February Reflections

I read a total of thirty-one books in February 2021. Twenty-one were review copies; ten were books that I either bought or were free to download. Twenty-six were new-to-me. Five were rereads. Nine books were five-star reads. Sixteen books were four star reads. 

Five of the nine five-star books are PICTURE BOOKS. 

Rating books with stars is so subjective. Looking over this month's books I am surprised that some did earn five stars--the day I wrote the review--and equally surprised by some that didn't earn five stars! I didn't change my ratings for any. If I started changing my ratings--days, weeks--after the fact, it might turn into the Sneetches with their stars on and off machine.

My least favorite book was War and Milly McGonigle.

My favorite reread was probably PETE THE CAT and His FOUR GROOVY BUTTONS.

Books Reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews

11. Max and the Spice Thieves. (Secrets of the Twilight Djinn #1) John Peragine. 2021. [April] 274 pages. [Source: Review copy]

12. My Remarkable Journey: A Memoir. Katherine Johnson, Joylette Hylick, and Katherine G. Moore. 2021. [May] 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]

13. Lady Windermere's Fan. Oscar Wilde. 1893. 70 pages. [Source: Bought]

14. An Ideal Husband. Oscar Wilde. 1893. 78 pages. [Source: Bought]

15. Worst-Case Collin. Rebecca Caprara. 2021. [September] 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]

16. The Children's Blizzard. Melanie Benjamin. 2021. [January] 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

17. We Also Served: The Forgotten Women of the First World War. Vivien Newman. 2014/2021. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]

18. Freiheit! The White Rose Graphic Novel. Andrea Grosso Ciponte. 2021. [February] 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]

19. Blackout. Connie Willis. 2010. 610 pages. [Source: Bought]

20. In Times of Rain and War. Camron Wright. 2021. [April] 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Books Reviewed at Young Readers

9. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. Eric Litwin. Illustrated by James Dean. 2012. 40 pages. [Source: Online Audio]

10. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes. Eric Litwin. Illustrated by James Dean. 2010. 40 pages. [Source: Online Audio]

11. Pete the Cat: Rocking In My School Shoes. Eric Litwin. Illustrated by James Dean. 2011. 40 pages. [Source: Online Audio]

12. The Tale of Miss Kitty Cat. Arthur Scott Bailey. 1919. 92 pages. [Source: Bought]

13. Flip! How The Frisbee Took Flight. Margaret Muirhead. Illustrated by Adam Gustavson. 2021. [April] 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

14. We Laugh Alike (Juntos nos reimos) Carmen T. Bernier-Grand. Illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez. 2021. [April] 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

15. We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know. Traci Sorell. Illustrated by Frane Lessac. 2021. [April] 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

16. War and Millie McGonigle. Karen Cushman. 2021. [April] 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]

17. Mission Multiverse. Rebecca Caprara. 2021. [May] 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]

18. A Thousand White Butterflies Jessica Betancourt-Perez and Karen Lynn Williams. Illustrated by Gina Maldonado. 2021. [January] 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

19. Ten Beautiful Things. Molly Beth Griffin. 2021. [January] 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

20. Ten Animals in Antarctica. Moira Court. 2021. [January] 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

21. Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate. Melissa Stewart. Illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen. 2021. [April] 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

22. Seaside Stroll. Charles Trevino. Illustrated by Maribel Lechuga. 2021. [January] 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Books Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

8. Rejoice and Tremble: The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord. Michael Reeves. 2021. [January] Crossway. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]
9. Pleasure and Profit in Bible Study. D.L. Moody. 1898. 167 pages. [Source: Bought]
10. Found: God's Will. John F. MacArthur Jr. 1972. 60 pages. [Source: Bought]
11. Woven: Understanding the Bible as One Seamless Story. Angie Smith. 2021. [March] 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]
12. Tidewater Bride. Laura Frantz. 2021. [January] 416 pages. [Source: Review copy]
13. Ten Words to Live By: Delighting in and Doing What God Commands. Jen Wilkin. 2021. [March] 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Bibles Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

1. New American Standard Reference Edition. 1973. God. 1899 pages. [Source: Bought] 

Totals:

February
Number of Books	31
Number of Pages	8681

2021 Totals
Books	56
Pages	14268

 

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Movie Review: The Dig

The Dig (2021)
Simon Stone (director)
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Scott, etc.

The Dig is based on John Preston's novel of the same name. It released in January 2021. I had some interest in watching this one because I do enjoy period dramas. I didn't know--before I started--that this one was set at the dawn of the Second World War. (1939)

So it's based on a true story--though I'm guessing liberties have been taken. Edith Pretty (our heroine) has hired Basil Brown (our hero) to excavate several large burial mounds on her property. She has a feeling that they could uncover something interesting/wonderful. Though little expect to find such TREASURE. There are many, many, many obstacles to be overcome in the film. 

I found The Dig to be a slower-paced, character-driven thoughtful film. Not that there aren't moments of action--though to mention them here and now would be to spoil things a little bit. 

I found the film to have a heaviness about it. Almost like reading the book of Ecclesiastes, or as my Dad calls it the depressing book that starts with an "E."

It's a grave film--perhaps I've been watching too much Muppet Show. I would say it dances with being a meaning of life film. But I would say that unlike the book of Ecclesiastes it doesn't really offer any answers. (Not that Ecclesiastes is great at that.)

I would say my biggest issue with the film is that it throws in a romance for the fun of it. I am NOT talking about a romance between the hero and heroine. I am referring to an adulterous romance--that was not based in reality, remember many of these characters are real people--between Rory (a fictional cousin and photographer) and Peggy Piggott (a real archaeologist). Not every film needs to have sex scenes and "romance."

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

20. In Times of Rain and War

In Times of Rain and War. Camron Wright. 2021. [April] 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Eins! Zwei! Drei! Vier! Four bombs dropped from the plane in succession, chasing one another—though the fin on the last caught on a rivet in the bomb bay, delaying its liberation until the pilot briskly pulled the aircraft’s nose up to nudge the explosive free.

Premise/plot: Joey would put this book in the freezer. I'm tempted to leave it at that--but, of course, I won't. 

In Times of Rain and War is loosely (yes, loosely) based on a true story. It is historical fiction--set in England during the Second World War--with a strong romantic undercurrent. 

Audrey Stocking, our heroine, is bombed out of her apartment--along with her Aunt Claire. 

Wes Bower, our hero, is an American newly arrived in England and joining a bomb squad. That is he is part of a team that works to disarm (deactivate) bombs that have fallen but not exploded. It is a dangerous job. (He learns that the average person lasts TEN WEEKS on the job before dying on the job.) Still, it's an important job--crucial. They have to LEARN and LEARN AS THEY GO; even failures can lead to future successes if they can figure out what went wrong. And since Germans--Nazis--keep coming up with new fuses (I believe the book spells that fuzes), they have to keep coming up with new strategies, techniques, protocols. 

The two meet each other when she's bombed out of her apartment; he's called to the scene...

But this is NOT insta-love OR insta-lust. This book is a thousand times better than that. Wright doesn't need to stoop to that level.

My thoughts: I NEEDED A FREEZER. Man, oh man, I needed a freezer. I felt like my heart had gotten beaten up with a baseball bat. 

Every single reader is different--has different likes, dislikes, hopes, expectations, etc. For some this book may prove too brutal on the heart strings. Then again, there are some people who VOLUNTARILY watch Titanic or The Notebook or The Boy in Striped Pajamas or Steel Magnolias.

I thought this one was well written. While having romantic elements certainly, this one has way too many side characters that are  fully developed and fleshed out--not to mention the historical details--to be your typical "romance novel." If that comes across as an insult to an entire genre, it isn't meant to be. I promise. What I mean is that the characterization--from main characters to side characters--has depth and substance. It is SO GOOD--for better or worse. The better to break your heart perhaps.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

19. Blackout

Blackout. Connie Willis. 2010. 610 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Colin tried the door, but it was locked.

I thought I'd start with a word of warning. When you get to the end of Blackout, you're going to NEED to have a copy of All Clear ready to go. Because, chances are, you're going to want to pick it up right away. There is no 'real' ending in Blackout. There is no resolution. There's no peace to be had. Usually I might say that's not such a positive thing in a book, but in this case, I'm forgiving.

You might also find it helpful to know that Blackout can be read as part of a series of time travel books by Connie Willis.  

Premise/plot: Several time travelers find themselves TRAPPED in the past in Connie Willis' thrilling novel Blackout. Time travel has its dangers--of course--but the net is supposed to have safety features built in to protect time and time travelers. But the 'logic' of the net is changing, and, the systems seem to be failing. Though it seems like a few people are aware of this calamity-in-the-making (Mr. Dunworthy surely has his suspicions? Why else would he be rearranging all the scheduled comings and goings of the historians?) The historians themselves are being kept in the dark, out of the loop. 

There are three main characters--three main narrators--in Blackout. Each is a historian, a time traveler. Each has plans for multiple assignments in the twentieth century. Each is experiencing frustration as these drops are rearranged and rescheduled. The historians are Merope who is 'observing' the evacuation of children from London to the country. She 'becomes' Eileen O'Reilly and works as a nurse or maid in one of the homes. Under her care are two very, very wild children. Of course, she's responsible for more than two children. Her employer has taken in many children--over a dozen, I think? But those two are the ones that make her life more than a little unpleasant. Her assignment is for the spring of 1940. Polly "Sebastian" is a historian observing the London Blitz in the fall of 1940. Her assignment has her working in a shop on Oxford Street. She is curious in observing how the Blitz effects people. How they are able to cope with the bombs falling over their heads. How they are able to cope with the terror of it all--knowing each and every night that they could die. The third historian is Michael Davies. Since he was supposed to observe Pearl Harbor first, he's got an implant to give him an American accent. But with the shuffling of assignments, he's now observing the Dunkirk evacuation in June 1940. His research has him observing heroes. He's looking to observe the qualities that make someone brave and heroic, what makes a person risk their lives to save others.

If all went according to plan, these three would NOT have met--in the past. Their assignments in 1940 would not have overlapped in time or place. But not all went according to plan...and now these three are going to need each very, very much if they're going to survive...

My thoughts: I really love Connie Willis' time travel novels. Blackout and All Clear perhaps would have perhaps been better as one CHUNKY book. The two are essentially one book with one story. These two can be read on their own without previously reading the other two books. (Again each of those two could be read as stand alone novels.)  

I love historical fiction. I love historical fiction set during the second world war. I love historical fiction set in England.

I love time travel stories. This one is INTENSE.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Student Prince

The Student Prince (1954) starring Edmund Purdom and Ann Blyth and directed by Richard Thorpe. The Student Prince was an operetta by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly written/composed in 1924. 

According to Wikipedia it was based on a German play, Old Heidelberg, by Wilhelm Meyer-Forster which was first performed in 1901. (According to yet another Wikipedia article the play was based on an 1898 novel Karl Heinrich also by Meyer-Forster.) 

There were several silent films--in both German and English--of Old Heidelberg and/or The Student Prince. The operetta was--again according to Wikipedia--the longest running Broadway show in the 1920s--608 performances to Show Boat's 572 performances. 

It was adapted into a musical film in 1954. Mario Lanza provided the voice for the student prince.

I found *some* similarities between The Student Prince and Cinderella. Though I will say The Student Prince is more of an anti-Cinderella tale. Prince Karl Franz, our "hero" is the heir to the throne of Karlsberg (fictional German kingdom). He's all set for an arranged marriage, but his intended bride finds him a bit robotic, cold, uncaring. Deemed to be lacking the important virtue of CHARM, he's sent to attend university/college in Heidelberg. He'll live in an inn, attend classes, and generally mingle with the commoners for however long it takes for him to gain some perspective. Of course, this proves slightly problematic. He falls madly, deeply, passionately in love with the innkeeper's niece, Kathie, who waits on him--and others--primarily serving round after round after round after round after round of beer. (Most of the musical numbers are about drinking, drinking, drinking, and more drinking.) Since their love affair literally can't go anywhere--she's a commoner, he's the heir to the throne--and since he's already engaged to be married--it's a bit "There's No Tomorrow" or "It's Now or Never." When his grandfather (the current king) dies, he assumes the throne, leaves Kathie forever, and is on his way to his wedding. The End.

As I mentioned before this is an anti-Cinderella story as far as I'm concerned. He's an UNcharming prince who does NOT marry a commoner who's in service. Though he may love her, he always must leave her in the end. 

I found him insufferable. I yelled at the screen quite a bit. Mainly because he's very hand-sy and trying to force himself on Kathie for the first half of the movie. He doesn't really change what he wants--but she eventually falls for his act after a few love songs where he "croons" in her ear. (Ouch!!!) Perhaps she was attracted to him all along? Maybe she thought she didn't have a choice and she might as well accept her fate? Maybe because her uncle was unsupportive? Maybe because she had nowhere else to go or way to earn a living? 

Regardless, I was not swept up into this love story. I thought he was a JERK. It was clearly insta-lust presented as insta-love (well, maybe???). Sees a girl swinging beer around and singing, thinks I must grab her and kiss her as soon as possible. WHAT?!?! Who is she to reject my kisses. I must try again and again and again. I will not take NO for an answer. I am A PRINCE. She will be mine! I will pursue her until she quits this job, goes across the river, follow her to her new place of work, and pester her until she's fired, and then follow her after she's fired and SING, SING, SING, SING until she will willingly accepts my kisses. 

Apparently kissing a commoner and drinking beer (lots of beer) with commoners does the trick and he is a forever changed man? (But is he really???? It's not like we know how he is once he's King and married). 

I do think it shows how Cinderella might have gone if there had not been magic and a fairy godmother. 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews