109. Doomsday Book

109. Doomsday Book. Connie Willis. 1992. Random House. 592 pages.  [Source: Book I Bought]

First sentence: Mr. Dunworthy opened the door to the laboratory and his spectacles promptly steamed up.
"Am I too late?" he said, yanking them off and squinting at Mary.
"Shut the door," she said. "I can't hear you over the sound of those ghastly carols."
Dunworthy closed the door, but it didn't completely shut out the sound of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" wafting in from the quad. "Am I too late?" he said again.  

 Premise/plot: In a world where historians learn their subject firsthand by time travel, Kivrin, our heroine--one of them--is sent to the middle ages to learn just "how exaggerated" (according to her professor/advisor Gilchrist) the accounts of the Black Death were. That's spinning it a bit. Kivrin is there to LEARN and OBSERVE and ABSORB. Technically, she's to be sent to 1320--the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany season in OXFORD. But that's if all goes according to plan and there are no mix-ups or mistakes. 

Mr. Dunworthy, our hero, has a bad feeling that those in charge of the project are incapable and incompetent and imbeciles. The book opens moments before she is sent back in time....it isn't long before Dunworthy has reason to panic...But this book isn't about one man's panic--his helicopter teaching, if you will. It is about TWO pandemics. One is set in the present of 2054. This pandemic requires a quarantine, contact tracing, mask-wearing, and safety protocols. With it comes toilet paper shortages--along with soap! The present story line is full of mystery and action. The other is set in the past--the Black Death. There is a theme of helplessness in both.

My thoughts: Doomsday Book by Connie Willis is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite books. This is my seventh? time to read and review it. I last reviewed it in 2023. I love and adore this book so much. It is set during Christmas/Epiphany. It's just a book that calls out to me every year to reread. I am surprised it has never been adapted into a film. The world needs more action Christmas movies.

 

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

107. The Long Winter

107. The Long Winter (Little House #6) Laura Ingalls Wilder. 1940. 334 pages. [Source: Library]

 First sentence: The mowing machine's whirring sounded cheerfully from the old buffalo wallow south of the claim shanty, where bluestem grass stood thick and tall and Pa was cutting it for hay.

Premise/plot: The Ingalls family--and the whole community/territory--face a brutal, harsh, and terribly long winter full of blizzards. 

This first chapter is called "Make Hay While the Sun Shines" and if it's found within a book called THE LONG WINTER, the reader knows what to expect even if the characters don't. The book opens with Ma and Pa and family getting ready for harvest and winter. Laura is helping out Pa. Mary and Carrie are helping out Ma. Laura is especially pleased that she's old enough (around 14 now) to help Pa and do outdoor chores.

The Ingalls family is living in their claim shanty. This would be the first fall/winter they've been there. And they know it will be tough, but when the first blizzard comes in October, they know that it wouldn't only be tough to survive but impossible to survive if they were to try to stay on their homestead. Fortunately, Pa owns property in town. A place where they can be nice and warm and cozy for the winter. Or so they think.

What no one could know is just how hard, how long, how tough this winter was going to be. Some folks are prepared--the Wilder boys for instance--but most are not. Most are relying on the train making regular stops in town. The trains are essential for stocking the stores of supplies. But when almost every day brings a blizzard--with clear days coming only one at a time and never on a predictable schedule--it soon becomes clear that the trains will not be saving the day. Not til spring. The town's survival, the Ingalls' family survival, is a big if at this point.

Cold. Hunger. Starvation. No supplies. What's not to love?

My thoughts: The Long Winter has always been one of my favorites of the Little House series. I'll admit it tends to make you cold and hungry. But that's not a bad thing, right? I didn't think so. Only two books can trick my mind and body--okay maybe three--into thinking it's cold and hungry. One, of course, is The Long Winter. The other two are by Susan Beth Pfeffer. I think one of the reasons I love The Long Winter is that it introduces Almanzo Wilder onto the scene. True, there was Farmer Boy, but not every reader takes the time to read Farmer Boy. I spent forty plus years avoiding it. I read it earlier this year for the first time. But this Almanzo is a man--a young man it's true--19 years of age. And he's acting "manly" alright when it's time to save the day. I love every scene Almanzo is in. Laura first meets him when she's lost and trying to find her Pa in the slough of hay. Here is the description: "His blue eyes twinkled down at her as if he had known her a long time." Anyway, I love this book.

Is it my favorite and best from the series? Probably. I do love These Happy Golden Years. So those two are my favorite and best. But I really LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one so much.

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

103. Velveteen Rabbit

103. The Velveteen Rabbit. Margery Williams. Illustrated by William Nicholson. 1922/2014. Random House. 48 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars] [fantasy, children's classic]

 First sentence: THERE was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears were lined with pink sateen.

Premise/plot: Do you know what it is to be real? One little Christmas bunny will learn this and plenty of other life lessons in Margery Williams' classic tale The Velveteen Rabbit.

The Velveteen Rabbit opens with a young boy receiving a rabbit for a Christmas present. All is lovely for the rabbit that first day. But the toy is quickly forgotten. He becomes one toy of many, many, many toys. He's not exactly special to the boy or the other toys. In fact, I'd say the other toys bully him a bit. All except for the Skin Horse, the oldest toy in the nursery. It is this horse that tells the Rabbit all about being real, what it takes to be real, what it feels like, how it changes you, etc.

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt." "Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?" "It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." "I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled. "The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always." (5-8)

My thoughts: The Velveteen Rabbit is one of my favorite Christmas books. I love the nursery magic. I love the ending. It was originally published in 1922. The story and illustrations in this edition are original. This is a beautiful edition of the book. One of the best I've seen.

The Velveteen Rabbit was published several years before A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh and House at Pooh Corner. Chances are if you enjoy one, you'll enjoy the other.

Do you have a favorite toy-come-to-life fantasy?

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

95. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Harry Potter #7) J.K. Rowling. 2007. 759 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars] [YA speculative fiction]

First sentence: The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane. For a second they stood quite still, wands directed at each other's chests; then, recognizing each other, they stowed their wands beneath their cloaks and started walking briskly in the same direction.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter is on his final quest(s) in this final fantasy novel starring Harry Potter and company. (In particular, Ron and Hermione are his companions for most of the novel.) He is preparing day and night (night and day) for that final battle, the big showdown. He's also trying to decipher (uncover, discover) the mysteries of Dumbledore. There's so much he doesn't know, and he's still grieving the loss of his mentor.

My thoughts: This was my SECOND time to read the series. I will say I don't do the absolute best with super-intense action sequences. I more anxiously skim than stay present in the moment. I thought a reread would slow me down so I could appreciate everything more--especially towards the end. But even though I knew how things ended up, I just couldn't handle it! 

When I read the series the first time, I wasn't sure I would ever revisit the series. I did decide to reread and I am so glad I did. I can't say the series will ever be at the top of my favorite series. But I do feel like I better grasp the characters and the story. There were things I noticed the second time around that I didn't quite appreciate or get the first time around. I would imagine the more times you read the books, the more you notice the small things. Also little things might become quite meaningful to you. 

Will I read the series a third time? Only time will tell. Maybe. Maybe not. I still don't own the books. There are so many other series books that I would love to read--some would be new-to-me series, and some would be rereads. So I may not get to it again for a while--if at all.

This last book is quite different from the others in the series. But that is okay--this series grew with its original audience which is nice. 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

94. The 100

The 100 (The 100#1) Kass Morgan. 2013. 323 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, YA dystopia, YA fiction, YA romance]

First sentence: The door slid open and Clarke knew it was time to die.

My thoughts (preview): I picked this one up to reread it after binge-watching the television show The 100. I watched ALL the seasons. It had its ups and downs. It had its wild moments. (Though nothing like Riverdale, which I gave up on after three or four seasons). There were things I loved. There were things I didn't love. But what I appreciated MOST of all, were the character arcs. The characters that are sent down to earth, are NOT the same by any stretch of the imagination by the end of the series. 

Premise/plot: 100 teenage prisoners--all nearing their eighteenth birthdays--are sent to Earth to recolonize it after a hundred plus years after nuclear war. Will it be safe? Who knows! They are prisoners who would be executed upon reaching their eighteenth birthday anyway. That's what the powers that be reason anyway. The space colony is beginning to falter and sacrifices must be made. 

Clarke, Bellamy, and Wells provide perspective from earth. Glass provides perspective from the space ship. Each has a back story of how they became prisoners. (The other main character from earth, though we don't have her perspective, is Octavia). 

My thoughts: I am curious about the timing between the book series and the television series. The two share a premise but are 99% different. Clarke, Bellamy, Wells, and Octavia exist mostly in name only. Is that fair to say? I don't care if it isn't. Clarke and Wells--they keep that Clarke is seriously angry at Wells who is the son of the Chancellor. Bellamy and Octavia--they keep the brother-sister relationship being super protective. But everything else is gone...gone with the wind. 

For example, in the book Clarke's parents are BOTH dead. Both were executed. The powers that be are definitely bordering on evil. In the show, Clarke's father was executed trying to be a hero and warn everyone of imminent danger. Clarke's mother is alive and remains the main perspective from the orbiting space colony. She is our perspective into the powers that be. There is a large cast of characters on board ship and on earth. (In the book, there might be two or three other characters mentioned on earth--out of the one hundred. And two or three other characters mentioned on ship--out of thousands.) 

Glass and her boyfriend Luke do not exist on the television show. Their story is interesting perhaps because it did not make the cut. Glass is ARRESTED because she gets pregnant. The father that she named (there is a twist) is EXECUTED for getting her pregnant. Apparently, population control is so strong that it becomes illegal for anyone to have any child without permission.

 If I had recently read the book before starting the series, I might have cheered when differences occurred. Wells is SUPER, SUPER, SUPER, SUPER, SUPER, SUPER incredibly creepy and a huge jerk. I probably would have been angry that they turned Bellamy into season-one Bellamy.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

92. Uglies

Uglies. Scott Westerfeld. 2005. 425 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars] [YA dystopia, YA fiction, YA speculative fiction]

First sentence: The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.

My thoughts (preview): I first read this one the year it released. It was LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I thought it was fabulous. I reread it as an audio book in 2018 and hated the narrator. I didn't blame the book, just the narrator for throwing me out of the story. Now that there is a movie adaptation, I was curious to revisit the book. 

From the original review in 2007 for my blog: 

I have nothing but good memories surrounding Uglies. My first introduction to Miss Tally Youngblood, trickster fifteen year old, was in the fall of 2005. From the early summer sky was the color of cat vomit to I'm Tally Youngblood...make me pretty, I was hooked. So much so that I went out to buy my own copy of the book the very next morning.  

From the original non-blog review in 2005:

Set three to four hundred years in the future, Uglies, a dystopia, focuses on a global community of pretty people. Tally Youngblood introduces readers to this picture-perfect community where appearances are not a matter of one's genes but a matter of extensive plastic surgeries planned by the Community of Morphological Standardss. Tally and Shay are best friends awaiting their sixteenth birthdays and their surgeries after which they'll leave Uglyville behind and join the New Pretties. But Shay doubts that the "Pretty Committee" is as concerned with equality and justice as it appears, suspecting that ulterior motives may lay behind the surface. Days before her sixteenth birthday, Shay runs away leaving a cryptic message for her friend to find the way to Smoke, the rebel community of "ugly" outsiders. When the authorities discover Shay's disappearance, Tally is asked to make the hardest decision of her life: betray Shay and the rebel community to the authorities or face living life ugly.

Uglies is a fast-paced novel taking a typical YA topic--self esteem, conformity, and the perception of beauty--and treating it in a new and ultimately satisfying way by speculating about where current values of beauty and perfection might lead us as a society if taken to the extreme. By setting Uglies in the future instead of a contemporary high school, Westerfeld is able to provide reflection and commentary on a serious topic in a new and original way.

My thoughts: The book is decidedly better than the movie--no surprise. Though I will admit that possibly movie-Shay is better than book-Shay. I don't know if I found book-Shay super-incredibly annoying the first time around, but in this recent reread and in the audio book reread, I found her almost insufferable. The plot is DIFFERENT. I haven't decided which changes were for the best and which weren't. Some things do seem to make better sense. But mostly it just felt rushed and like there wasn't much depth or substance. I also think that it might make for a better animated adaptation. It was hard for the concept of "pretties" and "uglies" to come across since this everyone is already glam. 

I definitely don't love-love-love it the same way all these years later. 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

87. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6). J.K. Rowling. 2005. 652 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

First sentence: It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter (and company) face their biggest challenges yet. Lord Voldemort's return/resurrection is no longer being ignored by the powers that be. Harry Potter (and company) are no longer being ridiculed for spouting 'nonsense' about Voldemort. The threat is acknowledged. Some precautions are being taken. (But are they ever going to be enough?)

This one does take place mostly at Hogwarts. Harry Potter (and company) are doing their best to prepare for inevitable showdowns. Harry is taking special lessons with Professor Dumbledore. They are 'visiting' Voldemort's past memories. They are preparing for the 'war to come' by learning as much as they possibly can about every moment of his life. Looking for anything and everything they can use against him. 

This one has quite the ending. It is SUPER intense. More intense than any of the other novels. 

My thoughts: Yes, it's taken me ABSOLUTELY forever to start this series. I'm glad I waited this long to be honest. Harry Potter has fallen out of favor, these days, is being canceled--this time by the Left. But that is neither here nor there. (That's not why I'm reading the books now. That's not my motivation). I'm glad I waited so that I could read all the books back-to-back-to-back. No waiting. And since it was impossible to avoid spoilers there in early-to-mid 2000s, I know just enough about the characters.

 My thoughts PART TWO: I am rereading the whole series. My initial thought was to read July through December, but, I am zooming through some of these books. So I think I'll finish the series in November instead. The ending of this one is outstanding. I can only imagine the experience for those who started the series back in 97 or 98 and waited between books. I am liking the series more the second time around. Perhaps because I know the characters better and have a more grounded reaction.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

80. The Dead and the Gone

The Dead and the Gone. Susan Beth Pfeffer. 2008. 336 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars] [YA dystopian; YA Science fiction; YA Fiction]

First sentence: At the moment when life as he had known it changed forever, Alex Morales was behind the counter at Joey's Pizza, slicing a spinach pesto pie into eight roughly equal pieces.

The dead & the gone is the companion novel to Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It. While Miranda's story--set in Pennsylvania--chronicles her life from May through March of that decisive year, Alex's story--set in New York City--chronicles his life from May through December. Both are family-oriented. Miranda's life being closely tied to her mom and two brothers; Alex's life being closely tied to his two younger sisters, Brianna and Julie. But Alex's story is stronger in many ways. For Alex is the head of the family--for better or worse. Alex is the one making life-and-death decisions. His mom vanished on May 18th--the day the asteroid struck the moon. His dad may or may not have survived the first terrible week. Having been in Puerto Rico for a funeral, he's unable to make contact with his family. And, well, the coasts were hit hard--again and again. So even surviving the first tsunamis might not mean much in the long term. His older brother, Carlos, is in the Marines. He was far from home when it happened, and while he's able to send word--by phone or mail--a few times throughout the book. He's not the one in charge. He's not the one responsible for making the tough decisions on how to best survive. So while Miranda has to grow-up, it is a gradual growing into adulthood. She still has her relaxed moments. There is never one moment for Alex to relax. He carries a heavy weight day and night.

I enjoyed rereading Life As We Knew It and the dead & the gone back to back. There are things I love about both books. Things I appreciate about both books. One thing that makes the dead & the gone a very different story is the focus on faith and community. The dead & the gone is faith-oriented. Alex and his family are Catholics. They all attend Catholic school. They all regularly attend mass. They take their faith, their spirituality, their religion very seriously. The words mean something. The faith means something to them. Something real. Something personal. While each of the siblings has their own reaction--response--to the crisis, none loses their faith, none lose hope completely. I loved seeing this Catholic community in action. I loved seeing the Catholic church reaching out in love and compassion--with great hope and faith--to their community, to their parishioners. There were so many great scenes of this faith-in-action. Where people were responding with their hearts in faith as opposed to acting out of fear and anxiety. It's courageous and wonderful.

The dead & the gone has a broader outlook as well. While the electricity isn't reliable on a day-by-day basis in the dead & the gone, it is certainly more stable than in Life As We Knew It. Alex is connected to the larger world. He hears--for better or worse--more about the world at large. He is more aware of what is going on in other states. While Miranda and her family may go weeks or months without contact to other survivors, Alex is out of the house most days--at least before the flu epidemic comes. He's not as isolated as Miranda. Does not being so isolated help him cope? Maybe. But every day, every week is a struggle. Alex does things he'd NEVER thought he'd be doing.

Is Alex more of a hero than Miranda? I'm not sure that is exactly fair. Miranda has her courageous moments too. (I'm thinking of the woodstove mishap.) But. Alex's story has power no doubt about it.
I would definitely recommend both books.

"Give the scientists some time and they'll figure out what to do."
"This is too big for the scientists," Lorraine said. "Only God can save us now."
"Then He will," Alex said. (13)

God save their souls, Alex prayed. God save ours. It was the only prayer he could think of, no matter how inadequate it might be. It offered him no comfort, but he repeated it unceasingly. As long as he prayed he didn't have to think. He didn't have to remember. He didn't have to decide. He didn't have to acknowledge he was entering a world where no one had laid out the rules for him to follow, a world where there might not be any rules left for any of them to follow. (65)

"She says you've been having bad dreams."
"Aren't you?" Julie asked. "Isn't everyone?"
Alex burst out laughing. "Only sane people," he said. "Okay, maybe not Bri. But everyone else is."
"Are things going to get better?" Julie asked. "Is that why you listen to the news all the time, because someday things are going to get better?"
Alex shook his head. "That's not why I listen," he replied. "That's why I pray but not why I listen."
"Do you think God listens?" she asked.
"Bri thinks so," Alex said. "Father Franco thinks so." (81)

It was hard being alone in the apartment staring at an unringing phone, haunted by the food in the kitchen, which he wouldn't allow himself to touch, haunted even more by the image of his mother drowning in the subway that very first night. He tried reading. He tried praying. He tried push-ups. He tried counting the cans of soup. He listened to the radio, using up the twenty-dollar batteries. The world was coming to an end. Well, that was nothing new. (123)

"And what's so special about you that you deserve compassion?" Father Mulrooney said. "You have shelter. You have food. You have family and friends. I'm supposed to feel pity for you because of a cut cheek?"
"You don't understand at all," Alex said. "I have shelter for as long as no one thinks about it. Once they do, once they realize my father is gone, they can throw us out. I have food only if I get lunch here. We're down to almost nothing at home, and I have to make sure my kid sister eats. She is my family right now, because my parents are both gone and my older brother is in the Marines somewhere and I sent my other sister to live at a convent with strangers. My cheek was cut because I got caught in a food riot, with my kid sister, and we ended up with no food anyway. I'm not asking you to pity me. I pity me enough for the two of us. But when one of your students asks you for food, you shouldn't say no and feel righteous about it. That's not what Christ would have done, and you know it." (133)

"What do you have planned for tomorrow?"
Alex shrugged. "The usual," he said. "Checking on the elderly, studying theology, fighting for survival. Same old, same old." (151)

"I know it's wrong to feel that way about God and I know it's wrong to not feel anything. I hate it. I don't hate God. I hate not loving Him." (184)

 

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

77. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. J.K. Rowling. 2003. 912 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars] [mg fiction; mg fantasy; series book]

First sentence: The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter and his friends struggle to keep things together as a new year at Hogwarts begins. Lord You-Know-Who has returned. But the Ministry of Magic (among others) are determined to bury their heads in the sand. (Perhaps because they are more involved with You-Know-Who than they'd like to admit. Perhaps because they would rather believe that Harry Potter (and company, the Order of the Phoenix) is lying than that HE has returned. You could argue either.) The staff and students are on high alert--namely from Dolores Umbridge (and those whom she represents as High Inquisitor). The year won't be easy. The foundation of Hogwarts is being shaken about. 

Meanwhile, Harry Potter is continuing to have dreams and visions. His scar is still bothering him. He's beginning to realize that he and You-Know-Who share an unbreakable bond. 

My thoughts: It is so easy to feel overwhelmed by the weight of the books in these series. The pacing is all over the place for me. On the one hand, the books never fail to have about one hundred pages of the most intense, fast-paced, action-packed DRAMA. On the other hand, so much time is spent getting to that point. Like you've got eight plus months of more mundane chronicling of school life--always taking a chapter or two for the Christmas holidays--and then BOOM end of school year, BIG show down. In the middle of the book, I'm always am I sure I want to keep reading. At the end of the book, it's like this is why I do keep reading. 

Lighter moments are definitely getting harder to come by.

ETA: I am rereading the series. I definitely appreciated this one MUCH more the second time around. I have all the feels for the ending of this one. The last half of the book is SO intense and emotional. Sirius Black is one of my favorite characters. This one does feature some big reveals--for those reading it the first time around. 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

76. Dogtown

76. Dogtown (A Dogtown Book #1) Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko. 2023. [September] 352 pages. [Source: Library] [Animal fantasy; J Fiction; MG Fiction] [5 stars]

First sentence: I know what you're thinking: That poor dog only has three legs. But don't go there. It's not that bad, okay? So, I'm not American Kennel Club material. Big deal. My eyes are sharp, my nose is wet, my coat puppy soft, and the white patch over my eye? It's a charmer, I don't mind saying. My name is Chance. I'm pleased to meet you.

 ETA to the ETA: This is my third time reading Dogtown. I love it so much. Definitely one of my favorite books of all times. 

ETA: I first reviewed Dogtown in July 2023. Yes, it's only been a few months. Barely two months. But I loved it so much. The first time I read a review copy. The second time I checked it out from the library. I loved it just as much--if not more. 

Premise/plot: Dogtown is an animal shelter (dog shelter). It features dog-dogs and robot-dogs. (Presumably, this animal fantasy is futuristic animal fantasy). It stars Chance, our LOVABLE, adorable, super-kind hero. He's long been a resident at Dogtown. This is the story of his friendships at Dogtown. In particular, how he made [close] friendships with two unlikely residents: a mouse (named Mouse) and a robot dog, Metal Head. The book contains their adventures/misadventures.  

My thoughts: Does this one feature a dog in peril? Yes and no. No, in that it isn't just one dog in peril. It is DOGS (plural) in peril. Though this one doesn't feature direct-direct sads, it features plenty of potential peril. Does it have heart and substance? A thousand times yes. I loved, loved, loved, loved this one so much. I LOVE the emotional journey of this one. Very feel-good. Very warm-and-cozy. Yet not instant. Do I see myself rereading it? YES. I already want to reread it. I could reread it a million times and still be moved by how awesome it is.

I loved the story. I loved the characters. I loved EVERYTHING. 

My favorite, favorite, favorite element of this one is the inclusion of the BOOK BUDDY program. Pairing school-age children with shelter-dogs for reading time. These scenes were HEART-MELTING. 

 Quotes: 

I learned something important that day: Never say something about a dog that you wouldn't want him to hear. "I like the moniker," Metel Head said. I didn't know if he'd burned out his bulbs or somebody had adjusted his settings, but the blue flashing had stopped. I could look at him without getting a headache. "Why do you want to escape?" I asked. "I want to go home," he said.

Here's another thing humans are sadly misguided about: Luck is not a winnin ghand of cards. Luck is making a new friend.

It wasn't the way it was supposed to be, with the kid reading and the dog listening. But one look at Metal Head and Quinn, scooted up close to each other, and  it was pretty clear something had happened. Something big.

"What about your humans, Chance? Don't you want to go home?" This was not the kind of question Dogtown dogs asked each other. If a dog wanted to talk about how she ended up at Dogtown, that was fine. But you didn't ask a question that broke a dog's heart to answer. How do you explain kindness to a a machine with a hunk of metal where his heart should've been? I really didn't know.

"Your heart is a muscle," I told Mouse at dinner that night. "It grows stronger the more you use it." 

I can't say that Metal Head was a friend, then,. He was more of a friend of a friend. Quinn liked him and I liked Quinn. But yeah, I did want to see if everything worked out for him. But wasn't the real reason I said yes. The real reason was something I didn't want to admit...there were a lot of phone poles up ahead. And maybe they had signs, too.

The smell of cheese is simply divine. The taste of it is even better.

Once hope gets inside you, you want your wishes to come true so badly, you just can't imagine that they won't.

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

72. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

72. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. J.K. Rowling. 2000. 734 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]

First sentence: The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it "the Riddle House," even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there. 

Premise/plot: Harry Potter returns (eventually) to Hogwarts where he and his friends discover several changes for the school year ahead. Before school returns, there is a Quidditch World Cup to be endured. It felt like the sporty Quidditch World Cup took up 800 pages. Once he (and his friends) return to Hogwarts and begin their studies again, the pace picks up a bit. One of the changes this year is the triwizard competition. Hogwarts is one of three schools participating. There is supposed to be one student per school. But someone has entered Harry's name into the goblet of fire and so he ends up being a 'champion' [participant]. Cedric Diggory is the other Hogwarts champion. [I don't remember the names from the other two schools.] This competition is spread out throughout the school year. 

My thoughts: I feel like the first six-hundred pages were mostly dull and ho-hum. I think the last bit of the novel has all the action and suspense. Out of the four novels I've read so far, this has been the dullest all things considered. All things being taking the book as a whole. There were definitely intense, action-packed, emotional scenes/chapters. But does THAT end-portion make up for all the sporty-sport-sport bit at the start???? I'm not sure. This was the first Harry Potter book where I've had to force myself to keep reading to get to the end of it.

 ETA: I had forgotten--almost--how much I disliked this one, OR, at least the start of this one. This one is like THREE different books. There is the EXTREMELY LONG AND BARELY NECESSARY "prologue" of the sporting world championship bit, AND there is the normal, formulaic school semesters bit, and then there is the super compelling, well-paced, ABSOLUTELY absorbing and completely and totally necessary bit that CHANGES EVERYTHING. Like the whole series pivots thanks to the last hundred or so pages of this one. But it takes FOREVER for the good bit to come.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

69. Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. Terry Pratchett. 2001. HarperCollins. 242 pages. [Source: Library] [Animal Fantasy; MG Fiction] [4 stars]

First sentence: Rats! 
They fought the dogs and killed the cats, and--
But there was more to it than that. As the Amazing Maurice said, it was just a story about people and rats. And the difficult part of it was deciding who the people were, and who were the rats.
But Malicia Grim said it was a story about stories.
It began--part of it began--on the mail coach that came over the mountains from the distant cities of the plain.

Premise/plot: What is this one about? Maurice has a scheme to get rich. He travels with a human piper, Keith, and 'his' educated rodents (rats). (Both the rats and the cat can talk.) They go from town to town--or village to village--though never in places too close together. First, they'll be an outbreak of rats. Then Keith will appear as a rat piper to save the day and lead the rats away. For a fee, of course. They split the money between them.

Readers see their "last" adventure in the town of Bad Blintz. All does not go according to plan...

My thoughts: I loved The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. I just LOVED it. I loved the characters. Maurice, the cat, and many of the rats--including Hamnpork, Dangerous Beans, Peaches, Darktan, Sardines, etc. And the humans, Keith and Malicia. I loved seeing these characters interact with one another. I loved the story too! It was such a great adventure story. And the writing--of course--I just loved it! Terry Pratchett is a new favorite of mine!!!

One of my favorite things about this one is Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. These rats LOVE the book Mr. Bunnsy Has An Adventure. And many of the chapters begin with a quote from this book.

One day, when he was naughty, Mr. Bunnsy looked over the hedge into Farmer Fred's field and saw it was full of fresh green lettuces. Mr. Bunnsy, however, was not full of lettuces. This did not seem fair. (1)

Mr. Bunnsy had a lot of friends in Furry Bottom. But what Mr. Bunnsy was friendly with more than anything else was food. (20)

The important thing about adventures, thought Mr. Bunnsy, was that they should not be so long as to make you miss mealtimes. (49)

There were big adventures and small adventures, Mr. Bunnsy knew. You didn't get told what size they were going to be before you started. Sometimes you could have a big adventure even when you were standing still. (79)

I would definitely recommend this one!

Favorite quotes: 

There's always a plot. You just have to know where to look.

Malicia leaned against the wall with incredible nonchalance. There was not a click. A panel in the floor did not slide back. "Probably the wrong place," she said. "I'll just rest my arm innocently on this coat hook." A sudden door in the wall completely failed to happen. "Of course, it'd help if there was an ornate candlestick," said Malicia. "They're always a surefire secret-passage lever. Every adventurer knows that." "There isn't a candlestick," said Maurice. "I know. Some people totally fail to have any idea of how to design a proper secret passage," said Malicia. She leaned against another piece of wall, which had no effect whatsoever.

Cats don't go around feeling sorry! Or guilty! We never regret anything! Do you know what it feels like, saying, 'Hello food, can you talk?' That's not how a cat is supposed to behave!

If you don't turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else's story.

A good plan isn't one where someone wins, it's where nobody thinks they've lost.

"We don't want to be like the first mouse!" shouted the rats. "Right! What mouse do we want to be like?" "The second mouse, Darktan!" said the rats, like people who'd heard this lesson dinned into them many times. "Right! And why do we want to be like the second mouse?" "Because the second mouse gets the cheese, Darktan!"

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

68. Life As We Knew It

68. Life As We Knew It. Susan Beth Pfeffer. 2006. 337 pages. [Source: Library] [MG Fiction, YA Fiction] [5 stars]

First sentence: Lisa is pregnant.

Premise/plot: As the world is ending--or seeming to--Miranda, our heroine, keeps readers up to speed with her private journal. It starts several days--perhaps a week?--before an asteroid hits the moon. After the asteroid hits the moon, things change drastically, dramatically, and perhaps permanently. Can the human race survive? Will Miranda and her family? 

My thoughts: This novel is bleakity-bleak. However, it is not as bleak as it could be, or perhaps should be. But if it was more bleak would it have any readers reading and recommending it? It isn't as bleak as it could be because it isn't always realistic. One glaring instance is the magical well water that Miranda and her family rely on for months, long months without any electricity whatsoever. Or generators. Wells depend on electricity. What is sad or perhaps ironic is that one person in her family makes the comment how lucky they are to be on well water since the town's water supply depends on electricity and many are without water. Chances are they depend on electricity in different ways.

Even though some of the scenarios are unrealistic--each reader probably could point out one way that sticks out to him/her--the novel does a great job with its characters. This one is without a doubt a disaster/survival novel. It is premise-driven. But it is also very much about family dynamics. The focus is narrow--very narrow. The immediate family of Miranda. But just because there are few characters doesn't mean it isn't great at developing those characters. And it's rare, when you think about it, for a middle grade novel to focus ON family instead of friends and classmates. 

I have reviewed this one so many times because this is one that I keep rereading. 

My favorite quotes:

“Sometimes when Mom is getting ready to write a book she says she doesn’t know where to start, that the ending is so clear to her that the beginning doesn’t seem important anymore. I feel that way now only I don’t know what the ending is, not even what the ending is tonight” (16).

“For a moment I thought about all the people throughout history who saw Halley’s Comet and didn’t know what it was, just that it was there and frightening and awe inspiring. For the briefest flick of a second, I could have been a 16 year old in the Middle Ages looking up at the sky, marveling at its mysteries, or an Aztec or an Apache. For that tiny instant, I was every 16 year old in history, not knowing what the skies foretold about my future.” (18)

“And then it hit. Even though we knew it was going to, we were still shocked when the asteroid actually made contact with the moon. With our moon. At that second, I think we all realized that it was Our Moon and if it was attacked, then we were attacked.” (18-19)

“What about desserts?” I asked. “If the world comes to an end, I’m going to want cookies.” “We’re all going to want cookies if the world comes to an end,” Mrs. Nesbitt agreed. “And chips and pretzels. If the world is coming to an end, why should I care about my blood pressure?” “Okay, we’ll die fat,” Mom said. “Grab what you can grab and ram it into your wagons. But remember if we actually need this stuff, we’re going to be a lot more grateful for a can of soup than for a box of stale cookies.” “Speak for yourself,” Mrs. Nesbitt said. (34)

 “I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald’s would still be open.” (46)

“Lately I’ve been trying not to know what’s going on. At least that’s the excuse I’ve been giving myself for not caring about all the stuff that’s happening outside of my little section of Pennsylvania. Who cares about earthquakes in India or Peru or even Alaska?
Okay that’s not fair. I know who cares. Matt cares and Mom cares and if there were any baseball involved, Jonny would care, too. Knowing Dad, he cares. Mrs. Nesbitt, too.
I’m the one not caring. I’m the one pretending the earth isn’t shattering all around me because I don’t want it to be. I don’t want to know there was an earthquake in Missouri. I don’t want to know the Midwest can die, also, that what’s going on isn’t just tides and tsunamis. I don’t want to have anything more to be afraid of.
I didn’t start this diary for it to be a record of death.” (70-71)

“We have clean sheets to sleep on, a clean house, clean clothes, clean dishes. We spent the evening laughing. It wasn’t 90 degrees in the house when we went to bed. We weren’t hungry. We’re not worried about Dad. I know what it feels like to be kissed by a boy. If I could, I would relive this day over and over. I can’t imagine a more perfect one.” (95-96)

“I can’t decide which is worse, no electricity or unreliable electricity. I wonder if I’ll ever have to decide which is worse, life as we’re living or no life at all.” (119)

“Here’s the funny thing about the world coming to an end. Once it gets going, it doesn’t seem to stop.” (120)

“I told Mom I was doing history (she never would have believed me if I said math) and stayed in bed all morning.” (191)

“I know I’m going to have to be strong for the next couple of weeks. No more whining. No more picking fights. I’ll have to do whatever Mom asks me and not protest and not complain. I know I can do it. But for that one moment I felt so weak, so helpless. I felt nothing but fear and despair and the most awful need to be anyplace else. I told myself it was hunger, but I knew that was a lie.
As long as Mom was all right, I could fool myself into thinking we’d all be all right.” (206)

“It’s funny how sorry I feel for Jon these days. I’m 2 1/2 years older than him and I feel like got those 2 1/2 years to go to school and swim and have friends and he got cheated out of them. And maybe he’ll live 2 1/2 years longer than me, or 20 years or 50, but he’ll still never have those 2 1/2 years of normal life.

Every day when I go to sleep I think what a jerk I was to have felt sorry for myself the day before. My Wednesdays are worse than my Tuesdays, my Tuesdays way worse than my Tuesday of a week before. Which means every tomorrow is going to be worse than every today. Why feel sorry for myself today when tomorrow’s bound to be worse?
It’s a hell of a philosophy, but it’s all I’ve got.” (275)

“But I hope when I get closer to death, however old I might be, that I can face it with courage and good sense the way Mrs. Nesbitt does.” (234)

“A while ago Jonny asked me why I was still keeping a journal, who I was writing it for. I’ve asked myself that a lot, especially in the really bad times.
Sometimes I’ve thought I was keeping it for people 200 years from now, so they can see what our lives were like.
Sometimes I’ve thought I’m keeping it for that day when people no longer exist but butterflies can read.
But today, when I am 17 and warm and well fed, I’m keeping this journal for myself so I can always remember life as we knew it, life as we know it, for a time when I am no longer in the sunroom.” (337)

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

65. Legend

65. Legend. (Legend #1) Marie Lu. 2011. 318 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Dystopia, YA Fiction, YA Romance] [5 Stars]

First sentence: My mother thinks I'm dead. Obviously I'm not dead, but it's safer for her to think so. At least twice a month, I see my Wanted poster flashed on the JumboTrons scattered throughout downtown Los Angeles. It looks out of place up there. Most of the pictures on the screens are of happy things: smiling children standing under a bright blue sky, tourists posting before the Golden Gate Ruins, Republic commercials in neon colors. There's also anti-Colonies propaganda. "The colonies want our land," the ads declare. "They want what they don't have. Don't let them conquer your homes! Support the cause!"

Premise/plot:  Legend is YA dystopia. The novel has two narrators: a guy named Day (Daniel) and a girl named June. Both underwent the "trials" at age 10. June received a perfect, perfect score earning her not only the right to higher education (high school and college) but the right to the best education possible, the kind of education that will prepare her for serving the Republic. Day, well, he didn't pass his trials. And like all other low-scoring 10 year olds, he was sent away to labor camp. Once a 10 year old is sent to labor camp, they're never ever heard from again.

When the novel opens, both teens are about 15. Day is a wanted criminal, an outlaw. He doesn't legally exist in the Republic database, in the Republic records. The authorities don't even know what he looks like--what race or ethnicity he may be. So their wanted posters change quite often allowing for every possibility. (It's the occasional finger print on the crime scene that links Day to particular crimes.) Day is in Los Angeles spying on his family. His older brother, John, is the only one in the neighborhood who still knows he's alive. And it is to John he delivers gifts--food, clothes, medicine, money, etc.  Day becomes worried when his family's home is marked with a red X--a symbol that someone within the home has the plague. This is very bad news indeed.

June, on the other hand, is at the top of her class. Though she's just fifteen, she's almost finished with her training, her education. June is anxious to start working for the Republic, to start serving in the military, to start tracking down criminals like Day. Her wish comes true--but not in the way she expected. She wanted to start working with her older brother, Metias. Instead, she takes his place after he is murdered. And it appears that Day is the one responsible for his stabbing. Metias was trying to stop Day from escaping from the hospital after a break in. (Day was hoping to find plague cures for his family.) June is on a mission, and it is personal. She'll track down Day and bring him to justice no matter what.

 My thoughts: The chapters alternate in narrators, and for once I think this is a great idea. Usually, I'm not a big fan of this in novels, but in this case, it not only works, it works well! I was able to care about Day and June--almost from the start!

Legend is action-packed. It's an intense read. But an enjoyable one! I'd definitely recommend it!!! 

I first read this one in June of 2011. I reread it in August of 2024. 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

64. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

64. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. 1999. 435 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars] [MG speculative fiction]

First sentence: Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways. For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year. For another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night. And he also happened to be a wizard.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter and his friends are preparing for a third year at Hogwarts. This one starts out in some ways extremely similar to the other two books in the series, but quite different as well. After an INCIDENT with his "family," Harry Potter runs away... Around this same time the magic world is shook by the escape of a prisoner from Azkaban--Sirius Black. Everyone is so distracted/concerned about his escape, that Harry Potter's so-called illegal use of magic is overlooked or quickly pardoned. Most of this school year is concerned with the missing Sirius Black. It is thought that Harry Potter is in even more danger than usual...

Plenty of adventures and misadventures are to be found in the day to day lives of Harry Potter and company. 

My thoughts: I certainly did not expect Scabbers--Ron Weasley's rat--to enter into the story in this fashion. I wasn't surprised by other elements of this one. I've learned to expect just about anything/everything from other characters--particularly adults, mostly professors, etc. 

I liked this one okay. I didn't hate it. But it also wasn't all that thrilling. Well, it had its thrilling moments towards the end. But for the most part it is all ho-hum. Hermione is super busy taking a million classes at once. Hermione has a "mean" cat. I guess the only other positive thing is that we get a few glimpses of who Harry's parents--their characters/personalities/relationships/etc.

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

63. Mockingjay

63. Mockingjay. Suzanne Collins. 2010. Scholastic. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Dystopia] [4 stars]

First sentence: I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather. This is where the bed I shared with my sister, Prim, stood. Over there was the kitchen table. The bricks of the chimney, which collapsed in a charred heap, provide a point of reference for the rest of the house. How else could I orient myself in this sea of gray? Almost nothing remains of District 12.

Katniss has made it through her second Hunger Games--just barely. She was "rescued" just in time. Unfortunately, Peeta, her on-screen romance was not. While Katniss is trying to adapt to her new home in District Thirteen, while Katniss is trying to decide whether or not to become the rebellion's "Mockingjay", he is President Snow's prisoner. And knowing that Peeta is in danger--that he is being tortured--is torture for her.

Is Katniss's reunion with Gale a good thing? You be the judge of that. He does bring out Katniss's anger, her aggression. And not always in the right way. For Katniss finds him infuriating to be around at times. Does Gale make a good soldier for the rebellion? Definitely. But just because he's in favor with the rebellion, with President Coin, doesn't mean that he's a good friend--a good partner--for Katniss.

Katniss is still trying to find herself. She's still having people try to shape her, mold her, conform her, define her, limit her. In many ways, President Coin is just as bad as President Snow in trying to "make" Katniss into something she's not. Coin wants her to be "the face" of the war. In a very artificial way--at least at first. Under the circumstances, Katniss has never had the time--the opportunity--to decide anything for herself. She's forced into everything--either directly or indirectly. Is it any wonder she's so confused? (But Katniss does get her moment in Mockingjay.)


Mockingjay is very much focused on war and politics. And with both sides so committed to war, to destruction, to "winning" it shouldn't be much of a surprise that this one is so violent, so bloody, so ugly.


I liked this one. I thought it was compelling--very intense. It is an emotional book--the subject matter makes it so.

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

60. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) J.K. Rowling. 1998. 341 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

First sentence: Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive. Mr. Vernon Dursley had been woken in the early hours of the morning by a loud, hooting noise from his nephew Harry's room. 

 ETA: This is my second time to read Chamber of Secrets. I enjoyed it more the second time around. I definitely am already attached to many of the characters. 

Premise/plot: Harry Potter is being held captive by his aunt and uncle. He's "forbidden" to continue his studies at Hogwarts. For better or worse, he's "rescued" via flying car driven by a Weasley sibling. [This scene where he's passing all his stuff through the window to a waiting car reminded me of a scene where someone is escaping a cult]. After a lovely time with the Weasleys, time at last to buy supplies for school and head off for Hogwarts for their second year. But...Ron and Harry miss the train. For better or worse, flying car to the "rescue." These two cause quite the disturbance on their way to school....

Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter's biggest fan???, is joining her big brother at Hogwarts.

This school year has its ups and downs. A 'monster' from a secret chamber is terrorizing students and staff. No one knows for sure who is responsible--though Hermione, Harry, and Ron have their suspicions. (But I don't think any of them guessed accurately...)

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one more than the first book. I enjoyed the mystery. I enjoyed the ghosts. I enjoyed the reveals of character's backstories. It was packed with action. It didn't seem so info-dumpy.

 

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

58. Catching Fire

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) Suzanne Collins. 2009. 391 pages. [Source: Library] [5/5 Stars] [Dystopia, YA]

First sentence: I clasp the flask between my hands even though the warmth from the tea has long since leached into the frozen air. 

This is THE year I am rereading all the Hunger Games books. It has been over a decade since I've read the original trilogy. I do watch the movies every few years. I was SHOCKED (though I shouldn't be) how much doesn't make it into the movies. I was reminded again that the books are so much better than the movies. I think because I do enjoy the movies so much, I forget how different the experiences are from one another. Hence why I didn't reread the series for so long. But the books offer SO much more depth and substance. 

Premise/plot: Peeta and Katniss should be safe now that the seventy-fourth hunger games are over. But they are far from safe since their controversial win in the arena. President Snow has MANY thoughts and opinions. His mind is made up--despite his offering Katniss an out, essentially. Katniss and Peeta's mere existence is an ongoing threat to "peace" in Panem. But he and his cohorts have a plan for the seventy-fifth game....

My thoughts: Catching Fire IS my favorite of the trilogy. I love and adore this book so much. I like the other books in the series. I do. But this one has EVERYTHING. I love, love, love, love FINNICK. I do love Peeta and Katniss. (Not such a big fan of Gale, though I'm not sure if that's legit because of the first two books or because I can never forget book three). Reading the book for the first time in such a long time--over a decade--was like reading it with fresh eyes.

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

57. Beezus and Ramona

Beezus and Ramona. Beverly Cleary. 1955. HarperCollins. 208 pages. [Source: Library] [Star rating: 5/5]

First sentence: Beezus felt that the biggest trouble with four-year-old Ramona was that she was just plain exasperating. If Ramona drank lemonade through a straw, she blew into the straw as hard as she could to see what would happen.

Unlike other books in the Ramona series, this one is narrated by Beezus. Like all other books in the Ramona series, it has a just-right feel about it. Beverly Cleary's greatest talent may be in her capturing what it feels like to be a kid.

Beezus, as you probably know, is Ramona's big sister. Ramona does steal the show in almost every book in which she appears. There's something unforgettable about her. But though the focus is on Ramona, this is still very much Beezus' book. It captures how she feels about her family, about Ramona.

"Beezus and Her Little Sister." Ramona LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to have The Littlest Steam Shovel read to her. Her parents are unwilling to read it to her--they have come to have no tolerance for it. But Beezus, well, she'll read it to Ramona, not that she likes it, but, she'll give in now and then. She gets the idea to take Ramona to the library to get a brand new book--for two weeks. Ramona picks a new book, but, it is still about steam shovels. She likes it so much, that she does something NAUGHTY so she can keep it for always. What will Beezus do since it was checked out on her card? Just how sympathetic will the librarian be?

"Beezus and Her Imagination" Beezus is in an art class. Ramona isn't supposed to be in the class with her, she's supposed to be playing outside in the sandbox. But on this occasion, Beezus finds Ramona in class with her. Could she get inspired by her sister's imaginary pet?! Could she earn her teacher's attention?!

"Ramona and Ribsy" Beezus invites Henry Huggins (and his dog, Ribsy) to her house to play checkers. It doesn't go well. Both Ribsy and Ramona have fits of sorts. And Ribsy ends up locked in the bathroom?! Beezus wishes Ramona was more like other people's sisters.

"Ramona and the Apples" Beezus is supposed to be watching Ramona while their mother does the grocery shopping. But. Ramona proves too much to handle. She sneaks into the basement and has her way with all the apples...taking one bite and just one bite from each apple. Will Beezus get in trouble? Can anything good come from all those ruined apples?

"A Party at the Quimbys" Ramona decides to have a party and invite other kids over to the house--without permission of course. What will Beezus and their mother do? This one ends in a parade. Among the guests, Howie and Willa Jean.

"Beezus's Birthday" Will Beezus have a cake for her tenth birthday?! It might not be as easy as you might think. Not with Ramona around. But with a little help from Aunt Beatrice, all might be well after all. Hint: If you have a sister like Ramona, don't read the story of Hansel and Gretel to her when your cake is in the oven!

I love the Ramona series. I do. I love, love, love the Ramona books. I think I read them dozens of more times than the Little House books. (I've recently reread these too.) I'm not sure Beezus and Ramona is my favorite of the series, but, it's a great start to a great series.

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

56. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. J.K. Rowling. 1997. 345 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.

Premise/plot: Harry Potter, our protagonist, is an orphan destined for adventures--and misadventures. Raised by muggles, his aunt and uncle, he is clueless that his parents were involved in magic--witch and warlock. Both attended Hogwarts. Though the Dursleys plan to send Harry to an ordinary school, well, fate (if you will) has other plans. He receives dozens--and dozens and dozens--of invitations to Hogwarts. No matter how much his aunt and uncle want to deny Harry his heritage--his legacy--they are thwarted. (One might sympathize with them if they weren't presented as Roald Dahl style caricatures. After all, if they treated Harry as their own flesh and blood, if they treated him well, if they truly, deeply had his best interests at heart...then one might argue that they are trying to protect Harry.

Much of the book is set at school--Hogwarts--and involves Harry interacting with his closest friends (like Ron and Hermione), his classmates, his professors, his enemies. Harry (and company) get in and out of trouble on multiple occasions. Harry does have a BIG ENEMY (one who is not to be named, perhaps). He does make a brief appearance towards the end of the novel.

My thoughts: I read this series for the first time (ever) in 2023. I did decide I wanted to reread. I definitely enjoyed *more* this time around. There were little details that I may or may not have missed the first time around, but have taken out some meaning now that I've read the whole series. I definitely had greater appreciation for the whole cast of characters. My focus had shifted a bit. While the first time around, I was uncertain on if I even liked it and would continue on with the series, this time around I knew better what to expect and where the story was heading.

Quotes: 

If only the had had mentioned a House for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

 There were a hundred and fort-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk.

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. 

As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all-- the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews