Week In Review #29

This week I read EIGHT books.

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]
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]

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]


Century of Viewing #29
1940s

• 1940. Dance, Girl, Dance. This is DEFINITELY my favorite film from the 40s that I've seen so far this year. It was GREAT. Maureen O'Hara and Lucille Ball. Tiger Lily (that's her stage name) has it all....she has the oomph or 'it' factor. Judy loves, loves, loves to dance--specifically ballet. Will Judy ever get a break?
• 1942. Meet the Stewarts. Will these two live happily ever after???? Or will they fight about money morning, noon, and night?!?!?! Can she charm her way into spending more than he makes???? Perhaps.
• 1943. Du Barry Was a Lady. I had NO idea what to expect from this musical comedy. Red Skelton. Lucille Ball. Gene Kelly. It was strange but in an amusing way, for the most part. It would make for a good double feature with Singing in the Rain I think. Anyway, the heroine, May, thinks she HAS to marry for money and not love...but the piano player has her heart....and she is learning to listen to it.
• 1944. Cover Girl. Gene Kelly. Rita Hayworth. LOTS of tap dancing for better or worse. She's a dancer in love with a man who plays piano. Because she resembles her grandmother, a guy wants to make her a star -- a cover girl. She doesn't really want it, but piano guy pushes her away and then disappears. She jilts the rich guy to be with piano guy because of a pearl. The thing that irritated me most were the flashback scenes to tell the grandmother's story. That and there was a little too much singing and dancing.
• 1944. They Came To a City. How to describe this one???? If Twilight Zone had a nerdy philosophical child. It is all talk and no action. I mean unless you think watching nine actors climb stairs and stare at a door is action. It is essentially all dialogue. There isn't much character development either--just each actor represents an idea or viewpoint.
• 1949. Adam's Rib. Should two lawyers marry one another???? In this one HE prosecutes the case his wife is defending....and somehow or other there's a hit song on the radio involved. MUCH dialogue, but there is an intriguing story. I don't know that I'd describe it as a "funny picture" let alone "funniest picture in 10 years" though maybe I just haven't seen enough movies from 1939-1949.

1950s

• 1952 We're Not Married. Five couples learn that their marriages are not legal and that their was a problem with the person officiating the ceremonies. Each couple responds to this news differently. Years after saying "I do" will they still choose to say "I do" again????
• 1957. The Incredible Shrinking Man. There were a few things that I over thought. (Like when he struck a match in the basement, and the match is taller than him, and the flames are HUGE) and he just tosses it to the side like fire isn't going to fire.) BUT I found the premise intriguing and it worked really well. I thought some of the scenes were super memorable. SO happy I watched this one!!!!
• 1958. It! The Terror from Beyond Space. Black and white science fiction/horror movie with a monster from Mars. It was decent.

1960s

• 1964. The Horror of Party Beach. Is this the worst movie I've seen all year? Probably not. Is it in my bottom five or six? Probably. Is there a moral to the story? Probably not...except don't leave the house to socialize???? I don't think the "musical" aspect of this "beach movie" helped.

1970s

• 1974. The Towering Inferno. It's a LONG movie but that's because it is truly a towering inferno. If they'd had their brilliant idea from the last fifteen minutes of the movie at the halfway mark, then it could have been shorter. IT was intense. I did yell at the screen a few times. It had some stubborn characters, some despicable characters, some stubbornly despicable characters. But I enjoyed it. It was a blend of soapiness (why do all the offices have BEDS) and disaster movie.

2020s

• 2026. Little House on the Prairie. Reboot). Eight episodes that loosely tell the story of what happened when the Ingalls family moved to Kansas. There are several things to keep in mind. Laura Ingalls Wilder nonfiction biography which was sent around to various publishers but ultimately NOT published as is. There were several manuscript versions keeping it "nonfiction" and a biography. Pioneer Girl is the annotated version of this biography. Highly recommended. BUT keep in mind with that that it was written based on her memories after six decades or so. So there would definitely be the potential for mistakes and misremembering. Getting names and dates wrong. Remembering events out of order. Remembering certain things REALLY well and other things barely at all. We do know that Laura WAS around three when in Kansas. Mary would have been five. Carrie was born in Kansas. The truth is we'll never know the TRUE TRUTH of these years. ALSO there are the fictionalized accounts in the LITTLE HOUSE book series. These are FICTIONALIZED and edited to tell a story. Whether it was ROSE or LAURA doing the choosing of how the story was edited and pieced together is a whole other side issue. ALSO there is the television show from the 1970s. The television show was far removed from the book series. The show was not remotely faithful to the book series OR Laura's life. Does the reboot work on its own WITHOUT taking into account the biography (Pioneer Girl) or the fictionalized book series??? I think it does for the most part. If the family had ANY other name I don't think there'd be any doubt to say that it is an interesting/entertaining story. Does the rebook work TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the book series and biography? Somewhat. It is more of a WHAT IF. With a few of the what ifs being if the characters were completely and totally different than how they were presented in the book or biography. What if the characters were completely and totally different than most people living during that time period??? What if the Ingalls family had settled in Kansas when the girls were MUCH, MUCH older. Mary seems to be about 14 or 15. Laura seems to be 9 to 10. This makes ALL THE SENSE from an acting stand point. Laura and Mary can't be 3 and 5 and actually carry the series as stars. But it does CHANGE the stories being told. LIKE Mary having a first romance and first kiss. LIKE Laura already having gone to school and knowing how to read. LIKE the girls being OLD ENOUGH to do a LOT of manual labor and helping in the building of the log cabin. Mary and Laura are HAULING LOGS. What if Laura's best, best, best, best friend was an Indian girl??? True in the book series, Laura was SUPER, SUPER, SUPER curious at observing them from a distance. BUT it is a bit of a leap. WHAT if the Ingalls lived REALLY, REALLY, REALLY close to town and had dozens of neighbors. That's not at all the picture we see in the book series. Looking at the 1870 census MIGHT show how many were settled in that county at that time, SO perhaps it might pass historically. The neighbors. When trying to give the show the absolute fairest chance, I am choosing to look at what the show IS and put to the side the book series for the moment at least. I thought the show did a GREAT job in bringing four or five neighboring families to life. The SHOW differs from the book in that it goes beyond--way, way, way, way beyond--LAURA'S point of view. This is MULTIPLE points of view. Some episodes spend a LOT of screen time in the homes of the neighbors. These are private moments, character development moments. With the exception of the doctor (or the doctor's name) and Mr. Edwards, these are, I believe, completely fictional characters. (I could be wrong. It has been a few months since I read Pioneer Girl. Annotated notes might have revealed neighbor names. It has been about seven or eight months since reading Little House on the Prairie. So names might have been mentioned that haven't stuck.) So many episodes feature the Ingalls settling into town life. Building the church. Founder's day. Women's society meetings. I'm sure I'm forgetting some. So the focus is on Ingalls settling into a NEW community and being awesome influences for good. Pa and Ma being the voice of kindness or logic or peace or whatnot. One thing that I did love was the focus on FINANCIAL woes of the Ingalls family. I do think that the family was often in and out of trouble. Another thing I enjoyed was bringing stories of the Big Woods into conversation. Mentions of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I did NOT love how they implied something horribly, horribly, horribly DARK about Uncle George and Pa's Pa. About how PA would not be welcomed back by their families and they almost had to leave to get a new start because of something happening within the family. There were scenes that indicated something traumatic about George. I had to look up family history. Uncle George was alive and well...until 1901? 1902? 1900? So unless I'm missing something that the internet hasn't told me (when asked), the melodramatic story is fictional. I thought that for the most part the show does a good job in showing the vulnerability of Ma and Pa. Ma would have been around 30 in real life. This Ma looks a bit younger. But the relationship seems complex--that life wasn't easy and all the wonderful. That it was HARD work and UNCERTAIN work. Being married to a farmer, a hunter, someone who wanted to move, move, move. The timeline seemed a bit fuzzy in the show. Carrie (in real life) was born in August. They have her born in December. When they leave she's still a tiny, tiny, tiny thing still fitting in a picnic basket like thing. Yet the corn crops are growing and there is talk of harvesting. So I'm not sure how MANY months/years supposedly this family is supposed to have been settled in Kansas. At the very least nine months to a year. Laura and Mary. I'm not sure how much focus is on their relationship in Pioneer Girl. In the novels, Mary is SAINT. Laura is always half-jealous, half-hating Mary for being perfect saint. Mary in this adaptation is anything but saint. Laura and Mary are almost always bickering, fighting, picking on each other, giving each other the silent treatment, refusing to help each other. At one point, I think Mary even says that she HATES having Laura as a sister. So quite a bit of difference. It does seem potentially realistic to have a very human relationship as opposed to one being a saint. But it is also quite a difference from the books. Laura is SPUNKY and feisty and adventurous. That remains.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

48. Jurassic Park: The Lost World

48. The Lost World (Jurassic Park #2) Michael Crichton. 1995. 448 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars, dinosaurs]

First sentence: The late twentieth century has witnessed a remarkable growth in scientific interest in the subject of extinction.

Premise/plot: One scientist, Richard Levine, is on a mission to prove that there is a LOST WORLD of dinosaurs. He is following clues here and there--which leads him to Ian Malcolm among others. But he has no proof, just a dream, a goal, a quest. Ian is keeping the whole surviving dinosaur thing hush, hush, hush. Only those who have heard his nightmares would ever suspect that he might be keeping big secrets. Still no one--at the start--is quite sure WHERE this alleged lost world might be. When Levine appears to be completely and totally in distress--moments away from being a dinosaur's snack--Malcolm leads a team (Thorne, Sarah Harding, two kids (Arby? Kelly?) to try to find him on an island. Piecing together the clues that Levine left behind. Bringing the best (though untested) equipment. But they are not the only ones looking for the "Lost" World.

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I loved how there were fewer characters. I loved how there was more story. It seemed less gimmicky to me, perhaps. OR maybe I'm just so invested to the story that I'm stopping the overthinking enough for me to love the story completely and fully. I was less annoyed with this one as well--in terms of the "kids" in the story. Though offhand, I'm not sure how old these kids were supposed to be--well, that or in the original. I also loved that the story wasn't all dinosaurs attack people 100% of the time always and always.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

47. How a Bear Became a Book

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]

First sentences: Would you like a story? WE can make one up! But stories are about things that happen, and things have to happen to someone. So we'll need a someone--a character. Any ideas? Because characters in stories begin with ideas.

Premise/plot: How a Bear Became a Book is a behind the scene glimpse at the creation process of Winnie the Pooh. It is a PROCESS. It isn't quick. It is slow. It isn't one person had an idea and POOF a book appears. It shows that writing is a process, that illustrating is a process, that publishing is a process. That everything worth doing takes WORK and MORE WORK and EVEN MORE WORK.

My thoughts: I love the Winnie the Pooh novels. I have never outgrown my love of the bear. I enjoyed reading this story. Is it thrilling and captivating every paragraph--maybe not--especially if you are young and have a short attention span. But I really enjoyed the showing of the process.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #28

This week I read four books. (One was a Bible).

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]

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

Century of Viewing #28

1940s

• 1946 Magnificent Doll Ginger Rogers stars as Dolley Payne Todd Madison. I'm not sure how accurate this historical drama is. I'm guessing a lot of liberties were taken. But the emphasis is on the love triangle between Aaron Burr, Dolley, and James Madison. It was enjoyable enough
• 1947 It Had to Be You. WILD, wild premise. Victoria, the heroine, has jilted three grooms...and is engaged to another. She goes away for a month to prove that she is absolutely, totally serious about marrying this fourth guy. Except she dreams up a guy (dressed as an Indian of all things) who interrupts her wedding, and turns her life upside down. This magical element isn't super explained. Anyway, she realizes that HE is the conjured up grown up version of a boy she met as a party (also dressed up as an Indian). She tracks down the real boy--now a MAN--a fire man. But for some odd reason, he's not madly, madly in love with her and dreaming about her, and wanting to marry her! HE is uninterested. So she pursues him....with extremely mixed results. Her wedding to fourth guy...is still on....but will he interrupt it in real life????

1970s

• 1978 Movie Movie. George Burns opens this movie introducing the "double feature" of the olden days of thirty to forty years ago. Two 'movies' and a 'movie trailer'. "Dynamite Hands" is a boxing 'movie' that I thought was AWESOME. I loved the story and it was a great blend of satire/tribute. The writing was great fun. "Baxter's Beauties of 1933" was less enjoyable. It was a musical. It was over the top. It does remind me a lot of the 1930s musicals. I enjoyed this overall. Definitely the first movie more than the second. Each movie is about fifty minutes.

1980s

• 1982 Enigma. Martin Sheen and Sam Neill star in this cold war HOLIDAY drama. I don't know if there are other spy thrillers set during Christmas, but this one definitely is. It's also a ROMANTIC drama. If only Hallmark would expand their tropes for Christmas movies.

1990s

• 1991 Hook. I've always wanted to watch Hook because the premise sounded interesting. Plus I did enjoy reading Peter Pan--I've read it several times actually. So I thought it might be good. I wasn't prepared for how dull and lifeless it was. The premise is that Peter has grown up and forgotten he was Peter Pan. When his own children are taken by Hook, he must remember so he can save them. Sounds interesting on paper, I think, but definitely felt like it was 800 hours long.

2010s

• 2017 Lego Batman Movie Is this the *best* Batman movie? Maybe. In the same way that Galaxy Quest is the best Star Trek movie. I love, love, love this movie. It is fun. It is funny. It is quotable. This is a movie that had me at hello. Batman narrates the opening credits, and it's just SO fun.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #27

This week I reviewed four books.

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]
45. The Other Bennet Sister. Janice Hadlow. 2020. 463 pages. [Source: Review copy] [adult fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, Austen adaptation, 5 stars]
46. The Andromeda Strain. Michael Crichton. 1969. 327 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, adult science fiction, science fiction, thriller]

Century of Viewing #27

1940s

• 1941 Sunny. This movie felt like it was 18 hours long. They met during Mardis Gras. They fell in love in three minutes. He's from a rich society family. Her family is the circus. I wanted to at least like the circus-y bits. Ray Bolger is enjoyable. But even he couldn't save this one. When their wedding is called off literally because the circus performers are PERFORMING CIRCUS ACTS instead of staying seated and waiting for the ceremony to begin, it seems like this "love" story is doomed. She's mad that her future husband is mad about the circus their wedding has become. If her friends can't use the publicity of the wedding to sell tickets for shows, then there will be no wedding. Can these two sing their way back to "I do."

1950s

• 1950. Sunset Boulevard. This is SO hard to rate. On the one hand, I thought the writing and acting were of the highest, highest, highest quality. The narration was just the right dark and spooky--as the whole movie is a flashback from a corpse. I do think if he'd ever once read the book of Proverbs, there wouldn't have been much of a movie. I think it is MEMORABLE as well. I don't see myself watching it again and again and again. But I am glad I have watched it once. May watch it a few more times in my life. But if you're on the fence of if you should....give it a chance.
• 1952 Stars and Stripes Forever. Musical. Period Drama. Biopic. John Philip Sousa. It isn't a biopic of his whole life, mind you, more narrowly focusing on his composing/conducting career and the composition of Stars and Stripes Forever. Also a romance thrown in of young protoges. But from what I can deduce, these were purely fictional characters.

1970s

• 1973. Westworld. It was NOT a good vacation. I am not a fan of westerns, mind you, but I do enjoy science fiction. This one is definitely ventures into horror a bit. Josh Brolin looks SO much like Christian Bale. He's not the lead in this movie, but, I kept getting distracted.

1990s

• 1994. Star Trek: Generations Captain Kirk gets one more chance to be the ultimate HERO. This one has the original cast (a tiny, tiny, tiny bit, mainly just Captain Kirk) AND the next generation cast. Data gets ALL the emotions. AND HE SINGS about tiny little precious life forms!
• 1996. Star Trek: First Contact. With very little hesitation, First Contact is my favorite, favorite, favorite of the Star Trek movies with the Next Generation cast. I love the soundtrack, the story, the characters. LILY is all the awesome. Data has a rough time of it. But time travel is good fun.
• 1995. Jumanji. After seeing Zathura and enjoying it I decided to watch Jumanji. It was good. I liked it. It was over the top, but, good. Two kids in 1969 start playing a game.....and soon regret it. Alan vanishes into the game itself and Sarah's life is forever changed by the trauma of witnessing it AND not being believed. Peter and Judy are "present day" kids twenty-six years later who join the game in progress.
• 1996. Independence Day. I watched it last year and enjoyed it. Watched it this year and got heavy eyelids. To be fair, I might have gotten heavy eyelids no matter what I was watching. Some nights are just like that. Anyway, for the 1% that doesn't remember, this is an alien invasion action movie.
• 1998. Star Trek: Insurrection. I enjoy this one. I don't know that I love, love, love this one. It is hard to be as awesome as First Contact. But I do like the characters and the story is enjoyable enough.

2020s

• 2023. Behind Your Touch.  K-drama. Mystery/supernatural. The premise is STRANGE, strange, super-strange. The main character is a veterinarian who is touching a cow during a meteor show and gets super powers. She can SEE memories when she touches behinds. The detective soon finds her useful in helping to solve cases. BUT the show is far from light and fun. It's DARK and mysterious and just WEIRD.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

46. The Andromeda Strain

46. The Andromeda Strain. Michael Crichton. 1969. 327 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, adult science fiction, science fiction, thriller]

First sentence: A man with binoculars. That is how it began: with a man standing by the side of the road, on a crest overlooking a small Arizona town, on a winter night.

Premise/plot: In an introduction to Fahrenheit 451, speculative fiction was explained simply focusing on three statements:

What if . . . ?

If only . . .

If this goes on . . .

The Andromeda Strain explores the 'what if' aspect of if an alien organism (entity? substance? lifeform? something) made it through the atmosphere. Is that an absolutely horrendous description? Yes, yes, it is. So "Scoop" is a super secret hush hush scientific project that is purposefully seeking to "scoop" stuff from the atmosphere for study, for science, for military purposes. When the satellite? capsule? (something or other) becomes unstable in orbit and falls to earth unexpectedly, it crashes in a super small town in Arizona. The results are devastating and catastrophic--for that town. But are there implications for the whole world? Maybe. Maybe not. But Project Wildfire isn't about taking risks--intentionally. They are also super secret hush, hush, all the classified. These scientists will be studying the TWO SURVIVORS (a baby and an old man) and the capsule itself.

My thoughts: This one is extremely super science-y and technical. I skimmed those bits. It isn't so much a thriller thriller. It is dry, technical, the opposite of action-packed. I think it could have gone a different direction, BUT, it didn't. And this direction is good for the fictional world. There isn't really a "climax" just scientists doing science-y things like experiments with a few going incredibly wrong here and there.

My first Crichton was Jurassic Park. There is no comparison. This one wasn't as action-packed or interesting or entertaining.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

June Reflections

In June I read twenty-six books!!!! It may not seem like a victory, but, it is!!!

Books reviewed at Becky's Book Review

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]
42. The Midnight Library. Matt Haig. 2020. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [adult fiction, adult science fiction, fantasy]
43. The Midnight Train. Matt Haig. 2026. 296 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult speculative fiction, adult romance]
44. Jurassic Park. Michael Crichton. 1990. 466 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult science fiction, dinosaurs, action/thriller]
45. The Other Bennet Sister. Janice Hadlow. 2020. 463 pages. [Source: Review copy] [adult fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, Austen adaptation, 5 stars]


Books reviewed at Young Readers

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]
41. Henry's Picture-Perfect Day. Jenn Bailey. Illustrated by Mika Song. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, early chapter book, school, friendship]
42. Henry Upside Down. Jenn Bailey. Illustrated by Mika Song. 2026. 52 pages. [Source: Library] [early chapter book, 5 stars, school, friendship]
43. Board book: Let's Count to Ten: Animals. Priddy Books. 16 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, counting book]
44. Barnacle is Bored. Jonathan Fenske. 2016. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars]
45. Plankton is Pushy. Jonathan Fenske. 2017. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy][4 stars]
46. Peek-a-Clue: Animals at Home. Gideon Sterer. Illustrated by Marcos Farina. 2026. 38 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, board books]
47. Peek-a-Clue: Safari Animals (An Animal Guessing Game) Gideon Sterer. Illustrated by Marcos Farina. 2026. 38 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, board books]
48. Candy Corn Christmas. Jonathan Fenske. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, Christmas, Halloween]
49. A Unicorn, A Dinosaur, and a Shark Walk into a Book. Jonathan Fenske. 2023. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [picture books, animal fantasy, meta fiction]
50. Next Door There Is a Dinosaur. Saskia Gwinn. Illustrated by Leanne Coelho. 2026. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

Books reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible


13. Essentials of Reformed Systematic Theology. Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley. 2025. 1088 pages. [Source: Review copy] [4 stars, theology, Christian nonfiction]

14. The War for Middle-Earth: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933-1945. Joseph Loconte. 2025. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy] [nonfiction, world war II, literature, 4 stars]

15. Into a Golden Era (Timeless #7). Gabrielle Meyer. 2026. 384 pages. [Source: Library] [christian fiction, christian romance, series book, 3 stars]

16. The Lumber Baron's Wife. Lynn Austin. 2026. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [Christian fiction, historical fiction, dual timelines, multiple narrators, three stars]

Bibles reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible


4.5 Tyndale's New Testament. William Tyndale. Edited by David Daniell. 1996. 466 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, New Testament, Early Bible Translations]

2026 Totals

Totals for 2026
Books Read in 2026	116
Pages Read in 2026	28143
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

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Century of Viewing, June

I watched 27 things in June!!!!

5 Star Movies,

• Boss Baby
• If a Man Answers
• Limelight
• Twister
• Wonderfools
• Zathura

4 1/2 and 4 star movies,

• Timeless (season 1)
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
• The Main Event
• Akeelah and the Bee
• 13 Ghosts
• Seeking Persephone
• The Caine Mutiny
• Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
• 27 Dresses
• Gremlins
• Stars and Stripes Forever

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

45. The Other Bennet Sister

45. The Other Bennet Sister. Janice Hadlow. 2020. 463 pages. [Source: Review copy] [adult fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, Austen adaptation, 5 stars]

First sentence: It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectations, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be poor and handsome is misfortune enough; but to be penniless and plain is a hard fate indeed.

Premise/plot: The Other Bennet Sister is a spin-off of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The first bit of the book is a prequel. Readers meet Mary Bennet as a young girl. Before Mary overheard her mother talking about her unfortunate looks, her ugly plainness, she was content and happy enough to hang out with her older sisters, Jane and Elizabeth. The more self-conscious she becomes of everyone thinking she is 'different' (and really this is more her parents fault--her father ignores EVERYONE except Lizzy and her mother has no use for her at all), the more distance is created between her and her sisters. She soon finds herself seeking ONLY the companionship of books. Books--religious texts included--become her refuge. She seeks religion and philosophy and other more nonfiction-y books. Perhaps if she'd read novels she'd have still 'fit in' with her sisters.

The second bit of the novel is the first part of Pride and Prejudice seen through the eyes of Mary Bennet. Not the whole novel, mind you, but the part Mary witnessed at the start. Mary is also friends with Charlotte Lucas which does make sense. Here we see Mr. Collins through her eyes. And the DISASTROUS party where Mary is humiliated.

The third bit of the novel is by far the largest part. Readers see what happens next--a  year or two after the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice. We see what happens after the death of her father, Mr. Bennet, and how she tries and tries to find a place to settle. This was the coming of age bit of the novel. Will Mary Bennet find her happily ever after????

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved this one!!!! It was SO good. I loved her character throughout. Mary Bennet has always been misunderstood. And I loved seeing these familiar characters THROUGH her eyes. A reminder that there's more than one side to any story.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #26

This week I read three books.

50. Next Door There Is a Dinosaur. Saskia Gwinn. Illustrated by Leanne Coelho. 2026. 32 pages. [Source: Library]


4.5 Tyndale's New Testament. William Tyndale. Edited by David Daniell. 1996. 466 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, New Testament, Early Bible Translations]

16. The Lumber Baron's Wife. Lynn Austin. 2026. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [Christian fiction, historical fiction, dual timelines, multiple narrators, three stars]

Century of Viewing #26

1960s

• 1963 Take Her She's Mine. Is it my favorite Jimmy Stewart movie? No. Is it my favorite Sandra Dee movie? No. Is it still fun and worth watching? Yes. I think so! A dad regrets his daughter growing up into a "babe" and attracting all the wrong attention as she's in college. This is not the kind of movie that would be made today, but it's enjoyable.

1980s

• 1982 The Secret of NIMH. I have read the book, though it has been a while. I don't know why they had to change it to Mrs. Brisby instead of Mrs. Frisby. There may have been other changes as well....this one wasn't my favorite. I do remember liking the book.
• 1984 Gremlins. What I loved, I loved. What I didn't....well I distracted myself and tuned out. It does blend comedy with horror. It's also a Christmas movie. The rules were simple: No getting it wet, no feeding it after midnight, no bright lights. But one thing leads to another....and well chaos happens. I think a few VERY bad decisions were made. Definitely not enough overthinking going on.

1990s

• 1991. Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead. I have never seen this one. It was interesting. Yes, the premise is slightly dark. But it's such a small part that you almost almost forget about it entirely. Mainly this is a coming of age into responsibility movie. With a slight romance thrown in. I enjoyed it.

2000s

• 2002 The Rookie. This is a biopic of Jim Morris. Set in Texas. Filmed in Texas. (If wikipedia is correct). I enjoyed the relationships of this film. I am not a sporty-sport person, but I like films with character development and substance. Seeing his relationship with his own children AND his troubled relationship with his father....it was good.
• 2005 Zathura. Two brothers battle it out for a bit...but a board game might just bring them closer together....if they survive long enough to make up. Meanwhile, big sister is chilling.
• 2007 Stardust. Would I watch it a second time????? Probably not. The last thirty to forty minutes have plenty of action AND some heart. I wouldn't say the last bit was terrible--far from it. Almost enjoyable even. But this one is incredibly slow in some ways. A large cast. More small parts than big parts. Anyway, Tristan, the hero, is in lust with Victoria who's all about $$$. He promises her a falling star, but, ends up falling in love with the falling star. THREE evil witches (and perhaps other witches as well) are after the falling star. Meanwhile, the falling star is wearing a necklace that will determine the fate of a kingdom. Brothers battling it out to be the last remaining male heir to the kingdom....and they are a little too effective.
• 2008 27 Dresses. I am almost positive I saw this one when it first came out, but, it's been a while. I enjoyed this romantic comedy. It is gimmicky, but, it is almost worth it for the ending. Kate has been in twenty-seven weddings. BUT her twenty-eighth dress might just be the best of all--her own wedding dress.

2010s

• 2016 The 5th Wave. Science fiction based on a YA book. Of course there's a love triangle. And teen angst. Like Cassie caring more about a stranger (one in the love triangle) reading her journal than the actual actual alien invasion and all the personal losses to her and humanity. But there must be obstacles. I liked it well enough.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #25

This week I read nine books!!!!

44. Jurassic Park. Michael Crichton. 1990. 466 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult science fiction, dinosaurs, action/thriller]

15. Into a Golden Era (Timeless #7). Gabrielle Meyer. 2026. 384 pages. [Source: Library] [christian fiction, christian romance, series book, 3 stars]

43. Board book: Let's Count to Ten: Animals. Priddy Books. 16 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, counting book]

44. Barnacle is Bored. Jonathan Fenske. 2016. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars]

45. Plankton is Pushy. Jonathan Fenske. 2017. Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy][4 stars]

46. Peek-a-Clue: Animals at Home. Gideon Sterer. Illustrated by Marcos Farina. 2026. 38 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, board books]

47. Peek-a-Clue: Safari Animals (An Animal Guessing Game) Gideon Sterer. Illustrated by Marcos Farina. 2026. 38 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, board books]

48. Candy Corn Christmas. Jonathan Fenske. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, Christmas, Halloween]

49. A Unicorn, A Dinosaur, and a Shark Walk into a Book. Jonathan Fenske. 2023. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [picture books, animal fantasy, meta fiction]

Century of Viewing #25

1950s

• 1952. Limelight. FANTASTIC movie. Horrible movie poster. Charlie Chaplin is WONDERFUL in this movie. Anyway, basic premise: an aging, out-of-work clown saves the life of a depressed young woman, a ballerina. As he nurses her back to health, they grow closer and closer. They both make good attempts to fight for happiness and new beginnings. But when he fears he's standing in her way of making a great success, he steps down and gives into his weakness--alcohol. But she never stops believing in him....and his comeback. This one also features Buster Keaton in the last twenty or twenty-five minutes. ABSOLUTELY HAUNTING melody. I loved this one so much!!!!
• 1954. The Caine Mutiny. Despite the lack of Michael Caine (hee hee) this drama has DRAMA and then some. Set during World War II. It was EXTREMELY intense in places. When a captain fails to make decisions that could save the ship and men, several men step forward to take command....and will be put on trial for it.
• 1959. The Bat.  This one wasn't for me. Or at least it wasn't for me last night when I watched it. A mystery writer rents a big house...the neighborhood is being terrorized by "the Bat" and other things are just a bit off. But she'll use her skills as a writer to help solve the mystery....or will she???? To me it wasn't so much about her being super smart as it was her just happening to rent the house where a treasure has been hid AND witnessing a few things. And the person she thinks is "the Bat" isn't the Bat??? So again, it wasn't her being brilliant and deducing everything (were there clues for the audience to follow????) so much as the ending just happening.

1960s

• 1960. 13 Ghosts. Is it scary? No, not really. Only "scary" in a spooky, perhaps campy way. A man inherits a mansion haunted by 13 ghosts. His uncle was a ghost-hunter who collected ghosts and entrapped them. A family--dad, mom, sister, brother--is in danger though all may not realize it. The kid brother, for example, is ALL in for the thrills and chills and excitement. I enjoyed this one well enough.
• 1960. 12 to the Moon. It was a thing I watched. Twelve travel to the moon and back with more misadventures than they'd prefer. Ten men, two women. Many, many, many, many, many nations represented. A few animals as well. This one has plenty of mishaps in the plot yet rarely is truly entertaining. My favorite bits being how the hostile alien race living beneath the surface of the moon WANTED the cats to stay and the humans to go far, far, far away. It does have a couple of messages embedded in it.

1990s

• 1996. Twister. It has been thirty years, I think, give or take a few months. I'm sure this was a Blockbuster rental on VHS. It was INTENSE but good. I felt bad for Melissa who accidentally had to do the storm chasing and experience all the trauma of having so many close calls. No wonder she was relieved to let him go!!!! This one had a LARGE cast of characters that felt right. And more than a few memorable scenes.

2020s

• 2026. Seeking Persephone. Four episode mini-series, period drama. I hadn't really held out any hope of watching this one, but I saw it streaming free on Roku (don't know how long it will be free) and knew I needed to make time for it. Based on Sarah M. Eden's book, I wanted to love, love, love, love it. And I do love the idea of it!!!!! And the fact that a book by an author I've enjoyed in the past has had a book adapted!!!! A CLEAN period drama at that. This could potentially open up doors for others to be made in the future perhaps. I hope. I love the setting. I love the costumes. I love the trope of marriage of convenience. I should have loved the "Beauty and the Beast" or Persephone and Hades connection, but, honestly that was my least favorite bit. BUT I do love quite a few things about this one. I just found the whole "terrified of wolves" and "chased by a wolf pack" thing a bit odd. I mean the whole success of their marriage almost leans on this fear of wolves.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

44. Jurassic Park

44. Jurassic Park. Michael Crichton. 1990. 466 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult science fiction, dinosaurs, action/thriller]

First sentence: The tropical rain fell in drenching sheets, hammering the corrugated roof of the clinic building, roaring down the metal gutters, splashing on the ground in a torrent.

Premise/plot: Is there anyone who doesn't know the premise of Jurassic Park?????? Even if you've never actually actually seen the movie, Jurassic Park???? There are companies--individuals--playing God, if you will, who have brought "back" dinosaurs from extinction filling in the blanks as they see fit. But perhaps with not enough caution. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do something.

There are many, many, many characters. But essentially the book is mainly about what happens when visitors come to the park ahead of the opening--that is still in the future (or is it???). They are there to "see" what has been done....so far.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved this book!!!! I think it is SO much better than the movie. I really got swept up in the story!!!! And I loved how much more substantive the book is--in terms of both characterization and plot. Life finds a way indeed!


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Week in Review #24

This week I read five books!

42. The Midnight Library. Matt Haig. 2020. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [adult fiction, adult science fiction, fantasy]
43. The Midnight Train. Matt Haig. 2026. 296 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult speculative fiction, adult romance]
41. Henry's Picture-Perfect Day. Jenn Bailey. Illustrated by Mika Song. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, early chapter book, school, friendship]
42. Henry Upside Down. Jenn Bailey. Illustrated by Mika Song. 2026. 52 pages. [Source: Library] [early chapter book, 5 stars, school, friendship]

The War for Middle-Earth: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933-1945. Joseph Loconte. 2025. 288 pages. [Source: Review copy] [nonfiction, world war II, literature, 4 stars]

Century of Viewing #24

1960s

• 1962 If A Man Answers. One of my favorite movies growing up. I love, love, love Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin. This romantic comedy has a lot going on but a very happy ending!

2000s

• 2006 Akeelah and the Bee. Akeelah and the Bee. It was good. I enjoyed it for the most part. Some of the characters were a bit abrasive....but all in all, I am glad I watched it. THIS does finish out my 2000s decade for which I am very thankful. And it was a new-to-me movie. So the story: Akeelah is not doing great at school and her home life is questionable....but she can spell. And her talent is recognized and she enters the world of spelling bees.

2010s

• 2011 Atlas Shrugged, Part 1. I have not read the book. I could see how the book written in 1957 was "sci-fi" in that it was set in the future and a bit dystopian. It was harder to sell as sci-fi in the movie adaptation. It is "set" in 2016 but the movie is from 2011. True, it's not our 2016. This would be more of an alternate reality 2016 where train travel is everything and commercial air lines are nonexistent. It is very economic/political battle of ideas movie. It was okay. I didn't like it much, but, it wasn't horrible.
• 2017 Boss Baby. This movie is SO enjoyable. I love, love, love all the feels at the end!!!!! That letter is something so sweet!!!! There were many details that I just loved. Tim is a reluctant big brother, but, he learns all about love in this comedy where his new brother is THE boss baby.
• 2019 Men in Black: International. Would I be as disappointed in this one if I didn't love the first three so much????? Probably not. The third MIB is one of my favorite, favorite all-time movies. This one is decent enough I suppose. It grew on me as I watched it, but, merely from bored to vaguely entertained.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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