The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World - Matt Kracht

After loving The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, it seemed like a no-brainer to pick this one up.  The first book amused me so much, I had both my kids read it, my daughter's boyfriend, and then I sent my copy to my uncle. He hasn't read it yet, but he flipped through a couple pages, and he's told me it looks pretty funny and right up his alley.

This book is more birds. It breaks them down into basically the same categories, but this time it also adds in where they live. There's a bit of history and games in the back. 

You can't really recreate a first-time experience, and I think that's the problem I had here. A lot of this book felt the same as the first one, but I didn't enjoy it near as much. The variety of birds to be covered around the world is so vast, I was surprised there were so many that were listed in North America. Especially since there was already a whole book about those. I felt the lack of murder birds was criminal (there were only two this time !?), and it just wasn't as fun.

I did smile during the history section, but if I compare the two I'd still prefer the North America book for a couple of reasons. First, it was more focused, so I didn't have the expectation of seeing exotic birds from around the world. Second, the names of the birds seemed to flow into nonsense better (in my opinion). And last, but maybe the most important point, this particular book doesn't have the M-rf--ing Bald Eagle!

Berserk (Volumes 3-5) - Kentaro Miura

So I'm combining a few volumes here. There might be a few spoilers here and there, and those are mostly to help me keep track of what's happening.

Volume 3 was a bit of an adventure for me, and it had nothing to do with the content. I found a used copy on Amazon, listed BY Amazon as Like New. It was only $27, so I was happy to get it. When it came, I couldn't believe what I saw. The cover was warped, and the pages looked like they had water damage. There was even a hole in the spine! The funniest part was the inspection sticker on the back cover. Yeah...ok. Sure, someone "inspected" it. Needless to say, I sent that one back. I did read it real quick, though. I've also found a real new copy for around the same price to replace it, so I'm good now.

Storywise, I'd say the anime ends around the middle of volume 4. After the Eclipse is all new territory for me, and it's been interesting so far. I'm saddened by what the sacrifice did to Casca and Guts, and now he's on the road alone. Well, the fairy is with him, but I'm on the fence with that thing. Sometimes I hate it, and other times I think it's ok. I've never really loved it, though.

I'd say volume 4 was also the book that had the most nudity so far. I normally just skim past it, but this isn't the first time (nor will it be the last, I'm sure). But I wanted to add a warning that rape is part of the story. This also isn't the first time, so if that's a sensitive topic for you, be aware it's in there. 

I am hooked on the story. Guts is one of those anti-heroes that doesn't care about anyone until he does. I like him, and Volume 6 is on the way! Good Books!

Handbook for Spies - Alexander Foote

I was able to get a digital version of this from Coachwhip a while back. It is written by a man who was part of the spy network for Soviet Russia during WWII until he was arrested. After the war, he spent some time in Russia and decided he wanted to cut ties with the Centre.

The pace of this book was a bit tedious at times. I'm not sure what it was, but I had issues getting through sections of it. Other parts were fine, even highly interesting, but when he was explaining the way the network functioned, I was losing interest.

The part that interested me the most was the matter of fact way he approached his feelings of breaking ties with the Centre. He had initially believed in Communism, watched the way it worked in Russia, and decided he didn't want to contribute toward it anymore. 

I'm on the fence with this one. I was interested in how things worked, but it wasn't really written in a way that kept my interest. I'm not blaming the author at all. It's just the way it struck me. Side note: I thought it was crazy that when there was too much information, and the spy wanted to simply hand it over to the Allies, he was told to burn it instead.

 

Passage to Dawn (Legacy of the Drow #4) - R. A. Salvatore

This is the fourth and final book of this particular series. Drizzt and Catti-Brie are sailing the seas, but their travels will lead be cut short and lead them to a reunion with Bruenor and Regis.

Errtu has a captive he's certain will release him from his banishment from the material plane and allow him to exact his revenge on Drizzt. A riddle makes the drow believe the balor is holding his father, Zaknafein, captive. To free the prisoner, Drizzt and his friends will have to return to Icewind Dale, a place that many of them consider home. It's also a place where the crystal shard was buried. But Crenshinibon has freed itself and is working on a new plan to work evil in the realms.

I liked this one, but the end was bittersweet for me. Drizzt's ups and downs create the same for me. I was worried we'd lost the great panther, but I really liked the way she returned at the end. The further I get into the world of Drizzt, the more I appreciate being able to read them in order and close enough together to remember (enough) what's happened before. I'm so grateful I was able to get almost all of them through a Humble Bundle. Next up is the Paths of Darkness series, and I'm not sure when I'll get to it, but it won't be super far into the future. Good Book!

The Heart Hunter - Mickey George

This was a gift for my daughter for Christmas. I wasn't sure how it would go, but I'd done a lot of research, and this was pretty highly reviewed.

A curse on the island of Envecor has caused everyone's heart to be outside their body. Some take care of it, while others aren't as caring. It's also made everyone immortal until they find their soulmate. Once they do that, they can leave the island, grow old and die. Some people don't want that to happen. One of those people is the king, so he hires Psyche, a heart hunter. She is tasked with tracking down the king's soulmate and killing them.

There's a lot to love in this book. The illustrations are bold and beautiful, and the story takes you on a journey of pain and healing. Psyche starts out as a tough as nails type, but as hard as she tries, she can't prevent her softer side from peeking through her own armor.

I don't know why this doesn't have more exposure. It's a self-contained story, and it's really good. It easily gets a Good Book! ranking from me.

 

The House on Garibaldi Street - Isser Harel

This book is the true story of the Mossad's operation to bring Adolf Eichmann to justice for his crimes during the Holocaust. The Mossad members went to Argentina, came up with a plan, and got their target out of there. They dealt with various obstacles, almost caught up with Josef Mengele (another really high-value target), and brought Eichmann back to Israel to stand trial.

The writing in this book was very factual, but it still read like a spy novel. Maybe it should have been boring at times, but I wasn't bored. I was fascinated by the amount of preparation that went into this operation. They made sure they had the right man, they had multiple plans in case something went wrong, and they were able to pull it off.

The really funny thing about this book is that it made me nervous. Obviously, they got Eichmann out of Argentina, but the way the book was written made me feel some of the tension these men and women must have went through at the time. I'm just curious what Eichmann thought he was going to gain by playing the servant to his captors. It was a bit creepy. This definitely gets a Good Book! review. 

Interview with Ernest James - July 13, 1990

This interview was an oral testimony taken on behalf of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I sought out this particular interview because of where this man served and what he saw. He was briefly at Dora-Mittelbau, a place I've become interested in since I discovered my great uncle was at the liberation of the camp.

I didn't get to learn much about the camp, since James was mostly kept away from the prisoners. He did speak about how Germans would deny knowledge of what went on in the camps, but James debunked that. As punishment, the townspeople were made to bury the dead.

The transcript was hard to read since whoever transcribed it left the "uh" in there. Sometimes there were multiple in a row, or a single word between them. In addition to that, the interviewer would sometimes guide James away from what he was talking about and back to a particular topic. This tactic is basically the reason I decided to make a review of the interview. 

I talked to two of my grandparents when they got older, trying to learn about their lives. I also chatted with my great-grandfather when he had dementia and would talk about me without being able to make the connection that I was the person he was talking about. When people are trying to tell you their memories, I believe that you should just let them tell their story. I understand this interview was for a specific reason, but this man might have jostled loose a memory that he never would've accessed at any other time. When I talked to my grandmother, I tried to guide her through a set of questions. At first, it was more factual, but when I let her expand on her memories and let her answers wander, I learned so much more. My great-grandfather was so much more comfortable when I just let him talk instead of trying to tell him who I was.

I know that's a bit of rambling, but men and women of this generation had such important stories to tell. It was frustrating to read Ernest James's story being cut down to the size it was. If it needed to be a certain length, cut it down later. Let the man talk. Let people tell their own stories.

Ernest James was part of the 238th Engineer Combat Battalion

Siege of Darkness (Legacy of the Drow #3) - R. A. Salvatore

In this book, we find out what happens when the drow march on Mithral Hall. Matron Baenre herself is coming along, but there's also a slight problem before heading out. Magic isn't acting in a predictable way, and no one is sure the cause. When magic returns, they march to the dwarven stronghold, where the fight is long and happens on many fronts. Many races come together to fight against the drow. For the good of all goodly folk.

The end was close approaching, and I wasn't sure how they were going to push back the forces of evil, but the sun shines on the good and bad alike. It just affects them differently. Drizzt and Catti-brie are then off to explore the world outside the tunnels of Mithral Hall, but little do they know, Errtu is waiting to exact his revenge on Drizzt. 

Next up is Passage to Dawn. I'm reading another nonfiction since the interview I just finished was so short, but then I'll be finishing up this series. Good Book!

The Bionic Man Omnibus Volume 1 - Multiple authors

We love the Six Million Dollar Man around here. Lee Majors and Richard Anderson are a great dynamic duo that bring a special kind of friendship to the spy game. When I learned this book existed, I really wanted to read it. Also, this says volume 1, but there isn't a volume 2.

This book is more of a modern take on the bionic man. He's using technology that definitely didn't exist when the book or the show came out, so that's something to keep in mind. The stories cover some familiar ground (Bigfoot), and some new ideas (revenge on O.S.I. for losing a job).

This entire group of comics was disappointing for me. When I read the book, Cyborg, that the show was based on, I was struck by the difference in tone. I still appreciated the book for what it was, but this was a whole other level of unnecessary.

Steve is really whiny in these comics for some reason. There are numerous times he's called out for throwing temper tantrums, and it's a reflection of what I'm thinking. I also don't know why there's so many sexual innuendos in there. The panels with Jaime at the beginning were just way too much. Then, we have the friendship between Oscar and Steve. In this, you'd never be able to tell they were best friends if they didn't tell you all the time. Gone are the little jokes and genuine care they have for each other. In its place are forced dialogue and yelling.

Mini Spoiler: Bigfoot. I don't know what the deal with that was, but anytime you're going to take a bionic dog and rip its head off, I'm out. They try to play it off like "oh, we can rebuild him," but they took his HEAD. That's where his personality's at, so I'm not sure why they were so proud of themselves.

I think if you love the Six Million Dollar Man, the show, I would stay away from this. If you were a fan of the book, you might get some enjoyment out of this, but honestly, if you have to tell the government to secure Steve's Wi-Fi so he can't be hacked, then we're probably dealing with an unnecessary level of stupid. So disappointing...

Impossible Odds - Jessica Buchanan

Jessica was in Somalia as an aid worker when she was abducted with a co-worker. She was held hostage without vital medication for 93 days. Having to live day by day, wondering if today was the day her captors would sell her to a worse organization or just outright kill her was a strain to say the least. On January 25, 2012, 24 brave members of SEAL Team Six parachuted in and rescued both captives.

This book tells the entire story. It changes point of view between Jessica, Erik (her husband) and general information. It also goes back far enough to give information about Jessica's childhood, how she met Erik and how they ended up in Somalia.

If you're looking for a book that focuses solely on the kidnapping and the rescue, this probably won't keep your interest. I personally liked getting to know both Jessica and Erik, but others may not care as much. Also, there is a section of pictures hidden at the end. My copy also had an epilogue that was added later and had an update on how Jessica and Erik were doing. I really liked that. I would've liked to know what happened to Poul. He seemed to disappear from the story once they were rescued.

Overall, I'm glad this one had a happy ending. By that I mean Jessica came out of it able to move on to a fairly normal life. I'm sure there aren't a lot of people that are able to do that after living through such a tragedy. Good Book!

Starless Night (Legacy of the Drow #2) - R. A. Salvatore

Finished the next one in this series. We join up with our heroes who are mourning the loss of Wulfgar. Some are handling it better than others. Surprisingly, Catti-brie seems to be doing the best. Drizzt has decided the drow won't give up on capturing him, and he's determined to go alone to the Underdark and prevent further heartbreak to his friends.

Catti-brie won't let Drizzt go off on his own, so she harasses Regis into telling her the truth. He wasn't super keen on the idea of Drizzt going off on his own, so he hands over some items, and Catti-brie heads off to pursue her friend.

I just want to point out that I did mention if we didn't bury a body, people have a tendency to pop back up. I was right. A certain assassin is wandering around the Underdark, but he isn't having the best time. I liked the different setting for this one, and the author used the darkness almost as another character at times.

Next up will be Siege of Darkness. Starless Night was another Good Book!

 

Akira (Volume 1) - Katsuhiro Otomo

Last week, I watched the movie, Akira. It was interesting, and when reading about it, I saw that the plot differed somewhat from the manga. It got me interested in the book, so when I saw volume 1 was a reasonable price, I snatched it up. Then I read it in two days. It's classified as a cyberpunk post-apocalyptic manga. I had to look it up, because I wouldn't know how to explain it. It's unusual.

I immediately noticed the differences with the plot. They aren't different to the point where it changes things super significantly, it just seemed like they were sorted around into a different order. Kaneda's character was the most surprising to me. He seemed to have a lot more depth in the manga than he did in the movie. I liked how involved he was in the overall story instead of mostly staying on the outside of the main conflict.

I really liked this. If I dare compare it to the movie, I'm going to lean heavily toward the manga. I understand when making a movie, you have to pick and choose what is included, but I'll give it credit for getting me interested enough in the story to check out the manga. I just found the second volume for the same reasonable price as the first one, and you know I snatched that up! Good Book!

The Legasov Tapes - Valery Legasov

This is actually the transcription of some tapes Valery Legasov made before he died. He was a major player at the Chernobyl site, and considered a national hero. His suicide was shocking to the country. I became interested in him when I watched the HBO miniseries Chernobyl.

A lot of speculation surrounded his death, which occurred the day after the second anniversary of the disaster and the day before the investigation results were to be released. He had been trying to encourage reform and change in the industry to prevent further incidents, but no one listened to him. By reading the tapes, I hoped to learn some insight into the mind of the man.

This wasn't what I was expecting at all. It was mostly scientific terms and explaining how people did what they could at the time. He did place blame a few times, but he was very cautious about it. He kept mentioning the main cause of the incident being waiting 10 years.

Then there was the repetition. The tapes weren't just made for one reason. One part was for an article, so a lot of the previous important information was repeated. He praised the firefighters and made sure it was known they hadn't been there in vain. He also mentioned the evacuation a few times and approved of the way that was organized.

Overall, unless you know a lot about chemistry and are interested in how Legasov viewed the problems he faced at Chernobyl, I think you could skip this one. He doesn't really get into his state of mind. He mainly sticks to the facts when he can. He's a sad figure, and I wish he would've been listened to.

Berserk (Volume 2) - Kentaro Miura

I finally got a copy of the second volume of this, but then I had to wait a while because it smelled funny. I'm sensitive to smells unfortunately, so the weird seaside smell that came out of the shrink wrap was upsetting and mysterious.

Continuing on with Guts' story, I was reminded of the anime series I watched from 1997. It was pretty faithful to the source material and went up to the time with the princess. Griffith is on the scene now, and the initial encounters with Casca are in there as well.

At times, I wasn't looking too hard at the pictures due to the smell, but I was trying to see if people were still getting chopped in half. I think I saw a few here and there. I liked seeing the way the band came together in more detail, but I'm not sure that I learned too much more than I had in the series.

I liked this one, and I'd like to keep going. If I am able to continue, I might have little reviews in here just to remind myself of what happens in each volume. Good Book!

The Legacy (Legacy of the Drow #1) - R. A. Salvatore

It's been a while since I've read one of the Salvatore books I purchased in a Humble Bundle. When I dive into them, I make sure I'm ready to get through a whole series, because I'm not piecemealing it. This series is a little different, though, since it has four books, while most of the time there's only three. I'll still be reading my nonfiction in between, but my fiction books are already settled for this next little bit.

Drizzt and his friends are hanging out in the Mithril Hall getting ready for the wedding between Catti-brie and Wulfgar. It seems like everything is fine. Even Regis shows up out of the blue, but then Wulfgar starts to act strangely. Regis even offers to head off into danger, which isn't like him at all.

Deeper in the Underdark, what remains of Drizzt's family hasn't forgotten him. His sister, Vierna, will do whatever it takes to get back some semblance of glory. It will take teaming up with a human assassin and drow mercenary to track down her wayward brother, but will they be able to bring him back to sacrifice him to the Spider Queen?

This was another good book. Salvatore does it again with his battle scenes. He's the only person I've ever read who can write a battle scene in such an interesting and visual way. I almost always know where everyone is and can see the entire battle in my mind. It's a real gift. 

This one was also sad. We lost one of our comrades along the way, and a side character that I had become attached to. I'm not sure if he was in any other books, but I really liked him for the short amount of time he was in this one. I think we lost a major threat in this one, but I never count anyone out until someone buries the body. No one buried this one's body, so I'm not convinced!

Next up is Starless Night. It'll be next after my nonfiction book. The Legacy earns a Good Book! review.

P.S. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but I love Guenhwyvar. If they ever lose that figurine, I'm going to have a fit!

Indestructible - Jack Lucas

Jack really wanted to be a Marine. He left home at 14 and worked his way into combat. Most of the time, it wasn't through normal channels. He ended up on the volcanic island of Iwo Jima, where he jumped on two grenades, saving three of his fellow Marines. This earned him a Medal of Honor and fame. While that initially went to his head a little, he took the responsibility of representing his fallen brothers seriously.

Jack is very honest about his life. He isn't super proud of everything that happened, but he doesn't shy away from it either. I was surprised he received his Medal of Honor around halfway through the book. But this man's life was filled with soap opera levels of drama at times. 

The writing style is easy to read, and Jack's life was one I admire. He mentioned his cousin, Sam, a lot, but there wasn't really an update on him in the later parts of the book. I saw Sam in the photos, though. The other thing I felt was missing was some kind of reference to the men who were saved by Jack. They left him in the trench thinking he was dead. Did they ever check on him? Talk to him after the event?

The section of photos are after the index. I'm not sure why they were placed there, but make sure to check them out. There's a fair number of them, and they're pretty interesting. Good Book!

 

The Man of Bronze - Lester Dent

A while back, I was interested in watching the Doc Savage movie from 1975. It's not that easy to find, though, and when I found out I could read the book, I was in!

Doc Savage has come home, and his father has died mysteriously. He's then almost killed by a man with red-tipped fingers. After that, Doc and his group of men, each with their own specialties, are on the case to find out why these assassins are trying to keep Doc away from his inheritance.

A lost civilization, gold, corrupt officials, and lots of BRONZE (the word was used 71 times!) fill this story with twists and turns. Doc is something between a strongman with superhuman intellect and a superhero. I can't really tell if he's supposed to be a superhero, but sometimes it really seemed like he was doing things that simply weren't possible.

This story was really fun. I liked the characters, and Doc was probably not my favorite. There wasn't anything wrong with him. He was just one of those invincible people who train two hours a day no matter what and are untouchable by the love of a woman. "You're a brick," he tells the woman falling in love with him. That was pretty funny. 

In all, there were 213 (!) Doc Savage stories. In later years, he evolved into more of a scientist, because after WWII, people were more interested in comics and Doc's antics seemed a bit silly after the real life heroics that went on. 

I'd probably enjoy more of this type of Doc Savage, but I'm not sure I'll get the chance. The Kindle versions are a bit pricey for what they are, and the paperbacks are so out of print it's ridiculous. With a character that stuck around this long, I'm surprised he's fallen through the cracks this far. I enjoyed Doc Savage and friends. Good Book!

Side Note: I never figured out what the Green Wigglies were...(look up the movie trailer on YouTube) 

Georges Guynemer Knight of the Air - Henry Bordeaux

Guynemer was a pilot during WWI. He didn't make it through the war, so it was up to someone who knew him to tell his story. Georges fought hard to do his duty to his country. He was rejected multiple times for service for being too frail, but he persevered and became an icon to his fellow countrymen.

A lot of the content here is taken from Guynemer's journal. He describes his flights in very vague details, so it's not very detailed. He was an interesting individual for sure, but I felt like I learned more from his Wikipedia page than I did the book. And I got to see pictures. The postage stamp was especially intriguing.

Overall, this one wasn't as interesting as I'd hoped. Maybe if Guynemer had made it through the war and been able to tell the story his own way, I'd have a different opinion. The problem is, the man was too humble to seek out the attention. I doubt we would've seen it. 

Final Spin - Jocko Willink

Jocko is most well known as being a former Navy Seal and writing books on leadership. I'm not really interested in learning about leadership, so I decided to pick up his sole fiction title.

Johnny is working at a dead-end job. He loves his brother, Arty. Arty's entire world revolves around laundry. He's happy as long as he can do laundry. When Johnny finds out the owner of the laundromat is moving to Holland, he comes up with a plan to take care of his brother and get himself out of town.

The book is different. The formatting is unusual, and the choppy sentences didn't really enhance the flow of the story for me. When it was normal format/writing, I found it easier to read.

The story itself was okay. It was the story of a man who wants to make a quick buck and makes some bad decisions to do it. The consequences of those actions are not shocking, and I'm not sure rooting for Johnny is something I was doing as the story went on. The only real character I liked was Arty. He was wholesome and honest. I'm sure there was another way to keep him doing his laundry. I don't think Arty would've approved of Johnny's method to save his laundry. Honestly, neither did I...

 

Military Dogs of World War II - Susan Bulanda

This book collects stories and describes the important jobs dogs served during the second world war. Some were taken overseas and used as mine detectors. Others were on patrol, alerting the men when an enemy was nearby. Some dogs were taken in as strays and adopted as mascots. Family pets alerted rescue teams to buried humans. Larger dogs were used to pull sleds of munitions or injured men. This is only some of the jobs I read about. Dogs were used by many countries during the war. 

The book tells the story of the famous and the unknown in the genre. It doesn't do it in great depth, which is okay. There are tons of pictures. I couldn't get enough of those. On the flip side of that, this was a war. Some, I'm sure many, of the faithful friends would never make it home. There are stories of those heroes in this book as well.

I think the most heartbreaking part is the lack of regard for the dog's lives by some countries. I will give one of them credit for changing direction when they realized they were losing too many dogs. Even if it was a numbers thing, they changed the policy. On the other end of that was a different country that just made me angry.

Overall, though, the book is super uplifting and for a dog lover, I could've read these stories forever. On a price level, be aware it's only 126 pages, and there's tons of pictures, so make sure to keep that in mind if that's a consideration for you. I got it when it was on sale, so it gets a Good Book! review. I really loved it!

Ash (Asher Benson #1) - Jason Brant

Jason Brant came onto my radar because of his YouTube channel where he watches bad movies with his wife and friends. I didn't know he was an author, but apparently, he has a lot of books out there. Many of them are horror, which isn't my thing, but the summary of this book sounded interesting. It falls into the "diet book" category. It's listed at 215 pages. 

Ash was injured in Iraq, and now he hears the thoughts of the people around him. He uses booze to dull the voices at the end of the day, and his life is a mess. One day, he walks into a bank and stops a robbery. After that, his life takes an interesting turn. Now, he's wrapped up in some strange government group that wants to track down someone with powers stronger than Ash's, and they can't do it without Ash. But they also don't seem to be very good at doing anything when he does find his target.

Ash is kind of a putz. I found it interesting that when he made a link to the target, he didn't have any questions for the man. He didn't really trust the people he was working for, but he decided to antagonize the person who could've answered some of his questions. Later on, I understood the snarkiness and sarcasm, but at least initially, I would've thought Ash would've been at least a little curious.

My favorite character, hands down, was Drew (his girlfriend Melissa sounded like a shrew, and I was upset he still had her at the end - he deserves better!). He didn't put up with any crap from Ash, but he was loyal to the end. It was the kind of friend Ash needed, and he didn't get enough credit. A close second would be Nami. She had a spirit that made me smile a few times.

I liked the plot, even though I found it sad that so many innocent people were dying all over the place. The action scenes are very detailed, which is something I don't see very often, so props for that. I wasn't always 100% sure what exactly was happening, but I got the gist most of the time.

The series has two other books, Madness and Asher's War. I don't know if Drew returns, so I don't think I'll actively look to read these. Ash by himself would probably drive me crazy. Without Drew to balance him out, I'm not sure I would've rated this as high as I am. I did appreciate that it's not longer than it needed to be. The author wasn't trying to hit a page count here, and he just told the story and let the page count fall where it may. Combining that with the plot and my man Drew earns Ash a Good Book! review.

A Kim Jong-Il Production - Paul Fischer

Choi, a South Korean actress, was kidnapped and taken to North Korea. Shin, a filmmaker, was kidnapped later and joined her after going through a much more uncomfortable welcome. He was put into prison where he tried to escape. Eventually, the two were reunited, and they formed a film company.

After eight years, they were able to escape and get away. It took that long to gain the amount of trust and for circumstances to align in such a way they were able to make it to an American Embassy. After that, they were reunited with their family, and they spent some years in the states before making their way back to South Korea.

Unfortunately, their story has undergone a lot of scrutiny. Some people claim they weren't kidnapped at all, and that Shin purposely went to North Korea so he could make films again. Events don't really line up to support that scenario, but people will believe what they want to.

The author has done what he can to portray the facts as they were able to be verified. As with anything like this, there isn't going to be 100% verifiable sources for something like this. Most of the story comes from Choi and Shin, but their stories line up with other events of the time. The author went so far as to use Google maps, visit North Korea and contact any people mentioned by Choi and Shin. If they were unavailable, he tried to get in touch with someone who knew them. I give him credit for that.

I found the book to be interesting. The weird way things worked in North Korea was fascinating and sad at the same time. It was also sad to think of the poor people left behind who were punished when Choi and Shin escaped. Shin's life after leaving North Korea wasn't super amazing, and that's a shame. I'll give it a Good Review!

Gunner and the Dumbo - Dwight W. Follett

When I picked up a few books on Coachwhip.com, I picked this one up as well. It's a children's book from 1945 and tells the tale of Gunner, a Boston Terrier, who is part of a bomber crew in the Pacific. He goes on a mission to bomb battleships when things go wrong on the way back. Gunner is vital to the survival of his crew.

The pictures in this book are adorable. It's probably not for small children, and the labels used aren't appropriate today ( ex. "Jap"). The story was so good, and I loved it. I was a bit bummed to learn it wasn't a true story, because it seemed like it could've really happened.

The book is still available digitally on Coachwhip. It's super cute, and I really liked it. It's short, cute, and Gunner is a real (fictional) hero! Good Book!

The Phantom Coach and Other Stories - Amelia Edwards

This is a set of six stories - The Phantom Coach, An Engineer's Story, A Service of Danger, The Story of Salome, Was it an Illusion? A Parson's Story, and How the Third Floor Knew the Potteries. I wish I could remember how/why this ended up on my list, but it's been on there too long...

They're all pretty short, so I won't go into the details of them here. I will say they're all ghost stories. Some of them are better than others, and my favorites were An Engineer's Story, the Illusion story, and to a lesser degree the Pottery one.

There's not much more to say since they're so short. If you're in the mood for some quick ghost stories, you might enjoy these. I found them a pretty good investment of my time. The whole thing is only a little over 100 pages, so I wouldn't spend oodles of money on it. I somehow had it in a Word document, so I don't even know where it came from. Anyway, wherever this literature came from, it gets a Good Book! review.

White Plague (Joe Rush #1) - James Abel

This paperback was a pick from the HPB run, but it was one of Mom's.

A submarine is struggling after a fire. It's up in the Arctic, and the only icebreaker is a research vessel. Joe is convinced to take his team and investigate the strange illness that has broken out. The Arctic is becoming a contested area since the ice is melting to the point where it can become a thoroughfare, so it's important to get to the submarine before anyone else does.

Once they finally find the sub, the situation is dire...and complex. The illness that has broken out is mysterious, and once they figure out what it is, they fear what it means for not only the members of the submarine, but the crew of the icebreaker as well.

I found this book to be very interesting. It's been a bit since I've read a book in this genre, and I really enjoyed the way this one was put together. I wish Joe and the Major could've cleared the air with the truth, but it didn't matter. The writing style flowed well, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

This is the first of a four-book series. The other three are Protocol Zero, Cold Silence and Vector. I wouldn't mind reading more in the future. Good Book!

Helmet for My Pillow - Robert Leckie

I picked this one up a while back. When I purchased Band of Brothers, I got The Pacific as well. We haven't watched it yet, but this book is one of the inspirations that was used for the series.

Leckie was with the 1st Marine Division while they were battling in places like Guadalcanal and Peleliu. Much of the book felt surface level and seemed to be focused on explaining the brig, time on leave and fighting the jungle.

That all changed in the last 10% of the book. When Leckie explained what happened on Peleliu, I felt like he really went in depth of what he went through. He lost a lot of friends and was injured, The epilogue was a peek into his mind as well. 

Overall, the book was okay, but there's something about it that keeps it from pushing over into a good book review. I appreciate Leckie telling his story, it didn't really resonate with me most of the time.

May they rest in peace...

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

Okay, so this is one of those books that theoretically I should have read a long time ago. We've had this really cool version of it since I was a kid. We used to have another classic, but it's gone, and I don't remember what it was. Wuthering Heights is a story that, on the surface, seems like it would be right up my alley. But, I had a sense that it was not a happy ending kind of story. Maybe it was something I heard.

Hindley and Catherine are siblings. Their father brings home an orphan named Heathcliff, and they all grow up together. Catherine and Heathcliff become close, but Catherine marries a neighbor for questionable reasons. Later, Catherine becomes ill, and Heathcliff marries Catherine's sister-in-law because he's a jerk. The next generation becomes playthings for Heathcliff's revenge plans, and it seems that no one can stop him.

This book made me angry. I hated everyone in it, and that doesn't happen very often. Usually there's at least one or two characters that I can at least tolerate to root for. In this, they all sucked. Everyone was either whiny, selfish, spoiled, made numerous bad decisions or turned a blind eye when others did. I kept thinking the best thing that could happen to these people would be for an earthquake to swallow up both estates and be done with them. The end wasn't even really that happy. The "couple" was unevenly matched with one of them still mocking the other. Ugh.

I don't know why people love this book. To each their own. Heathcliff is not a sympathetic character. He reminded me a little of Edward Rochester from Jane Eyre (funnily enough written by Emily's sister Charlotte). The difference is that Rochester had an arc during the book where he underwent a change. Heathcliff just went downhill and stayed there. I was not a fan of this one. Having a character to root for is a must for me, and without that, I just couldn't enjoy it.

Striking Back - Aaron J. Klein

After watching One Day in September, a documentary about the murder of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics, I wanted to learn more about the aftermath. I hoped this book would help with that.

The first part of the book went through the tragedy in Munich, and I did learn a few things I didn't pick up from the documentary. Other than that, it was all familiar ground. Also, the documentary itself was mentioned more than once.

Once that part was over, I was into new territory. Israel's response wasn't quite what I expected. A lot of the targets they went after weren't directly related to Munich, which surprised me. Some of them were barely related to terrorism at all. They even had a major mishap when they assassinated an innocent man.

There was also a weird detail that puzzled me. Three of the terrorists from Munich survived and were eventually given back to their people. I thought they would be high on the list of targets, but their fates are murky. The Mossad claim they killed them as part of Mission Wrath of God, but one of them appeared in the documentary One Day in September, one of them may have died of heart failure, and a different group claims to have killed the third. So that's a bit weird.

Overall, this book was interesting. The assassinations were carried out under the claim of prevention and not revenge, but I believe an element of revenge had to be in the minds of some of those involved. When it comes to actions like this, it feels like there aren't any right answers. When the terrorist attacks died down, was it because of the fear of Mossad reprisal? Or was it because the Palestinians realized since their story was finally being told, the carnage was hurting their message? It's a mystery...

Anyway, this book was informative, and I enjoyed it. I learned a lot, and it went in a totally different direction than I was expecting. Good Book!

The Canary Murder Case (Philo Vance #2) - S. S. Van Dine

After I read the first book with Philo Vance, The Benson Murder Case, I wanted to give him a second chance. He irritated me with the way he spoke and his condescending attitude, but I feel like the mystery was enough to make me want to try again.

A woman is murdered in her home. A quartet of suspects muddy the waters of a crime that is too perfect. Vance tries to point out that even though it looks like a robbery, it's a calculated crime, and the killer is smarter than they think.

Vance wasn't near as annoying this time. The mystery had me intrigued, and I had an inkling of where it was going at times, so it wasn't so far out there that I was 100% shocked and amazed. Sprinkled throughout the book are diagrams that I immediately forgot once I turned the page, so they didn't add anything for me.

In all, Vance has 12 books. Since public domain is up to 1929 now, there are still two more books available in this series if I decide to dive into this character more. Next up is The Greene Murder Case followed by The Bishop Murder Case. I have tons of things to read, so I may or may not add these to the list. But you can never have too many books waiting, can you? Good Book!

Master of Evrington - Vanessa Blake

This is one of those classic Gothic romances that I've had on my shelves forever. Not remembering it, I decided to dust it off and give it a read.

Caro(line) is an orphan who is at the mercy of her uncle for her education. She's at the school with her cousin, but she's also teaching. When the cousin decides to elope with a middle-aged actor, Caro Syrup tries to intervene. That puts her in the path of Tony, a man of questionable reputation. The next day, the cousin falls sick, Caro Syrup has been seen with the alleged cad, and all the blame is on the orphan. Tony comes to her rescue, and eventually they fake an engagement to stop the wagging tongues of the neighborhood. Add in the deposed royal siblings from India, and we've got ourselves some tension!

Okay, so this book was weird. It didn't take long to read, since it was only 170ish pages, but the characters were...there. Caro Syrup stood up for herself maybe once, and then she felt bad about it later. She made some stupid decisions and wallowed in self pity. But that's par for the course with these books. Tony is working behind the scenes to get his young ward back in charge of his province, but I cringed a bit when I found out how. They were basically trading a tyrant's rule for Britain. Eep.

And then there's the awkward romance. These two don't spend enough time together on the pages for me to think the care about each other. Sure, Tony spends an hour each day teaching Caro Syrup Hindustani, but it's mentioned in passing, and I'm not sure just talking about two characters spending time together is enough for me to care if they end up together. 

The cousin was okay for a while, but then she developed feelings for Tony when she already knew Caro Syrup was in love with him. And what was up with throwing Jim in there as a deus ex machina? He just pops up and knows where Caro Syrup is being held? How convenient!

I think the main lesson any woman should take away from these books (if you ever read one) is don't be stupid, don't fall in love with someone just because they're nice to you, and definitely don't believe everything people tell you. Cripes!

The Master of Disguise - Antonio J. Mendez

Mendez was a pro in the art of disguise and exfiltration. He was active during the Cold War and was part of the mission that rescued six Americans in Iran in 1979. If you've seen the movie, Argo, then you know the story.

Mendez didn't just make fake passports. Whole legends were made for each subject. Paper trails don't just involve a passport. They had to disguise the person themselves, and they had to make sure every piece of paper would pass the current inspection process by the government they were dealing with at the time. Argo was a particularly involved process, where they created a whole production company and script for a movie. If you've never read/seen anything about it, I highly recommend you look into it. It was pretty cool.

Anyway, parts of this book were a bit slow. The pacing wasn't necessarily different, it just seemed like some of the sections were more interesting than others. Overall, I did like the book. It opened my eyes to something that was a lot more complicated than I imagined. It gets a Good Book! review, but it's not going to be for everyone. I think you're going to need to have a pretty healthy interest in the Cold War and the spycraft of the time.

Legionquest - Scott Lobdell and others

This is a collection of comics that tell the story of Legion...sometimes.

Legion is a character that fascinates me, but the summary for this one threw me off a bit. I didn't even see David Haller until halfway through the book. I'm not sure how the first half was related to the second, but I did enjoy the Legionquest storyline. I saw little details here and there that might justify the earlier comics, but overall, they just didn't seem relevant.

This one will get a Good Book! review from me, but the advertising was a bit suspicious. Poor David...

 

The Flying Death - Samuel Hopkins Adams

I picked this book up after learning this author wrote the short story that inspired the movie, It Happened One Night. I really like that movie, but the story Night Bus wasn't readily available. This book was in the public domain, so I was ready for a mystery. There will be spoilers in this review.

It starts off with a shipwreck. A man is mysteriously murdered, and a juggler comes under suspicion. More deaths follow, and the murderer may not be as straightforward. There's also some romance nonsense in there.

Here come the spoilers:

So I didn't look into this ahead of time, but I thought it was a mystery. Technically, I suppose it is. But as I was reading, it transformed from an engaging mystery to The Giant Claw. From out of nowhere, a Pteranodon is suddenly a character. I was hoping a human explanation would be the eventual explanation, but no. In the end, it really was a prehistoric dinosaur responsible for most of the deaths.

I had a real issue that bothered me. Why was this dinosaur just murdering people? Doesn't it need to eat? It killed a sheep, but it didn't take it to eat or anything. The explanation of where it came from was weird, but I just couldn't get past the whole "why isn't it eating anything?". There were just corpses everywhere.

Anyway, I was bummed with this one. The romances were strange, and the dinosaur murderer was weird. Even when they had a human murderer, he walked on his hands and that looked like bird tracks? Okay, sure. This book was disappointing, and I think it should be left to the dogfishes (a reference to a moment in the book).

A Place of Hiding (Inspector Lynley #12) - Elizabeth George

This was the last paperback I picked up on our trip to Half Price Books. The page count on this one was particularly intimidating. It's almost 800 pages, and I started it over Christmas break. At that time, the kids were here, so progress was slow. The book is also unwieldy, so I can't cozy up with it while I'm winding down for the night, so I wasn't able to blaze through it like I normally do. So, the time it took isn't a reflection on how good the book is.

Guy is headed down to the beach for his morning swim, but he doesn't return. Instead, he's been murdered in a gruesome way. The suspect is American, and she has connections with Deborah. Deborah's husband, Simon, is something of a detective, so when the suspect's brother shows up on their doorstep, they all head off to Guernsey to solve the mystery.

There are a lot of characters and a lot going on. Guy is a multi-layered character, and he's not an angel. The fate of a WWII museum dedicated to those who resisted the occupation of the island becomes important to the case as well as the unusual will of the dead man.

I picked this book up because the summary sounded interesting. When I saw it was listed as an Inspector Lynley, I was confused. The man was barely a side character. Upon further search, it seems that Simon is usually the side character. It's just a coincidence that I picked up one of the few books in the series that didn't have the Inspector as the main character.

Short note about Deborah. Man, she was irritating. She was a poo to Simon. She made some of the weirdest decisions, and then she'd blame him. For instance, she took a side trip before turning over evidence. This was evidence Simon had trusted her to take straight to the police. Instead, she took it to the suspects and all over town. That led to Simon getting reprimanded, which can harm his reputation. Understandably, he's upset. Deborah doesn't understand this. She's all huffy and indignant. And the crap she pulled at the end? Argh!

Okay, putting her aside, I did enjoy the mystery. Little clues were being revealed bit by bit, like an onion. What I'd like to do is read an actual Inspector Lynley. It seems like not only is Simon not the main character in the series, 800 pages isn't usual. The first book is A Great Deliverance, and it looks like it's on sale right now. It's only 430 pages, so I'd like to give it a shot. Hopefully, Deborah is nowhere to be seen. This book was really good, though and gets a Good Book! review.