Unbroken: An Olympian’s Journey From Airman to Castaway to Captive by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken:  An Olympian’s Journey From Airman to Castaway to Captive (The Young Adult Adaptation of Unbroken) by Laura Hillenbrand is an amazing and fascinating non-fiction novel.  With never a dull moment, Louie Zamperini’s adventurous story kept my attention from beginning to end.  Just when you think things couldn’t possibly get any worse for him, they do!  It’s hard to believe he actually survived drifting on a life raft in the Pacific ocean for 47 days and then being tortured and humiliated as a POW. 

I highly recommend this to anyone!  It is well researched and very informative, giving me insight into a life of a POW that I had no clue about.  Unimaginable horrific things actually happened to our POW’s during World War II.  I was afraid this was going to read like a history book, but it really doesn’t.  It is very well written and stayed on my mind long after I put it down.   I found it astonishing that Louie lived to be 97 after all he went through. 

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Double Cross" by James Patterson is a Page Turner

Double Cross by James Patterson is a fast-moving, action-packed detective novel about two extremely clever but cruel, psychopaths on a killing spree who both want former FBI agent turned psychiatrist, Alex Cross dead.  The whole novel pretty much consists of DC Audience Killer (“DCAK”) trying to top his previous killing and outperform Kyle Craig, his serial killer role model.  He likes to perform the murders in front of crowds and doesn’t even get caught!  Kyle Craig, former FBI agent who Alex Cross turned in, is also a serial killer who seeks revenge on all who had a part in sending him to prison. 

The killers in this book make the detectives look foolish throughout—it seems as though the killers are always calling the shots and manipulating the detectives.  These guys have no conscience and are despicable, which makes the reader pull for the detectives all the more.  It is certainly a page-turner that kept my interest all through starting with the first page.  The ending had lots of excitement and suspense, but left me unsatisfied. 

(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Weekends with Daisy" by Sharron Kahn Luttrell (UPDATED)

Weekends with Daisy by Sharron Kahn Luttrell is a wonderful book that gives a first-hand account of a dog trainer who participates with an inmate in training a service dog for the National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS).  After Sharron’s dog died, she thought that having a dog just on the weekends would satisfy her loneliness for a dog so volunteered.  The prisoner trained the dog, teaching it new things and her part was to socialize the dog by exposing it do different places and people.  This book details her experience with the program and how the dog helped her family along the way.

I liked this book because it was informative, funny and heartwarming.  I especially liked the parts about the dog classes she attended and specific methods used for training Daisy.  

(Karen's review, 11-6-14, 5 stars)

 
Weekends with Daisy by Sharron Kahn Luttrell tells the true story of Sharron, who after the death of her dog, decides to take a puppy named Daisy for weekends only to train her to become a service dog.  During the week, Keith trains the dog while in prison.  Daisy teaches Sharron and Keith important life lessons.

I LOVED this book because Sharron tells the story so well.  My dog, Abby, and I would be proud to walk with you, Sharron and your dogs.  Keep up the good work!   Check out NEADS.org which this book is based on--they are doing awesome work!   
(Gerard's review 10-29-14, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!