Week in Review #7

This week I read eight books.

The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz is Christian historical romance set during the American Revolution.

Searching for Mr. Johnson's Song by Ariel Vanece is a children's picture book about a young boy seeking to comfort and encourage his neighbor, Mr. Johnson, by helping him remember the lyrics to a song he forgot.

All the Blue Skies by Renee Watson won the Newbery Medal, but did it win my heart???? Not so much. But if you are looking for a book weighted down by ultimate sadness do seek it out.

Jella Lepman and Her Library of Dreams by Katherine Paterson was a bit overwhelming but extremely fascinating. I felt each page was SO packed with information I'm still processing it all.

If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine was a thrift find I loved.

Through the Telescope by Charles R. Smith, Snowshoe Kate and the Hospital Built for Pennies by Margi Preus, and That Swingin' Sound: The Musical Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong by Rekha S. Rajan are all picture book biographies.

Century of Viewing #7

1950s

• 1953 Call Me Madam. This was my first time seeing the musical Call Me Madam. It has both Vera-Ellen AND Donald O'Connor. Though neither in the lead roles. Mrs. Sally Adams is appointed ambassador to a foreign country--her only qualifications being connections in D.C. and her 'charms.' (Her charms must include singing and dancing). She takes her attache (played by Donald O'Connor) with her. They fall in love with some higher-ups in the foreign country, but, things are complicated overseas. Can she sing and dance her way out of trouble?
• 1959/1960 "There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone."
  I love, love, love, love the Twilight Zone. There were thirty-six episodes in the first season.

  My favorite episodes this season were:

  "Time Enough at Last"

  "One for the Angels"

  "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street"

  "The Fever"

  "Perchance to Dream"

  "Judgment Night"

  "The After Hours"

1990s

• 1995. A quirky comedy (period drama) with an extremely flimsy romance. But the soundtrack is fabulous. The accents are fun. I liked it. So a Welsh "mountain" is judged to be a mere "hill" and the villagers come together to make their hill a mountain....and Hugh Grant falls in insta love with one of the villagers. Or maybe she falls in insta love with him. Not the best plotted romance for sure. And while listed as a comedy, it's the premise that is comedic AND not the story itself. It has more drama than comedy.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews