book review

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Book Review: Medal of Honor

I received this book from Zenith Press as compensation for my review. All these thoughts are my own.

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I was really excited to be contacted to review this book. Military history? Count me in.

The Medal of Honor is the highest award one in the military can receive. This book, The Medal of Honor:  A History of Service Above and Beyond, is a beautiful book depicting the medal’s story.

Each chapter is about a different war time period in our country’s history. They have gorgeous photos, personal stories, and a detailed history on the medal.

I really enjoy it because it does put things in perspective of the time you are looking at and how the medal was perceived then. I really enjoy looking at it chronologically and how it has evolved. And I just love looking at the photos throughout too.

I wish that more of my history books were written and developed as this book was. History books get a bad rap for being dull and boring, but I think if more were displayed like this, we would think differently. (I am biased because I loved history so I didn’t find them all boring.)

I can definitely see this being a “coffee table” type of book that can be easily picked up and perused with very little time or you could spend a lot of time looking at it all and delving into the details.

You can find the book at Barnes and Noble and Amazon, or you can go here.

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Friday Filter: Book “Fault In Our Stars”

I finished this book about a month ago but just haven’t had time to write my thoughts on it. So here we go.

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Goodreads synopsis:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

I love YA books. I realize that I am almost thirty and should give up the notion of reading young adult fiction. But I run my own life, and I will read what I want. I get wrapped in the drama these books provide. Reading should be what you want not what mainstream says it should be. If you want fun, go for fun. If you want serious, have at it. I won’t judge you. I still read Harry Potter, and I am about to get all up in some Curious George and Clifford the Big Red Dog action here, so you can take your judgy-pants somewhere else. Reading is reading, and I am a self-acclaimed YA fan.

With that said, I really enjoyed this book, which seems to be on everyone’s hit list this summer.

Some may say that the topic of cancer has been overdone (Have you seen the Lifetime channel?).To a certain extent, I can agree that it is a topic that is very prominent in the entertainment industry. There are two new shows revolving around cancer that I can think of right now. So what makes this book stand out with this topic?

What I found to be so refreshing about this book was the dialogue. John Green did a really good job of depicting the agony and sarcasm of teenagers, and didn’t sugar coat those feelings. On the other hand, He didn’t seem to over-sensationalize their experiences and tried to make Hazel and her friends as honest as possible. It was very matter of factly, and not so these poor people. Granted, I have not gone seen cancer first hand in someone so young, so I am not sure that it is that way, but it wasn’t your typical YA dialogue of “woe is me, I am in love, and have a life altering issue” feel. It made you look at how you view things and other people. Are we pittiers? And let’s be honest, there were parts that were just funny with how it was written (Literal Heart of Jesus…just the best)

This book does have the topic of cancer, and there are plot twists pertaining to living a life with a disease. However, I think what makes this stand out is that it is much more than just a couple of kids with cancer. It is about living life to the fullest and with no regrets. It is about loving with your whole heart even if that love may be lost. It’s about taking chances and risks and being there for others.

It’s about taking life seriously but not taking it seriously.

This was a great quick read that makes you feel something. I could go on and on about the book, but I would just keep rambling and going in circles with my accolades.

Just know that it is good. It’s funny. It has love. It has death. It has some teenage pranks. It’s a story worth reading. I highly recommend it.

I have not seen the movie yet, but I have heard that it is just as good. (Surprisingly, people are saying good things about Shailene’s performance, which is good. Her start in Secret Life did not give me much hope…)

Have you read Fault in Our Stars? Are you a YA fan?

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Friday Filter: Book “A Bend in the Road”

I recently finished A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks.

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Miles Ryan’s life seemed to end the day his wife was killed in a hit-and-run accident two years ago. As deputy sheriff of New Bern, North Carolina, he not only grieves for her and worries about their young son Jonah but longs to bring the unknown driver to justice. Then Miles meets Sarah Andrews, Jonah’s second-grade teacher. A young woman recovering from a difficult divorce, Sarah moved to New Bern hoping to start over. Tentatively, Sarah and Miles reach out to each other…soon they are falling in love. But what neither realizes is that they are also bound together by a shocking secret, one that will force them to reexamine everything they believe in–including their love.

 from Goodreads synopsis

This book was pretty typical of a Sparks read. Two unsuspecting people meet in the South, and albeit difficult circumstances they fall in love.

This particular book, I managed to guess the ending to the plot twist about a fourth of the way through. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still ripped through the pages to make sure I was right.

I am a huge Sparks fan. I don’t care how predictable or how much each book is similar, I love his books. I think he is a great writer for love. He is able to describe emotions very well that always tug at my heartstrings. I read a review that stated Sparks is like “comfort food.” And that I think is the best way to depict his work for me. I know what that I am going to get into emotions and get wrapped in the character stories, even if I know how it ends. I always am invested in his process and the story he unfolds. It is why whenever I am in a book rut, I turn to him because I know he will bring me back easily. He is my book safety net.

This particular book was not my favorite that I have read of his, but it was decent. I did appreciate that it was a little romance and mystery. It also gave way to a lot of thoughts on forgiveness. Depending on the circumstances we are put in, we are all capable of things we never could have imagined. Sparks does a good job of exploring all kinds of emotions.

Do you love or hate Nicholas Sparks?

Friday Filters offer a review that are my own opinions. I was not contacted by anyone associated with these works or compensated for my review. My review has not been influenced by anything other than my love for entertainment and art.

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Friday Filter: Book “Between Sisters”

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From Goodreads:

Meghann Dontess is a woman haunted by heartbreak. Twenty-five years ago she was forced to make a terrible choice, one that cost her everything, including the love of her sister, Claire. Now, Meghann is a hotshot divorce attorney who doesn’t believe in intimacy–-until she meets the one man who can change her mind.

Claire Cavenaugh has fallen in love for the first time in her life. As her wedding day approaches, she prepares to face her harsh, judgmental older sister and their self-absorbed mother. It is the first time they have been together in more than two decades. Over the course of a hot Pacific Northwest summer, these three women who believe they have nothing in common will try to become what they never were: a family.

I had never read anything by Kristin Hannah, but this book was on one of those Kindle daily deals. It seemed intriguing so I figured you couldn’t pass up a 99 cent book.

Boy am I glad I didn’t! I just flew through this book. You know those reads that you stay up way to late reading? This was definitely one of those for me.

The story line flows through three characters:  Meg, Claire and Joey. Meg and Claire are sisters, but I was not really sure why we were following Joey around until half way through the book. This ended up being a huge page turner for me because I wanted to know who he was supposed to be in all of this. She kept alluding to his connection, but never actually gave you the story until much later in the book. Sneaky!

Throughout the book, the story eludes to moments in history between the characters. You never full understand each one’s significance until the later half of the book. It is definitely the epitome of peeling back layers to understand the full scope of things. However I think that is why this book was so smart because on more than one occasion I stayed up until 2 am trying to understand how all the pieces fit together.

Meg and Claire have a sorted past “between” them that keeps them from getting close until a few key events happen. All the stars aligned basically for them to come back to each other and provide support for one another. You see all that is between them in unsaid words and unspoken memories. The coming together story is not easy and you see all the awkwardness that ensues from their past mistakes. But eventually, they become extremely important for one another and begin to change each other’s lives for the better.

There is romantic love and family kind of love woven throughout this book. You see how our pasts can shatter our future outlook without realizing what guards we have put up. It is a lesson in forgiveness and moving past heartbreak to open yourself up to new experiences.

I really did not see the end coming, but that is what makes a good book to me. I wont spoil it for you; you will just have to pick it up yourself!

It is a great read, and it really got me back into the feel for reading again.

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Friday Filter-Book “Deadly Heat”

I have had a lot of extra time to read over this holiday break, and I whipped through this read.

This is the fifth (maybe final) book in the Nikki Heat series.

This was a fantastic read, just my style. This book picked up right where “Frozen Heat” left off.

There were two major plot lines in this book. The first followed the previous book and detailed the case of Heat’s mother’s murder. We had found out that her mother was a spy and had found out information that got her killed. This book unveiled new clues and plot twists. I never saw this ending coming. But the book did finally solve that case, hence why I think it may be the last one.

The other case that the book followed was a serial murder who wanted to play mind games with Detective Heat who was intended to be his last victim.

What I liked was how the two cases intertwined and the balance that the department and the detective had to face in order to solve them both. Since her mother’s murder involved CIA operatives, you also had various agencies involved which added a fun layer to the cases.

Beneath all of the mystery was the romance between Rook and Heat. (Rook is still shadowing NYPD for writing purposes.) As the intensity of the cases progresses, you see them getting closer and closer. They learn to lean on each other and begin to peel layers of Heat’s tough exterior. You see the trust being built.

Which again very much parallels the show Castle.

This books was even more forward about the similarities and how everything is intertwined between real real life, Castle real life, and the book life. The character Rook met with Hollywood executives to discuss show possibilities and even discussed actors. They subtly mentioned Nathan, who coincidentally is the actor for Richard Castle (who “wrote” the book). They also referenced the show Firefly a couple times to help crack a code. (If you aren’t familiar with Nathan Fillion, he starred in this show years ago.)

This was a great pick to get me out of my reading rut. It was quick, funny, and kept me guessing. This is a very entertaining read, and a great way to cap the series. However, I am not completely sure if it is the end, I am just making that assumption because they ended Heat’s main focus of her mother’s case. With the show Castle still being wildly popular though, there may be a continuation of the series to maintain the facade of Castle needing to shadow Kate Beckett.

While this is a page turner, I would not suggest this book as a stand alone like some of the previous ones in the series. Many things would not make sense if you had not read the prior novels. Also I think I like it so much because of the connection to the TV show, but I think people who are not avid watchers of the show can get into the books.

Have you read any of the books in this series?
I am a sucker for series, do you have any different series you would recommend?

Friday Filters offer a review that are my own opinions. I was not contacted by anyone associated with these works or compensated for my review. My review has not been influenced by anything other than my love for entertainment and art.