60. A Mismatch Made in London

60. A Mismatch Made in London. Melanie Dickerson. 2026. 304 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, historical romance, clean romance]

First sentence: I concentrated on putting the finishing touch of red paint on the paper soldier I was making for Matthew.

Premise/plot: Amelia Moore is the oldest daughter of a large family. She's been invited by her aunt and uncle to spend time with them in London for the season in the hopes of making a match and securing her future. Her family isn't poor or destitute, but, there are a LOT of them. After being called a country bumpkin essentially, Amelia gets emotional and is saved by the super, super sweet Juliet Beaumont. The two become friendly--quite friendly. But her brother, Jeremy, who is the "catch of the season" allegedly, has his doubts on Amelia's motives. Did she seek out his sister so that she could spend time with HIM. She is insulted by this insinuation, but, she is the forgiving sort. Jeremy may not be friend material BUT Juliet is sweet and lovely. Being in London is great fun with a good friend by your side. As the two navigate the season--both young and inexperienced in the ways of the world--they will face challenges...and a possible scandal or two.

A Mismatch Made in London is set in England in 1811 during the Regency period. It is a clean romance though there is mention of more adult things. Juliet makes an unwise decision and ends up in danger. I think this was handled well and is realistic. Chaperones were necessary for a reason. But I love that Juliet's closest reassure her she did absolutely nothing wrong to deserve it.

My thoughts: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one. I didn't like Melanie Dickerson's other historical romance that I read earlier this year inspired by Jane Eyre, but, this one was FABULOUS. It is inspired by Pride and Prejudice AND Northanger Abbey. AND it features the tropes romance with best friend's brother AND enemies to lovers.

I enjoyed all of the characters--particularly Juliet, Amelia, and Jeremy. I loved that Amelia didn't forget her family--her brothers and sisters. She was always thinking of her family. She wasn't swept up and away by city life. And it felt natural. There aren't a lot of side characters, but, the three main characters are well fleshed.

It is technically Christian fiction. BUT I would say it's light, mild. I would say it is more "clean romance" than Christian romance with the intent to share the gospel. It's more like "forgiveness is good" and "be kind to others."


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

59. The Phantom Tollbooth

59. The Phantom Tollbooth. Norton Juster. Illustrated by Jules Feiffer. 1961/2011. Random House. 272 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, children's fantasy, children's classic]

First sentence: There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself--not just sometimes, but always.

Premise/plot: Milo, our hero, is about to have an "impossible" adventure. His day starts out very ordinary, however, by the end of the day Milo will be quite transformed!

It starts with a mysterious gift-box. It holds a tollbooth for him to construct, also included are instructions, rule books, and a map. He randomly chooses to go to Dictionopolis. But though that is his original destination, Milo finds that travels--magical or not--take some thought and intention.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved this one! I first read it in September 2013. I'm only now rereading it, but, this should be one I read again and again more frequently.

The writing is AMAZING. It is clever, rich in meaning and symbolism. And it is oh so quotable! One of those rare books where you could almost open up the book to any page and find a gem worth quoting!

Loved the writing, loved the creativity, loved the characters!

Favorite quotes:

“Expect everything, I always say, and the unexpected never happens.”

“You may not see it now," said the Princess of Pure Reason, looking knowingly at Milo's puzzled face, "but whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world; when a speck of dust falls to the ground, the entire planet weighs a little more; and when you stamp your foot, the earth moves slightly off its course. Whenever you laugh, gladness spreads like the ripples in the pond; and whenever you're sad, no one anywhere can be really happy. And it's much the same thing with knowledge, for whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer.”

“So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible.”

“Everybody is so terribly sensitive about the things they know best.”

“And remember, also," added the Princess of Sweet Rhyme, "that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.”

“In this box are all the words I know…Most of them you will never need, some you will use constantly, but with them you may ask all the questions which have never been answered and answer all the questions which have never been asked. All the great books of the past and all the ones yet to come are made with these words. With them there is no obstacle you cannot overcome. All you must learn to do is to use them well and in the right places.” 

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

58. Every Time a Bell Rings

58. Every Time a Bell Rings: The Legacy of It's a Wonderful Life, America's Most Beloved Holiday Film. Emily St. James and Lauren Theisen. 2026. 304 pages. [Source: Library] [2 stars, adult nonfiction, essays]

First sentence: Certain movies take on lives of their own.

Premise/plot: Emily St. James and Lauren Theisen have teamed up to write about the holiday movie, It's a Wonderful Life. What should YOU the reader expect?

Each chapter is essentially an essay tackling the film. The essays cover a wide range of topics. Some expected. Some unexpected. What do I mean by unexpected and expected? Obvious and NOT obvious. Points of view that are not traditional, obvious, deducible by reason or logic no matter how many times you view the film. They come from nowhere. The book avoids sticking with the traditional, obvious, literal meaning of the film. Not every essay goes where no person has gone before. Some are more obvious--for example, providing background on the ACTORS, on the DIRECTORS, on other films released the same year. Other essays examine specific elements of the film--Pottersville, for example.

Chapter One: You Are Now In Bedford Falls
Chapter Two: George Bailey's American Dream
Chapter Three: Frank Capra's Last Stand
Chapter  Four: 1946: A Movie Year Like No Other
Interlude
Chapter Five: Harry Bailey, American Hero
Chapter Six: Uncle Billy and the Safety Net
Chapter Seven: Peter Bailey's Son
Interlude
Chapter Eight: Nick, Martini, and Annie
Chapter Nine: The Many Wonderful Weirdos of Bedford Falls
Chapter Ten: Seneca Falls Eighty Years Later
Interlude
Chapter Eleven: Welcome to Pottersville
Chapter Twelve: Henry F. Potter's American Dream
Chapter Thirteen: The Strange Copyright Journey of It's a Wonderful Life
Interlude
Chapter Fourteen: Outside Bedford Falls
Chapter Fifteen: Clarence Odbody, Angel Second Class
Chapter Sixteen: Mary Bailey

The chapters--or essays--vary in topic and subject. Some were informative. Some were speculative. Some were just weird and weirder. The book was--for better or worse--surprisingly or unsurprisingly VERY political. Again, for better or worse, it tried to take today's issues and make It's a Wonderful Life have some comment one way or the other. To be fair, it also tackled some of yesterday's issues--of the 1930s and 1940s--and tried to make It's a Wonderful Life have strong opinions one way or the other. For example, IS the film pushing communism? For all that is being addressed in the book, the book doesn't particularly tackle morality, faith, and spirituality--at least not well for being so front and center in the movie itself.

Some essays try a little too hard. George Bailey is too white and a white male at that. Mary Bailey is not feminist enough. Their traditional family life is too oppressive.

My thoughts: It's a Wonderful Life is a wonderful, wonderful movie. It is timeless and universal. It is spiritual and philosophical. It tackles the harder questions of life. WHO AM I? WHY WAS I BORN? DOES MY LIFE MATTER? DOES MY LIFE HAVE MEANING? WHY AM I HERE? It asks not only what kind of person am I when life is easy and going my way but WHAT KIND OF PERSON AM I WHEN THINGS ARE DIFFICULT AND ANYTHING BUT WONDERFUL. These kinds of questions can be answered by many different faiths, but are often associated--or would have been associated in 1946--with Christianity. In fact, the film opens with not a couple of people praying but the whole town coming together to pray. Which indicates a COMMUNITY with shared values if not specific faiths (or denominations) AND compassion and empathy. When they heard that George Bailey was in trouble, they didn't just say, "Oh, that's too bad." Or "I'll add him to the prayer list at church." Or the equivalent of a prayer emoji. They stopped what they were doing and prayed. There was genuine concern and worry. And they were directing that to God. The movie doesn't go into defining God--or limiting him to one denomination. And their faith wasn't limited just to their prayers.

If the book had fewer essays I might have liked it more. I appreciated the historical chapters best--the ones that focused on the director, the actors, the short story the movie was based on, etc. I liked the politicized chapters least of all. The ones that tried to pull all the "hot" issues of the past four to eight years and make the movie say something about the current times.




© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #33

This week I read eleven books!

50. The Knife of Never Letting Go. (Chaos Walking #1) Patrick Ness. 2008. 512 pages. [Source: Library]
51. Rash. Pete Hautman. 2006. 256 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, YA dystopia, YA fiction, YA futuristic; YA Sports]
52. Prey. Michael Crichton. 2002. 507 pages. [Source: Library] [audio book, 5 stars, adult science fiction, adult thriller]
53. The Best Bear in All the World. Paul Bright, Brian Sibley, Jeanne Willis, Kate Saunders. 2016. 115 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, audio book, Winnie the Pooh sequel]
54. The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins. Melanie Dickerson. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, clean romance, historical romance, Jane Eyre wannabe]
55. The Future of Us. Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. 2011. 356 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, YA fiction, YA science fiction, coming of age]
56. Paperboy. Vince Vawter. 2013. Random House. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, MG fiction, coming of age, MG historical, based on true story]
57. This is Christmas: Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits. 2023. 224 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, Christmas, music appreciation]
61. Pizza and Taco #11: Pizza and Taco: Scariest Sleepover Ever. Stephen Shaskan. 2026. 72 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, graphic novel, early chapter book]
62. One Mad Cat and the Missing Book. Vicky Fang. 2026. 64 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, early reader, early chapter book, animal fantasy]
6. New American Standard Bible 1995, New Inductive Study Bible. GOD. 1995. 2296 pages. [Source: Bought] [Bible, bible review, 5 stars]

Century of Viewing #33

1920s

• 1921 The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Silent movie. Starring Rudolph Valentino--well this was his first "big" role. The film is set during the first world war. One grandson fights for the French, three grandsons fight for the German. There's family squabbles before and during the war. There's the tango. There's wild and worldly affairs.
• 1925 Stage Struck. Gloria Swanson stars in this silent film about a waitress (Jenny) who is in love with a pancake flipper (Orme). Orme only has eyes for actresses. His bedroom wall is covered floor to ceiling with pictures of actresses in various poses. (He doesn't sound like a catch to me.) She is 1000000% committed and all he does is laugh and provoke. She's determined to be an actress so he'll notice her and smile--not just laugh. A showboat comes to town with actresses....and he becomes smitten with an actress. The showboat owner who for whatever reason is in love with a drum (yes) gives her a role in the show but tells her to keep it private. Turns out it isn't a role in the show so much as an opportunity to box with another actress. The crowd seems to enjoy the spectacle of two women trying to knock each other out. Orme is weirded out. After that FLOPS literally, she jumps into the river. Orme jumps in afterwards....and confesses his love....saying I could never marry an actress. The actress he'd been seeing was like AS IF I'D MARRY YOU. The two become engaged--possibly married--and somehow have their own restaurant/pancake house. The beginning and end sequences are shot in technicolor. Most of it is in black-and-white.

1930s

• 1931 The Front Page. I was familiar mostly with the story because it was remade as HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940) (Which I love) and THE FRONT PAGE (1974) with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and SWITCHING CHANNELS (1988). One reporter is ready to quit journalism and move on with his life....and his fellow reporter (with whom there's always bickering) doesn't want to let go. It is a dark comedy. I didn't love this one. BUT I also wasn't in the mood to love it. Each adaptation offers a little something different. The 1974 one was FULL of profanity for example. His Girl Friday added a LOT of romance. Switching Channels I don't remember in too much detail--it probably had both profanity and romance.

• 1933 Top Speed. I watched this early romantic comedy/musical because of Joe E. Brown. HE'S great fun -- silly, over-the-top but fun. I thought the dialogue was good fun. The story is simple enough. Two guys pretend to be richer than they are to get rich ladies. There's a boat race. There's a little singing. Apparently there were a LOT of musical numbers recorded and then cut from the movie. It is fairly obvious to see when scenes are cut. BUT if your expectations aren't super high, this movie from early talkie days satisfies.

1950s

• 1958 House on Haunted Hill. This is a classic with eight bajillion screams in it. It was good. Or good enough. I don't know that it's so awesome that I'd watch it again-again. But essentially a rich couple rents out a haunted house or "haunted house" and invite strangers to spend the night. If they make it through the night....they'll be rewarded.

1970s

• 1972 What's Up Doc? I restarted this one so many times because my brain thought it a little too chaotic. However I persevered and it was SO, SO, SO worth it. This isn't quite slapstick, but, it's also not not slapstick. The plot, the stories, the characters I could easily see being done in earlier decades like the 20s and 30s! Some of the gags definitely felt like a tribute to comic greats like Buster Keaton.
• 1975 The Sunshine Boys. Is it comedy? Is it dark comedy? It is FUNNY. A vaudeville reunites for a television special...or are supposed to. If they can make it through rehearsals without going to war with each other. There's hard feelings but also brotherhood. But mostly there are GRUMPY OLD MEN.
• 1977 World's Greatest Lover. This is a parody/spoof of 1920s films. A movie studio is looking to find the next Valentino....and mischief results. Extremely very slapstick. Definitely not clean. So basic premise--a man's marriage is threatened by his wife's love of Valentino movies...especially when the two go to Hollywood for a contest.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

57. This is Christmas

57. This is Christmas: Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits. 2023. 224 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, Christmas, music appreciation]

First sentence: When you think of Christmas music, what comes to mind?

Premise/plot: This is Christmas: Song by Song is a nonfiction book bordering on a novelty book. Is this a good match for you? Maybe. Maybe not. With the right expectations you might find yourself lightly entertained. OR if you have an incredibly short attention span and are looking for a light, fluffy, unsubstantial read. OR if you are vaguely curious and want a light, shallow answer to satisfy your curiosity.

The book offers the story (or "story") of 100 holiday hits. Perhaps the clue is in the word HOLIDAY HITS. This isn't a book about the songs themselves. Not really. Which is perhaps fair enough. After all, look at ANY Christmas album and there's a good chance 75 to 90% of the songs are covers of Christmas classics. Whether it's a traditional Christmas hymn/carol--think Silent Night, O Holy Night, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, or a traditional Christmas song--think Sleigh Ride, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells--they've been covered thousands of times if not tens of thousands of times. This book has selected particular covers when it comes to some of these. So it isn't the history of the SONG but trivial, light stories of one particular cover that you may or may not have ever heard of...or liked...or wanted to hear again. There are a handful of songs that are highlighted by their original artist. This is for better or worse. IF you've heard of the song and liked it--and it's been part of your Christmases long, long ago--then it's interesting enough. If you've never heard the song, never heard the artist, then it's just dull and meaningless. Often I found myself wishing that the artist chosen to be highlighted was different.

Essentially everything about this book is subjective.

My thoughts: I think this one--which is arranged chronologically by the particular song (song cover) being released--has the potential to frustrate readers of all ages. For example, I was annoyed by all this "new" music that I'd never heard of and don't care to hear. I can easily, easily, easily imagine a younger reader being annoyed by all the "old" and "ancient" music that he/she had never heard of and don't care to hear. The book covers so many styles and genres that if there was a playlist with these particular versions of songs would be extremely disjointed and not much "fun" for any listener.

I would have personally loved if the book was the HISTORY of Christmas music. WHO introduced the song to the world first? OR which artist(s) made it a HIT in the first year or two of being written. WHICH artist(s) have made it his/her own. WHAT makes a particular rendition resonate with listeners? Even if it meant covering certain songs two or three times.

I also felt that this isn't the 100 "greatest" Christmas songs. Many of the songs were 'original' songs that may or may not be timeless and still played today. No one can denied that Last Christmas is played incessantly every Christmas. BUT some of these songs are VERY taste-specific.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

56. Paperboy

56. Paperboy. Vince Vawter. 2013. Random House. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, MG fiction, coming of age, MG historical, based on true story]

First sentence: I'm talking about the stabbing for a good reason. I can't talk. Without stuttering.

Premise/plot: Paperboy is set in Memphis, Tennessee, in July of 1959. The narrator is a young boy (11, I think?) who stutters. He doesn't want stuttering to define him. He doesn't think that's fair. He is good at many, many things, like baseball. He is GREAT at baseball. He is good at typing, at writing. He loves words. But his stutter keeps him from loving speaking words aloud. It keeps him nervous and awkward around new people or strangers, people he feels will judge him based on his stutter alone, who will assume that his inability to speak clearly means he's unable to THINK clearly too.

So. The month of July will prove challenging to him for he has agreed to take over his best friend's paper route. Oh, he's not worried about the delivering part. He knows he's got that handled. He's worried about Fridays, about the day when he'll have to go to the door and TALK to people and ask for the money owed. You might think, in some ways, that it would be the first week that would be the most difficult, and that, all other weeks would just be easy after that initial effort. That is only partly true. He does make a friend, a wonderful friend. And he does learn a few life lessons that help him grow up a bit and cope a bit. And, I suppose, you could say that his perspective expands a bit in that he sees that the world is full of people who have problems, who have issues; that every person is dealing with something, struggling with something.

My thoughts: Paperboy had me at hello. I loved, loved, loved, loved, REALLY LOVED this one. Yes, I'm going to gush about how wonderful and just-right this one is. I think I loved the narrator best. The book is in his own words, he's recounting these events. There is something in the narrator's life, a secret that he discovers one day, and it could potentially be big and disturbing--just as there are other events in the novel that could be BIG AND DISTURBING. But this one thing that he wrestles with on his own, quietly meditating on it perhaps, was handled so tenderly and lovingly that it just worked for me. It made a novel that I already LOVED, LOVED, LOVED that much more wow-worthy.

I also loved other characters in this novel. Characters that might have seemed minor, but, were anything but. Characters like Mam, Rat (Art), Mr. Spiro, and, to a certain extent his Dad.

I first read this one in November 2013. I reread it in August 2026.



© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

55. The Future of Us

55. The Future of Us. Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. 2011. 356 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, YA fiction, YA science fiction, coming of age]

First sentence: I can't break up with Graham today, even though I told my friends I'd do it the next time I saw him.

Premise/plot: Emma Nelson and Josh Templeton are about to step into the twilight zone. This YA coming of age novel (set in May 1996) is told with dual narrators--Emma and Josh. It starts with a disc--a cd rom to be more precise. Josh gives Emma the gift of AOL since his family doesn't believe in this newfangled internet. Emma downloads it, connects to it, and discovers Facebook, discovers HERSELF on Facebook, discovers her FRIENDS on Facebook. Suddenly, Emma and Josh have a way to glimpse their future selves through their future Facebook posts. Josh is content enough with what he sees. He doesn't seem to get invested in "fixing" the future. Whatever will be will be. Emma, on the other hand, becomes obsessed with micromanaging her future self. Even if her only glimpses of that future are through FB posts and what pictures she's uploaded and shared in the future. She is not once content with what she sees. The more she obsesses with the future, the more discontent she becomes in the now. Josh warns her NOT to play god, to not become so focused on the future, on fixing the future, on preventing "unhappy" outcomes, that she doesn't live now. She should be true to herself in the NOW. Not let her future or potential future self decide where she should go to college, which career she should choose, where she wants to live (or not live). Will Emma ever learn to let go and relax???? And will Josh learn how to navigate the complexities of friendship???

Josh's future self seems happy enough, content enough, settled down with kids with a woman, Sidney Mills, that is allegedly "out of his league." He is in one class with her now...and since finding out that allegedly they have a happily ever after he's been a little braver. He speaks up for her when her ex puts her down. He makes eye contact and smiles. She asks for his number. She seems to potentially be interested in him. Meanwhile, Josh knows KNOWS that he wants more than friendship with Emma. She is the one he wants to date. Maybe there's something there; maybe there is NOT. But he wants to see. But Emma is SO obsessed with her future husbands that she isn't really thinking of Josh like that. (And she doesn't ever have to think of Josh like that, for the record. Maybe she'll never ever ever return his feelings.)

My thoughts: I first read this one in December 2011. It is an interesting WHAT IF. I love, love, love the 1996 setting. I do. I love the social and technological references. Friends. Seinfeld. Macarena. Dave Matthews. Green Day. I could go on and on and on. I think the authors do a good job of the 90s setting. And since it's been a while since 2011--when the book released, when the future selves of Emma and Josh exist--it's a good reflection of that time as well.

I enjoyed the dual narration. Josh and Emma are SO different in many ways. Josh seems more mature and thoughtful perhaps. But Emma's home life hasn't been the most awesome. She is all the angst and all the drama. Josh is calmer, for the most part. He seems to stabilize the chaos that is Emma.

Josh does seem less self-centered and selfish. He notices in the future that his older brother, David, is gay and in a relationship--according to Facebook. He realizes just how much he doesn't know about his older brother and that makes him sad that his brother is hiding this--though perhaps David didn't realize it in 1996?

There were things I definitely liked about this one. There were definitely some things I didn't like as much. It was mature in some ways. It is not a clean read. It isn't graphic, mind you, but there's much discussion of sex.

I do think it would make a GREAT teen movie OR miniseries. 

Note: I've been reading reviews and I agree with most of what is written on the lower stars. EMMA IS SUPER SUPER SUPER SUPER annoying as a heroine. The 90s reference are surface-level for the most part. YET I think if the reader is engaged in the premise and loved 1996 and wants to feel nostalgic, I think that is certainly possible. I do think the dual narrators are a bit disjointed. Yet, that isn't a terribly bad thing in my opinion. TWO different writers. A male perspective. A female perspective. They are DIFFERENT people with different morals/values. They process the world completely differently. So it makes sense that flipping narration is a bit jumpy.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

54. The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins

54. The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins. Melanie Dickerson. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, clean romance, historical romance, Jane Eyre wannabe]

First sentence: "Charlotte! A letter came for you!" Hattie Jacobs emerged from the back entrance of Mrs. Southey's School for Young Ladies, waving something over her head.

Premise/plot: Charlotte Robbins, our protagonist, is incredibly excited to start a new chapter of her life as a governess to an earl's niece and nephew. Lord Brookhaven is extremely friendly and sociable from their first meeting. Charlotte was hoping to find love in this new chapter as well though she knows that it couldn't possibly be with the earl himself. But surely there's someone about with whom she could find a happily ever after. BUT when Charlotte is included in Lord Brookhaven's social calendar--a house party--she begins to realize she is in fact falling for the earl. AT the same time, he begins to realize he is falling in love with her. But, dear readers, we are barely a fifth of the way through the novel. Readers still have a couple hundred pages to go before the incredibly obvious and tedious misunderstandings can be cleared up in three or four minutes of conversation.

My thoughts: The book wants to be Jane Eyre without being Jane Eyre. They've upgraded Mr. Rochester to an EARL. They've removed the hidden wife in the attic. Simply not acceptable to have a MARRIED MAN falling in love with another woman, proposing, or trying to marry again unlawfully. They have tried to make the story a little more Charles Dickens...introducing TWO ORPHAN CHILDREN that must be saved and rescued. Charlotte does "inherit" but not from an uncle she's never met--but from an imaginary uncle created by the earl as a guise. This money from an "uncle" (wink, wink) sets her up in London, brings two street orphans into her life, and makes her the catch of the season. As marriage proposals abound, Charlotte is unhappy because Lord Brookhaven is keeping his distance. The truth comes out...and she's livid. And then the nonsense continues because of course it does. Eventually these two have an honest conversation and when he proposes she accepts.

It is published by a CHRISTIAN publisher. There is little to no Christian content. There is 800% more Christian content in the original novel Jane Eyre than in this book. The "improvements" to the story are not really improvements in my opinion.



© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

53. The Best Bear in All the World

53. The Best Bear in All the World. Paul Bright, Brian Sibley, Jeanne Willis, Kate Saunders. 2016. 115 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, audio book, Winnie the Pooh sequel]

First sentence: "Ninety?" said Winnie the Pooh. "Is that more than seven?" "Yes, Pooh," said Kanga patiently. "You're ninety years old, which calls for a celebration."

Premise/plot: Four new stories starring Winnie the Pooh and all his friends from the Hundred Acre Woods. There is a story set in Autumn (in which Pooh and Piglet prepare to meet a Dragon). There is a story set in Winter (in which Penguin arrives in the forest). There is a story set in spring (in which Eeyore suspects another donkey is after his thistles). There is a story set in summer (in which Pooh dreams of the Sauce of the Nile).

My thoughts: I have wanted to READ this one for years. But the library didn't have it in print. I saw it on audio book and thought I'd give it a try. I didn't like it much on audio. BUT I realize that could be the narrator being a disappointment in doing ALL the characters in unique voices. I realize that no one can DO the character voices like Disney does. I wasn't expecting it to be amazing. But I wanted it to be better than it was. I also think that the book would have been more enjoyable, perhaps, if it had had ONE author instead of four. The stories are just decent. These aren't "new" stories or "original" stories so much as slightly changing and adapting a few stories and having them happen again slightly differently.

Perhaps audio wasn't the best way to experience this book since I missed out on the illustrations. AND it's certainly possible that reading the book in print with the more proper voices in my head narrating might have led me to like it better.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

52. Prey

52. Prey. Michael Crichton. 2002. 507 pages. [Source: Library] [audio book, 5 stars, adult science fiction, adult thriller]

First sentence: Things never turn out the way you think they will.

Premise/plot: Jack Forman, our protagonist, is a stay at home dad. (Three kids, if my memory is correct). After losing his job because he was a whistleblower--or trying to be--he's been unable to get another job in his field. (He reported something unethical and dangerous not knowing the person he was reporting to was IN on the shady shady side of things). His wife, Julia, well she's SOMETHING. Perhaps she wasn't always so something. Maybe there was a time when she was loving, supportive, and a great mother. But we never see that side of her--not really.

Jack Forman finds himself at the center of a GREAT mystery. And it starts soon after a terribly horrible health scare with his youngest. Soon he's being asked by the people who fired him to "help out" and trouble shoot with code that he developed. BUT he soon finds that what they are NOT telling him could feel all the libraries in the world. And his creepy wife is at the center of it--for better or worse.

A science experiment has gone terribly, terribly, terribly wrong! And Jack Forman finds himself almost completely alone in trying to save the world.

My thoughts: Prey is my fourth Michael Crichton novel that I've read. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT. I listened to the audio narrated by Robert Sean Leonard. It was FABULOUS. I have a feeling I would have loved the story either way--in print or on audio. I COULD not stop reading this one.



© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

51. Rash

51. Rash. Pete Hautman. 2006. 256 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, YA dystopia, YA fiction, YA futuristic; YA Sports]

First sentence: Gramps, who was born in 1990, once told me that when he was my age the only way to wind up in prison in the USSA (back when it had only one S) was to steal something, kill somebody, or use illegal drugs.

Premise/plot: Rash by Pete Hautman is set roughly in the 2070s. Bo Marsten, our protagonist, is having a hard time of it. His father and brother are incarcerated. (Then again, almost a third of the population is. The work force of the USSA is almost primarily prison labor. Would anyone work if not forced???) He's young; he's rash even. He is madly in love lust with Maddy. But Maddy, well, she doesn't exactly feel exclusive with Bo. In fact, she's often with his "enemy" Karlohs Mink. (Even confiding his secrets to Karlohs! The audacity!) In a time when even insults are illegal and could land you with big legal trouble--especially if it's your third "mistake," Bo's fate seems inevitable. To add insult to injury, Karlohs fakes the whole school into believing that Bo has given him a literal rash. No one believes Bo is innocent--except perhaps his family and his school assignment, Bork; It is an A.I. assignment--to create one that will pass as sentient.

When Bo is sentenced to prison--a McDonald's making pizzas--he finds himself struggling to survive in a world that is unfair.

My thoughts: I read Rash TWICE in 2006. I absolutely loved, loved, loved it. I listened to it on audio in 2010, I believe, according to my blog. I wanted to reread it now that my blog is about to turn TWENTY YEARS OLD at the end of the month (August).

Rash is dark and complex. Though the complexity isn't perhaps super super obvious. On one hand, it can read as a dark comedy. Look what society will come to if safety and niceness are the only priority. When personal freedom is almost nonexistent, especially freedom of expression. When almost every natural human emotion or feeling is discouraged, how can one live...and stay out of trouble. Self is smothered. Common sense is nonexistent. And there are some over-the-top moments--like when BO is being chased by literal polar bears. GRAMPS is the voice of reason AND yet comedic relief too.

On the other hand, it examines the justice or injustice system. If almost everything is illegal and it's almost impossible to avoid prison time in the first place, HOW does one rejoin society afterwards. Is one doomed to keep getting locked back up? Will families be forever broken? Will healing and reconciliation ever happen? Most of the crimes in the book are over-the-top ridiculous.

I will say that it ALSO showcases belief systems. GRAMPS world view was shaped by his upbringing, his experiences. He's witnessed GREAT, great change--none of it for the better. Bo loves his Gramps, but, he's been raised in a completely, totally different society with different values, morals, and laws. Bo has a hard time grasping how life could be any different. HE doesn't see what is glaringly wrong with society like readers can. It was definitely not an accident that the original audience for this YA novel would have been born in the 1990s just like Gramps.

This novel definitely has layers. One could almost pick ANY aspect of it and deep dive.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

50. Knife of Never Letting Go

50. The Knife of Never Letting Go. (Chaos Walking #1) Patrick Ness. 2008. 512 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say. About anything.

The Knife of Never Letting Go is a science fiction novel for young adults. (What kind of science fiction? It's the colonizing other planets sort. Also the trying to survive sort. And the encountering alien sort.)

Here are a few things you should know before picking it up.

1) It is science fiction. It is set on another planet, aka "New World." The planet has a handful of small settlements, including Prentisstown, the hometown of our narrator/hero. The planet's biggest settlement is Haven.

2) Todd is our narrator. He is a few weeks away from his thirteenth birthday. He "becomes a Man" on his thirteenth birthday. He is an orphan being raised by two men, Cillian and Ben.

3) There are NO WOMEN in Prentisstown. Todd has been taught all his life that there was a plague or virus that killed all the women of the settlement.

4) A virus (perhaps the same virus that allegedly killed all the women?) has made it so that all the men can hear one another's thoughts all the time. This is called NOISE. It isn't just men, though, they can hear thoughts of animals too. Manchee is Todd's dog. And he's a bit too forthright to say the least!

5) The book is thriller-esque. It's essentially one big action-sequence from cover to cover. Well, perhaps it takes three or four chapters to get him on his way. But once he gets started...he stays going. It's an intense, action-packed book.

6) He doesn't go alone. Manchee, his faithful dog that he once didn't even want, is with him....but more importantly he meets Viola.

7) Viola basically "dropped from the sky" and right into his path. Viola is the sole survivor of the settler's scout ship. Her parents died in the crash. The ships with thousands of more settlers is about seven or so months behind the scout ship. Todd cannot hear Viola's noise. Viola is the first female he can remember seeing--apart from reading the memories of the men in his settlement--which is not the same thing I think you'll agree.

8) Both Viola and Todd are in GREAT DANGER. Why?????? Well, it has to do with SECRETS and SCHEMES and PLOTS. The mayor of Prentisstown is ambitious and manipulative....to pick two of his tamer qualities.

9) Todd has some internal conflict going on inside....he cannot bring himself to kill. So while I might have spent a good deal of time emphasizing the ACTION, ACTION, ACTION aspect of this one, that doesn't mean it is without characterization and complexity.

10) Be warned it doesn't really have an ending.

11) It has profanity. A good deal of profanity. For some people it may be off-putting enough to pass on the book. For others that might be a big non-issue.

12) Poor grammar is part of the world-building. This may or may not bother readers!  

The first time I read it, I was meh. I was bothered by the poor grammar and the profanity. The second time I read it, I definitely liked it much better. The third time I read it, I loved it. I was fully engaged and absorbing the world-making and the depths of the characters. I was paying attention to the relationships, the conversations, all the feels. Things that were both spoken and unspoken. 

I have been listening to a lot of Preacher Boys on YouTube. His podcast deals a lot with abuse in the Independent Fundamental Baptist denomination. Or "denomination" as the case may be since technically each church is independent and there is no infrastructure binding the churches together. As I was reading The Knife Of Never Letting Go, I couldn't help thinking that one or two of the settlements might portray a what if--what if an IFB church decided to colonize space and set up their own theocracy?!

So that was one thing running through my mind this time around, but also I thought of all the changes we've gone through the past few decades--in particular the internet, social media, and media itself. All the bits about NOISE felt like it could be talking about our society--in some ways.

This third read was definitely more thoughtful and philosophical. I found myself making lots of notes.

Quotes:

• The loud is a different kind of loud, because swamp loud is just curiosity, creachers figuring out who you are and if yer a threat. Whereas the town knows all about you already and wants to know more and wants to beat you with what it knows till how can you have any of yerself left at all?
• Men lie, and they lie to theirselves worst of all.
• Noise ain’t truth, Noise is what men want to be true, and there’s a difference twixt those two things so big that it could ruddy well kill you if you don’t watch out.
• The Church is why we’re all here on New World in the first place, of course, and pretty much every Sunday you can hear Aaron preaching about why we left behind the corrupshun and sin of Old World and about how we’d aimed to start a new life of purity and brotherhood in a whole new Eden. That worked out well, huh?
• Praying Noise comes from inside, it’s got a special feel to it, a special purply sick feel like men are bleeding it out, even tho it’s always the same stuff but the purply blood just keeps on coming. Help us, save us, forgive us, help us, save us, forgive us, get us outta here, please, God, please, God, please, God, tho as far as I know no one’s never heard no Noise back from this God fella.
• Noise is like grey fire behind him and you can’t pick out anything in it and he might be up to something, mightn’t he? The sermon might be covering for something and I’m beginning to wonder if I know what that something is.
• Men’s minds are messy places and Noise is like the active, breathing face of that mess. It’s what’s true and what’s believed and what’s imagined and what’s fantasized and it says one thing and a completely opposite thing at the same time and even tho the truth is definitely in there, how can you tell what’s true and what’s not when yer getting everything?
• The Noise is a man unfiltered, and without a filter, a man is just chaos walking.
• But a knife ain’t just a thing, is it? It’s a choice, it’s something you do. A knife says yes or no, cut or not, die or don’t. A knife takes a decision out of your hand and puts it in the world and it never goes back again.
• “History ain’t so important when yer just trying to survive,” I say, spitting it out under my breath. “That’s actually when it’s most important,” Hildy says, standing at the end of the table.
• “Men’s thoughts, Todd,” she says. “Men. And you notice he said he was going to ask the eldermen to come seek out your advice?” I get a horrible thought. “Did the women all die here, too?” “Oh, there’s women,” she says, fiddling with a butter knife. “They clean and they cook and they make babies and they all live in a big dormitory outside of town where they can’t interfere in men’s business.”
• He shakes his head. “What d’you think’s been driving you on? What d’you think’s got you this far?” “Fear,” Viola says. “Desperayshun,” I say. “No,” he says, taking us both in. “No, no, no. You’ve come farther than most people on this planet will do in their lifetimes. You’ve overcome obstacles and dangers and things that should’ve killed you. You’ve outrun an army and a madman and deadly illness and seen things most people will never see. How do you think you could have possibly come this far if you didn’t have hope?”
• “Everything on this planet talks to each other,” he says. “Everything. That’s what New World is. Informayshun, all the time, never stopping, whether you want it or not. The Spackle knew it, evolved to live with it, but we weren’t equipped for it. Not even close.
• And too much informayshun can drive a man mad. Too much informayshun becomes just Noise. And it never, never stops.
• “War is a monster,” he says, almost to himself. “War is the devil. It starts and it consumes and it grows and grows and grows.” He’s looking at me now. “And otherwise normal men become monsters, too.”
• Doing what’s right should be easy. It shouldn’t be just another big mess like everything else.
• She hurts. I know all this. I know it’s true. Cuz I can read her. I can read her Noise even tho she ain’t got none. I know who she is. I know Viola Eade. And I look at her sitting there and she looks across the river and we wait as the dawn fully arrives, each of us knowing. Each of us knowing the other.
• Hope may be the thing that pulls you forward, may be the thing that keeps you going, but that it’s dangerous, too, that it’s painful and risky, that it’s making a dare to the world and when has the world ever let us win a dare?
• “God works thru men,” Aaron says. “So does evil,” Viola says.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #31

This week I read one book.

49. Rainbow Valley. L.M. Montgomery. 1919. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, series book, children's classic]

Century of Viewing #31

1930s

• 1933 Deluge. Post-apocalyptic/disaster film. Martin falls in love with Claire after a terrible, horrible disaster (global) threatens all of civilization and life as we know it. BUT bad news for Claire, his wife and kids are still alive. There are also LOTS of men making unwise decisions and acting like hooligans.

1950s

• 1951 The Model and the Marriage Broker. Thelma Ritter stars as a marriage broker or matchmaker in this "romantic comedy" from the 1950s. When there is a mix up with their purses she befriends a young model and without her knowledge begins trying to set her up with a good match. All seems to be going well...until she finds out her friend is a professional match maker. There is more drama and if there's comedy, well, it's on the sadder, darker side. This one examines LONELINESS and aging as a single man (or woman). Those who haven't found their match on their own...and are holding onto hope that their person does exist out there. One of the darker elements is that the "other woman" who stole her husband IS back wanting her to set up a marriage for her now that their former husband has died. It is a thought provoking movie.
• 1958 Space Master X-7. Is this the most dull science fiction movie ever? Possibly. Though I might have seen at least one or two that are worse. Essentially space fungus has been collected and is carnivorous. It doesn't go well for the scientist working with it. BUT because this is not actually science fiction-y. His SECRET, EX-LOVER, has come to visit him to talk about their super secret love child that he has custody of. She's exposed (and doesn't know it) and while allegedly it's her putting the world in danger....it's more HER LUGGAGE with some escaped spores. 80% of the movie is three men looking for this mysterious woman with very few clues. She sees police at the air port? train station? And she's like THEY MUST BE AFTER ME. Is there any real reason why she would know they were looking for her???? NOPE. But she runs. She panics. She does all the things. But they are clueless. It takes most of the movie for them to find her....and her luggage has gotten out of control.

1970s

• 1971 Cold Turkey. This is a great example of a movie I'd never watch if it wasn't for the Century of Viewing challenge. A small town accepts the challenge of giving up smoking for a huge amount of money. Every resident must sign the pledge....and no cheating allowed. Dick Van Dyke stars in this one....as does Bob Newhart.
• 1973 Girl Most Likely To. This DVD cover art isn't the best. Miriam Knight doesn't know it but she's about to enter PETTY UNIVERSITY and get a 4.0. Plain and frumpy Miriam Knight has the perfect chance for sweet, sweet revenge after a car accident gives her a brand new face. BUT those who treated her wrong better watch out!
• 1976 Futureworld. Science fiction. Horror. Though not as horrific (in some ways) as Westworld. A different type of horror for sure. Reporters have returned for the reopening of this theme park. And they are trying to see if there are STILL problems and issues making this park unsafe for humans. This isn't so much about guests going to have a good time as it is investigative reporting with extreme risks.

1990s

• 1996 Daylight. It isn't quite a natural disaster story, but, it is an action-packed, emotional, dramatic survival story. An explosion in a tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey leads to heartache and catastrophe. There are survivors struggling to survive and escape--but I believe both sides of the tunnel are collapsed? DEFINITELY some sadness. But such a good movie if you're into the surviving sort.

2000s

• 2003 Timeline. I wanted to read the book before watching the movie. However, allegedly it's leaving Tubi at the end of the month. Science fiction. Archaeologists travel back in time via a wormhole to medieval France where they face many, many, many challenges trying to survive and get back home. Some romance. Mainly action.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

July Reflections

In July, I read eighteen books!

Books reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

46. The Andromeda Strain. Michael Crichton. 1969. 327 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, adult science fiction, science fiction, thriller]
47. How a Bear Became a Book: The Collaboration That Created Winnie-The-Pooh. Annette Bay Pimentel. Illustrated by Faith Pray. 2026. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, nonfiction, history, picture book]
48. The Lost World (Jurassic Park #2) Michael Crichton. 1995. 448 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars, dinosaurs]
49. Rainbow Valley. L.M. Montgomery. 1919. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, series book, children's classic]

Books reviewed at Young Readers

51. Rebecca the White House Raccoon. April Genevieve Tucholke. Illustrated by Dave Szalay. 2026. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, based on a true story]
52. Zathura. Chris Van Allsburg. 2002. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book, fantasy]
53. Fox Catches a Wave. Corey R. Tabor. 2026. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, I Can Read Book, early readers]
54. Cat's New Book. Nathalie Belhassen. 2026. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture books, cats, friends]
55. Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb. Al Perkins. 1969. Random House. 36 pages. [Source: Bought]
56. Jumanji. Chris Van Allsburg. 1981. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, fantasy, 3 stars]
57. The Biggest Cat in the Book. Ben Lerwill. Illustrated by Mark Chambers. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book]
58. After Squidnight. Jonathan Fenske. 2020. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture book]
59. A Unicorn, a Dinosaur, and a Shark Were Riding a Bicycle. Jonathan Fenske. 2024. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book]
60. Dragon's Fat Cat (Dragon #2) Dav Pilkey. 2019. (1992) Scholastic. 64 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, early chapter book, animal fantasy]

Books reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible


17. We Are Home When We Are Together: Trusting God Through Life's Changes. Jean Stoffer and Grace Start. Illustrated by Megan Lindsey. 2026. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, Christian picture book, moving]


18. You Always Belong: Knowing God's Love and Finding Your Place. Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Jeremy Vuolo. Illustrated by Sara Romero. 2026. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 4 stars]


19. The Goodness of God in the Gift of Scripture. Uche Anizor. 2026. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy] [Christian nonfiction, theology, 5 stars]

Bibles reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

5. KJV (King James Version) MacLaren Large Print Reference (Thomas Nelson). 2021. 1504 pages. [Source: Gift] [5 stars, Bible, King James Bible]


Totals for 2026

Totals for 2026
Books Read in 2026	134
Pages Read in 2026	31382
January Totals
Books Read in January	21
Pages Read in January	5119
February Totals
Books read in February	24
Pages Read in February	4225
March Totals
Books read in March	18
Pages read in March	4099
April Totals
Books read in April	16
Pages read in April	6386
May Totals
Books Read in May	11
Pages read in May	4067
June Totals
Books read in June	26
Pages read in June	4767
July Totals
Books read in July	18
Pages read in July	3239

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Century of Viewing, July

In July, I watched 43 things including some television shows!!!! It is my best month for viewing so far this year, though my reading has not been as much.

July's 5 star movies

Blast from the Past
Dance, Girl, Dance
Du Barry Was a Lady
First Contact (Star Trek)
The Incredible Shrinking Man
Lego Batman Movie
Sunset Boulevard
Teach You a Lesson (k-drama)
The Towering Inferno

July's 4 1/2 and 4 star movies

• Star Trek: Generations
• Jumanji
• Movie, Movie (yes, that’s the name)
• Enigma
• Little House on the Prairie (2026, season 1)
• Adam’s Rib
• The Phantom Tollbooth
• Idiocracy
• Timeline
• Cold Turkey

My top ten so far for this year:

Galaxy Quest
Ever After
What About Bob?
Blast from the Past
Ivanhoe
Return to Me
The Music Man
Teach You a Lesson
The Wonderfools
Lego Batman



© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

49. Rainbow Valley

49. Rainbow Valley. L.M. Montgomery. 1919. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, series book, children's classic]

First sentence: It was a clear, apple-green evening in May, and Four Winds Harbour was mirroring back the clouds of the golden west between its softly dark shores.

Premise/plot: Rainbow Valley is about the Blythe children and their best friends, the Meredith children. The Merediths are in interesting bunch! The father is a Presbyterian minister. The mother is dead and very much missed. The children are wild and wonderful. Over half the book centers on the adventures of Jerry, Faith, Una, and Carl. The other half focuses on the Blythe children: Jem, Walter, Nan and Di, Shirley, and Rilla. 

Why you should still read it even though it isn't about Anne: Montgomery is a great storyteller who excels at characterization. The Meredith children, particularly Faith, are great characters to spend time with. Mary Vance is another LIVELY character. Love her or hate her, you can't forget her! This one also has some lovely scenes with Walter about the 'Pied Piper' he hears calling in Rainbow Valley. Reading Rainbow Valley deepens the bond you feel for certain characters. The memories the two families create and share in Rainbow Valley--the place--are important in Rilla of Ingleside. Rilla of Ingleside is not to be missed. It is one of the BEST in the series.

My thoughts: I really loved the courtship in this one of the children's father!!! It was super-sweet and fun. I love this book not so much for its connection to Anne, as it is I just LOVE L.M. Montgomery in general. She's a wonderful writer whose birthday is very close to my own!


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #30

This week I read two books.

60. Dragon's Fat Cat (Dragon #2) Dav Pilkey. 2019. (1992) Scholastic. 64 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, early chapter book, animal fantasy]

19. The Goodness of God in the Gift of Scripture. Uche Anizor. 2026. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy] [Christian nonfiction, theology, 5 stars]


Century of Viewing #30

1950s

• 1954 Creature From the Black Lagoon I'm glad I watched it. Fairly predictable. People--mainly scientists, mainly men--making poor choices and stubbornly sticking by those choices. It would have been a MUCH shorter movie if someone thought through things logically.

1960s

• 1965 Planet of Vampires There are no vampires. Just angry Martians that possess the bodies of these astronauts. It was okay.
• 1966 The Singing Nun I love Debbie Reynolds!!!! This isn't my favorite of her movies. BUT it was definitely worth watching! It is a bio pic. It is based on a true story of a singing nun, Jeanne-Paule Marie Deckers. Dominique is certainly catchy.

1970s

• 1970 The Phantom Tollbooth I really, really, really enjoyed some scenes of this one. I found others to be less so and more taste-specific. Still I am glad to watch this adaptation. Still quotable. It did drag on a bit too long or I got sleepy. One or the other.

1980s

• 1981 Stripes I would have preferred an "edited for TV version" perhaps. It was a little crude. HOWEVER it was also quite funny in places. (And not the crude places.) I am glad I watched it. Still prefer the much cleaner No Time for Sergeants. Definitely not my favorite Bill Murray either. However, What About Bob? and Groundhog Day are definitely among my favorite, favorite, favorite movies.

1990s

• 1999 Blast from the Past I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this romantic comedy. Adam grows up SHELTERED to say the least. But when he does meet his Eve, his world is turned upside down in the BEST WAY POSSIBLE. I love the characters, the music, the story. Highly recommend.

2000s

• 2001 Evolution It was mildly decent. I think it tried a little too hard to be funny. Anyway, meteor crashes to earth bringing alien life that will soon multiply and threaten the world.
• 2006 Idiocracy Did I absolutely love every joke??? No. Was it very quotable? YES. I could have done with a little less crudeness. HOWEVER, that fit with the whole premise of the movie. Not Sure was definitely a good 'hero.' The premise??? Two 'average' (dispensable) people are frozen in a military experiment. They were supposed to awake one year later, but, they are woken up 500 years later. These 'average' people are now THE most genius minds in the world.
• 2009 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs I liked it. It was weird and quirky and I still don't love the animation style. BUT it was an entertaining story for sure. Definitely one lesson could be there can be too much of a good thing.

2010s

• 2010 Megamind I had low expectations. I enjoyed it probably because of those low expectations. Or at least in part. I definitely ended up feeling more than I thought I would.

2020s

• 2026 Teach You a Lesson I loved, loved, loved this k-drama!!!! Think 21 Jump Street meets the Matrix. A team goes into school (some members of their team go undercover as students, some become substitute teachers) to uncover crimes and injustices against both teacher and students. Most episodes are stand-alone. But some of them definitely go together. And the story they tell is cohesive. Everything is building up until that last episode. This one has ALL the feels. Extremely emotionally intense. BUT so well done!!!!!

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews