February Book Reviews

It's book review time! 

 I'd love to hear about what you've been reading.

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a very real book. At the beginning of the book it says:
"This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war."

The book is told from the point of view of the soldiers. The author served in WWI and the book was definitely not just a "story". It was very real. At the beginning of the book I didn't know for sure which side of the war the characters were on. (Although I should have guessed with all the German names) And maybe that is kind of the point - Both sides were just men following orders and fighting for their lives and countries.

This book kept my interest throughout and was very thought-provoking. There were parts were I was blinking back tears reading what those men went through. I would definitely recommend this book!

 Crossed by Ally Condie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book but not as much as the first one. One of my problems is that I read the first one so long ago, it took me a while to remember it. I will definitely read the next one though - I have to see what happens.






 Unbroken: A World War II Story Of Survival, Resilience, And Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the best book I have read in a long time! And to top it off it's a true story. It never ceases to amaze me how many different people were involved in WWII. Every book I've read covers a different perspective. This book is about a Olympic runner who serves in the Pacific. His plane crashes and he is lost at sea. When he finally reaches land, it is enemy territory and he becomes a POW. There was so much detail in this book. The author was terrific and it was very gripping. I could hardly put it down. I'd like to read her other book(s).

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Incredible! The title is well named. It is hard to imagine the conditions under which these men survived. And also the fact that not one of them died over the 17 months they were in the Antarctic. Amazing true story.