Becky's Book Reviews

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

24. The Rose Bargain

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

First sentence: King Edward's face was streaked with mud and blood when the woman first appeared at the tree line. His sword hung by his side, limp, in a single moment of pause, and then he fell to his knees.

Premise/plot: The War of the Roses "ends" when a fae queen, Queen Moryen, murders King Edward and assumes the throne of England. The novel properly begins almost four hundred years later--give or two a decade. Ivy Benton, our heroine, knows better than some how risky bargaining with the fae queen can be. Her sister, Lydia, disappeared and returned with many of her memories just gone--including the memory of exactly what her bargain was. There's always a cost--a heavy price to pay--for bargaining with Her Majesty. However, it is almost expected that sooner or later every single subject will. Be careful what you wish for...and all that.

The new season is about to start, and Ivy Benton will be one of the debutantes. The queen announces that this year is the year her (fae) son will marry a bride. She's offering a choice, if you will. Volunteer--pledge by blood--to be in the competition to be his bride. Obviously, if you're the one, you'll be royalty. You will seemingly 'have it all.' If you lose, well, just know that you've pledged away your right to every marry anyone at all. Ivy knows that if she doesn't find a husband this season--and it's perhaps doubtful since her family has fallen on hard times financially--her family will be ruined regardless. So she is the first to pledge...

The competition begins...and the ladies have plenty of opportunities to spend time with both the fae prince (Prince Bram) and the mortal one (Emmett, a stepson). There's training and competitions as well, elimination rounds, etc.

While she is competing to win Bram's heart, it may just be the other brother who wins her heart.

My thoughts: I am SO conflicted. ALTERNATE HISTORY. It's been a long time since I've read fantasies with faeries or fae. But there was a time when probably half of YA was faeries and the other half were vampires. So though it's been a while, I soon found myself hooked on the story--particularly the premise. STEAMY ROMANCE. Here's where I'm conflicted. Is it too steamy???? Maybe. Maybe not. Every reader is different. But expect things to get GRAPHIC. For some readers that may be a plus. For others not so much. MULTIPLE POINTS OF VIEW. Again, every reader is different. I've been reading--skimming--through the GoodReads reviews. Some love, some hate, everyone has opinions. I personally did not care for the multiple points of view at all. I think because they seemed RANDOM and BIZARRE. Okay, I'll try to clarify. This wasn't an every-other-chapter dual narration. You might have half a dozen chapters of Ivy's point of view and then suddenly be thrown into someone else's head for one chapter and one chapter only. I would have preferred to see Ivy's point of view alternating with either Emmett OR one of the other ladies. But trying to get most/all of the competition to have one chapter each was offsetting. THE TWIST ENDING. It's like you spend 98% of the book with it firmly being a SMUTTY, SMUTTY YA romance with fantasy undertones. Like very steady, predictable, formulaic, both feet planted in steamy romance. Then the last two percent is like you are thrown--crashed??? tossed????--into the complete opposite genre. The contrast is so SUDDEN. And the ending is so abrupt. Not even a pause between BIG, BIG REVEAL and boom it's over.

Saturday, March 08, 2025

Week in Review #10

This week I read nine books.

You care more about modern "isms" than historical cinema
You have an interest in the transition between live theatre and modern cinema
You have an interest in the transition between nineteenth and twentieth century
You have an interest in Buster Keaton but not a decided obsession with Buster Keaton

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

Read this if....

You enjoy historical coming of age novels
You enjoy friendships and 'found families'
You enjoy pets in fiction
You want to read a book worthy of medal consideration

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

Read this if....

you enjoy dystopias for a younger audience
you like your thrills with some silliness

21. George Washington's Spectacular Spectacles. Selene Castrovilla. Illustrated by Jenn Harney. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book biography, history, j nonfiction]

Read this if....

you enjoy nonfiction picture books
you enjoy nonfiction books where you learn something new

22. Lone Wolf Gets a Pet. Kiah Thomas. Illustrated by K-fai Steele. 2024. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, early chapter book, humor, animal fantasy]

Read this if....

you enjoy early chapter books with a LOT of humor
you already know and love Lone Wolf
you appreciate characters that stay true to themselves

23. Bruce Saves the Planet. (Mother Bruce series). Ryan T. Higgins. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, series book, 3 stars]

Read this if....

you don't mind some preachiness
you can appreciate Bruce's GRUMPINESS

20. A Promise to Love. Serena B. Miller. 2012. Revell. 332 pages. [Source: Bought]

Read this if....

you want to read one of the best marriage of convenience stories ever ever
you love historical romance
you love christian historical romance

21. Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow. R.C. Sproul. 2002/2008. Reformation Trust. 135 pages. [Source: Free Download? Bought?]

Read this if....

you want to refresh the basics or essentials of the foundation of Christianity
you love R.C. Sproul

22. How Can I Begin to Teach the Bible (9Marks) (Church Questions) David Helm. 2024. 64 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars]

Read this if....

you are not angered by extremely short books (I borrowed from the library but it still took one of my five slots for the month)
you want some basic, common sense tools for reading, studying, and teaching the Bible

Century of Viewing Week #10

1900s

1901 The Big Swallow is an even shorter short-short. A man "swallows" the movie camera.
1903 Runaway Match is a VERY short-short. It is directed by Alf Collins but not even IMDB lists actors and actresses. The story is a couple is eloping. The father of the bride is pursuing them in his car. Hence car chase. The couple weds.

1910s

1913 Suspense is a silent thriller directed by and starring Lois Weber. It is VERY artsy. The camera angles are 'ahead of their time' if you will. The use of split screen is also interesting. The action is compelling. This one does feature a car chase.
1914 The Masquerader is a Charlie Chaplin short with Roscoe Arbuckle. Chaplin is fired from his movie gig and dresses up as a glamorous woman to get rehired by the studio.

1920s

1921 High Sign is a Buster Keaton short. I believe this was his first solo short to film but not to be released. He wasn't quite pleased with it so he held it back. He released it a year or two later when an ankle injury (from filming The Electric House) kept him from filming for several months. Buster Keaton is ADORABLE in this one. I don't know why Keaton giving 'the high sign' is so incredibly endearing, but it is. This one is FUN and funny.
1921 The Boat (2x) I love, love, love this short. Do I love it more than One Week????? Probably not. But I adore both. This one is just hilarious. And Damfino has to be part of my way of thinking now. I even noticed that one of the boats in College was named Damfino.
1925 Seven Chances was one of my first Buster Keaton features to see. I'm glad I revisited it. It builds. It does. I absolutely love all the stages. His many, many, many proposals--more than seven. But it is the climax of the film when he's being chased by all those potential brides that really leave the biggest impression. All the running. All the stunts. All the expressions. This one is just wonderfully funny.
1926 The General (2x) No doubt about it, The General is not only my favorite Buster Keaton film (probably, mostly) but my favorite film of all time (most likely). I crazy love this movie. The film is beloved for good reason, however, in its time--when it released to theaters--it wasn't "successful enough" at least in comparison to how much it cost to film. But this one is truly a must see. I'm glad that the film saw several revivals before Keaton's death.
1927 College is a Buster Keaton feature film. I love and adore this one so much. Is it his absolute best feature????? Probably not. Is it the one where his physique becomes eye-candy for most of the film? Yes. There are so many scenes that I absolutely love in this one and a few that I don't. Some see the ending as dark, however, I don't.

1930s

1934 The Gold Ghost Buster Keaton plays a man who is stranded in a ghost town (ran out of gas) and he becomes sheriff. The ghost town has a few literal ghosts that Keaton has to deal with. But then an actual gold rush brings people back to town. UNFORTUNATELY (or fortunately) Buster Keaton is in his underwear doing laundry when dozens and dozens of cars decide to drive through town! This one features several shoot-out scenes with bad guys. (Educational short)
1934 Allez Oop is a Buster Keaton talkie short for Educational. I really LOVED this one. He plays a watch repairman. He takes his girl to the circus and she falls for the man on the flying trapeze. He goes home and starts trying to learn the trapeze....without great results. But when her life is in danger, her "circus man" is no where to be seen and it is Buster to the rescue. This one was a delight. It starred Dorothy Sebastian as his love interest.
1935 The Timid Young Man is another Buster Keaton talking short for Educational. After a wild night he awakes to find himself engaged to a bossy, domineering woman. His reply I MUST HAVE BEEN DRUNK. She demands he marry her immediately, he runs away and on his way out of town he picks up a hitchhiker (a woman) who is on the run from a groom herself. The two camp out in the woods...but it isn't long before they're found. I enjoyed this one. I didn't love, love, love it. But I thought it had some good scenes.
1938 Marie Antoinette I didn't love this one. I wanted to see movies I'd never seen before. I wanted to think outside my comfort zone. This one was both. Without the Tyrone Power character--the one she is having an affair with--I might have tolerated this one more. I just don't find anything about the story that wonderful.

1940s

1940 The Great Dictator Charlie Chaplin plays a Jewish barber AND a 'Great' Dictator. This is parody/satire of current European events. With all major characters and countries renamed. Though the persecution of the Jewish people remain the same. It is LONG. It is memorable. There are a few scenes that standout as being hilarious. But it isn't so much a movie you laugh through.

1950s

1958 South Pacific is a musical which I've seen plenty of times. I do like it. I love, love, love some songs. Not so much others. It is a time commitment for sure. I would love to exist in an alternate reality where Buster Keaton was the right age to play Luther Billis. I think that role would have been perfect for him--under the right conditions. Two scenes really stick out to me for my argument. The one where he's been parachuted out of the plane and is in the lifeboat AND his Honeybun show number. This movie is sad. Sad musicals are rarely again-again-again musicals. If I watch it once every three or four years that's good for me.

2000s

2000 Chocolat. This was my first time to see the film in twenty-five years. It is set in a French city during Lent. It has many, many, many characters--one of whom is played by Johnny Depp. I like this one okay. The film explores the idea of are people, communities, towns capable of change.
2004 13 Going on 30 is one of my favorite films--at least from back in the day. It holds up well I think. I love, love, love, love the soundtrack. I love the story and characters. The premise is fun.

Friday, March 07, 2025

23. Happy Town

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

First sentence: "Welcome to Happy Town. We Make Happy." The cow-sized blimp sails over our new house, displaying the Happy Town motto in glowing letters. I still don't know much about Happy Town, but I do know that Happy Town doesn't make happy. Happy Town doesn't make anything. They sell everything, though: diapers, donuts, drones, phones, toilet paper, toothbrushes, lawn mowers, luggage, abacuses, applesauce, athlete's foot powder, art supplies, and thousands of other products. Happy Town is the biggest online shop in the world, and it's also my new home.

Premise/plot: Keegan is open to the idea of liking his new town, Happy Town, even though he's not thrilled with how often his parents are moving around. However, Happy Town may just have more secrets than it does products for sell. Fortunately, kids have a little safeguard in place--no imps just yet--but it may not be enough to protect them from zombie consumers...

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I didn't love, love, love it in an over-the-top gushy way. Yet it was all silly thrills and overall enjoyment. Keegan makes friends with Tank and Gloriana and the three of them may just have enough spunk to save themselves--and the clueless, mindless adults. The premise was fun. The characters were fun. Solidly enjoyable dystopia for younger readers.

Tuesday, March 04, 2025

22. The Secret of Honeycake

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

First sentence: One thing you don't know about me yet is I am very quiet.

My thoughts (preview): I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. Is it my favorite children's book of 2025 so far???? YES.

Premise/plot: Bronte and Hurricane (our heroine) are orphans. Their mother has died of tuberculosis and it seems Bronte is following in her mother's footsteps. She has also become ill enough to need to be sent away to a resting hospital for treatment. Hurricane is miserably unhappy because she's being collected by a great aunt (Aunt Claire)--a total stranger, and her servant, Mr. Keats. Those are the bare-bone basics setting up this historical coming of age novel...

My thoughts: I absolutely loved this one. I did. I loved the writing--the narrative style. I loved the characters. Hurricane's inner voice was one I really enjoyed. I liked seeing her come of age and learn to speak up for herself. I loved the relationships. I loved how nothing was instant. It isn't like she moves to a strange house, with strange relatives, in a strange city and wakes up bright and cheerful and ready to go the next day. I like the 'slow thawing' in terms of relationship building. I liked the focus on friendship--with people and animals. I liked seeing how Aunt Claire has her own 'coming of age' journey. I ADORED Mr. Keats. He was easily my favorite part? Maybe. Mostly. I absolutely loved how this 'found family' came to be.

21. Camera Man

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

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

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

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

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