Becky's Book Reviews: Week in Review #18

Saturday, May 03, 2025

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