Century of Viewing, Month 5

 This month I watched thirty-seven things. I'm not sure if I accounted for the many, many, many days of watching Karen Read's retrial, but, I don't think I did. I also watched a handful of episodes of Stargate SG-1. 

I did finish the 1980s and 2020s.

May's 5 Star Movies

• Apollo 13
• Notting Hill
• Sherlock Jr
• The General
• Music and Lyrics
• Enchanted
• The Navigator
• Remember the Day
• Seven Chances
• Go West
• Battling Butler
• The General
• Call the Midwife, season 14
• The Cameraman

May's 4 and 4 1/2 Star Movies

• College
• The Dark Knight
• Steamboat Bill Jr.
• The Dark Knight Rises
• The Great Mouse Detective
• Dog Man
• Chariots of Fire
• Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror
• Hamilton
• 536 AD: The Worst Year in History
• Coney Island

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #22

This week I read ten books.

52. Scarlet. A.C. Gaughen. 2012. 287 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Fiction, YA Historical, YA Romance, 5 stars]

• Read this if...
• You enjoy Robin Hood adaptations
• You enjoy historical fiction with some romantic elements

53. The Peepshow: The Murders at Rillington Place. Kate Summerscale. 2024/2025. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [true crime, adult nonfiction, 4 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy adult nonfiction, true crime
• You enjoy books about journalism and ethics

54. The Girls in the Picture. Melanie Benjamin. 2018. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, adult fiction, adult historical fiction, Golden Age Hollywood, silent films]

Read this if....

• You enjoy historical fiction with real people
• You enjoy books about early Hollywood
• You enjoy silent films
• You enjoy stories about friendship

51. Leo the Late Bloomer. Robert Kraus. Illustrated by Jose Aruego. 1971/1994. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture book]

Read this if....

• You enjoy picture books
• You enjoy children's classics

52. Board book: Mog and Me. Judith Kerr. 1984/2025. 16 pages. [Source: Library] [board book, 3 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy board books
• You enjoy classic children's books

53. Our Gorgeous Baby. (Board book). Smriti Prasadam-Halls. Illustrated by Eve Coy. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [board book, babies, 5 stars]
Read this if...

• You enjoy board books
• You enjoy books about babies

54. Can't Stop Kissing That Baby. K.L. Going. Illustrated by Fiona Lee. 2025. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book]

Read this if...

• You enjoy books about babies
• You enjoy picture books

55. The Peddler of Puddles. Beth Ferry. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture book]
Read this if...

• You enjoy Beth Ferry's books
• You enjoy picture books

56. Thunderland. Maggie Edkins Willis. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 3 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy books about storms
• You enjoy picture books

45. The Pursuit of Elena Bradford. Ann H. Gabhart. 2025. 352 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, Christian fiction, historical romance, 1840s]

Read this if...

• You enjoy Christian fiction
• You enjoy Christian romance
• You enjoy Christian historical

Century of Viewing, week 22

 1910s

• 1917 Coney Island. Buster Keaton short with Roscoe Arbuckle. Set at an amusement park of sorts, a somewhat fickle girl comes between three guys. I enjoy this one so much! Buster Keaton gets a job as a life guard at one point.

2020s

• 2020 Hamilton. This is the year the filmed show appeared on Disney +. It is a musical about Alexander Hamilton....and Aaron Burr....and perhaps the general politics of Early American history.
• 2022  536 AD: The Worst Year in History? I have a strong feeling this one was filmed a good bit earlier than 2022...but this is when the video was uploaded onto YT. This is part of a catastrophe series--I haven't seen the others--and it is examining various theories to see if 536 AD truly was the 'worst' in the dark ages. Volcano. Crop failures. Plagues and disease. Starvation. Etc.
• 2025 Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror. A Netflix documentary about the Oklahoma City Bombing on April 19, 1995. 
• 2025 I am still watching to the Karen Read retrial.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

May Reflections

In May, I read thirty-one books. Fourteen of these were five star reads.

Books reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

44. Mickey7. Edward Ashton. 2022. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, science fiction, adult fiction]

45. The Inheritance Games. Jennifer Lynn Barnes. 2020. 386 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Fiction, YA Romance, YA Mystery]

46. The Tides of Time. Sarah M. Eden. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, time travel, adult romance, historical fiction]

47. The Trouble with Heroes. Kate Messner. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, j fiction, coming of age, verse novel, mg fiction, poetry]

48. Death in the Jungle. Candace Fleming. 2025. 346 pages. [Source: Library] [YA nonfiction, nonfiction, true crime, 5 stars]

49. Amazing Annie: The Spectacular and Mostly True Adventures of Annie Kopchovsky. Stephen Krensky. Illustrated by Adriana Predoi. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book biography, children's nonfiction]

50. The Hawthorne Legacy. Jennifer Lynn Barnes. 2021. 380 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, YA fiction, YA romance, YA mystery]

51. Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Katie Wray Schon. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, nonfiction picture book]

52. Scarlet. A.C. Gaughen. 2012. 287 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Fiction, YA Historical, YA Romance, 5 stars]

53. The Peepshow: The Murders at Rillington Place. Kate Summerscale. 2024/2025. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [true crime, adult nonfiction, 4 stars]

54. The Girls in the Picture. Melanie Benjamin. 2018. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, adult fiction, adult historical fiction, Golden Age Hollywood, silent films]

