Becky's Book Reviews: Week in Review #10

Saturday, March 08, 2025

Week in Review #10

This week I read nine books.

21. Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century. Dana Stevens. 2022. 447 pages. [Source: Library] [nonfiction, biography, history, culture] [3 stars]

Read this if....

You care more about modern "isms" than historical cinema
You have an interest in the transition between live theatre and modern cinema
You have an interest in the transition between nineteenth and twentieth century
You have an interest in Buster Keaton but not a decided obsession with Buster Keaton

22. The Secret of Honeycake. Kimberly Newton Fusco. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [j historical fiction, j fiction] [5 stars]

Read this if....

You enjoy historical coming of age novels
You enjoy friendships and 'found families'
You enjoy pets in fiction
You want to read a book worthy of medal consideration

23. Happy Town. Greg Van Eekhout. 2024. [October 22] 208 pages. [Source: Library] [j fiction, mg fiction, j dystopia; mg dystopia, speculative fiction; 4 stars]

Read this if....

you enjoy dystopias for a younger audience
you like your thrills with some silliness

21. George Washington's Spectacular Spectacles. Selene Castrovilla. Illustrated by Jenn Harney. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book biography, history, j nonfiction]

Read this if....

you enjoy nonfiction picture books
you enjoy nonfiction books where you learn something new

22. Lone Wolf Gets a Pet. Kiah Thomas. Illustrated by K-fai Steele. 2024. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, early chapter book, humor, animal fantasy]

Read this if....

you enjoy early chapter books with a LOT of humor
you already know and love Lone Wolf
you appreciate characters that stay true to themselves

23. Bruce Saves the Planet. (Mother Bruce series). Ryan T. Higgins. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, series book, 3 stars]

Read this if....

you don't mind some preachiness
you can appreciate Bruce's GRUMPINESS

20. A Promise to Love. Serena B. Miller. 2012. Revell. 332 pages. [Source: Bought]

Read this if....

you want to read one of the best marriage of convenience stories ever ever
you love historical romance
you love christian historical romance

21. Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow. R.C. Sproul. 2002/2008. Reformation Trust. 135 pages. [Source: Free Download? Bought?]

Read this if....

you want to refresh the basics or essentials of the foundation of Christianity
you love R.C. Sproul

22. How Can I Begin to Teach the Bible (9Marks) (Church Questions) David Helm. 2024. 64 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

Read this if....

you are not angered by extremely short books (I borrowed from the library but it still took one of my five slots for the month)
you want some basic, common sense tools for reading, studying, and teaching the Bible

Century of Viewing Week #10

1900s

1901 The Big Swallow is an even shorter short-short. A man "swallows" the movie camera.
1903 Runaway Match is a VERY short-short. It is directed by Alf Collins but not even IMDB lists actors and actresses. The story is a couple is eloping. The father of the bride is pursuing them in his car. Hence car chase. The couple weds.

1910s

1913 Suspense is a silent thriller directed by and starring Lois Weber. It is VERY artsy. The camera angles are 'ahead of their time' if you will. The use of split screen is also interesting. The action is compelling. This one does feature a car chase.
1914 The Masquerader is a Charlie Chaplin short with Roscoe Arbuckle. Chaplin is fired from his movie gig and dresses up as a glamorous woman to get rehired by the studio.

1920s

1921 High Sign is a Buster Keaton short. I believe this was his first solo short to film but not to be released. He wasn't quite pleased with it so he held it back. He released it a year or two later when an ankle injury (from filming The Electric House) kept him from filming for several months. Buster Keaton is ADORABLE in this one. I don't know why Keaton giving 'the high sign' is so incredibly endearing, but it is. This one is FUN and funny.
1921 The Boat (2x) I love, love, love this short. Do I love it more than One Week????? Probably not. But I adore both. This one is just hilarious. And Damfino has to be part of my way of thinking now. I even noticed that one of the boats in College was named Damfino.
1925 Seven Chances was one of my first Buster Keaton features to see. I'm glad I revisited it. It builds. It does. I absolutely love all the stages. His many, many, many proposals--more than seven. But it is the climax of the film when he's being chased by all those potential brides that really leave the biggest impression. All the running. All the stunts. All the expressions. This one is just wonderfully funny.
1926 The General (2x) No doubt about it, The General is not only my favorite Buster Keaton film (probably, mostly) but my favorite film of all time (most likely). I crazy love this movie. The film is beloved for good reason, however, in its time--when it released to theaters--it wasn't "successful enough" at least in comparison to how much it cost to film. But this one is truly a must see. I'm glad that the film saw several revivals before Keaton's death.
1927 College is a Buster Keaton feature film. I love and adore this one so much. Is it his absolute best feature????? Probably not. Is it the one where his physique becomes eye-candy for most of the film? Yes. There are so many scenes that I absolutely love in this one and a few that I don't. Some see the ending as dark, however, I don't.

1930s

1934 The Gold Ghost Buster Keaton plays a man who is stranded in a ghost town (ran out of gas) and he becomes sheriff. The ghost town has a few literal ghosts that Keaton has to deal with. But then an actual gold rush brings people back to town. UNFORTUNATELY (or fortunately) Buster Keaton is in his underwear doing laundry when dozens and dozens of cars decide to drive through town! This one features several shoot-out scenes with bad guys. (Educational short)
1934 Allez Oop is a Buster Keaton talkie short for Educational. I really LOVED this one. He plays a watch repairman. He takes his girl to the circus and she falls for the man on the flying trapeze. He goes home and starts trying to learn the trapeze....without great results. But when her life is in danger, her "circus man" is no where to be seen and it is Buster to the rescue. This one was a delight. It starred Dorothy Sebastian as his love interest.
1935 The Timid Young Man is another Buster Keaton talking short for Educational. After a wild night he awakes to find himself engaged to a bossy, domineering woman. His reply I MUST HAVE BEEN DRUNK. She demands he marry her immediately, he runs away and on his way out of town he picks up a hitchhiker (a woman) who is on the run from a groom herself. The two camp out in the woods...but it isn't long before they're found. I enjoyed this one. I didn't love, love, love it. But I thought it had some good scenes.
1938 Marie Antoinette I didn't love this one. I wanted to see movies I'd never seen before. I wanted to think outside my comfort zone. This one was both. Without the Tyrone Power character--the one she is having an affair with--I might have tolerated this one more. I just don't find anything about the story that wonderful.

1940s

1940 The Great Dictator Charlie Chaplin plays a Jewish barber AND a 'Great' Dictator. This is parody/satire of current European events. With all major characters and countries renamed. Though the persecution of the Jewish people remain the same. It is LONG. It is memorable. There are a few scenes that standout as being hilarious. But it isn't so much a movie you laugh through.

1950s

1958 South Pacific is a musical which I've seen plenty of times. I do like it. I love, love, love some songs. Not so much others. It is a time commitment for sure. I would love to exist in an alternate reality where Buster Keaton was the right age to play Luther Billis. I think that role would have been perfect for him--under the right conditions. Two scenes really stick out to me for my argument. The one where he's been parachuted out of the plane and is in the lifeboat AND his Honeybun show number. This movie is sad. Sad musicals are rarely again-again-again musicals. If I watch it once every three or four years that's good for me.

2000s

2000 Chocolat. This was my first time to see the film in twenty-five years. It is set in a French city during Lent. It has many, many, many characters--one of whom is played by Johnny Depp. I like this one okay. The film explores the idea of are people, communities, towns capable of change.
2004 13 Going on 30 is one of my favorite films--at least from back in the day. It holds up well I think. I love, love, love, love the soundtrack. I love the story and characters. The premise is fun.