Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell

A few months ago, my boss gave me Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell to read and insisted that I would love it. He was absolutely right. With last weekend being Memorial Day weekend, I decided it was the perfect time to pick up the book as we remembered all of the people that serve our country.

Marcus Luttrell, a decorated Navy SEAL, writes his story in two parts. The first part of the story gives a detailed explanation of the training of a Navy SEAL, which was fascinating and very eye opening. The second part of the story is about Operation Redwing, a desperate battle in the mountains of Afghanistan. Luttrell speaks of the valiant and heroic efforts of his teammates as they fought against the Taliban.

The book opens with "..my name is Marcus. And I'm writing this book because of my three buddies Mikey, Danny and Axe. If I don't write it, no one will ever understand the indomitable courage under fire of those three Americans. And that would be the biggest tragedy of all."

This book is amazing and powerful. I have always had high respect and reverence for the United States military and for all that they have sacrificed. Lone Survivor gave me a better understanding and a deeper appreciation for the men who fight so valiantly and then face consistent criticism from some of those back home that they are sacrificing their lives for.

I will give the caveat that there is strong language throughout the book. If you are not comfortable reading the book, I suggest that you at least read about Marcus Luttrell's story somewhere, it is amazing.

Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush

I have always thought that Laura Bush was very classy and intelligent. I found her charming when she was the First Lady and I felt like she always showed her strength, even when the world was criticizing her husband. I really enjoyed her biography, Spoken from the Heart, and I felt like it was a great start to my book reading of 2011.

This book told the other side to so many stories that we all saw in the press and it was fascinating. In my opinion, regardless of politics and what decisions a president makes, he and the first lady are still people and deserve to be treated fairly. I think that President and Mrs. Bush showed class and I especially think it is great to see a strong couple that always had each other's back. Laura Bush comforted President Bush through a significantly hard period in our country's history. They faced 9/11 together, they faced war together, they faced Katrina together, and they faced an onslaught of public hatred towards President Bush and his decisions. Bottom line, I think she is an incredibly strong woman who provides an amazing example of a supportive and loving wife.

I also learned all sorts of random facts that I didn't know. For instance, did you know that the president and first lady have to pay for all of their personal expenses while they are in office? They are sent a bill for their food, dry cleaning, clothing, and all their personal expenses. They are also billed for any guests that they have at the White House or Camp David. They don't have a mortgage or utilities but they don't live free either. Never knew that!

I really enjoyed the stories she told as well as her devotion to her husband, her beliefs and First Lady priorities, and her family. I am thoroughly impressed. If you want a good biography, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

The School of Essential Ingredients

I am not exactly sure where the new craze for "foodie" or "recipe" type books came from but I am loving it. I just finished The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister and wow, just wow. The book was one of my favorite books I have read all year. It was the type of book that has passages that I would read and then re-read just to feel the words again.

One of my favorite passages that I read multiple times is this amazingness: "He sank into the warmth of his child's fragile body against his shoulder, watched in awe that a baby, still essentially asleep, could keep a death grip on the blanket that meant the world was safe and loving, marveling at the thought that it was he and Helen who gave the feeling to the blanket, and the blanket to the child."

That was just a little taste of the book. The book is amazing!

The book is about a cooking class that is held once a week. The story is told by devoting a chapter to each of the attendees at the cooking class, telling their stories and weaving in their participation in the class and the lessons they learn. It begins with the instructor, Lillian, who is a master of matching spices to individual moods. She began cooking at a young age out of self-preservation and used food to draw out her emotionally absent mother. Lillian has a beautiful ability in her cooking classes to tie cooking into each of her student's lives in a subtle and extraordinary way.

The story continues with each of the students stories interwoven with the weekly course. The characters are so delightfully described that you wish you had been in the class with them just to learn from each of them and get to know them personally. I felt invested in each of their lives and treasured the pages dedicated to each of them. I felt so happy when I finished the book and I have nothing but absolute rave reviews for this book.

Read it. Buy it for yourself for Christmas!

Juliet by Anne Fortier

While reading Juliet by Anne Fortier, I never found a good way to explain this book when people asked me what I was reading. So to be completely lame, here is the synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

Twenty-five-year-old Julie Jacobs is heartbroken over the death of her beloved aunt Rose. But the shock goes even deeper when she learns that the woman who has been like a mother to her has left her entire estate to Julie’s twin sister. The only thing Julie receives is a key—one carried by her mother on the day she herself died—to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy.

This key sends Julie on a journey that will change her life forever—a journey into the troubled past of her ancestor Giulietta Tolomei. In 1340, still reeling from the slaughter of her parents, Giulietta was smuggled into Siena, where she met a young man named Romeo. Their ill-fated love turned medieval Siena upside-down and went on to inspire generations of poets and artists, the story reaching its pinnacle in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.

But six centuries have a way of catching up to the present, and Julie gradually begins to discover that here, in this ancient city, the past and present are hard to tell apart. The deeper she delves into the history of Romeo and Giulietta, and the closer she gets to the treasure they allegedly left behind, the greater the danger surrounding her—superstitions, ancient hostilities, and personal vendettas. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in the unforgettable blood feud, she begins to fear that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is destined to be its next target. Only someone like Romeo, it seems, could save her from this dreaded fate, but his story ended long ago. Or did it?

Now for my views on the book....I loved it. The story was so intriguing and the main character, Julie, sucked me right in. For most of the book, the chapters alternate between modern day and the original story of Romeo and Giuletta. At first I was a little distracted and wanted to just read the modern day ones and then the original story. But, after the first few chapters, it all came together and I loved learning the tidbits as the main character discovered the history. It made me feel like I wanted to be in Siena with the character.

The book was really everything that I love in a book, history, intrigue and a bit of love. The book is going into my top 10 favorite books of the year. I highly recommend it. I loved it.

In A Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy

This book was a positive beacon in my book pile this week. I had 9 books checked out from the library that I had accumulated and only 1 week to read. So, I did what any red-blooded English major would do. I read the first 10 pages, and if the book didn't grab me, I took it back. Suffice it to say, by the time I closed this one, I had read 54 pages. And naptime was over.

I have been on a "finding more happiness" kick in my reading recently, and this book really caught the essence of how serving and helping and giving will teach you to be happy. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the authors of the book have an incredible legacy of giving (think The Blind Side...) and being recognized for it.

I loved the occasional snarky writing, loved the down-to-earth personality of the authors, and just loved the message that you can ALWAYS find someone who needs what you have to offer, whether it be money, time or love.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Almost every time that I go to Costco, I walk past all of the books and see what catches my eye. Even though I have a never ending stack of books on my night stand, I always want more. I am selfish like that with my books. A couple of months ago, I was on my regular walk by and I saw this book, Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. This is one of my best finds and I would like to thank Costco for always providing me with books to read (and with good food to eat while I read the books...)

Rather than go into the plot from my perspective, mainly because I am still processing everything I read, this is a synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.

Along with that synopsis, I just add my recommendation that it is a really great read. The story is fascinating and so well written. I don't know what it is lately, but I have really enjoyed the last several books that I have read. I hope the trend continues because I am loving these books.

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

Have you ever read a fictional novel and when you turn the last page, you wished it was a true story? After finishing These Is My Words, I really wished it was a true story so that I could google the name of the character and learn more about her life. These Is My Words is a novel of journal entries from a feisty western woman named Sarah Agnes Prine. Sarah was 17 when the book begins and she and her family are traveling in a wagon train from the Territories to Texas. She has no formal education and only a rudimentary knowledge of the alphabet, but she taught herself to read and write. Sarah is nowhere near the polite and lady-like woman that others expect and some look down on her for her seriously awesome survival skills (which obviously baffles me considering the fact that I just called them seriously awesome).

The journal covers twenty years of Sarah's life and, believe me, there is enough in those twenty years to keep you turning the pages. Sarah is a very feisty and independent woman who fights to keep her family alive as they encounter tragedy after tragedy as they travel along the trail, including the loss of Sarah's father and little brother. The best news is that she and her remaining family end up in the Arizona Territory, familiar and not far from where they began their journey.

Life in the Territories is rough business and there isn't really a dull week in her life. These Is My Words is a fabulous book and I REALLY recommend it. I got so obsessed with her story that I really was disappointed that it was fiction because I wanted Sarah to be real so that I could find out everything about her.

To wrap it up, read the book, you will love it. If you don't, I am sorry.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

I know that I am behind on the times here but I just finished reading The Screwtape Letters for the first time. Why did I wait so long to read it? It is such an amazing book and I can't stop thinking about it. The satire is incredible and every page gave me more and more to think about. It made me consider how I was handling my life and whether or not I was letting Satan have power over me. Lewis sheds light on how the little things are how we are brought down.

One of my favorite parts of the book is a commentary by C.S. Lewis at the end of the book. C.S. Lewis says, "Though I had never written anything more easily, I never wrote with less enjoyment...But though it was easy to twist one's mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun, or not for long. The strain produced a sort of spiritual cramp. The world into which I had to project myself while I spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst and itch. Every trace of beauty, freshness, and geniality had to be excluded. It almost smothered me before I was done. It would have smothered my readers if I had prolonged it."

The entire book was fascinating and I loved it! If you are someone that hasn't read it, I suggest you do.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Even though I realize we are not the first to read this series, we thought we'd add our names to the pile.

The second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire, was way more awesome than the first in my mind. I felt more desperate to finish (didn't think that was possible after Hunger Games) and MUCH more let down to have to wait for the next one.

I love the relationship between Peeta and Katniss. It just makes me SO excited to see how Collins resolves it.

And I loved the way I felt like I was also trying to "solve the arena" in this one.

So, my husband is reading it right now...Therefore, while this is not a review at all, this is going to count as my opinion of Catching Fire. I consider this a MUST READ.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is an amazing book and I loved it. It also fulfilled the Youth Fiction category on this.

The Hunger Games is set in the future and in the area that was formerly North America. It is a new nation with an overwhelmingly powerful government, called the Capitol, that oversees 12 districts that the government created. Every year, the Capitol holds the Hunger Games, a gruesome and horrible competition. A girl and a boy between the ages of 12 and 18 is chosen from each of the 12 districts to compete for their district. The competition is a fight to the death and the last one standing wins. Katniss is 16, from District 12, and after her little sister's name is the one chosen, she volunteers to take her sister's place in the competition. She knows it is a death sentence for herself but she knows she has a better chance than her little sister. Katniss knows a lot about survival but she is going up against others from the richer districts that have trained for the event for their entire lives.

I highly recommend this book and I think you should all read it. Megan read it too and I am sure she will sing the praises as well.

The Anatomy of Peace by The Arbinger Institute

Is anyone else ADDICTED to self-help books? Because I sure am. And this was an AWESOME one.

It begins with a story of a dad and mom who have taken their son to a wilderness rehab program. The parents are required to go through a two-day seminar to prepare them to treat their child differently when the child completes the program.

The principles they are taught are what make up the meat of this book. I felt completely inspired to get "out of the box" and always try to see and treat people as people rather than objects.

I loved this book, which I read based on a suggestion by one of our ecclesiastical leaders. He recommended this book in conjunction with Leadership and Self-Deception, also by the Arbinger Institute. I read that one a few years ago with my family. The Anatomy of Peace was a perfect reminder and expander for me. Hopefully someday I'll be a better person after all this reading!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

I absolutely loved Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. It is a story about Henry, a Chinese American, who was born in the Chinatown of Seattle. The story is set in the 1940s and also in the 1980s as Henry is looking back on his childhood. Henry was raised by his strict Chinese parents to embrace his Chinese ancestry. Therefore, Henry becomes confused when his parents take him out of the Chinese elementary school he was attending, enroll him in an all-American elementary school, and then forbid him from speaking their native language of Cantonese and insist that he speak English at all times even though they can only understand a small percentage of English. Because his parents can hardly understand English and he cannot communicate with them in Cantonese, he feels completely isolated from his parents. Not only is he isolated at home but he is ostracized at his new elementary school so he feels very alone, until he meets a new friend.

His new friend, Keiko Okabe, is a Japanese American girl that is also enrolled in the all-American elementary school. Keiko is also ostrasized and forges a deep relationship with Henry. The two of them become very close despite the prejudices of the time period. As the friends grow closer and closer, all of the Japanese Americans were evacuated to internment camps by order of the government, despite the fact that many of them were American citizens. Henry is, of course, completely devastated but promises that he will find her again.

This book is amazing and I highly recommend it, especially if you like a little bit of history in your novels. Enjoy!

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

This is by no means a new novel. In fact, it was first published in the early 1960's. However, the premise of this novel is timeless, as it's capturing the art and life of Michelangelo.

Even after finishing this lengthy novel, I still can't pinpoint exactly what it is that kept me reading. Perhaps it fascinated me that the researcher (Stone) was so precise, so I felt that it was extremely accurate. Or maybe it was watching Michelangelo develop as he learned to channel his love of art into incredible works that I have seen multiple times but never appreciated as a concept coming from a human mind. Possibly, I loved it because I secretly want to take a one-month trip to Italy just to sit in front of old paintings and statues. Whatever the reason, I loved this book.

Read it. I know you'll love it. (Extra points for whoever can name that movie.)

*Thanks to Amazon.com for the picture

Lift: Becoming a Positive Force in Any Situation

This book, written by Robert E. Quinn (the dad) and Ryan W. Quinn (the son), has become a serious source of inspiration in our family.

Essentially, the book suggests a process to follow that allows you to be more aware of how your actions are either lifting others or bringing them down. Because there is so much technicality to the novel, and lots of step-by-step instructions, I won't try to summarize, but I would SURELY recommend this to anyone who is a parent or employer, or who has influence in any realm of their life.

This would be a great read for the New Year, as it has helped our family to be more conscious of how our actions are helping or hindering others.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

I have been anticipating the release of The Lost Symbol for a very long time. I heard rumors of it being written a couple of years ago and it was finally released this week. I was most excited about the setting of the new book, Washington, D.C. I love to read books that are set in a location that I know well so that when the character sees something, I have a perfect image of what they are seeing in my mind. For the most part, Dan Brown did a fabulous job describing the scene and painting out the details of what the character was seeing throughout his adventure. *

In his new novel, Dan Brown continues the adventures of Robert Langdon, who was his main character in Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. Robert is enjoying a typical quiet Sunday morning in Boston when he receives a call from the assistant of one of his dearest friends, Peter Solomon, who is the head of the Smithsonian Institute. Peter is desperate to find a last minute replacement for a speaker that had canceled on him and was supposed to speak at a major event Peter had arranged for in the U.S. Capitol. Robert agrees to help and Peter sends a private jet to bring him from Boston to D.C. Robert is running late and rushes into the Capitol building with just a few seconds to spare. He turns the corner to walk into the famous Statuary Hall where the event is to be held and immediately stops as he realizes it is empty except for a few tourists and there is no speech.

Robert is baffled as to what is going on and tries to reach Peter's assistant and as soon as the assistant picks up, Robert explains the situation. The assistant then tells Robert that he is completely careless to believe someone that he has never met before and that Peter actually has no idea that he is in D.C. The assistant then tells him that he is not actually Peter's assistant and he had kidnapped Peter and Robert had been summoned to D.C. to save his friend. Robert is told that he is the only one that can save him (very typical for a Dan Brown book if you have read any before...)

Robert must solve a very old puzzle/myth relating to the Freemasons, a very famous and historical brotherhood/fraternity, in order to save Peter. Several problems present themselves to Robert from the beginning, the biggest of which is that the CIA is after him and he has no idea how they knew what was happening moments after the phone call. Robert runs all over D.C. and is assisted by several very powerful Masons in order to get all of the clues that he needs to discover the meaning of the puzzle.

The book kept me guessing and I became addicted to the story. If you have read any of the Dan Brown books, you should definitely read this one as well. If you haven't ever read a Dan Brown book, read this! In other words, I recommend it to anyone that wants a fascinating historical suspense.

I give this book 5 stars!

*If you have ever been to DC before and are familiar with the city and especially the US Capitol building, I dare you to find the minor mistakes Dan Brown made in the details. They are minor and didn't bother me, but I did find it amusing to stop and say "wait a second that isn't right..."

Confessions of an Unbalanced Woman by Emily Watts

This short religious inspirational book is worth reading. Emily Watts talks about how she was searching for balance in her life and she attended a time-management seminar to help. She felt so inspired and made a great list of what she wanted to get done and then she prioritized them. In her words, "It helped -- for a little while. But then would come the kind of day (and this happens more often than you would believe) when everything falls apart." She then talks about what she has learned from seeking balance is that there is something more desirable than balance. I think you should read it if you want to learn more. It won't take you long to read the book and you will feel inspired after you read it.

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

If you need a good book to read, choose this one. It is a great choice.

Cleopatra's Daughter is the fascinating story of Selene, Alexander and Ptolemy, the children of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, as told by the voice of Selene.

Cleopatra's kingdom of Egypt was conquered in 30 BC by Octavian of Rome. Cleopatra and her husband, Marc Antony, committed suicide as the army of Octavian overtook Egypt and left their three children's fate up to the conqueror Octavian. The children are exiled from their kingdom and sent to Rome to be raised by Ocavian's sister, Octavia, who was ironically abandoned by Marc Antony when he left her for Cleopatra.

Instead of hating them as they suspected, Octavia became a mother to them and treated them with kindness. As the children acclimated to the culture in Rome, they are anxious about their fates since Octavian holds their future in his hands and they are constantly reminded of that. In the years that pass as the children mature to adulthood in Rome, Selene elegantly learns lessons of love, trial, friendship, forgiveness and bitterness. Her character shines in the midst of uncertainty and the dangers of Rome. It is a captivating story and I felt in touch with the characters.

Michelle Moran has a great feature on her website where you can watch a book trailer. This is the first time I have ever seen this and I really like it! Go here to check it out.

I absolutely loved this book and I did not want it to end. I finished the last sentence and I felt sad that it was over. The story is truly beautiful and I don't want to give anything away because I want everyone to read this book. I give my highest recommendations and I hope that you enjoy the book as much as I did.