Week in Review #43

This week I read six books.


111. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6). J.K. Rowling. 2005. 652 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

Read this if

• You like the Harry Potter series
• You enjoy fantasy series
• You enjoy audio books

112. Mrs. Porter Calling. AJ Pearce. 2023. 313 pages. [Source: Review copy] [adult historical fiction, world war II, 3 stars]

Read this if

• You enjoy historical fiction set during World War II
• You enjoy historical drama
• You enjoy series books

13. The New Scofield Study Bible, King James Version, God. 1967. 1400 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Bible]

Read this if

• You enjoy a lightly updated KJV
• You enjoy the KJV
• You love the Bible

70. [Board book] The Prodigal Son. Retold by Russell Punter. Illustrated by Gabriella Galvez. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board book, bible stories]

Read this if...

• You are a Christian looking for board books to share with little ones

71. [Board book] The Good Samaritan. Retold by Russell Punter. Illustrated by Gabriella Galvez. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board book, bible stories]

Read this if...

• You are a Christian looking for board books to share with little ones

72. [Board book] David and Goliath. Russell Punter. Illustrated by Gustavo Mazali. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, bible stories]

Read this if...

• You are a Christian looking for board books to share with little ones

Century of Viewing #43

1970s

• 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Pure Imagination. I enjoy BOTH adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I prefer the music in the Johnny Depp version perhaps with the exception of Pure Imagination. Both versions ADD stuff not in the book and/or change things from the book. I would recommend this version. It's fun. It's not true to the book. But it is fun.
  
• 1975 Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I had not seen this one or any Monty Python stuff. I enjoyed it. It was over-the-top silly. But I can see how it has inspired others and how it has entered pop culture. I definitely am glad I watched it. Again, it was silly but mostly fun.
  

1980s

• 1988 High Spirits. EXTREMELY silly romantic comedy. A haunted hotel that turns out to actually be haunted. It's fun. It's silly. It's got some suggestive scenes, however, still rated PG-13.
  

1990s

• 1993 Heidi. I loved, loved, loved this adaptation of Heidi. It is a two-part mini-series. It was so good. As good as the book? Probably not quite that good.
  

2000s

• 2002 The Scorpion King. I honestly didn't know if I would "like" this one or perhaps even love it. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It is a LOT of action with not so much character development. But it also has some great lines. I'm still not sure *how exactly* the film fits into the Mummy universe. But I'm glad I watched.
  
• 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. GREAT FUN. I love this one. I do. I saw it in the movie theatre. Had to go straight to buy the soundtrack on CD. I love all the different songs. It's fun. It's quirky. It's changed quite a bit from the book--in particular with Willy Wonka's back story. BUT it did get many things right.
  

2010s

• 2016 Batman: Return of the Caped Crusader. Adam West and Burt Ward voice the roles of Batman and Robin. This one is definitely set in the 1960s Batman universe. It feels like a double episode of the show. EVERYTHING gives off 60s vibes. Highly recommended.
  
• 2017 Batman vs. Two-Face. William Shatner stars as Two-Face in this animated Batman movie that once again features the voice talents of Adam West and Burt Ward. Very fun. Very strong 60s vibes. Again highly recommended.
  

1920s	Genre(s)
The Mechanical Man	science fiction, robots, crime
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde	science fiction, crime, horror
Man From Beyond	paranormal, romance,
1930s	Genre(s)
Frankenstein	science fiction, mad scientist, monster, horror
Bride of Frankenstein	science fiction, mad scientist, monster, horror
Just Imagine	science fiction, musical, romantic comedy, slapstick
The Invisible Man	science fiction, mad scientist, crime, horror,
1940s	Genre(s)
1950s	Genre(s)
1960s	Genre(s)
1970s	Genre(s)
Logan's Run	science fiction, dystopia, future
Poseidon Adventure	drama, survival, action, natural disasters
Beyond Poseidon Adventure	drama, survival, action, bad guys, plutonium
Monty Python and the Holy Grail	comedy, slapstick, musical
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory	musical, comedy
1980s	Genre(s)
Philadelphia Experiment	science fiction, time travel, war
Escape from New York	action, dystopia, thriller
Something Wicked This Way Comes	fantasy, horror, spooky carnivals
Lethal Weapon	action, crime, holiday, drama
Lethal Weapon 2	action, crime, drama
High Spirits	comedy, slapstick, romance
1990s	Genre(s)
Wing Commander	science fiction, space wars, aliens,
Lost World: Jurassic Park	science fiction, mad scientists, dinosaurs, action
Jurassic Park III	science fiction, dinosaurs, action
Fifth Element	science fiction, aliens, romance,
Dark City	science fiction, horror, mystery
Starship Troopers	science fiction, aliens, romance, war
Evita	period drama, musical,
Daylight	drama, survival, action
The Mummy	action, period drama, horror, adventure, romance
Lethal Weapon 3	action, drama, crime, romance
Lethal Weapon 4	action, drama, comedy, crime, romance
Heidi	book to movie adaptation, period drama, drama
2000s	Genre(s)
The Core	science fiction, end-of-the-world, mad scientists, romance, action
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou	dark comedy,
Day After Tomorrow	science fiction, disaster, survival, drama
Men in Black II	science fiction, aliens, comedy
The Mummy Returns	action, period drama, horror, adventure, romance
The Scorpion King	action, period drama, war, romance
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory	musical, comedy, book to movie,
2010s	Genre(s)
The Host	science fiction, aliens, romance,
The Martian	science fiction, space, survival
Men in Black 3	science fiction, aliens, time travel,
Batman Return of the Caped Crusader	animated, super hero
Batman Vs. Two-face	animated, super hero
2020s	Genre(s)
The Flash	science fiction, time travel, super heroes

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

112. Mrs. Porter Calling

112. Mrs. Porter Calling. AJ Pearce. 2023. 313 pages. [Source: Review copy] [adult historical fiction, world war II, 3 stars]

First sentence: Margaret and I had been tap-dancing in the garden for nearly twenty minutes, and I was beginning to feel the strain. It was a Sunday afternoon in April and we were celebrating my twenty-fifth birthday. On current performance I was beginning to show my age.

Premise/plot: Mrs. Porter Calling is the third novel in the Emmy Lake Chronicles by AJ Pearce. All the books in the series are set during the Second World War in London, England. The books are as follows: Dear Mrs. Bird, Yours Cheerfully, Mrs. Porter Calling, and Dear Miss Lake. (Dear Miss Lake is the fourth book; I haven't started reading it yet!)

Emmy Lake, our heroine is a journalist doing her part for the war effort. Her role for the woman's magazine is being its advice columnist. Mrs. Porter the new publisher of the magazine--she inherited it from her uncle, I believe, wants to remake the magazine in her own image with no regard for what the readers want or if there is an audience for her own vision of the magazine. After failing and getting frustrated, Mrs. Porter is determined to sell the magazine. Can the magazine be saved? Can Emmy and her friends save it?

My thoughts: I do like this one more than the second novel in the series. I am looking forward to reading the fourth book in the series. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read the novels closer together. It's been YEARS since I read the first two books in the series.


© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

111. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6). J.K. Rowling. 2005. 652 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

First sentence: It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind.

ETA: This is my third time to read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I am listening on audio narrated by Stephen Fry. I am loving the audio narration. I am loving revisiting the story.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter (and company) face their biggest challenges yet. Lord Voldemort's return/resurrection is no longer being ignored by the powers that be. Harry Potter (and company) are no longer being ridiculed for spouting 'nonsense' about Voldemort. The threat is acknowledged. Some precautions are being taken. (But are they ever going to be enough?)

This one does take place mostly at Hogwarts. Harry Potter (and company) are doing their best to prepare for inevitable showdowns. Harry is taking special lessons with Professor Dumbledore. They are 'visiting' Voldemort's past memories. They are preparing for the 'war to come' by learning as much as they possibly can about every moment of his life. Looking for anything and everything they can use against him. 

This one has quite the ending. It is SUPER intense. More intense than any of the other novels. 

My thoughts: Yes, it's taken me ABSOLUTELY forever to start this series. I'm glad I waited this long to be honest. Harry Potter has fallen out of favor, these days, is being canceled--this time by the Left. But that is neither here nor there. (That's not why I'm reading the books now. That's not my motivation). I'm glad I waited so that I could read all the books back-to-back-to-back. No waiting. And since it was impossible to avoid spoilers there in early-to-mid 2000s, I know just enough about the characters.  My thoughts PART TWO: I am rereading the whole series. My initial thought was to read July through December, but, I am zooming through some of these books. So I think I'll finish the series in November instead. The ending of this one is outstanding. I can only imagine the experience for those who started the series back in 97 or 98 and waited between books. I am liking the series more the second time around. Perhaps because I know the characters better and have a more grounded reaction.


© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #42

This week I read four books.

110. A Bitter Wind. (Billy Boyle #20) James R. Benn. 2025. 379 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, world war II, mystery, historical fiction]

Read this if....

• You enjoy the Billy Boyle historical mysteries
• You enjoy world war II fiction
• You enjoy mysteries

11. Berean Standard Bible, Holy Bible, (BSB) God. 2022. 1504 pages. [Source: Bought]

Read this if...

• You enjoy reading the Bible
• You enjoyed the NIV 84
• You want a clear, readable, public domain Bible text

12. New King James Version Nelson 746. God. 1983. 1393 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Bible]

Read this if...

• You like the NKJV
• You enjoy the Bible
• You like compact Bibles

69. I Like Church...But. Dan Lupton. 1996. 208 pages. [Source: Gift] [3 stars, christian living]

Read this if...

• You enjoy christian living

Century of Viewing, week #42

1930s

• 1930 Just Imagine. A dystopian, futuristic sci-fi musical with space travel and a trip to Mars. This black-and-white movie is unique. It's BUSY, BUSY, BUSY in what it's trying to do. But the chaos perhaps adds to its uniqueness. I'll clarify. The premise is busy. The pacing is not. So a man who was struck by lightning in 1930 is "resurrected" if you will in 1980. The doctors' experiment being done, they don't care what happens to this man who has awoken in a strange place. He's taken in by two men. One of whom is madly in love with a woman that society is denying him. Marriage laws and all that. He's not deemed "husband material" by society. So he sets out to prove himself--by being the first man to travel to Mars and back. The other is a good sidekick. He also is in love, but he is being allowed to marry. The awakened-man is incredibly clown-like and annoying. He becomes addicted to "drink-pills." Prohibition is still going strong in 1980. All three travel to Mars and back. There is a LOT of singing and dancing on Mars. Though the song-and-dance numbers occurred prior to going to Mars as well. The world-building, sets, and costumes are interesting. I liked it well enough. But it was odd for sure.
• 1933 The Invisible Man. H.G. Wells' Invisible Man is adapted to the big screen. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this black and white film. A mad scientist has turned himself invisible and is out to rule the world.

1980s

• 1987 Lethal Weapon. First time watching this Christmas movie. This is action-packed movie that introduces two cops in their new partnership. The action is fairly non-stop, but, it is the character development--particularly in the later films, though starting in this one--that hooked me. Murtaugh is a cop celebrating his 50th birthday. Riggs is his younger, grieving partner. (He's recently lost his wife in a car accident.) Together they are unstoppable.
• 1989 Lethal Weapon 2. After greatly enjoying the first movie, I had to keep watching. I love, love, love this series. I do. In this one, I believe, Murtaugh is going to retire. He's counting down his last days on the police force. BUT will he retire? Of course not! There are two more films! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how Riggs has literally become part of Murtaugh's family. And this one introduces LEO GETZ.

1990s

• 1992 Lethal Weapon 3 Yes, I love this one too. Leo Getz returns--as a real estate agent, I believe. Action-packed. Riggs has MET 'the one.'
• 1998 Lethal Weapon 4. Yes, I love this one too. Leo Getz is returning again--as a private investigator. This one features TWO pregnancies--Murtaugh is about to become a grandfather and Riggs is about to become a father. VERY action-packed. GREAT fun.

2000s

• 2001 The Mummy Returns. Did I love it as much as The Mummy? Maybe not. Was it a LOT of fun? YES. I enjoyed both films very much. Glad I watched them.

2020s

• 2020 Disneyland's Forgotten Sci-Fi Rock Band. A documentary by Defunctland, a YouTube creator. It was FASCINATING and fun. It chronicles the short-lived band Halyx who was a sci-fi rock band developed by Disneyland records and the band performed at Tomorrowland in Disneyland one summer--1981.
• 2025 Disney's Animatronics: A Living History. Does this start with Disney animatronics? NO. It is the history going back centuries of man's tinkering with making mechanical creatures. The second half does focus on Disney's animatronics of the 50s and early 60s. The focus is on his creation of the animatronic Abraham Lincoln, though other projects are discussed as well. (Like It's A Small World). Other parts of the series are coming in the future. This is another documentary by Defunctland.
  

Genre/Decades Challenge

1920s	Genre(s)
The Mechanical Man	science fiction, robots, crime
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde	science fiction, crime, horror
Man From Beyond	paranormal, romance,
1930s	Genre(s)
Frankenstein	science fiction, mad scientist, monster, horror
Bride of Frankenstein	science fiction, mad scientist, monster, horror
Just Imagine	science fiction, musical, romantic comedy, slapstick
The Invisible Man	science fiction, mad scientist, crime, horror,
1940s	Genre(s)
1950s	Genre(s)
1960s	Genre(s)
1970s	Genre(s)
Logan's Run	science fiction, dystopia, future
Poseidon Adventure	drama, survival, action, natural disasters
Beyond Poseidon Adventure	drama, survival, action, bad guys, plutonium
1980s	Genre(s)
Philadelphia Experiment	science fiction, time travel, war
Escape from New York	action, dystopia, thriller
Something Wicked This Way Comes	fantasy, horror, spooky carnivals
Lethal Weapon	action, crime, holiday, drama
Lethal Weapon 2	action, crime, drama
1990s	Genre(s)
Wing Commander	science fiction, space wars, aliens,
Lost World: Jurassic Park	science fiction, mad scientists, dinosaurs, action
Jurassic Park III	science fiction, dinosaurs, action
Fifth Element	science fiction, aliens, romance,
Dark City	science fiction, horror, mystery
Starship Troopers	science fiction, aliens, romance, war
Evita	period drama, musical,
Daylight	drama, survival, action
The Mummy	action, period drama, horror, adventure, romance
Lethal Weapon 3	action, drama, crime, romance
Lethal Weapon 4	action, drama, comedy, crime, romance
2000s	Genre(s)
The Core	science fiction, end-of-the-world, mad scientists, romance, action
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou	dark comedy,
Day After Tomorrow	science fiction, disaster, survival, drama
Men in Black II	science fiction, aliens, comedy
The Mummy Returns	action, period drama, horror, adventure, romance
2010s	Genre(s)
The Host	science fiction, aliens, romance,
The Martian	science fiction, space, survival
Men in Black 3	science fiction, aliens, time travel,
2020s	Genre(s)
The Flash	science fiction, time travel, super heroes

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews