This week I read six books. But they were great books.
114. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Harry Potter #7) J.K. Rowling. 2007. 759 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]
Read this if....
- You enjoy the Harry Potter series
- You enjoy audio books
- You enjoy fantasy series
104. I Survived the Dust Bowl, 1935. Lauren Tarshis. 2025. 144 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, historical fiction, series book]
Read this if...
- You enjoy the I Survived series
- You enjoy historical fiction
- You enjoy children's books
105. Mr. Willowby's Head Over Heels Christmas. Robert E. Barry. 2025. 40 page. [Source: Library] [christmas, picture book, 4 stars]
Read this if...
- You enjoyed Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
- You enjoy holiday stories
- You enjoy animal fantasy
106. The Dog and Pony Show: Dance Pants. Jeff Mack. 2025. 64 pages.
[Source: Library] [5 stars, if the Cybils exist in 2026 which is
questionable, this one would be eligible] [early reader, early comic]
Read this if...
- You enjoy animal fantasy
- You enjoy early graphic novels
- You enjoy humor
107. Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas. Russell Hoban. Illustrated by
Lillian Hoban. 1971. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, Christmas,
picture book, animal fantasy]
Read this if...
- You enjoy animal fantasy
- You enjoy holiday stories
- You love the Jim Henson adaptation
14. The Minister's Bible. Holman Christian Standard Bible. (HCSB). 2010. 1806 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Bible review]Read this if....
- You enjoy the HCSB translation of the Bible
- You enjoy single column Bibles
- You are looking for ministry "helps"
1950s
- 1951 The Day the Earth Stood Still. The original movie is SO good. Highly recommended. I enjoyed the storytelling. The ending is very open-ended which I think feels right for the story AND for the time it was filmed.
- 1952 The Belle of New York. I'd never seen this FRED ASTAIRE musical with Vera-Ellen (of White Christmas fame). I enjoyed it very much. Some of the song-dance sequences were a bit much. But overall, I greatly enjoyed this one. Is it my favorite musical? No. Am I very glad it's now free to stream on Tubi. YES.
- 1964 The Earth Dies Screaming. I feel this one is false advertising. This short black and white film--set in England--features a 'deadly' virus that wipes out a good percentage of the population (at least in England) and there are "aliens" (that are really robots) that are out zapping people. There is very little screaming. Everything is very keep calm and drink tea. So don't expect actual screaming or much action. Just a handful of six to eight survivors trying to puzzle out how to survive.
- 1974 The Land That Time Forgot. DINOSAURS. World War I. Prehistoric people. This one is a bit silly. Yet it is fun in its own way. I don't regret my time. Granted I had the best company.
- 1987 Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. All he wanted was to get home to his family for Thanksgiving. What he got was a new best friend after many, many, many trials and tribulations. On this road trip nothing will go right...but friends can be found in unexpected ways.
- 1989 Garfield's Thanksgiving. MY ABSOLUTE favorite and best Thanksgiving special. I love, love, love Garfield. This one is so quotable and enjoyable. Highly recommended.
- 1992 Death Becomes Her. SO STRANGE. So very, very strange. What if you could live forever but it came at an awful, awful price. I don't regret my time. But it wasn't quite what I was expecting either.
- 2008 The Day The Earth Stood Still. The remake is enjoyable just VERY different. I don't regret my time at all. It's just different--not terrible different, just different-different. I would pick the original over the remake if I had to choose. But I think both are enjoyable enough.
- 2025 Fantastic Four: First Steps. I loved the sets and costumes. I loved the look of this film. Very retro-futuristic. How someone from the fifties or sixties might have imagined the future. The story...the plot....I'm not sure. I think this was my first Fantastic Four movie....though I might have caught bits from earlier films though not all the way through and intentional. It was solidly okay. But I wasn't wowed.
© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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