Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service

 Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service
by Gary Sinise
Pages: 272
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Gary Sinise shares his amazing story with you. From how he started his acting career, met the love of his life and then came a role that changed everything for him. He learned about veterans in America and how many live on the edge of homelessness and poverty. This inspired him to start a charitable foundation to help American's veterans and their families. He shares how this work has changed his view on what's really important in life and how we can all give something back.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So it goes.

I listened to the Audible version read by James Franco, which was good.

I now have a solid understanding of the ways in which Kurt Vonnegut has influenced the writing of Andrew Smith. I guess I went about it backwards by reading so much of Smith first, but if one brought me around to the other, that seems like a win.  I think I'm going to read more Vonnegut after this.  I'm not sure how I didn't read this one in high school or college, but I'm glad I finally cycled back around to it.

Pages: 215

"Absolution" by Sloane Kennedy

This is book one in The Protectors Series and deals with three men who've all suffered some form of trauma.  Jonas was kicked out of his home at age 14 for being gay and spent several years as a teenage prostitute before having even more tragedy befall him.  Mace's son was kidnapped and murdered by a killer.  Cole faced the traumas of war before losing his sister, who was Jonah's best friend.  Now someone has hired Mace to kill Jonah for bogus reasons, and Cole gets involved.  This novel was full of angst and heavy and was not quite believable at times, but it was a compelling story.  356 pages (Kindle edition.)

"Strong Signal" by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell

What an unusual story.  Staff Sergeant Garrett Reid has spent nearly eight years in the Army and is nearing the end of his deployment in the Middle East.  When he's not repairing military vehicles, he's fighting off boredom by playing online games.  It's during one of these games that he meets Kai Bannon, a serious gamer with a famous streaming gaming channel.  Garrett becomes a bit obsessed with Kai, and as their friendship grows through chats and e-mail their mutual desire for each other deepens.  As Garrett counts down the days to freedom, he imagines that meeting Kai in person will lead to their happily ever after; however, Kai has serious problems that may derail all of his plans.

I'd never read much about the online gaming community before this book, because I just couldn't see the point of watching someone I don't know play a video game over the Internet.  This popular pastime is an integral part of "Strong Signal" and brings the two main characters together and even gives one of them a full-time job.  Both characters were fleshed out very well; I felt like I could draw pictures of both of them (if I were an artist) and describe their personalities.  I really related, though, to Kai and his social anxiety.  The authors described his panic attacks and his struggles to do everyday things very well.  Garrett's reactions to Kai's anxiety were wonderful and should be emulated by everyone since he never made him feel ashamed for something Kai couldn't control.  This was a great story to which I would love to see a sequel, but I'll just have to settle fot the next in the series.  229 pages (Kindle edition).

"On Solid Ground" by Melissa Collins

A vet with PTSD and a tattoo artist with a drug addicted sister try to find love in California.

I really wanted to like this book.  It had many good reviews, but it just did not live up to my expectations for several reasons.  One of the main characters jumped to conclusions and became mad very easily; he acted quite immature and did not seem to have the capability for a healthy relationship.  The story was told in the present tense, which I always find a bit odd to read.  One character had been raped, but the story did not deal with any lingering effects of the trauma.  There were also a number of inconsistencies, so it could have used better editing.  However, there was a service dog, a cute kid, and an upbeat ending, so there were some positives.  328 pages (Kindle edition).

"Part & Parcel" by Abigail Roux

This latest installment in the "Cut & Run" universe finds Marine Force Recon team Sidewinder reunited again, this time on a quest left by their fallen comrade Elias Sanchez.  Nick O'Flaherty is recovering from injuries sustained in the book "Crash & Burn" with boyfriend Kelly Abbott trying his best to help.  With lots of down time, Nick decides to go through storage boxes and discovers letters from Sanchez addressed to the Sidewinder team, so he gets the guys together for a cross-country adventure that turns out to be more emotional than any of them had anticipated.

I was so glad to see Ty Grady and Zane Garrett again; they are the heart of the "Cut & Run" universe since the actual "C&R" series was about them.  This book focuses on Nick and Kelly's relationship but also gives us more insight to the other two Sidewinder members, Digger and Owen Johns.  Another plus - Ty brings along his two new kittens (which really wasn't plausible but still fun to picture).  This story is another winner for Roux.  Hooray for team Sidewinder!  270 pages (Kindle edition).

Pit Bull by Scott Ely

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

A pit bull named Alligator is the hope of Jack Purse to get his family land back. The community pot crops have been swept away by storms, drug dealers and addicts in their community group. They now must bet on a dog named Alligator.

Audio:  6 hrs. 50 min.
Print:  224 pages

The Redeemers by Ace Atkins

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Sheriff Colson’s term is finished, but there's a botched robbery and stolen safe with secrets that can take down the local kingpin.

Audio:  13 hrs. 52 min.

Print:  370 pages

"Crash & Burn" by Abigail Roux

The is the ninth and final book in the "Cut & Run" series, and it finds FBI Special Agent in Charge Zane Garrett overseeing the Baltimore office while his fiance, former FBI Special Agent Ty Grady, rehabs the old building they bought into a book store.  But all hell breaks loose when Ty's best friend and fellow member of Marine Force Recon team Sidewinder shows up at their house injured and on the run.  This leads to Zane, Ty, one of their former enemies, and the rest of the Sidewinder team trying to dodge the Vega cartel and others who want them all dead.

I'm sad to see the end of this series, but Roux gives the boys an action packed send off in style.  Ty's entire family and part of Zane's make appearances, with Ty's grandpa making a memorable show of taking on the bad guys in West Virginia.  Zane and Ty's chemistry is still at full throttle with no signs of the hate part of their love/hate relationship that characterized so many of the books.  Roux has done an excellent job of wrapping up the series; I will really miss these awesome, original, and action packed stories with two of my favorite fictional characters who finally get their happy ending.  352 pages (Kindle edition).

"When Skies Have Fallen" by Debbie McGowan

This touching story is about two gay men serving in England in WWII.  Arty Clarke is an airman and excellent dancer whose best friend and dance partner, Jean, helps his love blossom with Technical Sergeant Jim Johnson.  Homosexuality is against the law in England, but that doesn't stop them from falling in love and trying to be together.  But that love is tested when Arty is critically injured in an airplane accident, and Jim is called home to the United States.  This was another quiet but great story from McGowan that included lots of dancing, a strong female character in Jean, and a couple of cute cats.  296 pages (Kindle edition).

The Cat from Hue: A Vietnam War Story

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Along with wartime portraits and a chronicle of daily life in a war zone, this book reveals the author's personal antiwar sentiment and admiration of American soldiers.  He brings back a cat who adopted him in Hue.

Audio:  31 hrs. 39 min.
Print:  864 pages

"Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" by Alison Bechdel

After hearing about this graphic novel memoir for years, I finally got around to reading it.  The author grew up with distant parents and two younger brothers in rural Pennsylvania.  Her father was an English teacher and part-time mortician at his family's business.  ("Fun home" is short for "funeral home".)  Alison candidly draws and discusses her relationship with her father, a cold, tyrannical, and exacting man with a huge secret . . . he is gay.  He dies soon after this is revealed to his college-aged daughter, who herself has just come out as a lesbian.  Because of this great revelation and his closely followed death, Alison goes back through her childhood and analyzes her father's behavior, obsessions, and interactions.  In my opinion, this book deserves all the of praise it has received because it conveys so much so smartly and so efficiently.  The drawings are economical with few colors yet convey everyone's emotions, particularly confusion, very well.  The book has been made into a musical that won 5 Tony Awards earlier this year.  232 pages.

"From Out in the Cold" by L.A. Witt

Neil and Jeremy were best friends, but a misunderstanding had them going their separate ways.  Years later, Jeremy is a homeless veteran racked with flashbacks from his military experiences.  He ends up on Neil's doorstep, but little does he know that his one time best friend also suffers from a traumatic event that occurred one year ago.  With no where else to go for the holidays, they drive from Chicago to Omaha, their hometown, to visit Neil's parents.  As they work through their problems, meet with old friends, and deal with their shared past, they come to realize that they are each what the other has been missing.  This was a well written and sympathetic exploration of emotional trauma.  206 pages (Kindle edition).

"His Grandfather's Watch" by N.R. Walker

This lovely novella tells the story of two couples two generations apart.  Alex Harper works at his family's antiquities shop appraising and repairing watches and clocks.  Callum Winter, a young man his age and new to town, brings in his grandfather's pocket watch to find out when and where it was made.  Alex discovers an old picture of Callum's grandfather and a mysterious man as well as an inscription inside the back cover and helps Callum track down the story behind them.  Callum's only living relative is his grandmother, who has dementia, but slowly the tale of the watch is revealed. 

This is the second story that I've read by this author, and I liked them both very much.  It's a tear-jerker, too, especially the final chapter which further explains the history of the watch.  69 pages (Kindle edition).

"Not My Father's Son: A Memoir" by Alan Cumming

Alan Cumming survived a horrible childhood with an abusive father in Scotland to become a very successful actor, writer, singer, producer, and director.  (He won a Tony Award for Cabaret in 1998 and is now a regular on TV's The Good Wife.)  This memoir tells parallel stories from Alan's memories of abuse and his journey as an adult to find out more about his maternal grandfather who died in Malaysia in 1951.  He did the latter for the television show Who Do You Think You Are?  His mother's family were never told the truth about his grandfather's death, and at the same time as filming, Alan's father drops a bombshell on him after more than a decade of silence.  So there are two mysteries that he's trying to solve, and both are bound to cause emotional upheaval for him, his mother, and his older brother.

This is an excellent, well written, and riveting memoir about secrets, lies, misconceptions, and mental illness, and what they do to families.  It is not a complete autobiography of the author's entire life but about how he survived his childhood as well as two enormous revelations that happened in his 40s.  I admired Alan Cumming before I read this and that admiration is even greater now.  Highly recommended.  294 pages.

"Chasing Smoke" by K.A. Mitchell

Trey Eriksson and Daniel Gardner grew up together in Easton, PA.  Their fathers even fought in Vietnam together.  So when Trey's father was convicted of killing his mother in a botched murder/suicide during Trey's senior year of high school, he moved in with Danny's family and the young men became even closer.  But Trey couldn't deal with those feelings and joined the Army right after graduation leaving Danny hurt and confused.  Fifteen years later, Danny is an agent for Homeland Security in DC, and Trey is back in Easton working as a cop.  He's always believed that someone else murdered his mother and set up his father, who died in prison.  Now Danny is back in town for Christmas and to help his mother close on her recently sold house.  When someone breaks into the house but takes no valuables, Trey is assigned the case and old feelings flair up.  But when Danny discovers that Trey is still trying to find his mother's murderer and clear his father's name, he takes it upon himself to help whether or not Trey wants it.

This was an excellent story with just enough suspense and mystery but not too much to take away from the main theme - unrequited love.  Trey and Danny are very hard-headed men who struggle to deal with their feelings, both past and present.  They are loners and don't always work well together; Danny tends to joke and Trey gets defensive whenever they feel vulnerable. The author did a great job conveying their angst and longing; I would love to see a sequel!  259 pages.

"Ex Equals" by L.A. Witt

Chris Reuben and Justin Hayes served in the Navy together until three years ago when Chris left the service because of Justin.  Now Chris teaches math at a community college near a naval base when Justin signs up for one of his classes.  It makes for a very uncomfortable situation due to their former relationship and how things ended, but Justin is determined to make amends and possibly start over.  However, Chris can barely look at him let alone forgive him for his terrible behavior. 

This was a well written novella that deals with "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and the repercussions of being gay in military.  152 pages (Kindle edition).

Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr

Posted for Diann Stark

Audio reading time:  7 hours, 8 minutes.  336 pages.

What Becca Timm wants most for Christmas is: getting over Denny Cutler.

Becca and Denny were so in love when they were in college. Denny broke Becca’s heart before heading off to war. She has told everyone that she is over him, she has a new boyfriend and has moved on, or has she?

She has to find out if it is truly over between her and Denny before she starts the next chapter in her life. So, she invites herself on a hunting trip with her brother and friends to Virgin River. There they will meet up with Denny and spend the weekend hunting and hanging out.

Then she breaks her ankle and cannot travel, so she is stuck in Virgin River for at least a week. Her brother leaves her behind and Denny feels responsible for the accident and agrees to take care of her.

As Christmas grows near and the town comes together for the festivities, Becca sees what has drawn Denny to Virgin River and its people. She also sees that the boy she was in love with has turned into a beautiful, strong and confident man.

As time draws near for when Becca can travel, she realizes she can’t leave for she is still in love with Denny.

Moonlight Road by Robyn Carr

Posted for Diann Stark

Audio Reading time: 11 hours, 5 minutes. 384 pages

Erin has had responsibilities all of her life, she has raised her siblings, became a well known lawyer and never took time for herself. She has decided it is time to get to know herself so she moves into a cabin in Virgin River that her sister and brother in-law owns. She went there for the tranquility and to find herself, she was not expecting to find a strange, scruffy man in her back yard. Dr. Aiden Riordan was also in Virgin River staying in a cabin that he and his brothers own. He is trying to figure out what to do with himself, he has just retired from the Navy. He could tell right away that she was a snooty city girl. However, he could see that there was something about her that he found irresistible. This is a fun light hearted book that has its twist and turns, but you can’t help but to love the characters.

Angel’s Peak by Robyn Carr

Posted for Diann Stark

Audio book reading time: 10 hours, 19 minutes. 384 pages

Franci Duncan and Sean Riordan were a couple when they were both in the Air Force together. She wanted marriage and a family but Sean didn’t want anything to do with having a family or getting married. They finally called it quits and went their separate ways, four years later Sean comes to Virgin River to decide if he wants to continue his career in the Air Force or start growing roots. He tracks down Franci in a close by town and tries to reconnect with her; she wants nothing to do with him. She thinks he is still the arrogant, self-centered person she left behind. He finds out where she lives and goes to talk with her and finds out after all these years that they have a little girl together. At first he is furious and then he understands why she kept her a secret.