Becky's Book Reviews

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

July Reflections

In July, I read eighteen books!

Books reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

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

47. How a Bear Became a Book: The Collaboration That Created Winnie-The-Pooh. Annette Bay Pimentel. Illustrated by Faith Pray. 2026. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, nonfiction, history, picture book]

48. The Lost World (Jurassic Park #2) Michael Crichton. 1995. 448 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars, dinosaurs]
49. Rainbow Valley. L.M. Montgomery. 1919. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, series book, children's classic]

Books reviewed at Young Readers

51. Rebecca the White House Raccoon. April Genevieve Tucholke. Illustrated by Dave Szalay. 2026. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, based on a true story]
52. Zathura. Chris Van Allsburg. 2002. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book, fantasy]
53. Fox Catches a Wave. Corey R. Tabor. 2026. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, I Can Read Book, early readers]

54. Cat's New Book. Nathalie Belhassen. 2026. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture books, cats, friends]

55. Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb. Al Perkins. 1969. Random House. 36 pages. [Source: Bought]
56. Jumanji. Chris Van Allsburg. 1981. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, fantasy, 3 stars]
57. The Biggest Cat in the Book. Ben Lerwill. Illustrated by Mark Chambers. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book]

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

Books reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

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

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

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

Bibles reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

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

Totals for 2026

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

Century of Viewing, July

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

July's 5 star movies

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

July's 4 1/2 and 4 star movies

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

My top ten so far for this year:

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

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday, July 26, 2026

49. Rainbow Valley

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

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

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

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

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

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Saturday, July 25, 2026

Week in Review #30

This week I read two books.

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

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

Century of Viewing #30

1950s

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

1960s

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

1970s

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

1980s

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

1990s

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

2000s

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

2010s

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

2020s

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

Friday, July 17, 2026

Week In Review #29

This week I read EIGHT books.

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.