44. Mickey7

 

Mickey7. Edward Ashton. 2022. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, science fiction, adult fiction]

First sentence: This is going to be my stupidest death ever.

Premise/plot: Mickey Barnes is an expendable. The Mickey readers first meet is Mickey7. Every time his body dies--he's deployed on the most dangerous, ultra-impossible missions--a new body is 'born' and his mind uploaded. Multiple copies of the same expendable are not only frowned upon but illegal. There are valid reasons for concern after past experiences on other planets. So when Mickey's death is reported prematurely, well, there's a problem--a big one. Mickey7 and Mickey8 both exist....and have to share an identity or risk being destroyed forever. 

Mickey7 is adult science fiction with some adult themes. It is set on a planet hostile to the human settlers, and a colony facing increasingly difficult problems--lack of resources being one, a limited population being another. 

My thoughts: I liked this one okay. It was fine. There was one scene that was offputting let's say. I'm trying to decide if it's fair to judge a book based on a scene that is decidedly not for you...or not. I think if you enjoy science fiction about colonizing other planets....and alien drama/conflict, then this one might be for you. This one was recently released as a film, Mickey17. I don't know that I will seek out the film--my library hasn't ordered it yet--but I did know that *if* I was going to watch the film,  thenI wanted to have read the book first. There is a sequel as well. Not sure if I'll seek out that either...but maybe.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

21. Camera Man

 

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]

First sentence from the introduction: I first fell for Buster Keaton twenty-five years ago, when he had just turned one hundred. It was the spring of 1996, and I was spending the year studying at the University of Strasbourg, close to the French-German border in Alsace.

Premise/plot: Camera Man is closer to a book of essays than a 'proper' biography. For better or worse. (I am not saying that it is 'for the worse' for every reader.) The focus is rarely solely on Buster Keaton. He's merely a piece of a puzzle in her discussing broader subjects. Her interest is in history, culture, theatre, film, and to a certain degree how terrible, horrible, and obviously wrong (aka cringe-worthy) 'the past' was about anything and everything since it doesn't align [close enough to suit] with contemporary opinions, values, morals, and beliefs. The book is certainly not celebrating Buster Keaton's legacy, examining his films for what they are, or diving with any depth into the subject of his life (aka proper biography).

My thoughts: This is my third book about Buster Keaton. I read James Curtis' Buster Keaton: A Filmmakers Life and Buster Keaton's own autobiography My Wonderful World of Slapstick. I was disappointed with this one. I wanted more of the focus to be on Buster Keaton--professionally, personally, the work itself. He was ACTOR, DIRECTOR, EDITOR, GAG WRITER, STUNT MAN. Plenty of angles the book could have examined. Though perhaps the author's way of viewing Keatons' work with the lens of who could possibly be offended by this and how outraged should I be on their behalf it is perhaps a blessing in disguise that she limits her discussion of Buster Keaton to what she does. Though the author claims to have fallen for Buster Keaton, it seems more like a shallow fall that she has long since recovered from. She also takes the approach that his life might as well have ended after Steamboat Bill Jr. [And she's no fan of The General. In fact at times I get the idea she isn't really even a fan of slapstick comedy].

While I was mainly disappointed with this one, I will share what I appreciated. The first third of this one--perhaps a little more--where the focus is on the history of vaudeville and Buster Keaton's stage career as a child/young man--was solidly engaging. I had high hopes that her examination of his film career would be equally so. But here the focus shifts to other filmmakers, other films, other actors, film critics. More specifically in what voices were being heard and which were being "suppressed" or "oppressed" and the like. Obviously, the author's feminist world view is central to who she is and how she views the world. So I think depending on YOUR expectations, this one might prove worth reading? It was not for me in the end. I don't want someone telling me how I should react to Buster Keaton's movies.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

15. Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life

  

15. Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life. James Curtis. 2022. 810 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult nonfiction, biography]

First sentence: The man in the pork pie hat is unhappy. His head down, arms akimbo, he paces grimly as a documentary crew captures him on film.

Premise/plot: What you see is what you get: James Curtis' delivers a biography of the legendary 'larger than life' film star Buster Keaton. In some ways, there was not a hat Buster Keaton didn't wear. He did all the jobs--quite literally--in the film business. And, of course, he's quite famous FOR his hats. It IS a full biography--mainly. Starting with his parents upbringing and subsequent marriage through his death and legacy. There's also a strong focus on his entertaining--his work on stage, on film, behind the cameras, in front of the cameras, etc. Some films get their own chapters, I believe. Though many aspects of his life--his work--is covered, the book is never gossip-y or frivolous. It is a serious book about a legendary, one-of-a-kind comic. It is PACKED with details about his silent films especially. Less so, perhaps, with his later work. But I think overall, this one will DELIVER exactly what readers want most, to learn more about the man whose creative genius gave the world unforgettable, incredible FILMS (and shorts). So if the book perhaps focuses a little more on his 'golden era' if you will, I'll allow it.

My thoughts: Yes, the book is LONG, LONG, LONG. However, it was a joyous journey. I began my deep dive into anything-everything Buster Keaton in January. It was a slow start, perhaps, two to three films a week. Nice, steady pace. By the end of January, I was gloriously in all the way and watching almost exclusively Buster Keaton related movies. In some cases, rewatching again, again, again.

As I read through the book, I'd peek to the next chapter to see which film(s) I'd need to see. I think SEEING the films (features, shorts, whatever) BEFORE reading the chapter(s) made a difference. It made me appreciate the book more, encouraged me to go back and watch the film again, and in general made me a nuisance to anyone within reach. DID YOU KNOW THAT....

I found it a fascinating read. I do wish, however, it had MORE PICTURES and LARGER PICTURES. I wouldn't mind it being a thousand pages long (instead of 800) if it meant MORE pictures of Buster.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

44. Fifty-Four Pigs

Fifty-Four Pigs (Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery #1) Philipp Schott. 2022. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [adult mystery]

First sentence: Peter heard it before he saw it. A deep, percussive thud from somewhere ahead and to the left.

Premise/plot: Dr Peter Bannerman is a veterinarian and an amateur detective--much to his brother-in-law's dismay. (His brother-in-law is an actual cop/detective.) This one opens with a bang--literally. An explosion in a pig barn killing fifty-four pigs. Was it an accident? Was it a crime? Well, all chances of it being an accident are put to rest when a body is found in the barn. And it is only the first in a series of crimes--not all murders--in the small Canadian community. Can he follow the clues and solve the crimes? Or will he be the next victim?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I loved getting to know the community. Peter is a bit at odds with the community--because he is a bit neurodivergent (in my opinion) but he is great at what he does. He is a great veterinarian AND a great detective--even if he's not supposed to be putting his life at risk by following clues. I am glad to have discovered a new series. I hope to read more in it soon.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

186. The Twelve Topsy-Turvy Very Messy Days of Christmas

The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas. James Patterson and Tad Safran. 2022. 288 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: What is the worst present you ever received for Christmas? A pair of socks? A pair of scratchy socks? A pair of scratchy socks in a vile color? A pair of scratchy socks in a disgusting color that rub your big toes every step you take? A pair of coarse socks in a foul color that rub your big toes and you're forced to wear them because your grandmother gave them to you and she's coming to stay? That's pretty bad. But for Will and Ella Sullivan, the worst thing they ever got for Christmas was a dead mother.

Premise/plot: Kate Sullivan was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. Since this one is being marketed as "the next Christmas Carol" and an "instant classic" that will become a "must read for every holiday season," I thought it only fitting to introduce it properly. So it's been three--or so--years since she's died. The husband, Henry, has NOT gotten over it. He's been a total and complete wreck ever since. And Will and Ella, well, they've had to mainly raise themselves because of Henry's absent-while-present parenting style. But this Christmas, they are determined to find their dad a new wife. If he is happy then maybe Christmas can be Christmas again. So they write a dating profile for their dad...and begin corresponding with a "Ms. Truelove." The results...well...not quite what anyone expected.

It starts with a partridge in a pear tree. Literally. But it isn't until the FIVE GOLDEN RINGS are delivered to their doorstep that the family realizes with ever-growing DOOM AND GLOOM that things are about to get so much worse.

Essentially the premise is simple: the TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS literally being delivered to one family's house for the twelve days leading up to Christmas. Just take a minute or two to imagine that...

The book is about how the family reacts to these "gifts" from a "true love." Just WHO IS THIS TRUE LOVE????? And what is the motivation behind these "gifts" that feel like a curse.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I loved some chapters. I didn't quite love other chapters. It was definitely entertaining--for the most part. It is 100% premise-driven. Not many characters are fleshed out. There are plenty of comical scenes.

But for me, personally, this was no Christmas Carol.

 

 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

182. Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing

 

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. Matthew Perry. 2022. 250 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence from the prologue: Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead. If you like, you can consider what you're about to read to be a message from the beyond, my beyond.

Premise/plot: Matthew Perry's memoir was published in the fall of 2022. After his recent death I put this one on hold at the library. It is a personal story--with ups and downs. He writes of highs (literally and figuratively) and lows--successes and failures. He writes of his near death experiences. He doesn't shy away from the lowest of lows, of telling stories that make him look horrible.

My thoughts: This one was thought provoking. It was heartbreaking and brutal, but also eye opening in my opinion. I think even if you don't struggle with alcohol, drugs, or smoking (addictions), you can find it relatable. He never quotes Augustine, but you can't help but read this one without thinking of the God-shaped hole that every single person has. He writes of seeking God--and I've shared plenty of quotes below. It reads like the book of Ecclesiastes. He tried EVERYTHING; he kept trying everything. More, more, more--never enough. There was no joy, no happiness, no contentment in anything he was throwing into the void, into the emptiness, into the uncomfortable dread of reality. It isn't always easy to talk about sadness, depression, emptiness and loneliness, but Matthew Perry did in this memoir. Perhaps his book can help others who are experiencing their own battles. He asks many, many questions but I'm not sure he found the answers.

Quotes:

• My mind is out to kill me, and I know it. I am constantly filled with a lurking loneliness, a yearning, clinging to the notion that something outside of me will fix me. But I had had all that the outside had to offer!
• Not being able to stop screaming is a very scary state to be in.
• It is very odd to live in a world where if you died, it would shock people but surprise no one.
• I'm not the biggest fan of confrontation. I ask a lot of questions. Just not out loud.
• That said, I don't know how advanced civilization has to be to understand that giving phenobarbital to a baby who just entered his second month of breathing God's air is, at best, an interesting approach to pediatric medicine. But it wasn't that rare in the 1960s to slip the parents of a colicky child a major barbiturate.
• Maybe it was because I was always trying to fill a spiritual hole with a material thing...I don't know.
• "God, you can do whatever you want to me. Just please make me famous." Three weeks later, I got cast in Friends. And God has certainly kept his side of the bargain--but the Almighty, being the Almighty, had not forgotten the first part of that prayer as well.
• You have to get famous to know that it's not the answer. And nobody who is not famous will ever truly believe that.
• The most unnerving part was, I knew God was omniscient, which meant that he knew, already, what he had in store for me.
• "God, please help me," I whispered. "Show me that you are here. God, please help me."
• I had been in the presence of God. I was certain of it. And this time I had prayed for the right thing: help. Eventually the weeping subsided. But everything was different now.
• He had saved me that day, and for all days, no matter what. He had turned me into a seeker, not only of sobriety, and truth, but also of him. He had opened a window, and closed it, as if to say, "Now go earn this."
• And I seek the answer every day. I am a seeker. I seek God.
• I'm this close to dying every day. I don't have another sobriety in me. If I went out, I would never be able to come back. And if I went out, I would go out hard. I would have to go out hard because my tolerance is so high.
• I want that connection to something bigger than me because I'm convinced it's the only thing that will truly save my life. I don't want to die. I'm scared to die.
• I've never let myself feel uncomfortable long enough to have a spiritual connection. So, I fix it with pills and alcohol before God can jump in and fix me.
• I've seen God in my kitchen, of all places, so I know there's something bigger than me. I know it's an omnipresent love and acceptance that means that everything's going to be OK. I know something happens when you die. I know you move on to something wonderful.
• I am me. And that should be enough, it always has been enough. I was the one who didn't get that. And now I do.
• Someday you, too, might be called upon to do something important, so be ready for it. And when whatever happens, just think, What would Batman do? and do that.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

172. Antarctica (Choose Your Own Adventure)

Choose Your Own Adventure: Antarctica! Lily Simonson. 2022. 128 pages. [Source: Library] [j fiction; mg fiction]

First sentence: The wind nearly pushes you over as you heave yourself up into the helicopter. 

Premise/plot: In a choose your own adventure book, obviously, you the reader make almost all of the decisions. Instructions at the bottom of each page show you where to go next. In this one, YOU, a scientist/researcher are stationed in Antarctica. 

My thoughts: I always have a pen and paper in hand so I can track my choices and find all the endings. The cover on goodreads seems to think there are seventeen endings possible. The book in hand say twenty-five possible endings.

Did I enjoy this one? Not really. The endings were either pure calamity--leading to death. OR the endings were didactic hitting you on the head with climate change agenda. The 'happy' 'mildly happy' endings all had a message to preach. 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

166. Before Your Memory Fades

Before Your Memory Fades. Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot. 2018/2022. 220 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: "Why are you in Hokkaido?" Kei Tokita's voice sounded tinny coming from the handset.

Premise/plot: Before Your Memory Fades is a book of connected novellas. It is the THIRD book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. The premise of the series is that there is a cafe with special, 'magical,' powers. There is one chair that will allow the occupant to travel forward or backward in time. But there are rules, of course there are rules. They have to stay seated, of course. They have to return to the present before the coffee turns cold. They can only meet people who have visited the cafe. Nothing they do in the past (or the future) will effect the present. Each story focuses on a journey (to the past or to the future). The 'main' characters are the staff of the cafe AND cafe regulars. (Think the sitcom Cheers). One of the running elements of this one is that one of the characters is ALWAYS reading a book--it is a book of questions (100, I believe) that pose various questions each with the premise of if the world was ending tomorrow...would you choose answer 1 or 2. 

My thoughts: I picked this one up thinking it was book two. It wasn't. When did I realize this? Not until I was halfway through. Do I think it would have made more sense if I hadn't skipped book two (by accident)? Probably. Maybe. Do I think it would have been less confusing if I jotted down a list of characters? Definitely. Also I think if I had read the books--all three--in order and close together. I just had a hard time keeping track of the characters.

I liked the premise well enough. Though apparently there are two cafes with this magical ability? I had a hard time following some of the plot because the characters kept getting tangled up in my mind. 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

147. Rebecca of Salerno

Rebecca of Salerno: A Novel of Rogue Crusaders, a Jewish Female Physician, and a Murder. Esther Erman. 2022. [August] 264 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Barcelona, 1195 CE "How beautiful you have grown, Rebecca." Uncle Carlos, my father's younger brother, had rushed to greet us when, after a long, harrowing voyage from England, our feet at last touched land in Barcelona. "But you, Isaac, you have only grown older."

Premise/plot: Rebecca of Salerno was written to be the sequel to Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe. Most of the novel is set circa 1205--give or take a year or two. Rebecca, our heroine, is leaving apart from her father (and rest of her family). She's settled in the Jewish community of Salerno. She's gone to medical school. She's a practicing physician and a teacher. She, for the most part, enjoys the community where Jews, Muslims, and Christians can coexist together. Perhaps not always equitably and friendly. But there's some amount of normalcy in coexisting. But this peace is shattered when a crusader is murdered. Rebecca teams up with Rafael, the man who has proposed dozens of times, to solve the crime. I honestly can't remember if Rafael is a fellow doctor, or, if his "job" is more academic. I know there's always talk of them working together to translate various texts--some medical, some not. A rabbi--a visiting rabbi with somewhat radical views, unpopular views--has been arrested and charged with the crime. Rafael and Rebecca believe that he is innocent of the crime, or, at the very least should be considered innocent until proof can be found. The powers that be--a duke, I believe???--just want this bother to be over and done with. Execute already. Who cares who's guilty and who's innocent??? Just kill the person you've already got locked up.

Rebecca and Rafael--but especially Rebecca--believe in justice even when it is uncomfortable and dangerous. What is best for the community at large cannot justify injustice for the individual.

MY thoughts: I don't often read in this time period. I have read Ivanhoe. I'm not sure I'm perfectly convinced that this Rebecca is THE Rebecca from Ivanhoe. Though I will say that I was interested in this Rebecca. She is essentially flawless. Essentially. Her flaw being that she's blind and a bit stupid when it comes to matters of the heart. I have a hard time believing that THE Rebecca would cling so fiercely to the idea of remaining true to Ivanhoe, the so-called love of her life, that she would lock her heart away and never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever marry. I would imagine that after a year or two, she'd start realizing that there is life out there to be lived. I also think this may be more of a LATER notion. I could be wrong, but I think at this time it was a LOT more common for arranged marriages and matchmaking to happen. That parents would be more likely to choose for their children instead of "love matches" and this idealized notion of "romantic love." Culturally and socially, I imagine that marriage and children would have been fundamental and foundational. Again, I could be wrong. I'm no expert in Jewish communities of the thirteenth century. I think readers can see the fact that she will eventually fall in love with Rafael by the end of the novel coming from the start.

I do wish we'd not jumped from 1195 to 1205. The immediate years following Ivanhoe are jumped over completely. Readers have to wait until the last few chapters for Rebecca to begin talking about her time in England and Ivanhoe. 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

114. Revenge of the Librarians

Revenge of the Librarian. Tom Gauld. 2022. [October] 180 pages. [Source: Library] [Bored Adults]

First sentence: Now that you are my bride, you will never leave this castle! Wow! Your library is amazing! 

Premise/plot: A collection of book-themed comic strips. Each strip stands alone. All are connected loosely by the theme of books. There are comic strips about writing, editing, publishing, reading, reviewing, and librarying. (Okay, there's no such word. Being a librarian.) The strips also address the pandemic. 

My thoughts: Each strip stands alone. Some I loved. Some I didn't. Most fall in neutral territory. It was a quick and easy read. It sometimes made me smile. I think my favorite came towards the end of the book. (There are NO page numbers. This was a little bit frustrating.) "Review Dice" 

Quote:
Can't decide what kind of book review to write? Simply cut out, assemble, and roll this helpful dice! Hatchet job; super-detailed, spoiler-filled retelling; brutally polite dismissal; elegant and insightful analysis; rambling personal essay that barely mentions the book; ecstatic love letter. 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

112. Tenmile

Tenmile. Sandra Dallas. 2022. [November] 240 pages. [Source: Library] [Middle Grade]

First sentence: The baby stretched its arms and legs as Sissy wrapped it in the soft flannel blanket. She smiled at the wriggling infant with its tiny wrinkled face. 

Premise/plot: Sissy Carlson, the doctor's daughter, struggles with life in her hometown of Tenmile, Colorado, a mining town. When this children's novel opens, Sissy knows one thing for sure: she wants to leave Tenmile and never, ever, ever return. She sees only the negative aspects of life in Tenmile--the poverty, the poverty, the limited opportunities, the limited resources, the distinctions in social classes and in genders. (To be fair, I don't know so much that girls have it so much worse than boys in Tenmile. I think both boys and girls are expected to quit school at an early age--8 or 9--to work to help support the family.) To live in Tenmile is to live in misery from birth to death. 

This is historical fiction set in 1880s Colorado. The novel chronicles Sissy's experiences--again, mostly negative. She goes to school. She helps her father in and out of the home. She helps with his medical practice. She spends time with friends. She hates Tenmile. She knows that all of her friends and classmates are trapped in Tenmile. No bright futures for anyone unfortunate enough to live there. 

Her view shifts, however, by the end of the novel. Has she made peace with her hometown?

My thoughts: Tenmile is bleakity-bleak. Sissy is the complete and total opposite of Pollyanna. She doesn't see the good in anything or anyone. Not really. It was hard as a reader to like Sissy. She was such a downer. That's not to say that her views and opinions were unfair. I have no doubt that life in a mining town was harsh, cruel, unfair. There being no way to break the cycle of poverty. Once a child enters work in the mine, it's unlikely that they'll escape mining life. They'll risk their life every single day and still be stuck in poverty. Because the circumstances don't really change, it makes for an odd choice that Sissy decides that Tenmile is HER forever home, and that she wants to spend her life serving this community. That's not to say that attitudes can't change. But it's hard to reflect that well in the narrative. The town is peopled with characters that weren't super likable. (With one exception of Greenie.) Because the characters weren't all that wonderful to spend time with, this made for a different read. 

I think for those that like historical fiction and don't want particularly happy endings, this one could definitely work. 

I don't have to have tied-in-a-bow endings. I can accept history for history. I am thankful that the characters seem to reflect the life and times MORE than being twenty-first century characters dressing up. I think there were many elements of this one that were realistic.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

92. Signs of Survival

Signs of Survival: A Memoir of the Holocaust. Renee Hartman with Joshua M. Greene. 2022. (2021) 128 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Renee: In 1943, German soldiers rounded up the Jews living in my city, Bratislava, and sent them to death camps to be killed. 

Premise/plot: Signs of Survival is nonfiction for young(er) readers. It is the story of Renee and Herta, two sisters sent to Bergen-Belsen. Renee was the only 'hearing' member of her family. Her sister and parents were deaf. She is the ears of her family. After their parents are taken away, these two rely on one another. Rely might not be the right word--together they are better, stronger; being together keeps hope alive. 

The book alternates between the two girls. The last third of the novel is an aftermath, what happens to the two sisters after the war is over and they are freed from the concentration camp. 

My thoughts: I am completely unoriginal when it comes to reviewing these types of books. I always say the story is compelling. (True once again). I always say that nonfiction is powerful. (Again true this time too.) I always say every voice is worth being heard, and that every story matters. (True and true.) If you find yourself drawn to Holocaust stories and/or war stories, this one is worth your time. It is for a younger audience. (I'd say elementary school, mid-to-upper elementary schools). It is probably more intense than say Number the Stars. This one offers a unique perspective (all survivor stories could be said to be unique, I don't mean to compare apples and oranges). The situation is 100% terrifying no matter what. To imagine being in that situation and unable to hear and communicate--seems to magnify the terror. Herta relies on Renee to sign everything she needs to know.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

84. Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. Benjamin Stevenson. 2022. 384 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I'm not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth, and when I was faced with writing this down, difficult as it is with one hand, I realized that telling the truth was the only way to do it. It sounds obvious, but modern mystery novels forget that sometimes. They've become more about the tricks the author can deploy: what's up their sleeve instead of what's in their hand. 

Preview of my thoughts: I WAS HOOKED by the opening sentences. So onto my library's hold list I went. It took its own sweet time to get into my hands, but it was so worth the wait! I enjoyed this one so much.

Premise/plot: This one is written in first person. Ernest Cunningham is the narrator. He's an author who writes books about how to write books. The novel starts out with him sharing Ronald Knox's 10 Commandments of Detective Fiction. They are as follows:

1. The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow.

2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.

3. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.

4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.

5. Author's note: Culturally outdated historical wording redacted. [If you should be curious and want to seek out why Stevenson decided to skip over commandment five.]

6. No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.

7. The detective must not himself commit the crime.

8. The detective must not light on any clues which are not instantly produced for the inspection of the reader.

9. The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind; his intelligence mus be slightly, very slightly, below that of the average reader.

10. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.

The premise of this one is that the Cunningham family is having a reunion at a ski resort (in the middle of a big storm, it turns out). A Cunningham extended-family reunion. The family is not known for getting along; Ernest Cunningham is on the outs with his family for testifying against his brother at his murder trial. But this reunion is set to celebrate his brother, Michael, getting released from prison. But this reunion may just turn deadly...

 This one features plenty of flashbacks as Ernest reveals just how everyone in his family has killed someone....

My thoughts: The narrator won me over. It has DOZENS of twists and turns. Plenty of reveals. And plenty of twists lurking in those reveals. By the end, it's been quite a dance. In case you couldn't tell, this one has a dark sense of humor. But if you enjoy dark/dry humor....then this one has plenty to satisfy. I liked seeing how everything unfolded. 

GoodReads says this is "Ernest Cunninham #1." Could it really be the first in a series??????? Just checked and apparently there is a second book coming called EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT. Squeal!!!! Isn't that a great title!!!!!!

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

69. The Other Side of the River

The Other Side of the River (Petra Luna #2) Alda P. Dobbs. 2022. [January] 368 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It was early, dark still, when crashing sounds startled me awake. I sat up amid the darkness, tense, ready to run. My heart thrashed inside me. Had I heard a cannon blast? 

Premise/plot: The Other Side of the River is the sequel to Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna. It picks up right where Barefoot left off. Petra Luna is with her grandmother, younger sister, baby brother, in a refugee camp. She's trying to find work--any kind of work--to help support her family. This book has them moving to San Antonio and trying to establish new lives in America.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved the first book. The second book was wonderful as well. These two books seem so seamless--like they belong together to tell a single story. I loved following her story. I loved the setting. It was engaging and thought-provoking. 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

68. When the Moon Turns to Blood

When the Moon Turns to Blood: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a Story of Murder, Wild Faith, and End Times. Leah Sottile. 2022. 320 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I remember when they found the bodies.

Premise/plot: Is this a 'true-crime' book covering the case of Lori Vallow's missing [murdered] children? Yes. In part. It is a broader book than that. It seeks to explore the why. I'll clarify--the why in generalities not specifics. Or not only specifics. Why are there [so many] fringe, extremists, end-times-obsessed groups in the United States? Why do people believe and follow such leaders--often charismatic leaders? How do these groups get started? How do they thrive? How do they go unchecked? In particular, on the fringe-border-spaces of the Mormon (LDS church). Why is doomsday prepping such a big thing? Why the focus on the last days? How much is an inherited "us" vs. "them" mentality? Has the past violence in the church--in the early decades of the nineteenth century--unduly influencing the church still? Why the fascination with near death experiences? Why are so many quick to believe new prophecies and new visions? Is there ever a point where strange becomes too strange? What are the dangers of living in a vacuum. I'll clarify that last one--obviously not literal. If you live in a town, a city, a community, where almost every single person--and almost all authoritative positions--are of a particular religion, say LDS (or Mormon), then what are the dangers and risks? Obviously, there would be plenty of benefits. But there would be risks as well for those that are speaking up about the red flags they see, for those whistle blowers, for those saying HEY something is wrong. The past is the past is the past, but if some of those speaking out had been heard, then maybe just maybe the story would have been different. There were definitely instances of "I knew something was wrong" or "I knew something was off" or "this didn't feel right" or "nothing she was saying made sense to me" etc. Several times outsiders [though perhaps fellow LDS] would say, yes, she's strange but she doesn't pose a threat to anyone else. Yes, she's talking utter nonsense, but it's harmless nonsense. [I can't remember if this was a medical person evaluating her mental health OR a police officer determining if she needed to have her mental health evaluated.] 

The book covers OTHER fringe groups over the past hundred, hundred-fifty years. The book covers the legacy of those end-times obsessed, anti-government groups that were all out committed to surviving these last days. The book covers those overlapping spaces between politics and religion that can breed extremists of multiple varieties.

My thoughts: I wasn't expecting a history lesson. I didn't mind a history lesson. But I was expecting a bit narrower focus. I can see why the focus was broadened. In response to the more shallow coverage of the case that separates it out...and turns it into a case of love, lust, passion, obsession. But the case is more complex than that. WAY more complex than that.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

60. Wrong Place Wrong Time

Wrong Place Wrong Time. Gillian McAllister. 2022. 402 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Jen is glad of the clocks going back tonight. A gained hour, extra time, to be spent pretending she isn't waiting up for her son.

Premise/plot: What's a mother to do when she witnesses her teenage son murder a stranger (or stranger to you)????? This mother, Jen Goodbrother, somehow, someway, manages to live life BACKWARDS after this traumatic event as she scrambles to prevent the crime that will utterly ruin their lives. This isn't a proper time-loop premise. Jen isn't living the same twelve to twenty-four hours over and over again--a loop. But it does feature Jen experiencing time backwards--falling through time, slipping through time. She'll have unique opportunities to experience her life again--make change after change after change. Her perspective changes day by day as she wrestles with the meaning of it all. These close encounters with her immediate family--her husband, Kelly; her son, Todd; are different seen 'from both sides now.' She's actually getting to live her life with hindsight. But how many days, weeks, months, years, decades must she slip--relive--in order to "fix" or "course correct" the tragic event of that October night???? 

My thoughts: Obviously premise-driven. But it didn't fall short on characterization or action. There's some contemplation and reflection. There's plenty of suspense and action. It perhaps isn't a thriller in the traditional sense or any sense. So don't expect direct danger and gore. (You won't find it). Do expect some mental anguish as a woman wrestles with big questions of how, where, when, why, and what. 

There are alternating chapters. But I won't be spoiling who's doing the narration on those alternate bits. The less you know the better.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

57. All Good People Here

All Good People Here. Ashley Flowers. 2022. 312 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The residents of Wakarusa, Indiana, could spin gossip faster than a spider spins its web. 

Premise/plot: Dual timelines. Multiple murder victims. That is the shortest way to sum up this one.

Margot Davies (our 2019 heroine) is a crime reporter for a newspaper. When she was a child, her next door playmate, January Jacobs, was murdered. Police suspect it was the mom. But there's no conclusive evidence--enough to bring a case--because the crime scene was handled so messily. The murder has haunted her for decades. Haunted the whole town really. Everyone has thoughts, ideas, opinions about the crime. Margot can't help making mental connections between January's tragic death and every other kidnapping/murder case in the surrounding areas. For better or worse, she can't help thinking that January's murderer is still out harming children. She returns to her hometown to care for her uncle with dementia. She arrives around the time of a new kidnapping/murder in a small town just eight or ten miles away. Once again, she's snapped back to January's case. But are the cases connected? Margot goes into full detective mode without thought or consideration to her own safety. 

Krissy Jacobs (our 1994 heroine, though we progress through the years with this one) is January Jacobs' mother. She has MANY, many secrets...but is being a murderer one of them???? 

My thoughts: There are about three thousand red herrings in this murder mystery. For better or worse. I don't know if it's more annoying or less annoying to have so many. Maybe I exaggerate slightly. I do think the author is purposefully trying to trick/fool readers into making wrong guesses with every page or two. And I'm not sure a second reading would work. (Though maybe I'm wrong about that). 

I don't expect mystery novels to automatically be 'clean' in terms of content--language, sex, etc. So don't expect it to be squeaky clean, it isn't.

My first thought is that Margot isn't the brightest amateur detective. In that she puts herself into situations that seem risky--at least to me. She's so determined to tell the whole story and to uncover/discover new facts that will help solve the murder(s), that she doesn't really ever think am I risking myself trying to unmask this murderer? If the murderer is still in town, still living in the midst of us, still active as a serial offender, then am I going to be his NEXT victim?  Is she trusting the wrong people? 

I personally HATED the ending. I don't know how others feel about it. It has two endings--in a way. The epilogue from the murderer...and Margot's ending that comes right before. With that ending, it is almost impossible for me not to have my impression changed...on if it's something I'd recommend.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

44. Beyond the Wire

Beyond the Wire. James D. Shipman. 2022. 349 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The screams faded. Jakub hunted through the coat of a dead man. He searched with a practiced hand, groping through pockets, fingering seams. He felt something hard. Eyes forward, he tore at the fabric, ripping open a secret pocket. An object fell into his hand, circular and metallic. A watch. He glimpsed a flash of gold. 

Premise/plot: Beyond the Wire is a historical novel set at Auschwitz-Birkenau circa 1944 through 1945. Jakub, our protagonist, has managed to survive the concentration camp...so far. But at great cost. His job, one of the 'cozier' jobs of the camp, is to go through the possessions of the new arrivals--those soon to be gassed/murdered. He is able to steal here and there enough to keep the guards bribed. He can buy extra food. He can buy his way into the women's camp to socialize. Anna, our second protagonist, is Jakob's girlfriend. They meet secretly. He is her protector. But they have secrets from one another... Jakob has been approached multiple times by Roch Laska, a prisoner who is plotting a revolt/revolution. Tomasz, Jacob's best-friend-and-companion, is dead-set against Jakob joining such a plot/scheme. Anna is "for" him joining, by the way. But soon he finds himself mixed in with the rebellion...for better or worse...and it starts with someone who is threatening Anna.

My thoughts: This is a very intense read. The author has a note on which elements of the story are 'true' and which are pure fiction. I believe the main characters--our two protagonists--are fictional. This one is packed with action and heartache.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

42. Lost in Time

Lost in Time. A.G. Riddle. 2022. 455 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: On the anniversary of his wife’s death, Sam Anderson visited her grave. It was a crisp spring morning in Nevada, with dew on the grass and fog rolling through the cemetery. In one hand, Sam carried a bouquet of flowers. In the other, he gripped his son’s hand. Ryan was eleven years old and strong-willed and introverted, like his mother. After her death, he had withdrawn, spending even more time alone, playing with LEGOs, reading, and generally avoiding life.

Premise/plot: Sam and Adeline Anderson find themselves in quite the mess. This father and daughter are suspects in a murder investigation. There is video evidence that they were the last [last to be seen, at least] to enter the victim's home. Nora and Sam were in a relationship together. Now Sam may just be exiled...forever...to save his daughter from being implicated as well.

Exiled means EXILED in Lost in Time. Criminals/prisoners are sent to the FAR, FAR, FAR, DISTANT past in an alternate universe. Convicts won't get the chance to appeal, they'll be alive as long as they can survive the elements: dinosaurs, earthquakes, volcanoes, meteors, etc. 

What makes it worse for this father of two, is that he is one of SIX scientists who invented the Absolom time machine. It was meant to be a quick new way to "ship" stuff. They didn't know it was a time machine, but not a time machine to their own past, but a multi-verse time machine. 

Adeline will do just about anything to save her father [after the fact] even if it means working/living with the enemy.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, loved, crazy-loved this one. I wish I could find more science fiction like this one. For #lawnerds who also love sci-fi, especially time travel, this one is a dream read. 

I enjoyed the complexity of this one. I loved the world-building and puzzle-building. All the pieces, all the clues, are there to be found. But it takes a while for everything to come together. (I was not expecting it to play out quite like it did.)

I really loved the characterization in this one. In particular, Adeline's character. She is our main narrator....

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

41. The Tower of Life

The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town In Stories and Photographs. Chana Stiefel. Illustrated by Susan Gal. 2022. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: There once was a girl named Yaffa. She was a spirited girl who loved her home and her family. She was born in a shtetl, a small Jewish town that pulsed with love, laughter, and light. The name of her shtetl was Eishyshok (Ay-shi-shok). The family roots of the people in Eishyshok ran deep. For 900 years, their histories and spirits were woven into the fabric of the town. 

Premise/plot: Nonfiction picture book and/or nonfiction picture book biography. I could see it being classified as either/both. The jacket copy says it is the biography of Yaffa Eliach the woman who created "the Tower of Faces" (aka The Tower of Life) at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. It is definitely the story of her life, her work, her life's work. But it is also so much more than that. It is the story of her community, and the story of the Holocaust as well.

My thoughts: I found this one FASCINATING. I really loved this nonfiction picture book. I loved learning the story behind The Tower of Faces. Though I'd not heard of this particular exhibit, I have heard of the Holocaust Memorial Museum. I would love to learn more about this exhibit and the others as well. I loved, loved, loved the photographs of this one.

I found it a powerfully compelling read. I'm not surprised a bit that it won the Sydney Taylor Book Award. (It was also a Robert F. Sibert Honor book). 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews