Becky's Book Reviews

Tuesday, April 01, 2025

34. Dead Happy

Dead Happy (HappyHead #2) Josh Silver. 2024. [May] 416 pages. [Source: Library] [YA fiction, YA dystopia, 3 stars]

First sentence: I used to like video games.

Premise/plot: Dead Happy is the sequel to HappyHead. Seb (Sebastian) and Eleanor are a 'couple' heading to the second phase of Happy Head, Elmhallow. Their 'relationship' is mutually convenient. They need to be a couple to succeed in the program, and perhaps even to survive long enough to escape the program. However, pretending 24/7 may prove challenging--especially for Seb. There are five couples--ten individuals--and they all want to win the competition no matter the cost.

How far will anyone go to 'win' when winning means going against everything you've ever believed to be right?

My thoughts: I'm conflicted. On the one hand, it was a compelling read. It was. I came into the story on the hooked side of things because of the first book. On the other hand, I'm just not sure the second book is *as* good as the first. It doesn't need to be. It doesn't. It felt like ONE book divided into two. There was less world-building and less suspense, in my opinion, than in the first book. The first book had more of a surprise factor, I suppose? That being said, I definitely cared enough to keep reading to find out what happened next....

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Century of Viewing, Month Three

In March, apparently, I only watched fifty-eight "things." Does that feel right? No. Not really. But I did have a cold at one point, and, I've been distracting myself by watching Buster Keaton themed music videos. (I may do a "top ten" list at some point). And I have been preparing to follow the second Karen Read trial--which starts in April. So that's a lot of legal videos on YouTube.

Sixteen were five-star movies. Some of these I watched multiple times throughout the month. A few of the movies I watched this month were LONG movies. I want to say at least two of them were three hours. Quite a few of these were MUSICALS.

March 5 Star movies:

The General (1926) Buster Keaton
Seven Chances (1925) Buster Keaton
South Pacific (1958)
13 Going on 30 (2004)
The Great Dictator (1940)
You Can't Run Away From It (1956)
What About Bob? (1991)
Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow (1987)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
The Blacksmith (1922) Buster Keaton
Calamity Jane (1953)
Twilight Zone: Once Upon a Time, season 3, episode 13 (I believe) Buster Keaton (1961)
The Matrix (1999)
Sherlock Jr. (1924) Buster Keaton
The Cameraman (1928) Buster Keaton
My Best Girl (1927)

March's 4 stars and 4 1/2 stars:

College (1927) Buster Keaton
High Sign (1921) Buster Keaton
The Boat (1921) Buster Keaton
Allez Oop (1934) Buster Keaton
The Wedding Singer (1998)
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Miss Congeniality (2000)
When In Rome (2010)
Man of La Mancha (1972)
Ladyhawke (1985)
On Moonlight Bay (1951)
The Haunted House (1921) Buster Keaton
The Cook (1918) Buster Keaton
Suspense (1913)
Iron Man (2008)
Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
Doughboys (1930)
Free and Easy (1930)

March Reflections

In March, I read thirty-four books. Seventeen, I believe, were five-star reads. I read some AMAZING books. I also read my first one-star read of the year.

Books reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

21. Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century. Dana Stevens. 2022. 447 pages. [Source: Library] [nonfiction, biography, history, culture] [3 stars]

22. The Secret of Honeycake. Kimberly Newton Fusco. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [j historical fiction, j fiction] [5 stars]

23. Happy Town. Greg Van Eekhout. 2024. [October 22] 208 pages. [Source: Library] [j fiction, mg fiction, j dystopia; mg dystopia, speculative fiction; 4 stars]

24. The Rose Bargain. Sasha Peyton Smith. 2025. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Fiction, YA Fantasy, YA Horror, YA Romance] [3 stars]

25. Daughters of Shandong. Eve J. Chung. 2024. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [adult historical fiction, coming of age, refugees, adult fiction] [4 stars]

26. To Say Nothing of the Dog. (Oxford Time Travel #2) Connie Willis. 1998. 512 pages. [Source: Bought]

27. One Wrong Step. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2025. 336 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, mg historical, mg action, mg survival, mg fiction]

28. Famous Last Words. Gillian McAllister. 2025. 336 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]

29. Martian Chronicles. Ray Bradbury. HarperCollins. 1997 edition. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, science fiction, speculative fiction, classic, short stories]

30. All Better Now. Neal Shusterman. 2025. 528 pages. [Source: Library] [1 star, YA fiction]

31. How Sweet the Sound: A Soundtrack for America. Kwame Alexander. Illustrated by Charly Palmer. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, nonfiction, picture book for older readers, poetry, history]

32. HappyHead. Josh Silver. 2023. 383 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, YA dystopia, YA fiction]

33. Sunrise on the Reaping. Suzanne Collins. 2025. 382 pages. [Source: Library] [audio book!] [4 stars, YA dystopia, YA thriller, YA fiction, series book]

Books reviewed at Young Readers

21. George Washington's Spectacular Spectacles. Selene Castrovilla. Illustrated by Jenn Harney. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book biography, history, j nonfiction]
22. Lone Wolf Gets a Pet. Kiah Thomas. Illustrated by K-fai Steele. 2024. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, early chapter book, humor, animal fantasy]
23. Bruce Saves the Planet. (Mother Bruce series). Ryan T. Higgins. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, series book, 3 stars]
24. Hi, Cat. Bye, Cat. Jade Orlando. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars] [board books, cats]
25. Squash the Cat: Stuck in the Middle. Sasha Mayer. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, cats, jealousy, toys, picture book]

26. I Have Three Cats. Michelle Sumovich. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, cats, pets, 3 stars]
27. How To Make a Bedtime. Meg McKinlay. Illustrated by Karen Blair. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, bedtime books]
28. The Baby Who Stayed Away Forever. Sandra Salsbury. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, bedtime book, humor, family, 5 stars]

29. Bouncing Bunnies! Fiz Osborne. Illustrated by Tim Budgen. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book]
30. Will the Pigeon Graduate? Mo Willems. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture book, gift book, inspirational, humor]

Books reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

20. A Promise to Love. Serena B. Miller. 2012. Revell. 332 pages. [Source: Bought]
21. Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow. R.C. Sproul. 2002/2008. Reformation Trust. 135 pages. [Source: Free Download? Bought?]
22. How Can I Begin to Teach the Bible (9Marks) (Church Questions) David Helm. 2024. 64 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars
]23. A Book of Comfort for Those In Sickness. Philip Bennett Power. 1876/2018. Banner of Truth. 97 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars]
24. The Wages of Cinema: A Christian Aesthetic of Film in Conversation with Dorothy L. Sayers. Crystal L. Downing. 2025. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy] [philosophy, film history, biography; 3 stars]25. Sing!: How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church. Keith and Kristyn Getty. 2017. B&H Books. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]
26. 8 Bible Stories for Early Readers (Adventure Bible) Illustrations by David Miles. 2025. Zondervan. 248 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]
27. Praying the Bible. Donald S. Whitney. 2015. Crossway. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]
28. Remember Heaven: Meditations on the World to Come for Life in The Meantime. Matthew McCullough. 2025. [May] 176 pages. [Source: Review copy] [christian living, christian nonfiction, 5 stars]
29. The Big Picture Story Bible. David R. Helm. Illustrated by Gail Schoonmaker. 2004. Crossway Books. 451 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars]

Bibles reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

2. The Holy Bible, 1611 Edition, King James Version, 400th Anniversary, Hendrickson Publishers. 1611/2003. God. 1536 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars]

2025 Totals

2025 Totals
Books read in 2025	94
Pages read in 2025	20,397

January 2025
Books read in January	30
Pages read in January	7,020
February 2025
Books read in February	30
Pages read in February	4,782
March 2025
Books read in March	34
Pages read in March	8,595

Saturday, March 29, 2025

Week in Review #13

This week I read ten books!

29. Martian Chronicles. Ray Bradbury. HarperCollins. 1997 edition. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, science fiction, speculative fiction, classic, short stories]

Read this if...

You love science fiction
You love short stories
You love The Twilight Zone

30. All Better Now. Neal Shusterman. 2025. 528 pages. [Source: Library] [1 star, YA fiction]

Read this if....

You like to read boring stories with insufferable characters
You haven't spent enough brain cells thinking about COVID and pandemics

Read this if...

You want to get a big picture overview of the history of Black music
You enjoy poetry

32. HappyHead. Josh Silver. 2023. 383 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, YA dystopia, YA fiction]

Read this if...

You enjoy dystopias [this one is a queer dystopia]
You enjoy thought-provoking what-ifs [this one is about a monstrous mental health treatment center]

33. Sunrise on the Reaping. Suzanne Collins. 2025. 382 pages. [Source: Library] [audio book!] [4 stars, YA dystopia, YA thriller, YA fiction, series book]

Read this if...

You are a fan of the Hunger Games book series
You are a fan of the Hunger Games movie franchise
You don't require any happiness or hope in your fiction

29. Bouncing Bunnies! Fiz Osborne. Illustrated by Tim Budgen. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book]

Read this if...

You like stories with bunnies
You don't mind your rhymes a little forced

30. Will the Pigeon Graduate? Mo Willems. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture book, gift book, inspirational, humor]

Read this if...

You grew up with Mo Willems' Pigeon series
You are looking for a replacement to Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss

27. Praying the Bible. Donald S. Whitney. 2015. Crossway. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Read this if...

You want/need help with your prayer life
You want to learn to pray the book of Psalms

28. Remember Heaven: Meditations on the World to Come for Life in The Meantime. Matthew McCullough. 2025. [May] 176 pages. [Source: Review copy] [christian living, christian nonfiction, 5 stars]

Read this if...

You need encouragement and hope
You are a Christian. I do think everyone will benefit from this one.

29. The Big Picture Story Bible. David R. Helm. Illustrated by Gail Schoonmaker. 2004. Crossway Books. 451 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars]

Read this if...

You enjoy bible story books
You want an overview of the gospel
You want to share the Bible with little ones

Century of Viewing Week #13

1910s

1918 The Cook Roscoe Arbuckle plays The Cook while his sidekick, Buster Keaton, plays a waiter. The restaurant may not pass inspection, however, guests may have a blast watching everything unfold. This short is essentially in three parts. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT AT LEAST THREE PERHAPS FOUR minutes of film are missing from this silent film. The first part features an open restaurant and an extremely viral dance sequence. The second part features a closed restaurant--as the staff relaxes to eat SPAGHETTI together. Each has their own unique way to eat these tricky long noodles. The third part sees the staff relaxing once again--mainly Buster and Roscoe and the girl. [I can't remember which Alice it is...since many of their shorts feature one or more Alices.] The short also features Al St. John as a burglar who ends up getting chased relentless by the scene-stealer, LUKE THE DOG. This is a JOYOUS, delightful short. I love, love, love, love, love the first two sections. I do wish we had the full film. I am EXTREMELY thankful that the film was recovered at all. It was thought to be completely LOST for decades. I do think the viral clips of Buster Keaton DANCING and eating spaghetti have probably helped to contribute to his appeal to the YT generation.

1920s

1921 High Sign is 100% silly and delightful and just zany fun. I adore it. I do. Buster Keaton plays HIT MAN and BODY GUARD. I don't think he meant to be either. He's an absolute terrible shot. [Al St. John guest stars in this one and is his accidental 'target.'] It all starts with him looking in the HELP WANTED section of the newspaper. He answers an ad and goes to see "Tiny Tim" at a shooting gallery. Highly recommend this silly short. It was the first of Buster Keaton's independent works to be filmed (in 1920), but, not the first to be released. He decided to release ONE WEEK first. It wouldn't be until the next year (1921) that he would release it.
1921 The Haunted House is again SUPER SILLY and enjoyable. Buster Keaton plays a bank teller. A beautiful woman persuades him to bend the rules just a little--as to when the vault could be opened. His day goes down hill from there....as not everyone in this town is honest...and Buster Keaton gets a little STUCK in an ooey-gluey mess....literally. He soon finds himself on the run and heading straight for the counterfeiter's hangout--a "Haunted" House. It's a hoot. At one point Buster finds himself sitting in a chair that is "alive." Anyway, again this one is super silly and fun. There are ghosts and skeletons and thieves.
1924 Sherlock Jr. Is Sherlock Jr. the perfectly perfect Buster Keaton movie? Probably. Definitely. Almost yes. I don't know why it took me so long to see it a second time. This was the first Buster Keaton movie I saw (January 3, 1925). It has stunts/gags; it has romance; it is surreal (movie within a movie); it has chases and explosions; it is funny; it is sweet. This was the film where Buster Keaton broke his neck....literally....and kept right on filming except for an afternoon break. He went to a friend's house for a DRINK [remember Prohibition was going strong] to help him get over his strange headache. I love, love, love the shy-timid-awkward character "Projectionist." I also love the bold, confident, dashing detective Sherlock Jr. I love the framework--putting all the surreal elements in the dream/movie sequence. (He dreams himself into the movie he's projecting.) The characterization is fun for both--but especially the dream sequence. The romance is sweetest in the real world, however. I love, love, love, love the ending.
1926 The General. Is The General Buster Keaton's best work? So hard to answer. I think it was definitely what he was PROUDEST of. As for me, I absolutely LOVE AND ADORE every single second of this action-drama-comedy-romance. There's not a single emotion that goes unexplored in this film. Johnnie Gray loves two things absolutely--his engine "The General" and his girl, Annabelle. When the enemy steals them both--though one quite by accident--what is a guy to do except steal them back! This one is set during the early years of the Civil War. I was able to see it six times in March.
1927 My Best Girl. Mary Pickford and Charles "Buddy" Rogers star in this romantic comedy. A shop girl falls--accidentally--in love with the store owner's son. He is "working his way up in the company from the ground up". He is using a different name, however. She can't help falling for him, and, it's mutual. The problem? He's technically engaged to someone else. (Someone who gets very little screen time.) Will these two overcome the obstacles in their path? This one has just enough slapstick to make me think that it is in fact a comedy too. Her parents are a HOOT. (Maggie and Joe are the character names.) These two would go on to marry in the 1930s. Charles "Buddy" Rogers is adorable. It was nice to see him in a comedy instead of a drama; the only other movie I've seen of his is WINGS (also from 1927).
1928 The Cameraman is perhaps Buster Keaton's most conventional ROMANTIC COMEDY. He falls hard and fast for a secretary (Sally) who works at a news station. She is the one who gives out tips to the camera men, those news journalists who go out and film stories and get footage of all the best stories. He has no experience as a cameraman, however, he'll do anything to be a part of her world. So he sells his camera--not a video camera--and sets out to be a cameraman. Meanwhile, he's wooing her. And SHE is smitten. Their date--from beginning to end--is MEMORABLE I tell you. However, obstacles persist as her favoring him--though inexperienced--might mean they miss out on the footage they need to give them a big story. Can he come through when it matters most? This film is GIDDY-MAKING. I believe it is missing a few minutes of footage as well.

1930s

1930 Doughboys is a Buster Keaton "talkie." He plays a rich man, Elmer, who accidentally finds himself enlisting in the U.S. Army during World War I. He thinks that he is entering an employment agency. His chauffeur quit unexpectedly and he's literally wanting someone to drive him home! He finds out a little too late that he's joined the army and there's no backing out of that commitment. For better or worse, however, he finds the girl he's interested in--Mary--is also there to entertain the troops. There are misadventures and misunderstandings...plenty of obstacles....this one had its moments. Some very memorable scenes. The ending was all kinds of STRANGE. I still haven't made sense of it.
1930 Free and Easy is another Buster Keaton "talkie." I believe it was his first talkie. He plays Elvira's agent. Elvira, the woman Buster madly loves, is being compelled by her overbearing, pushy mother to go to Hollywood to make it in the movies. Elvira falls (boo, hiss, boo, hiss) for a no-good Hollywood actor. She forgives him for trying to seduce her (lying to get her to go to his place where he's making all these proclamations with only one thing in mind; it is only her persistent tears and protests and ELMER bursting in the room with her mother that ends the situation.) HOW she could pick him over Buster's character is unfathomable. I suppose realistic. Only in that I think people make poor decisions all the time. PLUS there are plenty of times where love is just simply unrequited. His deep, true, pure love goes unrecognized and unappreciated. He loves her enough to let her go because her happiness is all that has ever mattered to him. As I said the first time around, the tears can be tasted. He may have personally hated being dressed up as a literal clown in this movie, but, his acting is SPOT ON. I mean he sells it. He does. I think this movie suffers for several things. First, I think there are scenes that could be cut. This is a movie about making movies. So it features lots of scenes from fake movies. This is fine in small doses. It is. Even humorous. Second, I think I would love it MORE if Elmer got the girl. But I will say this as a HUGE BONUS. Seeing BUSTER SING AND DANCE was wonderful. He could sing. He could dance. He could act. If the studio had valued him at all....oh the movies that could have been....should have been made.

1950s

1951 On Moonlight Bay Gordon MacRae and Doris Day star in this musical set in 1917/1918. It is a charming--dare I say quaint--family drama. The Winfield family has just moved...and their oldest, Marjorie, finds herself ready to give up baseball for boys...one boy in particular. A college man, William Sherman. The problem? He doesn't exactly "believe" in the institution of marriage. Her father does NOT approve of this 'wild' man. But her heart belongs to him and no one else. The sequel is BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON (which I watched in February).

1960s

1961 Twilight Zone: Once Upon a Time. Buster Keaton guest stars on The Twilight Zone. There is a framework to the story. The framework is an 1890s 'silent movie' story. Woodrow Mulligan is a bit cranky/grumpy about how life is unfolding. He is a janitor and his employers just happen to have invented a TIME MACHINE HELMET. He puts it on and goes to the future--the 1960s. There he realizes how good he had it. EVERYTHING is noisier, more crowded, more expensive. Just overwhelming. But his time machine breaks....can he get it fixed and return to the 'good old days'? I loved, loved, loved this one so much. It was wonderful. It was hilarious. The intertitle cards were a HOOT. I loved that Buster Keaton REUSED A SKIT FROM THE GARAGE which he had originally done with Roscoe Arbuckle. I loved that there are cop interactions in both.

1990s

1999 The Matrix is a Keanu Reeves science fiction movie. Obviously one I've seen numerous times before. I can't imagine anyone not being familiar enough with the basic premise. If memory serves I love the first film the best and it goes downhill from there? I think??? I will probably try to finish the series at some point this year. Probably. Maybe.

Thursday, March 27, 2025

33. Sunrise on the Reaping

33. Sunrise on the Reaping. Suzanne Collins. 2025. 382 pages. [Source: Library] [audio book!] [4 stars, YA dystopia, YA thriller, YA fiction, series book]

First sentence: "Happy birthday, Haymitch!" The upside of being born on reaping day is that you can sleep late on your birthday.

My thoughts (preview): Is Sunrise on the Reaping a necessary addition to the Hunger Games series? Maybe. Maybe not. Readers will most likely come to the book knowing both a) how Haymitch's story ends (as revealed in the Hunger Games book series) and b) Haymitch's Hunger Games story (the 50th Hunger Games). At the very, very, very least they will know Haymitch was the victor for Twelve during his year. There remains no way to keep suspense in the story.

Premise/plot: Readers who have [long] been fans of the Hunger Games will get Haymitch's backstory in greater depth. There are plenty of details to be filled in that haven't been revealed already.

My thoughts: I am SO CONFLICTED.

On the one hand, this is set roughly twenty-five (twenty-four) years before the first Hunger Games book. Readers catch glimpses of what life was like in Twelve when Haymitch was a teen. They get to know him before he'd touched a drop of alcohol. Readers see how life in the Capital is as well. MAGS. MAGS. MAGS. (You might say I was thrilled to get to see Mags again). Readers also meet a VERY young Effie Trinket. Another familiar character is PLUTARCH and, of course, President Snow.

On the other hand, there is something futile and hopeless about Sunrise on the Reaping. There is no suspense. EVERYTHING we know about Haymitch in the "present" (aka Hunger Games trilogy) leaves no doubt that the book cover-to-cover will be futile, meaningless, hopeless. No possibility for a smidgen of happiness or peace.

The plot itself is BRUTAL, brutal, more brutal, all bleak all the way.

There are no surprises. I mentioned twice now how the book lacks suspense. I think this is the nature of the Games. ALL the books that feature Hunger Games are going to follow a set pattern, formula, rigidity. There is nothing new under the sun. What allows for more unique storytelling is before and after. And again, readers know how the story is going to end--Haymitch bitter, angry, disturbed, apathetic, drunk, a waste. But what the book does is strip away the possibility of a happier Haymitch AFTER the third book. Perhaps this is because this is something the movie gives him that the book never intended? Perhaps this is Suzanne Collins way of saying IGNORE THE MOVIES, Haymitch is *mine*.

Several things to note: FIRST it seems that there is nothing new under the sun. I wouldn't be surprised if every year of the Games there's a few kids [at least] who try to rebel against the system and break the games and make a stand and whatnot. Katniss was not the first. Just the last.

Second, the book's greatest strength will be in CHARACTERS and RELATIONSHIPS. Readers know that the game will be brutal, bloody, bleak, ugly, horrific, psychologically damaging, twisted. But it is in how the main character is in relationship with others in the arena that matters.