19. The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn

The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn. Sally J. Pla. 2023. [July] 336 pages. [Source: Library] [J Fiction; J Realistic Fiction; MG Fiction, MG Realistic Fiction; dysfunctional families]

First sentence: I learned this great calm-down trick recently. It was the end-of-the-year seventh-grade dance, back in Houston, which is where I live during the school year with my mom and stepdad.

Premise/plot: Maudie McGinn looks forward to spending summers with her dad in California, but a wildfire destroys "plan A" and the two quickly come up with a "plan B." Maudie didn't plan on spending her summer learning to surf while her father hunts for a job. But ANYTHING is better than having to spend the summer with her mother and stepfather instead. Will Maudie share her deepest, darkest secret by the time the summer is over?

My thoughts: Maudie has autism but that is not the whole story; that is not what the whole book revolves around. I love seeing Maudie begin to live life more fully and freely. The book does have a happily-ever-after, rosy ending, BUT, only after much worry and angst. Maudie does deserve some happiness after living with her stepfather for several years and enduring much cruelty. 

I do think most of the characters fall into two categories--either perfectly perfect saints or dastardly villains. But overall I enjoyed this one very much. 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

194. The Mysterious Mr. Badman

The Mysterious Mr. Badman. W.F. Harvey. 1934. 204 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: When at two o'clock on a sultry July afternoon Athelstan Digby undertook to keep an eye on the contents of the old bookshop in Keldstone High Street, he deliberately forgot to mind his own business. 

Premise/plot: This one is a vintage mystery from the 1930s. Athelstan Digby, one of our protagonists, is on holiday. He's temporarily minding a bookshop--while the owners are away for a day (possibly one day and one night). He has THREE people come in and all ask for the same book--The Life and Death of Mr. Badman by John Bunyan. He finds this strange, strange, super-strange. Events in the small village soon reflect this, Athelstan and his nephew, Jim, soon find themselves amateur detectives trying to solve multiple crimes--including murder. 

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. It reminded me of all the reasons I love vintage mysteries, particularly British mysteries. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I loved the bookish plot. I loved finding a new-to-me author. Definitely recommended.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

193. Shipwrecked!

Shipwrecked! Diving for Hidden Time Capsules on the Ocean Floor. Martin W. Sandler. 2023. [October 31] 138 pages. [Source: Library] [MG Nonfiction]

First sentence: Almost everything made by humans, at one time or another, has been carried over the oceans. And it's not only people and goods that depended upon the sea for transportation. Ideas, cultures, religions, technologies, and the arts historically spread by seas. 

Premise/plot: Shipwrecked is middle grade nonfiction. Sandler introduces readers to seven shipwrecks, or, excavations of shipwrecks. The book focuses on how shipwrecks are discovered, recovered, salvaged, etc. What can we learn about the past by examining/exploring shipwrecks? How has the art or science of exploration/excavation changed over the past hundred years?

The shipwrecks discussed in this one include: Antikythera, Cape Gelidonya, Shinan, The Mary Rose, Sao Jose Paquete de Africa, The Hunley, The Erebus and The Terror. The book also includes a final chapter--or appendix--where other shipwrecks are featured. These "bonus" or "extra" shipwrecks get a few paragraphs each. 

My thoughts: I found this fascinating. I wasn't expecting to find it fascinating. This subject or sub-sub-genre isn't my usual "cup of tea." Yet I found myself absorbed in these stories. Mostly I found myself interested in the history of it all. 

Definitely recommended for those that enjoy nonfiction.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

191. What Was the Donner Party?

What was the Donner Party? Ben Hubbard. 2023. [November] 111 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: In late October 1846, one last push was all that was needed. One last push for the men, women, and children to reach the mountain summit--its highest peak--and cross to the other side. 

Premise/plot: This is a nonfiction chapter book about the Donner Party. The book summarizes this tragic historical event well. At least relatively well considering the audience. Briefly, for those not in the know, it is a wagon train adventure gone horribly wrong. 

My thoughts: Why. Why does this book exist. I have read a couple of books about the Donner Party. One was middle grade. One was young adult. One was adult. I don't know why elementary students would need such a gruesome book. Not that I'm judgy. Perhaps the gruesomeness of it makes it appealing? 

What you see is exactly what you get. It is a solid enough narrative that describes the events--what led to the tragedy, the tragedy itself, and the aftermath of the tragedy.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

190. The Blind Side

The Blind Side. Patricia Wentworth. 1939. 224 pages. [Source: Library] [Adult fiction; mystery]

First sentence: Craddock House stands at the end of one of those streets which run between the Kings Road and the Embankment. 

Premise/plot: This one is the first in the Ernest Lamb mystery series by Patricia Wentworth. It was my first time--to my recollection--reading Patricia Wentworth. This one is, in many ways, your typical classic British mystery. It involves a murder....and a dysfunctional [extended] family is at the center of the drama. Though not every suspect is a [distant or near] relation.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I would probably have enjoyed it a LOT more if the library due date had not made me rush through the last hundred pages. There's nothing quite like the feeling of having to race through a book because it is due at the library. I enjoyed it enough that I would reread it again at some point and possibly continue on in the series. 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

189. Christmas on Deery Street

Christmas on Deery Street and Other Seasonal Stories. Steven Roberts. 2006. 100 pages. [Source: Review copy] [short story collection]

First sentence: Everyone called him Blondie. Most didn't know why.

Premise/plot: Christmas on Deery Street is a collection of short stories by Steven Roberts. This is the third time I've read it, I believe. It features a handful of short stories: "Christmas on Deery Street," "Nanny's Locket," "Magic Socks," "The Angel of Union Station," "Our Star," and "You've Done Enough."

These are holiday-themed short stories almost always focusing on family and friends. 

My thoughts: The stories? How to describe them? They make me feel good. Warm and fuzzy. But not in a cheesy way. I know if I call them heartfelt or sentimental that someone will say, "that's not for me." And that would be a disservice. The stories cover a lot of emotions. There is love and heartache and loss and sadness. There is anger and guilt. There is hope. There is regret. And there is plenty of humor. But above all there is a feeling of genuineness, authenticity, a realness, knowing that these stories are indeed true-to-life and true to the human spirit.

I think I read the collection too quickly this time around. In previous reviews I said I loved all the stories--each and every one. This time around, perhaps because I was rushing it, perhaps because I've been in a reading slump, I found myself loving the first three to four stories and merely 'liking' the remaining. It could be a me thing.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

188. What You Are Looking For Is In the Library

What You Are Looking For Is In the Library. Michiko Aoyama. Translated by Alison Watts. 2020/2023. 304 pages. [Source: Library] [adult fiction, realistic fiction, books about books, novellas]

First sentence: When Saya sends a text to tell me she has a new boyfriend, I instantly write back: What's he like? But all she replies is: He's a doctor.

Premise/plot: This newly translated novel contains five interconnected novellas. Different protagonists. Varied problems. But all come to the same community library and meet the same reference librarian. Each is recommended a list of books with one quirky book recommendation tagged onto the end that doesn't quite meet their stated search needs. Each receives a gift--something felted--from the librarian. All lives are changed, though perhaps not as dramatically as one might expect. The changes mostly come from within. 

This novella collection celebrates books, libraries, and LIBRARIANS. 

My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this one. And it went a long way in helping me out of my slump. I don't know it I will stay out of my reading slump. I've been struggling the past few weeks with staying engaged with what I am reading. I loved the focus on BOOKS and reading. I thought the characters were well-developed within the novella format. In fact, you might argue that you learn more about these characters in under a hundred pages than you do some books in four hundred pages. 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

187. Tomfoolery!

Tomfoolery! Randolph Caldecott and the Rambunctious Coming of Age of Children's Books. Michelle Markel. Illustrated by Brian Floca. 2023. [November] 44 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Come on in.  A whole world lives and breathes inside these pages. 

Premise/plot: A nonfiction picture book biography of illustrator Randolph Caldecott. While young readers may not have heard of Randolph Caldecott, there is a good chance they've heard the words "Caldecott." 

The book focuses in on how Caldecott revolutionized the world of children's books, of children's publishing, changing what books printed and published for children actually literally look like. 

My thoughts: I took a graduate course in the history of children's books. This book was a mini-refresher; it was a good reminder of how things were. 

I think this one could be enjoyed by elementary age readers. But I also think it has the potential for older readers including adults. 

I enjoyed the narrative text. I wanted to absolutely love the illustrations--since Randolph Caldecott was an illustrator himself. But I "merely" liked them. Not a big deal--personally. It isn't unusual for me to prefer text over illustrations OR illustrations over text. 

So far this one has received FIVE starred reviews. This matters. Perhaps a little more than it should, it matters. It definitely raises expectations. It makes readers second guess themselves at times. Why didn't I absolutely think it was the best thing ever? 

© 2023 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

185. Anne's House of Dreams

Anne's House of Dreams. L.M. Montgomery. 1919. 227 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: “Thanks be, I’m done with geometry, learning or teaching it,” said Anne Shirley, a trifle vindictively, as she thumped a somewhat battered volume of Euclid into a big chest of books, banged the lid in triumph, and sat down upon it, looking at Diana Wright across the Green Gables garret, with gray eyes that were like a morning sky.

 ETA: I don't know how many times I've read this series--dozens??? scores???? My most recent read through is December 2023. It is just as magical as when I first discovered the series in the late 1980s. 

Premise/plot: Anne Shirley marries Gilbert Blythe in this oh-so-lovely, oh-so-charming book by L.M. Montgomery. Technically, it is the sequel to Anne of the Island! Anne of Windy Poplars was written in the 1930s, decades after Anne's House of Dreams. In this Anne book, the happily married couple settle down in their first home together near Four Winds Harbor and Glen St. Mary. 

Anne's House of Dreams introduces many new characters--some of my favorites I admit--Captain Jim, Miss Cornelia, Leslie Moore, Owen Ford. Marshall Elliot. Susan Baker. Who would ever want to forget their stories? Captain Jim's life-book. Leslie Moore's tragic past but enduring spirit. Miss Cornelia. She's got to be one-of-a-kind. Just a truly spirited character with so much heart and full of gumption. Practically everything out of her mouth is quotable. She sure is great at banter!

My thoughts: I love and adore this one!!! I love how emotionally satisfying it is. The Anne books may have sweet moments, but they pack in reality as well. No one can make me cry like L.M. Montgomery.

Quotes: 

“Stoutness and slimness seem to be matters of predestination,” said Anne.

Jane was not brilliant, and had probably never made a remark worth listening to in her life; but she never said anything that would hurt anyone’s feelings — which may be a negative talent but is likewise a rare and enviable one.

“I’ve heard you criticise ministers pretty sharply yourself,” teased Anne. “Yes, but I do it reverently,” protested Mrs. Lynde. “You never heard me NICKNAME a minister.” Anne smothered a smile.

Their happiness was in each other’s keeping and both were unafraid. 

“Miss Cornelia Bryant. She’ll likely be over to see you soon, seeing you’re Presbyterians. If you were Methodists she wouldn’t come at all. Cornelia has a holy horror of Methodists.”

“I know we are going to be friends,” said Anne, with the smile that only they of the household of faith ever saw. “Yes, we are, dearie. Thank goodness, we can choose our friends. We have to take our relatives as they are, and be thankful if there are no penitentiary birds among them. Not that I’ve many — none nearer than second cousins. I’m a kind of lonely soul, Mrs. Blythe.” There was a wistful note in Miss Cornelia’s voice.

“Were you able to eat enough pie to please her?” “I wasn’t. Gilbert won her heart by eating — I won’t tell you how much. She said she never knew a man who didn’t like pie better than his Bible. Do you know, I love Miss Cornelia.”

“Our library isn’t very extensive,” said Anne, “but every book in it is a FRIEND. We’ve picked our books up through the years, here and there, never buying one until we had first read it and knew that it belonged to the race of Joseph.”

A woman cannot ever be sure of not being married till she is buried, Mrs. Doctor, dear, and meanwhile I will make a batch of cherry pies.

“I wonder why people so commonly suppose that if two individuals are both writers they must therefore be hugely congenial,” said Anne, rather scornfully. “Nobody would expect two blacksmiths to be violently attracted toward each other merely because they were both blacksmiths.”

The p’int of good writing is to know when to stop.

There’s only the one safe compass and we’ve got to set our course by that — what it’s right to do.

Logic is a sort of hard, merciless thing, I reckon.

“Since you are determined to be married, Miss Cornelia,” said Gilbert solemnly, “I shall give you the excellent rules for the management of a husband which my grandmother gave my mother when she married my father.” “Well, I reckon I can manage Marshall Elliott,” said Miss Cornelia placidly. “But let us hear your rules.” “The first one is, catch him.” “He’s caught. Go on.” “The second one is, feed him well.” “With enough pie. What next?” “The third and fourth are — keep your eye on him.” “I believe you,” said Miss Cornelia emphatically.

Cats is cats, and take my word for it, they will never be anything else.

 

 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

184. The Sky Over Rebecca

The Sky Over Rebecca. Matthew Fox. 2022/2023. 256 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Somebody had made a snow angel in a perfect white snowdrift down by the lake. There was something odd about it. Something about it didn't look right. 

Premise/plot: Kara, our modern-day heroine, finds herself able to interact with the past. She meets Rebecca and her brother, Samuel. They are living in the past--hiding on an island--during the Second World War. Kara wants to help 'save' these new [Jewish] friends, but is there a way to save them from the present? Or is history always going to play out the same way? 

My thoughts: The Sky Over Rebecca was definitely an 'almost' book for me. Almost a textbook case of "almost" for me. There's a supernatural/fantastical element of this one involving time. It is in a roundabout way about World War II and the Holocaust. Yet it was a little too odd--too out there--for me. I am not sure if there was a disconnect with Kara or just so many unanswered questions. 

S

P

O

I

L

E

R

For example, why Kara? Why is she the one who can see the 'ghosts' of the past--talk to them, hear them, see them, etc. Has Rebecca been in her timeloop for eighty years? Is Kara the first one that Rebecca has successfully communicated with?

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

183. Prize for the Fire

Prize for the Fire. Rilla Askew. 2022. 384 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: They live meanly here, Maddie, and demand of me that I do the same. It is not poverty of purse but meanness of spirit which causes them to crimp their mouths if one but ask for a bit of beef for one's supper.

Premise/plot: Prize for the Fire is historical fiction based on the life of Anne Askew (aka Anne Kyme). She lived during the reign of Henry VIII and suffered greatly, or, perhaps reaped much spiritually from her many, many, many sufferings. She was Protestant and an advocate for reading the Bible in English at a time when England was having an identity crisis of sorts spiritually. The country could not decide how much access people should have to the Word of God in English, particularly in terms of class and gender. Her reading the Bible in private AND forming her own opinions of what the text means led to many difficulties. But first and foremost this one is about how HARD her life was because she could not separate from her A**H*** of a husband. She lived at a time when men could literally do anything and everything to punish their wives for any perceived faults. Perhaps not all took advantage of this power, but some did. Anne sought help from her family--her parents, her brothers, etc. But no one was willing or able to help 'save' her from this abuse. Some even, in my opinion, betrayed her and sided with her husband his his family. Her own family saw her as TROUBLE in her insistence that she had the right to read the Word of God on her own privately. She also shared what she learned with others. Wikipedia says she was a preacher. I'm not sure I took that away from reading the novel. I saw her speaking with other women, other ladies, about the Word of God. I don't see her preaching [from a pulpit] to audiences. I suppose it depends on how you define preaching. OR the accuracy of Wikipedia.

My thoughts: Honestly this one started off so incredibly sluggish. I persisted because I knew if the story ever really began to pick up, it would be worth it. The last third of the novel was quite INTENSE and fast-paced. Much of this one--if not all--is heartbreaking. The thought that it could be deemed WRONG or even ILLEGAL to read the Bible in one's own home in one's own language is shocking. I think I knew this in the back of my mind. I knew that the transition from Roman Catholic to Protestant was ROUGH and deadly. That there were many who were imprisoned and/or martyred for matters of faith. Owning the Bible in English was novel during her lifetime. Being able to read AND study the Word of God was still "new" during this century.

 

© 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

181. I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964

I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964. Lauren Tarshis. 2023. [November] 144 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: To eleven-year-old Jackson Barrett, it seemed like the world was ending. He was caught in the middle of the most powerful earthquake in United States history. Across Alaska, the ground shattered like glass. Buildings fell to pieces. Icy cliffsides crashed into the sea. Giant tsunami waves smashed into towns and villages along the coast.

Premise/plot: Jackson has grown up in the wilds of Alaska. His family has lived in a tiny cabin they built themself--a bit "off grid" if you will. (Before being off grid was trendy). But a fire caused by a wild bear has the family living in town for a change...and this puts them right in the path of the Great Alaska Earthquake--March 27, 1964. 

My thoughts: All of the I Survived books have a certain formula. This is good news for kids, I'd imagine. You know exactly what to expect and if you love one, chances are you'll enjoy if not love almost all of the others in the series. (Though, of course, there will always be favorites that stand out.) As an adult reader this one won't be making my favorites list. Some in this series prove captivating to me. Others less so. 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

180 Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street. Valentine Davies. 1947. 136 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: If you searched every old folks' home in the country, you couldn't find anyone who looked more like Santa Claus. He was the living, breathing incarnation of the old gent--white beard, pink cheeks, fat tummy and all--and his name was Kris Kringle, too. Whether this was coincidence or design--a sort of stage name he had assumed--his friends at the Maplewood Home for the Aged never knew. Nor did they know exactly how old he was.

Premise/plot: Movie novelization of the classic holiday film of the same name. Both were released in 1947. I believe the note to the reader admits that the book is based on the film's script. If you've seen the movie, you've essentially read the book. Almost. There isn't much substance and depth added above and beyond the movie. While a few scenes we get a wider scope--greater understanding there are a few scenes that are very abrupt or concise. The climax of the movie are all the dramatic court scenes, this showdown of lawyers. In the book, however, the court stuff is kept to a bare minimum. The book definitely has a blink and you miss it ending. The same attention to detail that was found throughout the novel is a bit rushed for the last bit. For those that have not seen the movie, essentially a little girl puts Santa Claus to the ULTIMATE test. Meanwhile, Kris Kringle is on trial himself. Is he sane? insane? A danger to himself or others?

My thoughts: I am glad I've read this one. I have read it twice now. I want to love this one so much. I adore the movie. I am always glad to revisit these characters. If you are able to read this one, you should. But if you are having a hard time tracking it down, relax knowing that the book isn't "better" than the movie in this instance. It isn't a waste of time, mind you. It's not. It just doesn't go deeper than the movie and the plot is the same.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

179. The House Without a Christmas Tree

The House Without a Christmas Tree. Gail Rock. 1974. 84 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Carla Mae and I were sitting in our little kitchen at the old wooden table, with our spoons poised in mid-air. In front of each of us was a hard-boiled egg perched in an egg cup. We both stared intently at the faces we had drawn on our eggs. The longer the stare, the better the hex. "Who's yours today?" she asked. "Billy Wild," I said, making a face. 

The House Without a Christmas Tree is a nice holiday read. Addie Mills is the ten-year-old heroine in the novel. As Christmas approaches, she has one thing on her mind. Will this be the year that her Father gives in her begging--her pleading, her imploring--and buys a Christmas tree? Or will this be another disappointing Christmas season? She can't ever recall having a tree of her very own. She's not sure she completely believes her father's excuse that since they'll be spending Christmas day at her uncle's house--and he has a tree--that there is no need for a tree of their own. Her grandmother is on her side. But both seem a bit timid, and hesitant, to speak their full minds in front of Father.

Here are some other things it's nice to know about Addie:

• She is best, best friends with Carla Mae.
• She is worst friends with Tanya Smithers.
• She definitely does not like-like Billy Wild. (Or does she?)
• She loves her Grandma, and feels fiercely protective of her.
• She loves but does not understand her Father at all.
• She feels very misunderstood by her Father.
• She's curious about the mother she never knew.

The book is set in a small town in 1946.

 I have read this one a handful of times through the years. I do like revisiting the characters and their complex relationships. There are three more books, I believe, in the series. I have not read them all. But I'd be interested in reading them if I can find them.

 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

178. Anne of Windy Poplars

Anne of Windy Poplars. L.M. Montgomery. 1936. 288 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence:  DEAREST: Isn't that an address! Did you ever hear anything so delicious? Windy Poplars is the name of my new home and I love it. I also love Spook's Lane, which has no legal existence. It should be Trent Street but it is never called Trent Street except on the rare occasions when it is mentioned in the Weekly Courier . . . and then people look at each other and say, 'Where on earth is that?' Spook's Lane it is . . . although for what reason I cannot tell you. I have already asked Rebecca Dew about it, but all she can say is that it has always been Spook's Lane and there was some old yarn years ago of its being haunted. But she has never seen anything worse-looking than herself in it. 

Premise/plot: Anne and Gilbert are engaged at last! But Gilbert still has three years of school to go, and, so Anne finds herself a job as principal of a school in Summerside. Anne of Windy Poplars gives us an intimate look at those three years. Much of the book provides glimpses into the letters Anne writes Gilbert. But there are some traditional chapters as well.

My thoughts: Anne of Windy Poplars is such a delightful (late) addition to the Anne series by L.M. Montgomery. I love, love, love it. Even if Gilbert himself is absent. (We only see her letters to him, never his letters to her.)

This book showcases what Montgomery does BEST: bring her characters to life. It doesn't seem to matter if we spend two paragraphs with a character or two chapters. I CARE about every character she introduces.

Some of the characters we meet in this one: Aunt Kate, Aunt Chatty, Rebecca Dew, Dusty Miller (cats count as characters, right?!), Little Elizabeth, Nora Nelson, Jim Wilcox, Esme Taylor, Dr. Lennox Carter, Cyrus Taylor, Teddy Armstrong, Lewis Allen, Katherine Brooke, Mrs. Adoniram Gibson and Pauline, Cousin Ernestine Bugle, Jarvis Morrow, Dovie Westcott, Frank Westcott.
 

Favorite quotes:

I have a scratchy pen and I can't write love-letters with a scratchy pen...or a sharp pen...or a stub pen. So you'll only get that kind of letter from me when I have exactly the right kind of pen. 

You know I've always been one to whom adventures come unsought. I just seem to attract them, as it were.  

School begins tomorrow. I shall have to teach geometry! Surely that can't be any worse than learning it. 

Isn't it queer that the things we writhe over at night are seldom wicked things? Just humiliating ones.

I don't like reading about martyrs because they always make me feel petty and ashamed...ashamed to admit I hate to get out of bed on frosty mornings and shrink from a visit to the dentist!

Nobody is ever too old to dream. And dreams never grow old.

I said drenched and I mean drenched.

Oh, no, babies are never common," said Anne, bringing a bowl of water for Mrs. Gibson's roses. "Every one is a miracle."

It seems so strange to read over the stories of those old wars...things that can never happen again. I don't suppose any of us will ever have more than an academic interest in 'battles long ago.' It's impossible to think of Canada ever being at war again. I am so thankful that phase of history is over. 

Nobody is ever too old to wear just what she wants to wear. You wouldn't want to wear it if you were too old.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

177. Once There Was A Bear

Once There Was a Bear: Tales Before It All Began. Jane Riordan. 2021/2023. 128 pages. [Source: Library] [prequel to a children's classic]

First sentence: Not so very far away there is a forest. You've probably been there. It's the sort of Forest with trees to hide behind, sticks to bend and snap, streams to wet your toes in, and steep running down-y bits to run down. In this Forest, two friends sat in a patch of sunlight.

Premise/plot: This is the official prequel to A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh. These are stories that take place before the first book. For example, ever wonder how Winnie the Pooh came to be Christopher Robin's bear? Ever wonder about Pooh's experiences in a department store? The stories mainly seem to stand alone. 

My thoughts: I had very high expectations. This one mostly lived up to those high expectations. I wouldn't say that it was completely and totally magical from cover to cover. But there were two or three stories that really stood out to me as wonderful. Most were pleasantly good and solid--nothing disappointing. I loved Eeyore's origin story, for example. And Piglet's story with the boot was also great. 

Is this one necessary for every Pooh lover? Maybe. Maybe not. The originals are SO wonderful, marvelous, memorably epic. This prequel is solidly good and pleasant enough. I definitely enjoyed it more than not. I don't know that it is something that would be an absolute must for every fan.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

176. Where Coyotes Howl

Where Coyotes Howl Sandra Dallas. 2023. [April] 320 pages. [Source: Review copy] [Historical fiction; adult fiction]

First sentence: A ragged curtain snapped against the broken glass of the window in the old shack, which had begun to list. Its boards, the paint scraped off by the wind and sand, were a splintery gray. The door sagged open, its white china knob cracked and yellowed.

Premise/plot:  Are you looking for a book completely devoid of hope and joy? Are you looking for a book where women [and children] are oppressed on every single page? Did you find Romeo and Juliet too cheerful? If you want the 'one ring to rule them all' of bleakness, then Where Coyotes Howl might be a good fit for you. 

The premise is simple enough, Ellen Webster, goes to Wyoming as a school teacher in 1916. She meets and falls head over heels in love with a cowboy, Charlie Bacon. They marry. Life goes downhill after the 'I do's.' Not because they stop loving each other madly. No, because of situations and circumstances. Ellen experiences many tough situations, no doubt, but she witnesses a thousand times worse in the community. 

My thoughts: Is this one realistic? Perhaps. Surely you can find difficult, hard, tragic [how in the world do you experience all that and still keep on breathing] rough stories when doing genealogy. Pioneer stories can be ROUGH. It isn't that I went into this one expecting it to be cheery-happy-lovely-cozy-warm-fuzzy. But personally, I think a chain of hope OR a strong resilience [or both] could make a difference in perspective.

The overwhelming message seems to be that without agency, a woman cannot hope to have even a 1% chance at happiness. Men will abuse, misuse, manipulate. Even if you find the one in a million husband that will be tender and loving and supportive, you still can't be happy because you inevitably will suffer. Without birth control, you are doomed to SUFFER. This one seems very, very, very heavy-handedly pro-choice. The message seems to be that women need full and total control over their own bodies and their lives. A secondary message seems to be that it would be better to be a prostitute than a wife. [Some characters, though not Ellen, have been both. Husbands make life HELL on earth 99.2% of the time.] 

Mental health. Every single character needs help or intervention. Of course, there's no help to be had. Again, embracing the abandon all hope philosophy.

This one needs LOTS of trigger warnings. 

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Spousal abuse--verbal, physical, mental, sexual. Child abuse. Miscarriages. Murder. Suicide. Death. Death. Death. Death. Death. Death. 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

175. The Puppets of Spelhorst

The Puppets of Spelhorst. Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Julie Morstad. 2023. [October 10] 160 pages. [Source: Library]

 First sentence: There was once an old sea captain who lived in a small room above a tailor shop. The captain's name was Spelhorst, and he had no wife, no children, no family. He was alone in the world and took his meals at a cafe down the street from the tailor shop. There, the old man would sit at a table and stare past everything and everyone as if he were on the prow of a ship, looking out to sea.

Premise/plot: The Puppets of Spelhorst is an unusual, odd novel for children. [Is it really for children? Or is it for adults who love children's books???] It stars old puppets--a king, a wolf, a boy, a girl, and an owl. These puppets are mostly forgotten and 'unwanted.' An old sea captain buys them all--though he only wants the girl puppet with the violet eyes. The toy shop owner is insistent that the puppets have a great story to tell and must remain together. The captain dies that very night, and the puppets fate remains unknown....and they know it. Eventually the trunk of puppets finds its way into a new home--with children--and one of the girls is desperate to write and perform a play for all the puppets. The sister is less sure. Many misadventures occur that threaten this 'great story' from being performed. But all obstacles eventually are overcome...but is this great play the beginning or end???

My thoughts: This one is decidedly odd or eccentric. I think it is theme-driven perhaps. And since it takes a special kind of child reader to discern wisely what themes are [in the first place] and what the main theme of this one is, I don't know that children will "get" this one. Will adults get it? Probably they have a better chance of putting in the effort to decode the deeper themes and meanings. On the surface, sure, it clearly is celebrating words and stories. But I think it goes beyond that. Yet, for me, it didn't quite work. The characters were eccentric but not deeply or richly fleshed out. The plot seemed intentionally and purposefully random. Misadventures are a good word perhaps. I never settled into the text and felt WOW this is home. Perhaps readers are never meant to. The characters are self-aware to know that they may never fulfill their great destinies and their stories may never be realized or told. One character does have great hope. And perhaps that too plays into the greater theme of this one? 

It isn't action-packed enough to be a classic adventure or quest story. I couldn't personally decipher it as a fable.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews