Becky's Book Reviews: Week in review #19

Saturday, May 10, 2025

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.