Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Top 5-Favorite Fall Military Fiction Books

Hey everyone!! How are you doing this lovely fall day? The weather has gotten somewhat cooler here, and I'm loving it!!
Sooo, Rebekah Morris is hosting a wonderful blog party along with Blessings Counter, Amanda, Sarah, Kate, and Kellyn. (You totally need to go check out all their blogs and join the party, and then go and enter the amazing giveaway on Rebekah's blog!)
They had an open invitation to join in and post about your 5 favorite books on any genre, so I decided to go ahead and do it!
And the genre I'm posting about is . . . Military fiction! ('Cause you all know I pretty much adore it. xD) And just so y'all know, most of these also fall into the historical fiction category. (Because yeah, I adore that, too.)


Military/War Fiction:

Remembrance by Theresa Breslin 


In Flanders Field the Poppies grow . . . 

It was the largest conflict the world had ever known. It covered three continents and lasted five years. Millions of soldiers returned wounded, millions more never returned at all. In the summer of 1915, in a small village in Scotland, the Great War has already begun to irrevocably alter the course of five young lives.

Eighteen-year-old John Malcolm enlists in the army, eager to fight for his country. His sweetheart, fifteen-year-old Charlotte, stays behind to earn her nursing certificate, along with John Malcolm’s twin sister, Maggie, who recognizes the opportunity to create a new life for herself. Charlotte’s brother, Francis, sees only tragedy in the war, but feels the pressure to join up. And Alex, below the recruiting age, is determined to reach the front lines somehow.
 

I adored this book. I picked it up at our library sale just because It sounded interesting and it was only $0.50.  It was amazing. There are 5 POV's, and you see so many different aspects of the war.  The conscientious objector, the everyday soldiers, and the red cross nurses. It was heartbreakingly beautiful. The writing reminded me a lot of the Anne of Green Gables books, and just...ahhh! Yes, it's beautiful. But prepare to cry, because you will. 



True Devotion by Dee Henderson


Kelly Jacobs has already paid the ultimate price of loving a warrior; she has the folded flag and the grateful thanks of a nation to prove it. Navy SEAL Joe “Bear” Baker can't ask her to accept that risk again—even though he loves her. But the man responsible for her husband's death is back; closer than either of them realize. Kelly is in danger, and Joe may not get there in time. 

Uncommon Heroes: Welcome to a world where friendships go deep, loyalties stand strong, and uncommon heroes perform the toughest jobs in the world. Dee Henderson's military romance series provides a detailed passage into the world of the military and homeland heroes, and those they love.

Now, first off let me say there was a bit more romance in this than I normally prefer. However, everything else was just so thrilling to read about! I so enjoyed the story and all the mystery. I never could quite decide how it would turn out until I got the the end. ;) And learning about the SEAL's was really interesting! 



Dear Enemy by Jack Cavanaugh 


Nurse Annie Rawlings has seen the atrocities of war and believes, as do most Americans, in the inhumane depravity of the enemy--the Germans. But when a rogue rescue mission ends in tragedy, Annie finds herself behind enemy lines, captured and alone with a wounded German soldier. Through shared danger, faith, and a love of music, the two forge a bond that will be tested by prejudice and the separations of time and continents. When Karl is sent to a prisoner-of-war camp, their fragile relationship seems at an end. Annie searches for Karl, but friends--and a new suitor--urge her to get on with her life.Will she ever see her Dear Enemy again?

Despite the description, this doesn't have too much romance. Most of the story is on the German front, and it's just so raw and real. The author didn't try to sugarcoat any of the harsh realities of war. For that reason I'd say this is probably best for ages 16 and up.  And I promise that if you read it you'll scream at that ending. ;) 


Resist by Emily Ann Putzke


Munich, Germany 1942—Hans Scholl never intended to get his younger sister involved in an underground resistance. When Sophie Scholl finds out, she insists on joining Hans and his close friends in writing and distributing anti-Nazi leaflets entitled, The White Rose. The young university students call out to the German people, begging them to not allow their consciences to become dormant, but to resist their tyrannical leader and corrupt government. Hans knows the consequences for their actions—execution for committing high treason—but firm in his convictions, he’s prepared to lose his life for a righteous cause. Based on a true story, Hans, Sophie and all the members of The White Rose resistance group will forever inspire and challenge us to do what is right in the midst of overwhelming evil.


Whoa. I don't have words to describe what this book did to me.
Up until the last 1/3 of the book or so, I was planning on giving it a 4 star rating, simply because there was some language. Not a lot (and I had been warned before hand), but I also just couldn't seem to connect with the characters. I also knew how this book would end from the research I have done about this time in history, so I might have been unintentionally trying my best not to connect with them.
And than I hit the ending. And realized I had connected with the characters in a way I hadn't realized. Not many books evoke emotion in me, far less will make me actually cry. This was an exception.
In a lot of books when they ending is not what I would have wanted, I tend to tell myself "Oh, they're just fictional characters. It didn't really happen like this." The problem with this book was that it did!

The Lamb and the Fuher


Destruction and Evil Meet Life and Peace 
Adolf Hitler spilled the blood of millions for his own sake. Jesus Christ shed his own blood for the sake of millions. Hitler set himself up as a god and the masses succumbed. Jesus Christ was God in the form of lowly man. Hitler created a living hell for the masses. Jesus endured hell to save the masses. Hitler’s name is synonymous with power, evil, and genocide. Jesus’ name with love, peace, and life. Put the two in a room together and you won’t believe your ears. The third compelling book in Ravi Zacharias’ Great Conversations series addresses fundamental issues of life and death, the evil of violence in light of the value of human life, and other tough issues in modern society. 
Adolf Hitler 
Evil. Hatred. Pride. Destruction. 
Jesus Christ 
Peace. Love. Humility. Life. 
What could they possibly have to talk about? 
In this compelling dialogue, two men of contrasting values meet face-to-face. They address fundamental issues of life and death, the evil of violence in light of the value of human life, and the timeless search for unity in diversity. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor Hitler ordered hanged, joins in and the heat intensifies when the three begin to weigh the value of relationships, love, and forgiveness. 

I want this book on my shelf. 
If this hadn't been a library book, it would have been almost totally highlighted. Ravi Zacharias's writings never ceases to cause me to stop and think. I'm literally not even sure what to say about this. If you want to see and better understand the huge difference between the religion taught in Nazi Germany and the Gospel of Christ, then you need to read this. 
I'm not sure what else to say. It's amazing. Read it!


Well, there are my five top favorite military fiction books! Have you read any of them? Want to guess what my favorite time period is? ;) What is your favorite military fiction book? 

10 comments:

  1. Oh....it couldn't be WWII could it? ;)

    All these books look absolutely amazing, Jesseca! I haven't read any of them, but I'm going to have to add them to my to-read list! And thank you so much for joining us in the blog hop! :D

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    1. Hmm, WWII? Why, yes it is! ;)

      You're welcome! It was so much fun to put together a post about books! ^_^ Glad you found some new ones to add to your to-read list!

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  2. I knew it. You picked a genre I thought about after we had already chosen ours. :P And no, I haven't read any of these! (I wonder how many will be on sale soon . . .)
    I'd have to think about my top 5 for this genre as I've read quite a few, especially about WWI. ;)

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    1. Haha, I *almost* did historical fiction. But at last minute did military instead. ;) Oh, I adore it when books go on sale! I tend to wait till then to buy it, sooo, yeah. :)

      Oh, yeah, I can imagine you read a lot of WWI! I need to read some more about WWI. Next to WWII it's my 2nd favorite time period! :D

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  3. I might have to check some of these out!! This would have to be one of my favorite genres 😄 Thanks for sharing, Jesseca!

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    1. Oh, you should!! And I was thinking specifically of you when I wrote this post. ;)
      You're welcome; thanks for reading!

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  4. Favorite time period? Jess has a favorite time period? *wink* JK.

    Okay, so I've read none of these books (#sadness) BUT all except "True Devotion" are on my TBR. :D I've saw your fabulous reviews of "Remembrance" and "The Lamb and the Fuhrer" recently and those sound ahhhhhmazing! :D I'm going to do a 5-fav post...probably tomorrow. ;)

    (And I'm in a really weird procrastinate-school-as-long-as-you-can mood right now. And it's almost lunch time. So I shall depart from thy glorious blog and leave the blogging realm in peace.) XP

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    1. No, of course not! I love every time period! ;) (Which is kinda true, but . . . I ADORE WWII, sooo... You got it right. ;))

      AUGH YOU MUST READ MORE OF THEM! And yes, those two are sooo good! Oh, cool! I've been keeping an eye out for it all day . . . B-)

      Hehe, well, I hope your lunch and schooling went well. ;)

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  5. So glad you decided to join in on the fun! ;)

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