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