42. The Midnight Library. Matt Haig. 2020. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [adult fiction, adult science fiction, fantasy]

Premise/plot: The Midnight Library is a premise-driven, slow-moving, reflective novel. Nora Seed, our protagonist, hates her life. The book opens with a countdown until an attempt of the self-destructive sort. She's lost her job. She's lost her side job. Her cat has died. Her brother barely speaks with her. Nothing is going right. Nothing has gone right. Perhaps nothing has ever gone right. Her list of regrets is long, so long that it could in fact fill a library.

When Nora finds herself between life and death she enters the Midnight Library. A slightly more pleasant place to be than the Twilight Zone. Nora will have all the opportunities--infinite opportunities--to see how her life would have turned out if she'd made different choices. Big choices. Small choices. All the choices. Infinite parallel lives to step in and out of. But will any feel like home? Will living her other lives make her want to live?

My thoughts: The book was enjoyably thought-provoking in some ways. I liked the premise. I didn't love, love, love it. But I liked the concept. This is similar and dissimilar to It's a Wonderful Life. The book opens in the same rock-bottom place. BUT there are many, many paths to explore and not just the one if she'd never been born. It is not about how her life has impacted others. I mean in a vague way perhaps maybe if you squint and tilt your head. Nora has to learn to live life you just have to keep on keeping on, and don't think too much, don't navel-gaze, don't look for more meaning than there is, don't waste time thinking about the past or the future, just live life in the day. I don't even know if that was the message??? Honestly the messages were messy. And that was a bit of the point as well, perhaps. That life is messy, messy, messy. And it will never be anything but messy. Don't think that you're missing out on the "good life" because your life is a mess and you are a mess????

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

This week I read eight books!!!!

40. After My Brother Sam. James Lincoln Collier. 2026. 144 pages. [Source: Library] [1 star, mg historical fiction, why does this book even exist]
41. Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews. Julie Hedlund. Illustrated by Ilaria Urbinati. 2023. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, biography, music appreciation]
36. The Rare Bird. Elisha Cooper. 2026. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, cats, imagination, picture books]
37. Dinosaur Friends. Sara Miller. 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board books, dinosaurs]
38. Gus & Sully: All Week Long. Steve Light. 2026. 16 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board books, friendship, concept book]
39. Glow with Sounds and Lights. Nicola Edwards. Illustrated by Sophie Ledesma. 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [2 stars, interactive board book]
40. My Daddy is Everything (Board book) Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin. 2026. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, board books, family]
13. Essentials of Reformed Systematic Theology. Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley. 2025. 1088 pages. [Source: Review copy] [4 stars, theology, Christian nonfiction]

Century of Viewing #23

1950s

• 1951 Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. A boxer accused of an extremely serious crime goes invisible to evade capture....and meanwhile two detectives end up involved in boxing. One as a "boxer" and one as a manager. It was silly. It was slapstick. It was sporty. I did enjoy it.

1970s

• 1979 The Main Event. Romantic comedy with a lot of boxing. Or as the poster says, a "glove story." She has lost just about everything....but she does have a contract on a fighter. He owes her a lot of money....but he doesn't want to fight...or do anything really. Can she make a fighter out of him?

2010s

• 2016/2017 Timeless. Time travel show. Each show varies in quality. Sometimes absolutely awesome. Sometimes tedious. The plot was interesting in some ways, but I think if the plots and stories were tighter and there were fewer episodes--filler episodes--then it might have been better??? I didn't want it canceled, but, it could have been better.

2020s

• 2026 Wonderfools. I love, love, love this K-drama set in 1999 starring 'misfit' superheroes who try their best to save the world. There are layers. All the feels. Is good.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

41. Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews. Julie Hedlund. Illustrated by Ilaria Urbinati. 2023. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, biography, music appreciation]

First sentence: Julia Elizabeth Wells was born into a melody--her childhood attuned to the timbre of her tiny English village where she heard music in the rhythm of the river, in the whistle of the wind, in the symphony of songbirds.

Premise/plot: Julie Hedlund has written a picture book biography of Julie Andrews. It focuses mainly on her childhood and her early start in music, in show business. It is only the last few pages that explores her life's work.

My thoughts: I have grown up loving Julie Andrews. Not just her work in the musicals I watched again and again and again and again, but also her work as an author. MANDY which she published under the name Julie Edwards is one of my all time favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite books.

This picture book is bittersweet in many ways. On the one hand, Julie discovers a great love of music. But on the other hand, there is a lot of sadness and confusion in her home life. It was sad that she was torn away from her father. That her mother forced her to call her stepdad, dad. That her mom forced a change of last name upon her. Music allowed her to express herself, but, still, my heart is sad for her childhood.




© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

 

40. After My Brother Sam. James Lincoln Collier. 2026. 144 pages. [Source: Library] [1 star, mg historical fiction, why does this book even exist]

First sentence: The men had brought a couple of rough wooden coffins to the execution place. They put Sam's body in one of the coffins and loaded it onto a cart. "Timmy, can you drive this thing?" one of them asked me.

Premise/plot: After My Brother Sam is the sequel to My Brother Sam is Dead. Timmy is angry about his brother's death and acting out in strange ways. He befriends an orphan-thief, Becky, and tries his hand at being a thief. He then takes home Becky-thief to his mother and the tavern. Shortly there is a forceful man on the scene, Chauncy, (I think that is his name) who is essentially becomes a squatter at the tavern and insisting that he's the new partner or owner? No one seems to be able to make him leave???? There are a few confrontations with soldiers--both sides, I think--nothing actually actually comes close to happening. The book ends without a single thing happening except Timmy and Becky stealing stuff and eating at a tavern. Does that count as a plot? Should it count as a plot? Chauncy has to be the most irritating character ever. And one of the presumably supposed to be intelligent study questions is "why do you think  Chauncy is in the novel" and "what did you learn from him."

My thoughts: I would give this book less than one star if I could. I honestly don't know why this book was able to get published. It is just a non-book. It has a beginning perhaps. But no middle or end. It is literally like buying a bag of chips that is 80% air and 10% chips and 10% crumbs.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

In May, I read eleven books. I hope to read more in June. We'll see what happens.

Books reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews


35. The Bad Beginning. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 1999. 162 pages. [Source: Library] [j fantasy, mg fantasy, j fiction, mg fiction, 5 stars]

36. The Martian. Andy Weir. 2011. 369 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars, space]

37. Project Hail Mary. Andy Weir. 2021. 476 pages. [Source: Library] [adult science fiction, 5 stars]

38. Wombat Waiting. Katherine Applegate. 2026. 336 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, animal fantasy, j fiction, wildfires, dogs, pets, animals]

39. My Brother Sam is Dead. James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier. 1974. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, mg history, mg fiction]

Books reviewed at Young Readers

32. Barbed Wire Between Us. Mia Wenjen. Illustrated by Violeta Encarnacion. 2026. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, poetry, reverso poetry]
33. Dinos that Drive. Suzy Levinson. Illustrated by Dustin Harbin. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, poetry]
34. Buzz Like a Bee (Board Book) Guilherme Karsten. 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board book, activity book, interactive books]
35. Board book: This Little Dinosaur. Ingela P. Arrhenius (illustrations). 2026. 10 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, interactive book, dinosaurs]

Books reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

12. The Church Mouse. Graham Oakley. 1972. 40 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, picture book, animal fantasy]

Bibles reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible

4. ESV Women's Study Bible. God. 2021. 2336 pages. [Source: GIFT] [Bible, study Bible, 5 stars]

2026 totals

Totals for 2026
Books Read in 2026	90
Pages Read in 2026	23376
January Totals
Books Read in January	21
Pages Read in January	5119
February Totals
Books read in February	24
Pages Read in February	4225
March Totals
Books read in March	18
Pages read in March	4099
April Totals
Books read in April	16
Pages read in April	6386
May	11
Pages read in May	4067

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews