"Thank You For Your Service" by David Finkel

Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel is non-fiction focusing on the men and women who fight our country's wars and the toll it takes on them and their loved ones.  It contains very interesting stories and reads like a novel.  It kept my interest throughout.  I can't say it was an enjoyable read, but you should read it if you get a chance to get a glimpse of the sacrifices made and the tragic outcomes in some cases.  
(Gerard'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!

"Angels Watching Over Me" by Michael Phillips

image source:  Amazon

Angels Watching Over Me by Michael Phillips is about two teen girls whose families both got killed after the Civil War. Katie is a daughter of a white plantation owner and Mayme is a black slave girl who grew up on a different plantation. Shortly after the death of their families, the two girls actually become friends and help each other. Although they have different backgrounds and different talents, they work together to protect each other, and run the plantation on their own. Mayme is practical and Katie a dreamer, but both girls open their hearts up to God and seek His direction when they find themselves in a desperate situation.

I loved this historical fiction book and look forward to the next in this Shenandoah Sisters series. It was a good page turner with likable characters and action too! The story is told from the slave girl’s point of view for the most part. I am so glad I finally found this author and can't wait to read more by him!

This is currently free for Kindle on Amazon--hurry!

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!

"Don't Go" by Lisa Scottoline is a Must Read! (UPDATED 7/3/13)

This is SO good!

Don't Go by Lisa Scottoline is about Mike Scanlon, an army doctor in Afghanistan who gets the awful news that his young wife is dead. Coming home, he finds out that his daughter does not even know who he is! He also discovers that the battles he has to face on the home front are more than he could have imagined.

This book is very hard to put down, a real page-turner with plenty of "Wow, I didn't see that coming" turns. The ending? Well, you have to read it to believe it! Books just don't get any better than this--a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

UPDATED 7/3/13:
Don’t Go by Lisa Scottoline is a good read about an army podiatrist who not only is a hero in Afghanistan, but also fights to become a hero on the home front in spite of being an amputee, his failing business, drug addiction, the death of his wife, and the custody battle for his baby daughter who doesn’t even know him. This book delves into issues vets have when coming home from seeing horrendous things in battle and the struggles they face. Dr. Scanlon has it tough but rises to the challenge after his passionate no-nonsense, kick-butt attorney, Stephanie, “lights a fire” under him and gets him back on track.

I enjoyed this book, it’s a good read and you can’t help but pull for the doctor to succeed and get to the bottom of things. I felt very sorry for him throughout the book; however, the suspense was kind of ruined by the book cover which gives away the ending. I think this would be a good book club read if done along the way because of the characters and the mystery of who killed the Doctor’s wife’s best friend.
(Karen's review)

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!

Riveting Memoir: "The Blood Of Lambs--A Former Terrorist's Memoir of Death and Redemption" by Kamal Saleem

The Blood of Lambs by Kamal Saleem  tells the true story of his life and his change from being a follower of Allah to being a follower of Jesus Christ.  At the age of 7 he was trained to become an Islamic terrorist!  It is a fascinating read.  I didn't know how they train these people, but I do now and it is very scary!  The story of how he became to speak out against terrorism is mind-blowing.  You have to read it to believe it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

WOW! That's the word that kept coming into my mind as I read The Blood of Lambs--A Former Terrorist's Memoir of Death and Redemption by Kamal Saleem with Lynn Vincent. It is the most interesting memoir I have ever read!  I was fascinated by what the Muslims believe and have a better understanding of how Muslim terrorists think.  Kamal was abused and bullied as a kid, and found acceptance and protection when recruited as a boy soldier.  All his life he was raised to hate and at age 7, attended a terrorist training camp where they trained with live ammunition.  This man had a vast number of experiences that were completely new to me, including many near death experiences.  His childhood is heartbreaking and even after he came to America and was converted to Christianity, his bravery continues as he publicly shares his story and warns the U.S. to wake up to what the Jihad is up to.  His life is always in danger!

I learned so much from reading this book!  I am not into politics at all so thought this book might be boring and read like a history text book, but I was so wrong!  It is a very interesting and captivating read because wanting to know what happened to bring about this terrorist's conversion to Christianity kept me turning the pages.  This is not the kind of book I normally would read, but it was recommended to me by a friend in an email that went into detail about it which piqued my interest.  Now I am recommending it to you!    
(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!

Great Memorial Weekend Read: "Frozen In Time" by Mitchell Zuckoff

WOW!  What an amazing story Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff is!  It is "an epic story of survival and a modern quest for lost heroes of World War II."  I always really enjoy a true story that I am not up to speed on at all and this book fits the bill! 

In 1942 a cargo plane crashed into a Greenland ice cap.  A rescue plane followed and it crashed too!  Then another follow-up plane went out and vanished!  Do I have your interest yet?  It's all true! 

The research the author did is amazing and his writing gave me the feel I was right there.  I really enjoyed this book a lot and can't wait for Mitchell Zuckoff's next book because his first two have been great!  I also read and liked his first book, Lost in Shangri-La. (See my review of this one too--click the link.)
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SERVED OUR COUNTRY IN THE MILITARY!  

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

 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!

"Bunker Hill--A City, A Siege, A Revolution" by Nathaniel Philbrick

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Bunker Hill--A City, A Siege, A Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick brought me up to speed on my limited knowledge about Bunker Hill and Benedict Arnold. I always enjoy books that I can learn more about historical events and this was no exception. Now I feel like I know the full story! The first hundred pages were a bit dry reading; however, once it got closer to the battle of Bunker Hill, things really picked up. The story about the battle was eye-opening and riveting! I you are a fan of historical reading, you will love this book!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

We received a free copy of this book for review but was not compensated. This in no way influenced my review of this book.


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!

"Trident K9 Warriors" by Mike Ritland with Gary Brozek

Trident K9 Warriors by Mike Ritland with Gary Brozek tells the story of an elite group of dogs who go through special training to help our men fight the wars around the world. I especially enjoyed the stories of the battle where the dogs played a vital role. Of course, I liked the pictures of the dogs too! Some of the chapters that dealt with non-battle scenes I skimmed. To Mike Ritland and your band of brothers in arms, thank you for your service!
(Gerard'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!

"Into The Fire" by Dakota Meyer and Bing West is Amazing!

Gerard loved this one--his first audio book!

Into the Fire is a Firsthand account of the most extraordinary battle in the Afghan War by Medal of Honor recipient, Dakota Meyer and Bing West (New York Times Bestselling Author). This is an audio book read by Zach Mclarty. What an amazing true story it is! Dakota Meyer is a true hero. This book tells the story of the battle at Genuisal. This is what war is really all about. I was able to get the audio book and liked listening to it in the car. I think I got more out of it than if I read the book. Either way, please take time to read or listen to this account and thank our armed forces that are still fighting. Mr. Meyer, thank you for your service.
(Gerard's review, rating 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!

"The Wings of Morning" by Murray Pura

Here's the book trailer for this one:






I enjoyed The Wings of Morning by Murray Pura very much.  This is part 1 of "Snapshots in History" series.  It is about Jude, an Amish pilot during World War I who agrees to fly for America in order to save his friends even though it means he will be shunned.  Lyyndaya and Jude develop a friendship which leads to a romance but their letters must remain at the post office because of the shunning.


This is the best Amish romance I've read because it didn't poke along and the main character was male instead of female.  I liked the description of the flying, the dog fights and the romance.  Parts were heart-breaking and very sad but it was really great to see how Jude maintained his faith while at war and managed not to kill anyone!  The ending was fantastic!

This book is so much more than just a Christian romance.  I loved this one because it had adventure, faith, forgiveness, group dynamics, clean language and romance without the sex scenes.  Murray Pura is a new author to me; I look forward to reading more of his books.
(Karen's review)



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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.

"Outlaw Platoon" by Sean Parnell and John Bruning

Outlaw Platoon:  Heroes, Renegades, Infidels, and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan by Sean Parnell and John Bruning is an amazing book about Sean’s platoon fighting in Afghanistan.  It is gives so much insight into combat and what it’s like for our soldiers.  After reading about the horrible things that happen, I have a better understanding of what soldiers go through and why they are never the same when they come back from war.  I really liked the leadership analysis and the platoon dynamics.

It is interesting to see how such a diverse group of men can become like family and how they back up each other and sacrifice themselves to bring back the wounded and dying.  The writing was so good I felt as though I was right in battle with them.  This is an emotional and inspirational book that gave me a greater appreciation for our service men and women.  I think every American should read this one! 
(Karen's review)

WOW!  AWESOME!  After you read Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell and John R. Bruning you will gain a ton of respect for our men and women fighting over in Afghanistan. Sean holds nothing back which makes this book so good.  I could almost feel the bullets flying all around me!  Then ending brought tears to my eyes and pride in the U.S.A.   Thank you for your service, Mr. Parnell, and to the entire Outlaw Platoon.  God's blessings to all of you!
(Gerard's review)

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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Never Fall Down" by Patricia McCormick (UPDATED 5/23/12)

Never Fall Down by Pat McCormick is a powerful novel about Arn Chorn-Pond’s survival against all odds based on his true story about what happened in Cambodia.  By following his aunt’s advice:  Do whatever they say.  Be like the grass, bend low, bend low, then bend lower.  The wind blow one way, you bow that way.  It blow the other way, you do too.  That’s the way to survive.  Arn was just a boy of 11 when he faced hard work in rice fields around the clock, near starvation, cruel killing day after day and even being forced to kill others and bury people alive!  By learning to play a musical instrument, he was received some better treatment and became a bit famous.  He gives music credit for saving his life.

This is such a sad and depressing novel but with a pretty good ending.  Still, it is an eye-opener to the plight of people in other countries.  The best part was when Arn first came to America and discovering he had a choice to live, not to just die or survive.  I felt so bad for him when he realized he become the monster and how much hate he had in his heart because of the four years of terror he went through. 
(Karen's review 5/23/12)

Gerard's review:
Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick (a former journalist) is based on a true story of Arn Chorn-Pond, a young boy living in Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge took over his country and the killing started.  One day Arn was told he had to learn to play an instrument or die.  Does he learn?  What becomes of his family that he gets separated from and finally, how does it all turn out?

This story is told in gut-wrenching style.  I found it very hard to believe people actually live this way.  If you want a real page turner, this book is almost impossible to put down.  Arn Chorn-Pond has dedicated his life to humanitarian causes around the world.  He founded Children of War, an organization that aids children held hostage by war and violence.  If you want a book that you will remember like you never read before, this is it.  It's a fantastic story--a must read!


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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during May to Joni and Friends for Camp Scholarships for families with special needs children.

"Home Front" by Kristin Hannah

Home Front by Kristin Hannah is an outstanding book! Jolene and Michael have two little girls. Their marriage is rocky at best, and then when things are at their worst, Jolene gets a call to be deployed and is off to join the war! Great writing to be sure. You will care deeply about Jolene and Michael and Betsy and Lulu. Will their marriage survive? Will Jolene be all right in the war? I really enjoyed this book a lot! Definitely a MUST READ!
(Gerard's review)

Karen read this one too:
Home Front by Kristin Hannah is a fantastic book about an ordinary family affected by war when the wife and mother of two girls gets deployed to Iraq.  This is a fascinating and emotional read that opened my eyes to the sacrifices soldiers and their families make to serve this country of ours.  At the beginning of the book, I didn’t like Michael, the husband, at all but he changed when he realized his family was what mattered most and stepped up when his wife went off to war.  Home Front gives insight into what war is really like and the struggles soldiers face in adjusting to civilian life when they come back. We both highly recommend this one!

Here's the trailer for this book:




If you would like to hear an audio clip from the book, click on this link:  http://media.us.macmillan.com/video/olmk/macmillanaudio/homefrontclip.mp3



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!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"The Sword" by Gilbert Morris

"The Sword" by Gilbert Morris is a Historical romance that is a good read. It has a mix of action, humor, romance and Christianity. It takes place during the Civil War and is a fascinating read. Chantel, the main character decides to leave home when her mother dies, leaving her alone with her step father who tries to rape her. She finds an elderly Christian Jew peddler who is hurt and saves his life. They become partners and together bring supplies to the soldiers and help a lot of people. The Christian theme is that God brings people together and loves everyone, forgiving and giving peace to all those who trust in Jesus. It's a good story, I enjoyed it!
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

Check out our audio book giveaway for "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta. All you need do to enter is leave a comment!

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"War Horse" by Michael Morpurgo (UPDATED)

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo is a double wow book for me! Joey, the war horse, tells about his adventures during World War 1 and the special bond he has with a young boy named Albert. At only 160 pages or so, it goes very fast. I loved it! I look forward to seeing the movie which is coming out on Christmas.
(Gerard's review)

Karen read this one too:
War Horse is a touching book that kept my interest all through.  Although it is a children's book, I enjoyed it but must admit I got teary-eyed reading it.  Parts were very sad but I loved the ending!  Joey, the horse, tells his story about living on a farm with a boy named Albert and then being sold to the army because Albert's dad needed money to save his farm.  The horse goes through a lot but Albert never gives up looking for him. 

The MOVIE:
We went to see the movie the day after Christmas and it is as good as the book!  It's really fantastic and we both cried, it was so moving.  You see the horrors of war but yet also the sacrifice for others, love, determination and some funny scenes too!  Great book, great movie!  We highly recommend it.  For more detail, see War Horse at Plugged in Online.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Lost In Shangri-La" by Mitchell Zuckoff is an Amazing Adventure!

Here are my five reasons why I loved Lost In Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff: (1) It's a true story; (2) I was not up to speed on this at all so it was very interesting to me; (3) superb writing; (4) great story; and (5) has a double “WOW” factor!

This book tells the story about 24 servicemen during World War II who on a Sunday afternoon flew to a remote island in New Guinea. The plane crashed, killing 21 out of 24 people. Only two men and one woman survived. They were on a remote island filled with native tribesmen without any provisions at all and little hope of a rescue mission anytime soon. This is an incredible story that is told very well. I loved it! I highly recommend it if you like novels about real events and adventure.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Until Tuesday" by Capt. Luis Carlos Montalvan

Until Tuesday tells the true story of Captain Luis, a highly decorated Captain who suffers from PTSD and whose life is a mess until one day he meets Tuesday, a service dog. It is a remarkable tale how a man and a dog bonded and helped each other overcome their fears. Thanks, Captain Luis, and give Tuesday a pet for me!

This book mentions the Wounded Warrior Project.  Maybe you would like to check it out.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card

I know I'm way late to read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card since it came out years ago.  That being said, I thought this book was just AWESOME!  For sure my book of the month for April and will rank very high in my books of the year list!

The premise of this book is the government has tabbed Ender to be the next big commander.  He is taken away from his family and sent to "Battle School."  His brother, Peter, and his sister, Valentine, also play interesting roles in this book. 

If you loved Hunger Games and The Maze Runner series, you will love this book too!
(Gerard's Review)

Karen's Review:
I liked Ender's Game very much too.  I'm glad Gerard encouraged me to read it!  Ender is just six years old when the government rejected his older brother and sister and took him instead to train to be the commander to fight against the buggers out in space and save the world.  Ender is very smart and very endearing.  He doesn't want to kill anyone but excels in the battle games.  I liked how even though Ender was an "underdog" he was very clever and came out on top when others made things tough for him.  The only thing I did not like about it was the ending.

If you like stories about mind games, leadership, friendship, bullying, military strategy/training or science fiction, you would love this book!  Anyone with battle experience I think would identify with Enger.  We both highly recommend this one--it's awesome!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Black Hearts" by Jim Frederick is An Outstanding Read!

Black Hearts by Jim Frederick is an outstanding read!  I loved it!  It is the story of 1st platoon, a group of men known as the “Black Heart” brigade, and what led up to the horrific murder of an Iraqi family and the rape and subsequent burning to death of their daughter by members of this group.  However, there are lots of other true stories too.  The writing is so good I felt like I was right there with them!  I really got to know better what our soldiers and the people who lead them go through.  This is for sure my book of the month and it has a good chance of making my top ten books of this year!  If you really want to know what our troops face day-to-day, read this book!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March. We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"One September Morning" by Rosalind Noonan

I found One September Morning by Rosalind Noonan while browsing the library.  The cover caught my attention and the reference to Jodi Picoult made me get it.  I'm so glad I did!  I got into it fast.  The characters are people you will care about.  It's hard to put down and you will re-examine your thoughts on the Iraq war.  I liked the ending too.  You can't ask for much more than that in a book.  Pick it up if you see it, you will be glad you did! (30 stars)

Gerard (6/3/09)

I really liked this book about an army widow who wasn't satisfied with the army's report on her husband's death in Iraq and uncovered some disturbing facts about how he really died.  It also included the effects of his death on his family and how his feelings about the war in Iraq changed during his service there.  This book gave some insight into the Iraq war and gave me a new perspective on it.  One September Morning is a bit of a mystery because at first you don't know which soldier is the killer and then it turns to suspense as the killer puts his plan into action.  I read this in two days because it was captivating and I liked Abby, the main character who was the army widow.  I recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries, suspense, PTSD, stories about military families or psychos.   

(Karen 6/7/09)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Unbroken: WW II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

My rating: 7 of 5 stars (Gerard's review)


Unbroken is an amazing story about the true story of Louis Zamperini. Mostly it is about when he was a prisoner of war. The stuff he went through is unbelievable and that he had the will to survive is remarkable. He turned his life around at a Billy Graham crusade and now he works with young boys. I enjoyed her first book, Seabiscut better, but this is very good too. I give it 7 stars!

Read my Teaser here.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?