Year in Review: Stats

I read somewhere between 563 and 566 books in 2018. According to my label, "2018Reviews" the number is 563. This is also the total I get when I add "2018goodrule-new" and "2018goodrule-old". I'm not sure where the "extra" three books are coming from--that number is supposedly based on the "date read."

Board books and Picture books 28.2%
The Bible 11%
Early Readers and Chapter Books 9.9%
Christian Nonfiction 9.8%
Historical Fiction 7.5%
Nonfiction 7.5%
Classics 6.2% 
Contemporary/Realistic Fiction 5.7%
Speculative Fiction 4.9%
Christian Fiction 4.4%
Mysteries 4.1%

My favorite board book:
That's Me Loving You. Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Illustrated by Teagan White. 2018. [December] Random House. 28 pages. [Source: Review Copy]
My favorite picture book:
The Remember Balloons. Jessie Oliveros. Illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte. 2018. Simon & Schuster. 48 pages. [Source: Library]
My favorite Bible: KJV
My favorite early reader:
Mr. Monkey Bakes a Cake. Jeff Mack. 2018. Simon and Schuster. 64 pages. [Source: Library]
My favorite chapter book:
Mr. Putter and Tabby Spin the Yarn. (Mr. Putter and Tabby #15) Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. 2006. 44 pages. [Source: Library] 
My favorite Christian nonfiction:
The Quotable Tozer. A.W. Tozer. Compiled by James L. Snyder. 2018. Bethany House. 369 pages. [Source: Review copy] My favorite historical fiction:
Ashes on the Moor. Sarah M. Eden. 2018. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
My favorite nonfiction:
Ethel and Ernest. Raymond Briggs. 1998. 104 pages. [Source: Library]
My favorite classic:
Agnes Grey. Anne Bronte. 1847. 224 pages. [Source: Bought]
My favorite contemporary/realistic fiction:
Bronx Masquerade. Nikki Grimes. 2001/2017. Penguin. 192 pages. [Source: Library]
My favorite speculative fiction:
Bob. Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. 2018. Feiwel & Friends. 208 pages. [Source: Library]
My favorite Christian Fiction:
A Bound Heart. Laura Frantz. 2019. Revell. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]
My favorite mystery:
A Heart in a Body in the World. Deb Caletti. 2018. 368 pages. [Source: Library] 

Most read authors in 2018

1. Cynthia Rylant (30+)
2. Meredith Rusu (6)
3. Douglas Florian (5)
4. Sandra Magsamen (5)
5. Mark Newgarden (5)
6. Anthony Trollope (5)
7. Mo Willems (5)
8. Gennifer Choldenko (4)
9. Elizabeth Gaskell (4)
10. Jesse Wiley (4)

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Year in Review: Top of Genres

Top Mysteries:

1. Murder, Magic, and What We Wore. Kelly Jones. 2017. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
2. Murder Past Due. Miranda James. 2010. 294 pages. [Source: Borrowed]
3. A Heart in a Body in the World. Deb Caletti. 2018. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
4. The Daughter of Time. Josephine Tey. 1951/1995. Simon & Schuster. 208 pages. [Source: Bought]
5. Thirteen at Dinner. Agatha Christie. 1933. 228 pages. [Source: Bought] 
6. Singing in the Shrouds. Ngaio Marsh. 1958. 240 pages. [Source: Bought]

Top Historical Fiction:

1. Louisiana's Way Home. Kate DiCamillo. 2018. Candlewick Press. 240 pages. [Source: Library] 
2. Midnight Without a Moon. Linda Williams Jackson. 2017. HMH. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
3. The Lacemaker. Laura Frantz. 2018. Revell. 416 pages. [Source: Review copy]
4. Promises and Primroses. Josi S. Kilpack. 2018. Shadow Mountain. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
5. Ashes on the Moor. Sarah M. Eden. 2018. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
6. Here Be Dragons. Sharon Kay Penman. 1985. 704 pages. [Source: Borrowed]  
7. The Orphan Band of Springdale. Anne Nesbet. 2018. Candlewick. 448 pages. [Source: Library.]
8. The Bride of Ivy Green. Julie Klassen. 2018. Bethany House. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
9. A Bound Heart. Laura Frantz. 2019. Revell. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
10. Make A Wish, Molly. Barbara Cohen. 1994. 48 pages. [Source: Bought]

Top Speculative Fiction:

1. Bob. Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. 2018. Feiwel & Friends. 208 pages. [Source: Library]
2. Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) Neal Shusterman. 2018. 5014 pages. [Source: Library]
3. The Enchanted Sonata. Heather Dixon Wallwork. 2018. [Oct 23] 375 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
4. Brightly Burning. Alexa Donne. 2018. HMH. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]
5. Reign the Earth. (The Elementae #1) A.C. Gaughen. 2018. Bloomsbury. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy]
6. The Fourteenth Goldfish. Jennifer L. Holm. 2014. Random House. 208 pages. [Source: Library]  
7. The City of Ember. Jeanne DuPrau. 2003. 270 pages. [Source: Bought] 
8. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll. Illustrated by John Tenniel. 1865/1871. 247 pages. [Source: Bought]

 Top Contemporary/Realistic

1. Wonder. R. J. Palacio. 2012. Random House. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]
2. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy. Jeanne Birdsall. 2005. Random House. 262 pages. [Source: Library]
3. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. Jeanne Birdsall. 2008. 308 pages. [Source: Library]
4. The Summer of Broken Things. Margaret Peterson Haddix. 2018. Simon & Schuster. 393 pages. [Source: Review copy]
5. Bronx Masquerade. Nikki Grimes. 2001/2017. Penguin. 192 pages. [Source: Library]
6. Between the Lines. Nikki Grimes. 2018. 216 pages. [Source: Library]
7. Find A Stranger, Say Goodbye. Lois Lowry. 1978/2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]
8. The Day They Came To Arrest The Book. Nat Hentoff. 1982. 176 pages. [Source: Book I bought] 
9. Road Trip with Max and His Mom. Linda Urban. Illustrated by Katie Kath. 2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]  
10. Echo's Sister. Paul Mosier. 2018. HarperCollins. 240 pages. [Source: Library]

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Year in Review: Classics

My top ten

1. Agnes Grey. Anne Bronte. 1847. 224 pages. [Source: Bought] 
2. The Ladies' Paradise by Emile Zola. 1883/2012. Oxford University Press. 438 pages. [Source: Library]  
3. East of Eden. John Steinbeck. 1952. 601 pages. [Source: Bought]
4. Sylvia's Lovers. Elizabeth Gaskell. 1863/1997. Everyman Paperbacks. 560 pages. [Source: Bought]
5. Wives and Daughters. Elizabeth Gaskell. 1866. 649 pages. [Source: Bought]
6. Ruth. Elizabeth Gaskell. 1853. 432 pages. [Source: Bought]
7. Strawberry Girl. Lois Lenski. 1945. 208 pages. [Source: Bought]
8. Crime and Punishment. Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Translated by David McDuff. 1866/2002. 671 pages. [Source: Library]
9. Framley Parsonage. Anthony Trollope. 1861. 573 pages. [Source: Bought]
10. Small House at Allington. Anthony Trollope. 1864. 695 pages. [Source: Bought] 

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Year in Review: Top Ten Nonfiction

My top ten (in no particular order)

1. Jane Austen at Home. Lucy Worsley. 2017. 387 pages. [Source: LIBRARY]
2. Ethel and Ernest. Raymond Briggs. 1998. 104 pages. [Source: Library]
3. Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon. Robert Kurson. 2018. Random House. 384 pages. [Source: Library] 
4. Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein. Lita Judge. 2018. 320 pages. [Source: Library]
5. Library on Wheels: Mary Lemist Titcomb and America's First Bookmobile. 2018. Sharlee Glenn. Abrams. 56 pages. [Source: Review copy]
6. Barracoon: The story of the Last Black Cargo. Zora Neale Hurston. 2018. HarperCollins. 2018. 256 pages. [Source: Library] 
7. Isaac's Storm. Erik Larson. 1999. 336 pages. [Source: Library]
8. Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything. Aly Raisman. 2017. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
9. Mary Shelley: The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein's Creator. Catherine Reef. 2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]
10. Unstoppable: True Stories of Amazing Bionic Animals. Nancy Furstinger. 2017. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 128 pages. [Source: Borrowed from friend] 

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Year in Review: Top Twelve Early Readers and Chapter Books

1. Mr. Putter and Tabby Turn the Page. (Mr. Putter & Tabby #23). Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. 2014. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
2. Mr. Putter and Tabby Spin the Yarn. (Mr. Putter and Tabby #15) Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. 2006. 44 pages. [Source: Library]
3. Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book. (Mr. Putter and Tabby #13) Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. 2004. 44 pages. [Source: Library]
4. Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish (Mr. Putter and Tabby #10) Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. 2001. 44 pages. [Source: Library]
5. Mr. Putter and Tabby Dance the Dance. (Mr. Putter and Tabby #21) Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. 2012. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
6. Mr. Putter and Tabby Toot The Horn. (Mr. Putter & Tabby #7) Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. 1998. 44 pages. [Source: Library]
7. My Toothbrush is Missing. (The Giggle Gang #4) Jan Thomas. 2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]
8. Poppleton. Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Mark Teague. 1997. 56 pages. [Source: Library]
9. Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths. Graham Annable. 2018. First Second. 128 pages. [Source: Review copy]
10. Mr. Monkey Bakes a Cake. Jeff Mack. 2018. Simon and Schuster. 64 pages. [Source: Library]
11. Who's a Pest? Crosby Newell Bonsall. 1962. Harper & Row. 64 pages. [Source: Bought] 
12. A Gift for Mama. Esther Hautzig. 1981/1997. Penguin. 64 pages. [Source: Bought]

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Year in Review: Top Fifteen Picture Books

Favorite Picture Books (In No Particular Order)

1. The Remember Balloons. Jessie Oliveros. Illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte. 2018. Simon & Schuster. 48 pages. [Source: Library]
2. Mama Seeton's Whistle. Jerry Spinelli. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2015. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
3. I'm Fun, Too! (A Classic Lego Picture Book). Jonathan Fenske. 2018. Scholastic. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
4. Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise. David Ezra Stein. 2018. Candlewick. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
5. Allie All Along. Sarah Lynne Reul. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
6. Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy. Laurel Snyder. Illustrated by Emily Hughes. 2017. 48 pages. [Source: Library]
7. Misunderstood Shark. Ame Dyckman. Illustrated by Scott Magoon. 2018. Scholastic. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]
8. Little Brothers & Little Sisters. Monica Arnaldo. 2018. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
9. Kat Writes a Song. Greg Foley. 2018. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
10. The Wall in the Middle of the Book. Jon Agee. 2018. 48 pages. [Source: Library] 
11. A Lion is a Lion. Polly Dunbar. 2018. Candlewick. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
12. Buster and the Baby. Amy Hest. Illustrated by Polly Dunbar. 2017. [October 24, 2017] Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
13. Goodbye Brings Hello. Dianne White. Illustrated by Daniel Wiseman. 2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
14. When I Was Young in the Mountains. Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Diane Goode. 1982. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
15. Mr. Pusskins: A Love Story. Sam Lloyd. 2006. 32 pages. [Source: Library] (2006, UK)

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Year in Review: Top Ten Picture Book Biographies

Favorite Picture Book Biographies (in no particular order)

1. Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen. Deborah Hopkinson. Illustrated by Qin Leng. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
2. Balderdash! John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children's Books. Michelle Markel. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. 2017. 44 pages. [Source: Library]
3. How Sweet the Sound: the Story of Amazing Grace. Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Frank Morrison. 2018. Simon & Schuster. 48 pages. [Source: Library] 
4. Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13. Helaine Becker. Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
5. Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein. Linda Bailey. Illustrated by Julia Sarda. 2018. 56 pages. [Source: Library] 
6. Picturing America: Thomas Cole and the Birth of American Art. Hudson Talbott. 2018. Penguin. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
7. Vincent Can't Sleep. Barb Rosenstock. Illustrated by Mary Grandpre. 2017. Random House. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
8. Before She Was Harriet. Lesa Cline-Ransome. Illustrated by James Ransome. 2017. [November] Holiday House. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
9. Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World. Susan Hood. Illustrated by Selina Alko, Sophie Blackall, Lisa Brown, Hadley Hooper, Emily Winfield Martin, Oge Mora, Julie Morstad, Sara Palacios, LeUyen Pham, Erin K. Robinson, Isabel Roxas, Shadra Strickland, and Melissa Sweet. 2018. HarperCollins. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
10. Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing. Nancy Churnin. Illustrated by James Rey Sanchez. 2018. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Year in Review: Top Twelve Board Books

FAVORITE BOARD BOOKS (in no particular order):

1. That's Me Loving You. Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Illustrated by Teagan White. 2018. [December] Random House. 28 pages. [Source: Review Copy] 
2. Board book: Where's Ellie? A Hide and Seek Book. Salina Yoon. 2012. Random House. 18 pages. [Source: Review copy]
3. Anne's Colors. Kelly Hill. 2018. 20 pages. [Source: Library]
4. Will Ladybug Hug? Hilary Leung. 2018. [October 30, 2018] Scholastic. 38 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
5. Alice in Wonderland (Lit for Little Hands). Lewis Carroll and Brooke Jordan. Illustrated by David Miles. 2018. 16 pages. [Source: Library]
6. Board book: Have You Seen My Lunch Box? Steve Light. 2017. Candlewick. 18 pages. [Source: Review copy]
7. Board book: I Love the Nutcracker: My First Sound Book. Marion Billet. 2018. Scholastic. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]
8. I Love To Gobble You Up. Sandra Magsamen. 2018. Scholastic. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]
9. Will Sheep Sleep? Hilary Leung. 2018. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
10. Will Bear Share? Hilary Leung. 2018. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
11. I Love Classical Music: My First Sound Book. Marion Billet. 2019. Scholastic. [Source: Review copy]
12. You Are My Cupcake. Joyce Wan. 2011. Scholastic. 14 pages. [Source: Library]

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

December Reflections

How many books have I read so far for the year? 563
How many board books or picture books have I read? 237
My favorite I read this month was:
You Are My Cupcake. Joyce Wan. 2011. Scholastic. 14 pages. [Source: Library]
How many early readers or early chapter books have I read? 83
My favorite I read this month was:
Dr. KittyCat #9 Ginger the Kitten. Jane Clarke. 2018. Scholastic. 96 pages. [Source: Review copy]
How many contemporary books have I read? 48
My favorite I read this month was:
Sunday Sundaes. (Sprinkle Sundays #1) Coco Simon. 2018. Simon & Schuster. 160 pages. [Source: Library]
How many speculative fiction books have I read? 41
My favorite I read this month was:
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. (The Chronicles of Narnia #1) C.S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes. 1950. 186 pages. [Source: Bought]
How many classics have I read? 52
My favorite I read this month was?
Ruth. Elizabeth Gaskell. 1853. 432 pages. [Source: Bought]
How many historical fiction novels have I read? 63
My favorite I read this month was?
The Bride of Ivy Green. Julie Klassen. 2018. Bethany House. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy]
How many mysteries? 34
My favorite I read this month was?
Whose Body? Dorothy L. Sayers. 1923/1995. HarperTorch. 224 pages. [Source: Bought] 
How many nonfiction? 63
My favorite I read this month was? 
Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen. Deborah Hopkinson. Illustrated by Qin Leng. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
How many Christian fiction? 37
My favorite I read this month was? 
A Bound Heart. Laura Frantz. 2019. Revell. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]
How many Christian nonfiction? 82
My favorite I read this month was?
How To Be A Perfect Christian. The Babylon Bee. 2018. 203 pages. [Source: Library]
How many "new" books for the Good Rule challenge? 365
How many "old" books for the Good Rule challenge? 198
How many pages have I read so far for the year? 94, 122
Favorite short story or fairy tale of the month: n/a
Favorite audio book of the month:n/a
Favorite Victorian quote: I cannot abide the way some folk has of denying there's trouble or pain to be met; just as if their saying there was none, would do away with it. ~ Elizabeth Gaskell

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen

Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen. Deborah Hopkinson. Illustrated by Qin Leng. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is one of our greatest writers. But it might surprise you to know that Jane lived a simple life. She wasn't rich or even very famous in her time.

Premise/plot: Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen is a picture book biography of Jane Austen. The narrative is perfectly suitable for sharing with young readers. Yet it may delight older readers--adult readers--even more. What age is the right age for a person to "meet" Jane Austen?

My thoughts: What a lovely book! I enjoyed this one so much. I love, love, love Jane Austen. Though truth be told, I love Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte more than any individual novel by Jane Austen. (With the exception of Persuasion. Persuasion and Jane Eyre are probably too much of a tie to decide which one is my absolute, most favorite book.) I didn't start reading or watching Austen until I was an adult. (Unless you count Clueless as an introduction to Emma. I think I might have even read Emma as a teen, but I can't remember for sure. I think it was my first Austen to buy--and I did buy it because of Clueless.)

I found the writing to be wonderful.

There were plenty of stories for her to read, too. Her father's great library boasted five hundred books (almost all of them by men). Since Jane had little outside schooling, the library was her classroom. And while Jane devoured everything, from history to poetry to biographies, she loved novels best of all. 

The illustrations were PERFECT.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10


© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2019 REading Challenges: Picture Book

Host: Becky's Book Reviews (sign up)
Duration: January - December 2019
Goal: To have adults read more picture books. To celebrate the fact that picture books are for everyone! Families are, of course, welcome to join in!
# of books: minimum of 6

I will be signing up to do all levels.

Feel free to copy/paste this. You can replace the _ with an X or a ✔ (copy/paste it) when you finish reading a book. If you list the books you read, that may help other people decide what to read.
 
Monthly Challenges (You may define "old" and "new" for yourself.)

January
✔ Something Old Board book: The Giant Jam Sandwich. Janet Burroway. Story and Pictures by John Vernon Lord. 1972/2018. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 28 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ Something New Bruce's Big Move. Ryan T. Higgins. 2017. Disney-Hyperion. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
✔  Something Borrowed Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear. Lindsay Mattick. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. 2015. Little, Brown. 56 pages. [Source: Library]
✔  Something True (nonfiction) Eliza: The Story of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. Margaret McNamara. Illustrated by Esme Shapiro. 2018. 48 pages. [Source: Library]

February
✔ Something Old Tim and His Train. E.C. Reichert. Illustrated by Fiore Mastri. 1949. Rand McNally. 30 pages. [Source: Bought]
✔ Something New Hooray for Babies! Susan Meyers. Illustrated by Sue Cornelison. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ Something Borrowed Fox & Chick: The Party and Other Stories. Sergio Ruzzier. 2018. 56 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ Something True (nonfiction) Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race. Margo Lee Shetterly and Winifred Conkling. Illustrated by Laura Freeman. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

March
✔ Something Old Little Monster At School. (A Golden Look-Look Book) Mercer Mayer. 1978. Golden Books. 24 pages. [Source: Bought]
✔  Something New Sparky & Spike: Charles Schulz and The Wildest, Smartest Dog Ever. Barbara Lowell. Illustrated by Dan Andreasen. 2019. Cameron Kids. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ Something Borrowed Square. (Shapes Trilogy #2) Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Jon Klassen. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ Something True (nonfiction) The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons. Natascha Biebow. Illustrated by Steven Salerno. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]


April
✔ Something Old Apples to Oregon: Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (And Children) Across the Plains. Deborah Hopkinson. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. 2004. 40 pages. [Source: Bought]
✔ Something New The Book in the Book in the Book. Julien Baer. Illustrated by Simon Bailly. 2019. Holiday House. 56 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ Something Borrowed Carter Reads the Newspaper. Deborah Hopkinson. Illustrated by Don Tate. 2019. Peachtree. 36 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ Something True (nonfiction) Caterpillar and Bean: A First Science Storybook. Martin Jenkins. Illustrated by Hannah Tolson. 2019. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

May
✔ Something Old The Monster At The End of This Book. Jon Stone. Illustrated by Michael J. Smollin. 1971. Golden Books. 32 pages. [Source: Bought]
✔ Something New Scratchie:  A Touch-and-Feel Cat-Venture. Maria Putri. 2019. Simon & Schuster. 2019. 24 pages.
✔ Something Borrowed Midnight Teacher: Lilly Ann Granderson and Her Secret School. Janet Halfmann. Illustrated by London Ladd. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ Something True (nonfiction) The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon: The True Story of Alan Bean. Dean Robbins. Illustrated by Sean Rubin. 2019. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

June
✔ Something Old The Big Honey Hunt. Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain. 1962. 72 pages. [Source: Own]
✔ Something New The Rabbit, the Dark, and the Cookie Tin. Nicola O'Byrne. 2019. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ Something Borrowed Anne's Numbers. Kelly Hill. 2018. 22 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ Something True (nonfiction) Beware of the Crocodile. Martin Jenkins. Illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura. 2019. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

July
✔ Something Old Madeline. Ludwig Bemelmans. 1939. 44 pages. [Source: Library]
_ Something New
✔ Something Borrowed Pete the Cat's Giant Groovy Book. James Dean. 2019. HarperCollins. 288 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ Something True (nonfiction) Degas, Painter of Ballerinas. Susan Goldman Rubin. 2019. Harry N. Abrams. 64 pages. [Source: Review copy]

August
_ Something Old
_ Something New
_ Something Borrowed
_ Something True (nonfiction)

September
_ Something Old
✔ Something New  Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao. Kat Zhang. Illustrated by Charlene Chua. 2019. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ Something Borrowed The Wolf in Underpants. Wilfrid Lupano. Illustrated by Mayana Itoiz and Paul Cauuet. 2019. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
_ Something True (nonfiction)

October
_ Something Old
_ Something New
_ Something Borrowed How To Read A Book. Kwame Alexander. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. 2019. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
_ Something True (nonfiction)

November
_ Something Old
_ Something New
_ Something Borrowed
_ Something True (nonfiction)

December
_ Something Old
_ Something New
_ Something Borrowed
_ Something True (nonfiction)

Seasonal Challenge

Winter
✔ holiday of your choice Santa Bruce. Ryan T. Higgins. 2018. Disney-Hyperion. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ book set in winter Mimi's Adventures in Baking Gingerbread Men. Alyssa Gangeri. Illustrated by Chiara Civati. 2015. 38 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ free picture book of your choice Fold Out and Find Out: Caterpillar to Butterfly. Frances Barry. 2019. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ free board book of your choice Animals with Tiny Cat. Viviane Schwarz. 2018. 30 pages. [Source: Library]
✔  free early reader or early chapter book of your choice Fox the Tiger. Corey R. Tabor. 2018. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

Spring
_ holiday of your choice
✔ book set in spring The Bears' Picnic. Stan and Jan Berenstain. 1966. 72 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ free picture book of your choice Mine! Sue Heap. 2014. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ free board book of your choice I Love Science. Allison Wortche. Illustrated by Steve Mack. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ free early reader or early chapter book of your choice Hello, Crabby! (Book #1) Jonathan Fenske. 2019. Scholastic. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Summer
_ holiday of your choice
✔ book set in summer The Pigeon Has To Go To School. Mo Willems. 2019. [July] Disney-Hyperion. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
✔  free picture book of your choice Daddy-Sitting. Eve Coy. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
_ free board book of your choice
✔  free early reader or early chapter book of your choice Inside, Outside, Upside Down. Stan & Jan Berenstain. 1968. 48 pages. [Source: Library]

Fall
_ holiday of your choice
_ book set in fall
_ free picture book of your choice
_ free board book of your choice
_ free early reader or early chapter book of your choice
 
Alphabet Challenge (January - December)

1. ✔ Title Beginning with A Alma and How She Got Her Name. Juana Martinez-Neal. 2018. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
2. ✔ Author Beginning with A Future Astronaut. Lori Alexander. Illustrated by Allison Black. 2019. Scholastic. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]
3. ✔ Illustrator Beginning with A Arrr, Mustache Baby! Bridget Heos. Illustrated by Joy Ang. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
4. ✔ Title Beginning with B Because. Mo Willems. Illustrated by Amber Ren. 2019. Hyperion. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
5. ✔ Author Beginning with B Hello Lighthouse. Sophie Blackall. 2018. Little, Brown for Young Readers. 44 pages. [Source: Library]
6. ✔ Illustrator Beginning with B  Is That Your Dad? (A Changing Faces Book) Carles Ballesteros. 2019. Harry N. Abrams. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]
7. ✔ Title Beginning with C Circle. (Shapes Trilogy #3) Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Jon Klassen. 2019. Candlewick Press. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]
8. ✔ Author Beginning with C Little Fish and Mommy. Lucy Cousins. 2019. Candlewick Press. 22 pages. [Source: Review copy]
9. ✔ Illustrator Beginning C Lights! Camera! Alice! The Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmmaker. Mara Rockliff. Illustrated by Simona Ciraolo. 2018. 60 pages. [Source: Library]
10. ✔ Title Beginning with D Dust Bunny Wants A Friend. Amy Hevron. 2019. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
11. ✔ Author Beginning with D Grumpy Duck. Joyce Dunbar. Illustrated by Petr Horacek. 2019. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
12. ✔ Illustrator Beginning with D Super Rawr! Todd H. Doodler. 2016. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
13. _ Title Beginning with E
14. _ Author Beginning with E
15. _ Illustrator Beginning with E
16. ✔ Title Beginning with F Felix Eats Up (Felix and Fiona) Rosemary Wells. 2019. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
17. ✔ Author Beginning with F If I Was The Sunshine. Julie Fogliano. Illustrated by Loren Long. 2019. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]
18. _ Illustrator Beginning with F
19. ✔ Title Beginning with G Goodnight, Starry Night (Peek-a-boo Art) Amy Guglielmo and Julie Appel. 2019. [October 15] Scholastic. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]
20. ✔ Author Beginning with G Mimi's Adventures in Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies. Alyssa Gangeri. Illustrated by Chiara Civati. 2015. 38 pages. [Source: Library]
21. _ Illustrator Beginning with G
22. ✔ Title Beginning with H How To Be A Cat. Nikki McClure. 2013/2019. Abrams. 30 pages. [Source: Review copy]
23. ✔ Author Beginning with H 1 Grumpy Bruce: A Counting Board Book. Ryan T. Higgins. 2018. Disney-Hyperion. 24 pages. [Source: Library]
24. ✔ Illustrator Beginning with H Marguerite Makes a Book. Bruce Robertson. Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. 1999. 44 pages. [Source: Bought]
25. ✔ Title Beginning with I I Love Space. Allison Wortche. Illustrated by Steve Mack. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]
26. _ Author Beginning with I
27. _ Illustrator Beginning with I
28. ✔  Title Beginning with J The Jolly Jingle Book. Leroy F. Jackson. Illustrated by Clare McKinley. 1951/1961. Rand McNally. 30 pages. [Source: Bought]
29. _ Author Beginning with J
30. _ Illustrator Beginning with J
31. _ Title Beginning with K
32. ✔  Author Beginning with K The Little Rabbit. Nicola Killen. 2019. Simon & Schuster. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
33. ✔ Illustrator Beginning with K Chicken Talk. Patricia MacLachlan. Illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. 2019. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
34. _ Title beginning with L A Little Book About Colors (Leo Lionni's Friends). Leo Lionni. Jan Gerardi. 2019. Random House. 28 pages. [Source: Review copy]
35. ✔  Author Beginning with L The Rough Patch. Brian Lies. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
36. ✔ Illustrator Beginning with L A Big Mooncake for Little Star. Grace Lin. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
37. ✔  Title Beginning with M Meet Miss Fancy. Irene Latham. Illustrated by John Holyfield. 2019. Penguin. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
38. ✔ Author Beginning with M What Is Given From the Heart. Patricia C. McKissack. Illustrated by April Harrison. 2019 [January]. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
39. ✔ Illustrator Beginning with M So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth's Long Walk Toward Freedom. Gary D. Schmidt. Illustrated by Daniel Minter. 2018. 48 pages. [Source: Library]
40. ✔ Title Beginning with N Night Train, Night Train. Robert Burleigh. Illustrated by Wendell Minor. 2018. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
41. ✔ Author Beginning with N The Lost Horse. Mark Nicholas. 2019. Harry N. Abrams. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
42. _ Illustrator Beginning with N
43. ✔  Title Beginning with O Once Upon a Zzzz. Maddie Frost. 2018. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
44. _ Author Beginning with O
45. _ Illustrator Beginning with O
46. ✔  Title Beginning with P Peppa Pig and the Family Reunion. 2019. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
47. ✔  Author Beginning with P The Book Hog. Greg Pizzoli. 2019. Disney-Hyperion. 48 pages. [Source: Library]
48. _ Illustrator Beginning with P
49. _ Title beginning with Q
50. ✔ Author or Illustrator beginning with Q Sherlock Chick's First Case. Robert M. Quackenbush. 1986/2019. 48 pages. [Source: Library]
51. _ Title beginning with R
52. ✔  Author beginning with R Chicks and Salsa. Aaron Reynolds. Illustrated by Paulette Bogan. 2005. Bloomsbury. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
53. _ Illustrator beginning with R
54. ✔ Title beginning with S  Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil Degrasse Tyson. Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer. Illustrated by Frank Morrison. 2018. 48 pages. [Source: Library]
55. ✔ Author beginning with S Harold & Hog Pretend for Real. Dan Santat. 2019. Hyperion. 64 pages. [Source: Library]
56. _ Illustrator beginning with S
57. ✔ Title beginning with T Thank You, Omu! Oge Mora. 2018. Little, Brown and Company. 34 pages. [Source: Library]
58. _ Author beginning with T
59. _ Illustrator beginning with T
60. ✔ Title beginning with U The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon. Matthew Burgess. Illustrated by Fiona Woodcock. 2019. Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
61. _ Author or illustrator beginning with U
62. _ Title beginning with V
63. ✔ Author or illustrator beginning with V A Piglet Named Mercy. Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. 2019. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
64. _ Title beginning with W
65. ✔ Author beginning with W How To Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps. Nicola Winstanley. Illustrated by John Martz. 2019. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
66. ✔ Illustrator beginning with W Board book: Dream Big. Joyce Wan. 2019. Scholastic. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]
67. _ Title with an X ("ex")
68. ✔ Author or illustrator with an X Jungle Animals. Xavier Deneux. 2018. Twirl. 20 pages. [Source: Library]
69. ✔ Title beginning with Y You Are Light. Aaron Becker. 2019. Candlewick Press. 16 pages. [Source: Review copy]
70. ✔ Author or illustrator beginning with Y Bark in the Park! Poems for Dog Lovers. Avery Corman. Illustrated by Hyewon Yum. 2019. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]
71. _  Title with a Z 
72. ✔  Author with a Z  And There Was Evening, And There Was Morning. Ellen Kahan Zager. Illustrated by Harriet Cohen Helfand. 2018. 24 pages. [Source: Library]
73. ✔ Author or illustrator beginning with Z  The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains. Annie Silvestro. Illustrated by Paola Zakimi. 2018. HarperCollins. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

So Many Sounds

So Many Sounds. Tim McCanna. Illustrated by Andy J. Miller. 2018. Abrams. 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Listen! Do you hear a sound? Noises come from all around. Soft and gentle, loud and clear, oh so many sounds to hear!

Premise/plot: This concept book is written in rhyme. It focuses on the sense of hearing. What sounds does the little boy--our hero--hear throughout the day and into the night?

My thoughts: I love, love, love, LOVE the text of this one. It is LOVELY. It is rhythmic. The descriptive writing is excellent. 

Teapot whistles.
Toaster pops.
Bacon sizzles.
Pancake flops.

and

Sneakers stamp, and classrooms bustle.
Pencils scratch, and papers rustle.
Whispers, giggles, shouts, and slurps,
Munching, crunching, gulps, and burps.

I absolutely love the text as I've mentioned. I wasn't as crazy about the illustrations. In fact the scale of the illustrations bothered me a good deal. The arms of all the people are very large and out of proportion. Hands/arms don't go down to one's ankles. They just don't.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 2 out of 5
Total: 7 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Balance the Birds

Balance the Birds. Susie Ghahremani. 2018. Abrams. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Here come the birds! Half on the left side, and half on the right. This is how the birds balance!

Premise/plot: Susie Ghahremani is the author of Stack the Cats which I reviewed last year. Like Stack the Cats, Balance the Birds is a math-related concept book for young readers. The concept being taught is weight, size, and logic.

My thoughts: I liked Stack the Cats well enough. It may be about math, but it was also about cats. 

I didn't dislike Balance the Birds. I think that's important to point out. I just didn't love it.

The illustrations are super-bold and colorful. Perhaps a little too colorful for my poor eyes. I think I would have liked this one a little more if the background(s) were different. If they were a shade of sky--white, gray, blue--for example. Instead of sky, we have bright red, bright yellow, light turquoise, dark turquoise.

I did like how the tree is a scale--readers can tell if the birds are balanced by paying attention to the tree.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sprinkle Sundays #1 Sunday Sundaes

Sunday Sundaes. (Sprinkle Sundays #1) Coco Simon. 2018. Simon & Schuster. 160 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: A hot August wind lifted my brown hair and cooled the back of my neck as I waited for the bus to take me to my new school. I hoped I was standing in the right spot. I hoped I was wearing the right thing. I wished I were anywhere else.

Premise/plot: When Allie returns from summer camp she learns that her parents are divorcing. She'll be moving with her mom and brother. It's just one town away, but it means she'll see less of her dad, less of her best, best friends (Tamiko and Sierra), and that she'll have to start a new school. If there's a plus to this news it's that her mom will be leaving her old job and starting her dream job. Her mom will be opening an ice cream parlor. Will Allie make new friends? Can she stay in touch with her old friends? Are her parents telling her the truth when they promise that things will be better now than ever before?

My thoughts: I liked this one. I did. Allie loves, loves, loves to read. She loves the library. She's not socially awkward--not in a true sense of the word, she just didn't find her people right away at the new school. Or should I say her KINDRED SPIRITS. Allie's a great kid--who wouldn't want to be her friend?

I really like the premise of this series. Each Sunday, Sierra, Tamiko, and Allie will work together at her mom's ice cream parlor.

The book has a cozy feel to it.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Enchanted Sonata

The Enchanted Sonata. Heather Dixon Wallwork. 2018. [Oct 23] 375 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: What makes music...magic?

Premise/plot:  The Enchanted Sonata is a middle grade/young adult retelling of The Nutcracker. It is also a story within a story. Clara, our heroine, is a pianist. She's super-excited that she'll be playing in a fancy recital on Christmas along with some of the best of the best musicians. On Christmas Eve, she receives an unexpected present under the tree--a Nutcracker and a book. The book stars a young girl named Clara and it tells a fantastical story of a kingdom plagued with problems. There is an evil (signal the boo, hiss) musician who has with his magical music enticed the children of the kingdom away. Once he has them where he wants them--away from their homes--he plays another song and turns them into toys. The loss of a kingdom's children PLUS the ever-present danger of giant rats invading the land make for a severely troubled kingdom. The soon-to-be-emperor, Nikolai, finds himself in trouble. The musician turns him into a Nutcracker; however he--for story reasons perhaps--finds himself only partly turned. He remains alive, just a giant toy. As real-life Clara is reading the book, she finds herself IN the book. (The book is also in the book.) There is plenty of action, albeit slightly clunky seeing as how our hero is made of wood. Can Clara find a way of saving the kingdom by reversing the spells?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one so much! I read it in two days. I found it lovely. I would say it is loosely inspired by The Nutcracker. But it also has other influences--the Pied Piper and perhaps even the Phantom of the Opera. (I'm not sure as I've never read that one. But there is a character that lives in the opera/theatre and makes music in the night.)

I found it to be somewhat predictable but not all the way predictable. (I guessed what would reverse the spell early on, for example.)

I found Clara to be a bit naive--very silly. But she is a young girl who has only dreamed up grand dreams of falling in love.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Just Like Us! Cats

Just Like Us! Cats. Bridget Heos. Illustrated by David Clark. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Cats have retractable claws, razor-sharp teeth, and tails for balancing. Humans don't. But in some ways, cats and people are alike.

Premise/plot: Just Like Us! Cats is a nonfiction picture book about cats. You should know, however, this isn't so much focused on house pets as it is wild cats, big cats, prehistoric cats. It is packed with information. Each two-page spread provides one to two paragraphs of insight.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it featured photographs instead of cartoon-like illustrations. The text was informative though.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

What Is Inside THIS Box?

What Is Inside This Box? (Monkey and Cake #1) Drew Daywalt. Illustrated by Olivier Tallec. 2019. Scholastic. 56 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Hello, Monkey. Hello, Cake. What do you have? I have a box. It is a big box.

Premise/plot: Monkey believes that inside this box there is a magic cat. Open the box, the cat is not there. Close the box, it is. Cake, however, believes that inside the box there is a magic dinosaur. Who is right? And does it matter?

My thoughts: This early reader is unique and quirky--at least on the surface. At first glance, this one is over-the-top silly. But I don't think it's meant to be taken solely that way. I think it is supposed to get readers thinking deeper. If that isn't the case, why would there be a note to readers asking them questions like...

• Do you believe in things you can't see?
• Do people you know believe in things you don't believe in?
• What do you believe in?

So this book addresses an abstract subject in a silly, light-hearted way. How much sillier can you get than a talking piece of cake?

I do not want to over think this book. I do not want to over think this book. I do not want to over think this book. I'm tempted to though. Let's just leave it as if taken too seriously--taken too far, this one is a theological mess.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2019 Reading Challenges: When Are You Reading

2019 When Are You Reading Challenge
Host: Taking On A World of Words (sign up here) (home page for challenge)
January - December 2019
# of books: 12

✔ Pre 1300
Ivanhoe. Walter Scott. 1819. 544 pages. [Source: Bought]
✔ 1300-1499
Grave Mercy. Robin LaFevers. 2012/2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 560 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc. David Elliott. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ 1500-1699 The Tempest. William Shakespeare. 1623. 127 pages. [Source: Bought]
✔ 1700-1799
Evelina. Fanny Burney. 1778. 455 pages. [Source: Bought]
✔ 1800-1899
The Murder of Patience Brooke. (Charles Dickens Investigations #1)  J.C. Briggs. 2018. Sapere Books. 290 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster. Jonathan Auxier. 2018. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ 1900-1919
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear. Lindsay Mattick. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. 2015. Little, Brown. 56 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ 1920-1939
Miss Buncle's Book. D.E. Stevenson. 1934. 304 pages. [Source: Bought] 
✔ 1940-1959

Mistress of the Ritz. Melanie Benjamin. 2019. Random House. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]_ 1960-1979
✔ 1980-1999
Speak. Laurie Halse Anderson. 1999. 224 pages. [Source: Library]
_ 2000-Present
✔ The Future
Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083. Andrea White. 2005. 448 pages. [Source: Bought]

Feel free to copy/paste this. You can replace the _ with an X or a ✔ (copy/paste it) when you finish reading a book. If you list the books you read, that may help other people decide what to read. 

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2019 Reading Challenges: European Reading Challenge

2019 European Reading Challenge
Host: Rose City Reader (sign up here)
January - January 31, 2020
# of books: I'm aiming for five  

FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

Europe:

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

1) GERMANY The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler. John Hendrix. 2018. Harry N. Abrams. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
2) UNITED KINGDOM Evelina. Fanny Burney. 1778. 455 pages. [Source: Bought]
3) NETHERLANDS The Diary of a Young Girl. Anne Frank (The Definitive Edition). Edited by Otto Frank and Mirjam Pressler. Translated by Susan Massotty. 1947/1996. 352 pages. [Source: Bought]
4) NORWAY Journey of the Pale Bear. Susan Fletcher. 2018. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
5)FRANCE Code Name: Lise. Larry Loftis. 2019. 384 pages. [Source: Library]

6) GERMANY The Book Thief. Markus Zusak. 2006. Random House. 560 pages. [Source: Bought]
7) FRANCE Lights! Camera! Alice! The Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmmaker. Mara Rockliff. Illustrated by Simona Ciraolo. 2018. 60 pages. [Source: Library]
8) ENGLAND Ruled Brittania. Harry Turtledove. 2002. 576 pages. [Source: Library]
9)  POLAND I Survived The Nazi Invasion, 1944. Lauren Tarshis. 2014. Scholastic. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]
10) RUSSIA The Crown and The Crucible Michael R. Phillips and Judith Pella. 1991. Bethany House. 416 pages. [Source: Bought]
11) ENGLAND Three Men in a Boat. Jerome K. Jerome. 1889. 174 pages. [Source: Bought]
12) ENGLAND Shirley. Charlotte Bronte. 1849. 624 pages. [Source: Bought]
13) ENGLAND How I Became A Spy. Deborah Hopkinson. 2019. Random House. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
14) FRANCE Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc. David Elliott. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]
15) FRANCE  Marguerite Makes a Book. Bruce Robertson. Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. 1999. 44 pages. [Source: Bought]
16) NETHERLANDs Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation. Adapted by Ari Folman. Original text by Anne Frank. Illustrated by David Polonsky. 2018. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]
17) ENGLAND These Old Shades. Georgette Heyer. 1926/2008. Harlequin. 384 pages. [Source: Bought]
18) ENGLAND Miss Buncle's Book. D.E. Stevenson. 1934. 304 pages. [Source: Bought]
19) GERMANY  Refugee. Alan Gratz. 2017. Scholastic. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
20) DENMARK Number the Stars. Lois Lowry. 1989. (Won Newbery in 1990) 137 pages. [Source: Bought]
21) FRANCE Stepsister. Jennifer Donnelly. 2019. Scholastic. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
22)  AUSTRIA The Only Woman in the Room. Marie Benedict. 2019. Sourcebooks. 256 pages. [Source: Library]
23) ENGLAND Courageous. Yona Zeldis McDonough. 2018. [Nov] Scholastic. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]
24) SCOTLAND Kidnapped. Robert Louis Stevenson. 1886. 276 pages. [Source: Bought]
25) ENGLAND Sense and Sensibility. Jane Austen. 1811. 409 pages. [Source: Bought]
26) England and France. Courage to Be Counted. (A Clubmobile Girls Novel) Eleri Grace. 2019. Bugle Call Books. 350 pages. [Source: Review copy]
27) POLAND  Resistance. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2018. Scholastic. 385 pages. [Source: Review copy]
28) FRANCE  The Good Son: A Story From the First World War Told In Miniature. Pierre-Jacques Ober. Illustrated by Jules Ober and Felicity Coonan. 2019. Candlewick Press. 104 pages. [Source: Review copy]
29)  ENGLAND Daisies and Devotion (Mayfield Family #2) Josi S. Kilpack. 2019. Shadow Mountain. 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]
30) FRANCE Les Miserables. Victor Hugo. Translated by Julie Rose. 1862/2008. Modern Library. 1330 pages. [Source: Bought]
31) ENGLAND The Gown. Jennifer Robson. 2018. 371 pages. [Source: Library]
32. ENGLAND The Convenient Marriage. Georgette Heyer. 1934. 322 pages. [Source: Bought]
33. FRANCE A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II. Sonia Purnell. 2019. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
34. SCOTLAND  The Lady of the Lakes: The True Love Story of Sir Walter Scott. Josi S. Kilpack. 2017. Shadow Mountain. [Source: Library]
35. ENGLAND In Farleigh Field. Rhys Bowen. 2017. Lake Union. 397 pages. [Source: Review copy]
36. GERMANY Resistance Women. Jennifer Chiaverini. 2019. 608 pages. [Source: Library]
37. FRANCE Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) Robin LaFevers. 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 387 pages. [Source: Review copy]
38. FRANCE Mistress of the Ritz. Melanie Benjamin. 2019. Random House. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
39. FRANCE Marie, Dancing. Carolyn Meyer. 2005. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 272 pages. [Source: Bought]
40. FRANCE Madeline. Ludwig Bemelmans. 1939. 44 pages. [Source: Library]
41. FRANCE I Always Loved You. Robin Oliveira. 2014. 343 pages. [Source: Library]
42. FRANCE Lovely War. Julie Berry. 2019. 480 pages. [Source: Library]
43. GREECE The Brave Princess and Me. Kathy Kacer. Illustrated by Juliana Kolesova. 2019. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
44. ENGLAND Billy Boyle (Billy Boyle #1) James R. Benn. 2006. 294 pages. [Source: Library]
45. FRANCE White Bird: A Wonder Story. R.J. Palacio. 2019. 224 pages. [Source: Library]
46. BELGIUM Nine Open Arms. Benny Lindelauf. Translated into English by John Nieuwenhuizen. 2004/2014. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
47. BELGIUM Fing's War. Benny Lindelauf. Translated into English by John Nieuwenhuitzen. 2019. 376 pages. [Source: Library]
48. RUSSIA Cilka's Journey (The Tattooist of Auschwitz #2) Heather Morris. 2019. St. Martin's Pres. 352 pages. [Source: Library]

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2019 Reading Challenges: Sweet Southern Reading Challenge

2019 Sweet Southern Reading Challenge
Host: Readeropolis (sign up here) #SweetSouthernRC (suggestions)
January - December 2019
# of books: I'm signing up for 'Three Glasses of Sweet Tea' 7 to 9 books

For this challenge, the South is defined as the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.*

Books set in Alabama:
1) Meet Miss Fancy. Irene Latham. Illustrated by John Holyfield. 2019. Penguin. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Books set in Arkansas:
1) 
Books set in Florida:
1)  Merci Suarez Changes Gears. Meg Medina. 2018. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
2) Beverly, Right Here. Kate DiCamillo. 2019. Candlewick Press. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Books set in Georgia:
1)  Cold Sassy Tree. Olive Ann Burns. 1984. 405 pages. [Source: Bought]
2) Gone With The Wind. Margaret Mitchell. 1936. 1037 pages. [Source: Book I Bought]

Books set in Kentucky:
1) 
Books set in Louisiana:
1) 
Books set in Mississippi
1) 
Books set in North Carolina
1) 
Books set in South Carolina
1) 
Books set in Tennessee
1)  The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins. Gail Shepherd. 2019. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
Books set in Texas
1)  Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend. Karen Blumenthal. 2018. 256 pages. [Source: Library]
2)  The Wind Blows Free. Loula Grace Erdman. 1952/2006. 271 pages. [Source: Library]
3) The Wide Horizon. Loula Grace Erdman. 1956/2007. Bethlehem Books. 279 pages. [Source: Library]
4) The Good Land. Loula Grace Erdman. 1959/2007. Bethlehem Books. 185 pages.

Books set in Virginia
1)  Cate of the Lost Colony. Lisa M. Klein. 2010. Bloomsbury. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Books set in West Virginia
1)

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The House Without a Christmas Tree

The House Without a Christmas Tree. Gail Rock. 1974. 84 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Carla Mae and I were sitting in our little kitchen at the old wooden table, with our spoons poised in mid-air. In front of each of us was a hard-boiled egg perched in an egg cup. We both stared intently at the faces we had drawn on our eggs. The longer the stare, the better the hex. "Who's yours today?" she asked. "Billy Wild," I said, making a face.


Premise/plot: The book is set in a small town in 1946. Addie lives with her father and grandmother. Her grandmother is a "character" in all the best ways. Unfortunately, some of her classmates mean it in a bad way. She has a super-complicated relationship with her father. He doesn't understand her; she doesn't understand him. Neither one is good at expressing exactly what they mean to one another.

The plot, of course, appears to mainly be about her wanting a Christmas tree. He said no; he meant no. No, no, no. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and Addie wants a Christmas tree desperately.

My thoughts: I really enjoy rereading this one every few years. It's a lovely quick read. If you enjoy historical fiction OR holiday stories, this one is a treat.

I read it this year with my family tree challenge in mind. Addie--if real--would have been born around the same time as my great-aunts.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2019 Reading Challenges: Official 2019 TBR Pile

The Official 2018 TBR Pile Challenge
Host: Adam (Roof Beam Reader) (sign up here)
January - December 2019
# of books: 12 to 14

 On Social Media, please use #TBR2019RBR
Your complete and final list must be posted by January 15th, 2019.

My list:

1. ✔  Odd and the Frost Giants. Neil Gaiman. 2009. 117 pages. [Source: Review copy]
2. ✔ Dealing with Dragons. (Enchanted Forest Chronicles #1) Patricia C. Wrede. 2002. 212 pages. [Source: Review copy] 
3. ✔ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Mark Haddon. 2003/2004. 226 pages. [Source: Bought] 
4. _ The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. 1998/2003. 235 pages. [Source: Bought]
5. _ The Mouse and His Child. Russell Hoban. Illustrated by David Small. 1967/2017. 244 pages. [Source: Review copy]
6. ✔ The Penderwicks at Point Mouette. Jeanne Birdsall. 2011. 295 pages. [Source: Review copy]
7. _ Maisie Dobbs. Jacqueline Winspear. 2003. 309 pages. [Source: Bought]
8. _ The Secret Life of Bees. Sue Monk Kidd. 2001/2003. 336 pages. [Source: Bought]
9. _ Ready Player One. Ernest Cline. 2011. 374 pages. [Source: Review copy]
10. ✔ The Princess Bride. William Goldman. 1973/2003. 398 pages. [Source: Bought]
11. ✔ Miss Buncle's Book. D.E. Stevenson. 1934. 304 pages. [Source: Bought]
12. _ The Dreaming Suburb (The Avenue #1) R.F. Delderfield. 1958. 480 pages. [Source: Bought]
13. ✔ Cold Sassy Tree. Olive Ann Burns. 1984. 405 pages. [Source: Bought]
14. _ Bright Captivity. Eugenia Price. 1991. 613 pages. [Source: Bought]

Feel free to copy/paste this. You can replace the _ with an X or a ✔ (copy/paste it) when you finish reading a book. If you list the books you read, that may help other people decide what to read.

Odd and the Frost Giants. Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 2008. 117 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Princess Bride. William Goldman. 1973/2003. 398 pages. [Source: Bought]
Miss Buncle's Book. D.E. Stevenson. 1934. 304 pages. [Source: Bought]
Dealing with Dragons. (Enchanted Forest Chronicles #1) Patricia C. Wrede. 1990/2015. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Mark Haddon. 2003/2004. 226 pages. [Source: Borrowed] 
 The Penderwicks at Point Mouette. Jeanne Birdsall. 2011. 295 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Cold Sassy Tree. Olive Ann Burns. 1984. 405 pages. [Source: Bought]

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2019 Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction

2019 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Host: Passages to the Past (sign up)
January - December 2019
# of books: I'm aiming for Prehistoric 50+ books. (If there was a level between a mere 25 books and 50, I'd probably choose that.)

1) Veronica. (Sunfire #18) Jane Claypool Miner. 1986. Scholastic. 220 pages. [Source: Bought]
2)  With You Always. (Orphan Train #1) Jody Hedlund. 2017. Bethany House. 359 pages. [Source: Review copy]
3) Tisha: The Wonderful True Love Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaskan Wilderness. As told to Robert Specht. 1976. 342 pages. [Source: Bought]
4) Ivanhoe. Walter Scott. 1819. 544 pages. [Source: Bought]
5) The Murder of Patience Brooke. (Charles Dickens Investigations #1)  J.C. Briggs. 2018. Sapere Books. 290 pages. [Source: Review copy]
6) Together Forever (Orphan Train #2) Jody Hedlund. 2018. Bethany House. 343 pages. [Source: Library]
7) The Black Moth. Georgette Heyer. 1921/2009. Sourcebooks. 355 pages. [Source: Review Copy]
8) Seven Alone. Honore Willsie Morrow. 1926/1977. Scholastic. 240 pages. [Source: Own]
9) Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster. Jonathan Auxier. 2018. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
10) Winnie's Great War. Lindsay Mattick and Josh Greenhut. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. 2018. Little, Brown. 244 pages. [Source: Library]  *talking animals
11) The Plot Against America. Philip Roth. 2004. 391 pages. [Source: Library] *alternate history
12) Searching for You (Orphan Train #3) Jody Hedlund. 2018. Bethany House. 341 pages. [Source: Review copy]
13. Love to Everyone. Hilary McKay. 2018. 336 pages. [Source: Library]
14. Grave Mercy. Robin LaFevers. 2012/2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 560 pages. [Source: Review copy]
15. Annelies. David R. Gillham. 2019. 480 pages. [Source: Library]
16. The Night Diary. Veera Hiranandani. 2018. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
17. Journey of the Pale Bear. Susan Fletcher. 2018. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
18.  Finding Langston. Lesa Cline-Ransome. 2018. Holiday House. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]
19. Cotillion. Georgette Heyer. 1953/2007. Sourcebooks. 355 pages. [Source: Review copy]
20. The Book Thief. Markus Zusak. 2006. Random House. 560 pages. [Source: Bought]
21. Cate of the Lost Colony. Lisa M. Klein. 2010. Bloomsbury. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
22. I Survived The Nazi Invasion, 1944. Lauren Tarshis. 2014. Scholastic. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]
23. The Crown and the Crucible. (The Russians #1) Michael R. Phillips and Judith Pella. 1991. Bethany House. 416 pages. [Source: Bought]
24. Healing Hearts. Sarah M. Eden. 2019. Shadow Mountain. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
25. Venetia. Georgette Heyer. 1958/2009. Harlequin. 368 pages. [Source: Gift]
26. Hattie Big Sky. Kirby Larson. 2006. 289 pages. [Source: Library]
27. A Clearing in the Wild. (Change and Cherish #1) Jane Kirkpatrick. 2006. Waterbrook. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]
28. How I Became A Spy. Deborah Hopkinson. 2019. Random House. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
29.  Alone in the Wild (The Oregon Trail #5) Jesse Wiley. 2019. Scholastic. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]
30. Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc. David Elliott. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]
31. The Truth About Martians. Melissa Savage. 2018. 336 pages. [Source: Library]
32. These Old Shades. Georgette Heyer. 1926/2008. Harlequin. 384 pages. [Source: Bought]
33.  Refugee. Alan Gratz. 2017. Scholastic. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
34.  Number the Stars. Lois Lowry. 1989. (Won Newbery in 1990) 137 pages. [Source: Bought]
35. Stepsister. Jennifer Donnelly. 2019. Scholastic. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy] *fairy godmother
36. Devil's Cub. Georgette Heyer. 1932/2003. Harlequin. 272 pages. [Source: Bought]
37. The Oregon Trail: The Wagon Train Trek. Jesse Wiley. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
38) The Only Woman in the Room. Marie Benedict. 2019. Sourcebooks. 256 pages. [Source: Library]
39) Song for the Stars. Ilima Todd. 2019. Shadow Mountain. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
40) Courageous. Yona Zeldis McDonough. 2018. [Nov] Scholastic. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]
41) Death at Hungerford Stairs. (Charles Dickens & Superintendent Sam Jones #2) J.C. Briggs. 2018. Sapere Books.  290 pages. [Source: Review copy]
42) Kidnapped. Robert Louis Stevenson. 1886. 276 pages. [Source: Bought]
43) A House Divided (The Russians #2) Michael R. Phillips and Judith Pella. 1992. Bethany House. 352 pages. [Source: Bought]
44) Courage to Be Counted. (A Clubmobile Girls Novel) Eleri Grace. 2019. Bugle Call Books. 350 pages. [Source: Review copy]
45)  Resistance. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2018. Scholastic. 385 pages. [Source: Review copy]
46)  The Good Son: A Story From the First World War Told In Miniature. Pierre-Jacques Ober. Illustrated by Jules Ober and Felicity Coonan. 2019. Candlewick Press. 104 pages. [Source: Review copy]
47) The White City. (True Colors) Grace Hitchcock. 2019. Barbour Books. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]
48) The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Heather Morris. 2018. 262 pages. [Source: Library]
49)  The Wind Blows Free. Loula Grace Erdman. 1952/2006. 271 pages. [Source: Library]
50) Daisies and Devotion (Mayfield Family #2) Josi S. Kilpack. 2019. Shadow Mountain. 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]
51) Crossing Stones. Helen Frost. 2009. FSG. 184 pages. [Source: Library]
52) Les Miserables. Victor Hugo. Translated by Julie Rose. 1862/2008. Modern Library. 1330 pages. [Source: Bought]
53) The Refuge. Ann H. Gabhart. 2019. Revell. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]
54. The Pink Bonnet (True Colors #2) Liz Tolsma. 2019. Barbour. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]
55. The Wide Horizon. Loula Grace Erdman. 1956/2007. Bethlehem Books. 279 pages. [Source: Library]
56. Voices from the Underground Railroad. Kay Winters. Illustrated by Larry Day. 2018. 48 pages. [Source: Library]
57. Ten Cents A Dance. Christine Fletcher. 2008. Bloomsbury. 356 pages. [Source: Review copy]
58. The Gown. Jennifer Robson. 2018. 371 pages. [Source: Library]
59. The Convenient Marriage. Georgette Heyer. 1934. 322 pages. [Source: Bought]
60. The Good Land. Loula Grace Erdman. 1959/2007. Bethlehem Books. 185 pages. [Source: Library]
61. Murphy's Law. Rhys Bowen. 2001. 240 pages. [Source: Library]
62. Beverly, Right Here. Kate DiCamillo. 2019. Candlewick Press. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]
63. The Lady of the Lakes: The True Love Story of Sir Walter Scott. Josi S. Kilpack. 2017. Shadow Mountain. [Source: Library]
64.   Death of Riley. (Molly Murphy #2) Rhys Bowen. 2002. 336 pages. [Source: Library]
65. In Farleigh Field. Rhys Bowen. 2017. Lake Union. 397 pages. [Source: Review copy]
66. For the Love of Mike (Molly Murphy #3) Rhys Bowen. 2003. 336 pages. [Source: Library]
67. A Song of Joy. Lauraine Snelling. 2019. Bethany House. 464 pages. [Source: Review copy]
68. Noelle at Sea: A Titanic Survival Story. Nikki Shannon Smith. Illustrated by Alessia Trunfio. 2019. 112 pages. [Source: Library]
69. Resistance Women. Jennifer Chiaverini. 2019. 608 pages. [Source: Library]
70.  The Victory Garden. Rhys Bowen. 2019. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
71. More Than Words Can Say. (Patchwork Family #2) Karen Witemeyer. 2019. Bethany House. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]
72. In Like Flynn. (Molly Murphy #4) Rhys Bowen. 2005. 352 pages. [Source: Library]
73.  Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) Robin LaFevers. 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 387 pages. [Source: Review copy]
74. Mistress of the Ritz. Melanie Benjamin. 2019. Random House. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
75. Oh Danny Boy (Molly Murphy #5) Rhys Bowen. 2006. 338 pages. [Source: Library]
76. Marie, Dancing. Carolyn Meyer. 2005. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 272 pages. [Source: Bought]
77. Climbing the Stairs. Padma Venkatraman. 2008. 256 pages. [Source: Bought]
78. In Dublin's Fair City. (Molly Murphy #6) Rhys Bowen. 2007. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
79. I Always Loved You. Robin Oliveira. 2014. 343 pages. [Source: Library]
80.  Murder by Ghostlight. (Charles Dickens & Superintendent Sam Jones #3) 2019. 277 pages. [Source: Review copy]
81. Lovely War. Julie Berry. 2019. 480 pages. [Source: Library]
82. The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins. Gail Shepherd. 2019. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
83. The Brave Princess and Me. Kathy Kacer. Illustrated by Juliana Kolesova. 2019. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
84. A Place to Belong. Cynthia Kadohata. Illustrated by Julia Kuo. 2019. 416 pages. [Source: Library]
85.  Anne Arrives. Kallie George. Illustrated by Abigail Halpin. 2018. 72 pages. [Source: Library]
86. Anne's Kindred Spirits. Kallie George. Illustrated by Abigail Halpin. 2019. 64 pages. [Source: Library]
87. The Lady and the Highwayman. Sarah M. Eden. 2019. Shadow Mountain. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
88. The Flight Girls. Noelle Salazar. 2019. 384 pages. [Source: Library]
89. One Good Deed. David Baldacci. 2019. 432 pages. [Source: Library]
90.  The Tuscan Child. Rhys Bowen. 2018. 336 pages. [Source: Library]
91. The Mostly True Story of Pudding Tat Adventuring Cat. Caroline Adderson. Illustrated by Stacy Innerst. 2019. 128 pages. [Source: Library]
92. Billy Boyle (Billy Boyle #1) James R. Benn. 2006. 294 pages. [Source: Library]
93. Girl Waits With Gun. (Kopp Sisters #1) Amy Stewart. 2015. 408 pages. [Source: Review copy]
94.  Cold Sassy Tree. Olive Ann Burns. 1984. 405 pages. [Source: Bought]
95. When Silence Sings. Sarah Loudin Thomas. 2019. Bethany House. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
96.  The First Wave (Billy Boyle #2) James R. Benn. 2007. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
97.  The Sunne in Splendour. Sharon Kay Penman. 1982. 936 pages. [Source: Library]
98. Tidelands. (The Fairmile #1) Philippa Gregory. 2019. 448 pages. [Source: Library]
99.  Lady Cop Makes Trouble. Kopp Sisters #2. Amy Stewart. 2016. 310 pages. [Source: Library]
100. Blood Alone (Billy Boyle #3) James R. Benn. 2008. 313 pages. [Source: Library]
101. Evil for Evil. (Billy Boyle #4) James R. Benn. 2009. 320 pages. [Source: Library]
102. Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions. (Kopp Sisters #3) Amy Stewart. 2017. 374 pages. [Source: Library]
103. Westering Women. Sandra Dallas. 2020 [January 7] 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
104. White Bird: A Wonder Story. R.J. Palacio. 2019. 224 pages. [Source: Library]
105.  The Giver of Stars. Jojo Moyes. 2019. 400 pages. [Source: Library]
106. Rag and Bone (Billy Boyle World War II #5) James R. Benn. 2010. 320 pages. [Source: Library]
107. Gone With The Wind. Margaret Mitchell. 1936. 1037 pages. [Source: Book I Bought]
108.  Miss Kopp Just Won't Quit (Kopp Sisters #4) Amy Stewart. 2018. 309 pages. [Source: Library]
109. Spy Runner. Eugene Yelchin. 2019. 352 pages. [Source: Library]
110. Nine Open Arms. Benny Lindelauf. Translated into English by John Nieuwenhuizen. 2004/2014. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
111. The Secrets We Kept. Lara Prescott. 2019. 368 pages. [Source: Library]
112. Fing's War. Benny Lindelauf. Translated into English by John Nieuwenhuitzen. 2019. 376 pages. [Source: Library]
113. Cilka's Journey (The Tattooist of Auschwitz #2) Heather Morris. 2019. St. Martin's Pres. 352 pages. [Source: Library]
114. A Mortal Terror (Billy Boyle #6) James R. Benn. 2011. 345 pages. [Source: Library]
115. Blood on the River. James Town 1607. Elisa Carbone. 2006. 237 pages. [Source: Library]
116. The Golden Tresses of the Dead (Flavia de Luce #10) Alan Bradley. 2019. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
117. A Vow for Christmas. (Spinster Mail-Order Brides #7) Linda Carroll-Bradd. 2019. 92 pages. [Source: Review copy]
118. Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop. Elaine Roberts. 2019. 297 pages. [Source: Review copy]
119. Christmas on the Home Front. (Land Girls #3) Roland Moore. 2019. 273 pages. [Source: Review copy]

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews