43. The Midnight Train

43. The Midnight Train. Matt Haig. 2026. 296 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult speculative fiction, adult romance]

First sentence: Wilbur Budd died around midnight, but he had trouble remembering the details.

Premise/plot: The Midnight Train is a premise-driven novel. Think Twilight Zone, Our Town, and A Christmas Carol. Wilbur Budd, the protagonist, dies soon after the novel opens. He's lived a long life, in many ways a successful life. IF you only look at dollars or cents--or the British equivalent. But Wilbur has focused on all the wrong things for perhaps the right reasons, perhaps not the right reasons. But his need to escape the poverty of his childhood--as well as dealing with some childhood trauma, or not dealing with it as the case may be--has left his heart as cold as ice. Maggie loses the man she marries to a cash register essentially.

The night he dies, he boards a train, the "Midnight Train," the train that will take him to the afterlife. He can look out the windows and see every moment of his life flash by. There will be stops along the way. As a ghost, he will look upon significant moments of his life. Some are obviously significant. Some less obviously significant moments. Some are moments that he is overjoyed to relive, to experience with fresh eyes. Others are dark, haunting, traumatic. The train stops and he must go where it takes him.

There are RULES and more rules. But what if there weren't rules. What if Wilbur is a REBEL and a risk taker? What if he is determined to NOT go quietly...

My thoughts: I could not put this one down. It was IMPOSSIBLE for me to go to bed until I finished it. It was reflective and equal parts wonderful and heartbreaking.

I recently read Midnight Library. Nora Seed does make an extremely small appearance as a piano teacher in this one. I LOVED this one more than Midnight Library. I thought the characterization was better. Or maybe the premise was better.

Quotes:

• I don't mean to be pedantic, but the whole point of a life flashing before your eyes is that you see it.
• It was interesting, to realize that even your own past was new territory to explore. That memories were no more the real event than flags were their nations.
• A life of avoiding pain becomes a life defined by pain. Pain and regret.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

42. The Midnight Library

42. The Midnight Library. Matt Haig. 2020. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [adult fiction, adult science fiction, fantasy]

Premise/plot: The Midnight Library is a premise-driven, slow-moving, reflective novel. Nora Seed, our protagonist, hates her life. The book opens with a countdown until an attempt of the self-destructive sort. She's lost her job. She's lost her side job. Her cat has died. Her brother barely speaks with her. Nothing is going right. Nothing has gone right. Perhaps nothing has ever gone right. Her list of regrets is long, so long that it could in fact fill a library.

When Nora finds herself between life and death she enters the Midnight Library. A slightly more pleasant place to be than the Twilight Zone. Nora will have all the opportunities--infinite opportunities--to see how her life would have turned out if she'd made different choices. Big choices. Small choices. All the choices. Infinite parallel lives to step in and out of. But will any feel like home? Will living her other lives make her want to live?

My thoughts: The book was enjoyably thought-provoking in some ways. I liked the premise. I didn't love, love, love it. But I liked the concept. This is similar and dissimilar to It's a Wonderful Life. The book opens in the same rock-bottom place. BUT there are many, many paths to explore and not just the one if she'd never been born. It is not about how her life has impacted others. I mean in a vague way perhaps maybe if you squint and tilt your head. Nora has to learn to live life you just have to keep on keeping on, and don't think too much, don't navel-gaze, don't look for more meaning than there is, don't waste time thinking about the past or the future, just live life in the day. I don't even know if that was the message??? Honestly the messages were messy. And that was a bit of the point as well, perhaps. That life is messy, messy, messy. And it will never be anything but messy. Don't think that you're missing out on the "good life" because your life is a mess and you are a mess????

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #23

This week I read eight books!!!!

40. After My Brother Sam. James Lincoln Collier. 2026. 144 pages. [Source: Library] [1 star, mg historical fiction, why does this book even exist]
41. Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews. Julie Hedlund. Illustrated by Ilaria Urbinati. 2023. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, biography, music appreciation]
36. The Rare Bird. Elisha Cooper. 2026. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, cats, imagination, picture books]
37. Dinosaur Friends. Sara Miller. 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board books, dinosaurs]
38. Gus & Sully: All Week Long. Steve Light. 2026. 16 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board books, friendship, concept book]
39. Glow with Sounds and Lights. Nicola Edwards. Illustrated by Sophie Ledesma. 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [2 stars, interactive board book]
40. My Daddy is Everything (Board book) Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin. 2026. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, board books, family]
13. Essentials of Reformed Systematic Theology. Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley. 2025. 1088 pages. [Source: Review copy] [4 stars, theology, Christian nonfiction]

Century of Viewing #23

1950s

• 1951 Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. A boxer accused of an extremely serious crime goes invisible to evade capture....and meanwhile two detectives end up involved in boxing. One as a "boxer" and one as a manager. It was silly. It was slapstick. It was sporty. I did enjoy it.

1970s

• 1979 The Main Event. Romantic comedy with a lot of boxing. Or as the poster says, a "glove story." She has lost just about everything....but she does have a contract on a fighter. He owes her a lot of money....but he doesn't want to fight...or do anything really. Can she make a fighter out of him?

2010s

• 2016/2017 Timeless. Time travel show. Each show varies in quality. Sometimes absolutely awesome. Sometimes tedious. The plot was interesting in some ways, but I think if the plots and stories were tighter and there were fewer episodes--filler episodes--then it might have been better??? I didn't want it canceled, but, it could have been better.

2020s

• 2026 Wonderfools. I love, love, love this K-drama set in 1999 starring 'misfit' superheroes who try their best to save the world. There are layers. All the feels. Is good.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

41. Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews

41. Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews. Julie Hedlund. Illustrated by Ilaria Urbinati. 2023. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, biography, music appreciation]

First sentence: Julia Elizabeth Wells was born into a melody--her childhood attuned to the timbre of her tiny English village where she heard music in the rhythm of the river, in the whistle of the wind, in the symphony of songbirds.

Premise/plot: Julie Hedlund has written a picture book biography of Julie Andrews. It focuses mainly on her childhood and her early start in music, in show business. It is only the last few pages that explores her life's work.

My thoughts: I have grown up loving Julie Andrews. Not just her work in the musicals I watched again and again and again and again, but also her work as an author. MANDY which she published under the name Julie Edwards is one of my all time favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite books.

This picture book is bittersweet in many ways. On the one hand, Julie discovers a great love of music. But on the other hand, there is a lot of sadness and confusion in her home life. It was sad that she was torn away from her father. That her mother forced her to call her stepdad, dad. That her mom forced a change of last name upon her. Music allowed her to express herself, but, still, my heart is sad for her childhood.




© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

40. After My Brother Sam

 

40. After My Brother Sam. James Lincoln Collier. 2026. 144 pages. [Source: Library] [1 star, mg historical fiction, why does this book even exist]

First sentence: The men had brought a couple of rough wooden coffins to the execution place. They put Sam's body in one of the coffins and loaded it onto a cart. "Timmy, can you drive this thing?" one of them asked me.

Premise/plot: After My Brother Sam is the sequel to My Brother Sam is Dead. Timmy is angry about his brother's death and acting out in strange ways. He befriends an orphan-thief, Becky, and tries his hand at being a thief. He then takes home Becky-thief to his mother and the tavern. Shortly there is a forceful man on the scene, Chauncy, (I think that is his name) who is essentially becomes a squatter at the tavern and insisting that he's the new partner or owner? No one seems to be able to make him leave???? There are a few confrontations with soldiers--both sides, I think--nothing actually actually comes close to happening. The book ends without a single thing happening except Timmy and Becky stealing stuff and eating at a tavern. Does that count as a plot? Should it count as a plot? Chauncy has to be the most irritating character ever. And one of the presumably supposed to be intelligent study questions is "why do you think  Chauncy is in the novel" and "what did you learn from him."

My thoughts: I would give this book less than one star if I could. I honestly don't know why this book was able to get published. It is just a non-book. It has a beginning perhaps. But no middle or end. It is literally like buying a bag of chips that is 80% air and 10% chips and 10% crumbs.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

May Reflections

In May, I read eleven books. I hope to read more in June. We'll see what happens.

Books reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews


35. The Bad Beginning. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 1999. 162 pages. [Source: Library] [j fantasy, mg fantasy, j fiction, mg fiction, 5 stars]

36. The Martian. Andy Weir. 2011. 369 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars, space]

37. Project Hail Mary. Andy Weir. 2021. 476 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars]

38. Wombat Waiting. Katherine Applegate. 2026. 336 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, animal fantasy, j fiction, wildfires, dogs, pets, animals]

39. My Brother Sam is Dead. James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier. 1974. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, mg history, mg fiction]

Books reviewed at Young Readers

32. Barbed Wire Between Us. Mia Wenjen. Illustrated by Violeta Encarnacion. 2026. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, poetry, reverso poetry]
33. Dinos that Drive. Suzy Levinson. Illustrated by Dustin Harbin. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, poetry]
34. Buzz Like a Bee (Board Book) Guilherme Karsten. 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board book, activity book, interactive books]
35. Board book: This Little Dinosaur. Ingela P. Arrhenius (illustrations). 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, interactive book, dinosaurs]

Books reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

12. The Church Mouse. Graham Oakley. 1972. 40 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, picture book, animal fantasy]

Bibles reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

4. ESV Women's Study Bible. God. 2021. 2336 pages. [Source: GIFT] [Bible, study Bible, 5 stars]

2026 totals

Totals for 2026
Books Read in 2026	90
Pages Read in 2026	23376
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	11
Pages read in May	4067

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Century of Viewing, May

In May, I watched 14 movies.

My two five-star movies were Modern Times and The Running Man (2014).

My four star and four and a half star movies are:

• Robocop (2014)
• Robocop 3
• The Last Starfighter
• Call the Midwife Season 15

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #22

This week I reviewed four books!

39. My Brother Sam is Dead. James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier. 1974. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, mg history, mg fiction]
34. Buzz Like a Bee (Board Book) Guilherme Karsten. 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board book, activity book, interactive books]
35. Board book: This Little Dinosaur. Ingela P. Arrhenius (illustrations). 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, interactive book, dinosaurs]

12. The Church Mouse. Graham Oakley. 1972. 40 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, picture book, animal fantasy]

Century of Viewing #22

I didn't finish a single show or movie this week. BUT I have been watching THREE television shows. Space Precinct (1994/1995), Wonderfools (2026), Timeless (2016-2018).



© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

39. My Brother Sam is Dead

39. My Brother Sam is Dead. James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier. 1974. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, mg history, mg fiction]

First sentence: It was April, and outside in the dark the rain whipped against the windows of our tavern, making a sound like muffled drums.

Premise/plot: My Brother Sam is Dead is historical fiction for middle grade (and/or upper elementary grades). It is set during the American Revolution. The narrator, Timmy Meeker, spends the duration of the book confused by the complexities of war. He isn't really in favor or support of either side. He wants things to go back to normal. He hates that his brother Sam has been kicked out of the family for his "rebel" views and joining up with the Patriots. He knows his dad leans more towards being a Tory or Royalist. But also at the same time his dad has ALL THE OPINIONS that war is the worst thing on the planet.

My thoughts: This was my first time to read My Brother Sam is Dead. When I started it, I thought I would like it more than I did.

I picked up on the anti-war sentiment from the start. That didn't surprise me. I didn't expect war to be glamorized or idolized. I expected the view point to be war is UGLY, war is MESSY, war is TRAUMATIC, war is HORRIBLE. Many if not most books about war--any war--touch upon this ugliness, this trauma, this raw pain, this sorrow.

My Brother Sam Is Dead was written and published towards the end of the Vietnam War. Anti-war sentiment was high. America was also a few years away from celebrating the bicentennial. I don't know if either of these facts had any impact at all on the story these brothers were telling, were sharing. But it doesn't escape my attention that they might have wanted to remind readers that just because the war happened two hundred years ago, doesn't make it any less ugly, horrifying, terrifying, gross, disgusting, revolting, traumatizing. The "cause" they were fighting for did not negate the reality of war being what it fundamentally is. 

I guess what surprised me, and probably shouldn't have, is the way Tim loses his father and his brother. Not the fact that both died--or either died. BUT the how. It isn't so much that Sam Meeker dies in the novel. It is the how and why. The father's death was sad and unnecessary, but it was the brother's death that turns the novel about.

I do think that adult readers may read the book differently perhaps. I'm not sure. I do know that this is a book that I never would have picked up as a kid or teen.

As an adult, I was seeing things not so much through Tim's eyes but through the eyes of his parents.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #21

This week I reviewed four books!

37. Project Hail Mary. Andy Weir. 2021. 476 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars]

38. Wombat Waiting. Katherine Applegate. 2026. 336 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, animal fantasy, j fiction, wildfires, dogs, pets, animals]

32. Barbed Wire Between Us. Mia Wenjen. Illustrated by Violeta Encarnacion. 2026. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, poetry, reverso poetry]

33. Dinos that Drive. Suzy Levinson. Illustrated by Dustin Harbin. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, poetry]


Century of Viewing #21

1930s

• 1936 Modern Times. Charlie Chaplin is "The Tramp." In this one he goes through many, many, many, many jobs. There's always a reason why the job never lasts. He can't seem to do anything right, but, he does fall in love with a young woman also experiencing hard times. Together they will face the uncertain future with a SMILE. This one does feature the song "Smile" as an instrumental theme throughout. There were a handful of scenes that were extremely comedic and truly memorable.

2010s

• 2012 Iron Sky. This sci-fi comedy parody is all kinds of weird and eccentric. I didn't love it. But it is certainly unique and different and quirky and odd.

2020s

• 2022. 5-25-77. Coming of age drama. A young aspiring film-maker who loves, loves, loves sci-fi makes a big decision about his future after seeing Star Wars. It is part coming of age, part friend drama, part romance. I liked it fine. It was LONG.
• 2024 Why Dinosaurs. This is a documentary about why people love dinosaurs -- broadly, generally. It covered a little bit of everything. It got extremely very preachy there at the end. I'm not sure they ever really stayed on topic, BUT, it was a father-son documentary and the enthusiasm the son had for dinosaurs was fun to see.
• 2025 Jurassic World: Rebirth. My expectations were incredibly super super super low. Just watch a few review or reaction videos and you'd think this was the worst movie ever filmed ever in any year--dinosaur or not. It doesn't meet that expectation of awfulness. If you expect *that* then you might be pleasantly surprised that it's mildly decent.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

38. Wombat Waiting

38. Wombat Waiting. Katherine Applegate. 2026. 336 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, animal fantasy, j fiction, wildfires, dogs, pets, animals]

First sentence: Yep,
her name is Wombat,
and nope,
she's not a wombat.
True, there's
a passing resemblance,
If you squint just right.
She's stout and sturdy,
stubby-legged,
with silly ears
that look like furry cookies,
but just for the record,
she is,
most definitely,
a dog.

Premise/plot: Wombat Waiting is a novel in verse starring a destiny dog, Wombat. Wombat and Henry are meant to be--a matter of destiny. But Henry is scared of dogs and Wombat is a stray. They live miles apart. Have never met. A wildfire starts. Wombat hears a voice, the voice of destiny, telling her to run towards the fire, to get closer and closer to where the fire is burning. Henry, meanwhile, is fleeing (with his two moms and some neighbors and their bunnies?) away from the fire. Life becomes not regular at all. But Wombat knows that she is running towards her destiny. But it may take a lot of WAITING, waiting, and more waiting before Henry knows that Wombat is his dog.

My thoughts: I like this one. I do. I have enjoyed many of Katherine Applegate's books. I don't love, love, love this one. But I do like it. I do think it has a few great quotes. (I'll share my favorite below).

Quotes:
How could she say
I will be more than a friend--
I will be your beating heart?

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

37. Project Hail Mary

37. Project Hail Mary. Andy Weir. 2021. 476 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars]

First sentence: "What's two plus two?" Something about the question irritates me. I'm tired. I drift back to sleep. A few minutes pass, then I hear it again.

Premise/plot: Earth is in great, great danger. But the sole surviving member of the team sent to try to save it, has no memory. His memory will come in bits and pieces as he tries to remember his mission and purpose. It will turn out that Earth isn't the only planet in danger--there is a threat to many star systems or galaxies. It may take teaming up with an alien species to save both worlds.

Ryland Grace and Rocky are in some ways an unlikely pair, but, as they learn each other--each other's languages, each other's sciences, each other's characters and personality--they may be just what the other needed to succeed.

My thoughts: I have not seen the movie. I didn't really watch movie reviews and reactions until after I read the book. I knew this one involved a certain degree of self-sacrifice because it doesn't take any searching out to have heard that. And that is fairly typical for fiction--fantasy novels (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Narnia, etc) or science fiction (it would be harder to think of science fiction that doesn't have some degree of self-sacrifice). I really enjoyed reading this one. For me, I loved the "current" sections. I wasn't as thrilled by all the flashback scenes, though I suppose I may change my mind when I see the movie. I was invested in the "now" and the problem-solving and the suspense of what will happen next. I didn't care as much about the past.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #20

I am feeling so much better! But I only finished two books! (Still haven't read that stack of picture books!)

35. The Bad Beginning. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 1999. 162 pages. [Source: Library] [j fantasy, mg fantasy, j fiction, mg fiction, 5 stars]
36. The Martian. Andy Weir. 2011. 369 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars, space]

Century of Viewing #20

2020s

• 2025 Afterlight Five stories with some sci-fi elements. (Though strong horror elements as well for some). These are NOT connected in any way. I could have sworn that the description said they were. They weren't. The first story was thought-provoking, intriguing, showed great potential. The second story was intense and emotional perhaps a little too dark. Left more questions than answers. The third, fourth, and fifth stories were a complete waste of time. The third story might have been fleshed out into something larger which would allow for the mystery and suspense to be developed and an actual story told. The fourth story was just weak--in terms of script and acting maybe. It's very very hard to distinguish the two. Actors can only say what the script says. The fifth story was BORING. If the fifth had been the third would it have been as boring? Maybe. Maybe not.
• 2026 Call the Midwife, season 15 I loved the finale. I was SOBBING through portions of it. Did I love every single scene? Probably not. The series as a whole--all eight episodes--I would say I was mostly disappointed. The last two episodes were turning things around. I wish the last few seasons had been better. There are things that I just haven't liked, haven't wanted, haven't enjoyed. BUT the finale reminded me of all the reasons I CARE.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

36. The Martian

36. The Martian. Andy Weir. 2011. 369 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars, space]

First sentence: I'm pretty much f***ed.  That's my considered opinion.

Premise/plot: It's all a matter of perspective if Mark Watney is lucky or unlucky. One could argue that he's unlucky to be stranded on Mars and battling for survivor cut off almost completely from the human race, from Earth. Limited resources--though plenty of mystery novels, disco, and 70s sitcoms. One could also argue that he's incredibly lucky--lucky that he survived the original accident, lucky that he recovered, lucky that he's skilled and resourceful enough to put to use every thing he has as a resource, lucky that he has a positive outlook.

Most of the novel IS from his point of view. Though we get brief updates from those on earth about how to rescue Mark.

My thoughts: I loved the movie. I loved the book. BOTH were excellent.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

35. The Bad Beginning

35. The Bad Beginning. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 1999. 162 pages. [Source: Library] [j fantasy, mg fantasy, j fiction, mg fiction, 5 stars]

First sentence: If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. IN this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle.

Premise/plot: The three Baudelaire orphans--Violet, Klaus, and Sunny--star in Lemony Snicket's over-the-top Series of Unfortunate Events. The book opens with the three learning that their parents are gone and so is their home--in a mysterious fire. They soon find themselves "living" with their "closest" relative, Count Olaf.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Tim Curry and a full cast. I've also seen the feature film and a few episodes of the series.

My thoughts: I love the writing, the narration. The story itself is extreme and over-the-top. I loved the movie--which I believe combines the plot of the first three books. I do plan on reading more in the series.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #19

This week I reviewed only one book--and that was last Saturday night! I've been sick--sadly.

ESV Women's Study Bible. God. 2021. 2336 pages. [Source: GIFT] [Bible, study Bible, 5 stars]

Century of Viewing #19

1980s

• 1984 The Last Starfighter    Alex Rogan plays a LOT of an arcade game. But the arcade game leads to a real life adventure, and the guy who has always wanted to leave his small town trailer park, well, he begins to question if he has what it takes to be an actual actual starfighter. It was interesting to see Robert Preston as an alien!

2000s

• 2002/2003 Forsyte Saga 2 Series. 13 Episodes. Much soap-iness. It has been a while since I read the books but it fairly seemed to go along with what I remembered plus or minus a few whines. I haven't watched the new series yet, and I'm not sure when I'll get to it. More unlikeable characters than likeable characters but much drama.

2010s

• 2012 Cold Light of Day Would I recommend it? NO. Are there worse ways to spend two hours? Probably. Possibly. Would I rather go to the dentist? YES. I have a great dentist. (We talk about movies and books!) I can't really think of anything I actively liked about this movie. Except it has been fun to watch reactions and reviews.

2020s

• 2025 The Running Man I read the book relatively recently. And I've never been more shocked that a movie was mostly relatively almost faithful to the book!!!! This movie shares little in common with the 80s original action movie. It is dystopia. It is dark. BUT I definitely preferred it not only to the original 80s movie BUT to the book as well.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #18

This week I reviewed three books.

 If You Lived During the American Revolution. Chris Newell. Illustrated by Steffi Walthall. 2026. 88 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, history, nonfiction]

Board book: 1, 2, 3, Can You Count Along? Alice Hemming. Illustrated by Nichola Slater. 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

 Board book: Edwina The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct. Mo Willems. 2006/2026. 38 pages. [Source: Library] [animal fantasy]


Century of Viewing #18

1980s

• 1981 Caveman Am I the target audience for this movie? No. Did I enjoy elements of it? For the most part--to some extent. Atouk loves Lana. Well, love is an extreme exaggeration. I don't think love has a bit to do with it. At all. Lana 'belongs' to Tonda. Lana seems more than okay with being 'his' woman. When Atouk is kicked out (literally) from the clan, he teams up with a series of misfits and outcasts. Together they discover, fire, musical instruments, sling shots, etc., Meanwhile, Tala is developing romantic feelings for Atouk. But he's all Lana, Lana, Lana. Can this cave romance have a happy ending? ALSO: there are dinosaurs.
• 1987 Robocop Apparently the YT free with ads version of Robocop is heavily censored and missing quite a bit of the movie (a difference of at least ten minutes). I am glad I watched Robocop. It was a fun action movie.

1990s

• 1990 Robocop 2 I liked it just as much as the first movie!
• 1993 Robocop 3 I definitely enjoyed this one!!! Each of the Robocop movies is unique in some ways. This one is set at Christmas. It has new villains. What I appreciate most about this one is that this is the movie where Robocop 'finds' his own 'found' family. There are some sweet, tender scenes in this one. Plenty of action, mind you. IT is Robocop after all. But I like these three movies.
• 1994 Without Warning This is a modern twist on the 1937 War of the Worlds scare. It is BLEAKITY-BLEAK which felt right.

2000s

• 2004 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. I have not read the book. But the movie was super fun! I loved, loved, loved baby Sunny! And all the characters were fun. It is a dark comedy for sure, but, it had some moments with all the feels.

2010s

• 2014 Robocop. Is it a copy of the original movie? No. The movies are very different from each other--in almost every way. I liked them both. THIS one does have its strengths. I liked many, many, many things about it! The characters do feel more human AND the wife and child play a much larger part in the story.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Century of Viewing, April

In April, I watched 27 movies!

My five star movies:

Ever After
Forrest Gump
Frequency
Gospel of John
Home
It's You I Like
No Time for Sergeants
The Moon
The War of the Worlds
What About Bob?
You Can't Run Away From It

My four and a half and four star movies:

Empire Records
Trust Me The False Prophet
Sirius
Robocop
Robocop 2

My top five movies from ALL of 2026:

Galaxy Quest
Ever After
What About Bob
Forrest Gump
Ivanhoe

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

April Reflections

This month I read sixteen books. (Two were Bibles!)

Books reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

30. The Littlest Elephant. Katherine Applegate. 2026. 36 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book, animal fantasy]
31. Scarlett. Alexandra Ripley. 1991. 884 pages. [Source: Library] [2 stars, historical fiction, sequel, adult fiction, adult romance]
32. Magnitude. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2026. 304 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, historical fiction, mg historical]
33. Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography. Laura Ingalls Wilder. Edited by Pamela Smith Hill. 2014. South Dakota State Historical State Society. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, nonfiction, memoir]
34. If You Lived During the American Revolution. Chris Newell. Illustrated by Steffi Walthall. 2026. 88 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, history, nonfiction]

Books reviewed at Young Readers

23. Wake Up, Grouchy Bear! David Ezra Stein. 2026. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, animal fantasy, picture book]
24. Board book: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Adapted from C.S. Lewis. Illustrated by Joey Chou.. 2021. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
25. Olive and Oscar: The Favorite Hat. Ariel Bernstein. Illustrated by Marc Rosenthal. 2026. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, early reader, animal fantasy, friendship]
26. Bad Banana. Michael Rex. 2026. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, beginning reader, early reader, humor]
27. Board book: Just Because. Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. 2026. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, bedtime book, board book, imagination, creativity, curiosity]

28. Board book: Fix This Book! A Dinosaur Broke It! Silver Dolphins Books. 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, board book, interactive]
29. Richard Scarry's Great Mystery Collection. Richard Scarry. 2025. (1969, 1975) 96 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture books, mysteries]
30. Board book: 1, 2, 3, Can You Count Along? Alice Hemming. Illustrated by Nichola Slater. 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]
31. Board book: Edwina The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct. Mo Willems. 2006/2026. 38 pages. [Source: Library] [animal fantasy]

Books reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

none!

Bibles reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

2. New King James Version, Sovereign Collection, Wide Margin. God. (Thomas Nelson Publisher). 2022. 1696 pages. [Source: Bought] [Bible] [5 stars]

3. KJV Chronological Life Application Study Bible, Second Edition. God. 2025. 2128 pages. [Source: Bought (Gift)] [5 stars, bible review]

Yearly and monthly totals

Totals for 2026
Books Read in 2026	79
Pages Read in 2026	19309
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

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

34. If You Lived During the American Revolution

34. If You Lived During the American Revolution. Chris Newell. Illustrated by Steffi Walthall. 2026. 88 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, history, nonfiction]

First sentence: Colonization by European peoples of what we now call the United States of America began as early as the sixteenth century.

I read a few "If You Lived...." books growing up. There is a newer series of books similarly titled that are being published now. This is the first I've read of the newer series. It is on a heavy, complex topic. Heavy because it's about war. Complex because every conflict, every war, has at least three sides. It is also written to line up in accordance with modern sensibilities. For better or worse. There are certainly some benefits, I'm sure, to a modern take on the past. But if exclusively or overly so, it can come across as super judgy. In other words, America should never have been colonized and all wars were a result of us unnecessarily colonizing. And the colonization of America could never be justifiable, etc. And sometimes I just want my history to be, you know, just record what was without comment or bias or opinion. Neither obnoxious praise or condemnation.

As for the facts in this one, I am too long out of school to know how accurate or inaccurate it may be. OR if the emphasis is rightly placed. It could be perfectly, perfectly fine as far as facts are concerned. OR it could have a mistake here or there. I wouldn't be able to distinguish. I last studied the American Revolution in college, and I found it fascinating then.

What I liked about the original series was how the questions were answered concisely and were full of I didn't know that facts. But this one is on a more complex, darker topic. It is probably easier to read than a textbook. (At least the textbooks of my past). BUT it isn't "fun" or "light" or "casual." (And it would probably be wrong if it was.)

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #17

This week I reviewed two books and two Bibles!

32. Magnitude. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2026. 304 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, historical fiction, mg historical]

33. Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography. Laura Ingalls Wilder. Edited by Pamela Smith Hill. 2014. South Dakota State Historical State Society. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, nonfiction, memoir]


2. New King James Version, Sovereign Collection, Wide Margin. God. (Thomas Nelson Publisher). 2022. 1696 pages. [Source: Bought] [Bible] [5 stars]


3. KJV Chronological Life Application Study Bible, Second Edition. God. 2025. 2128 pages. [Source: Bought (Gift)] [5 stars, bible review]


Century of Viewing #17

1940s

• 1942 Sirius. Did I expect to watch a Hungarian film this year? No, not really. This is a Hungarian science fiction film, a Hungarian Count, Akos Tibor answers an ad in the newspaper. A professor is looking for a man to marry his daughter. He goes because it might be an offer too good to refuse. The professor shows him a strange machine--a flying machine. Almost like a helicopter but missing some key details. He promises the young man that it has the power to travel through time--circle the globe in less than a second. Akos goes back in time to 1748, meets his great-grandfather (who is HORRIBLE) and falls in love with an opera singer (as one does naturally). But a duel turns into a nightmare...and his opera singer may be 'lost' to him forever. Good thing the professor's daughter is played by the same actress. So a happy ending of sorts. There's music. There's dancing. There's sword fighting. There's head-tilting.

1950s

• 1958 No Time for Sergeants. I love, love, love this comedy with Andy Griffith! Will Stockdale wants to get transferred with his 'buddy' Ben to the infantry, but, things don't ever go as planned!!!!

1960s

• 1968 Countdown. In this version of the space race, America is sending a man to the moon to wait for an Apollo flight to come rescue him. Sound like a bad idea? How about sending someone unqualified. After the Russians have already sent a man to the moon. What could go wrong? We don't know because the movie ends before anything exciting could happen.

1980s

• 1983 Brainstorm. I neither loved nor hated this 80s sci-fi. It had its ridiculous moments for sure--the water activated foam in the factory, for example. BUT it is something I watched. Mike and Karen are estranged but assigned the same project at work. Mike has been involved from the beginning. Something about a helmet that captures emotions, memories, sensations, experiences, all the feels. These can be shared helmet-to-helmet live or recorded on tape and played back through the helmet. There are evil guys, unsavory sorts, but seeing each other's memories proves to reunite this couple. Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood are the leads.

1990s

• 1998 Ever After. Is Ever After the absolute best, best, best Cinderella adaptation. MAYBE. Probably. Perhaps. Is it one I could watch eight million times and still adore. YES. I love the soundtrack. I love the characters. I love the story.

2000s

• 2000 Frequency. This was a GREAT movie. I absolutely loved it. It is set in 1969 and 1999. A father and son are communicating with each other via ham radio though it takes a little convincing on both sides. Can a son save his father? What happens when you change the past? How far would you go to be with family?

2010s

• 2018 It's You I Like. I love, love, love this documentary on Mister Rogers (Fred Rogers). I love all the clips! I love all the interviews! It's such a GREAT balance.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

33. The Pioneer Girl

33. Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography. Laura Ingalls Wilder. Edited by Pamela Smith Hill. 2014. South Dakota State Historical State Society. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, nonfiction, memoir]


Pioneer Girl is a must-read for anyone who grew up loving, or perhaps, LOVING, Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books. Pioneer Girl is an annotated autobiography. The book itself is a draft of an autobiography written by Laura Ingalls Wilder circa 1930. Mother and daughter worked with this draft preparing to send it to various publishers (not just book publishers) for a year or two. (There are several draft versions of Pioneer Girl.) Eventually, the focus shifts from writing an adult autobiography to writing a series of historical fiction novels for children. The adult autobiography was "forgotten" as a book itself, and becomes a source--a good source--for mother and daughter to use in their own fiction. I didn't know that Rose Wilder Lane borrowed generously from her mom's autobiography while writing her adult fiction. Lane wrote Free Land and Let the Hurricane Roar (Young Pioneers).

The autobiography shares Laura Ingalls Wilder's earliest memories through her wedding day. (Those earliest memories are of being a toddler in Kansas.) These memories are, of course, in her own words. The writing is natural and casual. Some paragraphs are great at capturing details and specifics of an event. Other paragraphs are more of a rush, a blend, they seem a bit fuzzier, less exact. These are her very personal reflections written first for her daughter, and, then possibly for a larger audience. Wilder has turned reflective. She's older now, feeling that very much. (Her mom died in 1924, her sister, Mary, in 1928. She's wanting to capture these memories, these stories, to hold onto them perhaps.) One also sees the book itself as an act of love, an expression of love, a way of remembering and honoring.

The annotations are wonderful. They provide background and context. The annotations includes notes on a wide variety of subjects a) people b) places c) events d) nature e) culture (songs, dances, fashion), f) writing, editing, and publishing. There are plenty of notes that compare and contrast scenes and events as they appear in Pioneer Girl and as they appear in one of the original novels. Readers see how a memory recorded in Pioneer Girl is shaped and crafted into a finished product with plenty of detail and even dialogue. Readers see how Wilder carefully--oh-so-carefully--crafted the characters of the family. One gets the definite impression that she was purposeful with every scene, every book. It was no accident that Pa is so noble, independent, strong, and bigger-than-life almost.

I learned so much by reading Pioneer Girl. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who has enjoyed spending time with Laura and her family through the years.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

32. Magnitude

32. Magnitude. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2026. 304 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, historical fiction, mg historical]

First sentence: The first time I felt an earthquake, I was nine years old.

Premise/plot: Magnitude is middle grade historical fiction set in San Francisco, 1906. Cora, Oliver, and Chi are unlikely friends brought together by circumstance. Cora and Oliver were once the closest of close friends until their parents quarreled. Cora and Chi were strangers when the story opens. But being at the same place when the earthquake hit brought them together--when the road collapsed they fell underground and were trapped together. Oliver 'rescues' them both. But that's not the end of their adventures.

My thoughts: I wanted to like this book. I did not like this book. Why didn't I like this book? I felt almost all the characters lacked common sense. I truly did. Granted middle grade novels are typically centered on kids being independent and not relying on adults even in adult situations. Parents are usually 'absent' from the plot or poorly drawn and flat. But in this one, the three friends make unwise decisions one hundred percent of the time. Run away from danger? Run towards parents? NO. Run towards danger? Run toward fires? Yes. Run toward exploding buildings? Yes. Accept the guidance of any and every adult they come across? NO. Do whatever they want despite being warned eight million times? YES. Adults are bad. Surely they are smarter than ANY and EVERY adult. Because they think they always know best, they do find themselves in trouble. And I'm not really blaming Chi--she was just dragged into this story. But because they are the heroes of the book, they have a tied up in a neat bow ending.

You might think you're getting a book about survival, a desperate search to find family, a tale of perseverance against all odds. What you are getting is a story about corruption and greed. Cora took out a loan from a shady, shady guy. When the loan is due, Cora still doesn't have the money. The earthquake happens. The bad shady guys are after her. It's a cat-and-mouse game. The earthquake is not important in the slightest. It's just a girl and her friends being chased by "bad guys" who want the money paid back from the loan. All the characters seem more focused on this loan and money situation than the dangers of the earthquake--the fires, the explosions, being hungry and thirsty, being separated from family, being vulnerable and all.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews