August Reflections

In August, I read thirty-one books!

Books reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

83. Unboxing Libby. Steph Cherrywell. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, MG Fiction, MG speculative fiction, MG science fiction]

84. The Return of the King. (Lord of the Rings) J.R.R. Tolkien. 1955/1965. Houghton Mifflin. 440 pages.

85. Time Travelling with a Tortoise. Ross Welford. 2024. 220 pages. [Source: Library] [MG speculative fiction, time travel, dinosaurs, 4 stars]

86. Pocket Bear. Katherine Applegate. Illustrated by Charles Santoso. 2025. 272 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, J fiction, J fantasy, animal fantasy, toy fantasy]

87. Lost in Time. A.G. Riddle. 2022. 455 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult science fiction, adult speculative fiction, alternate universes, time travel]

88.  Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. J.K. Rowling. 1997. 345 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, mg fantasy, mg fiction, audio book]

89. The First Men in the Moon. H.G. Wells. 1901. 213 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, adult science fiction, classic]

90. Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros. Jane Kurtz. Illustrated by Claire Messer. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [nonfiction picture book, 5 stars]

91. 4:50 From Paddington. (Miss Marple #8) Agatha Christie. 1957/2007. 288 pages. [Source: Bought]
92. Into the Bewilderness. Gus Gordon. 2025. 192 pages. [Source: Library] [graphic novel, children's graphic novel, 5 stars]
93.  Station Eleven. Emily St. John Mandel. 2014. Knopf Doubleday. 352 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, speculative fiction, adult science fiction, apocalyptic]
94. Old School. Gordon Korman. 2025. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, mg fiction, mg realistic fiction, multiple narrators, school, inter-generational friendships]
95. Stitch: Reimagining Frankenstein. Padraig Kenny. 2025. 208 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, mg speculative fiction, mg fantasy]

96. How To Train Your Dragon. Cressida Cowell. 2003. 214 pages. [Source: Library] [audio book, 3 stars, children's fantasy]
97. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) J.K. Rowling. 1998. 341 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

Books reviewed at Young Readers

82. Who Meows? A Book of Animal Sounds. Robin Page. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, concept book]
83. A Scrub in the Tub. Jan Thomas. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, humor, 5 stars]
84. The Elephant's Birthday (Mouse and Spoon). Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Janna Mattia. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [early reader, ready to read level 2, animal fantasy, series book; 5 stars]
85. George & Lenny Are Always Together. Jon Agee. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, animal fantasy, friendship, picture book]
86. [Board book] I Will Love You Till the Cows Come Home. Anne Matheson. Illustrated by Kim Crumrine. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, board book, parental love]
87. [Board book] Grumpkin. Nicola Edwards. Illustrated by Sian Roberts. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board book, Halloween]

88. Kitty vs. Kindergarten. Martha Freeman. Illustrated by Eda Kaban. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, pets, school]
89. Do You See the Tiger? Philip Ardagh. Illustrated by David Melling. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]
90. Norman and the Smell of Adventure. Ryan T. Higgins. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]

91. Frog and Toad Are Friends. An I Can Read Book. Arnold Lobel. 1970. HarperCollins. 64 pages. [Source: Bought] [3 stars, early chapter book, children's classic, animal fantasy]


Books reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible


59. The River of Grace: A Story of John Calvin. Joyce McPherson. 1998. 180 pages. [Source: Bought] [biography, children's book, 5 stars]
60. The Bible, Simplified. Zach Windahl. 2025. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy] [4 stars, christian nonfiction]
61. CSB Scripture Notebook: Psalms. God. 2020. 432 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Psalter]

Bibles reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

8. New King James Version. Audio Bible. Narrated by Tinasha LaRay. God. Accessed through YouVersion Bible App. 1982 for NKJV translation. Not sure when the audio was recorded. [5 stars, Bible, audio book]
9. KJV Thompson Chain Reference Bible. God. 1923 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Bible]
10. NASB 2020 Giant Print Reference Bible, Holman Published. 2022. 1776 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Bible]

Totals for 2025

2025 Totals
Books read in 2025	259
Pages read in 2025	63,631
January 2025
Books read in January	30
Pages read in January	7,020
February 2025
Books read in February	30
Pages read in February	4,782
March 2025
Books read in March	34
Pages read in March	8,595
April 2025
Books read in April	34
Pages read in April	8,293
May 2025
Books read in May	31
Pages read in May	7,698
June 2025
Books read in June	32
Pages read in June	6,072
July 2025
Books read in July	37
Pages read in July	10,460
August 2025
Books read in August	31
Pages read in August	10,711

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #35

This week I read seven books.

96. How To Train Your Dragon. Cressida Cowell. 2003. 214 pages. [Source: Library] [audio book, 3 stars, children's fantasy]

Read this if...

• You enjoy children's fantasy
• You enjoy dragons
• You enjoy audio books narrated by David Tennant

97. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) J.K. Rowling. 1998. 341 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy children's and middle grade fantasy
• You enjoyed the first Harry Potter book
• You enjoy audio books narrated by Stephen Fry

91. Frog and Toad Are Friends. An I Can Read Book. Arnold Lobel. 1970. HarperCollins. 64 pages. [Source: Bought] [3 stars, early chapter book, children's classic, animal fantasy]

Read this if...

• You enjoy children's classics
• You enjoy animal fantasy
• You enjoy friendship stories
• You enjoy early chapter books

60. The Bible, Simplified. Zach Windahl. 2025. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy] [4 stars, christian nonfiction]

Read this if...

• You enjoy christian nonfiction
• You are looking for a book summarizing books of the Bible

61. CSB Scripture Notebook: Psalms. God. 2020. 432 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Psalter]

Read this if...

• You enjoy the book of Psalms
• You are interested in journaling Scripture

9. KJV Thompson Chain Reference Bible. God. 1923 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Bible]

Read this if...

• You love the King James Version
• You enjoy the Thompson Chain Reference Bible

10. NASB 2020 Giant Print Reference Bible, Holman Published. 2022. 1776 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Bible]

Read this if...

• You enjoy the NASB 2020
• You are looking for a Giant Print Bible

Century of Viewing #35

1920s

• 1926 The General. Johnnie Gray loves two things--his girl and his train. When both are kidnapped by the enemy, he goes on a rescue mission.

1970s

• 1974 Airport 1975. There are, I believe, three Airport movies in the disaster series. This one involves a head-on collision between two airplanes. A stewardess is left to fly the plane, her boyfriend, a pilot, may just do a heroic assist...if he can survive what it takes to get to the plane.
• 1977 Airport 77. This is the third and final in the Airport series. This one stars JACK LEMMON as a heroic pilot. This one is perhaps the MOST intense of the three. And it is my personal favorite of the three. An art thief gets a little more trouble than he probably reckoned on, when his plan goes terribly, terribly wrong and the plane plunges into the ocean. Can they be rescued in time?!
• 1979 The China Syndrome. JACK LEMMON is not having a good day. I watched The China Syndrome and Airport 77 on the same day. In this one, journalists uncover a dangerous situation at a nuclear power plant. Jack Lemmon plays a whistle blower who risks his life to get the truth out. This is DRAMATIC and INTENSE.

1980s

• 1987 Adventures in Babysitting. I found this one SUPER entertaining. One babysitter has a terrible, horrible, no good very bad time. It starts when her boyfriend cancels their date. She takes a babysitting job. Her best friend calls with an emergency. She decides to take the kids with her to 'rescue' her friends. But, who will need rescuing by the end of the night?! Or who doesn't need rescuing! This one is over-the-top silly adventure. I think my favorite part was the blues song she is forced to sing.

2010s

• 2016 Batman: Return of the Caped Crusader. This animated Batman adventure stars Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar. (Batman, Robin, and Catwoman). It is essentially an ANIMATED episode--though an extended story--of the original Batman. The dialogue is AWESOME if you loved the original show. The story is ridiculous--in a good way. And overall, I just loved revisiting these characters. It is almost a love letter to the original series.

2020s

• 2025 How To Train Your Dragon (live action). I definitely enjoyed this one. More than the animated original? Probably not. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the animated movie. This one was worth watching however. Hiccup, our hero, is anything but a "hero" according to everyone in his viking village. When he captures a dragon and trains it, well, folks doubt he has what it takes. But Hiccup and Toothless may just prove everyone wrong.
• 2025 Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan. Is this one about Ed Sullivan? Yes. No. Maybe. It is 95% focused on the Civil Rights movement and how 'shocking' it was that black artists were performing on the Ed Sullivan show. I was more curious about Ed Sullivan in general instead of such a narrow focus. However, it was fine.
• 2025 Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser. Another documentary. This one is the story of The Biggest Loser reality series--some details I'd either blocked or forgotten. It features interviews with many who were either a) on the show as trainers, hosts, producers, etc. or b) a contestant on the show. It presents the story the good, the bad, the ugly. The verbal abuse is disturbing--it always was.

Alphabet Viewing Challenge #5

A Admirable Crichton
B Big Fish
C  The China Syndrome. JACK LEMMON is not having a good day. I watched The China Syndrome and Airport 77 on the same day. In this one, journalists uncover a dangerous situation at a nuclear power plant. Jack Lemmon plays a whistle blower who risks his life to get the truth out. This is DRAMATIC and INTENSE.
D
E
F First Contact
G The General. Johnnie Gray loves two things--his girl and his train. When both are kidnapped by the enemy, he goes on a rescue mission.
H Home.
I Insurrection (Star Trek)
J -- Johnny Mnemonic.
K
L
M Murder by Death
N
O
P Primeval Series 1 and 2
Q
R Return of the Caped Crusader (Batman). This animated Batman adventure stars Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar. (Batman, Robin, and Catwoman). It is essentially an ANIMATED episode--though an extended story--of the original Batman. The dialogue is AWESOME if you loved the original show. The story is ridiculous--in a good way. And overall, I just loved revisiting these characters. It is almost a love letter to the original series.
S Slipper and the Rose
T
U
V Valley of Vision
W
X
Y You Can't Run Away From It.
Z

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Century of Viewing, month 8

In August, I watched thirty-one things. (If my math was right). I started my ALPHABET VIEWING CHALLENGE and I'll keep tracking my movies by year as well for the Century of Viewing challenge.

August 5 Star Movies (Shows, Etc.)

• Admirable Crichton
• Adventures in Babysitting
• Airport 77
• Back to the Future
• Batman (1966) Season 1
• Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
• Big Fish
• Final Countdown
• First Contact (Star Trek)
• The General
• Home
• Insurrection (Star Trek)
• Primeval (Seasons 1 and 2)
• Slipper and the Rose
• Station Eleven
• You Can't Run Away From It

August 4 1/2 and 4 Star Movies (Shows, Etc.)

• First Men in the Moon (H.G. Wells)
• How To Train Your Dragon live-action
• Who Done It? The Clue Documentary
• Johnny Mneumonic
• Valley of Decision
• Airport 1975

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

97. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

97. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) J.K. Rowling. 1998. 341 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

First sentence: Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive. Mr. Vernon Dursley had been woken in the early hours of the morning by a loud, hooting noise from his nephew Harry's room. 

 ETA: This is my third time to read Chamber of Secrets. It was my first time to listen to it on audio. I listened to the Stephen Fry narration. He was a WONDERFUL narrator. Now that I'm reading the series for the third times, certain scenes are standing out to me helping me to remember/distinguish between books.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter is being held captive by his aunt and uncle. He's "forbidden" to continue his studies at Hogwarts. For better or worse, he's "rescued" via flying car driven by a Weasley sibling. [This scene where he's passing all his stuff through the window to a waiting car reminded me of a scene where someone is escaping a cult]. After a lovely time with the Weasleys, time at last to buy supplies for school and head off for Hogwarts for their second year. But...Ron and Harry miss the train. For better or worse, flying car to the "rescue." These two cause quite the disturbance on their way to school....

Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter's biggest fan???, is joining her big brother at Hogwarts.

This school year has its ups and downs. A 'monster' from a secret chamber is terrorizing students and staff. No one knows for sure who is responsible--though Hermione, Harry, and Ron have their suspicions. (But I don't think any of them guessed accurately...)

My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this one. More than the first book? Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes. Here's the thing if you're already bonded with the characters, the hard work is mostly done. It is a matter of which story elements you enjoyed more. I truly did love some scenes in this one. But I'm sticking with my original four star rating.


© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

96. How To Train Your Dragon

96. How To Train Your Dragon. Cressida Cowell. 2003. 214 pages. [Source: Library] [audio book, 3 stars, children's fantasy]

First sentence: A Note from the Author: There were dragons when I was a boy.

Premise/plot: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is the 'hero' of Cressida Cowell's How To Train Your Dragon. He's the son of a chief, a viking, but among his peers--among anyone really--he's not the strongest, brightest, best. The novel opens with him hoping that he can manage to steal a baby dragon--any kind of dragon. He ends up with the smallest dragon anyone has ever seen. And the training manual isn't all that helpful. The book merely says: YELL AT YOUR DRAGON. THE END. Is there a better way? Will Hiccup get thrown out of his clan?

My thoughts: The book is nothing like the movie of the same name. NOTHING. I was actually disappointed that the book is so very different from the movie. (I really liked the characters from the movie and the premise of the movie.) That being said, I did like it. There were a few scenes that were enjoyable. I wish I'd not had the movie to compare it to.

ETA: I listened to this on audio in August 2025. The narrator was David Tennant. I thought he did an excellent job narrating the book. 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #34

 

This week I read seven books!

93.  Station Eleven. Emily St. John Mandel. 2014. Knopf Doubleday. 352 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, speculative fiction, adult science fiction, apocalyptic]

Read this if...

• You enjoy apocalyptic fiction
• You enjoy novels with multiple points of view
• You enjoy novels that flip back and forth in time
• You enjoy speculative fiction

94. Old School. Gordon Korman. 2025. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, mg fiction, mg realistic fiction, multiple narrators, school, inter-generational friendships]

Read this if....

• You enjoy middle grade realistic fiction
• You enjoy intergenerational friendships
• You enjoy novels with multiple points of view
• You enjoy novels with a school setting

95. Stitch: Reimagining Frankenstein. Padraig Kenny. 2025. 208 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, mg speculative fiction, mg fantasy]

Read this if....

• You enjoy middle grade speculative fiction
• You enjoy Frankenstein retellings
• You enjoy speculative fiction

88. Kitty vs. Kindergarten. Martha Freeman. Illustrated by Eda Kaban. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, pets, school]

Read this if....

• You enjoy cats, pets
• You enjoy picture books about school

89. Do You See the Tiger? Philip Ardagh. Illustrated by David Melling. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy picture books
• You enjoy picture books that celebrate the imagination

90. Norman and the Smell of Adventure. Ryan T. Higgins. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy Ryan T. Higgins
• You enjoyed the first Norman book (I haven't read it)
• You enjoy books where characters befriend trees

59. The River of Grace: A Story of John Calvin. Joyce McPherson. 1998. 180 pages. [Source: Bought] [biography, children's book, 5 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy children's biographies
• You want an accessible biography of John Calvin
• You enjoy narrative nonfiction

Century of Viewing, Week #34


1980s

• 1985 Back to the Future. Does anyone need the premise of Back to the Future? Time travel. High school drama. Personal conflicts. Marty travels back in time to the 1950s where he inadvertently meets his mom and dad before they fell in love. Now he must make sure they fall in love--at the right time--to make sure that he continues to exist. 

2000s

• 2002 Star Trek Nemesis. Is this my least favorite Star Trek movie? Maybe. Maybe not. It probably has more redemptive scenes than Star Trek V, but that's not saying much. What is it about? Eliminating a villain that is a clone of Picard and finding another android, B4. The highlight, for better or worse, is the wedding of Riker and Troi.
• 2007 Primeval Series 1. British sci-fi. Anomalies are allowing prehistoric dinosaurs to roam free causing death, destruction, mayhem, etc. A team works to restore order and send the prehistoric (and futuristic) species back through the anomaly...they also do battle with the ultimate evil (not really, just joking, mostly, somewhat) Helen. It's a GREAT little show. The first season, I think, had six episodes? By the third episode I was HOOKED. (The bug episodes are a little much, but, for the most part definitely enjoyable).
• 2008 Primeval Series 2. British sci-fi. Same as above except season 2! Series 1 threw a huge-at-that-moment twist into the story. The second season is even more action-packed and compelling. It seemed that there were MORE cliffhangers than in the first season. Plenty of twists and turns in this season as well! Definitely loving the series.

2010s

• 2015 Home. I love, love, love this animated movie. How to describe it? An alien species who are best at running away conquer earth and relocate the humans--to one big area. Tip, the heroine, is separated from her mom because of a purring kitty resting on her head. She goes in search of her mom, and reluctantly befriends an alien, Oh, who is an outcast from the other aliens. Work together they must! Can Oh save the day and be a hero to both humans and aliens?!

2020s

• 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships Men I'm glad I watched these. I love men's gymnastics. I love most of the six events, except perhaps floor exercise. I recognized many athletes from previous years. It was good. This was a "day 1" and "day 2" competition.
  
• 2025 U.S. Gymnastics Championships Women. I recognized fewer athletes. Which is a good thing. I was ready for some of them to retire. I watched the men's competition first. By the time I got through the women's I was a bit tired of sports. That's not to say the women didn't do a good job, just, that there's only so many hours in one day that one can watch sports. I love the balance beam and uneven bars best. This was a "day 1" and "day 2" competition.

Alphabet Viewing Challenge, Week #4

A Admirable Crichton
B Big Fish
C
D
E
F First Contact
G
H Home. I love, love, love this animated movie. How to describe it? An alien species who are best at running away conquer earth and relocate the humans--to one big area. Tip, the heroine, is separated from her mom because of a purring kitty resting on her head. She goes in search of her mom, and reluctantly befriends an alien, Oh, who is an outcast from the other aliens. Work together they must! Can Oh save the day and be a hero to both humans and aliens?!
I Insurrection (Star Trek)
J -- Johnny Mnemonic.
K
L
M Murder by Death
N Nemesis. Is this my least favorite Star Trek movie? Maybe. Maybe not. It probably has more redemptive scenes than Star Trek V, but that's not saying much. What is it about? Eliminating a villain that is a clone of Picard and finding another android, B4. The highlight, for better or worse, is the wedding of Riker and Troi.
O
P Primeval Series 1. British sci-fi. Anomalies are allowing prehistoric dinosaurs to roam free causing death, destruction, mayhem, etc. A team works to restore order and send the prehistoric (and futuristic) species back through the anomaly...they also do battle with the ultimate evil (not really, just joking, mostly, somewhat) Helen. It's a GREAT little show. The first season, I think, had six episodes? By the third episode I was HOOKED. (The bug episodes are a little much, but, for the most part definitely enjoyable).
Q
R
S Slipper and the Rose
T
U
V Valley of Vision
W
X
Y You Can't Run Away From It.
Z

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

95. Stitch

95. Stitch: Reimagining Frankenstein. Padraig Kenny. 2025. 208 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, mg speculative fiction, mg fantasy]

First sentence: Stitch wakes up, just as he always has done for the past five hundred and eighty-four days he has been waking up.

Premise/plot: Is Stitch a reimagining of Frankenstein? No. Yes. Maybe, a little. Stitch and Henry Oaf are the results of an experiment, though, whether their creator was 'mad' or not could be debated. Stitch is certainly fond of his Creator, Professor Hardacre. Henry is perhaps less so since he's been caged for being too clumsy and prone to breaking things. But the Professor has been "asleep" for many, many, many days. Stitch knows the rule of never waking him, so, he is slightly uncomfortable with how things are but not alarmed. When visitors--the Professor's nephew and a young girl, Alice--arrive, Stitch learns the awful truth. The Professor is more than sleeping. The good news? Henry can come out of his cage at last. The bad news? The nephew--who leans towards being a scientist of the mad, evil sort--is determined to experiment further on HENRY and STITCH. Can these two "monsters" escape the "monster" scientist? And will they find peace in the nearby village? With Alice by their side, these two stand a better chance than Mary Shelley's monster ever did.

My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this intriguing read. I definitely came to care for the characters of Henry, Gregor, Stitch, and Alice. There were brief 'inspired-by' moments to the original Frankenstein, however, these were few and far between. The concept of electricity bringing the dead back to life is borrowed, obviously, but the story, the characters, the motivations, etc., everything is original.

I definitely appreciated the writing and the storytelling.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

94. Old School

94. Old School. Gordon Korman. 2025. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, mg fiction, mg realistic fiction, multiple narrators, school, inter-generational friendships]

First sentence: "G....forty-seven." The community room buzzes as the players rush to cover the number on their Bingo cards. 

Premise/plot: Dexter Foreman has been raised by his grandmother--for the most part--in a retirement village. He's never attended public school nor officially been recognized as being homeschooled. Unofficially he's taught by just about everyone at the retirement village. But he's been found out. Forced to attend school for the first time, Dexter has a rough time...until he doesn't. He goes from having no friends to the whole school rallying around him. Why? Because of an incident with a Swiss army knife and a vending machine. The knife gets him thrown out of school, but the students who before thought him weird, odd, different, now see him as awesome.

My thoughts: I have enjoyed Gordon Korman in the past. This one didn't quite work for me.

It has too many narrators in my opinion. Each chapter has its own narrator, but there aren't just two or even three narrators. And the chapters don't alternate in a pattern. The narrators: Dexter, obviously, Gianna Greco, Ms. Napier, Jackson Sharpe, Ronny Greco, Teagan Santoro (who really doesn't belong at all). 

I also get that it's "cute" and "fun" that he can fix anything and everything at the school with his handy dandy Swiss army knife and the skills he's picked up from being around the senior community. But. I do see it as problematic that this new kid suddenly takes it upon himself to fix and repair ALL the problems at the school that is literally falling apart. True, in this fictional book he doesn't get hurt and no one else gets hurt with his construction/repair projects, but he's a kid. I also thought the quick reversal of the entire school's opinion of him was sudden.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

93. Station Eleven

93.  Station Eleven. Emily St. John Mandel. 2014. Knopf Doubleday. 352 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, speculative fiction, adult science fiction, apocalyptic]

First sentence: The King stood in a pool of blue light, unmoored. This was act 4 of King Lear, a winter night at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. 

Premise/plot: There isn't 'one' central character in Station Eleven. It is a premise-driven novel. The premise: what if there was a pandemic that killed 99% of the earth's population. How would that surviving 1% live in the following days, weeks, months, years, decades following the collapse of life as we knew it. The book primarily focuses on two clusters of the population: a traveling troupe of actors and musicians known as "The Traveling Symphony" and a more sedentary bunch the "Museum of Civilization" located at Severn City Airport. Central characters are Kirsten Raymonde, Clark Thompson, Miranda Carroll, Elizabeth Colton, Arthur Leander, and the Prophet. 

The novel opens and closes with Arthur Leander on stage. At least, I'm 98% sure that is how the novel closes. (It has been a day since I finished it.) "Dr. Eleven" is a graphic novel in two volumes that is rare, limited editions printed by the author, Miranda Carroll, to give to a select few. Kirsten, a child actor who is in Arthur Leander's play, receives copies of these two right before the collapse of civilization. Arthur's son receives another set. Kirsten does in some ways become fixated on the story and characters within the graphic novels.

All characters can be traced indirectly back to Arthur's life, though for some, the connection is extremely brief. (For example, a few vignettes of Jeevan Chaudhary who conveniently has many jobs: a paparazzi, a journalist, a paramedic, a 'doctor' post-collapse. He takes pictures for gossip magazines of Alexander and his wives; he later interviews Arthur for a magazine; he later attempts to save Arthur on stage while he's having a heart attack.) Two of the characters are his ex-wives. Another, Kirsten, is his co-star (though the role is small). He comes to almost be a symbol for LIFE BEFORE because celebrity really doesn't make the transition in this new world. Kirsten is obsessed with finding newspaper and magazine clippings about Arthur. Clark, another important character, is a 'friend' of sorts to Arthur who does survive and almost thrive in the new world. [In the book, he is not in any way villainous.]

My thoughts: I first read Station Eleven in January 2015. I recently watched the ten part mini-series from 2021/2022. The book and adaptation are SO DIFFERENT. There are things I absolutely LOVE about the book that were changed significantly by the adaption. There are things in the adaptation that I absolutely LOVE. The mini-series made main characters out of characters that were mentioned in passing a couple of times. This is particularly true of the Traveling Symphony. There were a few people in the book that were fleshed out significantly and made important. There were characters that were portrayed as being Kirsten's absolute best friends in the Traveling Symphony in the book that did not make it into the adaptation. Jeevan and Kirsten maybe spend five or six minutes together in the book. Maybe. In the movie, their connection spans at least a year, and, is one of the most emotional connections in the whole adaptation. In the book, as I mentioned, he's almost a footnote character. In the adaptation, he's IMPORTANT. However, the greatest change might be what they did with Clark Thompson.

The book is beautifully written. I liked the world-building. I especially liked Miranda's creation of the graphic novels Station Eleven. I liked what little description we get of Dr. Eleven and his situation. I wouldn't have minded more. It actually would be a graphic novel that I'd want to read if it existed. I liked what the two graphic novels meant to Kirsten.

I would definitely recommend this one.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #33

This week I read six books!

89. The First Men in the Moon. H.G. Wells. 1901. 213 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, adult science fiction, classic]

Read this if...

• You enjoy H.G. Wells
• You enjoy classic science fiction
• You enjoy classics

90. Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros. Jane Kurtz. Illustrated by Claire Messer. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [nonfiction picture book, 5 stars]

Read this if....

• You enjoy nonfiction picture books
• You enjoy narrative nonfiction
• You enjoy history

  91. 4:50 From Paddington. (Miss Marple #8) Agatha Christie. 1957/2007. 288 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy mysteries
• You enjoy Agatha Christie
• You enjoy holiday mysteries

  92. Into the Bewilderness. Gus Gordon. 2025. 192 pages. [Source: Library] [graphic novel, children's graphic novel, 5 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy graphic novels
• You enjoy animal fantasy
• You enjoy children's books

86. [Board book] I Will Love You Till the Cows Come Home. Anne Matheson. Illustrated by Kim Crumrine. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, board book, parental love]

Read this if...

• You enjoy board books
• You have a little one to share books with

87. [Board book] Grumpkin. Nicola Edwards. Illustrated by Sian Roberts. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board book, Halloween]

Read this if...

• You enjoy board books
• You have a little one to share books with

Century of Viewing #33

1960s

• 1964 First Men in the Moon. This was an awesome sixties science fiction movie. It is different from the book, but, in a more entertaining way. I definitely enjoyed it. So the movie adds a framework. NASA astronauts discover proof of an earlier British landing on the moon, and so it flashes back to H.G. Wells' story.

1970s

• 1976 Murder by Death. I thought I was getting a comedy. It wasn't so much a comedy. It had a few funny lines, but, a lot of the intended funny lines fell flat for me. I think this one is dated for sure. The premise was interesting. But it is no CLUE. So the premise: five famous detectives (parodies of Poirot, Marple, Charlie Chan, I think, Sam Spade, and another guy whom I couldn't quite identify) are out to solve a mystery that hasn't happened yet.

1980s

• 1980 The Final Countdown. TIME TRAVEL. HISTORY. WORLD WAR II. Yes, please. I greatly enjoyed this one. A powerful nuclear-run aircraft carrier is transported back in time to December 6, 1941, near Pearl Harbor. Should they attempt to change history?

1990s

• 1998 Insurrection (Star Trek). I enjoyed this Star Trek Next Generation movie. Data leads an 'insurrection' on a planet, makes a friend....and the Captain falls in love....again...and learns the power of a moment. Much to enjoy in this one.

2020s

• 2021 Station Eleven. A mini-series adaptation of a great science fiction book, Station Eleven. I enjoyed this one. Quite a bit different from the book, I believe, (I'm currently rereading the book, it's been ten years or so). But SO emotional, so good. Humans are complex.

Alphabet Viewing Challenge #3

A Admirable Crichton
B Big Fish
C
D
E
F First Contact
G
H
I Insurrection (Star Trek) I enjoyed this Star Trek Next Generation movie. Data leads an 'insurrection' on a planet, makes a friend....and the Captain falls in love....again...and learns the power of a moment. Much to enjoy in this one.
J -- Johnny Mnemonic.
K
L
M Murder by Death I thought I was getting a comedy. It wasn't so much a comedy. It had a few funny lines, but, a lot of the intended funny lines fell flat for me. I think this one is dated for sure. The premise was interesting. But it is no CLUE. So the premise: five famous detectives (parodies of Poirot, Marple, Charlie Chan, I think, Sam Spade, and another guy whom I couldn't quite identify) are out to solve a mystery that hasn't happened yet.
N
O
P
Q
R
S Slipper and the Rose
T
U
V Valley of Vision
W
X
Y You Can't Run Away From It.
Z

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

92. Into the Bewilderness

92. Into the Bewilderness. Gus Gordon. 2025. 192 pages. [Source: Library] [graphic novel, children's graphic novel, 5 stars]

First sentence: One spring afternoon, deep in the woods, far from anywhere, friends Luis (the large furry one) and Pablo (the small furry one) are on their way home after a successful outing picking gooseberries. 

Premise/plot: Luis (a bear) and Pablo (a mole) are best, best, best, best friends. They live in the woods and have a great life. But Luis is a philosophizing bear who wonders about the world outside the woods. He's a bear that is considering leaving the woods to go on the occasional adventure. When Luis wins theater tickets for the Big City production of a play, the two leave for the City....but will the City live up to everything Luis has imagined it to be? Can their friendship withstand such a big adventure?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. It was a delightful read. I loved the dialogue. I loved the friendship. I loved how they have so many nicknames for one another.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

91. 4:50 From Paddington

91. 4:50 From Paddington. (Miss Marple #8) Agatha Christie. 1957/2007. 288 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Mrs. McGillicuddy panted along the platform in the wake of the porter carrying her suitcase.

Premise/plot: Poor Mrs. McGillicuddy! She witnesses a crime when she's on a train--the crime takes place on a passing train--and NO ONE believes her. No one but Miss Marple that is! Miss Marple knows her friend did not imagine a man strangling a woman. Since the police aren't going to bother with an investigation, it's up to her and her friends. Miss Marple hires a woman--Lucy Eyelesbarrow--to do the job. Lucy gets hired on at an estate--the nearest estate to where Miss Marple thinks the body might have been thrown off the train--and in her spire time Lucy will hunt for the body. It doesn't take her long--not really, not all things considered. What takes time is identifying the woman. Who was she? What was she doing in England? Is she in any way connected to the family or the estate? Could Lucy be living with a murderer?

My thoughts: I love, love, love this murder mystery. The murder occurs BEFORE Christmas but most of the book occurs in January or thereabouts. Lucy is working for a very eccentric, quirky family. Some of these family members are quite memorable, almost delightful. Miss Marple is staying nearby and posing as Lucy's aunt.

This is a well-written mystery novel that is fun to read and reread. (Though to be honest you should let a few years go by so that the details get a bit fuzzy in between readings.)

Quotes: 

"Well," she said, "it looks as though you were right." She produced her findings and gave the details of their discovery. "Perhaps one ought not to feel so," she said, "but it is rather gratifying to form a theory and get proof that it is correct!" (39)

"At a certain stage one is inclined to think everyone knows a little more than they are willing to tell you." (81)

"If you have not committed a murder, it naturally annoys you if it seems someone thinks that you have," said Inspector Craddock mildly. (129)

"The truth is people are an extraordinary mixture of heroism and cowardice." (144)

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

90. Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros

90. Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros. Jane Kurtz. Illustrated by Claire Messer. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [nonfiction picture book, 5 stars]

First sentence: Clara was born in India in 1738. In the beginning, her life was anything but splendid. Only a few months old and she was already an orphan. One small rhinoceros in a big, terrifying world. 

Premise/plot: Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros is a nonfiction picture book for young readers, or readers of all ages who happen to love HISTORY or animals.

My thoughts: Was I familiar with CLARA before reading this nonfiction picture book? No. Did I absolutely love learning her story? YES. I am curious. I love learning new things. I love a good story. Narrative nonfiction can be a delight! Such is the case with this book. I love this well-crafted story. It was a great read. Happy to recommend this one!

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

89. The First Men in the Moon

89. The First Men in the Moon. H.G. Wells. 1901. 213 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, adult science fiction, classic]

First sentence: As I sit down to write here amidst the shadows of vine-leaves under the blue sky of southern Italy, it comes to me with a certain quality of astonishment that my participation in these amazing adventures of Mr. Cavor was, after all, the outcome of the purest accident. It might have been any one. I fell into these things at a time when I thought myself removed from the slightest possibility of disturbing experiences.

Premise/plot: Mr. Bedford has money troubles; he is looking for a relatively quick and easy 'out' for those troubles. He is trying his hand at writing a play. He's gone to the country to write that play and obviously hopes for peace and quiet. Dr. Cavor, his neighbor, is anything but quiet. He's a mad scientist though perhaps Mr. Bedford doesn't realize quite how 'mad' this mad scientist is when they meet. Mr. Bedford, perhaps, should have minded his own business and not lost his temper. Then again, that would have been a short book indeed! Dr. Cavor is out to create a gravity-defying element--which, of course, he'll name Cavorite. Working together--somewhat--they decide to use Cavorite on a sphere Dr. Cavor builds to go to the moon. Obviously. What else would you do if you could defy gravity?! What they find on the moon is quite shocking, especially to Mr. Bedford though he has his regrets before even leaving earth.

My thoughts: I enjoyed the book. It was silly. It requires you to suspend your disbelief. But it was good. I definitely enjoyed it more the second time around. HOWEVER, I will say that the movie adaptation from the 1960s while not faithful to the book particularly, was certainly more entertaining. They added a LOVE INTEREST to Mr. Bedford and had her 'accidentally' forced along for the ride. The ending is much improved in the movie, in my opinion. I also loved seeing CHICKENS IN SPACE. It was silly and over the top but also delightful.

Quotes:

"Can it be," he said, "that I have formed a Habit?"

What is this spirit in man that urges him for ever to depart from happiness and security, to toil, to place himself in danger, to risk even a reasonable certainty of death? It dawned upon me up there in the moon as a thing I ought always to have known, that man is not made simply to go about being safe and comfortable and well fed and amused.

"Good Lord!" I exclaimed. "Just think of all the trouble we took to get into this pickle! What did we come for? What are we after? What was the moon to us or we to the moon? We wanted too much, we tried too much. We ought to have started the little things first.

"It was I found the way here, but to find a way isn't always to be master of a way. If I take my secret back to earth, what will happen? I do not see how I can keep my secret for a year, for even a part of a year. Sooner or later it must come out, even if other men rediscover it. And then...governments and powers will struggle to get hither, they will fight against one another, and against these moon people; it will only spread warfare and multiply the occasions of war....What good would the moon be to men? Even of their own planet what have they made but a battle-ground and theatre of infinite folly? Small as his world is, and short as his time, he has still in his little life down there far more than he can do.

I think that going to bed was one of the luckiest ideas I have ever had in an emergency.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #32

This week I read nine books!

85. Time Travelling with a Tortoise. Ross Welford. 2024. 220 pages. [Source: Library] [MG speculative fiction, time travel, dinosaurs, 4 stars]

Read this if....

• You enjoyed Time Travelling with a Hamster (this is a companion novel)
• You enjoy time travel stories
• You enjoy coming of age stories

86. Pocket Bear. Katherine Applegate. Illustrated by Charles Santoso. 2025. 272 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, J fiction, J fantasy, animal fantasy, toy fantasy]

Read this if....

• You enjoy Katherine Applegate's works!
• You enjoy animal fantasy
• You enjoy fantasy novels where toys are alive
• You love cats

87. Lost in Time. A.G. Riddle. 2022. 455 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult science fiction, adult speculative fiction, alternate universes, time travel]

Read this if....

• You enjoy time travel stories
• You enjoy twists and turns
• DINOSAURS!
• You enjoy science fiction

88.  Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. J.K. Rowling. 1997. 345 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, mg fantasy, mg fiction, audio book]

Listen to this if...

• You enjoy Harry Potter
• You enjoy children's fantasy

82. Who Meows? A Book of Animal Sounds. Robin Page. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, concept book]

Read this if...

• You are looking for a concept book about animal sounds
• You have a little one who enjoys books about animals

83. A Scrub in the Tub. Jan Thomas. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, humor, 5 stars]

Read this if....

• You enjoy humorous picture books
• You enjoy Jan Thomas' series

84. The Elephant's Birthday (Mouse and Spoon). Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Janna Mattia. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [early reader, ready to read level 2, animal fantasy, series book; 5 stars]

Read this if...

• You enjoy Cynthia Rylant's work
• You enjoy early reader series
• You enjoy stories about MICE

85. George & Lenny Are Always Together. Jon Agee. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, animal fantasy, friendship, picture book]

Read this if...

• You enjoy picture books about friendship
• You enjoy picture books with animals

8. New King James Version. Audio Bible. Narrated by Tinasha LaRay. God. Accessed through YouVersion Bible App. 1982 for NKJV translation. Not sure when the audio was recorded. [5 stars, Bible, audio book]

Read/listen to this if...

• You enjoy the New King James Version
• You enjoy audio Bibles
• You enjoy the YouVersion app

Century of Viewing, Week #32

1940s

• 1945 Valley of Decision. I watched this period drama ages ago. I've always wanted to read the book but could never track it down. In some ways, it has North and South vibes--think Elizabeth Gaskell and not the Civil War. This one has a doomed romance--class differences and family conflicts. There's some brief moments of hope that all will be well, but, alas I think it will remain bittersweet despite a brief flicker of hope towards the end. Gregory Peck stars in this one.
  

1950s

• 1956 You Can't Run Away From It. I've seen this one dozens of time. Absolutely love this musical adaptation of It Happened One Night. This one stars Jack Lemmon and June Allyson. Two strangers fall in love on a bus...
  
• 1957 The Admirable Crichton. First time seeing this odd comedy. I definitely enjoyed watching it; had its funny moments. I was cheering on Eliza from the start. So what is it about?! A butler gets the chance to 'trade places' with the family he serves WHEN the family is shipwrecked. They lack the skills to survive...and he steps in and manages things beautifully. For two years, he gets to be 'the guv' and all is well....or is it?! This one features light romance, but, isn't romantic-romantic.
  

1960s

• 1966 Batman, season 1. Obviously this one won't appeal to every one. But I had great fun exploring season one of the classic 1966 Batman television show. I enjoyed the ridiculous dialogue, the over-the-top situations, all the HOLY moments. (Holy Alphabet, Batman!) It was silly and fun. Definitely a light-hearted way to spend your time.
  

1970s

• 1976 The Slipper and the Rose. MUSICAL version of Cinderella. This one is SO fleshed out and has a lot more depth and substance to it than your average Cinderella retelling. It explores more--before the ball and after the ball. It is great fun. I adore it.
  

1990s

• 1996 Star Trek: First Contact. TIME TRAVEL and possibly my favorite Star Trek team...obviously I love this one. The BORG are out to rule earth...and they've traveled back in time to do it...to conquer humanity when it's at its weakest. Picard (and team) must save the day.
  

2000s

• 2003 Big Fish is a charming yet bittersweet movie about a father-son relationship. The son struggles to know his tall-tale-telling father who has an elaborate story for just about any situation. His life story is a series of tall tales, but, his son isn't sure if there's any truth at all in any of his dad's stories. As his dad dies, he struggles to piece together WHO his father really was.
  

2010s

• 2015 400 Days. More psychological thriller than science fiction, but light science fiction. Four "astronauts" enter an underground simulator to simulate being in space for 400 days; they will be given a series of tests over the months. But things begin to go wrong and they lose communication with the outside world. Is this part of the test, or, has something catastrophic happened to Earth? As the experiment ends, will, they live to see the 400th day. This one is all questions and no answers. It's weird honestly.  
  

Alphabet Challenge Week #2

A Admirable Crichton First time seeing this odd comedy. I definitely enjoyed watching it; had its funny moments. I was cheering on Eliza from the start. So what is it about?! A butler gets the chance to 'trade places' with the family he serves WHEN the family is shipwrecked. They lack the skills to survive...and he steps in and manages things beautifully. For two years, he gets to be 'the guv' and all is well....or is it?! This one features light romance, but, isn't romantic-romantic.
B Big Fish Big Fish is a charming yet bittersweet movie about a father-son relationship. The son struggles to know his tall-tale-telling father who has an elaborate story for just about any situation. His life story is a series of tall tales, but, his son isn't sure if there's any truth at all in any of his dad's stories. As his dad dies, he struggles to piece together WHO his father really was.
C
D
E
F First Contact (Star Trek) TIME TRAVEL and possibly my favorite Star Trek team...obviously I love this one. The BORG are out to rule earth...and they've traveled back in time to do it...to conquer humanity when it's at its weakest. Picard (and team) must save the day.
G
H
I
J -- Johnny Mnemonic.
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S Slipper and the Rose MUSICAL version of Cinderella. This one is SO fleshed out and has a lot more depth and substance to it than your average Cinderella retelling. It explores more--before the ball and after the ball. It is great fun. I adore it.
T
U
V Valley of Vision I watched this period drama ages ago. I've always wanted to read the book but could never track it down. In some ways, it has North and South vibes--think Elizabeth Gaskell and not the Civil War. This one has a doomed romance--class differences and family conflicts. There's some brief moments of hope that all will be well, but, alas I think it will remain bittersweet despite a brief flicker of hope towards the end. Gregory Peck stars in this one.
W
X
Y You Can't Run Away From It. I've seen this one dozens of time. Absolutely love this musical adaptation of It Happened One Night. This one stars Jack Lemmon and June Allyson. Two strangers fall in love on a bus...
Z

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews