Book Review

I recently read 2 books that were quite different in almost every way imaginable.


The first was “War” by Sebastion Junger.

Mr. Junger traveled with a unit of marines through the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan for 15 months while filming combat, interviews and just every day life. His movie “Restrapo” made it’s first appearance at the Sundance film festival. The book is basically just the written version of the movie. It is hard to read sometimes and the truth about war sometimes slapped me in the face. The quotes from the soldiers almost always have the “f” word in them…but I found myself thinking that it would be weird if it didn’t. I like to think of myself as a pretty realistic person, life is not always about roses and pleasant things. I know war is hard and combat is unimaginable (I can say this because I’m a normal citizen never having engaged in a fire fight and I can not even comprehend being in that situation.) This book put me into combat. It helped me understand what our soldiers are doing over there (and I don’t mean from a political stand point.) In fact, I think it helped me realize that war and fighting really doesn’t have anything to do with politics at all. It is just our boys & girls over seas putting their lives at risk to help better the lives of others. The other thing this book helped me realize more is how hard it is for soldiers to come back and live a “normal” life. The psychology involved with both fighting other human beings and then coming home to be “normal” civilians is something that again, I can not even comprehend. Above all else though, it made me APPRECIATE the men and women in our armed forces even more. The words “thank you” can not fully express the gratitude I have in my heart for you. Thank you!!!


The second book I read was called “The Girl Who Chased The Moon” by Sarah Addison Allen. It was light hearted, easy to ready, full of whimsy and magic. I have to admit, it was a nice mental and emotional vacation from “War”. It’s about a 17 year old girl whose mother just died and she goes to live with her grandfather whom she didn’t even know existed. The finds herself in a small North Carolina town where cakes call to people and the town secret is magical. She discovers the mysterious past of her mother and makes some great friendships. This book is fun and easy to read and I would recommend it to anyone just looking to be entertained.