Becky's Book Reviews: Week in Review #9

Friday, February 27, 2026

This week I read six books.

I finished listening to Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. It was almost fifty hours, BUT, it was a wonderful narration.

I read The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch.

I read the Caldecott Medal winner, Fireworks by Matthew Burgess.

I read three books by Dr. Seuss: Great Day for Up, Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog, and I Wish That I Had Duck Feet.

Century of Viewing #9

1970s

1979 Meteor I enjoyed this one less than the movie Impact. In order to 'save the world' two hostile countries will have to work together to destroy the meteor before it hits. Natalie Wood plays a Russian interpreter. Which was...interesting. The movie had more action that Impact. But less character development--in my opinion. THOUGH the impact of the splinters...was impactful.

1980s

1987 Spaceballs It was my first time seeing this comedy or parody. There were things I definitely liked and found funny. There were things I definitely did not like. That's the way of jokes, I suppose. I am glad I watched it. And perhaps just in time because supposedly Spaceballs 2 is a thing that's coming out in 2027?

2000s

2009 Impact According to wikipedia, this disaster miniseries was broadcast on Valentine's Day. That makes some amount of sense. There's definitely some 'disaster' to be problem-solved, but there's also plenty of human drama. I think that's what makes the impact, if you will. James Cromwell plays a grandfather and his scenes with his son-in-law and grandchildren are SOMETHING. This miniseries hits all the emotional feels. It is perhaps less successful as a disaster movie because of it. The gimmick being oh-no-look-at-what-happened-to-the-moon and now gravity is lost and cars can float. But if one sets some of that to the side, the characterization might save it a bit.

2010s

2015 Jurassic World I do have thoughts. BUT dinosaurs. I think characters that secretly-not-so-secretly hate kids must be integral to the franchise as the dinosaurs. But it was action-packed. I rated it 4 stars.