Beyond Band of Brothers - Major Dick Winters

If you've seen HBO's Band of Brothers mini-series, you'll know who this man is.

This book is the life of Dick Winters. He covers almost all of his life, and he gives some information that goes beyond what was written in Stephen Ambrose's book about Easy Company.

It took me a while to get through this one, and I'm not sure I can explain why. I think that since I've read a few of the memoirs from this group, and I've seen the show, it was a bit repetitive. I should probably spread out reading them a bit more. Also, I've been spreading myself a bit thin by trying to read too many things at once.

On the flip side of that, I really enjoyed getting this man's particular point of view. He was right in the thick of things for the important battles, and considered a good friend and comrade to many. At the end of the book, he goes over some thoughts on leadership. I'm not really in a position where that would apply to me, but the advice is solid.

Thanks to men like Major Winters and men he fought with, we have examples of what real courage and bravery look like. I'll give it a Good Book! review, but it isn't one of the ones that will stand out in my memory.

A Certain Crossroad - Emilie Loring

I guess I've been living under a rock. Emilie Loring is an American romance author who started writing at the age of 50. She ended up writing 30 books during her lifetime. After her death, her sons took her unfinished material and published 20 more. My semi-sad copy was a purchase at the used book store, and it cost me less than $1! I'd never heard of her.

Judy made a mistake a year ago. She gave Neil an ultimatum, but he didn't bow to her wishes. She knows she was selfish, but when she meets Neil again, his attitude is cold. When Judy is pushed off a tree, it brings the two together again, but the mystery doesn't stop there. Strange things are happening on the water, and not everyone is what they seem.

This book felt very familiar. After I finished it, I decided it's like a romantic Nancy Drew. Almost like a cross over of Nancy with a Barbara Cartland. The great thing is, the heroine isn't a total idiot. She was irritating a couple of times, but overall, she was much stronger and smarter than the average Barbara Cartland heroine.

I really did enjoy this one. It was the third book Loring published (in 1925), and I'm really impressed with the style and story, especially considering when it was written. I will say it definitely follows a template. It was a great diet book, and I wouldn't mind reading more. Good Book!

Reader's Digest Illustrated Story of World War II - Various

This large hardback is part of my childhood. For as long as I can remember, it's been on a bookshelf. When my mother was going to donate it, I put a stop to that. I've been interested in WWII for a while now, so I thought, "why not actually read it?" What I did was to read one article or section (for the longer ones) a day. I didn't always keep to the schedule, but I was fairly consistent. I think that's pretty good for basically a textbook.  

This book covers the whole war, and you can probably find that anywhere. The articles are from various first-hand accounts and research. What I think really sets this book apart from other WWII books is the pictures. It lives up to its illustrated story claim! It has pictures from both the Allies and the Axis. Some of them are pretty famous and others I've never seen before.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't know how hard it is to get a hold of this book, but if you're into WWII history, I recommend it. You can't have mine, though. I'm keeping it! Good Book!

Parasyte (manga series) - Hitoshi Iwaaki

I've got a fair number of manga I've gotten interested in reading lately, and this was one of them.

Shinichi is getting ready to finish school when he is attacked one day by a parasite. It's aiming for his brain but becomes lodged in his arm instead. Others aren't as lucky and are infected. Almost every parasite eats humans, and the bodies they leave behind are gruesome. 

Shinichi and Migi (since he's in the right hand) need each other to survive. Other parasites want to kill Shinichi because he interferes with their plans, and humans are protecting their species. Along the way, Shinichi and Migi get closer, although Migi claims to only care about his survival. Sometimes, he lives up to that statement, and other times it sounds like Shinichi is losing a bit of his humanity.

I really liked the story here. The way the author incorporated the parasites and the way they would fight was really creative and interesting. I'm not going to say a ton about the plot. It's worth a read. The end especially had some profound moments, and I liked it.

I would recommend this manga to people who aren't afraid to question why things happen and the way humans treat things they don't understand. My volumes had Q&A with the author, and I found those super interesting. It's helpful to see where the author is coming from and what inspired him. Good Manga!

Berserk Official Guidebook - Kentaro Miura

This book came on my radar once I'd gotten caught up with the manga. I do have the next volume preordered. I was bummed about the cliffhanger in the last one!

In this book, you'll find character portraits, storylines and sketches. There is also an interview with Kentaro Miura, and it's a pretty decent length. It's got a lot of great information, and you get a real sense of the author's personality and dedication. The character portraits are really nice. They covered almost anyone you can think of, and all the major characters go into some depth. 

I really liked this book, and I think it'll be a good reference if I forget anything in the future. I don't think someone just starting the manga should read this book. It's going to spoil a lot of the genius twists, turns and amazing story that I think should be experienced through the source material. 

The guidebook came out after the release of volume 38, so if you've made it that far, I recommend this book. If not, get caught up ASAP and buy this book! Good Book!

The Seven Dials Mystery (Superintendent Battle #2) - Agatha Christie

I've read the first book in this series, The Secret of Chimneys, and I enjoyed it. I wasn't sure how great Battle was at the end of that one, so I was interested to give him another chance.

A group of friends are visiting the Coote family when a prank goes wrong. One of them is found dead, but it isn't until Lady Eileen, known as Bundle, almost hits another of the friends that there seems to be a pattern. There is a secret society and national secrets mixed up in it, and Bundle is on the case.

And it really is Bundle most of the way through. Battle shows up here and there, but he keeps information to himself for the most part, and we don't get into his mind at all. He pops up at explanation time to clarify some things for Bundle, but it's after she's done all the leg work.

I did like this book. I just don't understand why it has to be a Superintendent Battle book. Yes, Bundle knew him from the first mystery, but other than that, it could have been any police inspector. It's not a big deal, and it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. I'm giving it a Good Book! review, but don't expect to see Superintendent Battle flex his mystery-solving muscles.

Dragon Rider - Cornelia Funke

I can't even tell you how long I've had this book. It's a hardback, and it's a bit beat up, so it had to come to me used. Cornelia Funke is probably better known for her Inkheart series, and I read those. They are no longer in my collection, but I remember liking the first one. Also, something I didn't realize is that this book is part of a series. The other two also start with Dragon Rider as the title, but the second one is The Griffin's Feather, and book 3 is The Aurelia Curse.

Firedrake has left his home to find the mythical Rim of Heaven. Humans are approaching the current home of the dragons, and Firedrake isn't content to sit by and watch his home get taken over. On his adventure, he brings his best friend, Sorrel. She's a brownie and a spicy one at that! They run into a human boy, Ben, who helps them on their way. But there's also a humongous enemy after them. Nettlebrand tried to wipe out the dragons once before and was unsuccessful. This time, he's got a man on the inside.

The story was about what I expected. I felt like I wasn't the target audience for sure. It was too tame and seemed like it would be better for younger children. That's not a bad thing, it just wasn't a story that drew me in. I think if my kids were younger we'd have read a chapter a day. It's that kind of book. Also, most of the chapters are short, so it lends itself to reading aloud.

I was a bit let down at the end. I can't really put my finger on what it was that bothered me, but I was glad the book was over. It's on the longer side, so that might've had something to do with it. I thought the writing flowed in a good way. It was just okay to me.