn Cossette  

Cossette is probably my favorite Biblical historical fiction writer. You can see all my reviews of her books in her tag on my book blog: Connilyn Cossette

Counted With the Stars (Out From Egypt) was the debut novel that introduced me to Cossette's writing. (See my review HERE)  It's the first in a trilogy about the experience of the Exodus. It intrrigued me because the main character, Kiya, is not one of the Hebrews. She's an Egyptian that chooses to leave with the Hebrews after being befriended by Shira. Shira, a Hebrew, and another non-Hebrew woman are the main characters in the next two novels. 

The next series is Cities of Refuge, and there are four novels in that set. They are related to the Out From Egypt series, as they follow chronologically, but can all be read as standalones. Then there is a two novel set, The Covenant House; and most recently a new King's Men series was launched. Of course I pre-ordered the first book for that series, Voice of the Ancient, but I haven't had time to read it yet!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice remains my favorite novel. Closely followed by Sense and Sensibility. I don't think I need to explain any further!

The Eight by Katherine Nevill

The Eight is a dual timeline story that is a combination of thriller, mystery, historical, and even some sci-fi and fantasy elements. I was introduced to it in a book club many years ago and it quickly became a favorite that I've re-read several times. I think it's past time I read it again, honestly, and I'm putting it on my TBR for the new year. You can read a review I wrote for my book blog HERE.

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I'll stop there for my all-time favorites and add some very brief elements from my Coffee Break Reading List format. Very brief, if that's even possible for me! It usually includes two or three articles in each of the following categories, but I'm doing just one each today!

Some of the things around the web that I've been reading or exploring during recent coffee breaks: 

• Time management is a real weak area for me. and since I'm probably going to start working full time in 2024, I need to do a better job! I'm hit or miss with organization - I'm organized but no one else would likely be able to find anything quickly or easily in my filing stacking system. So I'm looking at blogs like Krafty Planner to help. I bookmarked this article to get me started: How To Create An Effective Planning Routine and Why It Matters.

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Quotable (I've enjoyed hunting up little quotes to add to my Five Minute Friday posts, and I do a weekly Wednesday Quotes post based on interesting quotes, but I've still got such a collection that I have to keep sharing them!):

No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it. ~Paulo Coelho

One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if were possible, to speak a few reasonable words. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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Some fun things I've found during coffee breaks:

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Something I watched during coffee break:

I've been watching The Santa Clauses with my husband, and we've started watching some Christmas movies. Most evenings there's hockey to watch too . . . IF we can get it to cast to the TV properly. He keeps saying we're getting a new TV but that's probably not going to happen soon!

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What I've been reading during longer coffee breaks:

Kingdom of Love by Tracie Peterson

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

On my reading pile for upcoming coffee breaks:

Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette

and I know I have a review book on its way!

Find out more at my book blog Just A Second. I've had a monthly book review link-up going there, which will be open through the end of the year. It's been fun to do it, but since my reading has slowed down somewhat, and I realize I'll have to manage my blogging time differently in the new year, I don't think I'll continue into 2024. Find the current link-up here: Book Review Bulletin. I'd love for you to drop by and share a review or two, and comment on someone else's review. 

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I've mentioned this in several posts lately, and here's another pitch for any of you that are interested! I'm working on bringing back the Twenty-Six Lists link-up for another run here at A Fresh Cup of Coffee. This is a link-up that I previously hosted on my Homeschool Coffee Break blog a few years ago. You can take a look at some of the original Twenty-Six Lists there to get a little preview of what it's like. A list of updated prompts and more info will be coming very soon! Thanks to those who have given me positive feedback and expressed interest already!

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Found anything interesting on the web lately? Read any good books? Leave a comment and let me know!

This post will be linked up with the Not Just A Mom Link-up hosted by Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne, Lauren, and Sarah.

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