"The Last Girl" by Nadia Murad

The Last Girl--My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad is a true story!   Nadia was born and raised in Kucho, a small village in Iraq.  Life was okay and she enjoyed her large family.  She had plans for her future, but that all changed when Isis moved in and took over.  Her life became a nightmare! 

Teaser from page 60:  I couldn't see them as people.  Like the guns they carried and the tanks they drove, the men themselves were just weapons to me, and they were aimed at my village.

This is not an easy book to read.  Nadia went through unspeakable horror!  This book opened my eyes to what these people had to deal with.  I give her so much credit for telling her story!
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Navy Seal Dogs--My Tale of Training Canines for Combat" by Mike Ritland is Amazing!

Navy Seal Dogs--My Tale of Training Canines for Combat by Mike Ritland is about Malinois dogs used in battle and how they are trained.  It is pretty fascinating and was interesting reading about the different dogs and how they helped in battle.  It was also eye-opening to see what the trainers and handlers go through to prepare the dogs for battle.
(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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"A Sliver of Light" by Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal & Sarah Shourd

A Sliver of Light by Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal & Sarah Shourd is an incredible tale of three people on a hike in Iraqi Kurdistan and then crossed over into Iran.  The border patrol arrested them and they were in a situation they will never forget.  This is a great story told by all three people in a way that reads like a novel except it was real life!  This was an eye-opening book for me that I won't soon forget.  Thanks for sharing! 
 (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!

"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.

"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.

"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?

"Hope Unseen" by Captain Scott Smiley and Doug Crandall is Amazing! (UPDATED)

Hope Unseen by Scotty Smiley and Doug Crandall is the true story of how God showed his love to Scotty Smiley and led him step-by-step along a very difficult journey, giving him many blessings in spite of losing his sight during a war mission in Iraq. Scotty is the first blind soldier to actively still serve in the army as a speaker and leadership teacher at West Point (thanks to his wife following her instincts and God). This book is very enlightening regarding the struggles blind people have. I really liked the emotional part of the book where Scotty shares his anger toward God and how he was able to recapture his faith and trust in God in spite of what God had allowed to happen to him. It is amazing that after he was blind he still was able to be adventurous: he surfed, climbed Mt. Rainier, skydived and accepted speaking engagements which all began with a choice he made to get out of his hospital bed and take a shower.

This book is so inspirational and encouraging. It started a bit slow for me but I’m am glad I chose to read it and finished it. At the end he shares some key points about transformational leadership on page 232 that I found interesting: 1) use unconventional strategies, 2) care about individuals, 3) demonstrate self-sacrifice, 4) communicate confidence. (
Karen's review 6/18/15, 4 stars)

Gerard read it back in 2010:
A Remarkable story!  Hope Unseen by Captain Scott Smiley and Doug Crandall works in so many ways.  Scott Smiley was a platoon leader in Iraq when a bomb blinded him for life but not before he helped save the men under his command.  He received the Purple Heart.  He climbed up a mountain, surfed in Hawaii, got his M.B.A. from Duke and won the MacArthur Leadership Award--all while blind!  This is also a great faith story.  He was strong in the faith of the Lord, lost it, and now he gives talks in churches to share his story, giving all the credit to the Lord.  This is an outstanding book!
(Gerard's review, 11/15/10)


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

Nubs, The True Story Of A Mutt, A Marine & A Miracle by Brian Dennis, Mary Nethery, Kirby Larson

Nubs, The True Story Of A Mutt, A Marine & A Miracle by Brian Dennis, Mary Nethery, Kirby Larson is an amazing true story about the persistence of a war dog who finally made it out of Iraq and found a home in California.  The Marine who helped him is the one who wrote the book and although parts are very sad, it has a very happy ending!  I loved the colorful pictures throughout the book too.  It only takes about 15 minutes or less to read but it's a great story!
(Karen's review 12/7/09)

This is the story of a dog named Nubs who was befriended by Major Brian Dennis.  What a story this is!  Nubs went through unbelievable odds to find Brian and Brian went through a lot to help Nubs get out of Iraq and to California.  This is a feel good story.  Read it, you'll be glad you did!  (100 stars)
(Gerard's review 12/7/09)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?