Books reviewed at Young Readers

44. Orris and Timble: Lost and Found (Orris and Timble #2) Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Carmen Mok. 2025. 80 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, early chapter book, animal fantasy, j fiction]
45. Anything. Rebecca Stead. Illustrated by Gracey Zhang. 2025. 56 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book]
46. Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend. Bob Shea. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book]
47. Cats in Construction Hats. Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. Illustrated by Leeza Hernandez. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, construction, cats, picture book, rhyming books]
48. Echo. Adam Rex. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book, friendship]
49. Just a Banana (Board Book, Lift the Flap) Barney Saltzberg. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [board book, 4 stars]
50. Downpour: Splish! Splash! Ker-Splash! Yuko Ohnari. Translated by Emily Balistrieri. Illustrated by Koshiro Hata. 2025 (2018). 40 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 5 stars]

51. Leo the Late Bloomer. Robert Kraus. Illustrated by Jose Aruego. 1971/1994. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture book]

52. Board book: Mog and Me. Judith Kerr. 1984/2025. 16 pages. [Source: Library] [board book, 3 stars]

53. Our Gorgeous Baby. (Board book). Smriti Prasadam-Halls. Illustrated by Eve Coy. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [board book, babies, 5 stars]

54. Can't Stop Kissing That Baby. K.L. Going. Illustrated by Fiona Lee. 2025. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book]

55. The Peddler of Puddles. Beth Ferry. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture book]

56. Thunderland. Maggie Edkins Willis. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 3 stars]

Books reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

40. The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House. Joanna Davidson Politano. 2025. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, christian fiction, christian romance, historical romance]
41. A Matter of Honor. Laura Frantz. (Audio narration by Amy Scanlon). 2024/2025. 206 pages. [Source: Library] [adult historical fiction, adult historical romance, Christian romance, novella, 4 stars]
42. What to Do With Your Whirly Swirly Thoughts. Jennie Allen. Illustrated by Nadia Gunawan. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, feelings and emotions, mental health, 4 stars]
43. 1-3 John: Fellowship in God's Family (Preaching the Word). David L. Allen. 2013. 435 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, bible commentary]
44. Child's Garden of Bible Stories. Arthur W. Gross. Illustrated by Rod Taenzer. 1948. 146 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, bible story books, children's books, children's classic]
45. The Pursuit of Elena Bradford. Ann H. Gabhart. 2025. 352 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, Christian fiction, historical romance, 1840s]

Bibles reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

4. Giant Print Handy Size Reprint NASB 1977 Edition. 2011. AMG Publishers. 2304 pages.

2025 totals

2025 Totals
Books read in 2025	159
Pages read in 2025	36388
January 2025
Books read in January	30
Pages read in January	7020
February 2025
Books read in February	30
Pages read in February	4782
March 2025
Books read in March	34
Pages read in March	8595
April 2025
Books read in April	34
Pages read in April	8293
May 2025
Books read in May	31
Pages read in May	7698

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

54. The Girls in the Picture

54. The Girls in the Picture. Melanie Benjamin. 2018. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, adult fiction, adult historical fiction, Golden Age Hollywood, silent films]

First sentence: Lately the line between real life and movies has begun to blur. 

Premise/plot: The Girls in the Picture is the story of a troubled friendship between Frances Marion (writer, scenarist, director) and Mary Pickford (silent film actress, celebrity, half of a power couple). These two met in the early-early days of silent films, even before films moved to Hollywood, before there was HOLLYWOOD. This one roughly covers the span of 1914 through 1932. Chapters alternate between these two narrators. Readers learn about famous directors, movie studios, actors and actresses, and details about how the movie making business got its start. These are real actors, actresses, directors, movies being mentioned. For example, Frances Marion wrote The Poor Little Rich Girl which was one of Mary Pickford's biggest hits. While it doesn't cover every movie in which either was involved, it does plenty of name dropping.

While there is romance in both their lives--Frances with Fred Thomson (silent cowboy movie star) and Mary Pickford with Douglas Fairbanks (silent film star)--the focus mainly is on the complexity of their decades long friendship.

My thoughts: I have been meaning to read this one for years. When I started deep diving into silent films earlier this year, I knew the time was finally right. My months watching silent films and my experiences watching several documentaries about silent films helped greatly bring this one to life. (For those that are curious--though no one is that curious--Buster Keaton gets one mention as a pall bearer to Fred Thomson.)

I definitely enjoyed this one. I thought it was well researched and definitely worth reading.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

53. The Peepshow

 

53. The Peepshow: The Murders at Rillington Place. Kate Summerscale. 2024/2025. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [true crime, adult nonfiction, 4 stars]

First sentence: In the evening of Tuesday 24 March 1953, Harry Procter, the star crime reporter of the Sunday Pictorial, drove over to a Victorian terrace in Notting Hill in which the bodies of three young women had been discovered. 

Premise/plot: Kate Summerscale's newest nonfiction book--true crime focused, of course--is about the killings at Rillington Place. It is a story that unfolds through the perspective of several interested in the case--namely Harry Procter and Fryn Tennyson. Procter is a crime reporter who GETS very involved in his stories. Fryn Tennyson Jesse is a [female] crime writer. This isn't a book solely focused on the criminal case alone. It is a story about HOW that story is conveyed to the public. It is a story that focuses on true crime reporting itself. It is about the pros and cons, the possibilities for sensationalism, the possible ethical violations of this type of reporting. It is also about the crimes--the many, many crimes. But it is also about the public's interest in true crime and how crime can be 'entertainment' for the masses. The book does focus more on these crime reporters THAN on the police investigation or the legal aspects of the case.

My thoughts: Kate Summerscale's books are almost always dark, dark, super dark. Her books often have horrifying details of crime that aren't for the casual reader. For those, however, who do have an interest in true crime, her books are always worth reading. I read this one in two days. It was a compelling read for sure. 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

52. Scarlet

52. Scarlet. A.C. Gaughen. 2012. 287 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Fiction, YA Historical, YA Romance, 5 stars]

First sentence: No one really know 'bout me. I'm Rob's secret, I'm his informant, I'm his shadow in dark places. No one ever takes me for more than a knockabout lad, a whip of a boy. They never really see. And I don't mind that they don't see. Like, when you walk through a room full of big men drunk off their skulls, it ain't so bad to be ignored.

Premise/plot: Scarlet is a young adult twist on Robin Hood. It is narrated by 'Scar' [aka 'Will Scarlet' or 'Scarlet'). Only Robin's gang know her secret--that she's a young woman in disguise. To the rest of the world she's just a thief, one of Robin's gang. If you're familiar with Robin Hood--and who isn't--you can fill in the blanks. Robin Hood is trying to help the poor and save them from the injustices of the powers that be [local sheriffs and such as well as 'King' John]. Readers get to know Rob, Scarlet, John Little, Much, etc. as they try to stop the thief-hunter Gisbourne from destroying everything. Gisbourne has a strong dislike for Scarlet whom he knew before...under her real name. He is the one who in fact gave her her scar.

My thoughts: It's been over ten years since I visited this series. But I've always intended to reread this series. Scarlet is far from perfect. I know this. But I enjoyed spending time with her and all the others. I think the characters have some depth. The story is somewhat familiar, to be sure, but I have always liked it.

Quotes:

• Rob's head pressed harder against mine. "I know what it's like to look into your past and see nothing but your mistakes," he said. My fingers crushed tight into his skin, clawing him like if I could break the skin we'd be connected by blood, and I could comfort him and he could see into me without me having to speak out loud. "They were your orders, Rob. You were a soldier for the King's Crusade. It can't be a mistake if you didn't have a choice."
• "More people care about you than you know, Scarlet. No matter how you got your scars. Not just those scars. The ones that make you think you're unlovable."

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #21

 This week I reviewed six books.

49. Amazing Annie: The Spectacular and Mostly True Adventures of Annie Kopchovsky. Stephen Krensky. Illustrated by Adriana Predoi. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book biography, children's nonfiction]

Read this if...

• You enjoy picture book biographies
• You enjoy Jewish children's books
• You enjoy history

50. The Hawthorne Legacy. Jennifer Lynn Barnes. 2021. 380 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, YA fiction, YA romance, YA mystery]

Read this if...

• You enjoy YA series
• You enjoy mysteries and romance
• You don't mind a love triangle

51. Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Katie Wray Schon. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, nonfiction picture book]

Read this if...

• You enjoy picture book biographies
• You enjoy art, art appreciation
• You have an interest in all things Lewis and Tolkien

 49. Just a Banana (Board Book, Lift the Flap) Barney Saltzberg. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [board book, 4 stars]

Read this if

• You enjoy board books
• You enjoy silly books

50. Downpour: Splish! Splash! Ker-Splash! Yuko Ohnari. Translated by Emily Balistrieri. Illustrated by Koshiro Hata. 2025 (2018). 40 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 5 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy picture books about rain
• You enjoy rhythmic picture books
• You enjoy international literature

44. Child's Garden of Bible Stories. Arthur W. Gross. Illustrated by Rod Taenzer. 1948. 146 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, bible story books, children's books, children's classic]

Read this if....

• You enjoy bible story books
• You enjoy children's classics

 Century of Viewing, Week 21:

1920s

• 1928 The Cameraman Buster Keaton stars in this silent feature, a romantic comedy. It is love at first sight. He falls hard and fast for a receptionist at MGM. He pursues a 'new' career in news journalism just to be near her. Can he succeed at winning the girl and getting the job? This one is wonderful and adorable and sweet and FUNNY. I love so many scenes. It's got some great scenes--very memorable. Definitely one of the first I'd recommend. I'm not sure I love it *more* than the General. It is just different than The General.

1960s

• 1968 Planet of the Apes. I never thought I'd watch this one. But I decided part of the whole challenge is to go outside my comfort zone and watch things that I wouldn't normally seek out. I liked it more than I thought I would. (I had seen bits and pieces as a kid and was frightened). I'm not sure I'll seek out the sequels. But I don't regret watching this one. Anyway, astronauts return to earth to discover some shocking truths about the fate of man....

1980s

• 1981 Chariots of Fire. I think in my memory I like this one more than I actually actually do. I think it's because I remember the theme song being so epic. Or perhaps this time Buster Keaton has spoiled it. I am so used to watching Buster Keaton run fast, fast, fast and look absolutely adorable and beautiful. This one has a lot of close-up, slow-motion running and it's just not a good look. That being said, the story is a good one. I do like the story. I do. It's just not love, love, love.
• 1984 Cloak & Dagger. I am SO glad that I didn't watch this one as a kid. I am VERY glad I watched it as an adult. This action-packed thriller stars two kids....who are on the run from international bad guys and none of the adults in their lives believe them....at all....not even a little bit. There is one, but he's imaginary. Can these two kids survive?
• 1989 Batman. Michael Keaton as Batman. I am in definitely like with this one. I have seen it twice now. Once this week and once a few years ago? It has some memorable scenes....and it is FUN and campy.

2010s

• 2012 The Dark Knight Rises. This one is SO GOOD. I absolutely love this trilogy. I love the music. LOVE. I love the depth of the stories. Particularly in this final one. Though I think the second and third ones are both excellent in terms of depth.

2020s

• 2024 Paddington in Peru. I don't regret my time. I don't. Paddington is always delightful. And the Brown family is always fun. But this is not my favorite or best of the three. Though perhaps seeing it a second or third time might change my mind. After all, if you judge the Paddington movies solely on the ridiculous, silly villains, none of them would be all that great. It's more in spite of the ridiculous villains that the movies delight. I prefer London settings to Peru. But again, maybe I'll change my mind if I give it more chances.
• 2025 Call the Midwife, season 14. This season is SO MUCH BETTER than last year's season. I actually loved most of the episodes. I am so glad I didn't give up on the show. I still prefer earlier seasons perhaps, but, this season was solidly GOOD.
• 2025 Miss Austen. I have such conflicting feelings. Two timelines are unfolding as Cassandra races against the clock, if you will, to find and burn all her sister's letters. As Cassandra rereads all the letters she finds--none of the letters were originally addressed to her--she revisits the past with all its varied emotions and experiences. The present story line has several of her nieces in trouble as they face uncertain futures. I wasn't equally attached to both timelines. And the last few episodes felt RUSHED.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

51. Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated The Worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien

51. Painting Wonder: How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Katie Wray Schon. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, nonfiction picture book]

First sentence: This little girl will grow up to draw pictures that will wing their way around the world, flying to faraway places. Her pictures will be held in millions of hands--maybe even yours. But who is she? And what will she draw? 

Premise/plot: This isn't the most traditional picture book biography. It is more a picture book biography with a pointed focus on how Pauline Baynes--artist, illustrator--came to illustrate for J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. 

My thoughts: I knew her as the illustrator of the Narnia books--the interior illustrations particularly. Her work isn't always used for the covers. (That's a whole other story. The Narnia books have gone through SO MANY covers.) I did not know that she also illustrated a book cover for Tolkien (paperback Lord of the Rings, one of the editions) and a map  of Middle Earth and a few of his lesser known books that are not connected to Middle Earth. 

I don't know that I absolutely love, love, love, love, love this one. But I do appreciate the story it tells. I did learn quite a bit by reading it. While picture book biographies exist for a LOT of writers/authors, fewer exist that focus on illustrators. (Unless they are author-illustrators). Illustrations are so important for stories and storytelling. 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

50. The Hawthorne Legacy

 

50. The Hawthorne Legacy. Jennifer Lynn Barnes. 2021. 380 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, YA fiction, YA romance, YA mystery]

First sentence: "Tell me again about the first time the two of you played chess in the park."

Premise/plot: Avery Grambs has further mysteries to solve in the second book in the Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. She's inherited the Hawthorne estate--provided she meets the conditions--but she's also inherited the dysfunctional family that comes along with it: namely the Hawthorne brothers--Nash, Jameson, Grayson, and Xander. She is developing like-like, lusty feelings for two of them: Jameson and Grayson. 

Avery's life is still in danger--of course it is. There are family secrets to uncover. Red herrings thrown in about those family secrets as well. There's like two possibly semi-steamy scenes. But mostly a lot of puzzles and clues and attempts on her life.

My thoughts: I liked this one less. I don't know if it was my mood? Possibly it was. This one has Avery traveling with the Hawthorne brothers various locations trying to track down clues, following leads, etc. It has them trying to piece together the past so they can make sense of the clues they do have. It isn't just Hawthorne family secrets...but Avery's own family as well. How does HER mother connect to the Hawthorne family? 

This one definitely had less of an emphasis on love triangle--in a way. The one kiss she shares with Grayson is for shock value on a television interview. And there's a few kisses perhaps with Jameson. But this one was more of a let's focus on all the characters, side characters, and side-side characters. 

I didn't feel as compelled to keep turning pages.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

49. Amazing Annie

 

49. Amazing Annie: The Spectacular and Mostly True Adventures of Annie Kopchovsky. Stephen Krensky. Illustrated by Adriana Predoi. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book biography, children's nonfiction]

First sentence:  Annie Kopchovsky was ready for a change. More than ready. The year was 1894, and women weren't allowed to do very much besides get married and have children. 

Premise/plot: This is a picture book biography of Annie Kopchovsky. Her big dream, her goal, was to be the first woman to ride a bicycle around the world....and all in fifteen months. It would be quite an adventure, the stuff of stories. And tell stories she would! Not all her stories were rooted in truth. But she found herself loving the adventurous stories people wanted to hear. 

My thoughts: Did I love this one? Not really. I'm not sure why exactly. I don't think it's the fault of the subject matter--the topic. I don't think it's the fault of the author or illustrator. I do think plenty of readers would enjoy it. I love the idea of loving it at the very least--telling a story of a woman that the intended audience likely never would have heard of. 

I do think that my overthinking probably didn't do me any favors with this one.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #20

This week I reviewed five books.

 48. Death in the Jungle. Candace Fleming. 2025. 346 pages. [Source: Library] [YA nonfiction, nonfiction, true crime, 5 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy true crime
• You enjoy biographies about cult leaders
• You are interested in learning more about Jim Jones, The People's Temple, and Jonestown

48. Echo. Adam Rex. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book, friendship]

• Read this if...
• You enjoy picture books
• You enjoy picture books about learning to get along with others

41. A Matter of Honor. Laura Frantz. (Audio narration by Amy Scanlon). 2024/2025. 206 pages. [Source: Library] [adult historical fiction, adult historical romance, Christian romance, novella, 4 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy books set in Scotland
• You enjoy historical romances
• You enjoy Christian fiction
• You enjoy romances where couples get second chances

42. What to Do With Your Whirly Swirly Thoughts. Jennie Allen. Illustrated by Nadia Gunawan. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, feelings and emotions, mental health, 4 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy picture books about coping with big feelings and emotions
• You enjoy a little religion but not a lot of religion

43. 1-3 John: Fellowship in God's Family (Preaching the Word). David L. Allen. 2013. 435 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, bible commentary]

Read this if...

• You are looking for a commentary on the books of 1 John, 2 John, 3 John
• You enjoy the Preaching the Word commentary series by Crossway Publishers

Century of Viewing, Week 20

1910s

• 1919 Moonshine. I wasn't particularly planning on rewatching this Buster Keaton short, but I ended up watching it with Mom this week. I do enjoy this fourth-wall-breaking surreal short. I enjoy Roscoe Arbuckle and Buster Keaton together. And this is a delightful one. Not the best perhaps. But far, far, far from the worst. (I also saw a few minutes of Backstage which Mom was watching on her own. But I didn't see it from beginning to end so I'm not counting it.)

1920s

• 1926 The General. This time I watched the version with the Carl Davis soundtrack. There are pros and cons to both. I do love The General. This Buster Keaton movie is fabulous.
• 1927 College. Buster Keaton's character is graduating high school...and is following the girl he loves to college though he'll be working his way through. He is a scholar, not an athlete, and she loves only athletes...can he win her heart??? This one is wonderful. It's great to see Buster "failing" as an athlete and then showing off. The rowing scene is fabulously funny.
• 1928 Steamboat Bill Jr. Buster Keaton plays the son of a steamboat captain down on his luck. There's a rival boat company sailing on the river that is getting more business. The rival, of course, has a daughter. And Buster's character falls in love with her...it's mutual. A big storm changes everything. I love many things about this one. But I don't love, love, love, love, love it as much as some of his other movies. I do really enjoy it and definitely recommend it.

1990s

• 1999 The Scarlet Pimpernel. I have such conflicting feelings about this one. I love some of the soundtrack. Very catchy. Richard E. Grant does make a nice Scarlet Pimpernel. Yet he just doesn't quite measure up to previous actors. (Leslie Howard and Anthony Andrews).

2000s

• The Dark Knight. The second in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy starring Christian Bale. I definitely love the trilogy. I do. It's dark and you have to be in the right mood for it. But the soundtrack is fabulous and I do care about these characters.

2020s

• 2021 Charlotte. This is an animated film set during the World War II. I wasn't expecting a children's movie--I wasn't. YET I definitely was not expecting adult-adult-adult content. So definitely despite its "not rated" status do expect somewhat adult content. Anyway, a young Jewish woman--an aspiring artist--struggles during the Nazi regime...her goal is to finish her life's work BEFORE the Nazis can get to her essentially. These are biographical paintings. I can't remember offhand what the name for these collective paintings are....but the cartoon is based on a true story.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

48. Death in the Jungle

48. Death in the Jungle. Candace Fleming. 2025. 346 pages. [Source: Library] [YA nonfiction, nonfiction, true crime, 5 stars]

First sentence from prologue: On Friday evening, November 24, 1978, CBS broadcast a special hour-long report: "The Horrors of Jonestown." 

First sentence from chapter one: The first time Jim Jones asked followers to play dead was on an autumn night in 1941.

 Premise/plot: The story of Jonestown and Jim Jones written for a slightly younger audience--young adult instead of adult. It is a heartbreaking, tragic, fascinating story--a story of how one man used charisma, manipulation, and fear tactics to build and lead People's Temple. This didn't happen overnight. He didn't step up to speak one day, one time and get a mass following willing to do anything and everything he commanded. It was a slow process, a long con if you will, that took decades. He started in a "Christian environment," using Christianese--using the traditions and vocabulary of the Christian faith--to gain his first followers. Influenced by the "faith-healers" and the more flamboyant Pentecostal style, he figured out what his audience wanted to hear, and played it up. He used tactics that allegedly some mediums and psychics use--from what I can tell--to "prophesy" messages to specific individuals. He was a showman. Everything was crafted for a certain purpose--to gain more and more power and prestige and acclaim. 

He may have started with a "Christian" message, a "Christian" prophecy, a "Christian" God, but it was a sham through and through. He began shedding the 'Christian' skin little by little by little by little--slowly but surely getting his audience used to his message. If he'd out and out stated clearly and precisely his views--especially at the start--his following would likely have left him recognizing him as dangerous. Within a decade--maybe a little more--he had abandoned the pretense. There was no God in the sky, only a GOD on earth, Jim Jones himself was GOD. He staged fake assassination attempts. Pretend to be shot. Pretend to be dead. And then have a pretend resurrection and come back to life. This lines up with his pretend miracles and signs. 

Another tactic was creating fear, building it up,  and hyping up this chaotic doomsday prophecy or forecast. Distrust everybody. Trust only him. 

The story is told through many perspectives--many of which were his followers [or former followers]. 

The tension builds throughout as the story nears its end.

My thoughts: This one was fascinating and horrifying. It is, of course, dark and horrifying. It isn't light reading material. But I do think it is an important story to revisit. 

Will today's YA audience be familiar with the story? That's a good question. Honestly I don't know the answer. But the story itself is fascinating and compelling. One thing that stood out to me--and I have no comparison to other books about it, since I never finished any (though there's a great one that I put down and never got back to)--is her emphasis that there was murder. There were signs that the tragic ending for some/many was NOT voluntary.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in review #19

I reviewed nine books this week.

45. The Inheritance Games. Jennifer Lynn Barnes. 2020. 386 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Fiction, YA Romance, YA Mystery]

Read this if....

• You enjoy YA fiction; the more you enjoy YA, the more likely you'll find it appealing
• You enjoy YA romance with love triangles; this is a sub-sub-sub-genre of a love triangle involving brothers
• You enjoy YA mystery with puzzles and riddles and the like

46. The Tides of Time. Sarah M. Eden. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, time travel, adult romance, historical fiction]
Read this if...

• You enjoy time travel novels
• You enjoy clean adult romance novels
• You enjoy historical fiction with a twist--a time travel twist; this one is set in 1793/1873.

47. The Trouble with Heroes. Kate Messner. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, j fiction, coming of age, verse novel, mg fiction, poetry]

Read this if...

• You enjoy verse novels
• You enjoy middle grade fiction
• You enjoy coming of age 'problem' novels (this one involves grief)
• You enjoy novels about mountain climbing

 44. Orris and Timble: Lost and Found (Orris and Timble #2) Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Carmen Mok. 2025. 80 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, early chapter book, animal fantasy, j fiction]

Read this if....

• You enjoy early chapter books
• You enjoy animal fantasy
• You enjoy series fiction
• You enjoy books about friendship
• You enjoy books about stories

45. Anything. Rebecca Stead. Illustrated by Gracey Zhang. 2025. 56 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book]

Read this if...

• You enjoy longer picture books
• You enjoy picture books that explore emotions and feelings
• You enjoy reading books about change, about moving

46. Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend. Bob Shea. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book]

Read this if...

• You enjoy picture books
• You enjoy turtles
• You enjoy humor

47. Cats in Construction Hats. Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. Illustrated by Leeza Hernandez. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, construction, cats, picture book, rhyming books]

Read this if....

• You enjoy rhyming picture books
• You enjoy construction stories

4. Giant Print Handy Size Reprint NASB 1977 Edition. 2011. AMG Publishers. 2304 pages.

Read this if....

• You love the Bible
• You love the thees and thous of the KJV, but are looking for an easier, smoother, more updated feel
• You love word-for-word translations

40. The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House. Joanna Davidson Politano. 2025. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, christian fiction, christian romance, historical romance]

Read this if...

• You enjoy christian fiction
• You enjoy mysteries that involve 'competing' for an inheritance
• You enjoy pirate butlers
• You enjoy historical romance

Century of Viewing, week 19

1920s

• 1925 Seven Chances. Buster Keaton romantic feature film. He plays a character, Jimmie Shannon, who *must* marry before 7PM on his birthday--the day he finds out the condition of his inheritance. The problem? HIS girl, the one he truly deeply loves misunderstood his proposal--poor choice of words--and now he's got to find *some* girl to marry. Or will his true love have a change of heart? This one features an extended chase scene that is epic. I absolutely love and adore this one. And his character really is sweet.
• 1925 Go West. Buster Keaton is Friendless. Literally. Down and out, Friendless is catching trains and trying to find a way to make a living. He ends up working as a ranch hand....and making his very first friend....a cow named BROWN EYES....who saves him from a rampaging bull. But what will happen when it comes time to sell the herd????? How far will he go to save the cow he loves? This one is so absolutely delightful and wonderful.
• 1926 Battling Butler. Buster Keaton. Alfred Butler is a spoiled rich man who can't fend for himself. He falls in love with 'Mountain Girl' and the proposal goes well...mostly. But her family thinks him a weakling....a coincidence in a newspaper and a wily valet lead to quite a misunderstanding. Alfred Butler (Buster Keaton) vs. Alfred BATTLING BUTLER a lightweight boxer. These two get drawn up into a terrible misunderstanding....will his love stand by his side even if he isn't a fighter? This one was so good. I have no interest in boxing. But Buster Keaton boxing???? Apparently I am! I love the romance in this one. The proposal scene was WONDERFUL.

1980s

• 1986 The Great Mouse Detective Animated Disney movie. Would I have liked it as a kid? Probably NOT. The mouse-father getting kidnapped by a BAT would have been THE END for me. And that happens in the first five minutes. The villain would have been scary, scary, super scary to me as a kid. As an adult, this one has some charm. I liked the 'influence' of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. I am glad I watched it.

2020s

• 2024 A Complete Unknown. A bio pic of Bob Dylan. Do I like Bob Dylan? No. Not really. Did this movie change my mind? No. Not really. I don't regret my time--not really. But it didn't make me want to seek out Bob Dylan albums to see if I liked his music more than I thought I did. Fame does not equal super nice in real life.
• 2025 Dog Man. Animated Dreamworks movie. I had super super super low expectations. So I liked it more than I thought I would. I have not read any of the books in the series. I'm not sure if it was an adaptation of one particular book or several or just vaguely inspired by. The character arc of the villain, Petey Cat, was GREAT. So I definitely enjoyed elements of this one. It was silly and ridiculous in places, but the character arc saved it. 
• 2025 Karen Read -- Week Whatever. Was this week three??? Maybe. I have given the case too much time--in the first trial and this one--so I'm not giving up. And the change in prosecutors for the commonwealth is making it a VERY different trial. Still. 
  

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

47. The Trouble with Heroes

 

47. The Trouble with Heroes. Kate Messner. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, j fiction, coming of age, verse novel, mg fiction, poetry]

First sentence: If I were a better kid, this story would begin with my seventh-grade diploma. Instead it starts with this.

Premise/plot: Finn Connelly is in trouble. Over one summer he has the opportunity to set things right, mostly. He'll be making reparations for knocking over a gravestone in the cemetery. (An arrangement with the daughter of the woman's whose gravestone was knocked over, and I believe agreed upon by the court?). He'll be making up missed hours for PE. He'll be making up a poetry assignment--twenty poems on the subject of HEROES. Mission: climb all forty-six mountains in the Adirondack High Peaks. He'll have 'guides' for most of the climbs--men and women who have volunteered to help him out, men and women who love climbing mountains and/or have an interest in helping the kid out. (I could not tell if the coach was particularly interested in hiking so much as that he wanted to help Finn out.) 

Finn is going to hike and climb....write....and grieve. His firefighter father has recently died and his father had PTSD from serving on 9/11.

My thoughts: It made sense for this to be a verse novel. Not all verse novels pass this 'makes sense' test. He is being forced to 'write poetry' and he discovers that it isn't the worst thing in the world. That the process of writing--of writing poems--can be personally helpful. It is very much a coming of age novel. It was good to watch him grow/change throughout the story. This one does offer a few twists and turns on the way. Perhaps I should have seen one of them coming....but I didn't. 

This 'problem novel' is heavy at times but it also contains lighter moments. Finn loves baking for instance.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

46. The Tides of Time

46. The Tides of Time. Sarah M. Eden. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, time travel, adult romance, historical fiction]

First sentence: Lili Minet had a price on her head. She stood in the shadows inside Saint Catherine's Church alongside a family she'd known for only a few days, hopeful that the reward for her capture would increase before the day's end. As far as she knew, no one had facilitated the escape of more people from the clutches of the Tribunal revolutionnaire than she. Four more individuals would, that evening, be added to the seventy-two already rightly credited to her.

Premise/plot: The Tides of Time is a TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE. Those three words may be enough of a hook for some readers. (It was for me). Lili Minet, our heroine, is on the run for her life in 1793 during the French Revolution. She's been helping people escape, but, her luck may have just run out. One of those searching desperately for her--for her harm--is her brother who is in full support of the revolution and the guillotine. When stormy seas lead to her being tossed overboard, she finds herself rescued by a lightkeeper, Armitage Pierce, off the coast of Loftstone Island....in 1873. As the weeks go by she adjusts to the strangeness of her situation. She loves Armitage and his grandfather. She loves the community on the island. She loves her new found-family. She can't quite forget her own brother--for good reason--nor the France she left behind. The Tides of Time can be cruel or kind--or both. 

My thoughts: I LOVE this one. I do. Time travel is going to always have great potential for me. This publisher is known for clean romance, another win for me.

There are TWO things that might be off-putting to potential readers. (They weren't at all for me.) One, Lili speaks a mixture of English and French. There is a strong sprinkling of French phrases and sentences. It makes sense for the story. She is a French woman--obviously French is going to be her primary language, her first language, the language that she would speak especially when stressed or out of sorts. Two, the DIALECT of the island could be offputting. "She/her" "He/Him" "We/Us" essentially all the pronouns have vastly different usage.  For example, "Her isn't hostile to me." "A calculated decision, that. I watched she make it." 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

45. The Inheritance Games

 

45. The Inheritance Games. Jennifer Lynn Barnes. 2020. 386 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Fiction, YA Romance, YA Mystery]

First sentence: When I was a kid, my mom constantly invented games. The Quiet Game. The Who Can Make Their Cookie Last Longer? Game. A perennial favorite, The Marshmallow Game involved eating marshmallows while wearing puffy Goodwill Jackets indoors, to avoid turning on the heat. 

Premise/plot: Avery Grambs comes into....an inheritance in Jennifer Lynn Barnes' The Inheritance Games. She has inherited an extremely large estate seemingly from a total stranger. His family was not entirely neglected, each one receives a nominal amount--at least relatively speaking. But one of the conditions is that she is to live on the estate a full year before collecting on the inheritance so to speak...and she'll be living WITH those she's 'disinherited.' There are four Hawthorne brothers....and each one will have his own way for 'handling' Avery. Some more 'hands on' than others....since two have a flirty situation-ship going on. There's puzzles, games, and riddles, etc. And Avery's life is in danger several times at least.... Who can she trust with her life? Who can she trust with her heart?

My thoughts: I kept turning pages because I--for better or worse--got caught up in the love triangle. Grayson and Jameson are the two brothers involved. It also greatly helped that the chapters are so short. Each one is just three to four pages. The pacing is excellent. It always feels right to read "just one more chapter." 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #18

 

This week I read four books. (I will probably finish a LOT of books for next week. But it is what it is).

Mickey7. Edward Ashton. 2022. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, science fiction, adult fiction]

Read this if...

• You enjoy [adult] science fiction
• You enjoy science fiction about colonizing other planets
• You enjoy alien drama
• You enjoy reading books that have been adapted into films

42. It's Hard To Be a Baby. Cheryl B. Klein. Illustrated by Juana Medina. 2024. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture book, babies]

Read this if...

• You enjoy picture books about babies
• You are looking for a baby shower gift
• You are looking for a gift for a child that is about to be a big brother or big sister

43. You're a Poet: Ways to Start Writing Poems. Sean Taylor. Illustrated by Sam Usher. 2025. [March] 72 pages. [Source: Library] [nonfiction, poetry, 5 stars]

Read this if...

• You are a teacher who teaches a poetry unit
• You are looking for a book that combines fiction and nonfiction

39. [Expository Thoughts on the] Gospel of John. J.C. Ryle. 1879. 353 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Christian nonfiction, commentaries]

Read this if...

• You are looking for a commentary on the Gospel of John
• You enjoy J.C. Ryle

Century of Viewing, week 18


1920s

• 1924 Sherlock Jr. Is Sherlock Jr. perfectly perfect? Yes. I absolutely love and adore this Buster Keaton feature silent film. Like some of his previous works, this one continues the theme of dreaming. He plays two roles, a shy movie projectionist who longs to be a detective AND a dream-self that IS Sherlock Jr the world's greatest detective. The two are opposites in many ways. Both plots have him trying to solve a crime. This one is action-packed in terms of stunts, gags, and physical action. This one is definitely a romantic comedy. I watched this one twice this week.
• 1924 The Navigator. Buster Keaton feature film starring Kathryn McGuire (also his leading lady from Sherlock Jr.). He proposes to the girl next door--technically across the street--she rejects him. He goes on his 'honeymoon' alone, or does he? A mistake leads these two to be stranded together on board an abandoned ship...neither one being self-sufficient...at the start. But enough weeks on board...and these two are making a GREAT pair that work together well....but plenty of obstacles still remain. Buster Keaton goes deep sea diving in this one.... I definitely love it. So many great scenes and scenarios.
• 1926 The General. I am thinking of slowing down my watching of The General, once a week might be a little too much. Maybe. I still love, love, love it. But I want to still love it forever and ever. Anyway, Johnnie Gray loves his engine, The General, and his girl, Annabelle. When both are taken by the enemy during the war, he will stop at nothing to get them back.

1930s

• 1933 Footlight Parade is a black and white musical. It is a musical about musicals. James Cagney plays a business man, I believe, who is putting on musical shows or numbers BEFORE movie theatre audiences. These 'prologues' are a way to entertain the audiences before the talkie films begin. It's also a way to keep 'broadway' creativity alive. I really enjoyed it UP until the musical numbers began--which for the most part was the last third of the film. I am an overthinker. I am. I just did not have it in me to suspend my disbelief that much. That a) these musical numbers were performed live in a theatre that will be showing films so a stage of some sort, perhaps, but a standard stage b) these numbers were all written, rehearsed within a period of days, and that changes to the scripts were done up until the last hour c) that the point of view of the MOVIE audience was the same point of view of the person in the theatre. Namely the ELABORATE nature of the prologues was absurd. There was a HUGE sequence with underwater synchronized swimming. The camera point of view shots were all underwater, some shots were crotch shots zooming through the legs of dozens and dozens of bathing beauties. Water, water, water everywhere. This prologue could not be staged just in any old theatre--if at all. Yet we're expected to believe that they show up via bus a half hour before a trial run performance, and boom, all the water sets there. The film, I believe, is pre-code and trying (and probably succeeding) in pushing boundaries in terms of being alluring and provocative.

1940s

• 1941 Remember the Day. This is a gem of a movie. Sad and bittersweet but beautiful all the same. A teacher [played by Claudette Colbert] reflects back on her life as she waits to see one of her former students accept a presidential nomination. Part of her reflection includes a memorable year 1916/1917. The year she fell madly in love with another teacher, was secretly wed, and watched him go off to war.... John Payne plays the love interest. This one was GREAT. Again, sad and bittersweet, but also wonderful.

1980s

• 1983 The Big Chill. The soundtrack is definitely better than the film--in my opinion. I am so conflicted. I can't say that the acting was bad--it wasn't. I can't say that the dialogue was bad--again it wasn't. It was just NOT for me. Namely the bed-hopping. So long story short, a group of college friends come together--at a funeral--one of their friends has un-alived himself. One friend is desperate to get pregnant and is determined that one of her college friends will be the one to get her pregnant--with or without consent. The whole story is weird and gross and offputting. But it is the *who* and the *how* that really disgust me. The wife pimping out her husband for her friend just EWWWWWWWW.

1990s

• 1994 Bullets Over Broadway. I wanted to like this one, but I just didn't. I thought the 1928 setting would draw me in--since I am living the 20s at the moment. But it was violent and stupid. Of course, the plot description is super up front about that. Again, it wasn't that the acting was bad....it just wasn't for me. The content is definitely ADULT, particularly with the dialogue. This one like Footlight Parade is a behind-the-scenes look at putting on a show.
• 1995 Apollo 13 is a great film based, of course, on a true story. I've seen it several times. It never fails to draw me in. It often makes me want to get out my copy of From the Earth to the Moon.
• 1999 Notting Hill I love, love, love, love, love this Hugh Grant film. Is it my favorite Hugh Grant? I don't know. There are three that I do love and adore so much. (Two of which I've watched this week). So Hugh Grant's character owns a travel bookshop. A movie star--Julia Roberts' character--stumbles in...the two fall for each other....but obstacles. It takes place over a year--perhaps a little more or less. The soundtrack is wonderful.

2000s

• 2005 Batman Begins Is it my favorite of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy? No. Do I love the trilogy? YES. This was my introduction to Batman. I've seen this trilogy several times...and definitely plan on rewatching this year.
• 2007 Music and Lyrics. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. He plays an 80s pop star...a has been...he has a chance to make a comeback via writing a new song for a less than talented pop star. Writing lyrics doesn't come easily to him, and it is his substitute plant waterer that ends up being his best partner ever. This romantic comedy is WONDERFUL.
• 2007 Enchanted. I absolutely loved this movie when it came out.Definitely an again, again, again. I read the novelization. I listened to the soundtrack on repeat as well. Super fun and adorable. It's been a while since I watched it. Still great fun.

2020s

• 2025 Karen Read Trial, week 2? Takes up so much time, but plenty of spicy moments. Watching on Emily D. Baker's YT channel.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews