May Reflections

In May I read twenty-seven books. Twenty-two were review copies. One book was borrowed from my mom. One book was won in a contest several years ago. And three were books I bought myself through the years. Four books this month were rereads.

Three books were retellings or adaptations of Jane Eyre! My favorite of the bunch was John Eyre by Mimi Matthews which releases in August 2021.

Books Reviewed At Becky's Book Reviews

40. The Tobacco Girls. Lizzie Lane. 2021 [January] 318 pages. [Source: Review copy]

41. Violet and Daisy: The Story of Vaudeville's Famous Conjoined Twins. Sarah Miller. 2021. [April] 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]

42. The Wife Upstairs. Rachel Hawkins. 2021. [January] 290 pages. [Source: Review copy]

43. Mrs. Rochester's Ghost. Lindsay Marcott. 2021. [August] 398 pages. [Source: Review copy]

44. Isabelle and Alexander. Rebecca Anderson. 2021. [May] 324 pages. [Source: Review copy]

45. Big Apple Diaries. Alyssa Bermudez. 2021. [August] 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]

46. John Eyre. Mimi Matthews. 2021. [August] 312 pages. [Source: Review copy]

47. Sword of the Seven Sins. (The Seven Sins #1) Emily Colin. 2020. [August] 300 pages. [Source: Review copy]

48. The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time #1) Robert Jordan. 1990. Tor. 814 pages. [Source: Bought]

Books Reviewed at Young Readers

47. Baby Island. Carol Ryrie Brink. Illustrated by Helen Sewell. 1937. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]
48. Pumpkin Heads. Wendell Minor. 2021. [August] 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
49. Board Book: Disney All Aboard! Mickey's Railway. Nichole Mara. Illustrated by Andrew Kolb. 2021. [March] 8 pages. [Source: Review copy]

50. Something Stinks. Jonathan Fenske. 2021. [June] 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
51. Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons. Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Illustrated by Jane Dyer. 2006. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy?]
52. Wake Up, Crabby! Jonathan Fenske. (A Crabby Book #3) 2019. [November] 48 pages. [Source: Review copy]
53. Moon Camp. Barry Gott. 2021. [May] 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
54. A Secret Shared. Patricia MacLachlan. 2021. [September] 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]
55. Board book: Comparrotives. Janik Coat.  2021. [June] 36 pages. [Source: Review copy]
56. Board book: Colors My First Pop Up. Matthew Reinhart. Art by Ekaterina Trukhan. 2021. [May] 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]
57. Five Children and It (Five Children #1) E. Nesbit. 1902. 237 pages. [Source: Bought]
58. Sloth and Smell the Roses. Eunice Moyle and Sabrina Moyle. 2021. [January] 24 pages. [Source: Review copy]
59. Pancakes, Pancakes! Eric Carle. 1970. 36 pages. [Source: Bought]

Books Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

29. Board books: Bible Stories for Little Hearts. Sandra Magsamen. 2019. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]
30. Come Back To Me (Waters of Time #1) Jody Hedlund. 2021. [July] 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
31. Go and Do Likewise: The Parables and Wisdom of Jesus. John Hendrix. 2021. [February] 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
32. Providence. John Piper. 2021. 752 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Bibles Reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

4. NIV Reader's Bible (2011 Translation). God. 2017. 1984 pages. [Source: Won a Contest]

May Totals

May
number of books	27
number of pages	7391

Yearly Totals

2021 Totals
Books	143
Pages	39501

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

48. The Eye of the World

The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time #1) Robert Jordan. 1990. Tor. 814 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

Premise/plot: The Eye of the World is the first book in the Wheel of Time series. Three young lads are at the center of this misadventure which has good and evil facing off once again. Rand, Perrin, and Mat are country boys--farmers, sheep farmers, villagers. They never planned or wished for this adventure to befall them. And, truth be told, the excitement wore off quickly. But it's literally all or nothing for their lives are at stake--no, the future of the world is at stake.

They are not alone. There is a fellowship of sorts. Two young women--also from the same community (Emond's Field)--Nynaeve (the village wisdom) and Egwene (her apprentice). Egwene wanted to join in the adventure and is seeking a little something more to life. Nynaeve is distrustful and hesitant. Her mission is to get them all back home safe so life can return to NORMAL. (Well, that's her mission at first). The adults along for the ride are from the outside. There is a gleeman, Thom Merrilin, an Aes Sedai, Moiraine, and her warder, Lan. They also pick up one more along the way, notably Loial. (Would they have made it without him???)

So what should you expect: a tedious journey with a near impossible mission to complete on their quest. Tedious not for the reader--necessarily--but for those actually on the journey. It is full of hardships and literal nightmares. Night and day they must find the strength to keep on keeping on and resisting evil at every single turn.

My thoughts: This is my third time to read The Eye of the World. I really do love it. I forget just how much because I see it on my bookshelf--along with all the OTHER books in this massive series--and I find a plethora of reasons not to read the series....just yet. But I have an oh-so-faithful friend who encouraged me to pick it up again, that now is the time. She had more faith in me than I had in myself. I thought there was no way I could read it in a week, and, she thought YES YOU CAN. She was right. By the third day it was almost easy how right it felt to just read the one book. 

Expect world-building: introducing the world, introducing the cultures and traditions, introducing lore and legends, introducing characters, the formations of relationships--friendship and possibly romantic.

My advice for those that are intimidated by the prologue and perhaps the first few chapters is to keep on keeping on. Don't try to understand/comprehend the WHOLE world at once. Go with the flow and absorb the world at your own pace. 

My review from 2014.
My review from 2012.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

47. Sword of the Seven Sins

Sword of the Seven Sins. (The Seven Sins #1) Emily Colin. 2020. [August] 300 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: The first time I condemned a man to death, I was ten years old. I was standing with the rest of the Commonwealth of Ashes in Clockverk Square, beneath the giant clockwork tower that stood watch over us all.

Premise/plot: Sword of the Seven Sins is a dystopian YA novel set in the future starring Eva, our heroine, and Ari, our hero. They live in a very unforgiving, strict, life-or-death society. There are, you guessed it, seven sins. And breaking any of the sins could lead to exile or death--most likely death. The sin tempting both Eva and Ari is the sin of lust. Now in this society, men and women do not fall in love, get married, have a family. Babies are conceived in a test tube and raised communally. There are no family units. No bonds between parent and child, no bonds between siblings, no attachments allowed ever. Well, you're supposed to be super-super-super loyal to the Commonwealth and serve where you're supposed to serve. But essentially, you're not supposed to be all feely-feely and think about the meaning of life.  

Eva had hopes of being chosen to be a computer tech, but, she's chosen instead to be a warrior. Ari is her mentor/trainer and fellow warrior. These warriors are called bellators.

The first book is all about world-building and initial conflicts leading to bigger conflicts. The goal of book one is to make the heroes feel angsty about the world they're living in and to get them to start questioning big things, little things, everything.

When the two begin to have some big doubts about the Powers That Be, will they risk everything to do what they think is right?

My thoughts: It has been a while since I've read a new-to-me dystopia. I've revisited dystopias off and on through the past few years. I've started rewatching some dystopian movies lately (Hunger games series, Divergent series, etc.) and so I was in the mood to revisit what used to be a favorite sub-sub-genre of me.

I liked it. I did. It is very much a YA DYSTOPIA. 

You might be wondering...is it "ruined" with a love triangle?!?!?! I can say that there is NO LOVE TRIANGLE!!! That is fantastic news. Is it "ruined" with insta love??? That's more complicated. Romance is a super-strong element of this one. If you absolutely HATE romance mixed in with your dystopia, then I can see this one might drive you crazy! If you don't mind romance so long as it feels right and not forced, not rushed, then you might enjoy this one. It is intended to be a steamy read. And the last bit of the novel especially is all let's explore each other bodies now that the big chase scene stuff is over!

What agenda(s) does it have? This future nightmarish world is brought about due to climate change, bad immigration policies, and racism.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

46. John Eyre

John Eyre. Mimi Matthews. 2021. [August] 312 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: John Eyre stood over the freshly turned heap of earth, his head bent and his gloved hands clasped behind his back. The sun was breaking over the bleak Surrey Hills, a slowly rising rim of molten gold. It burned at the edges of the morning fog that blanketed the valley, pushing back the darkness, but doing nothing at all to alleviate the bone-numbing chill that had settled into his limbs.

Premise/plot: Mimi Matthews' newest book is a retelling of Jane Eyre. But it isn't your traditional retelling; it isn't a light update or a slight remix.

For one thing she reverses the genders of many of the characters. John Eyre is a tutor advertising for a new job, looking for new pupils. Mr. Fairfax contacts him about tutoring TWO wards of a widow woman, a Bertha (Mason) Rochester: two young lads Stephen and Peter. He makes his way to Yorkshire and Thornfield Hall...but his new job holds some surprises for him.

It keeps the historical setting--Victorian England 1840s. But it turns up the horror and thriller aspects by a thousand degrees. All while managing to hold onto the threads of romance.

My thoughts: John Eyre is the third Jane Eyre retelling I've read in the month of May. It is probably the most successful in my opinion. (I am not talking successful in terms of sales--it's not even releases yet--or even others ratings of it--again not released yet--but successful in terms of working for me personally.)

I loved the narrative. It is told from TWO perspectives. The present story is told from the perspective of John Eyre. (Though it is NOT told in first person--either first person past or first person present). Readers experience events as they unfold. Mystery is added in with the second perspective that of Bertha (Mason) Rochester. We come to know her story through LETTERS AND DIARIES. (A very Victorian way to add mystery and suspense and just plain old tell a good story. I can think of a handful of Victorian novels that use multiple narrators and multiple narrative techniques--including letters, diaries, etc.)

I love how the story is woven together. Trust me TWO stories are woven together--quite brilliantly in my opinion. The two stories are both CLASSIC NOVELS. One being Jane Eyre...the other being equally famous, equally dark (if not more so), both Victorian. I will NOT be the one to name names.

I love how she incorporates some of the best bits of Jane Eyre.

“You examine me, Mr. Eyre. Do you find me beautiful?” “No, ma’am.” The reply passed his lips before he’d fully deliberated on it. A feeling of horror followed. Had he just said…? Good lord. If a hole in the floor had opened up at that moment, he’d have gladly jumped into it. “Upon my word, sir, you’re a man of decided opinions. And you don’t cringe from uttering them, for all that you sit there as quiet and contemplative as a man of God.” “I beg your pardon. I ought to have said that questions about appearances are difficult to answer. Tastes differ so widely.” “I’m not to your taste, is that it?” He inwardly groaned. He was making things worse, but couldn’t seem to stop himself. Why couldn’t he have simply admitted to her beauty? He’d thought her beautiful before, hadn’t he? Strangely beautiful. And oddly forbidding.

I would recommend it to readers who love Victorian literature and are up for a good, solid spin on two of the best. 

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

45. Big Apple Diaries

Big Apple Diaries. Alyssa Bermudez. 2021. [August] 288 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: It's the first week of seventh grade.

Premise/plot: Alyssa Bermudez shares some of her diary entries in her new book, Big Apple Diaries. This nonfiction illustrated diary (is it a graphic novel or an illustrated diary?) opens in September 2000. She is entering seventh grade. The book covers both her seventh and eighth grade years, 2000 through 2002. It covers school life (friends, teachers, classes, homework) and home life (her parents' divorce, living in two homes, her freedom or lack thereof, her friends, her hobbies, etc.). One of the big topics is her crush on Alejandro, a classmate/deskmate. I should mention, I suppose, it is set at a Catholic School. As the title suggests, it's set in New York City.

My thoughts: I think adults and tweens will approach this book differently--for better or worse. As an adult, when I read the date--September 2000--I was like I bet this book covers 9/11. Emotionally I was already sent a shock wave--is that the right word??? Finding out that her father works at the World Trade Center and that her mother also works downtown, it was another punch. I felt a connection and was invested in Alyssa's story. The target audience for this one would have been born between 2008 and 2011. I'm not sure there will be this immediate connection or concern because they didn't live through this. 9/11 if thought of as all is probably an event in a history book, it doesn't come with mental/emotional baggage.

I don't want you to think the whole book is about 9/11. It isn't. Alyssa is your typical (somewhat typical) tween. The issues she is facing at this time in her life are universal and super relatable. And I think that is important. Readers today can connect with Alyssa still.

I definitely liked this one. 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews