War! What is it Good For?: Ian Morris

This isn't something I would usually pick up, but I was taking an online course and it was recommended. It was very interesting. The introduction talked about how human remains have been found from the Stone Age giving evidence they died violently. It goes through major wars through history and touches on what good came out of them. It started with Roman Conquests and considered how the conquered territories became organized and basically "civilized" and then ended with a prediction of what the future holds. The next 40 years could be the most horrific with technical advances and such, which isn't hard to imagine, but terrifying. He explains how the British and America's have created more peace than bloodshed and how the US is a "Global Cop" using violence when necessary to keep peace. He also predicts how the world will eventually be under one power... this was a very interesting read.

Rainbow Six: Tom Clancy

This seemed like a never-ending book- it is fast paced and a lot happens, but it just felt difficult to keep up with, they are on a hijacked plane, now that are with hostages in a bank. Then there is another story that eventually joins up where people are experimenting with homeless people. The book is about a group created by NATO- Rainbow Six, who consists of a person from every country. It was interesting how it came together- not your "typical" terrorist.

The Summons: John Grisham

The eldest son of a judge is beckoned home to a dying father. When he gets there he finds his father already dead. The story is interwoven between the protagonist reminiscing about his childhood and being chased by someone after finding $3 million in his father's closet. The story continued to build and we learn the little brother was a drug addict and has been given millions of dollars from the father through the years. SPOILIER- the brother "assisted" in the father's death and wrote a new will leaving everything to his boys. The little brother found the money first and wanted to see if the eldest brother would divide it up equally or keep it for himself.

The Virgin's Knot: Holly Payne

This was a fantastic book, but ended so sadly. Characters kept being introduced while the story progressed and eventually they all met up. A young girl, Nurdane, loses her mother when she is born and is taught by her father to weave after she gets polio. Her father kept preaching to her and the townsmen that her hands were a gift from Ali. He wanted to make sure she would have a way to support herself after he passed away since no one would probably marry her. Her weavings become famous in town and are thought to be magical and blessed. Her doctor falls in love with her and though she doesn't know, she believes he sees her as he wants to- her fixed and walking, instead of who she actually is. Then a man, Hennessey, comes in search of the goddess he believes used to be worshipped in Turkey and falls in love with Nurdane. She befriends him and shows him a cave with the goddess markings. Nurdane confesses to him that she wishes Allah had not given her the gift of weaving, but had instead made her whole so she could marry. The whole town seems to know the doctor is marrying her and that the rug she is working on is actually for her. Nurdane does not know and when Hennessey learns of it he is upset that she is being given away like livestock. On the morning of the weddings, Nurdane gives her hand back to Allah, what I don't understand is if she realized she would bleed to death or if she thought she would live without it...

The Last Of The Mohicans : James Fenimore Cooper

I hadn't remembered that I had read this book, until I was about half way through. It didn't really hold my attention and is similar to Louis L Amour's books for boys. There seems to be a lot of dialogue, but little action. The story is basically about some men escorting two young girls to see their father, a British Officer trying to hold a fort against the French. They meet up with him right before the battle and in leaving the fighting get kidnapped by a Huron who wants the eldest for a wife. In the end the eldest and the Huron die while he tries to escape her search party.

An Innocent Man: John Grisham

This is a non-fiction work and is frightening on how the police just grabbed someone in order to close the case and let the murderer go free when they seem to have known with certainty who the murderer was. This story makes you wonder in this day and age how many innocent people could be charged with a crime. This story followed the lives of Ron Williamson, who's only vice was a mental disorder, being charged with Murder and doing his time. It also brings to light two other men doing time for murders they did not commit- Dennis Fritz and Greg Wilhoit. This book is very interesting, not only in these men's live, but it talks about prison life and the heartbreaking struggles of the family members. Ron WIlliamson took his frustrations of being jail out on his sisters by demanding they buy him things for his life in prison (which he would ruin in a fit of rage) and by endlessly demanding they get him out of there. They both had families and financial difficulties and I am sure the pressure and guilt were horrible.

What to Expect When No One's Expecting: Jonathan V. Last

This is very much an "END OF DAYS" book, l which is funny because he pokes fun of an earlier book that does the same thing, but warned people are having too many babies. This was a super interesting read for the statistics. I liked learning on why contraceptives were created and the statistics about the more educated one is, the less likely they are to have children. The statistics on living together before marriage and how likely one is to get married and then stay together was alarming. The chapter about car seats was all new to me; I must live under a rock because I did not know children up to age 8 have to be in a booster seat. The days of my childhood are ancient history! I liked the humor of the author “Americans expect to have just about two kids each, and they get just about two kids each. I know what you're thinking- this is the dumbest statistic you've ever heard"(pg. 121) I laughed out loud, because that was pretty much what I was thinking. I really enjoyed the book and even recommended it to another childless person.