H Is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald tells a true story and what a story it is! Helen is trying to deal with the unexpected passing of her father. She has always had an interest in hawks and falcons that she picked up from her dad. She decides to try to tame a Goshawk--a pretty hard if not next to impossible task! She named it Mabel.
My favorite parts of this book is when she trains and connects with the hawk, not that other parts were bad though, far from it!
(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!
Cesar eventually authorized me to rinse out my mouth, but by then the damage was done. The episode left a bitter taste in my mouth long after the burning subsided.
From page 20 of Whipping Boy by Allen Kurzweil (non-fiction) (click link to see my review) Mabel is bating at them, bating so hard, wings beating so furiously, that she hangs horizontally in the air. The breeze is cold in my face, my fist pulled towards the fleeing pheasants.
From page 138 of H Is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald.
One from each of us from American Sniperby Chris Kyle (See Gerard's review, click link)
IT WAS MY DUTY TO SHOOT, AND I DON'T REGRET IT. THE woman was already dead.
From page 2.
Karen's:
It was the most hopeless feeling in the world, seeing my wife in excruciating pain, without anything I could do.
I was a hell of a lot more nervous watching her give birth than I ever was in combat.
From page 114.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley is a fantastic
book about a boy, his fight for survival after a shipwreck, his wild black
stallion and racing. There is a lot of action in this children’s book
that made me want to keep reading. It is refreshingly uncomplicated and
full of adventure. I enjoyed this book very much and plan to read more by this author!
(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!
Whipping Boy by Allen Kurzwell is the true story about Allen who was bullied by a 12-year-old boy named Cesar while attending a Swiss boarding school. Forty years later, Allen decides to search for and confront Cesar. The beginning of this book is when he is bullied and how he deals with it which I thought was the most interesting part. The search to find Cesar was pretty good, but the ending was a bit of a let down. Still, I enjoyed it.
(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!
American Sniper is Chris Kyle’s story of his life, the American SEAL sniper credited with the most kills in the Iraq war. The book starts with a little from his childhood and how he was a cowboy, then goes into depth about his Navy and SEAL training. It covers his experiences in Iraq during the war over his four deployments and touches on his personal life as a husband and father. He was a great warrior and was completely dedicated to serving his country by killing the bad guys. It shows the struggles between he and his wife due to their different priorities.
I liked the book because I learned some new things; however, can’t help but think both he and his wife would have been better off not getting married. Chris was definitely “married” to the Navy and being a sniper. Time after time, he put his career ahead of her and his children. I enjoyed reading about the training he went through and the combat situations he experienced, but when he went into detail about the different weapons, I got bored with that. I did learn though that choosing the right weapon is kind of like choosing a golf club—there are a lot of options. I also was shocked at how much hazing goes on when new guys are assigned to a SEAL team.
I guess what bothered me most was that he proclaimed to be a strong Christian, yet seemed to be very self-centered when it came to his marriage, his language was rough, he got into a lot of bar brawls and drank a lot—all things strong Christians would not do. If you want a glimpse of what really goes on in the Iraq war and the sacrifices made by soldiers and their families, this is a must read.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
American Sniper is the true story of Chris, a sniper, and the best one in the service. I have read a few books on the war and this one ranks right up there with the best, if not the best that I have read! His account is absolutely riveting. I was able to experience through his telling what is going on and what he went through. WOW! I LOVED this book! Chris was an American hero for sure! This is a must read and if you have a chance to see the movie, do it! (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!
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley is a fantastic
book about a boy, his fight for survival after a shipwreck, his wild black
stallion and racing. There is a lot of action in this children’s book
that made me want to keep reading. It is refreshingly uncomplicated and
full of adventure. I enjoyed this book very much and plan to read more by this author! 
I liked the book because I learned some new things; however, can’t help but think both he and his wife would have been better off not getting married. Chris was definitely “married” to the Navy and being a sniper. Time after time, he put his career ahead of her and his children. I enjoyed reading about the training he went through and the combat situations he experienced, but when he went into detail about the different weapons, I got bored with that. I did learn though that choosing the right weapon is kind of like choosing a golf club—there are a lot of options. I also was shocked at how much hazing goes on when new guys are assigned to a SEAL team.
