Sunday Salon: Week In Review #51

Merry Christmas!!!!

Reviews at Becky's Book Reviews:

I Am Half Sick of Shadows. Alan Bradley. 2011. Random House. 300 pages.
Busman's Honeymoon. Dorothy L. Sayers. 1937. HarperCollins. 403 pages.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett. 2009. Thorndike Press. 722 pages.
All These Things I've Done. Gabrielle Zevin. 2011. FSG. 354 pages.
Eve. Anna Carey. 2011. HarperCollins. 322 pages.
Hound Dog True. Linda Urban. 2011. Harcourt. 152 pages. 
The Secret History of Tom Trueheart. Ian Beck. 2006. HarperCollins. 345 pages.

Reviews at Operation Actually Read Bible:

God With Us: Divine Condescension And the Attributes of God. K. Scott Oliphint. 2011. Crossway. 303 pages.
The Merchant's Daughter. Melanie Dickerson. 2011. Zondervan. 285 pages.


Reviews at Young Readers:

Clementine and the Family Meeting. Sara Pennypacker. Illustrations by Marla Frazee. 2011. Hyperion. 164 pages.
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances. Lenore Look. 2011. Random House. 198 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week In Review #50

This week I reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews:

Gideon The Catpurse. Linda Buckley-Archer. 2006. Simon & Schuster. 405 pages.
Hercule Poirot's Christmas. Agatha Christie. 1938/1939. Black Dog & Leventhal. 272 pages.
Doomsday Book. Connie Willis. 1992. Random House. 592 pages.

At Young Readers, I reviewed:


Clementine and the Family Meeting. Sara Pennypacker. Illustrations by Marla Frazee. 2011. Hyperion. 164 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week in Review #49

What I reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews:

The Nine Tailors. Dorothy L. Sayers. 1934. 312 pages.
The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir. Ken Harmon. 2010. Penguin. 275 pages.
The Return of the King. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1955/1965. Houghton Mifflin. 311 pages.

What I reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible:

The Mercy. Beverly Lewis. 2011. Bethany House. 310 pages.
My First Read and Learn Countdown to Christmas. Dr. Mary Manz Simon. Illustrated by Siobhan Harrison. 2009. Scholastic.


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week in Review #48

This week at Becky's Book Reviews:

Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte. 1847.  300 pages.
The Death Cure. James Dashner. 2011. Random House. 324 pages.
A Shilling for Candles. Josephine Tey. 1936. 240 pages. 

And just in case you missed this little announcement, I am hoping to have people join me in reading OR rereading Connie Willis' Doomsday Book this December! Here is how I described the book in my first review:

It was incredibly compelling. It was intense, emotional, and impossible to put down. The writing was as great as I expected. Willis does a wonderful job with her characters. They feel very real--very human. The setting--the world building--is also amazing. She does a great job building the past--the fourteenth century--and the "present" which is a time-traveling future. (The story alternates between past and present.) She blends mystery, science fiction, and historical fiction--and blends them well!

 

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week In Review #47

What I Reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews:

Christmas in Harmony. Philip Gulley. 2002. HarperCollins. 96 pages.
A Very Babymouse Christmas. Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm. 2011. Random House.
The Two Towers. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1954/1965. Houghton Mifflin. 352 pages.

What I Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible:

Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian. 2011. Crossway Books. 220 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week In Review #46

Reviews from Becky's Book Reviews

The Sunne in Splendour: "A fascinating portrait of the controversial King Richard III--a monarch betrayed in life by his allies and betrayed in death by history." by Sharon Kay Penman. 1982. 944 pages.
Murder Must Advertise. Dorothy L. Sayers. 1933. Harper & Row. 323 pages.
The Fellowship of the Ring. J.R.R. Tolkien. 1954/1965. Houghton Mifflin. 423 pages.

Reviews from Operation Actually Read Bible  

Going Deep. Gordon MacDonald. 2011. Thomas Nelson. 383 pages.
The Names of God Bible. General Editor: Ann Spangler. Translation: God's Word. (Though that translation is considerably modified especially in the Old Testament.) 2011. Revell. 1730 pages. (I read Genesis, Ruth, Isaiah, and Revelation.)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week In Review #45

What I Reviewed At Becky's Book Reviews:

The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2). Rick Riordan. 2011. Hyperion. 525 pages.
I'll Be There. Holly Goldberg Sloan. 2011. Little, Brown. 392 pages.
Sparrow Road. Sheila O'Connor. 2011. Penguin. 246 pages.

What I Reviewed At Young Readers:

Llama Llama Home With Mama. Anna Dewdney. 2011. Penguin. 40 pages.
Mary Poppins Comes Back. P.L. Travers. 1935. Harcourt. 315 pages.

What I Reviewed At Operation Actually Read Bible:

 Ten Lies About God And How You Might Already Be Deceived. Erwin Lutzer. 2000. Thomas Nelson. 238 pages. (Newly reprinted as paperback by Kregel publications in January 2009).


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week In Review #44

What I Reviewed At Becky's Book Reviews

Dumb Witness. Agatha Christie. 1937. HarperCollins. 320 pages.
Alice I Have Been. Melanie Benjamin. 2009. Random House. 352 pages.
Lucky for Good. Susan Patron. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 210 pages.

What I Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

Hope Underground. Carolos Parra Diaz. As told to Mario Veloso & Jeanette Windle. 2011. Imago Dei Books. 191 pages.

What I Reviewed at Young Readers 

Happy Pig Day. An Elephant & Piggie Book. Mo Willems. 2011. Hyperion. 64 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week In Review #43

What I Reviewed At Becky's Book Reviews

Frankenstein. Mary Shelley. 1818. Oxford World's Classics. 250 pages. 
The Wikkeling. Steven Arntson. Illustrated by Daniela J. Terrazzini. 2011. Running Kids Press. 235 pages.
Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow. James Rollins. 2009. HarperCollins. 400 pages.
Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx. James Rollins. 2011. HarperCollins. 370 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week in Review #42

What I Reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews:

Oliver Twist. Charles Dickens.  1838. 425 pages.

What I Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible:

Love on the Line. Deeanne Gist. 2011. Bethany House. 365 pages.
Wonderland Creek. Lynn Austin. 2011. Bethany House. 400 pages.
Who Stole My Church? Gordon MacDonald. 2007. Thomas Nelson. 250 pages.
Do I Know God? Finding Certainty in Life's Most Important Relationship. Tullian Tchividjian. 2007. 215 pages.
A Necessary Deception. Laurie Alice Eakes. 2011. Revell. 346 pages.
 


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week In Review #41

What I Reviewed At Becky's Book Reviews:

A Year Without Autumn. Liz Kessler. 2011. (October 11, 2011). Candlewick Press. 304 pages.
The Unforgotten Coat. Frank Cottrell Boyce. Photographs by Carl Hunter and Clare Heney. 2011. Candlewick. 112 pages.
The Woman in White. Wilkie Collins. 1860. 672 pages.


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week in Review #40

What I reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews:

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. Ree Drummond. 2011. HarperCollins. 341 pages.
Darth Paper Strikes Back. Tom Angleberger. 2011. Harry N. Abrams. 176 pages.
Signs and Wonders: A Harmony Novel. Philip Gulley. 2003. HarperCollins. 224 pages.  

What I reviewed at Young Readers

Is Everyone Ready for Fun by Jan Thomas. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages.
The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss. 2011. Random House. 72 pages.
Toys Come Home. Emily Jenkins. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. 2011. Random House. 144 pages.
 
What I reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

Lit: A Christian Guide to Reading Books. Tony Reinke. 2011. Crossway Books. 208 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Sunday Salon: Week In Review #39

What I Reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

Torn. Margaret Peterson Haddix. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 352 pages.
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (#1 Heroes of Olympus) 2010. Hyperion. 576 pages.
Just Shy of Harmony. Philip Gulley. 2002. HarperCollins. 272 pages. 

What I Reviewed at Young Readers

Umbrella by Taro Yashima. 1958/2004. Penguin. 40 pages.  
Binky Under Pressure. Ashley Spires. 2011. Kids Can. 64 pages.
11 Experiments That Failed by Jenny Offill. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. 2011. Random House. 40 pages.
Charlie the Ranch Dog. Ree Drummond. Illustrated by Diane Degroat. 2011. HarperCollins. 40 pages.
All The Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel. Dan Yaccarino. 2011. Random House. 40 pages.
Be Quiet, Mike! Leslie Patricelli. 2011. Candlewick. 40 pages.
The Best Birthday Party Ever. Jennifer LaRue Huget. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2011. Random House. 40 pages.
Shoe-La-La. Karen Beaumont. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2011. Scholastic. 40 pages.
Edwin Speaks Up. April Stevens. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. 2011. Random House. 40 pages.
Reaching. Judy Ann Sadler. Illustrated by Susan Mitchell. 2011. Kids Can Press. 32 pages. 
ZooZical by Judy Sierra. Illustrated by Marc Brown. 2011. Random House. 40 pages.
The Princess and the Pig. Jonathan Emmett. Illustrated by Poly Bernatene. 2011. Walker. 32 pages. 
The Yellow House. Blake Morrison. Illustrated by Helen Craig. 1987/2011. Candlewick Press. 32 pages.
The Hungry Ghost of Rue Orleans. Mary Quattlebaum. Illustrated by Patricia Castelao. 2011. Random House. 32 pages.
Naamah and the Ark at Night. Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Illustrated by Holly Meade. 2011. Candlewick. 32 pages.
Welcome to the World by Valerie Wyatt. Photographs by Lennette Newell. 2011. Kids Can Press. 24 pages.
The Call of the Cowboy. David Bruins. Illustrated by Hilary Leung. 2011. Kids Can Press.  32 pages.
The Busy Beaver. Nicholas Oldland. 2011. Kids Can Press. 32 pages.  
The Day Tiger Rose Said Goodbye. Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Jim LaMarche. 2011. Random House. 32 pages.
Pretty Princess Pig. Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple. Illustrated by Sam Williams. 2011. Simon & Schuster. (Little Simon). 24 pages.
My Name is Elizabeth! Annika Dunklee. Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe. 2011. Kids Can Press. 24 pages.
Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters. Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. 2011. Candlewick Press. 32 pages.
17 Things I'm Not Allowed To Do Anymore. Jenny Offill. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. 2007. Random House. 32 pages. 

What I Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic. Arleta Richardson. 1980/2011. David C. Cook. 160 pages.
Treasures from Grandma's Attic. Arleta Richardson. 1984/2011. David C. Cook. 160 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Sunday Salon: Week In Review #38

What I Reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

Mister Creecher. Chris Priestly. 2011. Bloomsbury. 390 pages.
This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. Kenneth Oppel. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 304 pages.
I, Claudius. Robert Graves. 1934. 480 pages.
The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb. Melanie Benjamin. 2011. Random House. 425 pages.
 Beneath the Night Tree by Nicole Baart. 2011. Tyndale. 400 pages.

What I Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

Deeply Devoted. Maggie Brendan. 2011. Revell. 335 pages.




© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Sunday Salon: Week In Review #37

What I reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews:

A Murder on the Links. Agatha Christie. 1923.  272 pages.
A Pocket Full of Rye. Agatha Christie. 1953. 256 pages.
Home to Harmony. Philip Gulley. 2002. HarperCollins. 225 pages. 

What I reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible:

Wings of a Dream. Anne Mateer. 2011. Bethany House. 319 pages.
The Doctor's Lady. Jody Hedlund. 2011. Bethany House. 384 pages.
A Heart Revealed (Winds of Change Series #2) Julie Lessman. Revell. 500 pages.


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Sunday Salon: Week in Review #35 and #36

What I reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews:


My Life Undecided. Jessica Brody. 2011. FSG. 320 pages.
Wrapped. Jennifer Bradbury. 2011. Simon & Schuster. 320 pages.
Human.4 Mike A. Lancaster. 2011. Egmont USA. 240 pages.
Katherine. Anya Seton. 1954/2004. Chicago Review Press. 512 pages.
The Five Red Herrings. Dorothy L. Sayers. 1931. HarperCollins. 325 pages. 


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Sunday Salon: Week In Review #34

Reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

Sarah's Ground. Ann Rinaldi. 2004. Simon & Schuster. 192 pages.
The Twenty-One Balloons. William Pene du Bois. 1947. Viking 180 pages.
Huge. Sasha Paley. 2008. Simon & Schuster. 272 pages.
Into the Parallel. Robin Brande. 2011. Ryer Publishing. 392 pages.
Further Chronicles of Avonlea. L.M. Montgomery. 1920/1989. Bantam Classics. 200 pages.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Jules Verne. 1870. Puffin Classics. 280 pages.
The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared. Alice Ozma. 2011. Hachette. 304 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Sunday Salon: Week in Review #33

What I reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

The Book of Dragons. E. Nesbit. 1900. 180 pages.
Five Children and It. E. Nesbit. 1902/2004. Puffin Classics. 240 pages.
The Phoenix and the Carpet. E. Nesbit. 1904. 224 pages.
The Story of the Treasure Seekers. E. Nesbit. 1899. Puffin. 250 pages.
The Railway Children. E. Nesbit. 1906/2011. Penguin. 304 pages.
Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck. 1939. Penguin. 619 pages.
Venetia. Georgette Heyer. 1955/2011. Sourcebooks. 368 pages.
The Private World of Georgette Heyer. Jane Aiken Hodge. 2011. Sourcebooks. 256 pages.

What I reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

The Colonel's Lady. Laura Frantz. 2011. Revell. 412 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Sunday Salon: Week In Review #32

What I Reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. E. L. Konigsburg. 1967. Simon & Schuster. 162 pages.

What I Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

A Most Unsuitable Match. Stephanie Grace Whitson. 2011. Bethany House. 336 pages.
Let God Change Your Life: How To Know and Follow Jesus. Greg Laurie. 2011. David C. Cook. 288 pages.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Sunday Salon: Week in Review #32

Books Reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews:

They Do It With Mirrors. (Miss Marple). Agatha Christie. 1952/2011. HarperCollins 224 pages.
The Boxcar Children. Gertrude Chandler Warner. 1942. 155 pages.
By His Own Hand? The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis. Edited by John D.W. Guice.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews